#i should have watched S1 again before i watched the new episode

[thefreeblog]

I watched Utsukushii Kare S2 first episode and you know what, I have never seen two people so awkward, so shy, so wierd, so different from each other yet so similar and most importantly so much in love.

Hira and Kiyoi man, I'll not be able to tell you why exactly, but I really want to just enjoy their journey with them like may be a fly on the wall.

[jesncin]

Caped Crusader, "Safe Diversity", and Catwoman

We're at a point where it's expected that a new incarnation of any story previously with a white-dominated cast would be reimagined with a "more diverse" cast. This can mean racebending them, genderbending them or making them queer, but for the purposes of this analysis we'll be focusing on racebends. Most of the time, executives will take the "safer" routes with diversifying their cast- pick a couple of unproblematic supporting characters to be incidentally "diverse this time". Other times, there might be "braver" takes where more prominent characters (perhaps even the main character) are racebent. This doesn't necessarily mean racebending prominent characters is an inherently better thing to do.

I've been more than critical of MAWS' portrayal of BIPOC characters but especially their Asian Lois before. Sometimes BIPOC representation is just a decorative palette-swap change for these shows. Caped Crusader however, is different. It's more complicated- but it's rooted in very similar problems. Unlike MAWS (though I can only speak for S1), CC is far more willing to take on political topics: classism, sexism, police corruption and brutality, even beauty standards in the entertainment industry! Yet, in choosing to portray these topics in their stylistically anachronistic 30s-40s set piece- it makes it so the show's reluctance to discuss race intersecting with any of these topics far more apparent.

(spoilers for all of Caped Crusader)

Take for instance, episode 2: "...And Be A Villain". The story is about Basil Karlo, a less than handsome actor who wishes his appearance wasn't holding him back from both love and playing roles saved for better looking people. He makes a deal with Jack Ellman, an experimental makeup artist who turns him into Clayface. This story is set in motion when Miss Yvonne Francis, a beautiful actress, goes missing. Miss Francis is a woman of color (brown skinned, unspecified) played by Lacey Chabert: a white actress. CC goes for a generally colorblind casting what with Stephie (a white girl) being voiced by Amari McCoy (a Black actress) but it always feels icky when a white actor voices a character of color. Prominent characters of color in CC are more accurately casted. However I do think animation should be wary of using their medium to get away with their show appearing more diverse than the actual talent behind it.

The episode's theme is pretty clear on how unfair the entertainment industry is in regards to who it prioritizes in leading roles. Basil is constantly emphasized as a tragically talented actor whose appearance is holding him back. "With your talent you should be a leading man, Basil." Yvonne says to Basil in a flashback. Meanwhile as Alfred is watching through movie clips featuring Yvonne and Basil together, he comments "while lovely to look at, Miss Francis is no Gloria Swanson." So Yvonne has the looks, but not the talent and still gets prestigious roles because that's showbiz. The only time this is weirdly inconsistent is when Yvonne calls out Basil/Clayface in the finale, saying:

"I don't believe your performance. You're chewing on scenery. Relying on makeup effects to enhance weak characterization. It's insincere, Basil. It's not real."

I honestly feel like this scene was just meant to quickly "subvert" Yvonne being a damsel in distress by having her call out Basil's acting. It's a moment that isn't reinforced by anything the episode set up. After all, according to Alfred, she's not as good an actor compared to Basil. That's supposed to be how they foil each other, so this moment feels unmotivated. Again, I get what they're going for, that Basil's performance ironically relies on his newfound appearance so much that even a bad actress like Yvonne can spot his meager acting. But it doesn't work when our protagonists were actually convinced by his imitation of others. She's still a damsel in distress character regardless of her having a bit of attitude when calling her captor out.

What I don't understand is: why make Yvonne a woman of color if this was the story you wanted to tell? It's not like they're paying homage to how her voice actress looks, after all. Why, in your story set in purposely anachronistic 30s-40s era noir, did the character who was meant to represent the epitome of "not talented but gets by the industry because of her conventional beauty and pretty privilege" a woman of color? We're missing the very obvious conversation here where Tinsel Town is a white industry with white biases to what it considers attractive. It doesn't matter how many attractive actors of color exist, they're still pigeon holed into stereotyped and often racist roles (especially back then), and have to work twice as hard to get the opportunities their white colleagues get. Why is Basil, a white man, the only one afforded a marginalized narrative when Yvonne is quite literally a woman of color right next to him? The episode is especially painful to sit through when Basil is afforded so much sympathy compared to Yvonne.

"He didn't have the right look. He didn't have the right face."

"The camera is kind to some, but cruel to others."

This is transparently a colorblind narrative. Yvonne is written and even casted as a white woman. The CC crew just decided she should be a WOC likely because "wouldn't it be neat if the beautiful actress in this story is POC" without thinking about how that would drastically change a narrative already critical of the showbiz industry based on appearances. It's not intersectional and flattens the narrative to being selective of the prejudices Tinsel Town has. This episode is a great example to what CC generally does with diversity. It's not afraid to be critical of society, but it gets oddly squeamish with discussing how race intersects with these topics- opting mostly for a palette-change type of representation.

It's not entirely fair to say CC doesn't ever touch on the topic of racism. It sort of does: if you read between the lines for why the mayor gives Jim Gordon his commissioner role, and more prominently with the Gentleman Ghost (a rich aristocrat ghost that steals from the poor, believing wealth is his right) being offended that his mansion is sold to Lucius Fox (saying "and you would sell it to rabble like this?")- racism is somewhat present in the world of CC. We see the women in this show experience misogyny, but it's ambiguous if any of their struggles are intersectional with that of race. But that's... just about it. Racism isn't discussed more than it is alluded to, whenever the writers decide it's relevant. Because of this, CC has a spectrum of hits and misses when it comes to integrating characters of color in their reimagined cast.

Here's how I would visualize that spectrum using canonized instances of Asian Lois Lane. I should emphasize that representation of people of color doesn't entail the narrative owing us "a racism arc" or what have you. This spectrum is more used to measure how much racial identity was integrated in the characterization of the character: whether that be cultural identity or history. Being a person of color isn't just "person who goes through racism".

This is how I'd personally place the prominent characters of color in CC on my "spectrum of racebends" chart. Generally most of the characters of color (whether reimagined that way or were originally POC already) are fairly harmless in how they were integrated into CC's world, but none of the characters feel bespoke as a reimagining of the character and are interchangeable with their white counterparts. To quote cartoonist Juni Ba (in a discussion on CC):

"...stripping characters of color in these time period stories of any cultural, [a]esthetic or social signifiers that’d make them true to the groups being represented. Instead they dress, act and speak very western."

In my opinion, the only character that is an exception to this is Linton Midnite (or as he's popularly known as: "Papa Midnite"). Midnite is a character so interlinked with Haitian culture and mysticism that even CC couldn't erase that aspect of his identity (important note: historically, the portrayal of Midnite since his creation is riddled in racism, but that's not my place to discuss here). Midnite at most speaks with an accent, dresses more nonconformingly compared to the western standard dress of all the other characters, and practices occultish stuff (though I don't think there was anything culturally specific in that episode, please correct me otherwise if someone has more insight!). That's a lot more cultural representation than just about any other character of color in CC. Midnite can't be changed to a white character, his African identity is too interlinked with who he is.

There are a few characters I consider in poor taste to be POC- that being Arnold Flass, Yvonne Francis (who we've covered already), and Harley Quinn (who will be getting her own post, as her case is complicated). So let's talk about cops, then.

I tend to be indifferent about media choosing to diversify cop characters because it feels like choosing the most "respectable to society" role for a marginalized character to play. Cops uphold bigoted systems of power at the end of the day, so that's a very comfortable place to represent your marginalized characters. It's why we keep getting gay or lesbian cops, which Batman media absolutely perpetuates as well with Renee Montoya. It's hard to cheer for two women of color being allowed to date and kiss in public when one of them is a cop, y'know? But this doesn't mean re-imagining cop characters doesn't have narrative merit.

In regards to Jim Gordon being reimagined as a Black cop, I'm gonna refer to La'Ron Readus' video on "Fixing the Batman's Copaganda problem" where he goes into detail about the missed potential of Black!Jim Gordon from Reeves' The Batman (2022). Generally, I felt that opportunity was missed in CC as well. While I love that Barbara Gordon is in CC, nothing about her being a WOC is integrated into this version of her. It felt like if either character was white, the story wouldn't be that different. The bigger issue here is the choice to racebend Arnold Flass- a previously white, blonde, cunningly smart, and brutally corrupt cop.

CC follows some of this in their version of Arnold Flass- he's paired with Harvey Bullock (also a corrupt cop). While Bullock is the brawns of the duo, Flass is the smarts. He's cunning and even implied to be willing to frame Bullock if the worse comes to it. It isn't an inherently bad idea to racebend a corrupt white cop into a Black cop. If the writers want to tell a story about how the police force assimilates people of color into the system and forces them to be just as if not more brutal than their white counterparts, then by all means tell that story.

But that's not what CC gave us. By rarely acknowledging race, we don't get to have a conversation or themes surrounding that delicate intersection of identities. We just have "diverse Flass". Look at these panels from Year One for example, can you imagine how Flass' casual disrespect for Gordon by constantly calling him "Jimmy" could be re-contextualized with a race change? Unlike other characters who just feel like missed opportunities for not integrating race into their characterization, Flass is an elephant in the room. To not acknowledge his race in themes of police corruption and brutality is to white wash the narrative with diverse paint.

I personally think the stronger narrative decision would have been to racebend Bullock as Black instead of Flass. Flass could still be the conniving cop, but he encourages Black!Bullock to be the more "violent brute" who does the dirty work for him. It would put a newfound racial layer to how Flass considers Bullock disposable. Then we could have some kind of commentary on how the police force encourages a system of abuse that makes even fellow POC turn on each other. It'd also make it so a certain scene would be better in optics.

I have many criticisms for the scene where Batman holds a gun to Flass in the finale of CC. It's a narratively unmotivated (see my criticisms for CC's Two Face here for elaboration) and weak moment that relies on metatextual shock value to cover up how underdeveloped this take on Batman is. But it's also just very uncomfortable optics-wise. It's a common and valid criticism that Batman as a character can very easily fall into copaganda, with his status, goals, and collaboration with the police force. In many ways, Batman is often written to be committing his own kind of vigilante police brutality.

Caped Crusader wants to be a deconstruction of a Batman tied to power and hellbent on his mission to eliminate crime. But because CC occasionally omits race from its narrative, the scene where Batman holds a gun to a Black cop-a man stripped of his ability to fight back-just falls flat for me. There's no acknowledgement in this scene that Batman basically gets to be an anonymous cop, "warning shots" and all. Batman shoots at an unarmed Black man several times. It's meant to be shocking to us how Bruce is willing to stoop to such a level and indulge in gratuitous gun violence, but it honestly hits too close to real incidents where this is racially the case for me to enjoy the narrative point of this scene.

You know a character who would be perfect for calling out Batman's many privileges? Selina Kyle. Let's talk about Caped Crusader's biggest downgrade.

I've heard just about all the arguments in favor for CC's reimagining of Catwoman and none have convinced me that this was in any way a good take on the character. I see people saying that this Catwoman is a return to her golden age roots, and there's a lot of misconception surrounding that assumption. So bear with me as looking at Catwoman's history is necessary to discuss race and how a character evolves.

Catwoman debuted in the 1940s as a jewel thief who disguised herself as an old lady. She was just called "The Cat" and would not don her more feline appearance until later. True to the mystery woman femme fatale trope she was inspired by, her backstory was left unknown for a long time. 10 years later, in Batman #62 it is revealed that after a plane accident bonked her head, the now named Selina Kyle got amnesia and went on a crime spree. Giving her leeway to reform and be an ally to Batman. This would historically inform how Selina Kyle toed the line between good and evil as an anti-hero.

Her origin would be revisited in 1983, in the Brave and the Bold #197. Although not canon to the mainline universe, it is still a crucial development for her character's history. In this story, Selina reveals that she lied about having amnesia to get out of facing punishment. Her true story was that she entered a life of crime to escape an abusive relationship with a rich man. The only loss her husband understood was material loss, loss of property, so stealing was how Selina fought back.

This crucial re-examination of her character transformed her from shenanigans inducing femme fatale, to a marginalized fighter. Shortly later in 1987 in Batman Year One, Catwoman is reimagined as a street-hardened sex worker in poverty. She is inspired by the Batman to become a vigilante for her own goals and gets annoyed that she's assumed to be his sidekick.

The moment Catwoman became marginalized by power, was the point where she became worthy of solo-character status. She was not only a compelling foil to Batman-capable of going toe to toe with him and make him question his motives even though she did not share his privilege-she could lead her own adventures reflecting a side of Gotham Bruce Wayne's perspective doesn't. She actively makes the setting of Gotham stronger because of how she's evolved as a character.

Catwoman's character would continue to evolve, with some iterations reimagining her as a latina woman and others where she's canonically bisexual.

While Catwoman has been portrayed by Black actresses before, I want to focus on the most recent and prominent iteration of a race-swapped Catwoman. When Matt Reeves' The Batman (2022) featured Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, an explicitly biracial character within the text of the story, we see another step this character evolves. I think La'Ron Readus' video on "Why Race-Swapped Characters Are Not The Full Story" does a fantastic job of explaining why this is a narratively great race swap. To summarize (though I do encourage watching his video as he goes into depth about 2022 Batman's Jim Gordon as well among many other examples) and add analysis of my own: Selina being the byproduct of an Italian crime lord and a Black sex worker is a brilliant marriage of her original backstory (being connected to and abused by powerful men) and her modern backstory where she's poverty stricken (and tangentially related to a sex worker if we're talking about Batman Year One).

We understand why someone of her background would have an affinity for stray cats because of how she lost her mom at a young age, she is sympathetic to fellow people from the lower class, and explicitly calls out privileged white people- including Batman who attempted to over moralize Selina's partner as a sex worker.

"All anyone cares about in this place, are these white privileged assholes."

It's especially that last line that makes it so Selina's character isn't interchangeable with her white counterpart. She's a textually rich character to contrast Bruce in Batman 2022, and we can see how years of history and evolution has brought such an empathetic character to the screen. Interestingly, Readus feels that while 2022 Selina was an example of a race-swap that works, he believes it was great by coincidence, because of the miss that was Gordon's characterization in the same movie. I think with Reeves as a collaborator on Caped Crusader, that assumption was correct.

Selina in CC is back to being a rich socialite, but (unlike her Golden Age counterpart) she's not married into wealth- she's got generational wealth (with a dad serving jail time for tax evasion). Worse yet, she's taking what little remains of her money and spending it on superficially imitating the Batman to create her Catwoman persona. She even has her own reluctant Alfred, a Catmobile, the works. Selina steals things because. She likes shiny things. And is something of a kleptomaniac. Catwoman is instantly discovered to be Selina because of course she's not as good as Batman is with keeping a secret identity (another key difference from her Golden Age counterpart, whose backstory was shrouded in mystery for a decade).

It is laughable to me that CC touts that their version of Harley Quinn has an origin of her own outside of the Joker, only to turn around and make a Catwoman that is completely tied to copying a man as her origin (did they decide Harley's goofyness as a character needed to be replicated in Selina for some reason? In their supposed dark and edgy show?). What a strange choice to fixate on the part in Year One where Selina didn't like being mistaken for Batman's assistant despite being inspired by him and turn it into a quirky bit. It feels like such a regressive take that frames Selina as a sillier, whimsical version of Bruce that just spends money on a whim because women just aren't smart enough to know how to keep track of their money. They're too busy looking for shiny things to steal. The fact that both 2022 Batman and CC have a scene where Selina is looking through her many bills she's yet to pay is wild to me. How am I supposed to care for a Selina that has the expendable wealth to create a Catwoman costume, car, and gadgets, but delay paying her maid? One of these versions of Selina is far more sympathetic than the other.

Again, I get what CC is going for. Batman is characterized to be hellbent on catching criminals, Catwoman is supposed to serve as some kind of reflection of his obsession. They're both self destructive in their goals, but one is vengeance and the other is chasing thrills. But is that really as interesting a foil as having Catwoman be marginalized, just as skilled, and making Batman second guess himself? Is it a take that strengthens Gotham as a setting by shedding light on its lower class characters? Is it a take that makes her worth revisiting as a perpetual rogue and not a one off episode where's she's basically a shenanigans-inducing nuisance to Batman? Evolved takes on Catwoman have talked about her desire to seek thrills and paired it with how she dismantles power. So it's not like CC's take is particularly unique, it just lacks all the depth that usually surrounds Selina's thrill seeking.

In a show that is frankly desperate to make it so Bruce doesn't have a personal relationship to his rogues gallery because he's too busy being "A cold, remorseless avenger of evil, seemingly more machine than man. Forged in the fire of tragedy, every fiber of his being is dedicated to the eradication of crime." (according to promo) that's how we end up with Barbara as the foil and humanity to both Harvey Dent and Harley Quinn. How the show focuses on the police force more than Bruce. It feels especially pointed that Catwoman is characterized this way. When she doesn't contrast Bruce, she becomes less personal to him as a character that is poverty stricken but still matches up to him in skill. She can't challenge him or his worldview, he can't find her fascinating as an equal, all of their chemistry and intrigue is erased.

All this to say that of the characters revealed for CC, I was honestly surprised that Selina wasn't one of the many characters racebent. CC followed up on a Black Jim and Barbara Gordon, two characters that have been race swapped before in previous media. Most prominently! Harley is Asian in this iteration, something never done before. So why is it that Selina doesn't follow up on the many times she's been portrayed by Black actresses?

It's because it's an actual good racebend if written well. It wouldn't be a "safe" racebend because writing Selina this way means you'd have to acknowledge racism, and it would be much more noticeable if you didn't. There is no canonized version of Asian Lois Lane that parallels her relationship to Superman as an immigrant. But there is a version of Selina as a Black woman who directly calls out white people and is aware of systemic power. It's in something as prominent and mainstream as Matt Reeves' 2022 Batman. So instead it just reads as cowardice to me that CC couldn't follow up on this evolution of Selina.

Not only does it weaken Catwoman and Batman's relationship to regress Selina this way, but it actively weakens Gotham as a setting and the very themes of Caped Crusader. I personally think all the energy that went into Harley Quinn should have been shared with (or straight up gone to) Selina Kyle. Because unlike CC's take on Harley, the way Selina Kyle's marginalization intersects with race and queerness would have actually critiqued Gotham's class corruption effectively. As a Black queer woman, Selina would be among the most vulnerable people in Gotham. We don't have prominent characters in CC that truly reflect the lower class, there are these unnamed characters Harvey Dent sits next to on a train. There are some orphans with Batfam names. A proper Catwoman reimagining that takes advantage of her evolution would have filled this gap in their narrative.

But that's not how "safe diversity" works. CC would rather racebend and canonize the queerness of a character like their take on Harley Quinn. A WOC who gets to kiss a cop and call out powerful men, but not in a way that makes white people uncomfortable.

If I could edit the Sandman quote that "The great stories will always return to their original forms" for Superheroes, I'd say "The great stories will always return to their most resonant forms" because without iterations we don't get characters like the Kents, Alfred or Catwoman as we know her today. Classics are good to look to, but we like these characters because they evolve. In my opinion, none of CC's takes on these characters of color feel resonant. They're not definitive to the level of Mister Freeze's tragic love story in BTAS, among many standout narrative choices in BTAS that continue across media iterations.

In my opinion, CC isn't as thoroughly clumsy as MAWS is in regards to POC representation and race-swaps (all characters of color in MAWS get put in the left side of that chart I made. In the Sunken Place. Where they all Missed The Movement). However, I can't help but see Caped Crusader's take on the world of Gotham as nothing more than an anecdote in the evolution of Batman's story for the modern era. "It's BTAS but superficially more diverse and with less compelling narrative choices."

[teamcavota]

50 milo murphy's law facts

5 not so fun and 45 fun!

Not so fun to start!

The only Milo Murphy's Law official merchandise is a notebook released in Japan for the MML X PNF crossover.

Disney actually apologized to Dan (and I assume Swampy) for the treatment of Milo Murphy's Law. Dan has expressed frustration at the MMLs treatment before, citing the Hiatus between s1 and s2 and the fact it did not air on the main Disney Channel.

Doof appears in more episodes than Cavendish and Dakota in s2 (this is the real reason we needed a s3). Also, while PNF/Doof stuff was planned from the start, Disney did push for more PNF.

When season 2 was airing, new episodes would randomly be released in other countries.

Milo was cut from CATU due to a feeling from Disney that audiences would not recognize his cameo.

ok LAME ones out of the way

On the first drawing of Milo there are three names beside it: Milo, Mikey, and...Monty. As you probably know the Mikey one got pretty far and is the name used in the pitch bible (and was referenced with "I am Mikey!".) The reason Mikey was changed to Milo was not a creative choice, but because there was a popular YouTuber named "Mikey Murphy."

Speaking of, Milo was also just going to be another character apart of a different pitch, but Dan kept thinking he should go into his own show. He went to Swampy and asked him what he thought of Milo (at the time Mikey) and the idea of a show about Murphys Law. it took them about an hour to come up with the concept pitch.

You can find several of MML song dubbings on YouTube and other platforms. Most notably the Japanese version (マイロ・マーフィーの法則) highly worth checking out. Fun fact in a fun fact, Doof and Dakota also share the same voice actor in this dubbing.

In re-airings of some of the first MML episodes, second versions were made that included Cavendish and Dakota in the background.

Yes, Melissa was originally going to feel the lasting effects of the pistachion uprising by remaining looking like one instead of Bradley having his arm turned into a vine. This would have been a source of conflict for her in season 2, but in the end they felt it was too much of a change. As far as Bradley's plant arm it was originally only going to come out sometimes before it was changed to being a constant thing. He does have feeling in this arm.

The Island of Lost Dakota's was going to include a scene with merman Dakota's ("merkotas"). There was also going to be "mutation" Dakotas, such as ones with multiple heads.

There exists a live action version of the Milo Murphy's Law theme song. well, sorta, watch it

Before Milo came out Dwampy made the song "we're gonna do it again."

MML was originally set to debut in early 2017.

Weird Al did not originally come to mind for Milo. One of the idea voices they had was Noah Z Jones (Fish Hooks). They auditioned hundreds of people for Milo, but many had issues such as sounding too nervous in their lines. It wasn't until Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls) posted a photo with Weird Al that Dwampy realized he'd be perfect for the role.

Sara is based on a friend of Dwampy.

In tune with the popular headcanon/fan theory, it's possible they did actually consider making Cavendish a descendant of Milo. When Cavendish was going to agree he also liked Milo, he was going to say he was his descendant. *this may have also just been a joke line

Milo and Cavendish are meant to mirror eachother in the fact Milo deals with Murphy's Law and Cavendish is the "author of his own misery" in regards to things going wrong.

Another thing they considered was the possibility of Dakota and Cavendish being in a romantic relationship, but they ultimately decided they wanted them to have them represent a strong male friendship.

The Milo Murphys Law crew did keep up a fanart and concept art wall. Here, here, and here are some photos.

There was a baby Cavenpus cut from final productions.

There are no official ages for Dakota and Cavendish. Dan has said he believes Cavendish to be older, while Joshua Pruett has said he believes Dakota to be the older one and by a bit of a margin.

Pistachios came to be a thing in the show because a son of some of Dan's neighbors had been allergic to specifically pistachios. They needed an idea for the larger plot and somehow those two came together. (Swampy also notes it's a funny word).

Several of the scripts for MML storyboarders included just the words, "and Murphy's Law happened."

Dan has made at least one Vinnie Dakota dedicated Tiktok similar to his Doof ones.

The Doof and Dakota lines were recorded together, back and forth.

Melissa was going to have a hamster nemesis named Ham. In the Pitch Bible the name wasn't included, but it's explained it was a pet class hamster that would always escape and end up on her things.

The secret handshake Milo and Zack do in scream-a-tourium was intended to be longer.

The studio executive for MML originally thought The Island of Lost Dakota's was a joke idea until he read the script.

There was a MML kids menu at Disneyland circa 2016.

Dakota and Cavendish were originally not in the shows ideas, nor was any B-plot, but being used to it in PNF the writers room felt they "needed something to cut away to"

Joshua Pruett pitched for the MML x PNF crossover for where when Milo opened his backpack to pull out the thing he needed to save the world it'd be...Phineas and Ferb.

Dakota is the reason parking tickets exist, as he can be a bit careless about leaving time vehicles all over the place. Dakota is proud of this.

Melissa's likeness and name is based on Dan's daughter Meli, as to sorta "balance out" Isabella also being based on his other daughter.

They considered a twist where Bob Block would be an alien wearing a face mask.

"Cavendish Farms" is an episode that never came to be pitched by Pruett where in order to track Cavendish Dakota would try to duplicate Cavendish, though none of them would quite be Cavendish. One of the Cavendishs would have a heart to heart with Dakota, while Doof would ultimately call out Dakota for what he's doing and tell Dakota "you already know what he would do." dwampy rejected this idea because this was a bad idea, to which pruett felt that is exactly why Dakota would have tried it. if renewed, pruett would have tried to convince them more on it.

Chop Away at My Heart was originally called "Jump Jump Jump" and was made for another project by one of Dan's friends. After Dan have asked to transform it into something else for Milo, Joshua Pruett suggested a "Lumberjack themed boyband" in the script.

unfortunate split for character block limit

Dakotas voice was inspired by Elvis Costello. It's also the harder voice for Dan in comparison to Doof.

Mark Hamill originally auditioned to play a teacher on the show, but Dwampy liked his audition so much they decided he'd better fit Mr. Block.

In the MML pitch bible it is stated, "Mikey has a destiny to fulfill, something vital to the future of the planet." The goal of Cavendish and Dakota would be to make sure he stays on the right path.

There IS a full version of We're Going to the Zoo, which was played by Dan in this interview at 3:00:30. Several MML songs have had full versions leaked, implying this is probably the case for some other songs too.

Like several other characters, Sara in the MML pitch bible was different from her show counterpart, being "a hipster like Thora Butch in Ghost World."

The song "A World Without Milo" is based on the song "Happy Together" by "The Turtles"

Almost every character, including creatures or minor one-offs had a name in the script. An example is "Pia," the name of the poodle Diogee falls in love with.

In regards to when Dakota talks about cutting through the Mesozoic in First Impressions and the fact it is illogical, Dan says this is likely just Dakota being Dakota (aka, it was a mistake), and not every such line should be taken serious.

In a deleted "Snow Way Out" line it was confirmed that the raccoon in Going the Extra Milo and Fungus Among Us is recurring raccoon.

Brick and Savannah were going to have a role in the crossover.

Story ideas from the MML pitch bible that never came to include a beach episode, a Friday the 13 episode, and an episode where Cavendish and Dakota try convincing Milo to take a self defense class leading to conflict with a hidden ninja gang.

For unspecified characters (probably multiple different sets) Pruett wrote in hugs that were cut by (mostly) Dan. In response, he says he "put 4 in so at least 1 stays."

S3 would have likely included: A third Block (yes, still voiced by Mark Hamill and a Block "family meeting"), Milo creating the universe, Dakota and Cavendish getting the promotion they wanted but being unsatisfied, Elliot cleverly being connected to the overarching plot, AU exploration (akin to pnf) including an episode where Dr Zone is real, and a conclusion to the Prof Time arc. The overarching plot would have been the "biggest yet."

credits to: danvillecheese for suggestions + encouragement, cheetochild989 for facts the fact about going to the zoo and a world without milo, the 2nd dimension on YouTube, my hamsterward friends, and of course all the talented people who worked on MML :3

[hugmekenobi]

S3: The Bad Batch (10)

Chapter Ten: Identity Crisis

Gif by @dreamswithghosts

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Ever since Eriadu, Clone Force 99 had been a fractured squad. Months have passed but you're finally back with the Batch but Omega is still out there and you won't stop until you find her again.

Chapter Summary: Emerie discovers the truth of what lies in the vault

Masterlist for S1 and S2

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Brief canon-typical violence and food mention, me making up a rough timeline, Hemlock, threats, kids being imprisoned, medical testing, angst and emotional hurt/comfort, me interpreting Emerie's headspace and more subtle laying the groundwork for a certain character return (not through CX-2)

Word Count: 3K

Author's notes: Sticking very close to the episode here but hope it's still enjoyable and episode 11 is underway!

When Emerie had asked to be promoted to Chief Scientist and fill in the gap created by Nala Se’s confinement, it had felt like a good idea, but now as Dr. Hemlock led her to the vault and began filling her in on Project Necromancer, she was now experiencing a growing sense of apprehension about the whole thing.

“In addition to the assets in the sublevel containment chamber, you will be given access to the vault.” Hemlock opened the doors to the corridor that led to the vault. “The specimens within are now your responsibility. They are vital to this project.” The next set of doors whirred open to the circular room. “And thus, must be handled with the utmost care.”

Emerie took in the plain, white walls but as she glanced from the observation level- made up of another circular corridor and large windows that allowed for constant supervision from her fellow scientist- and examined the tables ahead, her apprehension morphed into horrified shock.

“These particular three were selected because of their high M-count.” Hemlock revealed.

“Why children?” Emerie asked, managing to keep the alarm out of her voice. “Are there not adults that could serve this purpose?”

“There are few adults left with such characteristics. Which is why it is vital we get the woman of Clone Force 99 here.”

Emerie turned her head to him in surprise. “Omega never said that she was-”

“No, she wouldn’t, given the new regime and Omega’s... concern… for others, but a fully realised Jedi would be of great use to us.”

Hemlock led the way around to one of the cells and carried on with briefing. “Children are easier to attain and more agreeable to the subjugations. They’re unaware of why they’re here and what they possess.”

Emerie watched as the droid took a blood sample from one of the children. She swallowed tightly before asking, “If children are easier for this purpose, why do you want her here?”

Hemlock regarded her curiously. “Dr. Karr, I am surprised at you. Surely, you’d know having a such a person in our samples would only better us as scientists. Besides, I have… other uses in mind for that individual.”

Emerie felt a shiver run down her back. She’d seen what happened to the clones who did not follow Hemlock’s orders, “What other-”

“It is no matter right now. With regards to your other concern, I have it on good authority that with Omega here, her cooperation would be ensured, and our project could finally see some positive results.” Hemlock took a breath and continued with his explanation of the project. “As you know, M-count cannot be directly replicated from the source. However, Nala Se knew of another way. Which is why she aided in Omega’s escape. The young clone’s blood is the only binder that proven to be compatible with their DNA to re-create their M-count levels. And that is another reason as to why Omega must be found.”

Emerie could only offer a shallow nod; she didn’t trust herself to speak.

“Testing should proceed as planned. We must be prepared for every possibility once they are recovered.”

“Sir.”

Hemlock walked over to Scorch.

“Hello.”

Emerie glanced down at the high-pitched voice to see one of the children addressing her. “Hello.”

“I like your glasses.”

“Uh, thank you.” Emerie replied, taken aback by the conversation. “What is your name?”

“Dr. Karr?” Hemlock turned as he saw Emerie talking to one of the specimens. “Limit your personal interactions with the specimens. They are scientific assets, nothing more.”

Yes, that was what she was here for. This was what she had wanted. She couldn’t allow herself to get attached or concerned, that was Omega rubbing off on her and she needed to let it go. “Of course, Doctor.”

--

Emerie walked into the room, datapad in front of her face as she let the droid in their take the sample from the next specimen.

“Hello again.”

“Hello, SP-54.” Emerie said professionally. She kept her sights firmly of the information on her screen.

“My name’s Eva. What’s yours?”

She felt some of her resolve slip. “You may refer to me as Dr. Karr.” Emerie replied, a tad shakily.

“What happened to Mistress Nala Se? She hasn’t been back?”

“She is no longer overseeing this project.”

“Why not?”

“That is not your concern.”

“Oh, but she said she’d find out for me.” Eva said dejectedly.

“Find out what?” Emerie asked, properly looking at the young girl now.

“When I’ll be going home. Can you find out for me?”

The sheer innocence and trust behind the question caught her off guard and Emerie felt emotion clog at the back of her throat, “I will look into it.” She managed to say.

“Thank you, Dr. Karr.”

Emerie nodded before she moved onto the next room. “Hello, SP-32.” She brought up the young boy’s information as the droid whirred over to take a blood sample. What she didn’t count on however, was the boy grabbing the datapad out of her grasp and making a break for the door.

An alarm blared around the room and the lights of the room changed to red to signal the breach.

“Sp-32.” Emerie calmly approached the boy as he realised the datapad wasn’t going to work for him.

“Stay away from me!”

“It’s alright.”

The boy bashed against the glass and paid her words no attention, “No! Let me out of here.”

“You’re safe, SP-32.”

“That’s not my name.” He turned around, fear in his eyes. “They said I could go home. I just wanna go home.” He said desperately.

Emerie felt something tug at her heart, but she couldn’t quite place it, it had been a feeling that had been creeping in ever since she’d gotten to know Omega.

He returned to banging against the door but stopped as he saw a trooper walk in.

“Set to stun.” Scorch ordered his troops as they circled to boy. “What’s the situation?” He asked the chief scientist.

“Blasters are not necessary. I have everything under control.” Emerie said definitively but she couldn’t stop the boy in time as he made a dash for the door behind Scorch. “Don’t!” She shouted at the trooper, but it was too late, the boy fell unconscious to the ground.

“Secure him in his room.” Scorch ordered to the two other troopers who carried him away.

“Your actions were extreme, Commander. He’s only a child.” Emerie reprimanded the clone.

“The specimen attempted to escape. I was following protocol.” With that, Scorch left the vault.

Just following protocol? Somehow that didn’t offer Emerie the comfort it might have done before.

--

Emerie watched the droids attend to the unconscious boy and take his sample before she felt a tug at her sleeve.

“Dr. Karr?”

Emerie looked down at the familiar voice. “Yes?”

“Is Jax going to be okay?”

“Jax?”

Eva pointed to the boy.

“He’ll be fine.” Emerie reassured her.

“He’s not going to be in trouble, is he?” Eva asked fretfully.

“No, he’s not in trouble. You can see him tomorrow.” Emerie only hoped what she was saying would be true.

--

The warm afternoon Pabu sun provided some much-needed comfort for the conversation that was about to take place. 

“I’ve thought about it a lot…” Hunter began to say as you all sat at Shep’s table.

You rested a hand on his knee and gave him an encouraging but sad smile.

“And I think the best course of action is to leave Pabu.” Hunter said to you all.

Crosshair removed his toothpick in mild surprise, but he had a feeling something like this would happen.

“What?! No!” Wrecker and Omega both said together.

“We have to.” You said with resigned acceptance.

“Why?” Omega asked, her upset obvious.

“Yeah, we can handle this! We’ve kept you and Omega safe this long.” Wrecker disputed.

“It’s not just us now.” Hunter pointed out gently. “We have to think about the people of Pabu too.”

“If there is a chance to Empire can find us as easily as Ventress could, that puts everyone else here in danger.” You explained. “Shep, Lyana, the regs, and everyone else who came here for a fresh start and to get away from whatever hell the Empire caused them, they’d all be at risk if we stayed here.”

“We’d shelter you all you regardless.” Shep chimed in as he brought out a plate of sushi.

You shot him a grateful smile. “I don’t want to risk their safety like that. And I know you don’t either.” You said to Omega.

“No, of course not.” Omega replied as she understood the bigger picture at play now.

“Believe me, I want to stay but it’s just not viable right now- this is the best way forward. We’ll come back when we figure out why Hemlock is after you and how we can beat him.” Hunter reassured her and the rest of his brothers.

“When do we leave?” Omega asked quietly.

“We’ll start packing up tomorrow.” Hunter said with a heavy sigh.

--

Emerie walked back to the vault, ruminating in her own conflicting thoughts. Her conversation with Nala Se had brought her little comfort. She understood the Kaminoan’s urge to protect Omega but what about the other children? She didn’t know how she was in a position to stop this, no matter what the Nala Se seemed to think.

“Dr. Karr, a word?”

Emerie paused as she heard Dr. Hemlock’s smooth and quiet voice.

“A new specimen will be arriving today. Commander Scorch is departing shortly to retrieve it.”

“Another?” Emerie asked.

“I heard about the earlier incident, so I understand your hesitation.” Hemlock appreciated before he inhaled deeply, “However, this latest acquisition will not be a danger to you.”

It wasn’t the danger to herself that she was worried about. “I would like to accompany the commander.”

Hemlock waved the suggestion away, “That is not necessary.”

“You’ve stated how important these specimens are, Doctor. I would like to ensure they are properly maintained at every stage.” Emerie insisted.

“Sir, Governor Tarkin requests you contact him at once.”

Hemlock turned to the stormtrooper and had to supress his irritation at the interruption before he turned back to Emerie. “Do as you wish, Dr. Karr.”

--

Hemlock put the transmission through as he sat behind his desk, “Governor Tarkin, to what do I owe…” He debated saying ‘pleasure’, but the word would be a lie. “This, uh, summons?”

Tarkin got straight to the point. He didn’t want to have to interact with Hemlock any more than necessary. “Questions have been raised regarding the financial impact your facility is having upon Imperial resources. And now additional funds have been diverted at your request?”

“That is correct. It is for a project that is of personal interest to the Emperor.” Hemlock replied briskly.

“Which is what?”

“Oh, I’m afraid that’s classified.” Hemlock barely managed to conceal the victorious smirk at the glimpse of impatience on the hologram.

“Perhaps there is some assistance I may provide, seeing this is of such importance?” Tarkin offered diplomatically but with an air of contempt.

“Mmm, the funding is all I require. It is worth the expenditure.” Hemlock assured him.

“You had better hope so. If this project fails to yield proper results, it won’t bode well for your operation. Or for you, Doctor.” Tarkin signed off with the warning.

Hemlock gritted his teeth at the threat. Tarkin’s small mind wouldn’t be able to comprehend what he was doing here, none of the bureaucratic Imperial elite could. But his call made it all the more important that his plans came to fruition, so he put a different transmission through. “I require an update.”

“The information you obtained proved accurate. I tracked the Trandoshan and pulled some intel out of her. She gave up the name of a pirate that’s been in contact with the targets.” CX-2 revealed. “I’m searching for her now.”

“The other operatives aren’t ready to join you in the field.”

“I can handle it on my own.”

Hemlock sighed in aggravation, “Can you really? Cause you’ve already failed once. No more mistakes. Do not return without the Jedi and Omega.”

--

“You’re not the usual Imperial they send.” Cad Bane commented as he walked down to stand in front of the woman who arrived at the station.

“I’m here to inspect the specimen. Who I am is none of your concern.” Emerie replied frostily.

“Todo, bring out the kid.”

Emerie watched as the droid brought out a hover-pram from the ship but what was inside filled her with distress.

“Problem?” Bane challenged as he caught her reaction.

“This specimen is younger than I expected.” Emerie looked back to Scorch.

“Then he’ll be less trouble.” Scorch responded coldly.

“I need to test him. For confirmation.” She brought out her kit and found herself hoping that this baby’s M-count would not be high enough. “How many others like this have you captured?” She asked the bounty hunter as she took the blood.

“Let’s just say I’m good at my job.” Bane replied casually.

Emerie saw that the child did indeed have the necessary count. “And where did this child come from?”

Bane narrowed is eyes at her. “Asking questions like that, you give more away than you think.”

“It’s all here Mr. Bane.” Todo said as he took the payment.

“Until next time.” Bane dipped his wide brim hat in farewell before he boarded his ship.

--

“How is he acclimating?” Emerie asked the droid as the baby was set up in another empty room.

“The specimen is in good health.” The droid replied as it stored the latest sample.

Emerie left along with the droid but as she walked through the room, she noticed an empty room. “Where is SP-32?”

“It is standard operating procedure for a subject to be isolated for two rotations as punishment following an escape attempt.” The droid informed her.

Emerie took a moment to process that before she entered Ev, no, SP-54’s room but the upset look on the girl’s face did not escape her. “Is everything alright, SP-54?” She asked as the droid left but she didn’t get a reply immediately, so she tried again. But she knew this would be a turning point she couldn’t go back on. “Eva?” She inquired, keeping her voice kind.

“You lied.” Eva answered gloomily. “You said Jax wouldn’t be in trouble. He just wanted to go home.” She hugged her knees to her chest. “We all wanna go home.”

Emerie didn’t know what words she could offer because the only thing that would truly bring Eva comfort, she couldn’t give her. Instead, she walked out the room and powered down the system for the night.  

--

Emerie processed the latest samples in the lab and scrolled through her datapad where she came across Omega’s file, and it gave her an idea of a small something she could do for Eva. She opened the storage container and took out the hay doll.

--

Emerie watched from the windows above as Eva happily received the toy. She had thought signing on for this job would give her something greater to strive for but now she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t know what mission she was serving anymore.

--

“We missed you at dinner.” You called out as you saw the clone sitting on the sand, the moon casting a beautiful white light on his features, highlighting the look of deep contemplation as Batcher sat loyally by his side.

You greeted the dog as she bounded over to you with a couple affectionate pats before she ran off and began sniffing the area around the cove. You walked over to Hunter and handed him a box of leftovers. “Here, I saved you some.”

“Thank you.” Hunter said with a grateful squeeze of your hand as he took it from you.

“So, what’s going on in that head of yours?” You asked kindly as you sat down next to him. You tucked your knees up and fondly bumped your shoulder against him as you awaited a reply, but he didn’t answer you immediately. The only sound filling the silence was the quite lapping of the waves on the shore. “Hunter?” You asked, more concern seeping into your voice as you sensed his turmoil and saw the conflict behind his brown eyes.

Hunter rubbed a hand across his face, “This place was finally starting to feel like home- for all of us. Giving the order to leave just feels like I’m letting you all down.”

“You’re not.” You assured him, rubbing soothing circles on his back. “There are too many unanswered questions and variables to warrant staying right now. None of us want to see Pabu get caught up in our mess.”

Hunter breathed heavily, “I know but we were building something here. I hate that we have to leave it so soon.”

“So do I.” You bit your lip as you contemplated what you were about to say next, “Although, there is another option…” You suggested tentatively into the quiet night.

Hunter subconsciously drew you closer to him and he already knew where you were going with that, “No.”

“But you all could sta-”

“No. And not just because I don’t want you enduring that hell at the Empire’s hands again, but also if you did that, Omega would feel she had to as well.”

That had you contemplating things a lot more.

“We- I- barely got through losing you both once. I don’t want to ever relive that again.” Hunter admitted quietly. Yet, deep down, part of him knew it was still a very real possibility and that’s what scared him the most.

You knew he wasn’t naïve enough to completely rule it out, but you didn’t see the sense in pushing the matter when by all accounts, it didn’t need to be discussed any further- it wasn’t a pleasant thought for you either. Plus, there was already a perfectly viable plan in place. “Well, regardless of what else the galaxy will throw at us, we still have tonight.” You said as you leaned your head on his shoulder.

“We have tonight.” Hunter echoed as he rested his head on top of yours.

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @dominoeffectsworld, @andreaaxy, @notgonnaedit, @allthingsimagines , @superbookishhufflepuff @jellybeanstacey0519 @nightmonkeysstuff

[skyler10fic]

In the Tyler Family panel, Billie recalls the 2000s fashion as a strange time in fashion history but loved Idiot's Lantern, and they agree Jackie would have shared Rose's clothes to be the Cool Mom. 🤣

Shawn says he was surprised to be asked back at first since his character died, but it made sense for him to come back in a multiverse story.

He says it was easy to come back and Camille adds it's the quality of writing makes it easy because you know who you (the character) are at that point because you can trust the writers are guiding it.

Billie says she struggles with how much she didn't understand how it was going to take over her life before s1 airs. Before social media, even though everyone hated it and the idea of her doing it, but it wasn't the constant stream of trolls the new actors have to hear about now with social media. She says with RTD, Julie, and Phil, there was so much confidence and joy, it was easy to believe it would be good.

Camille says her neighbors and friends were surprisingly fans. She didn't realize how many people she knew who loved it and knew about it.

They talk about how cold it was filming the Cybermen. Billie says her jaw locked because it was so cold!! The trick to getting through them was "youth" and she doesn't do night shoots anymore if possible because of that experience.

Camille talks about how Jackie "grew a pair" lol

Billie: "She's a boss!

Camille: "It's Russell, really."

Billie: "No, it's you!"

Love that Jackie's speech and situation in Love and Monsters got a shout-out. Especially going off on Elton for taking advantage of her: "Many people can relate to that moment, I think."

Talking about Pete not being the perfect husband:

Billie: "Why did they break up again?"

Shawn: "Because I died!"

Billie: "I forgot!!!" 🤣

They banter so well! Total family vibes between them all.

Fun moment where Shawn thought Billie was saying "old Pete" when she was saying "alt Pete!" Lol

Rose having the "rose-colored glasses" taken off: Billie says many can relate to realizing their parents are flawed people, and things are more complicated than you thought.

Camille says the Tylers spoke a language people understood, making something fantasy into a relatable story that was relevant to the audience.

Mod jokes that Rose "parent trapped them" across multiple universes!

Billie talks about how she enjoyed the overall romance and human element of their series, as opposed to the more sci fi feel in other later seasons.

Camille says Chris's intensity helped launch the reboot, but David's "Labrador" energy was different and special too to keep it going.

Billie says there was a totally different energy after they knew it was a success, allowing for more playfulness with David's Doctor and in general on set.

Billie says she always thought there was something complex about the romance with the Doctor, it's weird for a 19 year old to just take off in a box, and maybe wasn't written with Chris but it was there in spirit, and then was written in more explicitly in their relationship with David. Hard to keep that intensity of awe and adoration platonic! Camille adds the chemistry between them was a big element as well.

Billie says it was always a thrill to get the script, eager to read the script as soon as she got it to see what new world they were building with each episode. She says she didn't want to go to set when shooting Tooth and Claw because she was riveted reading the Doomsday script! Haha

Billie says the costume tricks can help body language shifts when changing character, like with Rose possessed by Cassandra, the push-up bra helped develop a unique physicality for the previously (literally) flat character!

Camille says they got in trouble for talking a lot because they got on so well!

Billie says she loves the new episodes, especially the dance numbers and theatrics now, and that's exactly where the show should go. "It's super fun again." Sitting down and watching a family show with the kids, an event for everyone to watch together.

Camille said it was good but it would be better if the Tylers were there! 😁

They love Ncuti as well. Excellent casting.

Billie praises RTD's heart and rooting for all walks of life. Everyone can feel represented. Camille says he is so good at pulling heartstrings and "that's what we want as Doctor Who fans." They also love his joy but also his power if they are being unkind. He defended the actors from stupid questions from the press and "told it like it was" when he needed to be the man in charge.

[misstrashchan]

We talk about "show don't tell" in stories, but in podcasts it's impressive when they can do that through the audio format specifically, and one example of this that always sticks with me is in the Silt Verses S1 EP7, It Carries Few It Drowns Many. We're introduced to Paige Duplass describing her daily routine in a life that is seemingly perfect, that she's incredibly lucky and priveliged to have ended up where she is, considering she never thought she would make it this far, and how harsh and hostile the world of the Silt Verses we've seen can be up to this point, for Paige everything seems normal and accepted, with their safe and sanitized gods that are kept as much removed from people's sight as possible.

She has a successful job that pays well, a nice apartment with a beautiful view, etc. This is all undercut with her following up with "this is how you make things worse" referring to her dad messaging and calling her every day asking for money, seemingly the one black spot in this perfect life Paige has built for herself.

One part of her day we do not ever hear her describe however is her drinking heavily after coming home from work each day. But she does. She's opening a bottle every day after work, we hear the popping of the cork and her pouring a glass for herself. It's something conveyed to us only through the audio. This in tandem with her contemplating that despite this life she's built up for herself, the kind of life that one should be content and happy with, it still feels hollow and devoid of purpose, and she's left wondering if this is what happiness and fulfillment is supposed to be.

It gets worse over the course of the next few days when she learns people are going to be let go and sacrificed as the company she works for rebrands and switches from the Bronze Savant to a new god, Crawling in Ecstasy, which includes her friend Vaghn, and she becomes more and more distressed with each passing day, and trying to reason that none of this can really be happening, that it's too crude, that they'd surely do something more elegant, that the company that she works for that's giving her the means for this comfortable life and nice car and free pastries and wellbeing workshops wouldn't do something like this, and if they do it'd only be to the people who really deserved it, the worst of the worst, and they'd do it out of sight, and if it's out of sight they can ignore it, because it's not really happening. (Paige is also drinking before any of this occurs to when she comes home from work each day though)

It's clear that the drinking is part of Paige trying to numb and distance herself from the realities of what this life and the world she lives in is built upon, because it's accepted and considered "normal", and is also a filling of the void and guilt she feels of having all this comfort in spite of this.

And after watching her friend Vaghn be sacrificed and transfigured into a Saint for the Crawling In Ecstasy and immediately killed, she comes home to her apartment, and we hear her popping open another bottle. A pause. And then the smashing of a bottle, the breaking point to which Paige can no longer numb herself to the cruelties and indifferences of this world and her life, that she can't continue on as she is now, as the world is now, and it's so fucking satisfying.

Again, very small part of storytelling in the series for one character in one episode, but I love it nonetheless.

[flutterbyoz]

This is going to be a pretty long post but I found that once I started I couldn't stop! Hopefully it all makes some kind of sense

I miss Richonne everyday, they still fill so much of my headspace and though it's been a few months since The Ones Who Live episode 6, I think I miss them now more than ever.

Though I would love a TOWL season 2, more Richonne is always a good thing, there are a 2 things that I think are important if/when we see them again and a couple of things I'd like to see happen.

1. Andy, Danai and Scott come back because they want to and because they feel they have the perfect story to tell.

We know they will only come back for a story that feels right and necessary to tell and I love that! I love the fact that not only do they care about giving us amazing stories but they also care about the characters having a story that needs to be told rather than just coming back just for the sake of it.

I also love how it's a team thing with the three of them. Andy and Scott waited for Danai to be free to do S1 and Andy has made it pretty clear he'll do it if Danai does and if the story comes from her and/or Scott. The friendship, trust, respect, care and love that exists between the three of them is something I adore ❤️ I've said it before but the friendship between Andy and Danai especially is one of my favourite things, it's easy to see that it's genuine and not just put on for promo or anything else. There is a real connection between them and they trust each other completely and Andy knows she can write a story worthy of being told.

2. Andy, Danai and Scott need to have full creative control.

AMC knows by now that this trio can deliver. They know they can create an amazing story, they can bring in the viewers, generate the hype, the engagement and earn glowing reviews, they can bring in new viewers and bring back those who left. They know this creative team can produce high quality TV, revive a franchise and deliver an episode and performances worthy of Emmy buzz. I don't doubt that if/when Andy, Danai and Scott wish to tell more stories, AMC will greenlight it without a second thought.

As well as greenlighting a second season or even another 6 episode series, AMC need to give full creative control to the trio. They've more than proven they know what they're doing so just let them do what they do best. Set them free to produce another incredible show because you know, when Andy, Danai and Scott get together they create magic. They know what they're doing, they what works for the characters and for the fans.

I've seen some discussion lately about whether what fans want should be high priority when it comes to writing a show. Now, while I understand and believe that the wants of the fans are important, after all you do need to create a show that fans are going to want to watch, engage with and keep watching, you also need to keep the story true to the characters and their journeys. Sometimes what the fans want doesn't align with what we know about the characters and/or their relationship and it's not really right to forgo a characters story/journey just because some fans don't like it.

Luckily for us, what Andy, Danai and Scott want for Richonne is also what so many of us want too, it also makes sense and is true to the characters. They know these characters and their relationship like no one else and they love them just like we do and when they write and create a show they aren't just writing for the fans, they are doing what's right for Rick and Michonne too.

Again, I have no doubt that AMC will jump at the chance to have them back again and I'm also very hopeful that, just as with S1, they will give them full control over everything. They need it as they've shown that what they do works.

3. Michael Slovis back as director

Not only did Danai write the perfect episode with 'What We' but Michael Slovis also did an incredible job directing it. He just seemed to understand these characters and Andy and Danai so well, he got them on a level that other writers/directors didn't appear to on the flagship show. I also read somewhere that it was his idea to put in the kiss in the car at the end, showing how, now they were together and on the same page again, they simply couldn't keep their hands off each other and I love that!

If we do get more Richonne, I'd love for him to come back and direct and if he and Danai could work together again on an episode she wrote then that would be awesome! They make a great team, along with Andy of course, and they delivered one of the best episodes this franchise has ever seen.

Now, as for what I'd like to see in a possible season 2 or another mini series there is quite a lot but the two that I'd most like are:

1. Domestic Richonne and Grimes family time

After everything they've all been through, this beautiful family deserve to enjoy some 'normal' family time. I'd love to see Richonne and their kids at home, cooking dinner, playing games, enjoying family fun days, I'd love to see Rick and RJ bonding, Rick and Judith bonding, Michonne and the kids reconnecting and Rick and Michonne enjoying married life.

I know many people would love to see them have another baby and I totally get why and it wouldn't surprise me after TOWL to be honest but I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand, it would be lovely to have another little Grimes to add to the family, maybe a little girl who is her mothers twin but her personality is all her dad. Rick missed out on so much with RJ and seeing him get to dote on a pregnant Michonne and witness the birth of his child would be amazing.

However, on the other hand I think just letting them stay as a family of 4 may be the best thing. Adding a pregnancy into the mix could stir up some old wounds for Michonne and there are risks involved, it's also one more thing to worry about and Rick's already overprotectiveness would go into overdrive. So while another baby Grimes would be lovely I'm very happy with how they are now but if they could find a way to include a pregnancy/baby into the story then I certainly wouldn't be against it.

I just want more of the Grimes being a family, being happy and feeling loved. We always have to keep in mind that this is The Walking Dead and it's not going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. With Andy saying something along the lines of he'd like to take it back to the horror roots, we know there will be some level of peril and threat but with Andy and Danai in charge, I know we can trust them to do right by these characters.

2. Michonne's trauma

This is something I've seen brought up a few times recently and it's something I've been thinking about for a while too. It's quite a difficult thing and doesn't really fit into the happy family time I've mentioned but I think it's important to address.

For obvious reasons, TOWL S1 was mostly about Rick's trauma and PTSD, I have no issues with that, I liked the way it was addressed, how Michonne helped him through it and brought him home. However, I think some people seem to forget that Michonne is carrying a lot of trauma herself and apart from a brief mention in TOWL, it has largely been overlooked.

Michonne had a lot to deal with on the flagship show, not only did she lose the love of her life but she also had a daughter to raise alone, a baby on the way, Judith was kidnapped and she herself was attacked and branded while pregnant. Due to not feeling safe she cut herself off and lost trust in a lot of people and friendships seemed to drop off. She also went through hell trying to get to Rick and it all left her with some heavy trauma that really needs to be addressed.

In a possible future story I'd like to see this trauma get brought to the forefront, Ricks PTSD will still be a factor and seeing him try to adjust back to a 'normal' life may see it rear its head again. We all know Michonne is Rick's rock, she'll be with him every step of the way and will be his shelter from the storm but I would also like to see Rick do the same for her.

Everyone knows how much Rick adores his wife, there is no question that he loves her more than life itself but I still don't know whether he knows the full extent of what she went through while he was gone. It may be a conscious decision on Michonne's part to keep some things back from him, at least until they got home but I think he needs to know. Michonne needs his support, she needs to be able to get out everything she's been bottling up so he can be her rock just like she is his.

Not only do they need time to reconnect with their kids but they also need time to reconnect as a couple and though I know Rick regrets what he did and said to Michonne in TOWL, it still hurt her deeply. There was a lot of effort on Rick's part to make up for that and I know Michonne doesn't hold it against him but they need time to heal together and I'd really like to see that explored in any future story.

If you've managed to reach the end then thank you! I know this was a very long post and I didn't intend for it to be so but here we are.

If we do get more Grimes adventures, I think there will be some sort of time jump and depending on what that looks like we could be looking at slightly different versions of what I mentioned above. I do think we'll get some family time, romantic Richonne moments and obviously some danger thrown in, but I do wonder if Michonne's trauma will be brought up at all. With Danai almost certainly having a big part in writing any future story, I like to think she would address it and she would definitely do it justice.

With the DVD saying season 1, Andy saying there is an infinite chance it could happen again if Danai and Scott are writing it, and the fact Danai is very secretive when asked about the future of Richonne I do think something will happen at some point. What that will be and when I have no idea but to me, Andy and Danai strike me as the kind of people to be honest and straightforward with the fans and would say outright if there was no more.

Whatever happens, we've been truly blessed by Richonne and Andy & Danai. I've never seen two actors more committed to their characters, more in tune with and supportive of their relationship and their fans and have such a supportive, caring, respectful and loving friendship off screen. The Walking Dead really struck gold with these two and would be lucky to have them back again.

[actually-a-fish]

the best supernatural episodes

according to an autistic person with a special interest and the ability to make a list.

if youre really serious about supernatural spoilers then maybe stay away :)

None of the season one episodes made in on the list but I will give an honorable mention to S1 E2 Wendigo.

S2 E11 Playthings - A classic, creepy girls in a creepy hotel. Special call out to Sam getting SLOPPY

S2 E16 Roadkill - There's a ghost haunting the highway. the Boys help the spirit move on. This is an early example of monster empathy

S2 E18 Hollywood Babylon - Dean loves hollywood. I love dean. this episode makes me kick my feet like a little girl and i will not defend myself.

S2 EP 20 What Was Shall Never Be - all I have in my notes for this one is "Dean Djinn Dream" which was enough for me to remember the episode and get misty eyes. This is SEASON 2 my son will never know peace.

S3 E5 Bedtime Stories -I had to check the wiki on this one, I think i liked it cause it referenced classic fairytales

S3 Ep11 Mystery Spot - "HEAT OF THE MOMENT" RISE AND SHINE SAMMY!

S3 E13 Ghostfacers! - Im a Facer through and through

S3 E16 No Rest for the Wicked - S3 finale and the Boys are facing consequences! Classic Dean, Sam and Bobby episode.

S4 E1 Lazerus Rising - First Cas Episode. That handprint makes me feel things.

S4 E6 Yellow Fever - What if Dean had anxiety (The Eye of the Tiger blooper is also at the end of the episode which gives it bonus points.

S4 E17 Wishful Thinking - Make a wish? was it for your teddy bear to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder? Well thats what youre getting!

S4 E17 It's a Terrible Life - Sam ~ the sales rep. Dean ~ middle management.

S4 E18 The Monster at the End of the Book - There are books about Sam and Dean?! Written by this guy who loves self insert character? Surely the entire show isn't about to take a tone shift?

S5 E3 Free to be You and Me - Sam and Dean are fighting again, but this time Dean has a new heavenly boy toy to play with instead. (Cas has no rizz yet it's actually a little painful to watch)

S5 E5 Fallen Idol - Okay the Wax People episode is on here for one reason and one reason only. Paris Hilton.

S5 E7 The Curious Case of Dean Winchester - Old man Dean and old man Bobby. This is also the episode for HH Husk kinnies.

S5 E8 Changing Channels - Dr Sexy MD is that you?!

S5 E9 The Real Ghostbuster - *in a grizzly voice* "I'm Dean Winchester, this is my brother Sam. Have you experienced anything strange?" "Dude that was so good! Now we can go solve the puzzle" "Man you're breaking the immersion!"

S5 E10 Abandon All Hope - This is here for Crowley's first appearance and not because the end will make you cry.

S5 E12 Swap Meat - "uh... its Audi Nos". Freaky Friday starring Sam Winchester! An angsty teen and April Kepner from Grey/Sloan Memorial Hospital.

S5 E16 Dark Side of the Moon - The Boys lives flash before their eyes. Dean is pissed forever about Sams.

S5 E19 Hammer of the Gods - this is for all my pagans out there!

S6 E4 A Weekend at Bobby's - What do you think this episodes about idjit.

S6 E15 The French Mistake -  “For whatever reason, our life is a TV show.” “Why?” “I don't know.” “No, seriously. Why? Why would anybody want to watch our lives?” 

S7 E4 Defending your Life - consequences? for fucking people over? how about you stand trial.

S7 E20 The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo - The self insert character made for us :) Luv u 4ever Charlie XD

S8 E4 Bitten - found footage will always scare. this one reminds me that this show started as a psuedo horror.

S8 E8 hunteri heroci - Cas tries his hand at being a hunter

S8 E12 As Time Goes By - FINALLY THEY ARE CARVING TRAPS INTO BULLETS

S8 E17 Goodbye Stranger - verbatim here are my notes for this episode "Cas chooses Dean, but the way he handles Meg... Fuck Naomi"

S8 E18 Clip Show - If you only want to watch just one episode of Supernatural this should be it. It's not actually a clip show, theres a broment, bonding time with favorite characters and crazy plots that only supernatural could get away with.

S9 E5 Dog Dean Afternoon - Dean is finally a dog person

S9 E11 First Born - Another bro fight leads to shipping <3 SamxCas + DeanxCrowley <3

S9 E15 #thinman - the slender episode feat. GHOSTFACERS. You come away from this episode thinking "supernatural is so fucking gay why wont the boys kiss"

S9 E21 King of the Damned - my favorite crowley era change my mind. Also the way the Boys interrogate an angel is so funny

S10 E5 Fan Fiction - I would unironically fuck w a supernatural musical and if helluva/hazbin taught me anything the rest of you would too

S10 E6 Ask Jeeves - The Clue episode. (Pay attention to the improvised weapons Dean chooses. It brings me joy)

S10 E9 The Things we Left Behind - Cas is suffering a midlife crisis and his besties are there to help him repair his relationship with his daughter. Funnily enough, Crowley is also getting some family bonding in.

Okay, I'm all caught up on my list. Should I have stayed up late transcribing this with an 8am class tommarow?

Probably not but it did bring me great joy. Tell me your favorite episode! I'll continue to add to my list as I continue my rewatch :)

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Hey new to the aphmau fandom, like days old, and i was wondering what order to watch her rps as its kinda confusing to me

This is going to be such a long post because there’s so much to say! (There is a TLDR at the end if you don’t care about specifics and just want a watch order)

The inclusion of side-series and stuff just convolutes things a tad. But I promise, you will get an answer.

First;

I suggest a side series to start. Which isn’t to say that they’re all short, they’re just not relevant to the Big Two.

But, yeah, just dip your toe in the pool first.

Dreams of Estorra- never watched it. But it’s popular. It should be on the Aphmau Stories channel instead of her main one, if you can’t find it there. If someone can offer me a summary for it I would love you.

A Royal Tale- a weird mishmash of Disney and the Aphverse. A lighthearted fantasy show with some adult humour, Lo (< an icon), and romance. It will introduce you to some of the characters from the other series without overwhelming you with references you won’t understand. Aarmau, but they’re exes who hate eachother. It’s only a roleplay

Mermaids Tale- similar thing to ART, a mermaid au for Aphverse. Very Aarmau centric, there’s lesbian mermaids. I cant actually remember the plot but it got me into my train (the singer) phase. It’s only a roleplay

Mod Mod world- never watched it, but it did get a sequel that I’ll bring up later. Again, would love a summary from someone.

My Inner Demons- it’s one of the only non-aphmau centric shows and doesn’t include ANY aphverse characters. The main character is Ava, and it’s set up like a Harem Anime with a bunch of male demon love interests for her. It has quite adult humour, but it’s pretty cute aesthetically and deserves a second season. It’s only a roleplay

HeartPoint- a girl sees how much people like her platonically and romantically by little stats that appear above their heads. I believe Aphmau is the only Aphverse character, and whilst the romance is pretty obvious to me, I’ll leave who she ends up with blank as that’s kind of a part of the series… iirc. It’s only a roleplay.

There may be more… I’ll have to look.

Anyways.

So.

Onto the behemoths.

Minecraft Diaries is the first of the Roleplays to really get her popularity. It’s a medieval fantasy, with both roleplay and let’s play elements in it. It ran for three seasons, seasons one and two being 100 episodes each, however season 3 ended short. It was never completed. Season three is regarded as the worst season, and most either don’t consider it canon or haven’t watched it at all, but I consider it canon solely because it introduces us Lo, who I love. The two main ships when it was popular were Laurmau and Garmau, and if it weren’t for MyS, they probably still would be treated as such.

If you want to watch the main series in chronological order, I would watch MCD first. It is my favourite tho so maybe I’m biased. The lore can be contradictory and the quality slowly improves over time. It started to get remade with Rebirth, which you can watch before hand to get a general gist of the show before you dive into it, though it isn’t incredibly accurate to how the original is. Seasons 1-2 are on Aphmau’s main channel (I think), but season 3 is on Aphmau Stories. You don’t need to watch MyStreet but, you will probably end up watching it anyways.

Brief intermission: Void Paradox. The Mod Mod world sequel, is also a side series for MCD s1, and was made years afterwards. Very high quality, probably one of the better side series in general, and deserved a continuation. MMW isn’t required to watch it, but for context on Laurence and what’s up with him, MCD s1 is.

The next is MyStreet. It started as a modern Au for Diaries with the side stories and The Big Move, however began to be made into its own series. It begins as a slice of life, and is very light hearted with an Aarmau emphasis. It faces a genre swap for Season 4, before reverting to a slightly more solemn version of what it once was, before it goes back to a darker vibe for s6. Until s6, it existed in a separate universe to MCD, and you don’t need to watch MCD to understand it (though it does provide some context for s6)

There are prequels and side series (and a three episode sequel, which is fun). PDH is the main one, and because MyS was made first, they can contradict, however you will need to watch PDH S2 for context for MyS S4. Otherwise you won’t know the villain or understand what the fuck he’s doing. After them, there is PDH: Graduation days, and FalconClaw University. Neither are particularly important, but again, FCU offers some context for s4, so… you could watch it. It’s just not mandatory. There’s Aphmau’s year after s4, which is just a recovery mini-season, and there’s Her Wish which was released before s6, but set after it. And I will give them credit, they did preplan when they wrote her wish and watching it after s6 and realising everything they did to retain continuity… oh it’s good. Her wish does require watching MCD S3/late s2 though, it won’t make sense without it.

TLDR;

If a series isn’t Void Paradox, Mystreet, MCD, Phoenix Drop High or FalconClaw Uni, you can just watch it whenever.

MCD / PDH / MYS is my personal favourite watch order, because it’s all chronological. But just go with whatever you vibe with!

MCD is the OG and fantasy Medieval, but is a mix of roleplay and let’s play, and doesn’t have entirely consistent lore. It has a partial remake and it’s final, incomplete season, sucked.

PDH is higher quality and a highschool drama with fantasy undertones but less relevant, and is a prequel for MyS

MYS is the most popular and is a slice of life with more fantasy undertones, as well as very high quality, but suffers through genre swaps, and requires some context from the other two in later seasons.

[bluesyjean]

TUA s3ep9 thoughts: just one more before I the new season and I have to avoid Internet spoilers for s4 as hard as I can. (Commentary will come eventually, but I don't want to rush through the last season.) And since I haven't mentioned it... spoilers for s3 follow. Ahem.

The end of s3 is so so good, I love so many scenes. I know people are crazy about the Wedding at the End of the World, but the episode following it has many of my favorite scenes of the season. It's excellent despite how insane the entire debate they're having in it is.

The opening with a glimpse of Luther on the moon puts what happened to him in such vivid context. By far one of the best Luther montages. If you don't feel for him idk what to do with you.

Interesting how Viktor has adopted using Harlan's tapes of random noises to stay calm after his death. I wonder if it has something to do with the extra marigold that he took back from him, or the training they did, that's making his powers louder? You wonder if that's going to come back around when they get their powers back in s4.

Of course the scene of Five and Reggie talking on a ledge while the universe collapses around them is fantastic. There's a reason I made my Tumblr layout from this, I adore watching the tension between them and their truly fascinating dynamics. "You ruined your life once before by not listening to me, are you prepared to do it again?" is such a burn, and Five's reaction is perfect. Love you Reggie, you're such an asshole.

I know the entire episode Allison is trying her damndest to manipulate her family into saving the universe, but you know... how hard can you judge her when they're voting if they should die or not? YOU SILLY KIDS. (Although I do love that the only person Five will listen to without question is himself. 'Well, I don't get it, but future-me said we should die, so what can you do?')

You say it's sweet that they're choosing to face the end of the world together, I say it's sad that even when they accept their fate they all storm off in different directions.

Luther dying on the rug that's made to look like a moon as his blood spreads + the way Klaus is shot before his death are some fantastic visuals. Klaus even manages to mirror Pogo's death in s1. The fade to white when everything is erased. This is the kind of thing that sticks with you. Good stuff.

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 9

Link for Seasons  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 8

My analysis will have spoilers, if you’re a first time viewer, just scroll to the bottom and read the list and only read full text if you are familiar with the content of the show already! S9E1 Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina is CANON

For the first scene of course, you just can't miss that one! Since that's the one scene that holds the event that shifts a character's story arc! That's right, I'm talking about Mr. Slave. His loved one changes in ways he can't comprehend. S9E2 Die Hippie, Die is FILLER

No events carry over. S9E3 Wing is FILLER

No events carry over. Does anyone else have déjà vu? S9E4 Best Friends Forever is CANON

We see Satan moving on from Saddam. His new boyfriend is Kevin, and the Heaven team has a lot of upgrades as well. S9E5 The Losing Edge is CANON

I bet this is confusing for someone who doesn't instinctively remember You're Getting Old anytime this episode starts playing. Yes, this is an important part of the Randy storyline. S9E6 The Death of Eric Cartman is FILLER

You could tell me about how funny or heartwarming and inspiring this episode is. But for my purposes it's just a day of the boys ignoring Eric. S9E7 Erection Day is FILLER

Our annual Jimmy episode! Although I can't imagine many people upset over this one getting shafted. S9E8 Two Days Before The Day After Tomorrow is FILLER

Stan and Eric make a great duo. Or do they? Canon followers will never find out. S9E9 Marjorine is CANON

Mostly because of Heidi Turner's proper introduction and her parents as well. However I love including Farmer Fred's episodes, and I hope I can include most of them, even if some are already unlikely. S9E10 Follow The Egg! is CANON

This one is for the relationships. Stan and Wendy get development for the first time since "Raisins". Mr. Slave moves on from Herbert aaaand Heidi Turner gets a team-up with Eric? S9E11 Ginger Kids is CANON

The ginger kids organization will return in a major way. Also, some interesting in-series lore about Kyle's and Eric's genes. S9E12 Trapped in the Closet is CANON

This is a big one in meta-storytelling, since Tom Cruise did later try to sue South Park (and an episode was made around that case), while Isaac Hayes, the voice of Chef also left because of this episode (and an episode was around that case). S9E13 Free Willzyx is CANON

Ok, there's three episodes in a row that will play an important part in 201, so it's safe to say Trey got really inspired by this era. S9E14 Bloody Mary is FILLER

This one is a character-study of Randy and Stan. It works, and all the specifics to their relationship is here, the events though are again, self-contained.

SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

Again, CANON means you should watch it, FILLER means you can skip it. S9E1 Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina is CANON S9E2 Die Hippie, Die is FILLER S9E3 Wing is FILLER S9E4 Best Friends Forever is CANON S9E5 The Losing Edge is CANON S9E6 The Death of Eric Cartman is FILLER S9E7 Erection Day is FILLER S9E8 Two Days Before The Day After Tomorrow is FILLER S9E9 Marjorine is CANON S9E10 Follow The Egg! is CANON S9E11 Ginger Kids is CANON S9E12 Trapped in the Closet is CANON S9E13 Free Willzyx is CANON S9E14 Bloody Mary is FILLER

CANON counter:

S1: 9 out of 13  S2: 3 out of 18  S3: 6 out of 18  S4: 10 out of 17  S5: 8 out of 14  S6: 11 out of 17 S7: 6 out of 15 S8: 4 out of 14 S9: 8 out of 14

Overall: 65 out of 140

[thealogie]

I'm sorry but I'm about to treat your ask box like a confessional.

You kind of deserve it, though, because due to your Sherlock rewatch posts I've been forced to remember that 1. Sherlock is a show that exists and 2. that I wrote Sherlock fanfic when I was 13... about SHERLOCK and MOLLY.

In my defence, I was a deeply deeply deeply repressed bisexual who hadn't realized it yet - so all of the obvious and insane gay stuff between Sherlock and John just completely sailed over my head. Also propaganda worked really well on me as a child - so basically I was the ideal viewer for Moftiss lol. There'd be scenes where people mistook Sherlock and John for a couple and I'd go 'huh that's kind of strange that keeps happening' but then it would be played off as a joke and I'd go 'oh yes of course, silly me! Gay people only exist as the punchline! Sherlock and John would NEVER be interested in each other that way. I can't believe anyone would ever think that haha.'

Flash forward to 2017. I'm 17 years old. I've kissed other women by now and have had my brain chemistry rewritten by copious amounts of slash fanfiction. Still young, but wiser to the ways of the world than I once was. The last time I watched Sherlock, I had been 14 years old. Sherlock season 4 airs. I watch it with my mom. It's so bad my brain immediately initiates a trauma response and wipes all memory of Sherlock away. This continues for years. The only times I remember Sherlock exists is whenever I joyfully watch hbomerguy's Sherlock Is Garbage video while I'm knitting or painting or something. Also whenever I have to type in a password for an account I made when I was 13 - because my go-to password was 'SHERLOCKED' back then, unfortunately.

Flash forward to now. I'm 24 years old. And I start seeing your posts about Sherlock. Like a sleeper agent, it awakens something in me. Yesterday, I spent a perfectly good Saturday - one I could have spent doing literally anything else - reading Johnlock fanfiction. I am suddenly re experiencing the show through new eyes, seeing all the queerbait I never did before. Getting hate-crimed on the daily. I'm thinking about Sherlock at work, at my adult fucking job. I'm watching scenes from the show on youtube in my office, quickly and guiltily clicking away whenever a coworker comes to chat. I am considering doing my own rewatch. I am realizing for the first time that John and Sherlock were literally in love. It's the only lens through which you can view the show and still have it be somewhat enjoyable. They literally put Mary in a wedding dress shooting Sherlock in his mind palace on TV. I feel like I'm having a religious experience, I feel like I'm insane, I feel like I'm 13 again. This is all vaguely November 5th-ish for me lol.

Anyway. I just thought you should know the impact your rewatch is having on the population. Sorry for the novel in your inbox. I've been desperately trying to find my old Sherlock x Molly fanfic to read for the lols but I think I deleted it off ffnet. I am both having the time of my life while also desperately hoping I forget Sherlock ever existed again soon. So, basically - thank you/curse you for this.

This is perhaps the best ask I’ve ever received?? I converted a sherlolly shipper in the year 2023? Listen I’d never wish a season 4 rewatch on anyone but I would highly recommend watching s1-2 and the wedding episode for a truly out of body experience. I felt more strongly about this show/ship than any other in my life and it was STILL worse than I remembered

[freefromthecocoon]

I understand your thoughts about negative person. And I kinda agree. but I don't understand why me or anyone else should be satisfied with what was done in s1 DD? They purposely baiting Daryl and Isabelle. Zabel, Norman or someone else was fine with that. and maybe you like it or are satisfied with it or you blindly don't notice it - but it's not going anywhere...It's there on the screen. and people, ordinary people, noticed it. Do you think Carol and Melissa need to be involved in this kind of story over and over again? If she's okay with it, then it only means that we've been worrying for nothing all this time. and Kang, enemy #1, did everything that our beloved EP liked. and that means one more thing...which is not so positive. that we just didn't listen to what they were trying to tell us. and we were manipulated. which lead to nothing. and it still leads to nothing and according to your thoughts we should blindly follow. and not to do work on mistakes when we were so deceived before

Hello to my new follower who followed me from a random account shortly before I got this ask. I won't name the account here but it seemed to be a fairly random account. So I will address your concerns.

"Do you think Carol and Melissa need to be involved in this kind of story over and over again? If she's okay with it, then it only means that we've been worrying for nothing all this time. and Kang, enemy #1, did everything that our beloved EP liked."

In everything I have read by people who were in attendance for the episode and in all the videos of the panel I have seen, Melissa seems completely at ease with everyone that was on the stage and hell she even posed for pictures with just she and David prior to the event.

I have included a clip from Melissa herself on the panel on Saturday.

Melissa voiced the frustrations that so many of us have felt over the years, that because of the bigger picture of TWD, it wasn't deemed important that Carol's traumas were properly addressed. David went on to say that he spent a lot of time in discussion with Melissa to make sure they advance the character of Carol and not keep her stagnant.

Gimple and Kang were in charge during all of that period. Gimple oversees the bigger universe, but thank God during the time that Season 2 filmed, he was busy with TOWL on which he was the showrunner.

Anon, I am not sure if you watched Season 1 or not. I have read accounts by people who were in attendance and watched the premiere. They all say that it sets up a parallel of Daryl's journey in Season 1. I truly hope that after all of this is over with you can sit and watch every season and see how it perfectly tells their story.

The shipbaiting was clearly there in Season 1 and no one can deny that, but no, I did not..not "blindly notice" some of the beats in Season 1 that disturbed a lot of the fandom. But I also DID notice the subtleties in the story telling of Daryl wanting to return home to Carol which were undeniable.

Everything I know about 201 from video clips I have seen that are floating around...from song choices to flashback memories, point to canon for Caryl. But if we have misread all of it and you and those who have chosen to look at the negative possibilities are correct. And we have been "deceived" as you say, just know that Melissa would be in agreement of friend-zone Caryl. If that is true she will have participated in the deception of all of us just as much as much as you all claim that Norman and the rest of TPTB have So my question to you, Anon, is that if that turns out to be the case, will all of you go after Melissa like you did Norman and TPTB or will you just admit defeat.

I don't recall suggesting that someone should blindly follow anything, but I do trust Norman and Melissa, if it turns out we were wrong about romantic canon, I will be disappointed, but I do not believe that is something we will have to worry about if I am being honest.

I hope you have a lovely day and I hope all of our Caryl wishes come to fruition.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s1 episode 24 thoughts

aka SEASON FINALE! wow, one full season with these nerds... time flies <3

this episode was super fast-paced and full of twists and turns, straight from the beginning. we open on a very jerky chase scene that was hard to watch and which set the mood as a guy was shot and then jumps into some water and no one can find him

!! the title sequence changed !! it said "trust no one" rather than "the truth is out there"!! surely this means something, but what? i'm spooked!

mulder is sleeping on his couch again. can we please start a fund to get his ass a mattress. it's getting serious.

looks like he fell asleep working on a case when a phone call from deep throat wakes him up, telling him to change the channel where he sees the news of the opening car chase and records it on his VCR (how vintage!)

he shows the footage to scully who is basically like why do we trust this deep throat fellow- a valid question, as mulder trusts almost everybody like a little baby duckling- but scully referring to him as "deep throat" means they've discussed the subject before, which is interesting

we then visit a scientist who is working on monkeys. scully, for some reason, wants to say hello to the monkeys- perhaps we can chalk this up to her innate goodness

the scientist is like "leave those monkeys alone" and she says "i'm sorry, i thought they were friendly" scully, you should know that monkeys are NEVER friendly! they tried to bite her but thank god they missed because these are, after all, no ordinary monkeys, but Alien Monkeys

after the monkey business scully is pissed because they have no leads and she says we need to wrap this up! we've learned nothing! ohh i wrote this next part down word for word because it gagged me:

mulder is so trusting of deep throat and scully says he's stringing mulder along for some unknown purpose...

to which he says: "you think he does it because he gets off on it?"

and scully replies "no, i think he does it because YOU do"

oh i gasped and yelled at my screen! she got him! valid question though, why is this guy leaving them little clues beyond his earlier in the season confession of alien murder guilt? it IS suspicious.

mulder and deep throat confront each other and play more sick and twisted mind games which is fine; deep throat insinuates that mulder doesn't care as much as he used to which is rude but it spurs him on his quest for answers

next the monkey scientist kicks the bucket which obviously means his monkey science was deeply important

the guy who was doing the running during the car chase confessed to being underwater for 3 days after he was shot which obviously has implications but we aren't given a whole lot of time to explore them

back at the monkey lab, now a crime scene, mulder hands scully a flask of mysterious liquid and says "what do you think this is". she says "i don't know" then runs on a quest to go find out because he asks her to. god, dana scully has really had to endure SO much with this man, and now a mystery liquid from the monkey lab? again i ask where her compensation is

mulder breaks into the dead scientist's house, which revealed another basic and universal truth akin to gravity: if no one lets mulder in a house, he Will find a way to break in. he cozies up to the dead guy's desk and starts flipping through his stuff, and the runaway underwater alien guy calls and he picks up the phone like this is a typical day for him. alien guy is emitting some sort of gas that hurts everyone which is unfortunate.

scully fell asleep on the couch of the microbiology department which was soooo <3 but then the lab scientist comes in with the plot twist...

monkey liquid reveal: it has some sort of secret bacteria... with a new base pair! which means it HAS to be some sort of extraterrestrial life!

mulder tracks down a storage unit that is filled with bodies in tanks, and he looks like a kid in a demented candy store while some crazy orchestral stuff goes on in the background. then he is chased by some people but leaps over a fence with astonishing agility.

scully realizes that the monkey liquid is actually Very Important and they meet up to explore the tanks and she says she's sorry for doubting him. "i should know by now to trust your instincts" she says, to which he replies "why, nobody else does" and they both smile and it is not emotional at all, shut up!

"you know, i've always held science as sacred. i've always put my trust in the accepted facts. and what i saw last night... for the first time in my life, i don't know what to believe" <- banger scully line

(i don't believe that this is the first time she's questioned it, though. she's been on edge the whole time, this is just the most she has been. she was thrown off by the psychic who quoted her dad, and by the alien bites in the very first episode. regardless, character development!)

((also, love that she talks about holding science as sacred while wearing a cross necklace in every scene. she's got that "raised catholic" aura about her))

gasp! just as i knew it would be, the room of tanks is now entirely empty, all cleared out except for... deep throat? he reveals that this is the place where the first alien-human hybrids were developed out of terminally ill patients, who got better, but developed superhuman strength and the ability to breathe underwater. a valid tradeoff, in many ways, and exactly what has happened to our friend who was shot and hid underwater and now gives off noxious gas. so now they have to find him before the Others do.

mulder runs back to the dead guy's house, which he seems far too comfortable entering, and finds the alien hybrid man. alien man tries to choke him out, but mulder still says "i'll protect you"

(man, i love that line. we Will be psychoanalyzing that at a later date)

but alien man is shot by an intruder, and his noxious gasses burn mulder while he's tied up. poor scully has been blowing up his cellphone, to which he mumbles "i'm a popular guy"

(always with the damn one liners while he's beaten within an inch of his life; you are popular to one individual, mister mulder, but granted she's a very special one)

deep throat says scully can get into a high containment facility and trade the alien tissue for mulder which okay. sure. why not? she guesses the mystery password and gets into the building and. well. this was my reaction:

"she's opening a mystery container and i lowkey expect a frozen head but NO IT'S AN ALIEN THINGY AUGHHHH IT'S LIKE A BABY"

gross!

only 6 minutes left in the episode at this point and i was stressed! scully's got a box full of alien, is meeting deep throat on a bridge, and refuses to hand the alien box over because. again. who tf is this guy? he gets all mad and says that she NEEDS to hand the box over because these guys that they're dealing with took some of the alien tissue and injected it in children.

and this maybe was supposed to get her to hurry up but she was just like. nah why the hell would we give them the alien back? so we can get more alien children?

to save mulder, of course! because they are the only two who can shine light on what is really going on!

(don't talk to her in such a condescending manner, deep throat, i will bite you. she has perfectly valid reservations about handing ur mysterious ass a box full of alien. but she finally does)

and then as he hands the box over to the mystery people HE IS IMMEDIATELY SHOT! i gasped so hard here i actually hurt my mouth which is still recovering from surgery and so all of us had a bad time around this point. they do toss mulder from the back of a car, though, and deep throat's dying words are to "trust no one"

(so is it really mulder that we have back? if we can trust no one, does that mean someone has hacked into mulder? and scully doesn't know that? that's what i'm guessing here. sort of a winter soldier-ish situation)

13 days later, mulder calls scully in the middle of the night and says the fbi is shutting down the x files and they're being reassigned, but he won't give up, he can't give up. he says someone named "skinner" made this decision. i am unfamiliar with this individual but have a feeling we will become acquainted.

the season ends with the alien being placed in a mysterious room. to this i wrote the following:

"alien baby in formaldehyde in an archive i would kill to get my hands on it let me see it let me see it let me see it NOW"

(i bet they also have JFK's brain in that archive!)

so what a whirlwind of an episode! we certainly can't trust anyone moving forward, but does that apply to the trust between mulder and scully themselves? what will they do now that the x files have been shut down? somehow i have a feeling they will come back, a sort of hunch to do with the 10 more seasons of this show.

will they meet up for coffee during their new assignments? who is skinner? so much awaits us on the other side of this season, but i still need to process all i've seen so far!

[rebelwriter99]

Well those were some remarkably accurate predictions!

SPOILERS INCOMING! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Tantiss did get blown to bits. Everyone did escape. (Because they had to they hadn’t had a big win in more than an entire season to justify it!) And they DID make it an hour long episode! I was so relieved the second I saw the runtime.

But WOW were a lot of things a surprise. Nala Se doing what she did I feel like I should have seen coming. It was a fantastic character arc conclusion for her, especially that line about Kamino. Rampart being there I didn’t see coming, but also a very well earned conclusion for his character (if you’ll take my meaning).

Omega! Honestly the only predictable character on screen at this point. Except perhaps Echo. Of course she released the Zillo beast-that was set up really nicely. Everyone immediately knowing it was her was delightful and probably the only time I remember laughing all episode because boy was it heavy from there.

The Batch themselves and what happened to them were a huge shock all episode. Crosshair finally voicing what I’d known since S1 and became blindingly obvious post S2 was a fantastic moment. I’m so glad it got said out loud, and I’m so glad it was him that said it. They haven’t been Clone Force 99 since the end of S1 E1 and the loss of Crosshair to the Empire. Their success rate on missions has consistently dropped since then, even more so since the loss of Tech. They were a unit, and they’re missing pieces. They’ve never been whole since the fall of the republic, and then had to operate in a galaxy they weren’t trained for. They’re not the same anymore-they needed to own that.

The three heavy duty action scenes the batch were involved in were all callbacks to previous scenes. The hangar stand off-against what are essentially operatives designed to combat them specifically-is a call back to the first appearance of imperial cross. Crosshair sees the operatives and knows they can’t win. He’s unfortunately right. And wow I did not see Crosshair losing his shaking hand coming at all. I understand practically why the writers did it, and I know I’ll be thinking long and hard about it, but I literally screamed out loud when it happened.

I think all of the batch finally understanding and experiencing what Crosshair lived through was important. The batch met their match in Hemlock. Crosshair was never really an enemy in S1, and Rampart was too stupid. To Tarkin, they were a fly in the ointment of the bigger picture. It was nothing personal. He’s Echo and Rex and the rebellions problem-not theirs. But Hemlock? The experimental scientist who wants to own what they hold most dear. Yeah. They needed to really know him. I knew when Wrecker got injured last episode that if they won it would be by the skin of their teeth-and I don’t think a single character bar omega got out unscathed.

The batch’s rescue is perfect. Regs volunteering and going to rescue the defective clones? This really is a new galaxy. We’ve moved on from Cross and “he’s just another reg”. And it’s Omega and Echo returning the favour. The Batch have gone into a research facility to rescue their own and gotten captured for their trouble twice now. (Not including Echos rescue in clone wars-where they avoid capture but get a tad stuck). This was the third attempt in TBB. Still got captured. But it’s Echo and Omega together who get to rescue the people who got them out of their similarly horrible situations. The parallels abound and I loved it!

And that last confrontation. The rain? The shape of the buildings? That exposed platform? This was Kamino all over again. Except this time, however injured, however changed they are, Hunter and Crosshair are together. For Omega. They’ve both failed to stop her being taken by Hemlock before-they’ve both watched a ship fly away with her on board. This is another third attempt. They both get their do over. Except this time they’ve learned to trust eachother, and they’ve been forced to adapt. The clone’s humanity has always been their strength-and this is one of the most perfectly written, perfectly animated scenes in the series. I knew Cross was going to have to make a shot he didn’t want to take. And I knew he’d do it. But Omega telling him what to do, telling him she trusted him not to hurt her, broke me. It was all leading up to this. And that she hugged Cross first. I was crying before this scene. I will have to rewatch and hope I can actually see next time I was sobbing!

And Hemlock got his slightly gruesome end. Thank the FORCE.

And Pabu at the end. You can feel their disbelief that the trauma is over. That they can have peace. And the epilogue is perfect. I wish we’d got to see older cross and wrecker too-but their character arcs were already handled earlier. This is Hunters scene-it was always going to have to be. For him to truly be at peace, he has to feel OK watching her fly away. He’s spent three seasons clinging on-how he’s happy to let go. And Omega gets her choice. That precious thing all the clones are chasing. She got to have a childhood, grow up, and choose.

I’m so hopeful that Omega at least will reappear-especially if she’s hoping to join the rebellion! Maybe she’ll meet Hera again-that would be amazing. (I’m nothing if not a rebels fan)

I know Bad Batch is a series I’ll be coming back to again and again to rewatch, and I know I’ll see new things in it each and every time, but for now-Thank you Clone Force 99. You’ll always be our ‘dad batch’ of deviants. It was a wonderful wild ride.

[theflyindutchwoman]

I know it’s disappointing that Lucy ranked so low in the detective’s exam, but let’s not forget that hardship when it comes to promotions it’s nothing new in the show. Both Angela and Nolan had their problems before getting to their current positions. One of the first things we learned about Angela is that she wanted to make detective and she didn’t make it until season 3 and Nolan was sent away so he couldn’t take the TO exam (in hindsight they just handed him the promotion later on in season 5 but I hope it kinda shows my point?)

Don’t get me wrong, I would have love for our girl to get the score she actually deserves, but I also wanna see where we go from here.

Oh, as disappointed and enraged as I am for Lucy, I also want to see how this is all going to play out. And in light of her upcoming storyline, let's just say that I'm even more intrigued. But what makes this so heartbreaking is the unfairness of the situation and the optics. It was never about Lucy's competence, even though that's the only thing that should matter. It was never about the sprinklers. That was just a convenient excuse. She got penalised for something that might be questionable (the five-player trade and getting her man a promotion) but she didn't break any rule. Worse : her promotion was blocked by someone who directly reaped the rewards of what she did. Let's take the time to acknowledge that Primm is now a lieutenant while he was still referred as a detective in s5.

And yet, this is nothing new. When Lucy found out about her score, all I could think about was what she said back in s1 : "Look, this kind of obstacle is new to you, but it's status quo for me. You're a novelty item right now, but in 13 months, you'll be a P2, and the cops will treat you like one of the guys, but I'll- I'll have to prove myself to every cop I work with." (1.01) "You'll never be in my shoes. And you'll never know how unfair that is." (1.04) And I hope that this is acknowledged. I hope this is part of her arc. Because this is all too real for women. And even more so for women of color.

Because yes, you're right, Angela and Nolan faced some hardships before being promoted… In Angela's case, it was due to a terrible mistake that she did. One that had devastating consequences (don't get me wrong, it was heartbreaking to see Angela in that position and she more than earned her promotion). Now, Nolan's situation was far more similar to the one Lucy's in : he pissed off a higher-up who decided to block him. Only since it lasted one episode, I can barely consider this as a hardship. Especially since he actually got the Golden Ticket for his trouble. You know, the thing that Nyla got after years of intense undercover work… (again with the optics here). So unless Lucy gets back on track in an episode or two, that would be a major double standard. One that circles back to what Lucy said in s1. And one that isn't new. Nolan broke the rules several times along the years and while he got punished, it never really stuck for long. Whereas Lucy hasn't broken anything and still got penalised.

All of this to say that I don't mind this storyline as long as it is treated properly. Besides, it's not like we didn't know it was coming… We were warned since the moment we found out about the detective exam. So I am looking forward to seeing what Lucy will do next. One thing I know is that every time she has been underestimated, she has prevailed and proved herself. But that's part of the issue, isn't it? She still has to prove herself. Despite getting a medal, despite being handpicked for the UC Academy while still being on patrol, despite being chosen to act as Watch Commander for a day, despite being listed as the arresting officers while she was an aide… All of these things that were supposed to help her advance her career weren't enough in the end. Scratch that : it didn't even matter. And that's why it hurts so much. So I really hope that she gets everything she deserves at the end of her arc. That this is going to be her season :)