#i think the alternating timeline was really interesting and kept me engaged the whole time but i am definitely in the minority for that one

[allygatoor]

i think it's time that we as a society realized that actually eternals wasn't bad it was just not standard marvel fare and that's okay

[thelavendercrows]

My Review of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone! (show-only watchers beware, I spoil minor stuff about the books)

So! Shadow and Bone came out - og book fans will know it depicts the story of the first instalment of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, along with new unseen prequel content for Six of Crows. Some things are intentionally shifted around, especially in terms of timeline and who meets who, but if I had to quickly summarise my thoughts: THAT WAS SO GOOD! Sorry in advance if this review is absolutely incomprehensible!!!

Part 1: Characters

Alina - making her more assuredly half-Shu seemed to work, though I can’t speak on the topic as I am a pasty bitch. Otherwise, Alina remained largely the same and I’m here for it - she was already a pretty interesting protagonist imo. Nothing but love for Jessie’s performance, I loved seeing Alina’s growing confidence though I wish there were more training scenes. 

Mal - they made him so much more interesting. Archie brought a lot to the character, and even though seeing Mal get fucked up every episode was a tad repetitive, I think it made him far more sympathetic and actually showed us that awful suffering he mentioned in the first book. Seeing his close friends die was just an incredibly powerful scene, and Malina feels a lot stronger with Mal being a more rounded character.

The Darkling - just because I dislike Darklina doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the Darkling as a character. While I dislike that he revealed his true name so casually, that he and Alina seemed to fall for each other so quickly (I liked it better in the book because she had more training scenes, indicating more time had passed for their relationship to develop), and that they removed “the problem with wanting is that it makes us weak” line, I do enjoy Ben’s portrayal of the character. He was rendered a little pathetic by the Crows, but I do love the Crows so I’ll excuse it. Where his character really shined is with the flashback scenes and his interactions with Baghra. I’m very interested to see what they do with him next. 

Kaz - a lot of people have said Kaz is a lot softer than we’re used to. I agree, but it makes sense. Kaz was that mean but well meaning leader at the start of Six of Crows - he was only made harsher as he was forced to confront his traumas, and go on a difficult heist. Also, I think it gives a bit of context to why he and Inej end up having feelings for each other. We know in the books that they worked closely together for a long time, but actually seeing those moments makes all the difference. Freddy did an amazing job showing Kaz’s rough exterior battling his inner demons.

Inej - amazing, 10/10, can’t applaud Amita enough. I’m not sure about the choice to give Inej a brother? It could cause more grief later but it’s another weirdly jarring difference from the book. However! Inej was done perfectly in the show in my opinion. We see her stealth, knife and acrobatic skills, we see her initial horror at taking her first kill (amazing scene) and her motivations and religious beliefs are not ignored in favour of pairing her off with Kaz immediately. I do wish they kept Kaz gifting her that knife instead of Alina though. I always wanted to see that scene.

Jesper - DID YOU MEAN STAR OF THE GOD DAMN SHOW? Normally a comedic relief character has me rolling my eyes, but it makes all the difference that Jesper actually has troubles and flaws and motivations and HILARIOUS DIALOGUE. I love him. Kit Young did such a good job, he played Jesper perfectly and I also love the foreshadowing of Wylan’s appearance! Love love love Jesper. A+. Also he is bisexual look at him go!!! Representation!!!

Others: NINA AND MATTHIAS ARE AMAZING!!! ENEMIES TO LOVERS A+ EVEN IF THE TIMELINE IS ALL WEIRD. David and Genya. My loves. Perfect. A+ as well. Nadia, amazing. Very gay. Not sure why they killed Marie off like that. Pekka is scary but why did they make him kinda hot? Milo is my hero. I would die for Fedyor. ZOYA?? That is not my Zoya. Why did they make her say something racist to Alina when she herself is mixed race. Zoya would never. But all the actors did a great job even if the characters were a little different. 

Part 2: Plot

The rest of these parts should be shorter. So, the plot is mostly the same in terms of Shadow and Bone, but the stuff for the crows is all new and some parts of the story were changed to include them. While the crows on their own were amazing, I think the parts where they interacted with the Shadow and Bone cast felt forced and added some good moments at best, or actively damaged other characters at worst. For instance, Inej witnessing Alina was amazing. But Kaz outsmarting the Darkling, while it made sense, just lessened the Darkling as a threat. Otherwise I think everything was really good! The new Crows stuff was brilliant on its own, even if Nina and Matthias’ story was moved forward I still adored it, and Shadow and Bone stayed loyal enough to the books in terms of plot to remain engaging.

Part 3: Worldbuilding

My main concern about the show was how they would handle the language differences, but they did a great job. Like, they had Fjerdans speak in their own language, they made a new alphabet for Ravkan? I think they know what they’re doing. Seeing the Crows and the Shadow and Bone cast communicate in the same language didn’t really make sense but that’s just a nitpick.

Also, all the settings look amazing. Not much to say, they’re just great.

Part 4: Effects

Music, perfect, visuals, great (the volcras look amazing but Alina’s light power looked a little...fake), costume design and props, best I’ve ever seen. Enough said.

Part 5: Final thoughts

When a book is adapted into a show or film, I usually just assume that it will serve its purpose, maybe be a little frustrating or terrible at worst, and go. Shadow and Bone though, it adapts the books faithfully while still including worthwhile changes. It isn’t perfect, but it comes close. I imagine show-only watchers will like it a lot. 

Alternative take: Jesper and Milo carried the whole thing. Goodbye.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About Loki (Season One)

(Sorry this is later than it should have been. I may or may not be experiencing burnout from reviewing every episode of the gayest show Disney has ever produced)

Salutations, random people on the internet. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

Do you want to know what's fun about the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It is now officially at the point where the writers can do whatever the hell they want.

A TV series about two Avengers getting stuck in a series of sitcoms as one of them explores their personal grief? Sure.

Another series as a guy with metal bird wings fights the inner racism of his nation to take the mantel of representing the idea of what that nation should be? Why not?

A forgettable movie about a superspy and her much more mildly entertaining pretend family working together to kill the Godfather? F**king go for it (Let that be a taste for my Black Widow review in October)!

There is no limit to what you can get with these movies and shows anymore, and I personally consider that a good thing. It allows this franchise to lean further into creative insanity, thus embracing its comic roots in the process. Take Loki, for example. It is a series about an alternate version of one of Marvel's best villains bouncing around the timeline with Owen Wilson to prevent the end of the universe. It sounds like just the right amount of wackiness that it should be too good to fail.

But that's today's question: Did it fail? To find out my own answer to that, we're gonna have to dive deep into spoilers. So be wary as you continue reading.

With that said, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Loki Himself: Let's get this out of the way: This isn't the same Loki we've seen grow within five movies. The Loki in this series, while similar in many ways, is still his very own character. He goes through his own redemption and developments that fleshes out Loki, all through ways that, if I'm being honest with you, is done much better in six-hour-long episodes than in past films. Loki's story was already entertaining, but he didn't really grow that much aside from being this chaotic neutral character instead of this wickedly evil supervillain. Through his series, we get to see a gradual change in his personality, witnessing him understand his true nature and "glorious purpose," to the point where he's already this completely different person after one season. Large in part because of the position he's forced into.

Some fans might say that the series is less about Loki and more about the TVA. And while I can unquestionably see their point, I still believe that the TVA is the perfect way for Loki to grow. He's a character all about causing chaos and controlling others, so forcing him to work for an organization that takes that away allows Loki time to really do some introspection. Because if his tricks don't work, and his deceptions can't fool others, then who is he? Well, through this series, we see who he truly is: A character who is alone and is intended to be nothing more than a villain whose only truly selfless act got him killed in the end. Even if he wants to better himself, he can't because that "goes against the sacred timeline." Loki is a person who is destined to fail, and he gets to see it all with his own eyes by looking at what his life was meant to be and by observing what it could have been. It's all tragic and yet another example of these shows proving how they allow underdeveloped characters in the MCU a better chance to shine. Because if Loki can give even more depth to a character who's already compelling as is, then that is a feat worth admiration.

The Score: Let's give our gratitude toward Natalie Holt, who f**king killed it with this series score. Every piece she made is nothing short of glorious. Sylvie's and the TVA's themes particularly stand out, as they perfectly capture who/what they're representing. Such as how Sylvie's is big and boisterous where the TVA's sound eerie and almost unnatural. Holt also finds genius ways to implement other scores into the series, from using familiar tracks from the Thor movies to even rescoring "Ride of the Valkyries" in a way that makes a scene even more epic than it already could have been. The MCU isn't best known for its musical scores, partly because they aim to be suitable rather than memorable. But every now and again, something as spectacular as the Loki soundtrack sprinkles through the cracks of mediocrity. Making fans all the more grateful because of it.

There’s a lot of Talking: To some, this will be considered a complaint. Most fans of the MCU come for the action, comedy, and insanely lovable characters. Not so much for the dialogue and exposition. That being said, I consider all of the talking to be one of Loki's best features. All the background information about the TVA added with the character's backstories fascinates me, making me enthusiastic about learning more. Not everyone else will be as interested in lore and world-building as others, but just because something doesn't grab you, in particular, doesn't mean it isn't appealing at all. Case in point: There's a reason why the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise has lasted as long as it has, and it's not entirely because of how "scary" it is.

There's also the fact that most of the dialogue in Loki is highly engaging. I'll admit, some scenes do drag a bit. However, every line is delivered so well that I'm more likely to hang on to every word when characters simply have honest conversations with each other. And if I can be entertained by Loki talking with Morbius about jetskis, then I know a show is doing at least something right.

It’s Funny: This shouldn't be a surprise. The MCU is well-known for its quippy humor in the direct acknowledgment that it doesn't take itself too seriously. With that said, it is clear which movies and shows are intended to be taken seriously, while others are meant to be comedies. Loki tries to be a bit of both. There are some heavy scenes that impact the characters, and probably even some fans, due to how well-acted and professionally written they can be. However, this is also a series about a Norse god traveling through time to deal with alternate versions of himself, with one of them being an alligator. I'd personally consider it a crime against storytelling to not make it funny. Thankfully, the writers aren't idiots and know to make the series fun with a few flawlessly timed and delivered jokes that never really take away from the few good grim moments that actually work.

It Kept Me Surprised: About everything I appreciate about Loki, the fact that I could never really tell what direction it was going is what I consider its absolute best feature. Every time I think I knew what was going to happen, there was always this one big twist that heavily subverted any and every one of my expectations. Such as how each time I thought I knew who the big bad was in this series, it turns out that there was an even worse threat built up in the background. The best part is that these twists aren't meant for shock value. It's always supposed to drive the story forward, and on a rewatch, you can always tell how the seeds have been planted for making each surprise work. It's good that it kept fans guessing, as being predictable and expected would probably be the worst path to take when making a series about Loki, a character who's all about trickery and deception. So bonus points for being in line with the character.

The TVA: You can complain all you want about how the show is more about the TVA than it is Loki, but you can't deny how the organization in question is a solid addition to the MCU. Initially, it was entertaining to see Loki of all characters be taken aback by how the whole process works. And it was worth a chuckle seeing Infinity Stones, the most powerful objects in the universe, get treated as paperweights. However, as the season continues and we learn about the TVA, the writers show that their intention is to try and write a message about freedom vs. control. We've seen this before in movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Captain America: Civil War, but with those films, it always felt like the writers were leaning more towards one answer instead of making it obscure over which decision is correct. This is why I enjoy the fact that Loki went on saying that there really is no right answer for this scenario. If the TVA doesn't prune variants, it could result in utter chaos and destruction that no one from any timeline can prepare themselves for. But when they do prune variants along with their timelines, it takes away all free will, forcing people to be someone they probably don't even want to be. It's a situation where there really is no middle ground. Even if you bring up how people could erase timelines more destructive than others, that still takes away free will on top of how there's no unbiased way of deciding which timelines are better or worse. And the series found a brilliant way to explain this moral: The season starts by showing how the TVA is necessary, to later point out how there are flaws and evil secrets within it, and ends things with the revelation that there are consequences without the TVA keeping the timeline in check. It's an epic showcase of fantastic ideas met with exquisite execution that I can't help but give my seal of approval to.

Miss Minutes: Not much to say. This was just a cute character, and I love that Tara Strong, one of the most popular voice actors, basically plays a role in the MCU now.

Justifying Avengers: Endgame: Smartest. Decision. This series. Made. Bar none.

Because when you establish that the main plot is about a character getting arrested for f**king over the timeline, you're immediately going to get people questioning, "Why do the Avengers get off scot-free?" So by quickly explaining how their time-traveling antics were supposed to happen, it negates every one of those complaints...or most of them. There are probably still a-holes who are poking holes in that logic, but they're not the ones writing this review, so f**k them.

Mobius: I didn't really expect Owen Wilson to do that good of a job in Loki. Primarily due to how the Cars franchise discredits him as a professional actor for...forever. With that said, Owen Wilson's Mobius might just be one of the most entertaining characters in the series. Yes, even more so than Loki himself. Mobius acts as the perfect straight man to Loki's antics, what with being so familiar with the supposed god of mischief through past variations of him. Because of that, it's always a blast seeing these two bounce off one another through Loki trying to trick a Loki expert, and said expert even deceiving Loki at times. Also, on his own, Mobius is still pretty fun. He has this sort of witty energy that's often present in Phil Coulson (Love that character too, BTW), but thanks to Owen Wilson's quirks in his acting, there's a lot more energy to Mobius than one would find in Coulson. As well as a tad bit of tragedy because of Mobius being a variant and having no clue what his life used to be. It's a lot to unpack and is impressively written, added to how it's Owen Wilson who helps make the character work as well as he did. Cars may not have done much for his career, but Loki sure as hell showed his strengths.

Ravonna Renslayer: Probably the least entertaining character, but definitely one of the most intriguing. At least to me.

Ravonna is a character who is so steadfast in her believes that she refuses to accept that she may be wrong. Without the proper writing, someone like Ravonna could tick off (ha) certain people. Personally, I believe that Ravonna is written well enough where even though I disagree with her belief, I can understand where she's coming from. She's done so much for the TVA, bringing an end to so many variants and timelines that she can't accept that it was all for nothing. In short, Ravonna represents the control side of the freedom vs. control theme that the writers are pushing. Her presence is necessary while still being an appealing character instead of a plot device. Again, at least to me.

Hunter B-15: I have no strong feelings one way or another towards B-15's personality, but I will admit that I love the expectation-subversion done with her. She has this air of someone who's like, "I'm this by-the-books badass cop, and I will only warm up to this cocky rookie after several instances of them proving themselves." That's...technically not B-15. She's the first to see Loki isn't that bad, but only because B-15 is the first in the main cast to learn the hidden vile present in the TVA. It makes her change in point of view more believable than how writers usually work a character like hers, on top of adding a new type of engaging motivation for why she fights. I may not particularly enjoy her personality, but I do love her contributions.

Loki Watching What His Life Could Have Been: This was a brilliant decision by the writers. It's basically having Loki speedrun his own character development through witnessing what he could have gone through and seeing the person he's meant to be, providing a decent explanation for why he decides to work for the TVA. And on the plus side, Tom Hiddleston did a fantastic job at portraying the right emotions the character would have through a moment like this. Such as grief, tearful mirth, and borderline shock and horror. It's a scene that no other character could go through, as no one but Loki needed a wake-up call for who he truly is. This series might heavily focus on the TVA, but scenes like this prove just who's the star of the show.

Loki Causing Mischief in Pompeii: I just really love this scene. It's so chaotic and hilarious, all heavily carried by the fact that you can tell that Tom Hiddleston is having the time of his damn life being this character. What more can I say about it.

Sylvie: The first of many surprises this season offered, and boy was she a great one.

Despite being an alternate version of Loki, I do appreciate that Sylvie's her own character and not just "Loki, but with boobs." She still has the charm and charisma, but she also comes across as more hardened and intelligent when compared to the mischievous prick we've grown to love. A large part of that is due to her backstory, which might just be the most tragic one these movies and shows have ever made. Sylvie got taken away when she was a little girl, losing everything she knew and loved, and it was all for something that the people who arrested her don't even remember. How sad is that? The fact that her life got permanently screwed over, leaving zero impact on the people responsible for it. As badass as it is to hear her say she grew up at the ends of a thousand worlds (that's an album title if I ever heard one), it really is depressing to know what she went through. It also makes her the perfect candidate to represent the freedom side of the freedom vs. control argument. Because she's absolutely going to want to fight to put an end to the people who decide how the lives of trillions should be. Those same people took everything from Sylvie, and if I were in her position, I'd probably do the same thing. Of course, we all know the consequences that come from this, and people might criticize Sylvie the same way they complain about Thor and Star Lord for screwing over the universe in Avengers: Infinity War. But here's the thing: Sylvie's goals are driven by vengeance, which can blind people from any other alternatives. Meaning her killing He Who Remains is less of a story flaw and more of a character flaw. It may be a bad decision, but that's for Season Two Sylvie to figure out. For now, I'll just appreciate the well-written and highly compelling character we got this season and eagerly wait as we see what happens next with her.

The Oneshot in Episode Three: Not as epic as the hallway scene in Daredevil, but I do find it impressive that it tries to combine real effects, fighting, and CGI in a way where it's all convincing enough.

Lady Sif Kicking Loki in the D**k: This is a scene that makes me realize why I love this series. At first, I laugh at Loki being stuck in a time loop where Lady Sif kicks him in the d**k over and over again. But a few scenes later, this setup actually works as a character moment that explains why Loki does the things he does.

This series crafted phenomenal character development through Loki getting kicked in the d**k by the most underrated badass of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's a perfect balance of comedy and drama that not every story can nail, yet Loki seemed like it did with very little effort.

Classic Loki: This variant shows the true tragedy of being Loki. The only way to survive is to live in isolation, far away from everything and everyone he loves, only to end up having his one good deed result in his death anyways. Classic Loki is definitive proof that no matter what face they have, Lokis never gets happy endings. They're destined to lose, but at least this version knows that if you're going out, you're going out big. And at least he got to go out with a mischievous laugh.

(Plus, the fact that he's wearing Loki's first costume from the comics is a pretty cute callback).

Alligator Loki: Alligator Loki is surprisingly adorable, and if you know me, you know that I can't resist cute s**t. It's not in my nature.

Loki on Loki Violence: If you thought Loki going ham in Pompeii was chaotic, that was nothing to this scene. Because watching these Lokis backstab one another, to full-on murdering each other, is a moment that is best described as pure, unadulterated chaos. And I. Loved. Every. Second of it.

The Opening Logo for the Season Finale: I'm still not that big of a fan of the opening fanfare playing for each episode, but I will admit that it was a cool feature to play vocal clips of famous quotes when the corresponding character appears. It's a great way of showing the chaos of how the "sacred timeline" works without having it to be explained further.

The Citadel: I adore the set design of the Citadel. So much history and backstory shine through the state of every room the characters walk into. You get a perfect picture of what exactly happened, but seeing how ninety percent of the place is in shambles, it's pretty evident that not everything turned out peachy keen. And as a personal note, my favorite aspect of the Citadel is the yellow cracks in the walls. It looks as though reality itself is cracking apart, which is pretty fitting when considering where the Citadel actually is.

He Who Remains: This man. I. Love. This man.

I love this man for two reasons.

A. He's a ton of fun. Credit to that goes to the performance delivered by Jonathon Majors. Not only is it apparent that Majors is having a blast, but he does a great job at conveying how He Who Remains is a strategic individual but is still very much off his rocker. These villains are always my favorite due to how much of a blast it is seeing someone with high intelligence just embracing their own insanity. If you ask me, personalities are always essential for villains. Because even when they have the generic plot to rule everything around them, you're at least going to remember who they are for how entertaining they were. Thankfully He Who Remains has that entertainment value, as it makes me really excited for his eventual return, whether it'd be strictly through Loki Season Two or perhaps future movies.

And B. He Who Remains is a fantastic foil for Loki. He Who Remains is everything Loki wishes he could have been, causing so much death, destruction, and chaos to the multiverse. The important factor is that he does it all through order and control. The one thing Loki despises, and He Who Remains uses it to his advantage. I feel like that's what makes him the perfect antagonist to Loki, thanks to him winning the game by not playing it. I would love it if He Who Remains makes further appearances in future movies and shows, especially given how he's hinted to be Kane the Conqueror, but if he's only the main antagonist in Loki, I'm still all for it. He was a great character in his short time on screen, and I can't wait to see what happens next with him.

WHAT I DISLIKED

Revealing that Loki was D.B. Cooper: A cute scene, but it's really unnecessary. It adds nothing to the plot, and I feel like if it was cut out entirely, it wouldn't have been the end of the world...Yeah. That's it.

That's my one and only complaint about this season.

Maybe some scenes drag a bit, and I guess Episode Three is kind of the weakest, but there's not really anything that this series does poorly that warrants an in-depth complaint.

Nope.

Nothing at all...

…

...

...I'm not touching that "controversy" of Loki falling for Sylvie instead of Mobius. That's a situation where there are no winners.

Only losers.

Exclusively losers.

Other than that, this season was amazing!

IN CONCLUSION

I'd give the first season of Loki a well-earned A, with a 9.5 through my usual MCU ranking system. It turns out, it really is the best type of wackiness that was just too good to fail. The characters are fun and likable, the comedy and drama worked excellently, and the expansive world-building made me really intrigued with the more we learned. It's hard to say if Season Two will keep this momentum, but that's for the future to figure out. For now, let's just sit back and enjoy the chaos.

(Now, if you don't excuse me, I have to figure out how to review Marvel's What If...)

[gavillain]

Thoughts on the Loki tv show then?

Short version: I'm liking it! I fully expected to hate the show given that I hated almost everything they did with Loki in the MCU after Dark World. However, they're doing a pretty good job. I think overall, it's a mixed bag for me, but a mixed bag is so much better than I was expecting that I'm very happy with it. Episode 3 really was a big step up after the first two eps and I hope future episodes continue.

Now if you want the long version, I've been writing up my thoughts after each episode to share on a private forum, so I'll copy and paste under the cut. Also spoilers galore past this point:

Ep.1 "Glorious Purpose" Loki himself is the big important thing so I'm gonna talk about him first, and I was both happy and disappointed with his characterization here. Let me explain. Tom Hiddleston obviously plays everything perfectly, and he did a great job on every moment. But the writing on Loki's character is pretty inconsistent. There were a LOT of moments that genuinely felt like they were right out of the golden era of MCU Loki that captured his speech patterns perfectly, his mannerisms, his world view, his humor. Those moments were legitimately there, and they were there more often than I was expecting. Ragnarok had Loki written wrong down to the dialogue and his manner of speaking, and so it was actually very refreshing to see him written generally well, particularly in his conversations with Agent Mobius. However there were multiple moments where he was blatantly written out of character to pander to jokes or to dip into that Ragnarok jokey joke tone. I audibly groaned at the "Am I robot" bit, which was SUCH low brow human and so not in line with the fact that Loki literally knows exactly what he is and had a "species reveal" that was very important to his character. I also would have liked him to be a little more violent. This man came out of a portal, saw SHIELD agents threatening him and immediately went into kill mode in Avengers. Yet this guy stands around and lets himself be taken and forced into situations a lot. But overall, I was happy with his general characterization because I expected the bad stuff to be much worse and it wasn't and the good stuff was more plentiful than I expected. I wasn't fond of the "I don't enjoy hurting people" bit because it's weepy and wrong, but it also was an expected development and I do appreciate that they're at least delving deep into his character on an intellectual level and playing off that "Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself" line of Frigga's. There's potential to do something interesting with him here, so I'm intrigued if not convinced. The Time Keepers concept I hate, but I think I hate it because Loki ALSO hates it and we're a bit too alike in a few regards even here XD I just kind of wish it was less bureaucratic and "we're a joke about corporate offices" and was something more mystical and other worldly. I feel like if it was more science fantasy and ethereal feeling, I would probably be a lot more down for it. But I guess you gotta save money somehow. Agent Mobius is likable, and I like how he can go toe to toe with Loki and how he's kind of morally neutral. I called that Loki was the dangerous time variant disrupting the timeline before it was revealed, but I have to wonder why in the final scene they kept his face hidden. That would have been a great opportunity to show Hiddles hamming up the evil bloodlust, and I am HUNGRY for that. But they kept that Loki hidden in shadows for a reason, and I have two theories regarding why: 1. It actually ISN'T Loki and Agent Mobius is wrong and our villain is someone else. 2. Our villain is LADY Loki and they're saving the reveal that villain Loki is a woman for a later episode. We'll see if I'm right. I HOPE it's number 2 if they kept him in shadow for a reason. So yeah. Not exactly what I wanted but we're on the right track at least for now. I hope this track leads somewhere interesting.

Ep.2 "The Variant" So, first things first, this episode had "I Need a Hero" during a fight scene and TOTALLY botched it. It was way too early to play that card, the action didn't sync with the battle, and it was between a few nameless TVA agents and the evil Loki with the evil Loki still masked in shadow and not really doing much. It just lacked the OOMPH that I felt was necessary for it to be satisfying. This should have been done better. Loki characterization update: less good and less bad than episode one at the same time. There was no "Am I a robot?" cringe, but there was a lot less of the really good Loki dialogue that caught my attention in episode 1. His seemed to have kinda settled back to the mediocrity of Ragnarok Loki with occasional moments of intrigue such as his whole bit about a wolf's ears and teeth. Loki's obviously planning to overthrow the time keepers and to become the new master of time, and he even says as much to his alternate counterpart this episode. I have a sick feeling they're going to have him grow to like the TVA and to save the time stream, but I really want him to follow through with his plans because I think that's much more interesting than the alternative. Will they do it? Time will tell. I also like how much he utterly does not give a shit about Mobius's condolences about Ragnarok happening. That was a good touch. Speaking of Mobius, I still don't care for him or the TVA. They're all just very boring to me, and I don't like Loki being caged to follow their bidding. It's restraining a hurricane of excitement by forcing it to play within this very structured framework instead of burning through freely. With Loki escaping into the timestream to chase after the other Loki, hopefully that will change for the better next episode. Mobius himself gets his character expanded a bit, but his expansion is literally that he is just a cog who doesn't question his purpose and does what he does because it's what he's told to do. And that's just not compelling to me. Sidebar: Ravona, Kang the Conqueror's lover, is the head of the TVA. A fun tidbit but where's Kang? I like the way the episode explored how time variants can't happen during massive catastrophes and apocalypses because everyone dies and everything gets destroyed, so they're safe places for time variants to hide and interact with history. I enjoyed Loki and Mobius going back and messing with Pompeii right before Vesuvius erupts to test that theory. That was fun (though I wish Loki would have, instead of just acting silly and making a scene, would have done his "Kneel before me" bit on the Pompeiians or something more villainous). And I liked the whole aesthetic of them exploring a massive hurricane in Alabama in 2050 and the whole aesthetic going on there. It gave the episode an epic quality. The evil Loki was revealed in this episode, and the twist is that she's Lady Loki. Yeah, I called it. She hasn't done much herself yet and we haven't seen her do much except posses the bodies of various others and then break the timeline with multiple sprawling timeline variants, both of which is very cool. I'm excited for her, though my biggest complaint is that she has blonde hair. No. Lady Loki has BLACK hair. Why didn't they stick her in a black wig or have the actress dye her hair??? AMORA is the blonde Asgardian villainess. Lady Loki has the same hair color as Loki. And... look, I know it's a dumb detail to get hung up on, but the black hair matters to me because Loki has black hair and his beautiful female form does too and I always liked that for personal reasons. Also, she doesn't want to be called "Loki" apparently which is weird but okay, so what DOES she want to be called? I swear if they name her Amora or Sigyn, I'm gonna throw something.

But yeah, the next episode I think promises to be a change of pace, and we can see if Loki can truly spread his wings free of the TVA. I hope he does.

Ep.3 "Lamentis" This was the best episode yet! And for MULTIPLE reasons. This episode sees Loki and Lady Loki Sylvie stranded together in time. It was away from the TVA and it's boring qualities, which was great, and it put two very interesting characters in a situation where they had to rely on each other. This is more of what I was HOPING we'd get from the show. It's a lot more engaging and fun. The TVA always feel like they have their boot on our necks, and having that boot gone, it's amazing how much easier it is to breathe. And I honestly think that was intentional too with regards to how Sylvie outright calls them tyrannical fascist time police. The whole thing with Loki and Sylvie being stranded on the planet Lamentis during its apocalypse is super cool too. First of all, Lamentis is BEAUTIFULLY designed. I can tell they relied on desert locales to save on the budget, but the purple sky, the colorful train, and the neon alien city are all really pleasing to look at. And with the sky literally falling around them, it looks even cooler and the stakes feel cosmic and intense because they ARE. A very good setting that felt refreshing after the very mundane TVA headquarters and Earth scenes. Loki continues to be a sort of mixed bag with weird moments of humor that feel like they were written by someone else for another character, but those moments were a lot more sparse this time around too. Tom is still unmatched in the role, and I love the way he got to be serious, smug, manipulative, and sincere in this episode. I've kinda accepted and settled into anti-hero Loki for this series, and I'm honestly pretty okay with it here. See, I think my issues with Loki being "good" is that it comes with making amends with Thor or working for the TVA. Seeing him pursuing his own agenda on his own terms and collaborating with a kindred spirit who he seems to genuinely like is a lot easier to stomach because it feels a lot more true to the freedom that is so potent about his villainy. I loved him talking about Frigga and how she taught him her magic. That was a genuinely powerful moment. Also even though his dagger metaphor for love got kinda undercut by a joke, I think it was quite good writing and really cut to the point of what makes Loki tic. Also this episode marks a VERY important moment: Loki was canonized on screen as being bisexual in the MCU. He is the FIRST queer main character in the MCU and the first queer main protagonist of a Disney show. And I like the way they did it too! The way Sylvie asked about if he had any dalliances with princesses and then adds "or princes" and Loki says "a bit of both." It was simple and direct and unambiguous, and I love it because Loki has always BEEN queer in the MCU and the writing for him has been very queercoded. Even if that little moment is all it amounts to, it really matters and means a lot to me that they did it and I'm so happy for it. I hope they give him a boyfriend though. Like PLEEEEASE Marvel. Sylvie I'm more okay with this time around. She IS established as Sylvie and not really identifying as Loki anymore, so I can separate her from my preconception of Lady Loki and not mind the BLONDE so much. Sylvie is the name of the second Enchantress in the comics, an Enchantress that Loki himself created. I'm interested to see where they go with her backstory and who she is and what her deal is because they've been implying that she differs from the main Loki quite a lot to the point where she barely even remembers who Frigga was. I also like that Loki's response to the bisexual question implies that Sylvie is bi too. Get that MLM/WLW solidarity. I hope they don't ship them, but I hope they DO stay friends and allies because I'm loving their friendship chemistry. Also, a minor thing in the grand scheme of this episode, but Loki SINGS in this one! And I love it! Tom's always had a very pretty voice that he's gotten to show off in other roles so I'm glad he got to show off his singing in this role too. The Norse folk song he sings was both jovial and somber all at once, and I

loved it. We deserved this Minor nitpick: please give Loki his Asgardian clothes back or something. Because this TVA suit is fucking ugly and I hate it. Sylvie looks so good next to him, and he deserves to be just as stylish. This was a GREAT turning point. PLEEEEEASE keep it up. F&WS failed to. But I genuinely believe that Loki can do it.

[geejaysmith]

Wolf 359: A running list of things I have a heightened appreciation on second listen, pt. 2

Part one here. 

SEASON 3:

Pan-Pan: Still a little miffed they didn't explicitly do the "we have to huddle to conserve body heat" trope. Yes, it's corny, but also shut up, let my touch-starved space disasters cuddle.

So Eiffel stopped Hera and Minkowski arguing in season 1 to address an emergency, and now with Eiffel absent, the team starts arguing again. The fact he doesn't exactly have much Pride In His Own Self-Sufficiency to get in the way of "hey! Guys! Remember, imminent death? More important priorities happening?" tends to defuse situations like this aaaaaand now he's absent.

"Cutter will send a squad of psychos to come up here and kill us faster!" ...she's not wrong.

"Pick a corner and relax! Hop to it!" I just like this line delivery.

"The entire station is a SPACE YUKON and this thing is overheating!" I know, it's like it's symbolic or something.

Episode 29: "we all feel responsible for losing Eiffel and are lashing out because we're scared and sad and grieving and fear getting backlash while we're vulnerable if we admit we need help, and we don't know what to do but keep going because the alternative is breaking down and possibly never getting back up again." Alternatively:  "It's Metaphors All the Way Down."

Mayday: Eiffel's frustrated screaming.

Brain Ghost Minkowski showing up like "Yeah, we know I'm a hallucination, or Weird Alien Shit, or maybe just a clever metaphor representing the abstract process of thought, but who gives a crap, this is more interesting than listening to you talk to yourself for an entire episode."

BGM: Hi, I'm your thought processes externalized using a face and personality that you subconsciously think you need to hear from in this situation, possibly because you think so little of yourself you need to hear it from somebody else first. Eiffel: Oh hey cool, this is just like this one web comic I kept up with sometimes back on Earth- BGM: Not another word.

Eiffel getting slapped by Brain Ghost Lovelace, who is a projection of his thoughts.

What is that whispering in his head that reminds him of the Hermes' name supposed to be anyway? Score one for my Weird Alien Brain Shit theory. Having Lovelace's alien juice in your system comes with such fun side effects.

"I dunno, I only know what you know." "Shut up, don't go meta on me." / "Hilbert wouldn't know that word! He's never even heard of Empire!" Yeah, toldja: it's Brain Ghosts.

Brain Ghost Hilbert may represent the realist in Eiffel and the brutal, calculating reality he doesn't want to confront, but Brain Ghosts Minkowski and Lovelace are his cooler head and ingenuity, working him through staying calm and devising a way to survive, and Brain Ghost Hera, who appears when Hilbert tells him it's hopeless, telling him that against all the odds he will be okay, is his stubborn determination to never, ever quit. They're all his determination to live when Doug might want to just stop trying. They're the better parts of himself, reflected in the voices of his friends.

And Hilbert. But I digress- HOLY FUCK, I just realized the brilliance in the one-two punch of the Brain Ghost Brigade contrasted with the previous episode's Stress Fracture Argue Crew, it's The Sound And The Fury all over again.

Paging the Wolf 359 incorrect quote blogs: "Save my friends! And Zoidberg Hilbert!"  

Sécurité thru Don’t Poke the Bear: Maxwell! I've missed you! (':

"And I build pretty awesome battle drones on the weekends." ...Does Maxwell have her own souped-up version of one Jamie Hyneman's Blendo?

Eiffel, realizing he's starting to sound like Minkowski: My god, what have I become.

Eiffel mumbling to himself in general. "This is hell and I'm in it."

Is it just me or is Kepler's pig story not as agonizingly drawn out to listen to the second time around?

A Matter of Perspective: Funzo: 12 different board games, three of them TCGs and maybe at least one TTRPG, all tossed in a blender, because Pryce and Cutter are psychopaths.

The Funzo manual is the size of the actual Bible and don't try to convince me otherwise.

How into the game the girls all get.

Headcanon: Minkowski and Lovelace are both the types to get stupidly competitive over any kind of game regardless of their initial level of investment.

Eiffel keeps a photo of (it's implied) him and his daughter taped to the underside of his console...

"He looks so... happy." shUT UP

"I had no idea Eiffel had a-" daughter. Was it "daughter" you were going to say Minkowski. Well, no one else knew you were married til you brought it up, so turnabout's fair play.

"You think you know me? You know the artist formerly known as Warren Kepler, you've met my job. Aside from that, there's no one left for you to know." In light of the series finale, I, uh... I don't if I like this, Scoob. Also, stop reminding me all these people are human persons underneath all the desensitization to horror and violence.

"Happy birthday, Eiffel." They remembered! Hope this one is less traumatizing than the last, Doug.

"Happy Kwanzaa!" "Lovelace."

"Long Story Short, that's the last time I saw Maxwell's feet" wh. What. What happened involving Maxwell's feet. What's. why-

And to make a long story short, that's where my "Maxwell has hands for feet" headcanon came from.

Need to Know: Minkowski's dreams, apparently, include both creating musicals and commanding a deep space mission. She's gotten the latter way the hell off the bucket list, somebody with actual songwriting skills want to get in and write the former with me?

Lovelace overindulging on painkillers for her broken arm after losing Officer Fisher... "It was a difficult time." ):

Aaaand serious implications of the above are immediately headed off by Lovelace quacking aggressively at Jacobi.

Fire and Brimstone: where is my fanfiction about Lovelace overseeing Minkowski during her solitary confinement?

The Backstory Episodes: Zach Valenti wrote all the backstory episodes! I just find that kind of sweet.

Once in a Lifetime: Small detail I only noticed on my second listen, after a fanfic put the thought in my head: Minkowski's parents are only referred to in the past tense. Oof.

"Thank you for coming in on such short notice. We had a hiccup in staffing for this upcoming quarter."  So... according to the wiki's timeline, the launch for the second Hephaestus mission was some time in late March 2013. The beginning of this episode (and Eiffel's) states it takes place in 2013, with 3 months of training, meaning they were probably brought on board in January and the whole thing moved *ridiculously* fast. Everything points to them wanting to get people up in space as quickly and with as little fuss as possible, giving the newcomers no time to think it over or do additional research. Once they start the training program, they're probably too busy to look further into Goddard's deep space missions, and are likely in an environment where Goddard Futuristics can cut them off from other information sources. The people they select are relatively isolated (Minkowski and her husband being an exception) - the easier to make them disappear. Even Lovelace has been stationed at "a lot of very isolated, very quiet outposts", the implication being her superiors wanted her somewhere out of the way. Kind of makes me wonder about the rest of the Hephaestus 1.0 crew...

Greensboro: Nice ominous foreshadowing you've got there vis a vis Captain Lovelace and "are you an alien?"

Decommissioned: "We're not about to force anyone to do something they don't want to do!" ...Marcus Cutter deserves to have his trousers ablaze constantly.

All Things Considered is still a bit confusing (because I somehow keep listening to it while doing something else) and I'll need another listen to figure out what probably actually happened, but it is also hilarious.

"Eiffel had engaged the machine, but that's why I build in extra safeguards. My mistake, clearly, was to assume that would be enough to stop the slapstick routine."

“All Things Considered”: Did you have fun with this over-the-top romp of hilarity and and hijinks, dear audience? Good! Because that was us burning off our comedy quota for the rest of the season. Get ready for six whole episodes of nonstop emotional gut-punches!

MEMORIA.

Just... Memoria.

Putting this quote here because of Reasons: "Three years... Three and a half years... I've had this thing in my head breaking me, and making me think it was all my fault, that there was something wrong with *me!*"

So Memoria is still one of the best episodes and the last five minutes fuck me up in a special little way.

Time to Kill: "Or the one outside is the real Jacobi... and the alien is already in here with us." The funny thing, Maxwell, is that you were half-right and didn't even realize it, and you *were* just speaking to Lovelace.

So... do alien duplicates only get reloaded from the singular "snapshot" of the person, or does getting flare-scanned once give them a continually updated source of info? What I'm getting at is: if another Jacobi shows up post-finale, would he need to be filled in on events between his horrible, terrible death and the present?

Persuasion: Maxwell switching to First Name Basis to get Jacobi to be honest with her.

I always forget until the scene after that Hilbert is totally setting up the Space Telephone to manipulate her, but of all the ways he could've gotten Minkowski around to "we are disposable and need to act *now* before these people decide they're done with us", it still kinda touching that this is the method he chose.

Desperate Times/Desperate Measures are just a blur of "oh god oh god oh god" and it's just as nailbiting the second time around. One thing I love about this podcast is how comfortable it is with (for its medium) long stretches of silence, which can feel a LOT longer when you have no other forms of feedback except dialogue to know the first gunshot was just a warning.

So you really *do* feel Minkowski breaking out into laughter when Eiffel tries to invoke Air Force code is a release of the tension that's been building for multiple episodes. Like he's finally gotten through to them just how far this has all gone and how much further it could still go. I keep saying this: when the situation starts to threaten violence, he's got an amazing gift for keeping the rest of the crew in touch with their common humanity when the rest get far too used to a world that runs on self-interest and subterfuge. Hell, he even gets Hilbert and *Kepler* opening up over the course of the story (presuming Kepler is being honest when he talks about being a shell of himself, but even though he was trying to manipulate Eiffel, that doesn't exclude there being a kernel of truth in those words).

Speaking of Kepler: he's definitely riding the adrenaline high of the situation and it turns him into a monster with a manic streak. It makes Jacobi's and Maxwell's relative calm all the eerier by contrast. Those two really do make you forget that all of this is... pretty horribly routine for them.

Until they meet their match, that is, when the women of the Hephaestus refuse to stand down, and each of them is unspeakably badass in their own way. What Kepler didn't account for is that they're ready and willing to die together rather than sacrifice one another for their own survival.

Although again, the irony of the situation is that just dropping the station into the star could have let them avoid, /gestures at season 4. BUT I'm not gonna rain on the Badass parade here.

Bolero, aka "The podcast kicking me in the feelings while I'm down."

The way Minkowski orders everyone else out of the room before Brain Ghost Lovelace conversates with her.  ...did she pop up in the middle of that conversation, I wonder? And all this when psi-wave radiation is spiking, apparently. Coincidence?

Oh come on Hera, war is no reason to end a friendship- Look, I came here from Metal Gear. I see folks dunking on Hilbert and I'm just over here like "he's still not as revolting as Huey Emmerich."  

Listen I've seen enough of Warren Kepler and Marcus Cutter in this fandom to know y'all aren't above liking a bad guy, you just prefer the ones who're having fun with it.

"You're gonna come to my funeral! And you're gonna like it! ...I mean you're gonna feel really sad! And cry! And stuff! GOT IT??" Ah, good ol' Eiffel.

THE COMPUTER ALSO HAS BRAIN GHOSTS

"If I'm not your doctor, then what are we?" "We're... complicated?" Listen, Eiffel, if you're not careful, I'm going to start shipping you and Hilbert ironically For The Lulz, and we all know where shipping things ironically always leads.

Errybody gets brain ghosts this episode. Again: I accept that this is a device that's more interesting than an alternative method of expressing these same ideas, but the ambiguity of a Watsonian explanation (is it all in their heads? Do they really see an apparition of some kind?) lets me do my Weird. Look, I once wrote in a joke in a fic about Death from Discworld complimenting a Quirky Miniboss Squad member from Metal Gear Solid 3 on his taste in interior decorating arena design, and that spawned entire subplots in projects for two different fandoms, and eventually roped in a third fandom to elaborate further on their now-intertwined cosmology. Do not underestimate how much I can give myself to work with.

The last ten minutes of Bolero also fuck me up in a special way, partly because We Are Dealing With the Hard and Unavoidable Fact of Death but also the aliens are about to throw a curve ball that'll... alter that last part a little.

Like, words cannot describe the "Dead Man's Curve in the wet" hard right turn of going from being in mourning for several beloved characters (including my favorite) to SURPRISE, SHE'S BACK! I love it.

I'd have to check the scripts to be sure exactly because some words got lost in Lovelace's respiratory spasms but I do like to imagine the her head wound closing up in front of a horrified Eiffel and Minkowski, with a side order of glow-y shit. I've drawn too many Homestuck god tier revivals I guess.

Update: I DID check the recording script's stage directions to see just how disgustingly physical the whole event is and okay, so no weird glowing shit (I reserve my right to depict it that way anyway) but I'm delighted to report that the gross anatomical-ness I was picturing? It's worse! It is so much worse!

The goddamn AGONY that is the Special Episode being TWO HOURS LONG when it comes right after the BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER IN THE SERIES.

You have NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF TEMPTATION IT WAS TO SKIP THIS AND COME BACK TO IT LATER

LOVELACE 1.0 I LOVE YOU BUT ALSO I WANNA TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO FUTURE-YOU RIGHT NOW

Change of Mind: love the framing device placing this episode as within Lovelace's mind during her successful cranial reconstruction saving throw.

"Buncha nerds, gonna crash my-"

Just how familiar she is in this place, with these people... Hera was installed in her sister's grave (as another post put it), but Lovelace lives in the gutted cadaver of her home.

Zach Valenti's Lambert voice *does* sound like a bad Minkowski impression.

"I have a physicist to put the fear of *me* into." That's my girl. She kind of was more of an ass pre-Total Party Kill, though? Like come on, Isabel, how necessary *is* all this arguing with Lambert?

Fourier's voice is very nice, also. Very soft, very easy on the ears.

I'm now appreciating how it sounds like Fisher is the older and calmer mediator among the crew.

Also the image of Isabel just floating out in space and listening to some chill tunes is sooooo good.

Hey Doc, did it turn out Fisher was too perceptive to live. Was getting caught outside in that meteor shower really an accident. Hey. Hey Hilbert. Answer me. 

Also goddamnit, has EVERY character in this series has read Harry Potter?

Did the Fishers always differentiate each other by audio channel? I had to rewind the scene when I realized Lovelace's questions in my right ear weren't getting an answer.

"Say you're a big pink elephant!"

*gunshot* *gross biological dissolving noises* WHY

"Just because somebody made you something doesn't mean that's all you're going to be - you can be more!" I wrote this line down prior to the end of the episode's confirmation that it's a Big Thematic Point.

Aaaand we're back to the framing device, and with that, season 3 wraps. Or maybe season 4 kicks off? Either way, hell of a way to kick it off.

Cecilia Lynn-Jacobs had a hand in writing this episode? Aw... that's sweet...

So, yeah, headcanon: Alien resurrection does the weird glowy thing to close any obviously fatal maladies, then the gross biological viscera part kicks in, hence Lovelace sounding like she's trying to hack up her lungs as soon as she starts using them again.

Listen, sometimes the gross biological viscera parts are my favorite parts, okay? Okay.

[mantra4ia]

My Top/Bottom “10″ Moments of Avengers: Endgame [Spoilers Ahead]

In no particular rank…

The Good and the Legendary Moments (I had a hard time limiting it to 10, clearly there are more)

Cap’s “don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone” and Bucky’s reprise “How can I? You’e taking all the stupid with you…I’m gonna miss you.” He knows his friend well enough through all the years that he understands and accepts (and in that second, we do too) that Cap’s not coming back the fast way, that he’s chosen the slow path to the end of the line.

Sam inheriting the Shield from Rogers with Bucky’s blessing, “go to him.” Because Bucky knows that, even though they are the best of friends and fellow supersoldiers, Sam has kept an eye on Steve while Bucky was MIA, and that puts him in a reasonable position to inherit the mantle.

Post-snap “5 years later” we see Steve taking up Sam’s role as a group counselor, our first hint at the transition of roles later to come, capped off with Sam emerging from the portal with a timely “on your left.”

Hawkeye’s opening: the very real, personal, character driven moment in which Clint is with his family, and shortly thereafter the snap is dragged out of retirement kicking and screaming.

Tony’s and Stark’s intellectual interactions which began as animosity and conlcuded as a kind of mutual admiration “is this the one we win? / if I tell you, it won’t happen (almost apologetically because Strange knows what is about to happen and is letting it go forward anyway),” culminating with “I am Iron Man” and thunderous applause.

EVERYTHING having to do with Tony’s daughter Morgan. From her interaction with Jon Favreau aka Happy about cheeseburgers, to finding her dad’s suit mask, to Stark calculating time-travel while doing the dishes, then swearing, then swearing Morgan to secrecy, and most heartrendingly “I love you 3000.” Tony’s father-daughter relationship is one of those key character pieces that elevates this whole film from a Marvel capstone to a best picture.

Steve’s moment watching Peggy even though he never interacts with her, in 70s at the Pymm/Stark research facility. It’s the most poignant foreshadow of his destination to come. He doesn’t make that mistake twice.

Natasha’s character development. Five years later, even as she falls apart spinning her wheels about deep sea tectonic quakes, and she still cuts her peanut butter sandwich corner to corner as if daring “Nick” Fury to unsnap himself and say “no, let me show you how it’s done.” Two great insights into the depth of their familial relationship courtesy of the Captain Marvel film. Also a shout-out Steve’s subsequent offer to cook Nat dinner. Steve and Nat always carry great character moments, all the way back to CA:WS when she was setting him up on dates.

The small moments of battlefield humor that were just enough not to break the moment: Steve calling out to Parker “Hey Queens,” Peter engaging the Spidey suit kill mode and then him curled up in the fetal position, Wong’s deadpan “were you expecting more?” Jesus, just give Wong an entire act in the next Doctor Strange movie and I will be happy. I adore him. PS: what a pleasant surprise the way the Russos put Tilda Swinton in as Sorcerer Supreme opposite Banner. That was just the right character for the exposition on the perils of altered reality.

The overarching theme of premonitions as it deals with crossing through the quantum realm into the past, and the ensuing parallels from what we’ve already seen in the Marvel past. Specifically the ‘premonitions’ that past-Nebula had when future Nebula past through time and how they could access each others memories, which puts the interesting and poetic possibility that Tony’s dreams/visions this whole time (ex: Infinity War’s “[Pepper] we had a kid, it was so real”) were never a direct result of Thanos, but rather his travel through time. The Time Travel element also relates to parallels where Howard Stark meets “Howard Potts” and the potshots at his questionable beard. Tony meets Stark Sr. at the exact right moment when Maria is expecting and they relate to the perils and joys of fatherhood: “there’s no manual for this/ there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this kid / you did your best”, which sets up Howard’s video journal to Tony and Tony’s post-battle video journal to Morgan as even more powerful together, in the context of each other, then when we saw the original Iron Man films. Endgame brings new depth / meaning to those historic moments.

Honorable mention to Thor who, after the “I aimed for the head” reprise, developed a sense of crippling anxiety and notable weight gain within his depressive reclusiveness, and still managed to suit up and be a hero anyway. While I didn’t necessarily like the fact that Thor dealt with his PTSD through hardcore gaming, I like the direction that the Russo’s steered him after subsequently calling him an “Angel Pirate” in Infinity War. The message, by contrast, that you don’t have to look a certain way, or step into the role that everyone expects of you (King of Asgard), or even have your shit together to be heroic - you just have to step your foot out of the door and face the day - is damn brilliant.

Honorable mention #2: Rocket’s speech to Thor “you’re not the only person to have ever lost someone.” Great BroTP, with tha dash of crossover Whovian.

Honorable trifecta: Steve Rogers wielding the Mjolnir and FINALLY. FIN-A-LLY “Avengers: Assemble!” What great standing ovation moments.

OVERALL: What this film misses in building the tension (it cycles down before it revs up), it makes up for by setting up the small, poignant character moments that show off the emotional talent of these actors in a way that I’ve never seen with this impact before: Infinity War, Black Panther, and Civil War being the runners up.

The Disappointing:

The “Smart Hulk” / Ant Man “little man” gag didn’t work for me. The autographs, the tacos, the test time travel run. It got stale very quickly.

Speaking of Ant Man, by contrast to Tony and Morgan, Scott Lang’s reunion with his daughter after 5 years didn’t hit the emotional note it was meant to. It make sense how they use Lang as perspective of “what’s going on / fish out of water” to drive the aftermath of the snap home and to introduce quantum science. But out of all the characters, I was probably least invested in him.

The female-led gauntlet scrimmage in the final act across the battlefield felt like more of a “set piece” rather than really earned emotion by comparison to Infinity War’s female tag team (Okoye, Nat, and Wanda) against Proxima, where Nat defends Wanda and says “she’s not alone.”

I didn’t like the script choice of killing the complex, Infinity War version of Thanos so quickly (while it was unexpected and paid off big time for a hot second when Thor’s said “I aimed for the head”) and taking on Past-Thanos. For me, it undermined and underdeveloped the villain. I would have wanted a deeper understanding of “The Garden” and flashbacks to Titan or young Gamora, or even more interaction between him and his daughter present-Nebula, before the war-torn Thanos gets the 1-2 chop, but I understand the choice given time constraints of a three hour film.

Hawkeye’s ronin montage: his revenge against criminals in the post-snap era, “why are you here, why did you get to survive and my family didn’t?” could have had the ability to be powerful, especially considering that Natasha has been keeping tabs on him and didn’t intervene until critical mass. But instead, I feel like it was mishandled, too thematic, it takes your out of the moment like a set piece.I loved Natasha’s bond with Clint up to and after the ronin sequence, it took two characters that I was on the fence with and got me emotionally invested in them as a team, I just hated the montage itself.

No Vision? What?! Hardly even a mention in this film except for Wanda’s wrath when she is resurrected and brings that house down on Thanos, but even then Thanos essentially said “who the heck are you and what did I do to make you mad?” completely taking the steam out of Vision’s fall. Hopefully Phase 4 addresses / fixes that.

No Loki resurrection? At the very least, no past-Loki dialogue?! Come on. I thought for a second, when Loki escaped STRIKE custody in the alternate timeline with the tessaract, that maybe the team had created a and untrimmed time branch (I still think they did, because if Rogers returned the Stone to 1970, it doesn’t fix the later botched attempt to steal it, so maybe there’s a branch reality where Loki is alive with witty trickster lines and I’ll cling to it). Then I was fooled again when Mjolnir went flying through the air I thought perhaps that Loki Odinson had returned and was worthy to wield it through his selfless sacrifice (I was only momentarily disappointed / awed to see it was Cap instead). Again, Phase 4, give me some help here!

The fact that Black Widow got no proper funeral sendoff, concluding Natasha’s long history of under-use throughout the entire Infinity Saga. Don’t get me wrong: I understand her soul stone sacrifice, and in a way I understand the people who say, “don’t take that away from her, it’s powerful.” It is. She comes from a manipulative, violent background that made her who she is and good at what she does. Throughout her history, she never had family, which she admits: “Red Skull knew my father’s name, that’s more than I ever did.” So it makes the choice more poignant that she built a family around herself and did whatever it took to keep them safe and united. That said, I wasn’t (until this film) necessarily invested in Black Widow like I am the other Avengers characters, but she’s had some great moments with Clint (I still want to see the Budapest mission, and the Iran extraction that Bucky compromised) and Rogers (Endgame: I’ve been telling everyone to move on, but not us. Winter Soldier: their getaway from Hydra-infested SHIELD) and Fury. Which is why I HATE that her only tribute was a bunch of men standing around lamenting over her (while simultaneously being oblivious to the Nebula swap, seemingly incapable of intelligent script development by McFeely and Markus around those two female characters). It would have at least been fitting if they had more regrets “why didn’t we know her better, we were supposed to be her family”, “why didn’t we appreciate her while we could” or her name added to an altered  “fallen” monument. There was no payoff to her chemistry with Bruce, and no final closure with un-dusted Fury to pay his respects, which would have been a small but vastly fitting gesture. WHAT A WASTE. 

Captain Marvel’s use in the film as essentially a ballistic, ship-destroying missile and her anticlimactic Thanos battle. Why use her at all in this film if it’s going to be as a plot device? She could have had potential opposite Thor, and I’ll argue that she should have been Banner’s tag-team person to bring him out of new-Asgard exile. But the Russos and writing team missed that opportunity as well. Danvers’ appearance felt hollow.

The pacing / cycle down of tension post-opening sequence was off-putting to me. I was revved up to level 10 ready to go to 11, but had to dial back down by half (ex: even though I love the montage of Tony and Nebula playing table football, it crawls by comparison to the expectations set right after Infinity War). The tonal shifts between the three acts of Endgame made me feel like I was watching two good films as opposed to the one great, legendary film I was expecting. Perhaps I came in to Endgame too pumped and needed to be more in the moment, because this displaced feeling was very strong on initial viewing, but faded the second time I saw the film.

Honorable mentions: Parts of the alternate reality “time travel” sequence really bothered me: ie the battle of New York (from A1). Hulk smash didn’t work for me, though Hulk “take the stairs” and Stark’s minor cardiac dysrhythmia corrected by Thor’s hammer were funny. Also Cap’s “I found Loki” was priceless. So I guess you have to absorb the disagreeable montages of time alterations to enjoy the good, like Banner and the Sorcerer Supreme, Howard and “Howard.”

Honorable mention #2: This movie did a hell of a job at all the couple / BroTP splitting, WTH! Steve and Sharon never stood a chance, Wanda and Vision, Banner and Natasha, Steve and Bucky, Steve and Sam, Thor and Loki, Gamora and Quill. Dammit, I hope Phase 4 at least patches up a few holes in these ships before sending in the speculated new ensemble of comics characters.

In SUMMARY: as my dislikes wane with time and my likes grow in retrospect with each saga part I rewatch, and each time I revisit A4 in theaters, I think that Avengers: Endgame, while not quite my favorite installment, will stick with me forever. What a decade! And my next great joy will be 10…15…20 years from now, when I get to meet a kid, let’s call her Morgan, who’s never seen an MCU film before and vicariously relive that first joy watching it with them. To the end of the line.

I can’t wait. 

[thisweekingundamwing]

TWIGW: November 25 - December 2

This has been a great week in our fandom!

Please please send love to all the amazing creators. Comments are like fandom food so keep our creators inspired and well fed!

Thank you all for all your wonderful creations.

-Mod Maeve

Please don’t forget to check the warnings!

Fanfiction:

@amberlyinviolet , yourbloodlikewine 

In This Light Chapter 11  

Duo spent the last semester working in his older brother's coffee shop. He's resigned himself to a boring spring when a stranger appears, shaking up his entire life.Eli left home last fall, choosing to spend the last six months living out of his van on his travels from the Midwest to the East Coast. By the time he arrives at Ink's, the novelty of traveling alone has started to wear off. Still, the last thing he's expecting is to meet someone who's going to change all that for him. 

Duo Maxwell/Original Male Character(s)Trowa Barton/Original Male Character(s)Solo Maxwell/Original Male Character 

Rape/Non-Con,  child abuse mention, Sexual Assault Mention, homophobic parents, Re-Written Characters, Drug Use, Violence, off screen murder, gratuitous author indulgence

@anaranesindanarie 

Death Unspeaking Chapter 8 

What happens when a Gundam Pilot is mute? What happens when the other Pilots look down at him because of it? Will he overcome the odds or will the odds overcome him? For Manny who encouraged me to work on this. 

Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell

Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage

@claraxbarton 

Cocktail Friday: Sunset   

Response to the Cocktail Friday prompt on Tumblr.

1x2

One Night in Spain 

Years after the war, Wufei reconnects with an old acquaintance.(Is this seriously almost the same summary that I used for Kangofu-CB's birthday fic????)For an amazing, talented, generous and wonderful friend.

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton/Relena Peacecraft

drakanyst 

g.h.o.s.t. Chapter 2 

It started as some fun with equations, patching and brainstorming on an idea that had been scrapped by the gundam scientists before completion. Now, the project has taken on a life of its own. For a brief period, the five former Gundam pilots enjoy the fruits of what proves to be a powerful training platform. When the virtual reality interface is shared with a limited run of Preventers recruits, a domino effect begins that nobody is ready for. One braided adrenaline junky is caught in the middle of it, looking for answers to questions that come at a price. What is happening with the isolated program Yukio? And why do the riots and mass murders blossoming all over L3 mirror a VR instance? Is the platform emulating the life it is witnessing, vice versa.. or something else entirely? 

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

TBA - Relationship

@duointherain 

Not Quite Single Chapter 6 

It's nearly a hundred years after the wars. Tech has kept all the boys healthy and young. While on a salvage mission, Duo recovers Steve Rogers. James Barnes has been Heero's colleague for over twenty years. There are a lot of misunderstandings. The fork in chapter two made me laugh. :)

Duo Maxwell/Heero YuyJames "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

IsolaVirtuosa 

Unlikely Office Romances 

Dr. Heero Yuy, Preventers forensics expert, can’t seem to get over his crush on his former wartime comrade Agent Duo Maxwell. Duo can’t seem to stand the sight of him… and yet…? 

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

@kangofu-cb

Don't You Know 

Cop!Duo meets SpecialAgent!Wufei in this fluffy rom-com. 

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

lil_1337

Gundam Wing Month - 2017 

A collection of drabbles and short fics posted one a day for the month of November in celebration of Gundam Wing Month.

Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei/Relena Peacecraft, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

luvsanime02

How Far to Fall 

Trowa surprises Relena with a picnic. Written for the December 1st Cocktail Party prompt 

Trowa Barton/Relena Peacecraft

Tangled Web of Natural Oddities Chapter 10 

Unnatural NovemberSummaryOne town, and a whole tangled web of supernatural beings. It's not surprising that people come to expect the unexpected there.  

Alternate Universe - Supernatural ElementsLanguageHumorVampiresShapeshiftingGhostsMythical Beings & CreaturesWerewolves

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Relena Peacecraft, Dorothy Catalonia/Lady Une, Catherine Bloom/Hilde Schbeiker, Chang Wufei/Long Meilan/Sally Po, Zechs Merquise/Lucrezia Noin

Hot Toddies and Cold Nights 

Trowa's making some toddies, and knows that he won't be alone for long. Cocktail Friday

Engage Chapter 6 

The time has come for all of their plans to finally start being put into motion.This is the eighth story in Navigation, a fem!Heero series.

Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death

Maldoror_Chant 

Freeport Chapter 13  

Freeport colony: a notorious den of pirates, smugglers and thieves. Wufei persuades one of its denizens, his one-time ally Duo, to help him catch a killer hiding there. Agent Chang thinks he knows what to expect from this case, from Freeport and from Duo Maxwell. He couldn't be more wrong.  

socio-politics with violence and hot guys, Blood and Violence, no EW, Slow Burn

Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell

The Source of All Things Chapter 13 

Center, a planet where magic and technology blend. Or more accurately, fight tooth and nail. A planet of Sources, holes in our boring dimension letting through arcane power, chaos and pseudo-deities. In this hot-house of myths and very real dangers, Trowa and Quatre find a mysterious man at the end of a shamanic voyage. Portents suggest this Heero Yuy is crucial to Center’s survival. He’s important enough to have some interesting enemies after him, at any rate: a devious killer and thief called ‘Shinigami’, and a very irate Dragon. Beyond them looms an even greater threat. Indeed, the greatest of them all.(Alternative Universe, far-flung future sci-fi/fantasy. There are elements from the anime that exist here, albeit in very different forms; Gundam mechas, Zero, and lovely G-boys for instance. They are perhaps a universal constant we are not yet aware of. This fic was original started over a decade ago. It has been heavily rewritten and should now be eventually finished) 

3x4, 2x5, 1x2x5 

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

The Manwell (Manniness)

Tomb Raiders Chapter 28 

Trowa Barton was an orphan raised by South African mercenaries. Duo Maxwell was the son of a British lord. Not only were these two teenage boys destined to fall in love, but they were destined to save the world. Tomb raider style.AU 2x3x2 YAOI Duo/TrowaWarnings: Alternate universe fic, language, shounen ai, yaoi (male/male sex), angst, character death, reference to torturePromises: No non-consensual or underage sex!! None of the pilots will die!! Cross my heart...Notes: Very, very loosely based on the movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and, just like in the movie, no actual tombs are raided in this story. Heh. (^_~)v 

Trowa Barton/Duo Maxwell

@ransomedbard

Arbiter Chapter 2 

After an accident in space, Duo learns that he cannot permanently die - but every resurrection comes at a terrible cost for those around him. As he learns the extent of his powers, he struggles with the temptation to misuse them, and to find meaning in his devastating ‘gift’. His secret drives him away from the other pilots, even as he comes to realize his own loneliness and need for their friendship. 

Resurrection, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence of the bullets and blood variety

Shinohoshi13

By Demons Be Driven Chapter 2 

For years she struggled to live, burdened by a long-forgotten past, an unclear present, and a non-existent future. War consumes her life, forcing her to live as if every day is her last. Fate has seen fit to gift her with unnatural abilities far beyond the normal human capacity. With those abilities, she leads a daily game of tag, putting her life on the line over and over again. Will a chance meeting with a young man give this tired young woman the will to keep fighting? And with the war escalating higher and higher, will she have the time to find out who, and what, she really is?

OCx05; slight implied 01x02, 03x04, 06x13; one-sided Rx01

Relena bashing, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Adult Content, Crude Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Strong Language, Torture, Violence, Psychological Horror, Magical Realism  

StarLove18 

Cuddle

Sometimes, what we fight for can bring peace. Peace also has a way of creating stress. 

Trowa Barton & Chang Wufei & Duo Maxwell & Quatre Raberba Winner & Heero Yuy

Implied/Referenced Drug Use, My First Work in This Fandom

@vegalume    

Collide - the teaser   

This is the first in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero.Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part.  

Treize Khushrenada/Heero Yuy

Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage, Alternate Timeline, possible parallel universe?, Angst, Death, Blood, Suicide Attempts, Romance, Eventual Smut, Humor 

Collide - the first ficlet 

This is the second in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero. The ficlets may appear disjointed (which is why they're not part of the main story). Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part.  

Collide - The Second Ficlet 

This is the third in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero. Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part. 

Collide - The Third Ficlet 

This is the fourth in a series of small ficlets that will lead up to the full story.The ficlets take place on an alternate timeline that parallels some of the most important events of the series, beginning shortly after Heero is first sent to Earth. They focus on the relationship between Treize and Heero. The ficlets may appear disjointed (which is why they're not part of the main story). Tags for the entire 'Collide' Series. See the notes for warnings specific to that part.

Whenpigsfly84

Doormat Babe Chapter 5 

A mysterious child is left with Duo one morning. As he seeks for answers he'll have to face his past and prepare for a haunting future he'd never expected. Will he be able to reconnect with old friends or will he lose all those he loves?

Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Quatre Raberba Winner

Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Swearing, Summary

xX_Rabble_Rouser_Xx

Birthday From Hell 

It's not that Duo Maxwell is INCAPABLE of celebrating a birthday like a reasonable person, he just REFUSES to celebrate Heero Yuy’s birthday normally.

Humor, Pranks, Birthdays, with friends like this who needs enemies??

Snippets:

@anaranesindanarie

1x2x6 OR 2x6 “liar” Prompt Response

@claraxbarton

WIP Screenshot

@lifeaftermeteor 

LAM!verse NYC Branch Office, New York, New York, 30 November 207

@remsyk-blog

Cocktail Friday- Grounded

@treizes-heero  

Moving in Prompt

@vegalume 

Title: Collide

Pairing: Treize x Heero

Working title: STAR

Main pairing Duo x Heero - additional pairings 2xoc, 3x4 & 5xR

@weiclown 

WIP sentence

Headcanons / Meta / Discussions:

@lelola 

GW Logic

Wufei’s Response to Treize 

Cell Animation in GW 

Lady Une’s Portrayal 

Duo Maxwell Reaction Scene Question

Heero and Quatre Zero System scene 

Trowa and the Zero System 

Wing Zero Reaction 

 Zechs and Relena Reuniting 

 Relena’s Pep Talk

@lifeaftermeteor 

What Duo Smells Like

@fadedsepia

Episode 5 

@outofworkshinigami

Treize’s worries about his personality change . . . 

(Warning: Abuse mentions) How Treize and Vingt were abused 

Fanart / Screencaps / Images:

@ashley-kuo

Rx1 Married Sims Screenshots

@bassrocks 

Duo Maxwell drawing

@comics-and-things 

Zech Merquise image compilation 

@downwarddnaspiral 

Zechs for @chronicwhimsy‘s birthday

@duointherain

Quatre Giving Wufei a Christma Gift

@hainekoken  

Relena Peacecraft

@innergeekdesigns 

Gundam T-shirt designs

@kangofu-cb

Heero Yuy

Duo Maxwell

Trowa Barton

Modern Quatre 

Prevent Agent Chang Wufei

Officer Hilde Schbeiker

@lelola 

Duo’s Expression Screencap

@lifeaftermeteor 

 Christmas Tree Topper Image

@musinglink 

 Gundam Wing Cover Art

@noelleian

Trowa and Quatre after their brush with Zero

Lady Une (apologies as this was accidentally misattributed initially!)

@outofworkshinigami

Sanc Treize

Commission for @cylinanightshade (NSFW, Quatre, Heero,Trowa)

@some--newtype--bullshit​

Headshot Club 

@the-cats-curse  

Gundam Deathscythe 

@thereasonsimbroke 

Gundam Battle Damage

@vegalume 

 1x13 sketch 

Heero, Trowa, Quatre WIP Embroidery 

Invader Zim Quotes Set

Invader Zim Quotes 12

Invader Zim Quotes 11

Invader Zim Quotes 10

Invader Zim Quotes 9

Invader Zim Quotes 8

Invader Zim Quotes 7

Invader Zim Quotes 6

@yesacias-sketchbook  

Relena WIP

@zer0-system 

Mpreg Duo 

Heero Doodle

Heero Lineart

Mpreg Duo 

Gundam Wing Haul image 

Heero Yuy Line Art

Heero, Trowa, Duo Sketch

Quotes:

@helmistress

Relena Darlian, Ep 14

Calendar Events:

Unnatural November by @gwblockparty

Ending November 30th

A fanworks celebration of all things weird and supernatural.

Participation information here!

AO3 collection here!

Eve War Event by @gw-evewar

Posting December 23rd - December 24th.

A fanworks Science Fiction event.

Participation information here!

Cocktail Friday by @thisweekingundamevents

Prompts post every Monday, submissions to be posted the following Friday from 3-5pm EST

Fun, open participation

Fics, ficlets, art, anything at all welcome!

Gundam Wing Secret Santa Exchange by @gwsecretsantaexchange

All assignments are out!

Remember to keep your recipient a secret!

Gifts should be posted and tagged December 20th - 24th

If you need to drop out for any reason (life happens!) please let the Secret Santa blog know as soon as possible!

Thank you all for a wonderful week!

[shadowsong26x]

TLJ Reaction Post!

Putting everything behind a cut just in case, to avoid spoilers. Also, any TLJ-related posts I either write or reblog will be tagged as listed here.

Feel free to reply/reblog/ask/whatever if you want to discuss!

So, that was an experience.

First, quick reaction--while I was watching it, it was overall engaging/good. I had some issues even in the moment, but most of what I’m going to write up here was of the fridge logic variety?

Things I liked:

- Leia getting a STRAIGHT-UP ACTUAL JEDI MOMENT. Yes, I am talking about her flying through space like Mary Poppins and yes it was ridiculous but again it was a Jedi Moment sooooooooo there it is.

- All of the combat scenes/lightsaber duels in particular were really well put together. The throne room duel (which I’ll talk about that whole scene in some detail later), Finn vs. Phasma, Astral Projection Luke vs Kylo Ren (side note: I had seen a poster or clip or something before this, and I was Very Annoyed that Luke’s lightsaber was blue pretty much for the same reason I get irrationally irritated when Padme is tagged/drawn in the Gothic Peacock dress and the fact that elbows don’t grow back oh my god--minor continuity details that make a difference but don’t really matter in the long run; but the fact that Luke chose to project himself with the Heirloom Lightsaber(tm) that blew up ten minutes ago made that make sense and was delightful in hindsight) the space combat--the red dust on Crait, though, so cool the way it did visual things.

- Pretty much everything to do with Finn and Rose’s plotline (except I was sad that there was no Lando cameo at Canto Bight)

- Most of the stuff with Amilyn I liked a lot too. Especially her flipping badass Last Stand. (I also liked the fact that the bulk of high command was women, and they made a point of showing off all the lady piliots)

- Luke and Leia’s reunion moment made me bawl in a very good way. (Side note: I’m pretty sure she knew all along he was Astral Projection Luke. In part because how else could he have gotten there, in part because, as my friend who I went to see it with pointed out, he projected himself exactly as he would have been the last time she saw him. Also the much shorter and darker hair which I feel is very impractical to manage in an X-wing cockpit)

- That little kid on Canto Bight. Oh, that little kid on Canto Bight, who reminded me so much of TPM!Anakin I can’t even. (There’s a whole potential Thing here, that my friend pointed out to me, re: Light/Dark/Balance a la Daughter/Son/Father from Mortis where we might be going for Kylo as Dark, Rey as Balance, Tiny as Light? I’m not sure if I actually want the story to go there or not but it’s at least interesting as a vague concept!)

- I love Poe. Just...Poe was delightful in this film, as he figures out exactly how Being In Command works, his relationship with Leia, his back-and-forth with Amilyn...

- I liked that the bridge/whatever between Rey and Kylo was clearly set up to parallel Luke and Leia, rather than anything romantic--to the point where Luke and Leia had a Twin Moment that then immediately cut to one of the shared dreams and that can’t have been an accident.

- There was a lot of really great dialogue in this film. Just in general. “Do you think you got him.” “I don’t think they like me very much.”/”I can’t imagine why.” “What are you looking at me for? Follow him!” Leia and Amilyn’s goodbye (which, side note--I read the Leia novel, and I definitely thought she and Amilyn had more chemistry than she and Kier did, also there’s a...something percolating in the back of my brain about Kier and Lando and the similar choices they made when their people were in danger and they felt their backs were against the wall, and what that might mean in terms of added context for Leia’s choices/actions in ESB, but that is a topic for a different post)

- While this was not the Force Ghost(s) I was looking for, I enjoyed Yoda’s appearance a whole heck of a lot.

- Rey and Poe finally actually met! And it was a very nice meeting!

- The fact that, once again, the last intelligible dialogue in the film went to Leia (because Tiny was speaking in another language)

Things I am neutral about but I feel bear mentioning:

- The reveal(?) about Rey’s parentage--I’m not sure whether or not Kylo Ren was lying, but I’m honestly okay with it either way. I mean, I’ve been on team Rey Kenobi, so to speak, from the beginning [partly because I think it makes a more interesting narrative than Rey Skywalker; partly because Obi-Wan’s line of descent, if he has one (and, whether it comes from Korkie and Satine or not, I think it could be credibly written that he does)...it makes much more sense that it would be lost the way Rey’s backstory establishes than either of Luke or Leia’s children being lost. And the potential alternatives (i.e., Shmi having had a child before Anakin and they were sold separately or something, or Anakin’s DNA being used to sire another child because Reasons, would require a lot more setup than we’ve got); also I kind of like the idea of Finn Skywalker though that ship has probably sailed]. Where was I...anyway, while I prefer that story, I don’t actually dislike any of the potential theories (except the reincarnation one). And Rey Nobody (I think is what it was called?) has its own appeal, definitely. So...I guess my reaction to that is a nonreaction? Especially since I can’t make up my mind whether or not it’s true...

- I wasn’t super invested in any shipping in this trilogy, but honestly as far as I’m concerned we now have a third possible endgame pairing for Finn and I like all three. (I’d rather not discuss this particular point in overmuch detail, because as I said I’m not super invested in any ST ships and I know a lot of people are and I’d rather not get argued at on the subject).

- I have no idea how I feel about the Heirloom Lightsaber(tm) being destroyed? But the crystal seemed to be intact sooooooo we’ll see.

- Snoke’s ridiculous golden bathrobe???????

Things I liked less:

- I’m not thrilled with how Luke was written. Like...I can make it make sense. I can draw the roadmap in my brain of how we got from the Luke I know and love to the Luke we saw in this movie (including in the flashback) but it takes a lot of backhacking, so to speak. Honestly, if I ever get this far in a canon-aligned fic timeline, I would definitely go in a different direction (frex, if Masks ever comes back off hiatus and I get to Martyrs, which is the third part of that AU and is set in this timeframe, it would no longer be an In Spite Of A Nail AU from here).

(This sort of ties into...look, if I was going to assign a cardinal narrative sin to each of the trilogies (looking only at how the story is structured here), the PT has pacing issues, the OT was made up as it went along and it shows in several points; but the ST? The ST relies way too much on It’s All There In The Manual. I’ve read some of the Manual, but not all of it, because I mostly hang out in the PT corner of the fandom, but it was an issue in TFA and it was an issue again in TLJ. Amilyn and Leia, I think, suffered from this the most, but Luke’s headspace probably did, too.)

- I’m not super thrilled with the fact that we got introduced to a lot of interesting new characters, and almost all of them just...died. And I kept looking for familiar faces from TFA in the background of the Resistance and...yeah, they weren’t there.

- This is...this is maybe not going to come off as super articulate when I try to explain myself, but it actually bothers me a lot. And that’s that...there’s...there’s no...

Look. To me, above all things, Star Wars is about Redemption. It is about finding the spark of light in the darkness, and fanning it into a flame. And I say this even as someone who primarily hangs out in the PT part of fandom, which is in some ways structured as the opposite (i.e., find the speck of darkness in the light and feed it until it consumes all). Because it’s still there at the end. We still have that spark--in the twins, and in their guardians--and we are nurturing it until it is ready to burst into a proper flame and it also set up Anakin’s motivations in a way that led to/added to the credibility/impact of the eventual redemption arc. (Like I said, I’m not sure I can articulate this well, but it’s a Thing, okay?) And, yes, I get that the ST is coming at this find-the-light-in-the-dark theme from a different angle which is fine, I guess, I just...I just...

There is no antagonist (who has been at all developed) who is redeemable at this point.

Like--I didn’t really care about Kylo Ren as Kylo Ren. I cared about his (potential and now thwarted) redemption arc because see above about how that’s what Star Wars is to me. And where we left off at the end of TFA, he could still credibly be redeemed. And now, even without all the explicit ROTJ parallels (up to and including straight-up quoted dialogue), that door is closed. A redemption arc for him from here would not be credible.

And no one else in the First Order is developed enough for it, except maybe Hux, who also has credibility issues (to draw a comparison, that would be like trying to write a redemption arc for Tarkin, aka essentially impossible without an AU breakpoint when he was like twelve or younger at which point it’s not a redemption arc it’s a completely different story.) Phasma (assuming she isn’t actually dead, which I think she’s not but ehhh she might be) isn’t developed enough. No one else in the First Order who’s still alive has an on-screen not-All-There-In-The-Manual name, so it wouldn’t have the necessary emotional/narrative payoff.

And that’s...that’s...I don’t like it. I really don’t like it. I mean...it actually weirdly bothers me less than I thought it would, when I was trying to talk about this a year or so ago? I have no idea why, because like I thought that would be something that would make me completely break away at least from the ST era/corner of the fandom. And yet it’s not. But it’s still...Star Wars has always sold itself as straight up Good Vs Evil, but has had that...coming home. Or something? Like I said, not sure I’m too articulate about it. But I don’t like that this happened the way it did.

And also, just...like, think about what it would have been if they had just gone ahead and played the ROTJ aspects straight. If Ben Solo had come home, the way Anakin Skywalker did--without dying. We would get the story we never got with Vaderkin, of clawing his way back and atoning and making amends. We barely even got it with Ventress (side note: there’s a Thing in the back of my head that I’m not sure I can get out in any articulate way about the parallels between Anakin and Ventress because man.) (Also I think there might be a plot like this in Rebels, but I haven’t seen it yet so IDK for sure.)

Sigh. I don’t know. I think we’re going to get an interesting story about the way things did go, which may be part of why I’m less upset than I thought I would be. But I am upset.

(Side note: I do think that Snoke’s death was really well-put-together/well-played. I genuinely didn’t see it coming until the Heirloom Lightsaber started turning. Like...I pretty much figured that it wasn’t going to go how either Rey or Kylo saw it, because (even before Snoke said he made the bridge between them) I pretty much figured they’d both seen what they wanted to see/their ideal ending for the confrontation, so I knew it would be some kind of third option, but I did not expect the one we got and the way it was presented/approached was extremely effective; I just have serious, serious issues with where it went from there).

- I wish there had been more Leia. And Maz. And Phasma.

- I wish it had done more to expand on/develop the relationships/answer the questions/etc. established by TFA. In some ways, it feels more like “this is a series of events that happened in the wake of that,” rather than a continuation? This was mostly a problem with Poe’s storyline--Rey’s did okay at that, though if the backstory reveal was true it was a little disappointingly presented and if it’s not it didn’t resolve enough; and Finn’s did reasonably well. (Also, there were supposed to be Knights of Ren???? Were these the students that Kylo Ren left with after burning Luke’s Temple? What happened to them? Were those the people he and Rey killed in the throne room?????)

- On a much pettier note--what the fuck even was up with the timeline???? HOW SHORT ARE THE DAYS ON AHCH-TO? WHAT ABOUT FREAKING TRAVEL TIME--FTL TRAVEL IN THIS UNIVERSE IS NOT INSTANTANEOUS AND THAT IS EXPLICITLY REFERENCED IN THIS VERY FILM. Congratulations, Star Wars, you now have a film with a timeline that makes even less sense than ESB. [ROTS doesn’t, either, although that one’s more a question of ‘exactly how long is it between the Invisible Hand and Utapau because I don’t buy the ‘less than two weeks’ from the novel, but beyond that it could be anywhere from like a month to like three or four...but that makes sense, it’s just unclear.)

And, because I like to end on a positive note--there’s a lot I do genuinely enjoy/like/even love about this movie. Is it my favorite? Probably not; I don’t know exactly where I’d rank it, but probably in the Bottom Tier (I have sort of three tiers in terms of ‘Which Of These Puppies Licking My Face Am I Most Likely To Take Home If I Can Only Have One’ and they fluctuate a fair amount other than ESB, AOTC, and ROTS are consistently in the top tier). But there’s enough about it that I liked that I’m going to see it again, and while the things I disliked were for the most part serious issues, they weren’t enough to make me want to avoid the film itself. I’m hoping the next movie answers some more things, I’m hoping Phasma and Baby Canto Bight Jedi come back, I’m looking forward to Force Ghost Luke (and maybe the others fingers crossed).

[rollinscarisi]

Time Will Tell

An idea popped into my head so I had to write it. Plus it’s been almost a year since the season 12 finale so they’ve been married for almost a year in my book (cause who cares about Greys timeline, right?)

All my previous fics can be found here (x)

The day was finally here.

Their one year anniversary.

They have been married for a whole year.

And Amelia was so, so lost. She had no idea what to give him.

And the fact he kept going around with a stupid, yet adorable, grin on his face, teasing her, saying he was sure she was going to love the gift he got for her certainly wasn’t helping her.

She could ask Meredith and Maggie. Although, Meredith would probably say she was busy and couldn’t care less. And Maggie would probably tell her to buy plane tickets to Paris and have dinner on top of the Eiffel Tower or something disgustingly romantic along those lines.

The thing is, she wasn’t feeling as excited about this as she should be. Each time she struggled with ideas of what to give him she could feel her mood go a little down.

So not only was she frustrated with herself for still not having bought him anything yet, she was also getting mad that she wasn’t as excited as she should be to be celebrating a whole year of sharing her life with that man.

Because despite the ups and downs - or more downs than ups - it had been the best year of her life.  She learned that Owen would always be by her side no matter what and would always love her despite the dark and scary things of her past. Because that’s the type of guy he is.

And she couldn’t be more happy and proud to call him her husband.

But all of this didn’t help with the fact that she still didn’t know what to give him.

It was starting to affect her job. She kept thinking about it throughout the day and during surgeries. It got so bad that she had to force herself to focus on the open brain in front of her.

And that’s where she was standing now, with a person’s skull open in front of her. And all she could think of was Owen.

Also, the fact he was standing two feet from her, operating with her, certainly didn’t help.

“So, I thought once we finish here, we can go celebrate.“

Amelia’s hands froze for a split second but soon carried on their function. “Where are we going anyway?”

“I told you, it’s a surprise.” He smiled.

She huffed but smiled anyway. It was kind of cute how bad he was at hiding his excitement. For the past few weeks, she caught him staring at her at random times with a discreet silly smile on his face. The kind of smile that made her love him just a tiny bit more.

“Alright, but I still need to go somewhere before we do your thing. So maybe, you could pick me up at home?”

He looked at her sideways, his expression saying ‘what are you up to?’, but knowing Amelia there was no point in asking that, so he simply smiled and agreed. “Sure, that works.”

Once the surgery was done, Amelia quickly changed clothes and made her way to her car.

And she still wasn’t sure what to give him. There was nothing he had shown any particular interest.

She could give him a tie, but he hadn’t been Chief in a while so he barely wore them now, beside it was a completely boring gift. She could give him tickets to a Hawks game, he would surely like that, but she was aiming for something more meaningful than that.

She didn’t want something cheesy and overly-romantic, because they both know that’s not her thing- or his, for that matter. That’s not how they express their feelings.

But she wanted to give him something that showed him just how much she loved him. Something that showed how grateful she was for this last year with him, but that also showed how excited she was for all the years to come.

It had to be something with meaning, and the years they’d spent together would only add even more meaning to it. It had to be something their, still nonexistent, kids would look at one day and know it represents the love their parents have for each other.

Suddenly an idea popped in her head and her heart filled with excitement.

Quickly putting the car into drive, Amelia stepped on the gas and got to business.

Meanwhile Owen was going around the house waiting for Amelia. He tried sitting down, but he was too excited for their night. He was pretty sure she was going to love everything he prepared for them. But that didn’t stop the little voice in his head saying ‘what if she doesn’t like it? you’re screwed man…”.

Maybe he should have done the traditional thing. He should have made a reservation at a fancy restaurant, he’d give her flowers, say she looks beautiful. She’d smile and lean in to kiss him. They’d exchange gifts and go home to show each other just how strong their love is.

Although, he knew Amelia didn’t care much for the traditional way of things. She preferred to do things her way and go with what felt right.

So that’s exactly what he did.

Finally Amelia arrived home. He barely had time to look at her because as soon as she crossed the door she ran to their room, closed the door and yelled that she need 10 minutes and then they could go.

True to her word, 10 minutes later the bedroom door opened and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen came out. She had a simple, yet beautiful, black dress on that hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair was down and curly, just the way he liked it. And her blue eyes had this sparkle to them that made him just want to kiss her.

Amelia made her way to him and extended her hand for him to grab. Owen playfully twirled her around, brought her closer to him and whispered, “Beautiful.”

And was rewarded with a kiss.

“Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see soon. Come on.”

They got in Owen’s truck and were on their way. Amelia slid into the middle sit and nestled her head on his shoulder, occasionally placing gentle pecks on his neck.

Too busy with the feel of his pulse on her lips, Amelia barely noticed the truck had come to a stop, let alone where it had stopped.

Looking around Amelia noticed they were in the middle of the woods, more precisely, the exact place in the woods where his trailer was once parked.

“Owen?”

Owen simply smiled at her and got out of the truck. He went around it and opened the door for her to get out. Grabbing her hand, Owen brought her to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate.

There was an improvised bed made there. Some pillows, a few blankets and a pizza box. It looked perfect and cozy.

“Well, this is different…”

For a moment, he panicked. “Do you like it?”

“It’s perfect.” Amelia leaned in to kiss him and climbed into the back of the truck. “Come on.”

They both nestled against each other and the pillows. Owen threw the blanket on top of them and brought her closer to him, dropping a quick kiss to her temple.

“So, you really like it?”

“I do. I’m just wondering, how did you think of this?”

“Well, look up.”

She did as he said and the sight before her almost took her breath away. The sky was cleared and filled with beautiful shining stars. It looked mesmerizing and Amelia got lost in the sight. But his strong voice brought her back.

“Remember how you kept saying that when you lived in LA you liked going on Addison’s deck and look at the stars? Well, I could tell you missed it so I thought of place for you to see the stars here and what better place than where we had our first kiss.”

Too overwhelmed for words Amelia leaned in and brought their lips together. The kiss was intense, passionate and powerful. It screamed love and gratitude.

“I love you. I really do.”

He smiled at her and stroked her cheek, silently thanking everything and everyone that this woman was his wife. “I know. And I love you.”

The rest of the night was spent eating pizza, kissing and star gazing. It was just them there and it felt absolutely peaceful and perfect.

“Hey, sit up for a minute. I got something for you.”

“Funny, I got something for you too.”

Owen reached under his stack of pillows and pulled out a small box.

“You know we’re already married right?”

Owen pinched her side for her smartass remark and handed her the box. “Open it.”

She did as he said and found a ring inside. It was simple but elegant, with a thin silver band and a small diamond in the middle.  “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah?” he grabbed it from the box and placed it on her finger right above her wedding ring. “I never got a chance to give you an engagement ring, and I don’t know, I always wanted to give you one.”

“I love it, Owen. It’s beautiful.”

“This past year wasn’t easy. But that doesn’t change what I feel for you in any way. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know you know that but I wanted to give you something that would show it.”

Amelia cleared a tear that was threatening to fall, stroked his stubbly cheek and chuckled. “It’s funny. I wanted to give you something that would show that too, but I couldn’t, for the life of me, think of anything.”

She took the box from her bag and fidgeted with it behind her back, hoping he wouldn’t catch on the fact she was nervous as hell. “Finally today I thought of something and I hope you like it.”

Amelia handed him the box and watched Owen’s face closely as he opened it.

Opening the box, he saw a watch inside. It was beautiful and it looked expensive as hell.

Amelia stared at him while he alternated between staring at her and the watch.

Feeling her nervous were getting the best of her, Amelia started rambling and trying to explain why she got him that specific gift.

“I would’ve given you the same one my mother gave my father, but it has a very special meaning to my family, and to me. And I want us to build our own special meanings, to start our own traditions. I mean, we’re building our lives, right? And I want you to remember me every time you look at it, the way my father remembered my mom whenever he looked at the time and-”

Her nervous rambling was interrupted by his lips crashing on hers.

“You like it?”

“I love it. I love you and- God, Amelia, I love you so much it scares me.”

She laughed, knowing exactly how he felt. “There’s one more thing…” Amelia looked at him smiling, and did a turning motion with her finger, indicating him to turn the watch around.

Owen flipped the watch around and saw an inscription. He brought the watch closer to his face to read it.

And his heart filled with love.

“time will tell how much i love you”

“Happy anniversary, Owen.”

“Happy anniversary, sweetheart.”

[jesterlady]

So the next post I'd like to make is exclusively SG1 and is just a post of all the things I like and dislike about the show in no particular order, just as things come to my mind. Like: -The eyebrow of Teal'c -Disgruntled, reluctant terrorist Daniel Jackson dealing with petulant, childish hostages who refuse to follow the proper etiquette of hostage situations -Teal'c many assortment of hats -How girly Vala is with her pigtails and sparkly barrettes and everything about her -Everything about episode 200.  The genres, the meta, the fanservice, the poking fun at themselves, at us, the nod to Farscape though I would have dearly loved for it to be longer, invisible Jack, Cam keeping track of his trips through the gate, Jack/Sam wedding, Furlings, what party were they going to?  I must know. -Walter and Siler.  Seriously, I really wish there had been an episode where they just saved the world and it was focused on them while everyone else panicked in the background and nobody knew in the end but us.  I just love how they made them such indispensable characters -Cam and Vala stealing treasure (Goa'uld bombs) together -Jack being 100% done, especially with the Tok'ra -Indeed -Hammond, Landry, and Weir all being in charge of the SGC and being sympathetic and good people rather than being frustrating and annoying and always in our people's way. -All mythology being presented in the Goa'uld system lords.  Except Norse, intellectually owned by the Asgard.  Our little Roswell friends, always there in a pinch and conveniently unavailable when not. -So many alternate realities/dimensions/timelines and ways for us to see others of our people -Robot SG1 -Joe Spencer and his fanboy reaction to SG1.  I mean his reaction to Daniel's death and comeback was mine.  It was so real and it was a flipping clipshow! -Janet adopting Cassie, how sweet and such a great way to keep continuity -Them saving Skaara, someone frikking better have gotten saved! -Bra'tac's ultimate awesomeness and ability to survive anything -Jonas, what a good person to be there while Daniel was gone, how kind and sweet and engaging -Sam being a host to Jolinar, it brought a lot of interesting things, but never overpowered who Sam was or her arc -Teal'c learning to drive in 1969 and their 60s clothes -The will they/won't they relationship of Jack and Sam was done well and didn't drive me crazy.  It was very obvious how they cared for each other and were totally end game and yet it was never said on screen, which is kind of funny.  But the very obvious pan up of her photo of Jack she brought to Atlantis is very obvious. -How many times Daniel dies. He and Rory (DW) need to have a die-off. -The way Cam leads the team by acknowledging they're all pretty much equals in their own respects and letting them work together and how they respect him to let him make the calls if there has to be one but most of the time they all know what to do so well there doesn't have to be one. -The fact we never saw the first President, lolworthy. -Urgo, I thought he was funny -Daniel's relationship with Choka.  Totally did not expect to like that episode and I loved their interaction the whole time.  Love how they kept bringing him back. -Wormhole Xtreme and how crazy it was and how they brought it back for 200 -Firefighter Teal'c -How Daniel was with his friends, watching over them, when he was Ascended. -King Maybourne.  Ha, he was a good character to hate, really. -Asgard naming ships after SG1 -How Jonas has a brand new hairstyle every time he's on the show -Daniel's floppy hair.  I've grown accustomed to and even like his other hair, but I will always have a huge soft spot for his floppy hair -Kid Jack O'Neill, that kid was amazing! -Jack letting go of his team after leading them for so long.  It was bittersweet, but I love his letter to Hammond. -Artifacts and technology from seasons before being brought back and used/referenced -Cam knowing everything about SG1 before he got there, being such a cute fanboy -Arthurian bits.  I love Arthurian legend so I was excited they delved into that, though I wish they had gone further. -Supergate -Prometheus -Daniel's bandanas -Sam's long hair -Macaroons -The fact the movies really wrapped up the Ori plotline -Ba'al clones -How Unending took the time to make it be about the characters -The training exercise episode with the kids and especially Daniel's killing everyone at the beginning -Teal'c doing the simulation in his mind and never giving up and Daniel coming in to help him -The intro of Cam as a character and his story in flashbacks.  I was already disposed to like him, but that was well done. -The episode where Daniel is hosting all those people from the pods in his brain.  Oh my gosh, Michael's acting kills me in that episode.  Janet is also splendid! -Sam's relationship with her dad -Jack and Teal'c time loop and how Jack must now be a master of pottery. :) -Vala's impulsive hugging of Sam when she comes back from the other dimension -Vala's throwing a Bday party for Daniel cause she was bored -Daniel and Jack bickering, anytime and always -Cam losing his pants a lot -They're all so good with kids -Hammond's grandchildren.  And his yeehaw! -Sam and Janet taking over the base in Hathor! -Their decision to make Janet a big part of the show -Major Davis, he was cool! -Teal'c and Vala arm wrestling No like: -Everything that happened to Sha're -How Daniel didn't have any memories after coming back from being Ascended. In fact the Ascended rules seemed to change due to what they needed to have happen.  Plus, we never really got to showcase him with his powers or anything like that.  I was so looking forward to him ripping into Anubis and then nothing...  Oma got to do it! -Abydos being destroyed.  I mean that's like destroying the hallmark of our show, our birthplace.  Plus, we just got Skaara back! -Obvious: Janet dying and how abrupt it was and how we never really found out how Cassie handled it -The Trust.  I mean, first it was like the NID was bad, then the Trust were the NID bad guys and then I thought they brought the Trust down with Sam's clever disguise, and then all of a sudden they're everywhere and into everything and apparently we'll never get rid of them cause they're convenient whenever you want to blame something on somebody on earth. -Each Colonel who comes in trying to know what's best and our guys having to show them a better way -Clipshows in general, sometimes they're really cool like with Citizen Joe, but most of the time it's just a way for me not to see my people, except doing things I've already seen them do. -How at first it was really necessary for them to learn the languages people spoke and that's partly why Daniel was so important, but then it was like everyone just spoke English all the time.  Something about the Stargates helping translate things?  But if so, really retconned and kind of a cop out.  Though, I get it, really hard to make the show sometimes otherwise.  Also, that's why everyone everywhere is human.  That's a clever way to do it, in a way. -The way the Jaffa nation just could not catch a break.  I mean, even once they were free they were fractioned and blown up and infiltrated and fighting.  Just let them have some peace to sort things out already. -The way marriage doesn't appear to be worth anything.   I've already talked about how I felt about Daniel getting all the alien chicks when he was married, but they did it to Teal'c as well.  I know there's some weird thing with Drey'auc and I guess they kind of got divorced or whatever, but from where I was looking, it seemed like he was very invested in her and Rya'c the last time we saw her.  Then Sho'nac happened.  I hated that storyline and I could have been much more sympathetic to it and appreciated her more if it had happened after Drey'auc had died.  Though having her die at all like that was just another way of them getting out of actually having relationships and honoring the vows of marriage. -The Russians getting the gate.  I mean, I kind of get it politically and all that, but it doesn't make sense to me that something that was American suddenly became Russian and we have to rent it back.  I mean, if I lose my dog, Russia can't just keep my dog, they have to give it back to me.  Morally anyway.  It just kind of bugs me. -Teal'c beard.  So glad that went away. -Martouf's death, really could have been avoided, I feel.  Plus, even though I'm all about Jack/Sam, I think they missed a real opportunity for Sam to have some kind of relationship and explored both hers and Jolinar's feelings. -Pete just being given full knowledge of the SGC for no good reason.  Everyone else gets a cover story. -The Ori weren't terrible, but I didn't find them as compelling and was annoyed at them and missed the investment I had in the fight against the Goa'uld. -Prometheus being blown up -All the politics! There's more, we know there is, but I'll leave off for now.  If I think of anything super important, I'll add it later.

[bogject]

The Script From My Review

So I started this year by asking the question (CLICK) can objects tell stories?

and the answer to this is (CLICK) yes (CLICK)

Thanks for coming! - Haha just joking! (CLICK)

The real question was HOW can objects tell stories?

This lead to me investigating the effectiveness of found artefacts vs mythical objects, which are objects intentionally crafted to have a narrative and a history.

From looking into mythical objects I was then faced with the question - (CLICK) How can I make my own story telling objects?

To kick off my investigation I decided to focus on an initial site, which was Deptford docks, and in wanting to highlight the alternative history of the docks I built a small boat and launched it into the Thames. (CLICK) I didn’t really know it at this point but by reintroducing forms of historical labour to this site I was attempting to make the history more physically apparent, even if it was on a small scale.

So then through looking into traditional sunken ship preservation, which essentially meant pickling the ship before bringing it to the surface, I started to explore different methods of food preservation. The idea of preservation in literal and metaphorical terms became key to the project. (CLICK)

I produced a series of objects, creating links to Deptford docks using food preservation methods. The idea was that the meaning was transferring from object to object. I made Thames Water Jelly, a pickled ship and a Thames trifle. (CLICK)

I later buried this trifle underground, which is another ancient method of food preservation and this lead me to discover bog butter. I’m sure you all know this by now but bog butter is literally butter which has been discovered buried in bogs, dating back to the iron age.

So in learning about bog butter I learnt more about bogs and how they contain the perfect conditions for preservation, the high acidity and low oxygen environment means that anything biological can almost perfectly be preserved within them and this is why we’re now finding butter from 2000 years ago floating around in them. (CLICK)

I then went on to visit some London bogs, the most impressive one I found was on Wimbledon Common, named Farm Bog. I had a go at making my own bog butter which involved burying it in the bog, leaving it for five days and digging it up again. I then preceded to make ice cream out of it that I let people try at the last review. I used a recipe formulated by an ice creamery based in Dingle, a town in Kerry which is a county in Ireland where a number of bog butter discoveries have been recorded. I also have extensive family in the area. So the reasoning for ice cream was split between this and the idea that ice cream was like a contemporary version of butter. At one point it was considered of high value to a community, the butter stores would be relied upon in times of bad harvests and it was considered an indulgent treat, often brought out at special occasions and important meals.

SO, after this I began to try to narrow down what it was that had intrigued me about all these food objects I’d been making, and it was something to do with the temporality of these things and how they were able to tell a story related to their direct environment in a new and interesting way. I began to read a report called ‘Materiality of Time and Temporality of Place,’ which analysed the conditions that enable time to manifest but essentially the point I took most from this was that ‘The lived body encounters the place world by going out to meet it.’

So I decided to go to Ireland. (CLICK) By doing this I hoped to more authentically explore the environments and systems involved in bog butter by recreating the conditions to physically explore it. I decided on specific sites to visit before going and tried to keep as much ephemera from the trip as possible that I could use afterwards. I kept a diary, I stored little things like receipts and filmed as much as I could.

Once again, I buried some butter, this time in two locations and I made contact with a guy named Peter Foss, an environmental science who gave me a lot of specific information on the sites I was visiting and put me in touch with various people who were knowledgable on the area.

When I came back from Ireland I made a short film that documented what I did and a zine. The first iteration of the zine wasn’t so good but I used this to create a second iteration which was a lot more succinct. Within the zine I started to try to simplify what I was doing by employing the use of timelines and showing my thinking through the intersections of these timelines. (CLICK) Here are a few examples.

So I showed all of this at the work in progress alongside a cube of bog that I fashioned from compost and acrylic. (CLICK) The feedback I got on the zine and film was good but the cube of bog came across as more of a comedic approach and this confused the overall message so I scrapped bog cube. (CLICK)

Re-evaluating after the WIP, I tried to narrow down what the project was coming to focus on. I felt it was leaning towards being about the materiality of temporality, and even me saying that out loud makes me kind of want to slap myself,  but anyway so looking to explore further the temporality of the sites I’d been investigating I started looking at processes that had historically surrounded the bog.

I did a bit of research into peat cutting. Peat is a fossil fuel that used to be cut from bogs in squares and then dried and used as fuel. This used to be a pretty big operation in Ireland. Traditionally, after harvesting the peat the families involved would stack the bricks in structure called ruckles that would help them to dry out. Whilst being the most space effective way to dry out the large amounts of peat cut, the structures looked like sculptures in themselves, often measuring over 2 metres in height and being pretty nice to look at. They were almost like monuments to the back breaking work that went into harvesting the peat.

It was at this point that I read a pretty heavy report called the ‘Temporality of the landscape’ by an anthropologist called Tim Ingold, he coined the term ‘taskscapes’ and theres a lot that could be said about this report in general, but in short he makes the point that ‘Just as the landscape is an array of related features, the taskscape is an array of related activities.’ The landscape is not a finished form it’s generated in movement. So basically, most people see the landscape as a finite image but really its continually changing on a microscopic level and this is down to systems of taskscapes, like peat cutting, where people and environment engage in tasks that form features like paths and indentations on the landscape. The idea of the impermanence of the landscape I thought linked back quite nicely to the continually evolving nature of the mythical object and shared parallels with the bog in the same way that it’s both really old but also constantly regenerating and new.

I felt I was getting a bit tied up in theory at this point so I built a ruckle of bricks in my garden (CLICK) as a way of testing out the generation of a taskscape.

Then I had a tutorial. The general points were that it felt a little insular because I hadn’t involved enough people directly. I also needed to work out who these acts were for and what it meant to be doing this at this point in time, seeing as the whole project was focused around temporality.

I’d been recording myself carrying out generative tasks throughout the project and this is when the idea that I was re-introducing forms of labour that had historically been connected with these sites of interest came about. I liked this as a more succinct and direct explanation.

Another thing that cropped up was what is the relationship between ruckles made of bricks and butter buried in bogs. The short answer is that there is no relationship between the two.

Everyone wanted me to carry on with butter as a thing and after some initial push back I realised that butter along with preservation were two key points that I needed to stick with. I then decided to actually make some butter (CLICK) which is actually a lot simpler than you might think.

So what now? I hear you scream. Well, in reviewing all of this I’ve decided that first and foremost I want to preserve the history of bog butter. I’ve really enjoyed researching it and I think it’s necessary as we’re already kind of unsure of its origins so give it another thousand years and I’m sure we’d be even worse off. By doing this I also hope to generate conversation around the importance of preserving our cultural history and traditional heritage practices that may seem somewhat obsolete today but I think still hold value when reviewing the importance placed on technological advancement and considering the ever growing disconnect between us and the natural environment.

In order to do this I want to stage a super specific re-enactment of a votive offering bog butter burial, it will most likely happen in Ireland at a bog and I want all the details to be as historically accurate as possible. I will film this and then I’ll create a publication that documents my process and the project and lays down instructions on how to retrieve this buried butter in the future. It’s my hope that I can then preserve this literature for someone to find further down the line to discover my butter, thus kind of looping the cycle and passing on the information to people in future.

(CLICK) In order to do this I have spent the past week talking to re-enactment groups and iron age experts in order to gather the right things and make sure I’m doing everything accurately. I’ve arranged some phone calls and some meetings later on in the month. I need to gather info on rituals, dress, the way they made butter and hopefully I’ll stumble on some more things in the process of getting this information.