#i really really think this episode was a peak

[astral-corner]

I was not expecting this post to get as much attention as it has, so I figured I'd offer some explanations of design choices and the alternate versions that exist for two of the posters.

Putting those under the cut, because oh boy do I have things to say.

I'm just gonna go in episode order for ease of writing.

AvA 1:

So, for this, I figured, while I'm not generally a fan of minimalism, it fit the simper beginnings of the series. Compared to later episodes, it's confined completely to one window, which makes it feel relatively small.

The minimalist design also puts more focus on the conflict between Victim and the cursor, partially influenced by the episode itself, and partially by Victim's own focus on it in The Box, which was the most recent episode as of creating the poster.

The placement of Victim and the cursor was also meant to invoke the power dynamic between them, with the cursor looming over Victim.

The font choice was also picked because of it's handwritten, more cartoony feel. It was meant to help invoke the animation style of the first episode.

This was a variant of the design that was made, which was quickly vetoed. The only difference is the line between the body of the cursor and the stem, with the idea of making the cursor feel made of simple shapes to add to the minimalism aesthetic. It just doesn't feel right, and reads clearer without it though.

Another variant idea that I don't think got a sketch, or at least not one that was kept, was an idea for the cursor to be rising from the bottom and for Victim to be impaled on it actually. That got tossed out for the power dynamic imagery, and also for readability's sake. I didn't think the overlapping lines would be as clear/distinct.

AvA 2:

This one feels like the least thought out one to me, but I think that's because it was so easy to make and there wasn't really any other design beyond trying to pick the right size for the cursor. Most of my thought process was really "hey, what if Chosen is outside of a window? That'd be cool."

It was mostly designed the way it was to show how Chosen was able to fight back, and show off his fire, which is probably his most well known power.

I don't really remember the reason behind the font choice on this one. I do know that around the time it was designed, the numbering change for the series was still a pretty recent thing. I'd been debating whether to do the number or the numeral, but when writing out the numeral in this font made it look like a pause button, I just had to keep it. While not relevant to that episode, the subtle nod to future episodes felt too good not to.

This is the smaller cursor variant of the poster, and honestly? That cursor fought me. It did not want to be made. This was made for a closer to accurate size cursor, even if it was facing the wrong way, and also just to make the fact that it was a cursor clearer. Wasn't really sure which felt better, so I showed it to some friends, and we ended up agreeing that the larger cursor peaking into the frame better helped make it feel more threatening.

While I don't remember if I intended it while initially creating the poster, I do think the larger design really does help sell the cursor as a bigger threat/enemy, like how it is in the first episode's poster.

AvA 3:

Funnily enough, this was actually the first poster I designed. It, and the whole idea of making posters for episodes, was inspired by talking with a friend about Chosen and Dark, and thinking it would be cool if they were in a superhero movie poster. I could remember seeing posters where there were two characters facing off against each other (a la Batman v Superman, or Captain America: Civil War), and thought that would fit the pair of them perfectly.

Other than the background, there's not really a lot of symbolism really put into this. The two were put on each other's colours both to make them pop more, and to help symbolize their attachment with one another, but making it a gradient would make them blend. Luckily, my favourite detail saved the day.

In the center of the poster, the line breaking the background colours, the shape of the fire, and the posing of Chosen and Dark all create a cursor. It was decided pretty early on that I wanted the pair of them to create a cursor shape when facing each other. It's presence being implied rather than outright drawn like in the first two posters was meant to create a sense of it haunting the narrative, and it being created between the two of them was meant to show how it was the reason they were fighting.

The font decision for this was from me looking for one that felt angular to represent their conflict even further.

So, the only difference in this poster is the title present on it. Pretty obviously emblazoned in the middle we've got The Flashback instead of AvA 3. See, the original poster design idea was created without an exact episode in mind, and was meant more to be a representation of the conflict between Chosen and Dark. I really wanted to tie it to an episode though, and at the time, The Flashback was the one that kept appearing in my mind, because it really tied into this idea of division between the two, and how even when not there, Alan's actions were still haunting them.

The fire was initially added to the poster due to the choice for The Flashback, representing the destruction they spread. When the episode was changed, I saw no reason to remove it. Both because of it helped with establishing the cursor silhouette, and the fact that they both use plenty of fire in every episode they've appeared in. Now that AvA 11 is out though, that fire being tied to their destruction would've really hit different, I think.

AvA 4:

Funnily enough, the idea for this poster was the second one out of this group, but it was the last to be created. There's no alternate version of this one beyond some thumbnail sketches I'll reference as I go through this. One thing that I did want to put in the final poster, but that didn't make in, was a nice bloom or overexposed effect on ROYGB. Unfortunately, doing so would've covered up the number behind them due to how things were layered, and readability was the more important deciding factor on whether to get rid of it.

The design vision for this one was pretty strong from the beginning. I wanted the crew to be holding hands and in a white background with that bloom/overexposed effect I couldn't end up adding to help invoke posters for things that were slice of life, and more happy and hopeful. It was also intended to help give it a bit of a dreamlike feel.

Orange having a shadow to represent Chosen was also pretty cemented in that initial idea because of the flash of him we see when they got angry in the episode and also due to their name. None of the others have shadows, and in the current version, that's both due to a spotlight effect helping create the visual of a cursor - I wanted it in there somewhere given it's importance to the series, and to the crew - and as a representation of Orange's differences to their friends.

The shadow also has another fun bonus in how it fades. That fade wasn't in the original plans, but after seeing people point out the parallels one can draw between Orange and Victim, I felt some hint of homage had to be made. Thus, the shadow fades from Chosen's black, to Victim's grey. More of the shadow is black due to that being the direct comparison drawn by the series itself. Funnily enough, I remember thinking while working to get the fade to look right, that the grey mostly being on the head really fits how Victim has this vibe of being the one who uses their head more than Chosen.

To try and get that Chosen/Victim idea across, an unused idea actually had the concept for Dark and Mitsi's hands to be visible reaching out of the edges of the spotlight to hold the center stick's hands in a mirror of how Orange is with their friends. That would've had the crew shuffled so Red could hold one hand and Green could hold the other, with Dark mirroring Red. The fade on the shadow being angled while not due to the idea, did end up influencing the final angle, to try and have there be a "Chosen hand" and a "Victim hand." The angle was actually to make it distinctly different from the white-light grey fade happening in the bottom corners to try and subtly hint this one wasn't just something done for lighting.

Oh yeah, the order the crew are holding hands in wasn't entirely arbitrary. I knew I wanted Green to be one of the ones holding Orange's hand, given the fact that they're meant to be closer friends than Orange is to any of the rest of the crew. That left the others. While colour order as best I could with Orange out of place was an option, I thought it'd be more fun to put a little nod to the Yellue ship since it's the most common ship I've seen of ships that include just members of the crew.

The font chosen for this poster was going to be another handwritten font, but when I went to go get a reference image from the episode itself at one point, I realized it had the title written in the episode itself. The IV for the episode number had to be done with a pixel brush myself though, because my program had a limit on how big it would make the font. Funnily enough, the numeral was written with Vic's grey, but I ended up lowering the opacity to tone down the colour a bit due to it not sitting against Yellow super nicely. (I don't remember exactly, but I believe I also made the "Alan Becker Presents" text Vic's grey too.

Also yes, I know you should be able to see the numeral through Orange's head. I went back and forth on it for a while, but the corners met just inside their head and made this unbalanced checkerboard pattern I couldn't stand. So no grey gets to be visible in their head.

Got hit with the overwhelming desire to design posters for some of the episodes a while back, and drew up the first three, only to forget about it until recently. I had the idea for AvA 4's back then, so figured I'd finish that to match before posting 💙

I've also got an idea for a Note Block Universe poster, but that one's fighting me. One day though. One day. Maybe.

[themothwhisperer]

HBO’s The Last of Us is bringing Ellie and Dina to life with such magnificence. Honestly no one can change my mind on this.

Because there is no gameplay to consider whatsoever, we can feel more stability and overall presence for the romance than we initially had in the game. That’s the true beauty of cinema right there. More space; for the actors to explore and play around, for the creatives behind the story to push boundaries and for the set itself to display the strength of this message.

With whatever may occur next, episode 5 will always be brilliant at setting the tone for Ellie and Dina’s dynamic.

The dust settled, it’s not about the intensity and tension between them anymore, but rather the quiet, reassuring intimacy they share.

In a very heated and overwhelming moment, Ellie said she would die for Dina. And I just love how this phrase turned out to be completely accurate instants later. It wasn’t just something she blurted out impulsively. When the stalkers swarmed them, Dina panicked and Ellie knew this was it for at least one of them. Ellie’s mind was made up however; if someone was going to survive this, it would be Dina, no other way around it. The mission didn’t matter anymore. For an instant, they just ran out of luck and Ellie had to do something about it. She uses the biting argument as a way to convince Dina to run for the cage without a second thought, but deep down she knows this is not even about the bites. The one that’ll face the infected without protection will be ripped apart. When she kisses Dina and lets her go, you can see it clearly on her face. This is her death sentence. In this precise moment, Ellie is dying for Dina.

And I think that’s peak. It was a powerful way to convey the information. Something they never really managed to do with the game (neither a good or bad thing, it simply is different). Makes you wonder how this will impact the storyline. It’s so exciting.

[greyonelost]

Have you ever heard the tragedy of Syril Karn and Dedra Meero? It's not a story the rebels would tell you.

I don't think I will ever be over it. I hate what they did to these characters in episodes 7-12 of season two of Andor. I am whining and this is LONG.

Syril and Dedra were established as intriguing imperials they made you root for with relatable flaws. Both were products of the system, the result of a life of brainwashing. They were tragic and emotionally starved, just like Kylo and Anakin. They were firm believers in the empire but you also somehow really liked them. They were some of the most well developed characters in that show. Both were serious, awkward, emotionally damaged, driven, ambitious, intelligent and with no other friends but each other. Both were starved for recognition. Dedra was capable, highly intelligent and underappreciated, but at the same time she wasn't running around screaming at people like Reva or choking underlings like Vader. She treated her assistant as her equal. Syril was a wide-eyed, idealistic, pure, everyday guy, devoid of malice and distictively rebel-like in his belief in and passion for justice. After an embarrassing failure he had to go back to his emotionally abusive mother. We watched him being starved for the validation he never got and looking for it constantly in his superiors by despertely doing his best. Syril was the one you felt for and related to, Dedra was the one you admired. Rooting for them at that point was inevitable.

Then you observed these sympathetic, unappreciated, traumatised weirdos slowly finding each other. You cheered for them when he saved her, you cheered for them when you saw them happily sharing domestic bliss, you cheered when you saw Dedra stand up to his abusive mom and when you saw Dedra's humanity peak through when she was with Syril. She was becoming softer compared to the Dedra in season one. Living with him and loving him was changing her.

These imperials were some of the most well developed characters in the show. More nuanced, intriguing and relatable than all of the rebels, with the exception of Luthen.

Then the tone noticeably shifted in episode seven with Dedra's untypical reaction to Syril asking questions about Ghorman. It didn't fit her character, it didn't fit the Dedra they had established until now. Remember, that she was an intelligence officer who came from law enforcement, she demonstrated she can think ahead and deal with stress. But now that Syril wants answers, instead of just saying she will explain later, when they are alone, at home, her intelligence is turned off and she starts rambling like she is delusional and forces a kiss on him, like a school girl, clearly to his discomfort. Again, this wasn't the Dedra who we saw dealing pretty well with challenges to her authority and loss of control with Blevin and with Eedy. This scene only made sense as a way to get them to that point of Dedra getting screamed at and choked.

Which scene, turns out, has no redeeming nuances. Or at least they didn't matter. She never tried to resist him, she didn't call the guards on him, she never got angry or even upset that he put his hands on her. She let it go immediately like it was nothing. Because she loved him and she wanted him to stay. I thought this was supposed to mean something. That it would be the first step towards her "Are we the baddies?" epiphany But no, it was revealed to be pointless. Just like that scene of her breaking down in the small room after learning about Syril's death. I thought that as tragic as these scenes were, they would be the first steps in her realisation that she has been brainwashed her entire life. But no, it meant nothing.

I thought her trying to back off from the Ghorman project, her giving the order obviously against her will, were all signs building up to the moment when she is finally done with it. But again, it meant nothing.

I thought they were showing her pain and conflict to build up to the twist of her changing sides but it turned out there is no change of heart for her. As the show progressed, the abuse of Dedra Meero only intensified and you realise with horror that the cruelty is the point. The nuance was just left hanging like a loose thread. Which is why I think the original story was different but was later changed. (Season 1 as a whole was much more coherent, season 2 felt like stitched together but that will be a diffent rant.) They dropped hints of her having humanity in the first half of season 2 and then just took it in the opposite direction. It just didn't make sense. And worse, it was cruel. They literally took away her humanity, they denied her humanity. Just think about it for a moment, think about how sinister and personal and spite driven it is - they took away her humanity and all the nuance that made you feel for her to make it acceptable to abuse her. And also her competence. They took away that too. They DEHUMANISED her.

Another thing that makes me think they changed the story was that they said some people will switch sides in season 2. But then it didn't happen. And no, Syril getting his entire worldview shattered doesn't count. He didn't join the rebels, he just got shocked and then killed off in the moment when he finally figured it out and got some clarity.

It'a a cruel and cynical ending for the most pure, imperial character in the show. And he was also one of the most interesting. They put a lot of effort into developing him - showing him being tortured, starved for recognition, believing in doing the right thing and desperate to do better in any way. But in the end none of it mattered. The writers just had him rejected by his newly found father figure on Ghorman, Carro Rylanz, another one Syril desperately wanted to prove himself to. Syril's last words to Rylanz included the line "I mean you no harm." only for him to be dismissed and later executed by Rylanz point-blank.

Syril Karn was like a child. Even the actor said that. Mentally, he is an adolescent. And that was the real reason Dedra didn't tell him about the true goal of the Ghorman project. She knew he was pure, she knew he couldn't take it. She wanted to protect him from her life. He was her truth, her escape from the life of brutality and lies she was trapped into but couldn't escape. And honestly, I don't think the thought of escaping ever crossed her mind. Just like with Syril, the empire was almost her entire personality. Also, they would never just let them disappear, she knew too much and was too high up. It would be like trying to leave the mafia. She would have been killed immediately. Same thing would happen if she refused to relay the order on Ghorman. They would have just offed her and then a quick holo call from Partagaz telling them to proceed would have made her sacrifice useless. She did try to resist taking the project both with Krennic and Partagaz only to be dismissed. So, she was trying to carve out a life for her and Syril. She was doing it for them, for him. She loved him, she wanted him to be happy. That's why she got him the promotions ("You didn't seem to mind the promotions!"). That's why she got that spy gig for him on Ghorman ("It's good to see you happy.") She never wanted to manipulate him. She could have hired anyone. And it would have been easier for her, because she wouldn't worry so much about their safety. She wanted to protect Syril. ("You were careful?", "You need to go home and pack and be ready to leave.")

That's why it's so hurtful what they did to their relationship. He was the only one she made a connection with, the only one who loved her, the only one she loved and they had him scream at her, choke her, leave her and then die and never be mentioned again. In the end, his love and respect for her didn't matter, her love for him didn't matter. He was a character they used to hurt her just for the sake of it.

And then episodes 10-12 took the torture of Dedra Meero to a whole new level.

First, we see her in the last arc finally capturing Luthen, or as the ISB refers to him, Axis. And this is a moment, when again she was acting out of character. Her toying with Luthen, her smug mustache twirling, villain monologue... Again, her behaviour just didn't fit her intelligence and experience. She was not the type to gloat. She did a monologue on Bix but Bix was already in the chair and the monologue had the purpose to intimidate her and make her talk. In contrast, Luthen was still free, on his own territory and could do something, which he did. An experienced hunter like Dedra would never do the mistake of gloating before arresting her target, especially one that is as dangerous as Luthen. She failed to catch him for years, and when she finally does, instead of quickly arresting him, she does this rookie mistake. Again, you can see how the story was adjusted just for this to be a step in her downfall and have Krennic scream about it in her face.

Then there is the backstabbing Heert plotline. I hated that. Yes, considering the cut-throat work place, it is plausible. But still, she was never domineering to her assistant in any way, she treated him as her equal. So, turning the loyal, competent Heert from season one into an incompetent, jealous, backstabbing jerk really came out of nowhere. Another subplot, that felt like the writers came up with just because they needed to somehow take her down. Like the order from Partagaz to arrest her. The same Partagaz who was impressed with her initiative in season one, would arrest her when she finally caught Axis? I doubt that. The Axis job was taken from her because they wanted her to focus on Ghorman but now that the project is off the table, they would have no problems about her stepping over boundaries when she delivers results. She was rewarded for doing just that in season one.

And I can't help but notice that all the men who respected Dedra Meero in season 1, were systematically turned against her in season 2 (Syril, Partagaz, Heert) and shown to backstab, abandon, disrespect and abuse her. They could have picked any supervisor to show how fascism uses and discards people, but they picked Dedra and turned her fall into a prolonged degradation porn with close shots of her being horrified, intimidated, sobbing and breaking down. And if you think this is about making a point about fascism, I have a bridge to sell you.

And lastly, the Lonni thing. Somehow this intelligence agency that excels in investigation, would be too quick to accuse one of their top hunters of being a rebel spy and discard her just because a colleague went through her files? Again, this felt like the writers just needed her to fall. In that interrogation Dedra killed it, there was no doubt she was honest. No commander, no matter how fascist, will destroy their top and most loyal hunter because of a few slips. That scene, like Dedra's entire final arc, was indulgence in cruelty.

The last moments of her on screen were pure torture. Her getting manhandled again and verbally and physically intimidated by krennic while she is getting increasingly horrified... The close shots of her in the arrest, broken, stripped of rank and disheveled... Her completely broken down and sobbing in narkina 5... Make no mistake, she will not survive more than a month before the last shreds of her dignity and sanity are gone and she jumps on one of those electrified floors. By the time she was sent there, she already had lost everything - her position, her love, the empire discarded her, her dignity and any hope. She had nothing left to live for.

It's pure sadism. No one deserves that except Palpatine. Vader and Hux did much worse things and they got a more dignified death.

It's almost as if they surveyed the reactions to the first season and then decided to please everyone - both the part of fandom who wanted a love story between her and Syril and the misogynists who wanted to see her broken and crushed and her relationship with the loyal Syril who admired her twisted into her manipulating him and him putting her in her place. I have seen many mean comments wishing for Dedra to get the EXACT SAME things the writers did to her in episodes 7-12.

Sadly, it won't be the first time they have done it. During the original trilogy, many men complained that Leia was acting like a space bitch, so Lucasfilm put her in those slave bikini in episode 6 to soften her. And Disney did the same with The Last Jedi. The worst part of Star Wars fandom screamed to the heavens that Rian Johnson ruined their childhood and that's why episode 9 was changed.

That would explain why season 2 of Andor feels like it was stitched together while the first one was flawlessly coherent. It would explain why season 2 felt a bit underwhelming compared to the first one. And why some subplots felt redundant and had no connection to the rest of the story or why they were so prolonged. But it makes sense if the original story was something else and changed at some point. But that's a different rant.

[chaifootsteps]

As someone who pirated HH or waited for the leaks to come out, the month long wait for HB episode to air on YouTube. It’s gonna be a bloodbath.

This was a bad business deal because what’s the point of airing the seasons first on prime and than on YouTube? Why bother getting a prime subscription if the episodes are gonna drop on YouTube a month later? And than on the other side of the spectrum is why watch the episodes on YouTube if people are gonna slip and leak the episodes as soon as they drop on prime? When HH aired last year those episodes leaked so fast, to the poor viv was arguing with people on threads for leaking episodes. Having a show on YouTube and then getting picked by a big company has never worked in the past and honestly I don’t like it. What was the point of priding and lying to yourself as indie for 7 years if you’re just gonna sellout because you want money and actors?

2020-2022 I wanna say HB was at its peaks of popularity and viewership, merch sales were going strong and SH didn’t have to rely on outsourcing. A lot of thing went wrong, it’s all because of one person, Viv. I think viv resented being indie and wanted Amazon or another studio tho pick HB but it never happened, but because she invested a lot of time, money and people like Brandon they had to go indie. For awhile it worked because viv had the fanbase, and patreon and merch sales helped, but again Viv wanted to operate more as a big studio instead of an indie studio and that’s when the problems arised. She wanted bigger and faster and Broadway actors and burned through a lot of animators, and money and had to rely on outsourcing. Either SH was in big trouble because they didn’t have the money to continue 2 more seasons or Viv has been planning on selling HB to big studios

It really has gotten so bad, and it's both possible and likely that it's going to get worse, but if it does, Viv will have no one to blame but herself.

[summertide-treehouse]

I finished s5 of my Ninjago rewatch, here's my review

Oh my god 😭 I always considered Possession as one of my favorite Seasons since I got into the show, and it ABSOLUTELY maintains it’s top rank for me.  

The intro is my absolute favorite, the superior version of the Weekend Whip.  The entire soundtrack for the show was very good and fit each episode extremely well.  Not to mention, the quality was BEAUTIFUL here, especially in the finale episode.  Visually a masterpiece on top of everything else.

The plot was very, very fun.  There was massive worldbuilding being established with new characters, and Nya’s training to be a Ninja couldn’t have happened at a better time.   I think the pacing could’ve been a little better in terms of writing, some moments felt like they were dragging and Curse World 1 and 2 felt a little rushed, but I did like how every episode stuck to a single location ( Yangs Mansion, Wailing Alps, Cloud Kingdom, etc ), it all fed into each other and gave us time to absorb the moment.  

I think the only complaint I have with this Season was Lloyds lack of development, which ties into the quicker pacing of Curse World 1 and 2.  It didn’t take much away from the Season since Lloyd wasn’t the main protagonist anyway, but considering the possession and Morros overall treatment, I think Lloyd bounced back from it a little too fast.  But it gives an opening for headcannons and growth between seasons even if there wasn’t time to show it during the Season.  

Nya’s training and her becoming the Water Ninja was absolutely peak.  Not only do I think it fit the theme and was a great way to introduce her and her arc but also raised the stakes of the rest of the plot because she was their final hope.  There was SO much pressure in her plot.  If she wouldn’t have been able to unlock her true potential, Ninjago would’ve been cursed.  She was Ninjago’s final savior and I loved that.  And I like that it was touched in in the finale as well, with Lloyd saying that just because he’s the Green Ninja doesn’t mean he has to save the day.   I like how quickly she was accepted in by the others, it was a given but compared to how she was treated in s1, she is LOVED and appreciated here and I love the growth.

I think Ronin played an interesting role we haven’t really seen before.  His intentions aren’t obvious and he’s a shamelessly morally grey character, but we also know that he does have SOME genuine care towards the Ninja, he came around when he needed to come around.  I was really hesitant to be reintroduced to Ronin since I had some bad association with him and I am SO glad I perceive him in a new light now.  I think he also gave good advice to Nya, he was an outside perspective that was commented on in the show and their dynamic was interesting.  Though the almost kiss thing was weird 💀at least it was the only weird moment, chooses to ignore.

Morro?  Oh my god I love Morro 😭He is the MOST interesting villain introduced in the show so far, only 2nd, if not a tie, with Garmadon.  If only we saw more from what happened in the Cursed Realm, because Morro’s ambitions and goals were SO interesting and fun to explore.  His character was layered with tragedy and problems he brought onto himself, and his dynamic with Wu was devastating.  I don’t fault Wu for leading Morro to think he was the Green Ninja, because nothing suggested otherwise.  Wu had no closure after Morro left, he had no idea what had happened.  Even after learning Morro went to the Cursed Realm, possessed Lloyd, and everything that happened; Wu STILL tried to save him.  Theres absolutely a father/son dynamic there and it needed to be explored further.  This treads into more of a headcannon, but I really don’t think Morro was inherently ‘evil’, just blinded by his desperation and ambition to be the Green Ninja, no matter who he hurt and what it meant.  But with that, I’m glad Morros actions weren’t swept under the ground and wasn’t given a ‘2nd chance’, he knew he couldn’t be saved, and there was an understanding that there was lows you just can’t come back from.  Wu lost his son AND brother to darkness and the sole reason he couldn’t save either was because they both chose to go down those paths, nobody talk to me 🥲

S5 made me feel feelings, absolutely my favorite Season currently, and I don’t see dropping out of the top 3.  There wasn’t a single character I didn’t like, all the characters had strong writing and growth, every episode was engaging and was just a great season.  My previous reviews were a bit more structured but this one was harder to write only because I had SO much to say about this season it was impossible to coherently express it in words.

Excellent season, I only wish the finale was a bit stronger, but this watch was great.  Possession gets a 10/10

[mommymothma]

Andor S2

Physically I am alone, baking into my sofa while suffering against the heat of summer. At one point I might have accepted my fate and waited for the weather to turn me into a crispy carcass to be eaten by whatever rodents or insect find me first.

But right now I do not care about the heat. I do not care that I am boiling alive in my own home. Right now all I care about is the absolute peak cinema I just watched.

The series finale of Andor did not disappoint, and I can hardly express in words the emotion I am feeling. Joy, for having experienced it. Grief, for knowing how it ends. Anger, for not being entitled to more.

There is a huge stereotype about Star Wars fans, "They hate Star Wars more than anyone". Normally I'd laugh and offer a cheap expression of "real" or "based". But right now... I don't hate Star Wars.

I don't think I have ever really hated it, only hated the commercialization of it. The sequels and many of the shows were cheap attempts at getting our attention, making money by exploiting us and the franchise we love. They pour in dollar after dollar, expecting that we heed to every one of their demands and take the garbage they've thrown at us with a smile on our face.

I hated that for so long Star Wars was treated as a machine, born to make money and nothing else. But looking at Andor I can see that there are creators out there, and fans, that see it as I do. I don't want them to slap my favorite character on a title card and make a show that has nothing to do with them. I want a story. A real story. About the people, the planets, survival.

Andor is not "A Star Wars Story", its a story about Andor, about a rebellion. It's the story of people who just want to watch the sunrise again, without having to worry about the light being blocked by an imperial banner. It's a story about people, who just happen to exist in the setting of Star Wars. And that is what makes it so great.

But enough with the vague descriptions, it's time I dissected as much as I can possible remember and process in this moment. Spoilers ahead for Andor S2

Kleya.

FUCKING. KLEYA.

Yall remember last week when I said "Idk why I just like her"

BITCH WHEN I TELL YOU I WAS FOAMING AT MY GODDAMNED MOUTH IN EPISODE 10. I did not expect to get an expansion on Luthen's lore, let alone hers. I was fully expecting to fill in the blanks of her life with fan fiction. When I heard we were losing 3 seasons of the show I resolved myself to the fact that her role would be reduced and that was that. I would still love and cherish her from the sidelines. I have friends watching that didn't even know her name, and probably wouldn't remember who she is if it weren't for this final act. Star Wars heroines have never failed me, and it seems they never will because the girls stay winning.

I knew Luthen was gonna die, I predicted that last week, and I was on the fence about whether she would be collateral. I was on the edge of my fucking seat for THREE hours because they kept baiting me into thinking it was the end of the road for her. Cassian, Mothma, Bail, etc all had very strong plot armor, so I never really had to worry about them. But Kleya... my god I was so SCARED. First at the hospital, I was certain she was going to get busted after she killed Luthen. I thought no way she gets out of this but SHE DID. And she did it so well they thought she was THREE people. Girls stay winning. Stay winning. Then, when Cassian comes to save her and she refuses to leave for so long I was pre-emptively crying. Like I was so sure this was it. Cassian needed one more loss just to really fuck with him. I was ready to cuss out the first person I saw tomorrow.

BUT SHE LIVES

and then I'm like, alright, certainly, she is fine now.

NO. Episode 12 I was so so so terrified she was gonna kill herself. I was so paranoid, she was struggling. I was BEGGING my tablet screen at this point to not let it happen. I simply could not have handled it and THANK THE FORCE. I am 100% convinced that if Vel had not found her right then, that the show would have ended with a very different tone. Thats 2 weeks in a row Cassian successfully smuggles a bad bitch off of Coruscant. STAY WINNING.

There is so much I could say about Kleya, but I'm actually gonna keep it for a bit. Let it cook. Let it marinate. Let it inspire. Just know it won't be the last you hear from me regarding her. She will be getting a picture on my wall mark my words.

Dedra on the other hand got what she had coming to her. I understand that her reinvestment into the Axis problem likely stemmed from the loss of Syril. I almost feel like she talked herself into thinking that it would "avenge" him. But, at some point during the gap, I think she lost her way and her motivations became very much personal. She was after glory. The parallels between her being in the room with Krennic to the interaction she had with Syril in season 1 that very much mirrored this.. Incredible screenwriting right there. The imperials routinely learn, again and again, that there is no reward for serving the empire. They is always someone above you. Someone who will not hesitate to waste you as you have wasted your inferiors. Every single imperial is a drone, and to the empower, drones are expendable.

Syril, Dedra, Heert. All of them assumed that because they were dedicated they were entitled to success. It was a fitting end for each of them, that they would die by the hands of the system to which they were so dedicated too. Signing up to the empire is signing your life away to them. They have no right to be scared when the time comes to reap that clause of their contract.

Unlike Kino, though, Dedra will at least know what it is her imprisonment is working towards. Whether that makes it better or worse for her remains to be seen. Regardless, I don't think it will do much to curb her ego.

RIP Dedra, I suppose the best case scenario for you is being able to look yourself in the mirror at the end of every day and tell your reflection that it was worth it.

Last big thing on my plate is the ending, the news about the death star, the reactions. I was a little surprised to see Bail so against the plan if I'm being honest. I loved him last week but this week he was pissing me off. When one of your most trustworthy, capable men comes to you and says "hey, our enemies have this weapon we cannot beat" YOU BELIEVE HIM. Also, Mon should have stuck up for Cassian a lot more in that scene. I know her and Luthen didn't end on the best of terms, but at the end of the day Luthen did come through for her. LUTHEN organized her escape from Coruscant, not Bail. When her cover was nearly blown and her jig was up... LUTHEN saved her. Now I know he has got his problems, but she should know better than anyone else at that table what Luthen would have given up for the rebellion. And if not Luthen, then she should have trusted Kleya. All that being said, she does come around, and to her senses so I forgive her. Also, appreciated the dynamic that she, while out in the woods on some random planet, was smiling in her final finale scene while Perrin, who was surrounded by wealth, grandeur and the "obedient" wife he had always wanted was not. Once a loser, always a loser.

That brings me to my conclusion for now and if you stayed this long thanks for hearing my rant. I don't have pictures this week because I used my tablets dying breath to finish the episodes so just a wall of text. Memes will follow I assure you.

I did not expect the Hunger-games ass looking ending (said with affection). Bix standing in that field, holding the child of what I'm assuming to be Cassian Andor, definitely tugged at the heartstrings. I'm mad at her, for one, because Cassian deserves to know he has a child out there. Parent/Child relationships run to the very foundation of Star Wars, and is not exclusive to this series. In Andor it's explored through Syril and his mom, as well as Andor and Maarva. But we see it again in Rebels with Ezra and Hera, Sabine and Hera, or them with Kanan. Anakin and his mother, Anakin and Luke. Obi-wan and Luke. Din Jarin and Grogu.

So after some thought, this revelation doesn't feel foul at all. Because if Bix had told Cassian, he never would have stayed on Yavin. He never would have rescued Kleya, and certainly never found himself watching that beautiful sunset on Scarif. And if he hadn't done those things... well there would be no future for Bix or his child. And as we have seen many times in this franchise, being raised by a single parent on a remote planet is hardly the worst thing that can happen to a child. In fact, it almost guarantees you some sort of plot armor. I have no doubt Bix will be devastated to hear that Cassian doesn't make it, and she may never forgive herself, but their kid will have a reason to wake up everyday. A reason to watch the sun set over a field of wheat and think about what it means to see a sky so blue. So full of hope.

I have made my peace with the fact that not everyone will get a happy ending, but at the very least, they all get to experience hope.

[essektheylyss]

I was thinking about these excellent questions from @ariadne-mouse, and in particular those about what this upper Un megafauna eats most of the time, in relation not to the crew, but the Sloop:

Consider also, @utilitycaster's suggestion of a toroidal cosmos, wherein the limits do not necessarily end, but instead circle around to meet each other. We do see that the mica described at this altitude is "fresher" and "cleaner", in a sense suggesting that this mica is newly formed:

We cannot yet know what lies beyond the tunnels of mica, but if the cosmos do in fact circle back upon themselves, and we take as foundation the gravitational direction of the cosmos—i.e., that the the Un is up, and the Fold is down, and overall, everything flows from top to bottom—then the biggest question is: where does the Fold at the deepest depths go?

But when we get to the description of the Fold of the dark mica being siphoned, the idea of mica forming begins to be called into question:

Contrary to this image of inorganic, dead matter, we do know that Fold is, technically, alive, that it is not liquid but innumerable living micro-organisms, described as algal or bacterial. We also know that mica can be excreted as by-product by other beings, notably mirrorhawks:

And, as we've learned, people contain Fold, which can be siphoned from themselves, and it is fundamental to their being and life. This could explain the chemical origin of this mica secretion, if Fold is a fundamental basis of life in the cosmos:

So perhaps mica, far from being any sort of originating matter, is in fact the by-product of dead, processed, consumed Fold.

Certainly, we don't entirely know how more Fold is created, though we know it has an origin at the Font, so it must have ways of generating more, and the cosmos must have ways of balancing the amount of Fold in the sense that the universe has not become purely Fold. Of course, we do not know where Fold goes beyond the Delta, but based on this evidence, I would hypothesize that one method of keeping this balance is that the megafauna of the upper Un and the megafauna of the extreme depths of the Fold are one in the same—evolved within a toroidal cosmos to consume and process Fold where it is most abundant, and maintaining an equilibrium of Fold in the universe.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

They finally did it everybody they said the thing!!!!!!!

"How much do you love Charles Xavier?"

"HOW DARE YOU ASK ME SUCH A QUESTION???!!!??!!?!!??!!??!!!"

HE SAID THE THING !!!!!!!!!!

[rinbylin]

雁回时 The Glory ep. 18 // 30

[let-roman-bite-someone]

btw i really really hope that janus's current characterization, with the wine and sass, is just there for the more light-hearted episodes, and that thomas hasn't forgotten the nuance behind his character.

[catocappuccino]

Looked away for 1 sec and peepaw chess piece appeared on my canvas

Should I be concerned or-?

[robotsandramblings]

Happy Fifth Anniversary to Clone Force 99 !!!! ❤️🖤🩶🖤❤️

it was exactly five (5) years ago on this date (Feb 21st) that Hunter, Crosshair, Tech, and Wrecker made their onscreen debut in The Clone Wars Season 7 !

it feels like this time with our boys has been forever and a blur at the same time. i wish we could have had more seasons with them; but with the release of their 4-issue comic miniseries and full-length novel this year, it looks like CF99 will be sticking around one way or another for the next five years :)

mere words cannot express what this show and these characters have meant to me these past five years. there have been tears of joy, tears of happiness, and a neverending abundance of admiration and love. i know they're just pixelated people on a screen, but they mean the world to me and have changed my life for the better.

my deepest thanks go out to all those involved in creating and bringing The Bad Batch and their story to life, and for keeping it going for three wonderful seasons.

and my thanks go out to you, tumblr community! it has been an absolute joy getting to laugh, cry, scream, and fangirl together with you these past five years. your discussions, memes, artwork, gifs, photosets, fanfics, merch, and zines have made this show even more enjoyable and memorable. thank you!!!!!! and here's to the next five! 🫡💖

[vivi-scera]

lowkey i have nothing good to watch

[elegantmarigold]

Gwen was really invoking the ghost of a certain archivist this episode. Just really fucking around and finding out with dangerous people. Getting stubborn about it when they really should be getting the hell out of there at this point. Absolutely refusing to read the room and realize that this is going to go poorly for them until they're right about to die. Having the ability to say just the wrong thing without realizing it and just not being able to stay quiet and leave well enough alone. Apparently I just love a stubborn, persistent idiot because they're both my favorite characters and I love them dearly for this and I'm also terribly afraid for their well-being and they are going to be the death of me.

[thegh0stofwilburtheworm]

Hey what happened 2 his daughter

[jemmo]

i didnt watch unknown as it was airing bc i knew it would consume me so i decided to binge it all today. i was correct. it has consumed me.