#i loved wtfock down and their dynamic

[lucidpantone]

Saw @calliettes-posts asking about Ada's season and thought I would do a run down on why Ada's season went the way it went because history matters:

Long explanation but you need to know the history of the show post s4 to understand the dynamics of Ada's season. During s4 wtfock GOTS8's themselves and the show imploded and they lost an insane amount of fans. Which really sucks because when Nora(Yasmina's) season aired the audience was very resentful and it showed in s5 numbers then the show ended and the fans were honestly glad because how much they had soured on the show.

In the middle of this drama, sputnik who produces the show had a whole bunch of leadership changes and a partnership with go play began and wtfock became way more corporate. Wtfock is sputnik's cashcow so s4 & s5 were also plagued with hard sponsorship pushing that really pissed off the fans too. The authencity of the show was starting to get muddled.

So once s5 ended everyone was like "good riddance". Also during s4 & s5 the show had leaks all over. Staff leaking shit, actors visibly frustrated with the writing and also some big fandom artist leaked that the show used some of their work and didnt pay them or didnt know the context they were making the work in. It was just not good vibes. So the OG gen ends. Well, my two cents is that sputnik produced more new shows that didnt do as well aka (Nora's football show) and they needed money. Wtfock even when it does poorly it makes sputnik alot of money but they knew all the bad vibes associations with the show so they kinda let sleeping dogs lie and didnt give anyone a hint of a new gen happening even during the production of S6 no one called it "wtfock" just Ada.

Then s6 gets announced and even Veerle is promoting the new cast and basically saying its a new slate. Not to hold this gen accountable for all the shit that went down in the last gen. S6 starts airing and to TBF all the cast just didnt have a rhythm yet the acting wasnt the best and the story was a bit dull. Also skam/love triangle is one of the most hated tropes in the fandom. Also s6 was a play on s1 except Ada is the Jens character versus her being the Noah character. Which bad decision because it was hard to root for her. So the season was sorta of a bleep on the radar nothing special and forgotten as soon as it ended. It also didnt draw that many old fans back and didnt seem to pick up as many new fans either. The promotion was okay for the show but i did notice there was alot of emphasis on giving this cast a chance and alot of people just didn't care to newgen with a remake that burned them so hard. So yea...... thats kinda of the history. Btw Wtfock has gone all in marketing this season and brought commercials which has never happened before. So i think they are just playing with a new strategy and also beforehand actors weren't allowed to talk about the show(aside from Nora after the terrible s4 season) but they are now.

[randomshyperson]

https://www.tumblr.com/randomshyperson/734623074843049984/hellooo-so-ive-been-reading-your-fics-for-about

Heyoo so I haven't watched that one lol is it good? I've seen a bit about it but haven't given it a chance yet, yet I have seen France, Spain, DRUCK (and very excited for the fic of that one ngl 🤭) and ofc the OG, have you seen the Spain one, it's one of my favourites frrr also can we get a little sneak peek of the other story (if you don't feel comfortable that's okkkk thank you so much for sharing your work with us 💕) also can I be 🐜 anon?

FIRST OF ALL, GO WATCH WTFOCK SEASON 3! Like, their Evak season is one of my favorite versions, Sander is such a sweetheart, he's the best Even, boyfriend material. And all the characters were allowed more screen time and plots, remember the girl that Isak tries to date in order not to look gay, and the only function the Original (and most remakes) gave her was to be the annoying girlfriend? WE HAVE THE SUPERIOR Noor Bauwens. She's just so-

I'm too gay for this.

I can't speak about the entire Wtfock. The 3th is really good, but I haven't watched the other two. Also, a lot of people hate the 4th and I never watched. The new season is nice, I've been busy to follow them, but the couple has a lot of chemistry and it's WLW so I'm down for it. All episodes are available on Youtube, which is a super bonus.

But yes, I have seen Eskam. I love Crisana (and cris season is so fun) and I was never able to get over my crush on Joana and that's okay. I don't like the first season much, but love the girl's squad dynamic. Also, their Noora/Vilde Season is something else, right? I feel like the put on a lot of things the fandom wanted to see in the original.

I think I have seen at least one season (or a few episodes) of each remake. I didn't follow them all, since the first four seasons are the same plot, but I have seen them all. My favorite was Skam NL, and to this day the fact that they got canceled haunts me. Skam Italia is amazing, all seasons! The characters have incredible chemistry and they changed a lot of the dynamics, it makes it feel like a new show. AND I LOVE DRUCK, are you kidding me? Third-best after NL version, they have the best chances into the storylines and the new generation is just superior to anything the others tried to do it (I'M TALKING TO YOU SKAM FRANCE). And we have Transgenders Characters falling in love, talking about the subject and it's so so beautiful. BTW, I like Skam France too, but they broke my heart with Maya and Lola breaking up so I'm not on good terms with them.

I hate Skam Austin and can't believe they approved that.

I don't wanna share the story because I'm always changing it! And I have dozens of drafts, and none is usable haha But I can say that the main inspiration will be the healthy versions of Noora/William. Sorry, but the original one is just not it for me. I loved Nooreva too much and hated William. Plus, Noora literally gets sick from anxiety while dating him, so nope. Not gonna work. Lucky for us, Skam Italia and Druck gave us healthy versions of this couple. I think Edoardo and Eleonora are the main inspirations, but Mia and Alexander are incredible as well. I could put some references to Skam NL as well, since Liv and Noah are very sweet and I feel like the closest I could be to a William is the Noah Sad artist version.

I can't give any spoilers for the druck fic because I want it to be the best one, Kieutou is my favorite skam couple. I'm gonna invest some extra time into this one.

[chappedandfadedvds]

Nov 6th, Friday 20:18

JANAAAAAA!“ A parade of voices outscreaming themselves erupted at the new little video screen popping up on their online chat, as the familiar face of their abroad living friend appeared. 

She looked hilarious, wide eyed, absolutely overwhelmed, and even leaning away from her camera, as she laughed: „Good god, guys. I thought Jens was the boy, or better man, of the day. Not me.“

„Well we were just discussing our rescue mission to get you back home from still Trump Country.“ Luca said conspiratorial, as she whispered at short distance into her mic, making her sound a little asmr-ish and that much better.

„Also we can see or talk to Jens every day, we already sang him happy birthday, so you are more special.“ Robbe added, sticking his tounge out, as Sander grinned, raising his thumb in support. Jens rolled his eyes at them, giving them his middlefinger in return.

„Fuck you guys.“ He added without meaning it in the slightest. It was his birthday party chat, but he really didn’t mind their taunting, calling him an old man, leaving Milan and Senne to stick up to him. The real friends here in the group, Jens would make sure to remember that.

„So how is my birthday boy today?“ Jana asked smiling brightly as she looked as beautiful as ever, her hair a little shorter. He liked it, it looked very good on her. He wondered if she would ever leave his heart, and if they would have found each other again, hadn’t she moved away. 

Jens had Lucas now though, and the thought that he may not even had considered the boy, was unimaginable. Or worse he could have nonetheless fallen for him, while being with Jana... A  much scarier thought reminding him of his end with Britt, something he definitely didn’t need to revisit. So he smiled at her and kept it short: „Pretty great actually, I thought I would hate not having a party, but I really enjoy celebrating in bed in my comfy home clothes.“

I also got kissed by the prettiest boy on earth and slept like a baby for the first time in weeks.

Jens never said it out loud, but he couldn’t help his smile from growing, as did his heart in his chest planning to escape, just thinking about the morning. Both of them awake once the alarm went off, staying in bed another couple of minutes in a lazy cudlle, pecking kisses at heach other. God it was too cheesy and he loved every moment of it. Lucas had changed clothes, just as fast as Jens, as the boy had hurried out of the house to get home, while Jens panicked to get everything done on his agenda. They had spent a little too long in bed. 

Jens would welcome the stress back every morning, if Lucas would promise to show up on his doorstep every time the clock struck midnight. 

„Jens?“ Aaron asked amused, waving his hand in front of the camera to get his attention back. He may have drifted off there a bit.

„Sorry, what?“

„Milan said, you have to come by tomorrow because he is not gonna have you spent a birthday without getting a cake and blowing out a candle with a party hat on.“ Senne provided as an explanation, but the only thing happning in Jens’s brain was the image of Lucas last night. Fuck this boy was taking over his mind way too fast.

„Eh sure. Though I think I have to bring Lotte, my mom is busy tomorrow. Children under 12 do not fall under the lockdown guidelines, so should be safe. That’s okay for you?“ Jens asked looking at the little screen showing all members of the flatshare in a tangled mess on Zoenne’s bed.

„Yeah I think that’s fine. It’s not like we have to make it toddlersafe.“ Milan said already looking excited of having the little girl over too. Until now, they only ever had visited the flatshare one time back in February and only for an hour or two, usually they met at Jens’s place.

„Shit Babe, that means we have to finish his present today.“ Robbe exclaimed a bit too panicked for it to be a joke. His boyfriends eyes widned, as he looked at Robbe in shock. „Jens, is it too late to say it is for christmas?“ 

„Pretty much, yes, it better be amazing, or I’ll cancel this friendship.“

„Oh I forgot, fuck!“ Luca suddelnly loudly announced getting off of her chair and stumbling out of frame her voice still being picked up by the mic: „Let me just turn the speaker on.... Wait...wait... Okay! I know it is not the best time given election. Yikes! But we are all together in chat since Jana moved, soooo.“

One note was all that was needed for the group to immediatly loose it.

„You are not playing Miley Cyrus now!“

„Hell yea, I am!“ Luca replied to Moyo’s absolutely horrorfied face, before starting to sing the lyrics: 

„I hopped off the plane at LAX

With a dream and my cardigan

Welcome to the land of fame excess,

Whoa, am I gonna fit in?“

Milan joining in instantly as if he had waited his whole life for this moment. Sander following suit, next to Robbe fishing for his phone. He was definitely going to record his boyfriend for leverage. Or because it was Sander singing, to Robbe even Sander breathing was worthy of adoration.

By the time they reached the jay-z line leading up to the chorus, they all had giving up their resistance and begun to sing whole heartedly, between giggles, dancing and messing up on words and notes. Any music teacher listening in would let them all fail class. No questions asked.

„Yeah it's a party in the USA“

Ending in a big crecsendo before all 11 voices fell silent, as they looked at each other and proceeded to burst into laughter.

„I miss you guys sooo much.“ Jana cried, hugging her laptop. All they saw was a black screen for a long minute, before she sat back, grinning: „Though I am dating this super hot guy from Geography. Like he is an absolutely idiot, but he is very cute and super gorgeous looking.“

„So American Jens?“ Yasmina said as dry and confident, that Jens was pretty sure she meant it. At least a little. Much to their friends’s amusement.

„Ey! This is my birthday, you can’t be mean on my birthday.“ He pretended to be offended, yet smirked at her, as soon as her lips curled up into a big smile, her eyebrows risen up high. 

„She’s got a point though, bro.“ Moyo laughed, lucky that he wasn’t near enough to be hit by Jens, who raised his hands.

„Alright, alright. I definitely gonna have to find new friends now, that’s for sure.“

„No! You are a cute idiot, our cute idiot.“ Zoe chimed in, absolutely delighted and Jens couldn’t really ever be mad at that girl, so he sighed, accepting his fate. It wasn’t exactly that they were very off anyway, he supposed.

„Well whatever, I actually wanted to let you know that I decided to apply to University in Antwerp, Brussel, Utrecht and Rotterdam, so hopefully I can move back next summer. I talked to my mom, and she isn’t the biggest fan of her daughter being so far away, but she knows how I hated moving here. I guess she feels guilty and I’m gonna take full adventage of that.“

An amount of variations of „seriously“ to „are you joking?“ Filled the chat to a point it all merged into a single distorted sound for a good couple of minutes. Jens joining right in. They all wanted her back, especially the girls.

It was Amber who than took the conversation over, completely leading them onto a new topic, one that Jens should have seen coming, but kinda hoped wouldn’t be turned into a big deal. But obviously it, would be, as Jana had seen their insta posts and the last vlog from wednesday.

„That means you get to meet Lucas! That would be so cool, he is also from Utrecht, maybe he could help you out with it. We should invite him for the next time.“

„Oh right, tell me all about him, I’m ready. Someone’s dating him? Because if not I’m calling dips.“

Jens had to use everything in him, to keep himself from snorting, laughing or commenting, giving away any knowledge he possesed. But having his ex lusting after the boy he kissed last night, was the funniest shit ever.

No one seemed to notice though, as they all went full in, describing everything they knew about the poor absent dutch boy. Not able to defend himself. 

Jens leaned back and enjoyed every second of it.

Best birthday so far.

[lizardboy66]

ok my emotions on the new season of druck are so so mixed atm and I’m just gonna write down my thoughts

First of all, I was really looking forward to ismail’s season. They are a character I found super interesting and I was very excited to see them in action. I’d say there are a lot of positives this season: the new characters are very charismatic, isi has good chemistry with both of them so their friendships are believable, the cinematography and aesthetics are on point, I could never slag off Druck’s song choices they are always great. I don’t hate the way they are handling ava and isi’s relationship, I think that while ava has forgiven them quickly and that could seem jarring, it’s lovely to see her consistently and ismail’s apology was very genuine. Seeing isi interract with different people is very important to the season, we can see which dynamics are healthier than others, see who they prioritise and that provides a deeper understanding of their character.

However: the season is weirdly slow. In two episodes I don’t have a single theory, prediction or something I’m hoping will happen. The plot hasn’t moved, no points of intrigue have been properly explored and isi seems to be meandering through life letting things happen to them as opposed to being an active protagonist. This isn’t necessarily an issue, however with the way skam is released and the ways I’ve engaged with it in the past it doesn’t live up to expectations. My hope is that it’s just a slow start, wtfock didn’t introduce their even until episode three and I genuinely cannot remember what happens in the second episode of skam s3 at all and I’ve seen that season many many times. It is entirely possible that it’s just starting out this way and shit will hit the fan later, I just hope it hits the fan soon because I’m getting bored!!! I am!! And it sucks cuz I want to like this season but I just am not invested in it right now.

[sincerelyravens]

the things i love about wtfock season 5 without seeing og season 4: catch-up addition because i was busy yesterday

dinsdag 08:27:

I've seen the post about a white guy putting up his hood as yasmina is about to take off her hijab and I'm just so sad—

fuck this law, I'm so fucking glad that they're touching on this.

yasmina looking at the other girls but also looking into the camera breaks my heart

seeing the shift in yasmina as she's taking off her hijab is brilliant and beautiful and so heartbreaking (see wtfock, this is what happens when you have a main that can—)

the boy squad!! (and no one elseeeee)

luca calling out amber on copying people (and really seeing more of luca. i want to know more of luca)

yasmina sounds so upset that aaron got into a fight with elias as she should be good for her.

amber calling over aaron and then going over to him lol. love that for her. call out your boyfriend for his idiotic takes girl GET IT.

also i really like the songs at the beginning and end of this clip. i knew i was going to love this soundtrack but oh my god (i got a lot to live up to with noor's season i guess too bad I'm shitty with picking music sorry guys)

dinsdag 12:21:

LAWYER YASMINA.

"Yasmina, you were meant to be a lawyer." YES ZOË TELL HER. "If you want this, you should go for it." YESSS.

but i also understand why yasmina is unsure. it would suck for the one place that she KNOWS and works her ass off for so the government can take away her choice to wear a hijab. fuck the law and the people who think it's a good idea.

but it happening in Brussels definitely makes sense why Yasmina is thinking about this.

yo, i would love for yasmina to become a politician (i am american, i obv don't know how belgium government works) and fight to take down the laws that tell her that she can't wear a hijab at school or as a lawyer. or fight against those laws as a lawyer. sue the country. do itttt.

also, love that they're giving all the ignorance to kato instead of amber. it's totally in character. also i love yasmina just looking done and exchanging a look with luca. need more of their friendship pls.

oh great aaron, fantastic. i love you bro. but you fucked the fuck up.

oh Aaron knows he fucked up, he's trying to get away from them so they don't overhear. boy just SAY it.

omfg i love this confrontation with aaron. he's trying to beat around the bush and not say the fact that he just assumed that he thought elias had weed and yasmina's having zero shit about it. get him baby girl. GET HIM.

"amber will kill me." bro, apologize because you're genuinely sorry and you seem like you are but don't use it as an excuse for why you're apologizing. you know you fucked up and it's okay to apologize in that regard, but saying "amber will kill me" only makes it seem like you're doing it because she told you to. not because you're genuinely sorry.

i better see this boy apologize TO elias by the end of this season or I'm going to riot.

"that boy is lucky it's ramdan"

zoë leaning against yasmina mY LOVES

dinsdag 17:08:

okay so I've already seen this one but not with the translation so to I'm going to get this out of the way now YOUNESSSSSSSS

ngl i originally thought the text was from yasmina/elias not younes/elias so ooops.

i love that elias said the same thing that yasmina says in the previous clip about how aaron should give his apologizes to elias directly.

seriously tho

love this sibling dynamic it's *chef's kiss*

ooop not done YOUNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

subtle, yasmina, subtle

younes looking at yasmina when she's not looking

younes asking her to join and yasmina looking like she's going to accept or say maybe before elias calls him over and he just says "next time"

I'm ready for the scene between them where they play basketball. I've seen enough gifs to know that it's a thing okay.

yasmina just looks so smitten already I'm just AHHHH

omg the SOUNDTRACK

woensdag 08:28

yess a whole day and a minute apart but now yasmina has a crushhhhhhh

why is kato wearing purple get OUT of my color

I've already made my whole ass rant about how i hate that yasmina gets excluded from things so often and yeah, we'll continue on. though i am glad that kato mentions that whatever "it" is starts after sunset.

i love that they're going gender-neutral names with the people luca is seeing because she seems to have that bi/pan feel (whichever label she decides to choose) but i definitely hope that they'll speak more about it as the season goes on especially since yasmina is going to have feelings for younes and that's going to come to a head. they should do better, of course, but it just feels like a hint right now that MIGHT come up later?

either way she's still getting a girlfriend at some point in my noor season

luca getting very philosophical on a woensdag morning

the way you can just see the moment she starts thinking of younes

you can just see it in her eyes and how she drifts off as britt/amber come over.

and then luca walks away and she just stays zoned out until she realizes they've left and then she follows after.

oh my god guys, I've been loving this season so far. wtfock pls give me a good season again. this feels like wtfock again.

[ayellowcurtain]

After all these "*years"* I still be pissed at the fact, that we didn't get a proper conversation between Sobbe, letting us and them know about each other more as persons. In other skam remakes, there was like a special feeling every scene that each of the characters still learns about the other, but in wtfock, since the actors have known each other already, they do not show or try to show this feeling of getting know the other, which is bad and inconsistent for the developing of the dynamic and relationships of Sobbe. Even in the first scene, when Robbe enters and sees Sander for the first time, his (Willem's) face doesn't show a total surprise, it's more like: "dude, what are you doing here?", like if Robbe knew Sander before. (I get that it's because of the actors only). But because of this fact I still can't ship Sobbe, because I don't understand, WHAT DID THEY FIND IN EACH OTHER, LIKE IN PEOPLE, IN PERSONALITIES OF EACH OTHER, LIKE WHAT DID THEM MAKE TO FALL IN LOVE. I don't know, other evak couples just don't have this problem. Their were played, btw, by people, who didn't know each other before skam though... So they have this aspect in their interactions, like "I don't know you yet, but I tryna to", idk... Sobbe is communicating through touches, but I don't buy it. Maybe, it's my pansexual is showing, but it's what it is.

I get what you mean. I talked about the “lack of conversation” in WTFock a few days ago with some other anon. But to me - a very, very, VERY shy person, very romantic too, very reserved - I don’t really need to see them talk, to be honest. 

And like I said a few times too, Sander, to me, feels a little shy too. He’s loud, confident, but I don’t think he opens himself up that easily. Even with Britt, I always felt like he was showing just the “surface” to her. 

Because he’s all the way or no way in every aspect of those words. 

And mostly about everyone, he’s a “no way” because he doesn’t care enough to show people the good, the bad, and the ugly. He doesn’t care enough to make small talk. He has very little patience. He wants people to decide right away what they want, no need to explaining why, how, when. If you want it, then do it, don’t talk about it: Take your clothes off and jump in the pool, kiss me in front of your school, put your shoe out and let me make a big scene for when you wake up, let me dress up in a costume to take you to a romantic date. 

Even with Robbe sometimes Sander doesn’t really know how to go about things. When Robbe told him he wanted to go to the police, Sander was a little louder than usual and than necessary, saying how they got lucky, how they were alive and that’s all that matters. And then he realized that’s not how most people go about things, so he talks more calmly again, talking about how they love each other, etc. During WTFock Down, when that conversation comes back again, he tells Robbe about how that bar is theirs, that they can’t let them attackers win, etc. He sees how uncomfortable Robbe gets and he says they’ll try and try and try until Robbe is comfortable. With the first try about the ~cyber sex~ Sander looks frustrated when Robbe changes his mind and then it takes him a few seconds, and he apologizes. 

Sander is not the best at communicating, he probably thinks it’s a waste of time. And Robbe doesn’t really need to communicate, for once. At least he doesn’t think he has to say most things. He seems relaxed and living a dream when he’s with Sander and things are going good between them. He’s probably tired after all his problems with his parents, so for once he doesn’t want to argue, to be reasonable, etc. 

And even with his friends, he’s not the one to tell the boys Sander was the one to paint the mural (Jens is, even though he keeps looking at Robbe, hoping he’ll say something, but Robbe doesn’t, until he has to, because Jens doesn’t know how he and Sander feel). 

When he’s with Milan at Zoe’s bedroom, Milan is the one to say that Robbe is into guys. When he’s about to tell Zoe about Sander, he looks so shy, taking the long way to Zoe’s bed to talk. 

When he’s with Noor, she’s usually the one to say things, the one to lead them to do things, she pushes him until he breaks (the night he says he can’t breathe when he’s around her or something like that). 

And I really get Robbe in this part because he wants to save himself the trouble. It’s his life, his relationship and he doesn’t care enough to go around telling everyone about what he’s thinking, feeling, what’s going on with Sander. It’s their thing and he doesn’t think the others have to know how it is. 

With their first scene I do think Robbe looks confused about who the fuck that rude guy is so I don’t know. He even thinks about it for an extra second before telling Sander his name. 

Even with different types of shyness, I do think Robbe and Sander have a lot of middle ground. They both seem to enjoy their bubble too much to the point where they don’t care to talk to others about how they feel, about how they got together, etc. Even if we’re not seeing, we now know Robbe is also into some type of art, photography, videos, etc. So they do have interests in common, with Sander showing Robbe all about Bowie, about his family traditions, about his art and how passionate he is about it. 

A good example is Sander’s zoom birthday party. Robbe barely says anything, he lets the boys do their show or whatever, wishes his boyfriend a happy brithday and he talks when Sander is basically not around. Another example is in the same clip, when he takes his clothes off, Sander plays like Robbe is just another one of the guys, taking his shirt off. They don’t really ~flirt because the boys are all there. 

We also know Robbe loves to hear Sander telling about his feelings for Robbe. He keeps asking what did Sander sees in him, about where his “fairytale” is (asking Sander to send the videos he was making during lockdown), about if Sander really “misses him that much”, what he “misses the most”, etc.

They love their love, they like being in love, talking about their love, being around each other and nobody else. 

(With Druck and Skam España I got this feeling that you’re talking about, where they didn’t talk until things were already happening.)

[skamamoroma]

Also, I love a show that listens and learns.

No show is perfect. Not one. Wtfock goes for it. They’re chaotic as all hell (no wonder they write Sander so consistently!) and they ramp up emotion and intensify stuff from the original but they know their characters, the love is there for them and the clues are in the detail. They care a whole lot and they are creative and fun with it often in ways that makes the story or the dynamics between characters so much more alive. Wtfockdown encapsulates that whole approach!

They are not perfect. They’ve made some mistakes. I remember back during s3 when the assault clip was released they posted a video which wasn’t very sensitive and because of requests from fans and people explaining why it wasn’t cool... they took it down and responded in such a cool way.

They were frank in an interview about realising they should have perhaps included more scenes following the assault to show that Robbe and Sander were ok etc and they realise their error there and have listened to fans

They now include this clip. It shows they listen and care and want to try in some way to include it because they know people want that representation or want those issues discussed or want the characters experiences to be honoured (to reflect those in real life who have gone through that). They have learned and acted.

I don’t need any show to be perfect and I actively don’t need a show to cover EVERY little thing unless it’s necessary and as long as they make the emotions work and make that part of it authentic. They have always NAILED that perfectly and to know they’re really listening and also using their audience here is really great of them. I don’t want fan service from any show, I want them to do their own thing but there’s a difference between blatant boring fan service (which I really don’t think they’ve bowed to) and knowing what their audience loves and playing with it a little in their own way!

[jon-astronaut]

Also, if you don't mind... Rate the Williams!

Ah I love the rate asks too much! Thank you for thissss!

(1*) So, I just explained why I don’t see Alejandro as a William remake but if we take him as a remake he is no.1. He is just so different while having the cool rich boy charm. He has been open with his feelings about Nora since s2. He is a human as well getting overwhelmed in his relationship with Nora. He works at washing dishes. He actually gets along with others in the squads. Chef’s kiss.

Okay so putting Alejandro aside my no.1 is Senne! Technically, he is pretty much like William but with the little details wtfock added he felt like a brand new, a more soft version of William. I love his relationship with others too like Milan and dad!Senne with Robbe. He is always so soft and caring with Zoe. Him wanting Zoe to testify against his brother!!!! (Although he was pushy with her that was great). Also love his defence about the fight to Zoe in s2. Really made me understand him.

Alexander!!! Druck s2 was one of the first remake season I ever watched and I absolutely fell in love with his dynamic with Mia. Seeing him fail his last year and study with the others again added an interesting layer to him. He was always so dorky, waiting with coffee, the little notes, jumping up after Mia kisses him for the first time... he felt like a new character a less serious version of William. Also, he is really 3 dimensional the whole panic attack and his backstory of his sister was really good.

Edoardo! He is pretty much our average William but his curls yep yep yep and him singing Creep - I am basic okay. I love that he is such a good friend. He is not a lone wolf like other Williams he has his own squad!!! and he would do everything for his friends! his reason for the fight is the most valid one and because we have seen his friendship with Villa boys I understood him really well!

Noah. Ah he had the potential to be no.1 in this list...but then the second half of s2 happened. i mean i love his artsy type he is definitely a boy i would fall for i understand you liv. and his banter with liv was the cutest the opening scene of s2!! him rushing down the stairs!!! but then, they forgot that they had to follow the og storyline or smt so what happened next didn’t fit his character.

i don’t want to rank william and charles....... but they are at the bottom together........ honestly, it took me a while to see william as toxic. in 2016 when i watched skam the first time everything he did the whole drama was so appealing to me but now i regret the fact that i loved him.... don’t worry by s4 of skam i was over him and saw him and the noorhelm storyline as bad.

thanks for this questioooon! i loved writing my thoughts about themmmm!

also, you can send me any rankings, opinions, questions etc. about the skamverse!!!

[indimlights]

Thank you so much Laurien @onzeziggy for thinking of me and tagging me in this, I might have taken some time but I'm finally doing it :) (Also I'm considering myself tagged by Vanesa @vataraxia just cause I want you to see how close we thought). This was incredibly hard (and long) to do but it was very fun

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Fav wtfock s3 things: *Screaming* NOOR!! I Love her and that's enough to show that they changed her, she's not like the other Emmas who are very unlikeable. Also her whole style and dynamic is amazing. *Screaming again* SANDER!! Okay yes it's Bel!Even BUT his style is so different, I love that he is into art and the bleached hair makes him so unique! Also the fact he didn't lose a year and stayed behind! I like that change. *Screaming for third time* ROBBE! Robbe might be Bel!Isak but he is so different from the others, the fact they made Robbe hold things inside and only crash once made him so much more relatable to me. They gave representation to those people that keep it to themselves the most they can and me, as a person that does exactly that, really enjoyed the change. (Also the fact he's the biggest baby in this earth hihi)

Favorite clip: I do have one but I'll have to mention others that are super close, I think (emphasis on the "I think") my favorite is dinsdag 7:27, there's just something about that (start of) clip that always makes me smile :) However I must say vrijdag 21:21, woensdag 21:21, maandag 11:03, zaterdag 08:44, maandag 15:12 (I might be the only person to love this clip as much as I do but yeah) and honestly...alot others are all very close and I love them all.

Favorite scene: omg can't possibly pick one, the sinterklaas clip is amazing in it's entirety but I have to say the third clip of season 3, I think it's not talked enough but just the entire atmosphere with the spraying and the secret codes plus we seeing sander for the first time there, it's such a cool scene! (I could mention others but I'm pretty sure I'll be referring then in the next topics haha)

Favorite shot: The one in dinsdag 7:27 where Robbe is caressing Sanders hand with his own hand, that's so sweet. Also the date night when Sander and Robbe are forming a heart figure with their position, that's just breathtaking and I could talk about it for days! Also the one from zaterdag 8:44 where they are in slow-mo moving in the shopping cart, that's an amazing one aswell!

Favorite kiss that Robbe initiates: The one in woensdag 17:21 is amazing and of course the one from dinsdag 7:27! How could I not mention that one. The one from woensdag 21:21 is also a milestone and it's amazing. Ah and there is this moment in Woensdag 16:36 when Sander gets the text message and he's about to go check it but him and Robbe are laying together and Robbe gives him a small peck in the cheek and that's the sweetest little thing.

Favorite kiss that Sander initiates: The one in zaterdag 9:41 hands down! It's the one that stands up for me, he just spins Robbe around and kisses him while saying that iconic line... it's perfect

Favorite Sander dialogue: “Jou en Ik, 100% altijd, in elk universum” if that isn't the best thing to say in that moment I don't know what is...also "I'm holding you and I'm never letting you go" in zaterdag 9:41 is a strong contender and "Just because other people are narrow-minded, doesn't mean you have to make your world smaller" that's an unbelievable line and it makes me think alot everytime. Sander has so many amazing lines

Favorite Robbe dialogue: The few lines he said in maandag 11:03 are amazing and I think it's the best thing he could've said then, also have to mention the famous comeback “Where's the manager when you need him?” that's iconic!

Favourite hug: Between Sobbe it's undoubtedly the one in maandag 11:03, so soft and sweet and it was the comfort Sander needed but I also have to say the hug between Robbe and Milan in maandag 7:54 is so good aswell and Robbe really needed it then.

Favorite 21:21: How am I supposed to choose this?? Okay I love both but I'll say woensdag 21:21, it's their first kiss, the moment Robbe breaks all his internal barriers and kisses the guy he is in love with. Plus we get to to see new parts of Antwerp like the tunnel or the pool at night and it's just them two and silent city. It's beautiful clip✨

Favorite Sobbe Instagram photo: The three b&w photos Sander posted for Robbe's birthday :) Not only was that an amazing way to end the day but it was also the first big date I caught while in the fandom so it means alot more to me. And I'm still not over those posts, the fact they are blurry like they were taken without preparing, just naturally, that's the type of posts I love the most.

Favorite scene x song pair: It's probably maandag 11:03 and wildfire. Firstly I love the song and that's the reason my bio has a line from in it and then...both versions playing starting in the slow one and then picking up as we see the scenes from their relationship, I get chills every time and I love that clip and song so much. Wondering romance in vrijdag 21:21 is perfect for the moment aswell :)

Favorite message between Robbe and Sander: It's the wtfockdown ones, every single one of them. The videos Sander sent to Robbe were just amazing. I wasn't here in s3 so I missed most of their messages then but I do remember the one where Robbe is going shopping with Zoë and Sander tells him he is the only gift he needs. Please...my heart

Favorite banter on Instagram: pretty much everything BUT the emoji convo in their anniversary post was amazing and the “photograph me like one of your french girls” that's an amazing one and I remember all of us wanting to throw water at Robbe xjjcdjdjdk.

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I'm pretty sure I'm the last person doing this cause of my break but I'm very happy I decided to do it late or not cause it was very fun, if you haven't done this and want to consider yourself tagged by me cause I don't know who to tag. Lot's of love to all💛

[ropebunnykant]

I would say the flatshare dynamic saved s3. I think s3 would have been less palatable if they did not make that change simply bc there was a lot more cruelty in there. So I'm glad they had the foresight to really build upon the safe space of the flatshare that was already a very integral part of OG

You’re so right, dude. Like I absolutely adore season 3, but a large part of that is because of the flatshare dynamic and the dynamic between Robbe and Sander themselves. Like if the flatshare dynamic wasn’t as strong, given all the changes they made and especially with how broken down Robbe was by the end of ep 6, the entire season could have gone a totally different route and been received very differently.

But even without that, the flatshare dynamic was such a fucking genius move. Like you said, it was a big part of the og, but it also wasn’t nearly to the same caliber as wtfock’s. Like the Isak/Eskild dynamic was SUPER important and touched on in the og and there were some good Isak/Noora moments sprinkled in there, but they also really didn’t feel like a family, not the way Robbe, Milan, Zoë, and Senne do.

Like when Noora first came back in the og, Isak was sitting there on his phone, and only tuned in when they talked about giving up his room. And it’s very much the same for many of the other remakes, like even Skam France, who made us all fall in love with the Lucas/Manon relationship didn’t really have that sense of home amongst all of them. The dynamic in the flatshare in wtfock is so unique and so very homey and they feel like a family, and it is something I love and appreciate endlessly. It gave Robbe all the support and love that he needed when he was at his lowest, and even though he doesn’t live there anymore, I’m positive they still all support each other endlessly.

[lucidpantone]

See with that I don't agree. I find the 'Sobbe love each other burn everything else to the ground' thing was always more of a fan thing. I thought exaggerated that a lot because they loved the ship but in reality we saw like 10 seconds of Sobbe in S4 and 5 and Robbe's season was from his perspective so of course it was more intense. I thought in Wtfockdown they showed quite a healthy relationship that wasn't as codependant as people make out

I mean we got like 1.5 seasons of sobbe because of wtfock down and then the little bits in s4 & s5 but we did get alot of social from them and I go off the way they express themselves particularly Sander. The whole "you taught me how to love" post and the yearning for Robbe when they were apart and saying "there isnt anything better then him". Sander is a hopeless romantic so he does speak in hyperbole alot but I do think he believes whats he says. Like I believe he thinks that robbe is his person. Robbe is more chill but I think a big part of their love is Sander's art the way he is ALWAYS drawing them and reaffirming it to Robbe and capturing how he feels and showing us the audience via his instagram so we see how he feels. Also i agree with the last anon that Robbe had this love bank which he wasnt sure what to do with because he had really bad family dynamic and then he finds sander who needs alot of love patiences which is basically what Robbe is an expert at via his mom. Hence why they are a tad codependent. Thats just my opinion tho but you're of course allowed you own.

[lightsandlostbells]

wtFOCK season 3, episode 4 reaction

Kiss kiss fall in love? More like kiss kiss stay away from me.

I have to warn you. This is the episode where I lost it. I had to go back and edit so much unhappy capslock out of my notes. 

Episode 4

Clip 1 - Het drama again

Zoë shows Milan a video of the shooting prank. Milan asks about romance on the trip, Robbe says there were too many people and too little privacy.

Senne and Zoë have tension because Zoë is pissed that Senne was partying? And that he was posting pictures of parties on IG when she wasn’t there? I mean … look, I’m never a William fan, but this seems like Zoë’s problem. If you can’t trust him to behave when you’re gone, you SHOULDN’T BE WITH HIM. And if you feel like you can trust him, this dude going to bars or whatever shouldn’t bother you. At least it seems to be portrayed as Zoë’s issues. Milan mentions that she’s jealous. He seems to like Senne, and I do find that dynamic cute so far.

I do appreciate that the Noorhelm drama this time is boring and not like “Senne was mad about how Zoë handled her sexual assault” levels of offensive.

That being said ... Robbe’s story. Where.

If you’ve been telling a very tight story so far, where Robbe’s personal journey has been steadily progressing clip by clip, then a clip like this wouldn’t be that bad. We absolutely have not been watching a tight story. Even with the next clip of Robbe doing some introspection, I’m like ... can we not make every scene count toward his story when there’s so much catching up to do? Ten seconds of Robbe looking vaguely troubled out of a two-minute clip that’s mainly about Zoë and Senne’s relationship does not count. A better writer would find some way to make Zoë/Senne parallel to Robbe/Sander, like how Noora talking about William and “if he loves you, he’ll choose you” in the first clip of episode 4 is relevant to Isak sitting there texting Even and Even choosing his plans with Sonja over Isak.

Clip 2 - Milan and Robbe talk gaydar

Robbe checking out Sander on Britt’s IG … finally, some cyberstalking. Did he take a screenshot of a pic of Sander? Lol.

Milan sits down and asks Robbe his opinion of a guy on Grindr, sexy or not? Robbe is lukewarm, giving neutral answers, Milan says he’s allowed to have an opinion on whether a guy is hot or not.

It feels SO WEIRD to have this clip so late, and I’m trying to like … recalibrate my brain so it’s not just because it’s later than usual. I don’t inherently hate if a remake changes up the order of clips. But the problem is that we’re now FOUR episodes in and it feels like Robbe’s sexuality crisis has just begun, I guess? Or rather, efficient storytelling would start out with this clear view of what Robbe’s issues are, rather than muddling into it a few episodes in.

Milan’s all, this guy says he’s not gay, but he likes to blow guys. This turns into a conversation about Milan’s gaydar and how to know if a guy is gay. In the original scene, the purpose of this conversation with Isak and Eskild was there as a way of Isak figuring out if Even was gay. That ... does not really fit this version, because this clip is so late in the season. Isak was getting Eskild’s wisdom right after meeting Even, when he had nothing but a BJ reference to go on. But Sander eyefucking Robbe while kissing Britt and leaning in to kiss Robbe should be pretty big clues to Robbe that Sander likes men, no? And that he likes Robbe specifically. Yeah, Robbe might be doubtful because Sander is still with Britt, but nothing new has happened since the almost kiss to make Robbe doubt! It would make way more sense if they’d adapted the opening clip of OG season 4, with Even texting Isak that he had plans with Sonja, into the clip prior to this one. If Robbe had texted Sander an invitation to hang out, or even just a “hey, what’s up?” and Sander wrote back “plans with Britt” then it would be an understandable transition for Robbe to have some doubt about Sander’s sexuality in this clip, like hey, maybe he’s not actually into me, after all.

The scene might make sense if you think about Robbe listening and applying Milan’s words to himself. Thinking about how there’s “something trapped in them that desperately wants to come out.” Wondering if it’s obvious to other people that Robbe is gay. It still doesn’t quite work and I actually doubt that was their intention (I think it was all about how to detect if Sander is into guys) but I am searching for any scraps of Robbe introspection, so.

OK, at least they had Robbe immediately look up Grindr (I laughed that he searched “grinder”). Good! Sexuality conflict! Why is it so late! Although it was probably more about trying to find Sander rather than a personal move on Robbe’s part.

This is a very gay song, btw (I Like Boys by Todrick Hall). 

Clip 3 - Robbe and Yasmina talk het drama

Aaron talks to Robbe about sitting close to his teacher to see her boobs and the teacher saying she knows why he’s sitting there. I highly suspect this is just a dream Aaron had, unless the teacher said it in a pissed off way. Throw his ass in the back row, big-breasted teacher!

Robbe meets up with Yasmina. Yasmina wants to know the dirt from the seaside, Robbe fills her in. Soooo are they good friends, or what? He tells her about Aaron and Amber and they laugh and stuff. I mean it’s cute and all but like … where is this coming from? Did they become great friends in the S2 that I didn’t watch?

And that’s the whole clip … again, I ask what was the point? 

To establish that Robbe and Yasmina are friends? Way to undermine the development and importance of that relationship by basically cutting through the buildup and hard work to the payoff. Sana and Isak meant more to people BECAUSE they started off prickly and grew to like each other and respect each other via their actions and words, right? That their conversations were more interesting because of their opposing views and resulting friction? That the friction was extremely relevant to the religion discussion?

Was the point to talk about Aaron/Amber and how Amber supposedly isn’t interested? We don’t need Yasmina’s commentary on that at all since we could see how Amber herself reacted to Aaron. Like if Yasmina was all, yeah, Amber couldn’t stop talking about Aaron, she says she doesn’t like him but I think she does, then I guess I could see the relevance of this conversation since it’s “new” information ... but it’s just the same shit we already know. And again: why spend so much time on a SIDE HET ROMANCE during a gay character’s season? Two of out three clips in this episode so far have been about side het romances!

This clip was just not needed at all except to set up Robbe and Yasmina so the impending religion conversation feels mildly less like two characters who have barely spoken on screen suddenly have an intense and somewhat personal talk. Something they could have done in earlier episodes instead of the other repetitive, unnecessary clips they’ve done this season. 

Clip 4 - Dance chicks

At Noor’s dance performance, Robbe’s pals are drooling over the performers (and honestly being rather inappropriate and distracting). At least they got Robbe’s lack of interest right. Even though they have established this FIFTEEN THOUSAND TIMES with the lack of interest in Noor, like this clip almost doesn’t feel necessary at this point! If they’d had it earlier in the season, sure, but now it feels redundant. Like we really super mega get it by now that Robbe’s not into the girls.

The instructor thanks the performers at the end and Robbe says that he was “so gay.” Hey, except you know what? THERE IS NO BUILDUP TO THIS MOMENT. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NONE. Except for the homophobic jokes from his friends in the previous seasons, but there’s nothing I can recall in this season.  But more importantly, Isak’s similar comment was prompted by him taking the gay test in a preceding clip. Taking a quiz about generalizations of gay people, rooted in homophobia! Which Isak applies to the dance teacher! In order to distance himself from being gay! WE GOT NONE OF THAT HERE. For fuck’s sake.

There is no setup or reason why Robbe goes from being somewhat neutral about gay people with Milan asking him about the Grindr dude two clips ago - where Robbe is just kinda like, yeah OK, whatever, you think everyone’s gay, Milan (but he’s not overly grossed out or homophobic) - to this moment where he’s making a derogatory comment about a person he perceives as flamboyantly gay. This scene just happens because it did in OG. And the thing is, obviously you can attribute Robbe’s reasoning here to internalized homophobia. We know internalized homophobia exists and why he has it. But this is a scripted narrative, and any scripted narrative needs to have things happen for a reason rather than just because.

I remember complaining that Skam Italia had a bizarre take on this scene. But that’s nothing compared to the laziness on display here.  

Jens is like WTF at Robbe’s “so gay” comment, it’s clear he’s not feeling it. I do like that Robbe gets defensive when Jens scoffs at him. They ask Robbe why he’s such a downer lately and if it’s because of his dad, or because of the Vlogs. Robbe blames the vlogs and yells and walks off, they’re confused.

Lol I just realized that I don’t think there was any followup to the prank from the seaside trip that had Robbe all pissed off. Nothing to show that the boys reconciled or that Robbe didn’t get over it right away.

I have a big problem with the way the boy squad is characterized so far, and it might be because they come across as more self-absorbed than other boy squads, as well as having a more superficial bond. I feel like so far they’re a rather cynical take on teenage boyhood. Again, not expecting them to be perfect or to be overly mature, but this show has to do a lot of work to make me believe they have the empathy or maturity to deal with Robbe’s situation kindly. (EDIT from the future: lol)

Clip 5 - Robbe and Yasmina talk religion

Oh shit, somehow I didn’t connect that dots that Aaron mentioning the teacher’s boobs would lead to THE boob teacher making an appearance! Unless there are multiple teachers with notable breasts at this school.

Another scene of Robbe not interested in breasts ... I mean, not to sound like a broken record, but this would have been good about three episodes ago.

The teacher is talking about religion and Darwininsm and creationism, which prompts Robbe to complain about how people still have religious beliefs in 2019.

Heavy fucking sigh. Have we gotten ANY religious moments from Robbe’s mom this season? Or from anyone else? Do the writers realize that Isak grilling Sana about religion was prompted by his OWN MOTHER’S religious beliefs and his fear of her judgment of his sexuality? No? Not surprised.

For real, Robbe just complains about religion out of nowhere … and like, obviously religious homophobia isn’t a rare thing, it exists. But it has not been established why Robbe in particular cares about the effects of religious homophobia, compared to say, the casual homophobia of his friends, or gay stereotypes, or gay bashing … we don’t know why religious homophobia has PERSONAL relevance in Robbe’s life. And yes, this is a concern for every gay person! But from a STORYTELLING perspective, there should be some focus as to what Robbe’s main fears are about being gay. Lack of acceptance from his peers? His family? Religion? Violence? Homophobic slurs?

I would say based on previous seasons, the most compelling basis for Robbe’s internalized homophobia would be the homophobic attitudes of his friend group. A revised take on the dance chicks scene might have been done with this in mind, but it wasn’t, and so it’s all just very muddled. 

Anyway, Robbe goes on this tangent and asks Yasmina why she believes in God. The teacher voices what I thought and is like, why the fuck are you talking in class?

Again, there is NO BUILDUP to the involvement of religion at all. They have this shoehorned in friendship, I guess so he can ask her. He does bring up homosexuality at least, and how religion is so black and white.

Yasmina asks him what he believes. ONE THING they got right: they had Robbe challenge Yasmina on an intellectual level, and so Yasmina challenges him on an intellectual level right back. Because a lot of their dialogue is lifted right from OG, that’s why it works. LMAOOOO. Yasmina points out that homosexuality is an evolutionary “dead end” so therefore it can’t be genetic, so what is it? A disorder? A choice? I will also give some credit for her invoking the most anxiety-causing options to get under Robbe’s skin.

But the tone of their friendship does come across very different, because in the previous scene they seemed like good chums who had a rapport, and here it’s like Robbe lashed out at her for no reason, even less than Isak did with Sana, because Robbe just decided to torch his friendship with Yasmina out of the blue. I guess the answer is that Robbe is cranky so he decided to grill Yasmina over religion, but again, the fucking question is: why was he cranky? Two clips before this one they were on warm, friendly terms. In the last clip, he lashed out at his male friends, but that has nothing to do with religion. What the writers are asking us to do is basically just imagine all the stuff that’s happening in Robbe’s brain instead of doing their jobs and showing it to us. You don’t have to spoon feed us but you don’t also get to stick a few peas on a plate and wonder why we’re going hungry.

(REALLY. IT WAS NOT PROMPTED BY ANYTHING, NOT A TEXT FROM HIS MOM. WHICH IS WHY ISAK WAS UPSET AND LAUNCHED HIS INTERROGATION AT SANA.)

(CAUSE AND EFFECT, MOTHERFUCKER)

Clip 6 - Bowie playlist

Robbe is doing homework when Sander sends him a Bowie playlist. Robbe listens to Space Oddity and has a brief Moment. It’s very nice but wow, wouldn’t it be even better if Robbe fell for Sander listening to that? Say, in the last episode? Before they almost kissed? And before Robbe was suddenly declaring himself a Bowie expert to Noor?

Sander calls him, I like Robbe fixing his hair before he answers. It’s a video chat, gotta look his best! They have an actual conversation about Bowie and they flirt. Sander invites Robbe to the cafe later and Robbe is happy except then Britt is in the background and apparently she’s going with them, so it’s not a date after all, oh no. Robbe’s actor is good at subtly conveying his disappointment here.

Robbe hangs up and sticks his head against the bed (lol) and then goes back to Grindr. He immediately gets messages for horny sex and then gets rid of Grindr. 

At first I was like, yay, this clip had a clear point and a sense of cause-and-effect, but now I’m like ... ehhhhh. Because the purpose of Robbe checking out Grindr is either A) so he can look for Sander or B) so he can check it out as a general way of exploring his sexuality (or both). The suggestion is that it has a lot to do with the former, because it was part of Milan’s advice as to how to find out if someone’s gay. But it’s a little weird here, because Robbe just saw that Britt was coming along to the cafe, so he should be discouraged about Sander. I mean, I think it’s still possible that he’s trying to figure out if Sander likes him because he’s getting mixed signals between the playlist and Britt, but it’s just a little off. And as for option B, I’m not sure why now of all times is the best time for that, like if you think about it, the sting of getting his hopes dashed should be the predominant emotion here, would he go straight to Grindr just to be like hmmm, maybe I’m into dudes?

And it bugs me because there is a super easy fix to this clip! Just have Sander send the Bowie playlist, Robbe listens to it, and as he’s daydreaming and smiling a bit, he gets out his phone and checks out Grindr, ready to search for Sander. But there are too many sex messages so he’s just like WTF and gets rid of it. Then Sander calls and they have this conversation that ends in Robbe being reminded that Britt is still in the picture. (Or he doesn’t need to get the sexy messages at all, I mean they’re kind of funny but I’m not sure they’re plot-necessary here.) 

Noor texts him that they’ll meet up later. It’s not 100% clear but it sounds like she knew about meeting up with Sander and Britt, so that means Britt probably told her previously. Which is a little bit of different context from OG, because I was under the impression that Even asked Isak to hang out with them hoping that they’d be alone, and then somehow Sonja found out and made it into a group thing with Emma, making Even grumpy. With this it seems like it was planned as a group thing from the beginning, Britt knows they’re meeting up later.

Or wait, when Sander says he’ll give Robbe advice at the cafe later, does that mean Robbe already knows they’re meeting up? That would make sense because it’s what happened in OG (Even invited Isak in an earlier clip and then Isak found out Emma and Sonja were coming in a later one). They’re incorporating all kinds of OG elements in this episode so I wouldn’t be surprised. But I assumed that this was the invite because we didn’t see Sander talk to Robbe earlier this week? Shouldn’t we have seen that clip since it’s the first time they’ve interacted since they almost kissed? I checked the texts for this episode and I don’t see anything like Sander inviting Robbe, either? Did I just miss something? What is going on?

Clip 7 - Robbe is late to meet Noor

Later that day …. Robbe rides a bike. Very fast. The music is dramatic! This would not be out of place for an O Helga Natt scene

And yet it’s not OHN, it’s Noor? Noor seems annoyed. Because Robbe is late. OH NO THE TENSION WHATEVER WILL WE DO. WE CARE A TON ABOUT ROBBE AND NOOR.

Noor is super pissed at him and starts screaming and shoving at him. What the actual fuck? She complains that she thought he was dead or something and is mad he didn’t even send a message. She says fuck you and walks off. Robbe follows her on the bike.

I don’t know how popular this opinion is, but Noor did not come across as great here, like when I watched it I was baffled at her response. I say this as someone who is chronically early and also gets annoyed at lateness. She has every right to be annoyed that Robbe is late and that he didn’t message her to tell her he’d be late, and I get that there’s supposedly more to her reaction than just this one incident. But the screaming and especially the shoving at him is just WTF. 

Also, she told him to meet him at 19:00, and the beginning of the clip is at 19:21 (I see what you did there) and Robbe arrives like a minute or two later. So he’s 20 minutes late, which is certainly annoying, especially because it’s dark and chilly outside, but IMO not a cause for “I thought you were dead or in an accident!” and the OTT reaction. 

Clip 8 - Robbe and Noor fight

Sander and Britt are in the cafe, Robbe and Noor argue outside about him giving her mixed signals. Has ... he ...?

OK, I’d say I half-see her case, and I half-don’t. If Noor can somehow sense Robbe’s disinterest during their makeouts or lovey-dovey moments or w/e, then I can buy that. I think there are slight moments where he doesn’t seem into it. But Robbe has put so much more genuine effort into their relationship than Isak did. He hasn’t even turned Noor down for sex, really, they’ve just gotten interrupted every time, or she’s thrown up. He didn’t want to go to her dance performance except then he told her he would go approximately thirty seconds later. He went to her dance performance. He went to the seaside with her and kissed her and slept in the same bed with her. This is the first time he’s actually fucked up with her.

Noor sounds ridiculous right now. “Do you still love me?” Uhhhh what??? You’ve been dating for less than a month, really? Did he tell her he loved her at any point? I’m serious, is there some material I missed? Some nuance in the language that didn’t completely translate?

I get it, I’m watching insecure overdramatic teenagers! I’m just wondering if I’m supposed to be on Noor’s side here. They could have portrayed this less OTT and more fitting to Robbe’s actual offenses.

Anyway Robbe and Noor have a screaming fight in the street and he says he can’t breathe anymore because of her. I can buy that even if it’s dramatic because he’s feeling trapped by her due to his sexuality. She walks off, Sander and Britt come outside. Britt goes after Noor and hugs her, Sander sings Space Oddity to signify the crash and burn of Robbe/Noor. He has on a Pink Floyd shirt so at least his musical taste is more varied than Bowie.

Clip 9 - Robbe and Sander by themselves

Robbe and Sander drink alone at the bar, they don’t think the girls are coming back. Sander texts Britt and then tells Robbe they’re going to do something else. He shows him Britt’s text saying that Noor needs some time alone. I mean. this drastically changes the context of them going off together … it’s not because they want to be together, necessarily (although they do) but it’s by default now.

So they leave.

Yeah, I do not love what they did with this scene. It’s short and to the point but I want to point out a few things.

First, because again, there’s no need to break up most of these clips into such short, choppy scenes just because 15 or 20 minutes have passed in-universe. It might be exciting if you happen to be watching and following at the exact time these are being posted, but it also messed with the flow of the scenes and the build of emotions. Imagine if we cut off after Isak and Even left Emma and Sonja and then 10 minutes later we got them riding around on a bike. We’d missed that beautiful transition from the silent, empty room to Isak on the bike and then Head Over Heels kicking in. That’s one of my favorite moments in season 3 and it’s because of that transition. It’s because I was sitting there watching this uncomfortable scene and wishing Isak and Even could be alone and then they got to be alone and my stomach swooped! If you break up moments like those, there’s just not as much build. (Or imagine - horror of horrors - an O Helga Natt where Isak gets the text from Even and it cuts off after he runs out of the church and then resumes when he arrives at the school, so we don’t see his journey. You lose so much.)

Second, there is a curious lack of romantic/sexual tension in this scene. It’s there on Sander’s end, I think, or at least you can read it there due to his focus on Robbe and even some of his body language. Robbe, on the other hand, seems more upset that his girlfriend who he doesn’t even feel genuine attraction to has walked out on him rather than the fact that he is sitting next to the boy he’s crushing on, alone together, right before they share their first kiss later that evening. And it just makes me want to know why. 

I don’t blame Robbe’s actor at all, because it’s the director’s job to tell him how to play the scene. But I rewatched this scene trying to be generous, and there is not a single shred of attraction or tension from Robbe toward Sander.  He checks the cafe door when it opens, he asks Sander to text Britt, and when Sander suggests they leave, Robbe’s first instinct is to ask what if Noor comes back. He sits there moping into his beer the whole time. He doesn’t sneak looks at Sander. He doesn’t try to talk to Sander about anything except Noor and Britt. No banter, no discussion that’s focused on them, Robbe-and-Sander, you know, the main couple of this season (supposedly). It doesn’t even feel like he’s consciously trying not to look or interact with Sander because of the romantic tension. No, it genuinely feels like Robbe’s #1 thought right now is Noor. Does that make sense to you? It makes sense for him to be a little out of sorts due to the fight, but does it make sense that Robbe seems to have no perceptible reaction to being alone with the guy he likes? Does it make sense that they didn’t take this chance to throw in some romantic and sexual tension in order to pave the way for the kiss that is going to happen very shortly? Gotta say that I think this scene exemplifies my earlier complaints about how Noor was so prevalent early in the season and how Robbe/Noor was built up. Because once again, Robbe/Noor has taken precedence over the undeveloped Robbe/Sander pairing.

Finally, as I said above, the situation makes it so that Robbe and Sander are on their own by default, not by choice. Combined with the bizarre lack of tension, that makes this scene fall totally flat. There’s no sense that these two really really want to be alone together. There’s no joy in them running off together. Robbe actually seems reluctant to go off with Sander. And not even because he’s fearful of what might happen, ooooo things might get a little gayer than I can handle right now, but like he’d rather sit here and drink and think about his girlfriend. 

It’s like they were concerned that Isak and Even were too mean to Emma and Sonja so they decided Robbe and Sander would only be alone because it was the girls’ decision to leave them, not the other way around. We even get that text from Britt so we know that Noor totes isn’t coming back and it’s OK for them to leave. I have no idea what their actual motivation was to construct the scenario this way, though. I would love to know. (The answer would probably annoy me so I’m better off not knowing.)

It’s little stuff like this that makes me want to sit down the writers/directors/whoever’s behind wtFOCK and have them watch scenes from Skam S3 and write an essay on the construction and execution of clips. Do some homework about timing, tension, narrative structure, and everything else that makes S3 work. 

Clip 10 - Smooch time

It’s 21:21 so you know what’s happening. Also, bullshit! Why is this happening so fast. You haven’t earned this!!!!

Sander buys them booze. The Sander actor is very good, honestly. I like his screen presence. It is a testament to his abilities that this relationship is working for me at all, because it sure ain’t the writing. (Robbe’s actor is doing well, too, but the writing is dragging him down since he’s present for all this nonsense.)

This scene of Sander and Robbe drinking and riding bikes is genuinely good on its own and they have strong chemistry when they’re allowed to show it. They have easy banter and interaction, there’s a callback to the booking.com reference from when they met. Really, this part makes me sad, because I can see the potential here! If the writing was GOOD, if the story had a legit direction, if it was just better storytelling all around … this season could have been wonderful, they had the right guys to do Isak and Even’s story justice. Instead it’s like this one terrific moment in a sea of wtFOCK.

If they go in the pool I will roll my eyes. C’mon, guys, you DO NOT HAVE THE SYMBOLISM to do this scene. It had a meaning in Skam, in most of the remakes it’s just an arbitrary location.

Yep, it’s a pool.

Sander takes off all his clothes so he jumps in bare-assed, and Robbe laughs. Sander yells at Robbe to get in the pool so Robbe does a fucking striptease while Sander watches, more or less, and he’s about to get in the pool in his underwear, but Sander is like “all the way or no way” so Robbe takes off his underwear after a brief moment of hesitation and jumps in. So they’re naked in the pool. Cool cool cool.

 Seeeeee, on the one hand this COULD be a moment of liberation, I could see it, taking off the clothes and jumping in as a representation of abandoning the stale hetero life or w/e. But I don’t think wtFOCK has built anything resembling a clear arc for Robbe, to the point where this act means anything, really. (Can you imagine Isak doing this in episode 4? I don’t know if it fits his character at that point, but I could at least be like, OK, this is part of his ~rebirth and I think we’ve built him up enough that this moment of liberation feels like a culmination of something.) I’m also not totally sold on the way they presented this, like we’ve got a closeted gay kid alone with his crush and the crush takes his all his clothes off and then Robbe takes all his clothes off with only the barest reluctance (but he’s not like … distressed or worried, just kinda like “aw, man!”) For some closeted gay kids? Sure, guess I could see it! But in the context of “this kid is struggling with his sexuality and he’s alone with the boy he likes and he’s supposed to be going through Some Shit”? Why doesn’t this have a bigger reaction in Robbe? Since they are drunk and not necessarily overthinking things in the moment, however, I will let this slide. Cynically I think this is mostly about trying to make wtFOCK Sexxxxy. I’m not a prude and I don’t have an objection in theory to a teenage couple skinny dipping together, but wtFOCK has a trend of taking a thing that happened in OG and going “How can we do this but more?” and these remakes know Evak is the big sell in fandom, so. They’re making it spicier. (EDIT from the future: Jumping ahead to later content on wtFOCK ... they very much are trying to make it Sexxxxy.)

Also, these guys just haven’t had a lot of buildup yet! And I can see like … rewriting this scene so the first kiss isn’t necessarily some epic release of a simmering tension and growing love, but more of a tentative, pivotal moment with a gay kid kissing a boy for the first time, and having the relationship grow from there. But wtFOCK isn’t doing that, it’s trying to do the Evak thing with the epic romance, and they haven’t earned it.

They go underwater for the breath-holding contest, Sander tries to kiss Robbe (Robbe’s eyes are pointedly closed so this feels like some unnecessary POV breakage) and Robbe shoves him back. He’s still in a good mood, though. They go back underwater and Robbe kisses Sander. Yay, I guess.

Lol, I don’t actually want to sound like a bitter asshole. The song choice is lovely! The cinematography is pretty good! And like I said, they have nice chemistry. It’s just that the storytelling has been so messy up to this point that I can’t get too invested. The very first clip I saw in real time for Skam season 3 was the pool scene - I had just discovered the show a few days prior, and I kept watching the clips on repeat. I could not get enough of this story. I really really needed those guys to kiss. Yeah, I recognize that at the time the story was brand new and this wasn’t the fourth iteration of the same pool scene and the sixth first kiss for this couple, and you really can’t recreate that feeling of not knowing what comes next in a remake like this. Still, I think that if the writing had just been better, I could have been happy and invested in this moment.

I also think that the pool scene in particularly has a tendency to get written in kind of a rote way in the remakes. Some of them have put their own spin on it - I had plenty of criticisms of Skam France’s S3 but I did enjoy their first kiss and I praised that they made up their own symbolism - but some of them have gotten so close to the original, the exact same banter, the interruption at the end, and it doesn’t feel natural for those versions of the characters. I’m not sure if the remake showrunners think that the original scene is something the fans want to see or if they’re being lazy or if they think the OG is just that good (which it is, lol). I don’t think any remake has been that faithful with their O Helga Natt clips, by comparison. 

Anyway they get caught, yadda yadda.

Clip 11 - Morning after the pool smooch

Robbe gets up and sees Zoë looking at Senne, seemingly hungover, on the couch. She makes coffee to spite him since the coffeemaker is loud.

Zoë asks Robbe about last night and says Noor was at the door. Robbe doesn’t tell her what really happened. Apparently Noor looked like she felt bad. I don’t think I can handle more Robbe/Noor, guys. I appreciate that OG didn’t drag out Isak’s thing with Emma once he kissed Even, but I’m not confident this won’t happen here.

Zoë asks if he’s all right. Man, the most effective relationship this season is probably Zoë and Robbe? Which is fine! But like … boy squad ain’t great, Sander and Robbe aren’t well developed, they fucked up Yasmina and Robbe already, Milan and Robbe are way behind schedule…

What if the reveal were that Sander were in Robbe’s bed?

It’s not. Instead, Sander texts him as a cover of Space Oddity plays. Robbe has angst and blocks Sander on WhatsApp. Ohhhh my. Another thing I appreciated about OG? That Isak was all in after he kissed Even, and that the angst came from different places besides the typical gay coming out storyline of “kissed a boy, regretted it, went back in the closet temporarily.” Not that it’s unrealistic, just that it’s done so much.

I think we’re supposed to take away that Zoë saying Noor was there looking sad made Robbe reconsider what happened with Sander? Or just general internalized homophobia. I don’t think the latter is totally out of Robbe’s characterization based on what we’ve seen so far, although I wish there was clearer writing so it felt more like “Robbe has internalized homophobia that made him block Sander” and less like “????? internalized homophobia I guess.” Again, I’ll letting this slide because I can also rationalize it as him being a little drunk last night, and now that he’s sober he regrets his choice, even if I don’t think this is a great choice at this stage in the season.

Clip 12 - The heaviest of sighs

The subs helpfully gave a trigger warning for homophobic slurs so I knew this was going to be “good.”

Robbe is listening to music as he goes home. Sander comes up to him, smiling, wanting to know why Robbe blocked him. Robbe says to leave him alone, that Sander got him drunk and took advantage of him.

L M A O welp, this would soooo kill this ship for me if I were invested.

FIND SOMEONE ELSE, SANDER, YOU DESERVE BETTER

Oh, so Robbe also shoved him and called him a dirty f****t! What a great romance!

No, really - this is the EXACT THING I was so glad that Evak DID NOT DO. I’m not saying their romance has to be free of flaws, that there can never be fuckups, that Isak can’t ever hurt Even and vice versa. But this is such a common and ugly trope in gay media. 

Robbe goes inside and slams his door, Milan asks what’s wrong, Robbe tells him to leave him alone. We get Milan’s POV and not Robbe’s at the end. 

Anyway lmao. wtFOCK indeed.

Did you enjoy the cuddle scene in Skam, where a same-sex couple got to be tender and sweet and open with each other for almost seven minutes? A clip that felt refreshing and even revolutionary for its normalization of gay intimacy? Hahahaha, fuck you.

Okay, seriously though. It’s not a problem that we didn’t have the cuddle scene immediately after the pool scene. It’s not a problem that they want to change up this storyline and make it their own - though again I would ask the creative powers at wtFOCK why they’re making these particular choices. It’s not a problem if Robbe and Sander’s relationship has some extra bumps along the way to their happy ending.

WHAT EVEN PROMPTED THIS CHANGE IN ROBBE, like I get the answer is “internalized homophobia” but Robbe was BUCK NAKED WITH SANDER IN THE POOL so like. Can we please get SOME context for why he suddenly had a freakout? Can we please get some narrative structure with cause and effect? Can we get a fucking reason that Robbe went from 0 to 100? Because if it was just the blocking Sander on WhatsApp, that’s one thing, but accusing him of sexual assault and calling him slurs is so vastly beyond that. If we’re supposed to take away that Robbe feels bad about Noor, that still doesn’t explain the ugliness of his reaction, rather than just telling Sander that he has a girlfriend and it was a mistake or whatever.

I’m going to add that I understand that Robbe went through some additional homophobic shit from his friends in previous seasons - I remember Moyo saying crappy things to him in S1, and I watched a S2 scene where the same thing happens. So I can understand if  Robbe’s internalized homophobia is very strong. But they’ve also cut out so much stuff in this season that added to Isak’s internalized homophobia (no mom’s religion making him anxious, no gay test, no gay generalizations from Emma...) If they want to rely on internalized homophobia from previous seasons, then we really need a reminder in this season, such as his friends making homophobic jokes, which I do not recall hearing so far. And they need to show what happened between the kiss to provoke such a homophobic reaction.

After Sander said that thing about not knowing if anyone would ever love him … why did they do this? I love me some pain in storytelling but this isn’t just angst, this is needlessly cruel.

There is, believe it or not, a middle ground between “conflictless fluff” and “cruel homophobia and assault allegations” where you can have some tension, even have Robbe have a freakout, without bringing in this kind of material. Robbe could have told Sander to stay away without accusing him of assault or calling him slurs. He could have said he wasn’t gay or that it was a mistake or even “I was drunk” without following it up with “and you took advantage of me.” All of these options might have stung for Sander and for any viewers who were hoping for morning-after cuddles, but they also create conflict without pushing it over the edge into OTT cruelty. 

HOW I WOULD REWRITE THIS EPISODE:

Ahahahaha

So far this season is like a disconnected set of scenes from Skam S3 with bonus filler scenes and unnecessary clips about non-Robbe things. It’s getting hard to think about rewrites because the point, if you will, so often so unclear. It’s also hard because this episode squeezed in so many OG scenes that were missing from earlier in the season that it’s like, well, shouldn’t we have had this a few episodes ago? Should we just leave them out now?

Okay. Start by getting rid of the first clip in this episode that’s mostly about Zoë/Senne, bump up the Milan clip. We start with Robbe looking at pics of Sander on IG, Milan comes in and asks if there was any romance on the trip, then they get into the Grindr talk, etc. The Grindr talk makes more sense before Robbe almost kisses Sander, but like. We can’t do anything about that now. What might be better is if the whole “how do you know if a guy is gay?” thing takes a swerve into not just Robbe trying to figure out Sander, but to something uncomfortably close to Robbe’s own behavior (like IDK, referencing body language and how a guy will lean in closer, like Robbe did with Sander) and then Robbe gets cranky because he’s worried he’s too obviously gay to other people. After Milan leaves, he starts looking up stuff like “how to act straight” or “how not to seem gay” or whatever. That leads us into the next clip...

... the dance chicks scene. Now we’ve seen plenty of Robbe being disinterested in girls already, so this time we’re going to show him trying to be interested in girls instead. Like he’s watching his friends��� annoying horny reactions and he’s clearly trying to imitate them and join in, but we can see that he’s awkward and not totally feeling it. But he’s trying. Then after the performance, Robbe makes the comment about the dance instructor being so gay.

There is a problem, IMO, in that Robbe’s friend group has been shown to be more homophobic than the average boy squad (as seen in S1 and S2). And frankly I don’t really believe yet Jens is the type to shut down a homophobic comment. Like in S2 Moyo and Robbe straight up start calling each other f*gs and Jens is like chill, no one here is a f*g, but if there were, you should date each other. That’s his idea of intervention. So I’m not sure how to handle that. 

I don’t love this idea, because I hate what they’re done with Moyo in particular, making him pointedly more homophobic (to be discussed in a future reaction) but Moyo and Aaron could perhaps laugh at Robbe’s comment and start riffing off it, while Robbe is sitting there pretending to laugh but looking increasingly uncomfortable, and Jens notices something is off with Robbe, and he tells the guys to knock it off, the guy is gay, so what? Big deal. Then aside from the other guys, he asks Robbe if something is wrong, and Robbe snaps at him or attributes it to family problems again. 

I was going to also say that the setting for this clip doesn’t really allow for Sander to swoop in, like Even did to return the snapback, but actually maybe it could? Noor could have invited Britt and Sander to watch the show, right? So maybe when Robbe makes this gay joke and his friends are laughing, Sander comes up while Britt is talking to Noor and is like, hey guys, what’s up? Robbe’s friends are just like, oh nothing, did you see how gay that guy was? Then Sander is like, sorry, what’s the problem with being gay? He tells them off a little. Meanwhile Robbe is standing there awkward as fuck, not looking Sander in the eyes, while Sander is looking at him for backup, but Robbe just makes an excuse to bolt. Maybe he walks past Noor without saying anything, so she looks confused.

Now onto Robbe and Yasmina. Man, I truly hate saying this. But: If you are not going to incorporate other religious themes into this season, then you don’t need to redo the Isak-Sana friendship. Again! I don’t like suggesting this! But what actually is Robbe and Yasmina’s relationship bringing to this season when it’s portrayed like this? 

They left out the weed blackmail, which is really just a plot device in OG, but it’s a plot device that sets up Sana and Isak’s thread. It also gets Isak to kosegruppa to meet Even, something which is irrelevant here.

Sana’s main tie to S3 is Isak’s mom. Isak’s mom is religious, that makes him anxious, and it’s a hurdle to coming out to her. Robbe’s mom is not religious, Robbe’s internalized homophobia doesn’t seem to have anything to do with religion specifically other than this one scene with him and Yasmina. It’s just a disconnected tangent. What’s more, what is Yasmina’s eventual advice going to do for him? Sana’s advice led Isak to come out to his mom.

I really like Yasmina. If there’s another way that her presence is relevant to the themes of this season, by all means let’s find it and include her. As it is, either make it that Robbe’s mom is religious and include the Robbe-Yasmina subplot, or don’t and leave it out. 

I would love to see in-depth and meaningful friendships develop among all the characters in the Skam squads, just because I love all those kids. Jonas and Vilde? Even and girl Chris? Eva and Mahdi? I don’t care how random, let’s have them all! But there is a finite amount of time per season, and we can’t extend time for all possible relationships - just the ones that are most relevant to the story we are trying to tell. 

I mentioned above a fix for the Bowie playlist clip that makes it have a little more sense to me. If you include Sander in the dance chicks clip like I said, you could have Robbe thinking about Sander again and wondering if he’s into men since he called out the boys’ homophobia. That’s how he ends up on Grindr. Then Sander sends him the Bowie playlist, Robbe listens, Sander calls and they talk, Robbe apologizes for bolting out of there the other day. Sander invites him to the cafe later, Robbe’s all :D until he realizes Britt is there and is coming too, then he’s :(

He’s late to meet Noor and Noor is upset, but not like ... screaming and shoving at him. She’s more snippy and passive-aggressive, she walks off. She says she’s upset because he ditched the dance performance without talking to her, and then he’s late to meet her, it seems like he just doesn’t care that much. They have a fight but it’s like a normal fight and not The End of the World. Just tone down Noor’s OTT anger and make it more natural.

I don’t have a preference in this version whether Noor and Britt leave the cafe and Sander and Robbe know they’re not coming back, or whether Noor and Britt just go to get some air and cry it out and Sander is like fuck it, let’s leave. The important thing for me is that Robbe sits there with Sander, painfully aware that they’re alone, and there’s lots of tension and awkwardness and his brain is clearly hyper-focused on the proximity of Sander’s knee to his own. They banter and flirt and then when Sander suggests they leave, Robbe acts like he wants to go.

Don’t do a pool scene for the first kiss. Give a shit, make it your own. Except IMO they have done so little to establish this relationship in terms of larger themes or symbolism that they have nothing to choose from. 

Man, what if THIS episode was about going to the seaside, after they had been talking for several episodes, and they kissed in the sea when they were alone? That would be at least somewhat plausible? A take on the pool scene/underwater kiss that wasn’t the exact same.

You could do something related to graffiti, perhaps? Instead of breaking into a pool, they break into the tagging place or wherever. Or something else related to Sander’s artwork, because I know that this comes up in their version of O Helga Natt.

I’m not wild about adding this blip in Robbe and Sander’s relationship after the kiss, because of how much ground we need to cover the rest of the season (it messes with the pacing yet again) and also just because I like that Skam didn’t do this expected route. However, if they wanted to make Robbe try to shut out Sander again: the strongest case for his internalized homophobia seems to be his friends. So have him meet up with them again the day after kissing Sander. His friends bring up Sander and how weird he was at the dance performance about the gay instructor, like it’s just a joke! He took their comments way too seriously! Is Sander gay or something? And maybe Robbe tries to defend Sander - no, he’s a cool guy, really - and then his friends are like, pffft, what, do you have a crush on him? Robbe denies and everybody chills out, but Robbe seems troubled. Maybe this is when Jens finally gets a fucking clue and realizes something’s up with Robbe, and in the future there’s a scene where he shuts down gay jokes. For now, though, we do see how Robbe would feel compelled to go back in the closet. Sander texts him and Robbe blocks him.

Now we come to the worst part. So. Take out Robbe calling Sander a sexual predator and a homophobic slur and pushing him, that’s for sure. If he must reject Sander, do it in another way. “I’m not gay.” “I was drunk.” “It was a mistake.” “I have a girlfriend.” It’s not actually hard to do this clip without adding this ugly taint to their relationship.

Since I’m trying to think of rewrites without just copying Skam, here is a radical change on how to include a post-kiss freakout from Robbe earlier on so the pacing isn’t as odd. In previous recaps, I suggested Sander should be introduced earlier as a mysterious stranger that Robbe is trying to find. Well, maybe we can rework that. Robbe and the mysterious stranger share a kiss in episode 1. They’re hiding from the police or security or something after getting busted at a party or while tagging or w/e, and they’re both a little drunk and high on adrenaline, they’re smiling and laughing because they actually got away, and it just ... happens. The mysterious stranger can initiate it, but Robbe tentatively reciprocates before running away. Robbe freaks out and it’s after this that he starts heavily pursuing Noor. Because, you see, he’s not gay, he was just drunk, and it was all that other guy’s fault. But at least he doesn’t have to see that random guy again, right? No one will ever know. Just like no one will ever know if late at night when he can’t sleep, he does a Google search to see if he’s gay if he liked kissing a boy or if he can’t get it up with his girlfriend. Or if he goes on Grindr to see if he can find the mystery dude. It’s a bust and Robbe gives up and settles into dating Noor. Except in episode 2, OH SHIT, he’s introduced to Sander again via Noor, and it’s awkward and fuck, Sander has a girlfriend. Well, that’s good, right? Totally not a bummer. Anyway, Robbe tries to avoid Sander or tiptoe around him but they end up spending time together because they’re stuck at the seaside under the same roof. Maybe they directly address the issue by Robbe saying he’s not gay and Sander being like “me neither” (which technically is not a lie, lmao) and brushing it off as a mistake, or maybe they both pretend that it never happened. Maybe Robbe is more aggressive about it at first and Sander is like, whoa dude, chill out, I’m not going to tell anyone. Still, they get to know each other, there’s heaps of sexual/romantic tension, and in episode 4 (or 5 or whenever) they kiss again and it’s Epic.

This arc is definitely not the same as Isak’s or Evak’s and I absolutely won’t claim that it’s in the same league as what Julie Andem did, but I can see a narrative arc like this making some sense. Better than trying to do Isak’s arc half-assed.

It occurs to me just like … how little we know about any of these characters in terms of subtext or something? No hints about Sander’s background, really? Let’s get some clues in there.

I think something I miss about Skam was how kind it was. How all the characters were at heart, good people capable of the most generous love and empathy. And maybe we’ll get there with these characters in the end, but overall, so many of these people just don’t feel like that! There’s so much more ugliness and cruelty involved in this story, and it doesn’t feel like it’s done with good intentions, like to show the audience how to handle these situations and to heal. 

There’s this weird attitude of defense where cruelty, tragedy, and negative events are defended in the name of realism and there’s a backlash to the backlash, acting like the critics just want fluffy plotless hand-holding and cuddling, a conflict-free season, or a story where no one makes mistakes. And it’s like people forget that in Skam season 3, the story was FULL of angst! We know Evak get their happy ending but like … from episode 1 all through O Helga Natt, the story is packed with conflict. People hurt each other. Even in episode 10, not everything is perfect. It is very possible to do angst and conflict without this ugliness. Like … I have to assume people weren’t here for episodes 5 and 6 of Skam S3, or for the hotel scene, or episode 9 up to OHN, because I can assure you, there was no lack of angst. There was just a lack of shock value gratuitousness.

As always, let me know if I missed something due to cultural or linguistic context.

[wtfockaesthetic]

@sandersdocs thank you for the tag! ☺️ here are my fav wtfock s3 things

fav wtfock s3 thing:

the flatshare was my comfort thing in s3, and i think it was that for robbe too. i just love the dynamics and the way they were there for each other all the time. also just sander. i love how they made him an artistic e-boy and his bleach hair and doctor martens. he had a whole different vibe than even.. love that

fav clip of s3:

mmm... how do i choose? i think the first kiss clip. just the tunnel and them racing together. the song, the cinematography, it made me so emotional. also the cuddle clip. they couldn’t stop kissing each other. i really melted 🥺🥺 & the sinterklaas clip because i love sobbe & milan together.

fav scene of s3:

i think the first date scene. they did so many cute things, like their hands touching each other and kissing robbes ear. i love it

fav shot of s3:

i think the way sander tugged at robbes hair in the first kiss clip. i always come back to that shot. it is just so beautiful. and also maandag 11:03, when they hold hands or are hugging on the floor.

fav kiss that robbe initiates:

in the cuddle clip when sander asks ‘what is your plan’ or when sander hit him with a pillow and robbe just throw it away and goes back kissing. & the first date clip when they went out of the bar and robbe kissed short his lips

fav kiss that sander initiates:

mmm the kiss with the beanies 1000%. how sander started screaming and when robbe says ‘it’s alright’ and then he just shove his hands away and they kiss. and sander can’t stop smiling aaah it made me weak

fav sander dialogue:

i think ‘amai das duur’ after scanning robbe’s face. or ‘honderd procent, voor altijd, in elk universum’ 🥺🥺 or ‘ik houd u vast en ik laat u echt nooit meer los’ and then they kiss and the croissants fell on the ground. OR IN THE CUDDLE CLIP! when robbe asks when he fell in love with him. and he answered ‘voor u, nee voor u, weet je nog toen we samen die vuilniswagen sprayde? het maanlicht da scheen op u en kwist direct ‘he is the one” and ‘you are an angel’ i can’t choose haha

fav robbe dialogue:

‘je hebt mij aangeraakt en ik heb nog nooit zoiets gevoeld. ik houd van u’ or ‘i am so happy i found you’

fav hug:

zoe & robbe hug or milan & robbe

fav 21:21

woensdag 21:21

fav sobbe insta pic:

(thanks to me for saving every sobbe pic on my phone. because insta is down now)

fav scene & song pair:

wildfire + the first kiss or maandag 11:03 or the supermarket scene

fav banter on instagram:

‘first ask me if you stole my clothes, thief!’

this is the first time i do something like this! so thank you for tagging me 💜

@sanderxrobbee @zoesenne @phascinationphases i don’t know who to tag haha, you can ignore it if you want :)

[birthdaysentiment]

The music in wtFOCK season 3 - Song #16

Woensdag 21.21 // "Wildfire" - SYML (Part One)

Do you know the feeling of not being able to listen to a song, as soon as you hear it? It's strange because you love that song and it has a special place in your heart, but maybe that's why you can't listen to it, because it means to much. I get that feeling every time I hear "Wildfire", because for some reason I just can't listen to it, even though I love it with all my heart. Sometimes I can't even watch the clip, because of that.

I always wanted to write about "Wildfire", but I also knew it was gonna be a challenge, because how do you describe all these moments with words? How do you describe the feelings the song provided, the dynamic between Robbe and Sander, the intensity, the intimacy, basically everything, and still do it justice? I'm gonna try my best, and a fair warning, this is just part one.

I remember so clearly when the clip dropped and as soon as I saw the timestamp, I knew it was coming, that it was gonna happen tonight. I think we all felt that, but I don't think any of us expected it to happen on a Wednesday, but wtFOCK had given us small hints all day and this clip was number six after all. After Robbe and Sander had left the bar, we all figured that there had to me more to it, that this couldn't be the end of it, and we were right, because the night continued.

Seeing Robbe and Sander still spending time together made my heart skip a beat, but that wasn't the only reason why my heart was going faster, also the music in the background helped with that. The instrumental version of the song and the sight of Robbe waiting for Sander by the bikes, made the whole situation seem so calm in a way. But at the same time, it looked like Robbe had a million thoughts going around his head, but as soon as he sees Sander coming out of the shop, his face lights up, and a big smile is forming This was all Robbe wanted, to just be alone with Sander, just to be with him without any interruptions or girlfriends being in their way. Robbe thought it was wrong, the way he felt, but he wasn't gonna listen to that voice. 

As soon as Sander steps out of the shop, the song slowly faces away, like the music was just playing inside Robbe's head until his mind went to something else, to the bleach-hair boy with a huge smile on his face. Because Sander can't believe it either, that he's finally able to spend some time with Robbe, alone. And it's in that moment, when they look into each other's eyes, that Sander knows what is gonna happen tonight. He wants it to happen, and even though he can't be sure, he hopes with all his heart, that Robbe wants it to.

Sander gets on his bike, saying he has something in mind for the night, and Robbe just follows him, because he would follow him anywhere. And the music starts playing again, the same instrumental version of the song, where the violins, this time really get a chance to shine, it almost feels like they have been intensified.

And I can't help but feel all emotional, because the version of the song has some kind of sadness to it, but at the same time it feels like love, and how can a song feel like that? Maybe it's the whole combination of everything: Robbe and Sander being next to each other, they're having a good time, laughing and smiling, passing the drink between them unaware of what's gonna happen tonight, how their lives are gonna change forever.

It feels like the instrumental version of the song symbolizes the past, the lives they're leaving behind as they ride further into the night. And suddenly the scene changes, the song changes, like it's a new beginning. That's how I felt when the original version of the song started playing as Robbe and Sander was standing in front of the tunnel opening. The beat was different, so was the melody, and it sounded more hopeful in a way, being a reflection to the atmosphere between them. The song felt fresh, like a new beginning was coming.

I think this is one of my favourite scenes in all of season 3 and in every version of SKAM, because I will never forget the feelings I got when I watched it for the first time, how emotional I became once they were in the tunnel. It's funny how two boys racing through a tunnel can make you feel that way, but it did, because it felt real. The happiness between them was so obvious, their connection, the secret looks they gave each other and most of all, how they just let go of themselves. It felt like they had decided that the night was full of opportunities, that nobody could change the fact, that they were gonna live in that moment.

We all know the lyrics by heart, but as soon as the song changes, as Robbe and Sander stand in front of the opening and as they race down the tunnel, the following lyrics can be heard in the background:

Sometimes we break so beautiful

And you know you're not the only one

I breathe you in, so sweet and powerful

Like a wildfire burning up inside my lungs

One of the thoughts behind the song is, that even in times of loss and destruction, someone might need to hear that they matter and that there's hope. That it is possible to find beauty in destruction, both literally and figuratively. When I learned that, I knew that wtFOCK couldn't have chosen a better and more perfect song for this moment (and another one to come), because the song describes the love between Robbe and Sander, the love, care and attention they have for each other.

All his life, Sander has been afraid of never finding anybody who would love him for the person that he is. He has always been afraid of destroying the good things he had in life, because he was certain that he was toxic, that everything he touched would break or turn into ashes. But when he saw Robbe under the moonlight, when he actually got a chance to talk and get to know him, Sander knew he had found the person, who could truly love him, who wouldn't run away when things got difficult. Robbe was the type of person that would stay, and always be there to remind Sander that there was hope, that he mattered more than he could ever know, that Sander always would be enough in his eyes.

Robbe never felt like he fitted in, he never felt comfortable around other people or in his own skin, because he was never himself, he was always hiding or pretending to be someone else. Robbe never thought he would find that one person, who would make his heart skip a beat, that would make the butterflies in this stomach go crazy until he met Sander. Robbe had never known or seen anyone like him, he completely changed his life, turned it all upside down. Robbe has felt hopeless a million times, but as soon as his eyes met Sander's, he felt hope for the first time, he knew there was a chance of happiness for him, because Sander showed him that.

It's crazy to think that this song wasn't written for Robbe and Sander, because the meaning behind it fits so perfectly to them, to their story and that's why wtFOCK couldn't have pick a more perfect song for this moment. Because they're having the best time, they're laughing, smiling, Robbe is taking pictures of them together, of Sander, who's being silly, and you can just feel the connection between them. In the background the chorus of the song continues, while it's only getting more and more powerful.

The song follows them out of the tunnel and into the night. This little scene, with them just sinning, drinking and having fun is so heartwarming and I remember my checks was hurting so much at that point, because I had been smiling through the whole clip. They truly acted like nothing could touch them, they were in their own little bubble where nobody could interrupt them. It was just the two of them alone, where they finally had the opportunity to just let go and enjoy themselves.

At some point Sander notice the perfect place, the one he's been hoping to find, so he gets of his bike, because he's a boy with a mission. Since he saw Robbe for the first time, he has been praying to whoever he could think of, that Robbe would feel the same way as he did, that Robbe would have the same wish as Sander. And as he tries his best to get the locked door open, the music stops, once again symbolizing a change in the clip and in their relationship. Something is about to happen that will be another turning point in Robbe and Sander's lives.

[claire-de-lune]

Said I wouldn’t post much about wtfock, or come into the tag, but sobbe lured me in lol. Anyways I had to say this because I saw 1 or 2 posts on it. If anyone is wondering why Robbe seemed “weird” and happier with the broerrrs remember that Robbe has been so focused on helping out his mom, adjusting to moving back home, trying to be there for Sander from afar, doing schoolwork from home and trying to teach himself, he’s trying to be a good friend and lastly there’s a freaking pandemic happening and everyone is on edge and anxious, so yeah it’s all of that and has nothing to do with Sander and Robbe’s relationship. And if you bring up the comparison of him being more fun and relaxed in his skypecall with the broerrrrs, you have to remember he was drunk and more relaxed and was trying to forget his problems(he wasn’t being completely himself if were being honest, some people don’t feel comfortable telling their friends they’re struggling especially Robbe who is trying to navigate being part of the broerrrs again now that he is out. Also he never felt comfortable telling Aaron and Moyo his problems with his mom), but with sander he doesn’t have to put up that facade, he has always been 100% himself, he can act upset when upset, he can tell Sander his mom is struggling and just be needy and want attention from his boyfriend without giving much back. Also Robbe has always been shy and put himself second for so kind, so when Sander compliments him and puts all of his attention on Robbe, Robbe will have trouble accepting that attention and love. He has forgotten that he deserved that too. It’s kind of a foreign concept to him, being the one taken care of. Because he’s out others first for so long. Lastly to the people who say Robbe and Sander’s relationship is uneven and unbalanced this was an example of how Sander is also there for Robbe when he’s the one feeling down. So in my opinion they do not have an uneven carataker vs person to be cared for dynamic. They are just a normal couple who know that sometimes one of them needs to step it up and be strong for both of them, and knows the other will do the same when necessary. So let my baby be needy and sad. Alsoooo Robbe is still super shy and isn’t as good as Sander at saying romantic stuff and at dirty talk, Sander’s love language is Words of Affirmation while Robbe’s more physical touch. I don’t even know why I made this post, but felt the need to.

[ayellowcurtain]

In OG, Isak and Jonas's friendship takes a few hits but at the root of it is a mutual and balanced love, care, understanding and common ground. A brotherhood. Jonas has some wonderful qualities and so does Isak. In wtfock Jens seems to have a lot less to offer the friendship than Robbe. The departure from OG that is evidence in s3 makes Jens short comings more pronounced. He does the bare minimum. Do you find that Jens takes from his friendship with Robbe more than he actually puts in?

I look at Jens x Robbe and Jonas x Isak and I can’t believe it’s the same relationship. i'll probably rant a little bit here, anon because, if you can’t tell by my icon (Lucas VDH and Kes, both Isak and Jonas in SKAM NL), the Isak x Jonas are my favorite relationships in the skamverse, right next to the Evaks, of course.

I don't think it's fair to measure if Jens and Robbe are taking and giving the same amount tho. You should give what you have in a relatinship and not hurt yourself in the way. I do think at the start of s4 it was hinted that there would be trouble in the boy squad (who remembers when Jens was suddenly giving K—o the eyes and everyone was going crazy over it and then it was never mentioned again?And Robbe leaving the vlogs was obviously a plot point since s3 that was also never really dealt with (it seemed like Robbe was upset sometimes about just beng the edit boy this time but idk).

In this post here I talked a little bit about how I see Robbe and Jens’ relationship so you can have an idea of how I see them and how much they have grown through the seasons.

So what I mean when I say that I can't see how these two major relationships that should be the same are basially opposites:

Whenyou have a best friend, you choose to be by this person's side for better or worse. You call them out, you give them space, you trust that you know who this person is and you choose to be by their side even when they're being assholes to you. You know thm and you wait and they'll come to you whenever they need or feel comfortable with. Sounds familiar?

Now, whenever you have a silbling relationship, it's not much of a choice. It's family so you can't just drop their asses when they're not really there for you. You'll have ups and downs but you'll stick to each other's side becaue he's your little or big brother and you know they don't mean any bad even when they're clearly being "bad” for you. Recognize this one too?

Jonas clearly chooses to be by Isak's side from day one, even during Eva's season (which is ironic because the photo that I use in my icon is one that Lucas posted while Kes and Isa - Eva in SKAM NL - were broken up. And the caption was something snakey like "for better or worse, I'm always on your side” or some shit like that).

Anyway, like Isak says, whatever Eva tells Jonas, Jonas will tell him eventually . So Jonas chooses to share everything with Isak and when Isak doesn't do the same, they get angry at each other but Jonas chooses to give Isak some space and he's happy to be there whenever Isak comes back to talk and pay for his food. I can't really explain because when I say vocal, I mean with their actions, their body language, etc. But Jonas and Isak are more vocal with their support and love for each other. There's clearly a bond, even when they're apart.

Jens and Robbe are like brothers. Their communication is terrible, the have phases where they can clearly live away from each other without missing their best friend. Their ups are very high (ït could be me” when Robbe is coming out might be a high if we think Jens was Robbe's very recent past crush) and their down is basically non existing (they just go live their lives away from each other - one still making vlogs and the other probably living all the time with his lover). They forget the other exists but when they're together, it's chill too.

Jens and Robbe feel like a relationship that's very close to their age, still a little too vague and open for misunderstandings, still a little too childish. But, like I said in that post, I feel like they're still good at getting each other, at standing up for each other whenever they might really need . Some people didn't lilke it but I loved the looks they had during the second half of Robbe's season when it was clear that Robbe wasn't finding his words and Jens stood up for him when Robbe needed him to. For once, he wasn't thinking Moyo's jokes were funny, for once he understood why Robbe wanted to keep what was going on with Sander between them, etc.

I explain everything a lot better in my previous post about their relationship, the reasons why I see them as a big brother x little brother dynamic more than best friends so I won't rant much more about it hahaha

Also! I also mentioned in that post but it seemed like Jens and Robbe were actually dressing up more alike and having the same sort of messy hir look too during s4. I wish it was something the team had thought about to show the audience in a different way that Robbe and Jens were even closer now but after going through the whole season, I sadly think it was just an accident.

Or maybe it was part of the boy squad drama plot (with Jens being interested in K—o too, with Robbe never being with the boys anymore) that they team dropped when they saw how much the fandom hated the whole season. So they dropped a bunch of plots to try to save what they could.

I still have hope for a little bit more of their relationship during Yasmina's season because, from what I'm reading, the Sobbe plot might be a little different than OG and if the spoilers are correct, it'll involve a little bit more of Robbe sort of having to pick his friends’ side or Sander and his "new friends” side.