#i want to enjoy this fandom again by s2 bc i love the show and the characters but my god

[izzy-b-hands]

just a heads up for this blog and my ocean/of md side blog (will reblog it there in a moment)

I'm no longer reblogging anything to do with of md discourse to either blog, as every time i do results in additional anon messages (anon is left on for a few folks who sent in and requested it, otherwise I'd just close it again) that im just done with. I don't feel welcome much in the fandom already, haven't for some time, and I haven't been able to find any place or voice in regards to the matter aside from being one of quite a few getting these messages sent to them, so I'm dipping out.

I'll continue to screenshot and save any anons i get, but won't be publishing them so y'all dont have to see them and deal with that shit.

[nalyra-dreaming]

hello, I am in a deep spiral about the drop/the dv.

you are so right that so many things, such as the dragging/biting don't even add up with the clean Lestat landing in s1. And his clean face definietly doesn't add up with the beat and bloody face and clothes he has in 2x07. We have the coffin dent, but we have a clean faced Lestat in the whole scene in the sky??

We all knew since s1 that the fight was a bad choice, but we all still love the show. I guess a lot of us are trying to deal with this ooc thing in a show we otherwise really enjoy. It's nice to hear that Sam doesn't really like that choice either, from what I understand? With the revisiting in s2 during the trial, so many things still don't add up, so will we revisit the fight again? How do you think they could 'redeem' that whole shitshow in s3? Posession? Armand's meddling? (since it's almost a parallel to Armand and Lestat)

Idk, I just wish the writers understood that for a lot of us, the fight doesn't make sense and we need clear explanation bc it's a pretty heavy topic. They need to be consistent with this, maybe have a genuine talk with Louis and Lestat about this. Make us understand what really happened without any more twists. I love the portrayal of Loustat in this show, aside from this. Please give me some hope bc I am so deeply obsessed with this show it rekindled my VC era and I am thinking about this day and night

Oh yeah, the show did the same for me *laughs* Sam has stated that he did not like the DV added in episode 5 and he had hoped that AMC would at least add trigger warnings, which they didn't. He also obviously was not satisfied with how 1x06 wanted to set up Lestat's turning, so he added a line.

I do think they will revisit the fight again, yes. And the trial. There are a lot of hooks set up already, especially since they used the fight in the trial. They added deliberate hints and reactions, too.

I am not sure there is "redemption", or that there needs to be redemption. I think the show won't go for "redemption", not really. They expect us to "get it" when the tale shifts again I bet - given that the shifts in the tale right now have been missed by a surprisingly lot of people I am not particularly hopeful... but I don't think Rolin & co care much for that, because emotional uproar is... engagement. And engagement is always good.

Lestat as a fictional character does not need redemption either, not really. And, as a note, the "fight" portion of episode 5 is not the problem, imho. Louis and Lestat fought, canonically. Lestat had anger problems. That's in the book. All good. But to frame it as DV with a clear power discrepancy, and then use very charged racial dynamics on top of it is what made it so irredeemable.

And I don't know how they want to dig themselves out of this, not really. I mean, fandom != general audience. Watching reactions was a bit of a reality check here, because the general audience doesn't have that big of a problem with it all. Fandom does.

And the fandom got big white abuser™ Lestat for (almost) two seasons, in more than 2 years, with a big twist at the end that a lot seem to have missed. With a lot of insinuated meddling and mental influence of the tale. And in s3 they will go to his POV and leave the memory part a bit, by Rolin's words.

I think s3 will give us Lestat telling us of a kind of "black out" during the fight (outside)... and some kind of influence. Maybe he will know what it is, maybe he won't yet (namely Amel). I think he won't know yet. And I think s3 will show us the key scenes between Armand and Lestat... and Nicki. And if we're lucky they will make the echo/parallel there clear, namely Armand telling Lestat he waited for him, and then throwing Lestat off a height, in the book the tower.

We will see.

Given season 2 and the reveals they chose there and how they chose them there... I am not too hopeful they will spell things out.

I don't think they will care to spell them out, outside the episode insiders that is (they have been much more clear in those this season, granted). For them, it's irrelevant of the majority of the audience "gets" the hinted at parallels or reveals. The story will work "enough" with the basic reveals.

Still. Given who Lestat is for the chronicles? Given who Louis is? Given who they are?

Season 3 needs to land. Stick. Hit. And leave this ugly business behind.

And therefore... I hope it will be done then.

Whatever way.

I do think there will be more twists incoming... but I hope that we will be done with the shit pertaining to Louis and Lestat themselves. Given the structure of the books - and the show's - I have a careful hope that we might be soon.

Fingers crossed.

[fruitageoforanges]

Hello, I read your aegond fic series recently and wow, it’s kind of crazy how so many small details you added to it actually ended up happening in the show 😭 the little sunfyre boops, theory going around fandom rn that helaena sometimes mends Aegon’s clothing when she’s embroidering. MOST of Aegon’s characterization this season. Even Aegon listening to petitions kind of felt like the scene with Helaena doing the same. And I think you captured the vibes I get from all 3 of them based on the show perfectly. Aemond’s temper and overall pragmatic attitude is so spot on, the scene of him dressing down larys reminded me of him talking to the substitute Lannister hand in your fic.

It’s like my fix it for all the wasted potential of season 2. Im so sad bc i’m loving the actors’ portrayals but i hate so much of what they’re making them do?? So thank you for writing it!! You took everything i liked from the show and made smth very lovely and emotionally cathartic from it

Also would love to hear your thoughts on season 2 bc I think your characterization for the siblings and Alicent is so spot on. Anything you liked or disliked from what they’ve been doing so far?

thank you so much! i’m glad you enjoyed the series, and that it can make up for a bit of the stupidity of s2! as you can probably tell from the way i wrote the yellow dress series, i’m not best pleased with a lot of the writing choices for s2. i’ll go through each of the characters and tell you what i think:

alicent: i’m torn, because while i feel like show!alicent (and show!rhaenyra) does a massive disservice to book!alicent, because the showrunners seem to have got it in their heads that a sympathetic woman is one who is constantly the victim of those around her and that sympathy is more important than making a character interesting, i also think her characterisation in this season is pretty coherent for the way they set her up in s1, and i do enjoy it. ironically what i really enjoy is her and aemond’s relationship falling apart — i saw a very good post talking about the driftmark incident, and how aemond idolises her for her expression of protective fury while she hates that she lost control like that, and him realising she’s never going to stand up for him instead of rhaenyra like that again is an excellent way to fracture their relationship.

helaena: i really like her characterisation! aside from the fact that maelor not existing really diminishes b&c, i think they’ve struck a good balance between showing her being heavily affected but not reducing all of her agency like in the book. the fact that they’re giving her and aegon’s relationship more weight than they did in s1 pleases me greatly.

aegon: i mostly enjoy his characterisation this season — i really enjoyed the second brothel scene as it showed he hasn’t really stopped being a bit of a shit to aemond over the years, and let’s be honest, he’s never going to stop, that’s just how their relationship is. what i don’t like is the ways the showrunners have deliberately exaggerated his incompetence, like him being shut out of the plan for rook’s rest, going into battle drunk and not even knowing high valyrian. i feel like this is partially because the showrunners really want us to know this is the rhaenyra show, and partially what i said above with regards to alicent — because it’s the rhaenyra show, they seem to have it in their head that characters can only be sympathetic if they’re victimised by others to some degree and not directly involved in prosecuting the war. so if they want some degree of sympathy for aegon, they feel like they have to diminish his involvement, and make him a victim of his own team, which leads me on to…

aemond: of all the greens, i’m most annoyed at how aemond has been characterised this season. the writers seem to have decided he’s the character they can make an unequivocal villain even to his own side in order to make alicent and aegon “more sympathetic”. this when they did such a good job in his 13 minutes of screen time in s1 of making him more than the one-dimensional psycho he was in the book. and even in the book, he didn’t betray aegon at rook’s rest!! that was the lazy way out of the aegond relationship — though i might’ve hated it less if it was given any emotional weight. ewan mitchell is wasted on this writing; he does so well with simple facial expressions, but the writers seem to have decided that aside from the first brothel scene, aemond doesn’t get to have emotions. or, you know, a coherent character arc — with aegon’s comments about him being a loyal hound in ep 1, i thought he was being set up to have to choose between his own ambitions and loyalty, or that he might have a scrap of complicated feelings about rook’s rest, but no, the evil switch has been flipped, so bye bye character arc. that said, i love how he’s demolishing the small council at the moment and cackled out loud when he put larys down. get his ass, babygirl. he’s also the only targtower at the moment to be actually focusing on winning the war, so well done my pragmatic wife.

daeron: he exists! at last! stupid to not even mention him in s1, but i’m so fucking excited to meet him and deeply tickled to think of him as a mini-gwayne.

i don’t have too many thoughts about team black other than that the show has done unforgivable things to baela the brave… but i must admit that jace has wormed his way into my heart by being a) the prettiest, most fashionable princess of the season and b) constantly done with rhaenyra’s bullshit. he and aemond need to get together and commiserate over having to deal with their mothers’ nonsense.

[raayllum]

It's hard to tell because it's only been some posts but you sound somewhat frustrated with pre-season discussions happening elsewhere for The Dragon Prince? In any case, I thought you might appreciate the note that some people certifiably do like Rayla and Callum as characters perfectly well (I know I do at least and have since the start)?

I'm sure you're aware of it already but it felt somewhat like it'd help you not feel like you're typing into a void of dissent for enjoying them and the show concurrently? Even if I'd disliked the time skip in some capacities (I didn't particularly, I thought Rayla had good instincts wanting proof of death etc she just perhaps should have taken more backup for higher success chances if at all possible) Stella's introduction would have won me over entirely anyway.

There's no shame in being easily charmed by adorable animal characters, after all! She really is cute and also useful in limited capacities, like Bait.

If you wanted an actual ask with the above I suppose that I'm intrigued how similarly you thought Bait and Stella functioned as extended powers/company of their respective people and in the group?

Mostly on twitter (which is a reason to stay off twitter) but, in all honesty, it's mostly because it's annoying to see people use ship names or main tags for their complaining (I have "tdp critical" blacklisted or whatever for a reason y'know). Like as someone who truly deeply loves every character and every part of the show, when Claudia or Terry or Aaravos or anyone else gets promo I'm thrilled and intrigued and theorizing. And there's a minimal but loud portion(s) of the fandom who are either currently expressing (or have a track record) of annoyance when Callum and Rayla, as main characters and as the show's consistently most developed dynamic (which, I want to stress, has been the case even in s1 and s2) dare to be main characters and have marketing, there's an uproar of complaining. (Again, not the majority, but still baffles me that it exists at all.)

It'd be like if I complained about ATLA being primarily about Aang, its main character, for the majority of the show's run because I thought Toph needed more of a character arc (she's the least developed of the gaang bc she comes in s2 and has a general self-acceptance arc that doesn't need a ton of steps, for ex).

Sometimes favourite characters are there to have minimal screentime, execute their story purpose, and highlight other characters' arcs. The divide between characters where that's generally understood (Gren, Lain, Tiadrin, Opeli) vs characters where it's not (Aaravos in S4/S5, Runaan) again irks me because of the inconsistency, and therefore bias accordingly affecting judgement. Which maybe isn't fair - most people, myself included, are in fandom as a hobby, and for some people that means not evaluating their biases and not wanting to adjust their expectations; I just can't imagine doing anything else

I think Bait mostly serves as emotional support to Ezran and a lil guy to Talk to for Callum (2x05, 4x02) when a human character wouldn't quite make sense or is gone (Rayla is his usual confidant, for example). Stella is more interesting to me from a structure standpoint as 1) a character connected to the Star arcanum who thus far doesn't really need to be, so I'm curious there and 2) a juxtaposition to post-timeskip Rayla's "we can't save everyone" that her big heart and soft insides is still there, and still something worth listening to.

[aplaceinme]

Here's the thing… all the people saying that if buddie doesn't become canon this season, they won't watch anymore, are straight up lying lol They have been doing this since s2!

So, here's my experience with shipping buddie and seeing people going crazy over them since s2! (I started watching the show live since the second half of s2).

The moment that made me realize that this people were just TOO MUCH and that I was going to step aside a bit and just enjoy the ship without looking for 'clues' and theories, etc., was after “Eddie Begins”.

After that episode, everyone and their mother were saying that 'there's no heterosexual explanation to the way Buck reacted'. And I was like, what do you mean? Yes, there fucking is! So, I asked one of the big blogs if they truly wouldn't react that way if what happened to Eddie happened to a close friend of them. Their answer? “No, I wouldn't, only if I had feelings for them.” And the rest of them agreed with that.

And I was just [insert the guy blinking meme] What do you mean? What type of friendships do you have?!?

So, I pretty much stayed away from speculation and things like that. I just continue to watch the show, and reading fics.

But, obviously, I would still end up seeing a lot of things.

This is what the pattern has been since s2 till now (and it will for sure continue for however many seasons there are of the show):

Big buddie blog makes a post speculating about when buddie will become canon. To do so, they use different theories: couch theory, Oliver's social media theory, color theory, what they are wearing theory, what song is playing theory, the way they shot the scene theory, the way the light/sun was in that scene theory, etc. etc. They would also use the interviews (which they would twist as much as possible so that it would fit their narrative). If someone said, 'buddie is not going canon' then it means that it's obviously becoming canon bc they can't say it will, they won't spoil the show. And if someone said sth positive about Buck and Eddie's friendship, it also meant buddie canon. Basically, they would make the posts with absolute certainty that buddie was going to happen that X season.

All the rest of the buddie fans, would see those posts and theories and would eat it right up. They would reblog and be excited to watch the episodes because at any moment, buddie would be canon.

The first half of a season ended without even a hint of buddie happening anytime soon.

People would go to the big buddie blogs and asked them why they lied? How can they explain what happened? What does it all mean?

The big buddie blogs would make a post saying: "Guys, I was just speculating and theorizing as one does in fandom. Just having fun. I've never promised anything. I'm going to step away from my blog from a while because I don't deserve those asks."

Two days later, they would make a post again, this time saying, "Guys, I've thought about it. And don't give up hope, buddie is so becoming canon in the next half of the season. We have to remember this a slow burn. They have left us all of these clues (insert everything I put in the number 1 point). By the end of the season, buddie canon! Also, Oliver wants it!"

Everyone would buy it again, and would watch all the episodes of the last half of the season expecting buddie.

Buddie would not happen.

Repeat point 4

Repeat point 5

Repeat point 6, but adding that it was going to be the next season.

Repeat all the points over again.

During all of that, they would threaten to quit watching the show if buddie didn't become canon (this has been happening for years and they have never quit, unfortunately!), they would say that it is queerbaiting, they would hate Tim and Kirsten and x writer and x somebody. They would obviously hate on any love interest and the actresses that were playing them.

Some other things that happened:

When the will episode happened, and Eddie used Evan instead of Buck, they all freaked out. It was romantic, and of course Eddie was the only one to use it (besides Maddie). So many fics were written with Eddie using Evan. So, really the only reason they are upset about Tommy using Evan is because Tommy is the one doing it and not Eddie.

When everything with Ryan happened, Oliver and Ryan stopped following each other on Instagram and both of them even deleted pictures of the other. What did the big buddie blogs say? “Oliver and Ryan are professional actors, even if they hate each other now, they will still have to act in love when buddie happens. This situation is not going to change that from happening. They have to do what the script and Tim wants, so…buddie canon!” Therefore, them saying that Oliver hates Lou and so bucktommy will break up, it's once again bullshit because in their own words: “they are both professional actors so it doesn't matter what they feel for each other.”

Pretty much every single thing that they hate about the bucktommy storyline, every single that they complain about, it's just because it is happening with Tommy. If Eddie had made the 'God, I hope so' line, they would have been all over it, writing fanfic and everything.

Honestly, there are probably more things but right now this is all I can think about.

Right now, because of everything that happened, I don't longer ship buddie (obvious if you see my blog). I could have happily been a multishipper and love both buddie and bucktommy, but they have absolutely ruined buddie for me. I can't even read fanfic of them anymore.

[tio-trile]

came back here on tumblr after literal years just for gomens 2 stuff and i got a notif from you. I feel happy seeing your blog again,, so its so surprising for me that you disliked s2, purely just bc youre someone i consider as monumental to the entire fandom bc of your loyalty pre-TV era. so it's intriguing to know your thoughts abt the tv version.

i read your points and DAMN you reminded me of the stuff i didnt like back in s1 that I FORGOT bc so many years have passed since i watched + read the series. I forgot how much I loved bastard, asshole Aziraphale. TV him is characterized as 100% good, better than heaven dude which isn't bad.. and hes very fluffy and adorable. But i always liked the difference between that and crowley being a demon and yet nice. i always missed him calling him "my dear" too. If theyre gonna make them lovey dovey in TV, make him call him my dear damn it!!

As a book fan too, i personally loved s2. But reading your points made me realize it wasnt completely perfect so I respect your side. I do hope s3 turns out to be better than our expectations so you can tune back to it again. I just want you to have more content that you can enjoy even if it's completely new stuff. I understand the feeling so bad of having new stuff but being unable to enjoy it (a diff show for me). Makes you wonder what kind of plot he and Terry originally planned for all this fanservicey stuff to happen. I agree about the book part too, Crowley would never throw those around! The part with them meeting as angels, honestly I think it wouldve been better if they just didn't remember it so they wouldn't ruin their first meeting in the book. It would've been fine as a throwaway like "they met but don't remember."

With the finale,, hmmm I think TV!Azira's characterization def plays a part in why he did it. TV!him screams as someone who is still insecure about being an angel and losing his privileges. So he took the only opportunity he could to change heaven so he and Crowley could live in peace, after seeing Gabriel who is alr so powerful, be cast away after that decision. I'm curious though, how would you think book!him would think in this decision?? With an Armageddon 2 coming up again I can't imagine of anything else the two of them could do to fight it again w/o an influence in higher power.

Oh geez, I sure hope that nobody has notification on for my blog right now 😂 (or ever)...it'll be so annoying for them 🤣🤣 and honestly, I'm just some guy on the internet running a blog with no profit to gain from being "loyal" to a fandom, so I'm gonna truthfully share my opinions. And yeah like you said, it's possible to enjoy the book and the show at the same time, just taking into consideration that they are different media and characters. It's hard to imagine book!Aziraphale in this situation because there has been too many differences that led to this situation......and I just don't see book!Aziraphale in this situation, because to begin with, I don't think Gabriel would even go to him in times of trouble, lol. So let's say that Metatron directly went to him after everything had happened and Gabriel had already ran off and offered him the position (with an offer he can't refuse) -- I think he would have to accept on the surface, and then he would immediately go to Crowley to try to work their way out of it/figure out a way to keep the position but still slacks off all the time like he's always done 😂😂

[vole-mon-amour]

1x02, rewatch. Part1.

their love for each other. <3 they're such a nice match.

You're a douche, but I love you anyway.

Can you believe they're in love now?

Tbh, I'm surprised about how easygoing and calm Roy is in 1x01 and here. He's more emotional somehow in s3? With more emotions bottled up?

I'm sorry, he has a yellow iphone in s1? Ok then.

Jamie just can't sit straight from DAY ONE. Also, Sam is playing Nintendo. Niiice.

Just yesterday I wrote a post about Jamie being brave for finding his true inner voice and trying to communicate with people. What I find precious is that, aside being mean to Sam and occasionally to his fellow players in s1, Jamie is trying to communicate with Ted anyway, since ep1. Ted asks a question if the snacks are tasty enough, and Roy goes, "Jesus Christ." Jamie, however, walks up to Ted and easily answers. Ted nods to him in gratitude, like, "Thank you. It's noted and will be fixed."

In 1x01, Jamie is ready to go as Keeley walks in, "Sorry, Coach, she ordered me waxing. [...] Unless you want me to stay?" and he ACTUALLY waits for Ted to answer him. It's a show's base for Ted to be awkward and tell Jamie, like, "No, you can go", but if he said that, "Actually, I need you to stay for a moment", I'm sure Jamie would stay. When Jamie is on his way out, he nods to Ted and bumps fists with him in a high five manner.

Like, it's nice gestures. Jamie is actually a nice kid underneath all that abuse and trying to act up to cover for the consequences of that abuse. I'm not saying being mean is justified if you were abused, but I do understand where it's coming from with Jamie. I love this kid.

Jamie's caaar. Keeley will occasionally be Jamie's driver, but she still gets to use that car whenever and however she likes. I'm glad that Jamie's salary allows him to treat people he loves like THAT. Himself, too, obviously.

I forgot how mean Rebecca is in s1, wow. It's like she's a completely different woman compared to s3.

Rebecca & Keeley. <3 Keeley is such a sweetheart.

Can someone explain why the hell did I suddenly fall into some het/bi ship so hard. Like, I always liked Jamie during first two seasons, I just screamed about it on twt instead of tumblr. But jfc, the moment s3 started airing, it's like I turned into a different person (or maybe I finally allowed myself to enjoy this ships in this universe). Maybe it's also bc I binged the first 2 seasons on my own and didn't participate in the fandom. Then there was such a big gap between s2 and s3, and now I'm watching s3 every week and marinade in it, so it's kind of dragging me into this void.

Like, I ship them. Absolutely unironically. S3 Jamie and Keeley kissing when? When you have your ships/ot3 and you'll go down with them.

Again, he participates. He communicates. Roy wouldn't even get involved (many from the team wouldn't tbh), but Jamie? Sorry, but he's a sweetheart as well & I love him with all my heart.

Jamie winking at Keeley, then gently slaps her ass. It's ridiculous that I like this ship this much, really. S3 is gonna murder me and drag my corpse around by the end of it.

Pub dates. <3 They're so wholesome.

Your husband best friend holding your coffee while you play with a teen in a park. <3 They're really cute.

[jakowskis]

Day 15 - Are there any ships you dislike?

alrighty so. there are only rlly four i ‘dislike’, and the first three… it’s more complicated than anything, it’s not entirely utter pure-n-simple disdain. it’s less about the ships themselves (in two of the cases, anyway) and more about how they seem to be perceived by the fandom + how much they dominate everything. other ships exist, guys! the other characters exist! anyway ill try not to be mean but i am gonna be petty, lol

so for starters, yeah, jack x ianto. i have a very specific view of it, that i do enjoy, but the fandom seems to be doing something else entirely and i've developed some resentment despite myself. especially bc it’s overrated as fuck. don’t get me wrong, it’s iconic, as far as being culturally significant gay rep, but if im honest idk how well they hold up in 2024? i thought their relationship in s1 and s2 of the show was lackluster at best. poorly written bread crumbs. and yeah i know it was big for 2006 but im just personally kind of offended that they could show them sucking face but not show the intricacies of why the hell ianto would fall for a guy who shot his girlfriend down?? like, their relationship is inherently dark and angsty to me and im interested in exploring that, bc the show certainly doesn’t (initially) bother to, and a lot of the fan content i see is either fluffy (??????????), or angsty in a Tragique way, or is just kind of… fetishy and whumpy? people slot them into a Specific Kind of Dynamic and it grosses me tf out. so the fandom culture rubs me wrong, and then it’s just… such a bummer to like owen and tosh and gwen in a fandom that only seems to prioritize this one ship. there are 22k fics in the torchwood ao3 tag, and 13k of them are janto. now, all that being said… they do intrigue me and endear me, just a bit. but it took the audios to make me give a fuck about them, which is sad. 

on that same note - i have the same relationship with tosh x owen, but i'm significantly less fond of it, cuz it just plain rubs me wrong. i like them in theory, so i spent months trying to figure out how to make them work and what other people are seeing that they think is so endearing and cute - i just can't find it. owen's treatment of tosh is just about the only thing i can't stand about him. he treats everyone poorly, but most of the rest of the cast defends themself (or even hit back, like ianto and gwen, and thats why i ship them with him! it’s spicy! i love balanced unhealthy dynamics in fiction hfdsjkf i can’t lie) - but tosh just lets him, creating an unhealthy power imbalance where she’s just getting hurt over and over again, and it makes me wanna fucking punch him cuz she does Not deserve that. i want him far away from her lmao. except under certain circumstances, cuz i have written fic about them, and i’ve read like three rlly good ones (and the main link between them is tosh stands up for herself and puts him in his place! i HATE how he walks all over her in canon ughhhhhhhhh). additionally, i do admittedly enjoy the angst of their canon arc. i just think fandom throwing them together and making it cutesy is lazy, uncreative, and an injustice to both characters. i think the SHOW throwing them together was an injustice to both characters, especially tosh’s. they're tragic and compelling, ill give them that, but theyre not sweet, and i don't think they'd be good for each other. 

(also worth noting on a show where everyone has tension w each other, imo barrowman & gareth and naoko & burn pull it off the least convincingly and have little to no chemistry. like every other duo just kind of sparks in some way or another, and neither of those duos do. which SUCKS bc they’re the canon ones. but it’s also heavily poor writing like they were doing the best w what they had. grr. like i still dont know what the fuck ianto likes about jack or what tosh likes about owen 😭 that’s ridiculous!)

the other ship i’m petty about is jack x john hart. i just think it’s far too popular for what it is. idek why that is, do we have a substantial amount of buffy fans in the fandom? don’t get me wrong, i liked john in the show + i liked their relationship as well, but i'll always be annoyed when a minor character gets more attention than the fascinating main ones. 

and lastly i hate john x ianto, because i respect ianto, lmao. i can’t lie, if he was my fav i’d probs ship it HJFKDSHFK i love putting my favs in awful situations. but as is it just grosses me out. get him outta there!! 

tldr: i don’t interact w the john hart side of the fandom, and if a fic is tagged 'jack/ianto tosh/owen gwen/rhys' i probably won’t read it 😷

[waywardmillennial]

update on me

what I've been up to the past few months -- that'll end up being mostly a fandom update bc that is my life (no joke) and also some insights into what I'll be blogging about more now

✰ dan and phil games returned!

anyone who follows me on discord knows I love dnp and I was shocked when they made their dramatic comeback last October. that funeral video was so extra, in the most dnp way! I'm so happy that they're already making the channel whatever they want it to be, and can both be out and make so many gay jokes now

✰ ofmd s2

it was beautiful. it was sad. it was joyous. those first few eps were so much darker than we were used to, but I trusted Jenks and he did a great job (esp when you think of max cutting so much of their budget -- bugs bunny meme to those twats). but I was given so many Izzy feelings that I never asked for T_T doing what I can to help get s3 renewed and I have some hope

✰ loki s2

this one was also beautiful, and heartbreaking, but in a good hurt kind of way. this season was made with so much love and honestly one of the best things marvel has ever made. s2 also gave us O.B. (Ke Huy Quan I love you!) and it was even gayer than s1 which I didn't know was possible. I want more (kinda?) but also don't want them to mess up what was practically a perfect ending -- and the most canon lokius we could have hoped for. if they decide to let the old men kiss, then they can greenlight s3

✰ doctor who

the end of the year really kept given me more fandom content than I could keep up with -- but having Tennant and Tate back together again was such a joy! and following the trend of everything else I've been excited about recently, DW came back loudly declaring "gay rights!" I'm unsure if disney being so involved is a good thing (I'm inclined to say it's not) but I already love Ncuti and I can't wait for more of Fifteen & Ruby. and I'm still crying about Wilf tbh

✰ the marvels

solid movie. so much fun. Kamala and family stole the show! and god bless they made Carol gayer

✰ holiday times

I put more effort into celebrating halloween and christmas and enjoyed both of them more than I have in the past few years, so that was really nice.

✰ creative writing

I have only started to get back into doing anything creative but I have a few ideas. I'd like to finally post a stony fic this year. and maybe lokius. and probably skippypants (I have a few others that are very rare pair, so who knows)

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot a big one!

✰ gf live

what an amazing show! the boys are so good with a live audience and it was a treat to watch the show with a whole theatre full of people. it's the best way to watch it imo and I would do it again. and at my show Mari came up to wait in a line near me so I talked to her for a bit. I didn't ask for a photo or anything, just had a normal conversation. but I definitely melted into a puddle right after and she is even more beautiful in person!

[naranjapetrificada]

i’ve seen the izzy anti archive post abt how they’re not even excited for s2 anymore bc the “gentlebeardies” have ruined the show for them. like i don’t want to tell anyone how to enjoy their fandom experience but they are very clearly just making themselves miserable by focusing on the part of the fandom that makes them upset and for their own sake i hope they take a break from the fandom and learn to re-love the show again. so to answer ur question, no i don’t think that person is ok sjsgjshf

Right! Life is so short (something this show and many of its fics have made me think deeply about and shed actual tears over) and it's a shame to spend so much time on something that presumably makes them unhappy? Although maybe it doesn't, it's entirely baffling to me so I can only guess.

As for "gentlebeardies" I've seen someone else ask this before but like, did people miss all the interviews where DJ and the cast talk about that relationship being literally the reason the show exists? We've all shipped non-canonically (in fact I would guess the overwhelming majority of queer ships in any fandom are non-canonical) but there's that and there's like, the level of resentment that makes you say "gentlebeardies" are ruining a show for you. That resentment is a little more understandable in other fandoms when there's been queerbaiting because of course you would resent a heteronormative canon there, but the canon relationship here is also queer. It just seems like such an outsized reaction.

Anyway I hope they maybe step away from it all if they need to. I've definitely been in situations before where being super deep in a fandom has taken the shine off the source material, which is always a bummer. In those moments it's always helped me to either step back completely or at the very least, take a break from fandom stuff to reengage with the source material that I liked in the first place. Never let fandom ruin something you love!

[izzy-b-hands]

fanfic asks! 5, 8, and 14

Ella!!! Thank you for asking 🫂🫂

Putting this under a cut because I am a wordy motherfucker as ever and This Got Long, I'm So Sorry💖

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

Oh god. So Many fkldsjaflkdsjfa. I'll stop at twoish here, but pls know that if y'all want more for other fandoms, I can add to this post with more lmaoo, I love sharing these.

-There was one for LOTR that still sticks in my brain years since first having it: Sam suddenly leaving the Shire and wandering aimlessly, but refusing to settle anywhere.

Over the course of it, he would get help/care/concern from wherever he stopped with whoever remained in each location, but he would refuse to stay for more than a few days or accept more than like. Bare bones food/medical care/etc, leading to literally everyone he meets and of course his family and friends still in the Shire to go to Frodo to beg, plead with him.

One last adventure, because their grand adventure to save the world and destroy the ring changed Sam too, even if he never showed it as much. Don't let him go where no one else can follow, and bring him home.

Whether Frodo would or not was the bit that made me shelve the idea, bc I figured a lot of fans would not enjoy the potential avenue I was leaning towards, that he might hesitate only in that he isn't sure he can handle the journey himself.

That, and realising that the way my brain wanted to write it, it might well end with Frodo and Sam realising neither of them can bare to go back, and deciding to wander together until they'd either die or find elves sailing willing to take them to the Undying Lands.

-There's a whole bundle of Saints Row ideas, mostly Gat/Aisha/Boss and all fairly heavy in being AUs where Aisha lives and things go slightly differently for Gat in SR 3 &4 (I'd keep the aliens tho lmao, I want Aisha to get to go to space too dang it!!)

A lot of Gat realising that he keeps nearly losing the people closest to him that give him reason to live (Aisha and the Boss, tho of course the rest of the Saints as well to a slightly lesser extent), but that he doesn't know how to be anything else for them. He's a living weapon many a time, and is genuinely happy that way, but knows that it puts them in danger because he tends to always escalate things, even when later he can admit maybe shooting a motherfucker in the face over a Costco discount was actually not the best way to solve that issue. However, ultimately, The Boss can't seem to live any other way either, and he's accepted that he's at his happiest when he has both of them in his life, so he can't just up and cut with Aisha to a random suburb and leave the Boss behind. And Aisha, despite her contempt for a lot of it, during one of their Big Talks would admit that even if she dislikes what they do, she does enjoy the lifestyle and knows Boss and Gat would be losing their minds trying to adjust to any other life.

On that note, that's also a fic idea I'll probably never write for them lol, where they go straight and move away to somewhere entirely new with Gat and the Boss having to get actual 8-5 jobs (and maybe something remote for Aisha bc I know it would still be risky for her to ever leave the house but. Goddamn let her do something!! Talk to some other ppl!!!) and just. It's not going to last and they know it won't, all three of them, but they're also three of the stubbornest fucking people alive so. When it ends, it'll go up in flames for everyone around them until they're living in a way they find satisfying again.

8. What project(s) are you currently working on?

Somehow too many and not enough at the same time. That is, I'm having a lot of percolating ideas for new things and ways to continue current drafts for a few different fandoms, but none of it is making it down onto paper (without being deleted two minutes later at least lol.)

That said, a couple draft examples:

-an OFMD S2 fix it gentlebeard POV, Stede specifically, wherein the crew comes to visit and be their first official guests and it's...a lot for them. They both already feel the place isn't fixed up enough and then the crew comes in all jovial and essentially as one big happy polycule w/arms full of loot (actually gifts for Ed & Stede that are indeed looted, but my two lil goofballs gotta have their emotional moments before they get that info and realise that the crew isn't just trying to show off & make them feel shit for staying on land.)

This one is actually done and ends happily w/some actual communication between everyone involved, but it sits unpublished bc I think it might be too saccharine (also every time I dare to write for Ed/Stede I get shouted at even if they claim they liked it so. not exactly eager to court that reaction again even if I have anon off on everything lmao)

-May have already talked abt this in prior days but, a Frenchie/Ed s2 au in which Frenchie convinces Ed to let everyone else go, so long as Frenchie agrees to stay with him as his new first mate (read: his new Izzy bc while Izzy is v alive in this, he's also hidden away until Ed and Frenchie leave the Revenge lol.)

I haven't decided on a final avenue yet for this, but right now have been playing w/: Frenchie & Ed operating as a two man wrecking crew while they gather new crew and a new ship, meanwhile Jim, Archie, Fang, and Izzy are working to find Stede and everyone else to tell them how Frenchie has essentially given himself a suicide mission, and even if they agreed to it so they could initially get away, they sure as fuck aren't going to let him or Ed die as a result of all of this. Cut to them having some silly fumbling reunion (literal list of ideas for this, they're all not great, trust me when I say this bit needs more work yet lol), then following the trail of blood, bodies, and tears to find Frenchie and Ed. Who, during all of this, are actually having some meaningful and approaching healthier conversations abt their traumas and have gotten closer during them. A lot closer. Very close. And it's not an issue of monogamy; they make clear at the start with each other that this might not have any legs outside of their current situation, and they both know that Stede probably won't care, and they've both been fucking Izzy so they know he definitely doesn't care (and has told them as much more than once after noticing them Noticing each other.) Their fear is that it will, and that what they both want isn't compatible (Frenchie knows they can't sail forever, but he'd rather die at sea. Ed, after struggling with it, admits that he's still not entirely sure if land or sea is best for him. But he does feel like he has to choose one over the other.) And what the fuck are they gonna do then? Because if that's the case and it ends what they have on every level, that'll mark yet another failure for them in both of their brains, and they're both entirely too fragile for that to happen, it'll be the crack that shatters Ed and splits the Box of Trauma in Frenchie's brain even wider open. But they do have love for each other, and can't ignore that either.

14. If you could see one of your fics adapted into a visual medium, such as comic or film, which fan fic would you pick?

Oh man. I'm gonna be selfish and give myself two bc I can't decide for sure between them and the first one is entirely too selfish a choice on its own on top of that but

Dancer and/or All For Myself (even tho it isn't finished, I know, I know!!! I always want it badly to be finished. That's still my game plan for this one, I swear!)

Like, Taron probably wants nothing to do with the Kingsman stuff anymore, absolutely valid. But my god seeing Dancer as a full movie or extended series or something would be amazing. It's not everyone's cup of tea for many reasons and I understand why, but I worked so hard on that lil fucker. I'm so proud of it. It's one of the few that I think, if I got the opportunity, I could edit and change up enough to sell as just above direct to dvd level movie script. I can't describe how it felt writing it; it was a particular feeling and magic I have not recaptured since writing this fucking fic lmao (still chasing it tho!)

The second one is just because I like seeing Con and Samba together and they seem to have fun and both enjoy the concept of rizzy so like. If in some universe where incredibly unlikely things actually happen, they came to me and asked for finished script version of AFM, y'all would not see me for ages bc I would lock myself down until I had it done. I'm talking living off of red bull and edibles and whatever snacks I remember to cram in my face-fueled writing, coming out the other end in need of a shower, actual food, sleep, but holding a beautifully shining script. I've done it before, and I would happily do it again for them lol. Plus, it would involve filming locally, and I just think that would be cool to do, to showcase the area. Lots of very cool and pretty filming locations, beach days...idk, I'd be happy to come along for every day of it and just do shit to help out. Pay me if you can/want, but I'm just happy to be there to see the process.

Thank you again for asking, as you can tell I had a good time and it was lovely to get to gush abt all of this for a bit!!!

[depressedtheatrekiddo]

I think I died but also like lived and it's all so AVDOWNPFWNNSOQ

I kinda don't understand what I am feeling.

Yeah u're right I just watched S2 of Good Omens:)

So I'm gonna tell how I fell so S2 Good Omens spoilers❗

I knowed things were gonna turn 😃 that 😃 way bc someone (me) forgot to block the hasthag and saw something bc ✨ stupid Dio ✨ so whatever I usually do this with everything VQIFBWLWNWLSL

The thing is— I also kept with me very beautiful things at the end.

I LOVED GABI/JIM AND BEL RELATIONSHIP LIKE— Okay, hear me out. I still don't like Gabi that much bc what he did to Azi BUT also like they're so cute😭✨ and if he really changed I would be so happy BUT I need and apology long dance to my angel bc he treated Azi freaking bad.

SBODWMMS

Okay— At the end of the season I was like more or less mad with Azi bc I couldn't understand shit (and bc I love Crowley so so much<3) but now that I read some theories, coffee theory 4 example, or also a post in Instagram that explained that Azi stills feels like an angel and believes he can make a change there, he believes in being good and I think it's beautiful. It still breaks my heart? Yes, bc I think we know it's going to be very complicated to change things in Heaven (we know how it works) and maybe Azi is going to get hurt, not physically (maybe too? I'm scared now) but emotionally bc of the process of how things work and the stress of becoming someone more more important with obligations and without the options he had in Earth.

I LOVE CROWLEY THANK U VERY MUCH. (Like not romantically but VWIDNWLAL) I loved to see them before their fall and it hurt me so much to then watch how they are now, bc they were just a baby😭😭 and PUM CRAHS GOODBYE 😃😃 So yes. Alsoalso I loved so much the plants thing and the interactions with Muriel and Gabi/Jim. The moment when they asked if they could get in the house again now that Shax wasn't going to be there and that they were tired of being in the car THE FACE OF AZI I DIED. AND THE MOMENT WHEN CROWLEY TALKED WITH AZI AND THEN RJEIWKWLWLWLW. Dead. I was crying. Loves, I don't cry (usually) when I watch shows/read. I swear I could felt Crowley pain through my computer.

ALSO apart from the end that I also loved BUT EVERYTHING it's like SO SO GOOD I enjoyed every moment and it was so lovely and I fell in love with everything and everyone. I watched like two episodes a day before breakfast to enjoy my first time watching the season bc it's a beautiful experience and I enjoyed A LOT finding some easter eggs by myself, it's not a long time that I'm here in the fandom so I didn't understand some things, but know that I read other people posts and theories and experiences I think I will enjoy more my rewatch bc it's gonna be so beautiful<3

I just wanted to thank everyone who worked on the series because it was so beautiful and lovely and it made me felt and I just can't explain how much I appreciate this season.

So thanks<3

Have a nice day loves🩷🩷

[makoandharu]

Hi, thanks for all the rant about FS2, like I won't lie a part of me did enjoy but I know 100% stem from the fact that the characters are so much serotonin free (pun non intended) for me that just seeing their face make me happy (and I also did like seeing them hang out) but story was 😭😭😭 why did they do that??? Haru just go to Hungary without telling anyone?? What?? HE WENT PAST THAT?? And how he said he is okay to not be normal, that line i hate it so much IT'S NOT HARU CHARACTER!!! I never truly mind Haru going pro given the genre (tho the stories where he is not are *chief kiss*) but make him say that?? No just no!!! And how they lessen Makoharu bond??? Wtf?! Or Makoto in general... Also Asahi, the last scene with him wtf was that??? God why did him dirty?? Also where is my natsunao swimming??? Natsuya didn't complain about that for all this time to not see them??? And what Rei's dream?? WHY HARU CALLS SOUSUKE?? I know it's the spotlight color but I still need to know??? You can tell me that and now give me the answer??? And you can at least give Iwatobi swimming club random npc to the club like S2, why Romio, Shizuru and Ayumu have to be alone? What's Gou and Isuzu uni? I like how Kaede become part of the group but it was waaaay too fast (people complain about Hiyori but it makes sense seeing his proximity with Ikuya) and what's Albert's point? Like the idea of him becoming free is nice on paper but on practice it fall flat, like the imagery is nice but didn't do much... Also Ryuuji and Kaede's cousin plot lead to nowhere?? What happen to him actually, why making them parallel MH?? What's even is his name again?? Like design wise I love him but we could literally cut him off and nothing change?? I think FS would have gain to be an S4 and S5 to develop more the story... It felt too fast and too slow, like I love the characters interactions and that's about it... Wish it was just 1h45 of the Tokyo gang talking at Maron... S2 was the best ending of free and I love everything that went after!!! (Well beside FS) honestly KA are lucky my love and bias toward the cast are THAT strong I eat everything up but man did they did my comfort anime dirty and I hate it, sorry for the long rant wanted to let all our, tho I am glad the fandom stick together on that

Honestly i hate that we ended up with more questions than answers not bc fs2 was intriguing and left us wanting more but rather bc it was so dumb and braindead and hollow that it did nothing at all to advance the plot it itself had laid out in part 1. Like i don't want s4 explain and fixing things bc it's irreparable to me. There is no way Makoto should forgive Haru for his behaviour, there's no way Haru's behaviour can be justified bc it didn't make any sense in the first place. There's nothing to do with Kaede's brother's story + Ryuuji bc they missed the chance and it's too late but then why set up the parallel and continue it in this movie with the whole "drop the chan" if you're not doing anything at all with it?? It's literally just out of place scenes now bc they don't get any ties back to the story so it's purely shite story telling. There's no way to fix Rin's character (who spent LITERALLY the entire show having the most incredible development only for them to absolutely annihilate all of that for WHAT), and even having Ssk FINALLY overcome all his problems and make a recovery and participate in a relay with Rin and win gold is just. Overshadowed by *checks notes* Haru who's been swimming all his life, the guy who's literally described as someone loved by the water, passes the fuck out from one leg of a relay. Not ssk overworking himself, not Ikuya or Rin trying too hard, but literally the guy who's ten times better than all of them combined..... passed out from swimming. Like fuck off actually. I know it's supposed to be a movie and suspension of belief is a thing and yeah whatever he was overworking himself but it just DIDN'T MAKE SENSE HARU JUST WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING HE DID IN THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah we're loyal to free bc of what came before this and i know most of us will remain but it's bc of the community we've created and the way we understand these characters, and not bc fs2 was worth us sticking around for. Death to author or whatever

[lucassinclaer-archive]

16, 22, 24, 25 for the ask game :)

hoooo boy tysm rae!! okayyy, let's see

16. you can’t understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc) can't understand is harsh, because i do understand, i just don't concur. in my very personal opinion, steve isn't a parent figure, but an older brother figure and the mom steve thing isn't something i see.

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores i was just thinking about this yesterday!! erica and d&d! idk if it's my very favorite, but it's very dear to me. like, we're introduced to d&d through the typical nerd lense, male and majority white (i also have lucas d&d feelings, but yeah) but then erica, who's into my little pony (another thing i find PRECIOUS, btw, she really is just a kid,) gets into d&d and she takes it so seriously and i'm sure it provides her with that escapism and i just adore it so much.

i don't think this was executed on well (the usual issue with the treatment of poc in the show), but the potential of it is really dear to me!! and god, the fact that it also serves as a connector for lucas and erica. my kids!

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse billy. i don't actually begrudge people talking about this, tbh. i think there's a valuable conversation to be had about making one of the villains of the show an abuse victim and if that was a wise choice & i don't think they utilized the storylines he was involved in enough/well (lucas and max both dealing with the fallout of s2, for example, would have been something i think could've been included very nicely while still keeping it plot-relevant.)

however, i feel like social media & fandom (esp. such a big one) is just not a great platform for this. those who like billy are so on the defensive & deal only in certainties and idt that gives anyone a good foundation for a conversation. on a topic like this (fiction/something that was meant to be a specific narrative/a thing that doesn't infringe on actual rights) you can try to persuade people, but you're not entitled to them being persuaded is my opinion and that's not something i've experienced on that side of the fandom, personally.

25. common fandom complaint that you’re sick of hearing mmmmh. this is not in any way meant to be a plead for people to stop, per se, bc - again - i think fandom is a polarizing experience and i don't wanna take away the venting from people and posts can't possible encompass someone's entire point of view, but i'm a little bit saddened by el & mike negativity on the side of the fandom i'm on - and i don't mean that i think their romantic relationship is something i want to carry on or that homophobia isn't a very real thing in this space. i just enjoy their dynamic as a teenage love/true connection bc they care about one another so much and they have such cute moments to me... so seeing such a wealth of picking apart their non-compatibility, which is part of what i like about the dynamic, is sometimes a lot.

choose violence ask game

[jazzyjj]

Just a quick rant because some people in this fandom are driving me crazy.

People seem to be so mad that BOC didn't just tweet their teasers/trailers and say it was a waste of time. But they literally used the event not only to reveal projects but to show appreciation and put writers, directors, and other behind the scenes staff for upcoming projects in the in the limelight as well as discuss the thoughts of the actors. This stuff rarely happens and if you do its a random interview of that person much later being like "Oh I used to work on that show". I personally love that they did this.

These freedom fighters who seem to think they are doing the lords work by screaming about MA not getting a show need to touch grass. A movie is a big project and they are probably still working on workshops, dialect training etc. MA appear to be VERY happy with their current work you can literally see that in how excited they were (Apo especially) was when he was talking on stage. Ypu are not protecting them and they don't need tour protection.

This P'Pond hate train needs to stop idk why people have such hate boners for him but its weird. The man is the CEO of a small and independent company. So yeah there are going to be bumps in the road its not gonna be a cakewalk of infinite funding. There are so many companies that have been in debt or broke in the process of starting bc shit happens and a company is expensive. Its not about "you just didn't manage the money well enough". I've never run a company and even I know its not that damn simple. He's not a groomer or out to get any of the artists he's just a hands on CEO.

The World Tour was something the whole cast wanted to do. BOC is a company that listens to their artists so they wouldn't do it if the cast didn't want to and again you can tell that they all had fun and enjoyed themselves and they said so. Pond even said the tour was not this huge money makes which is all the more evidence that they did it cause they wanted to. Other than calling it a world tour, what they did was nothing different from what the casts of other BL shows have done by putting on shows/concerts when their series ends. Are the artists not allowed also do what they want? If its not something you're personally interested then do not watch. Like......its so simple.

Yeah there's no KP S2 and its sucks but I'm excited for them to do other projects. I'd rather they sort out the Daemi shit cause if they are involved then I don't want a S2 and I don't want Daemi anywhere near the cast.

This whining for more shows is my biggest eye roll. P'Pond said it best that they want to create art and are not a content factory and that good things take time. They are quality over quantity and I love that. People are so used to companies pushing out whatever in big numbers and are mad BOC isn't doing the same.

In summation these parasocial relationships are out of control and people need to chill on the entitlement that BOC isn't catering to their every specific want.

[heloflor]

Some more thoughts after watching every episode up until “The Haunting of Wells House” (except for "The Wellsington Hotellsington" bc it’s not available at the totally legal place I was watching). Spoilers for the whole show (1.4k words below):

- Seeing people having squirrels in their pants for Peri is actually funnier now bc if I wasn’t aroace (my lack of attraction extends to fictional characters, makes hanging out in some fandoms quite the experience) I’d totally have some of those squirrels but for Cosmo. The way he’s written in this show is just so GOOD!

He’s still an idiot but that doesn’t stop him from being a functioning adult, thus making him incredibly endearing. Also love the malewife energy, and on that note you can understand from their (absolutely adorable) interactions why Wanda loves him. This show really fixed Cosmo and I couldn’t be happier about it!

- Speaking of dorky men, huge fan of Hazel’s dad Marcus! And I love how he’s actually a very clever guy who’s just eccentric. Also love how the ending of the Cupid episode is literally him pulling the bad bitch by being autistic. He’s a fun character I like him! And on that note Angela’s great as well!

- Something interesting I noticed while watching in order is that Hazel and Dev aren’t actually that close, which I actually like because it makes their arguments feel a lot more natural. Like don’t get me wrong they are friends and do care for each other (on that note love seeing Dev put himself at risk to protect her! Twice! Even after doing so the first time almost cost their friendship in his eyes! Good way to show there’s good in him!) but they don’t hang out at school or anything, on top of their relationship starting on a bad note due to Dev bullying Hazel.

So when Hazel gets mad at him at the end of the Founder’s Day episode and refuses to listen to him, it works because it’s still very early in their friendship. Same with the ending of Dev’s birthday. Idk, I really like how they approach this dynamic!

- And speaking of Hazel I really like that one of her bigger flaws is having a temper. I think it’s because it works with her being a nice person who tries to help others (in other words it’s not like she was selfish or something which could conflict with her being meant to be a good kind person using her wishes for others, her anger gives her a flaw without conflicting with her good traits).

Or maybe it’s because as an autistic person with some anger issues, I can relate to her idk. Like when her friends don’t want to go to her book club bc there’s a dance that night, or wanting the game with her brother to be the same, or again the ending of Founder’s Day. Basically when her schedule is thrown off or things are changing or people are acting in a way that doesn’t make sense to her.

-Spoilers for season finale synopsis After watching Founder’s Day I really enjoy Dale as a villain, which really makes me hope for a season 2, since from what I’ve heard the S1 finale will focus on the anti-fairies meaning it’s probably best Dale has a minimal role in said finale (if not him not even showing up). Like in order for everything to have proper pacing and be satisfying, the best would likely be to focus the finale solely on the fairy stuff and keep Dale as a villain for S2.

Also, I’m excepting the season to end with Dev realizing how far down he’s gone and starting to try becoming a better person and rebuild his friendship with Hazel, which could create some very good conflict with an ongoing S2 plot of Dale trying to figure out Hazel. Or on the opposite end if the kid continues as an antagonist, him helping his dad with it.

- On a more negative note I’m really not a fan of Hazel’s friends, mostly because they don’t exactly have much of a personality. Jasmine is a nice girl who sometimes brings up singing. Winn is the cool one with purple hair and pronouns and who likes skating. That’s kind of it.

- I’m also not really into the whole thing with some wishes bringing up other random magical creatures like Father Time, Cupid, the Music Fairy or Mother Nature. Idk, the idea of expanding Fairy’s World is pretty cool, but I like it more when the story is grounded within our main characters I guess? Can’t really explain it well right now but I’m just not a fan of that.

And yes I know Cupid was in the og show but here the whole love competition doesn’t sit right with me, like why having this kind of beef with a 10 years old over one wish (and that’s not getting into the whole “two characters seeing a third one as a prize to be won” shit this episode is based on)?

- Not sure which episode is my favorite so far. Either one of the 20 minutes long ones (first episode, Founder’s Day, Dev’s birthday) bc they have the best character moments or “Lost in Fairy World” bc I’m obsessed with the Fairywinkle-Cosma family dynamic. I think it’s a tie between “Fly” and “Lost and Founder’s Day”. 🤔

- Least favorite is probably “Dig a Little Deeper”, with “A Dinosaur in Dimmadelphia” in second place. The difference for me is that the dino one is just plain boring while the underground one is badly written all around (Cosmo and Wanda losing their wand in the stupidest way, the rock people not being interesting at all, I usually like puns but those ones were painful especially at the very end). The only thing I liked about this episode is Hazel talking about her passion for rocks, which is brought up in other much better episodes so yeah...

- I’m not going to make another post about Peri and Dev’s relationship but I just wanted to say something about “Best Of Luck”. Haven’t seen the episode past a few clips but from the looks of it Peri fucked up very badly here!

He has an argument with Dev in which he acts incredibly immature (reminder that Peri is the adult in this relationship), actually quits the job and only comes back bc he didn’t give his notice, and upon coming back just laughs in Irep’s face and low-key makes it more about one-upping Irep than taking care of Dev, on that note he caused Dev to feel at the top of the world with Irep only to have it all taken away (apparently he knew Irep was waiting for an opportunity to strike? Meaning he has a bit of responsibility in Dev losing his wishes here), and by the end Peri’s chilling with his parents while ignoring his kid going through it.

There’s also no telling if Peri’s going to resent Dev for trying to kill his parents, since we know from his admission of spying on Dev (+ how relieved he sounds when hugging Cosmo and Wanda) that he very likely saw it happen.

And don’t get me wrong, I love Peri’s character including how flawed he is and how difficult his relationship with Dev is, but yeah there’s no denying that he completely fucked up with this one. Literally couldn’t have done worse.

That actually reminds me of a Tumblr post describing Peri as considering Dev to be nothing more than a job to do, and I disagreed with this stance up until this episode. Because yeah, in “Best Of Luck”, Peri absolutely treats Dev as a job rather than a troubled kid in need of guidance. And again, I still love Peri’s character, but he’s really not doing his job well here.

Also him being able to just up and leave the kid like that probably doesn’t help Dev’s daddy issues. Kid needs stability, including an adult he knows loves him unconditionally and won’t walk out on him the second things get difficult.

- Last random thing since I mention at the end of the og post Peri crashing at his parents’ house after his argument with Dev: I saw screenshots from yesterday’s episode (the puberty one) and seeing Peri at what is obviously Comso and Wanda’s house makes me happy. Depending if they reference other episodes or not in it, I could actually see the puberty episode taking place right after the birthday one and before “Best Of Luck”, hence why Peri is at his parents’.

So this was supposed to be part of my other fop post but it got way too long (both posts did tbh) and is a different topic than the other one. So yeah here’s a bunch of random thoughts about the show in general from what I’ve seen of it. For context I’ve only seen the first 4-5 episodes + “Battle of the Dimmsonian” + the Cosmo-Wanda-Peri scenes in “Lost in Fairy World” and “Operation: Birthday Takeback”.

SPOILERS for “Operation: Birthday Takeback” for the last three dashes (2.4k words below):

- Putting it in first since it’s still related to Peri but I’m pretty amused by the whole “Tumblr sexyman” situation. I mean, less than two weeks ago all canon pics we had of him were baby pics. It’s the same deal when I see people call him a father figure to Dev, I can’t help but be like “wdym father figure? He’s barely an adult! He’s too young!”

It’s like imagine you have a neighbor who have a baby when you’re 9-10, then they move out and 20 years later you meet their kid as an adult. You can clearly tell they’re an adult and treat them as such but also it’s a bit weird bc your last and only memories of them were of a baby. Idk, I see Peri’s character as an adult but also he’s still a bit of a kid, you know? I feel like I explain this better in the other post tbh.

- In retrospect it’s also very funny to see how, when people talk about the decline of fop, they point at the inclusion of the new characters, including Poof. Yet look where we are now! If you thought the baby was the problem, apologize to him, now! /j

But yeah more seriously, personally I never minded Poof. He was definitely a useless addition, like outside of the handful of episodes focused on him he mostly just stands there looking at the other characters, but he was also a cute baby, so I’ve always been fine with him being around. He’s a useless but inoffensive addition, and I think the decline of the show around that time had less to do with him and more to do with the writing as a whole.

- Last thing about Peri before moving on to the show in general, which tbh I could've put in the other post: I've seen people talk about the idea of Hazel and Dev switching fairies and I kind of agree with it.

Not only because Cosmo and Wanda have the experience needed to help a kid like Dev (though it wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows) while Hazel's situation is easier for Peri, but also it's worth noting that Dev needs a parental figure, which Cosmo and Wanda can be, while Hazel misses her older brother, who Peri is around the same age of. Idk, I feel like this could work, or at least make things easier for everyone involved (but also especially for Dev).

- Something I originally wanted to put in the tags of the other post but fuck it: I’m really not a fan of them releasing the episodes so soon one after the other. With serialized shows, I’m always been more of a fan of having an episode a week you can chew on and theorize about, rather than being given everything at once. Also it takes a while for the cargo to get on the ships if you catch my drift.

I’d also complain about seeing all those plot-related episodes one after the other with none of the more casual stories in-between that give us more character moments, but honestly that’s on me for looking up spoilers.

- Going to the early show, I think the first episode is such a good introduction! I especially like the amount of focus on Cosmo and Wanda, it’s good to have them reintroduced given how flanderized they became in the og show. I’m especially happy with Cosmo! He arguably had it worse than Wanda in the og and it’s so good to see him shine this much in this first episode (also I love his human form having a bit of a gut)! On that note, they did a fantastic job having them around a lot while still giving Hazel enough time to be introduced properly and get us to care about her as the MC!

But yeah I really like this first episode, fantastic beginning to the show! The only issue I “really” have with it is the way Cosmo and Wanda go back to being godparents just because Hazel made a strong enough wish or something, it felt a bit arbitrary rather than them just telling her who they are.

And on that note, big fan of that one scene where they immediately notice her trying to run away and try to talk her out of it. I love the contrast between them starting off as disasters being barely capable of passing off as humans at the beginning of the episode, and them being perfectly in their element the second they start talking to Hazel about her running away in this scene. It’s such a good way to see how much experience they have with taking care of kids!

- I’m not going to go episode by episode but one thing that bothers me a lot in the second one is that rule of “kids should get whatever they wish for”. Doesn’t that...go against the whole concept of having rules in the first place???

They should’ve replaced it with something along the lines of “a kid should always get the fairy that fits them the best”, not only bc it would work perfectly well for the episode, but also from what I’ve heard Foop (now Irep) is coming back and I could 100% see him use that rule to his advantage given Peri and Dev were such a bad match (I’m guessing anti-fairies don’t actually follow Da Rules but maybe they could still use it as an excuse regardless since fairies do have to follow them or something?)

- Call we talk about the fact Hazel is clearly autistic? Like is this a canon thing in the show? Are there people out there talking about it? No because seriously:

The fidget toys (Cosmo and Wanda’s disguises), her special interest for rocks, her anxiety over making new friends which is reinforced as uncommon when that one girl she befriends comments on how easy and not scary it is to approach other people (also Hazel’s “what am I supposed to talk about with them? School lunches?” comment in the teachers friend episode), her liking for fries which could be seen as her being potentially picky (bit of a stretch tho), her comment about liking the DMV if only for the reaction she gets that makes her seem “different”, her struggles to come up with a wish on the fly with minimal/vague instructions (episode 2), her character arc throughout the show apparently having to do with her not wanting things to change (me too girl), her being considered mature for her age, the angry outbursts when things don’t go how she hoped, pretty sure there’s also a lot of stimming that I have yet to pick up on (see if any of them repeat often). Like, there’s no way ALL of that was a coincidence!

I’d also like to mention at the beginning of the Dino episode, when her dad is explaining things to her, he starts talking louder and louder in excitement until his wife tells him to quiet down. Makes me think her dad’s likely neurodivergent as well. Also this moment hurts my soul a bit, as someone who’s both been on the receiving end of it and done it to someone else, in both cases it sucks.: /

- Took me until like episode 4 to realize the town she lives in is named after the Dimmadomes, with the hat in it (the very first shot of the intro). Also you can see their infinite house in the background, both in that shot and the show in general, and I absolutely adore that they committed so hard to this joke! That giant ambiguously-shaped-like-a-hat skyscraper that we never see the top of is just *chief kiss*.

- On that note Dev’s introduction in the first episode made me laugh, if only for the references. I also find it kinda funny he has such a big speaking role considering he doesn’t do anything for the rest of the pilot and the next few episodes. Then again I guess it’s in character for him to make such a show of introducing himself.

- Still on general stuff, I’m a bit curious about how the timeline went in regards to Cosmo and Wanda retiring and going on vacation “right after” Timmy (iirc they don’t voice it like that in the show). Like I’m having a hard time believing they would just ditch their then-child son to go on vacation, and then come back when he’s an adult. So I ended up having a bunch of headcanons.

Basically, after leaving Timmy they do take what was supposed to be a short leave to think of their future since it feels strange to get a new kid after so long with the same one + I like the idea that Cosmo and Wanda’s marriage did suffer while living with Timmy and they want to work on it before getting a new kid (the whole thing about them feeling confined, made worse if the “stopping time for 50 years” wish is canon) + Poof/Peri is struggling with the reality of having to leave Timmy behind and is nervous about his parents having a new godkid because of it.

Eventually they decide to retire, got to marriage counseling, possibly get Poof/Peri into therapy, and raise their son until he’s an older teen/young adult, at which point they leave for their vacation. And while the vacation is 10 thousand years for them, it’s like, 5 years at max in their present. And in that meantime, Peri starts his godparents studies (or however it works), leaves the house and changes his name.

Btw Cosmo and Wanda would 100% invite him to the vacation, he’d just refuse in a mix between wanting to be away from his parents for once, wanting to maybe surprise them a bit with his work and/or just get started with work, and not knowing how long the vacation would be. He’d also probably tell them to just use this time as some new honeymoon to finish rebuilding their marriage (though by that point it must’ve gone back to being strong). Oh and Cosmo and Wanda would send Peri postcards every so often, which would also let him know how long they’ve been gone.

Once they come back from vacation, I’d imagine there’s like less than a month between them “moving to the human world” and meeting Hazel, hence why they didn’t reconnect with Peri. They didn’t really know how to contact him and were busy with the move, and afterwards they had a godkid to take care of so they couldn’t exactly go back to Fairyworld.

As for Peri, he hears through the gravepine that his parents are back, and would be happy until he realizes they’ve been gone for 10 thousand years, hence him freaking out about meeting them again (he doesn’t know how much they might’ve changed with how long it’s been). Also he can’t contact them bc he’d hear about them coming back due to them taking in Hazel, meaning they’re in the human world and he doesn’t know where. Also he might be intimidated to contact them, which doesn’t help his decision-making.

So yeah, that’s all for how I could imagine this whole vacation thing going and how it fits with them having a child.

- Since I’m talking about Cosmo and Wanda’s marriage, I’ve heard about the whole “they fixed their marriage” before watching the show and oh my god I can’t get over how fucking adorable those two are in this show!!! I fucking love them.

- And on that note I’m incredibly amused that this show had the balls to reference the mpreg. Twice. Especially since it doesn’t even specify the whole “that’s just how fairies work”! In the eyes of people who never watched the og show, “A New Wish” just casually dropped the fact that Cosmo’s a trans man (bc let’s be real, how else are you supposed to interpret those lines if you haven’t watched the og show?) or you get the vibe that the writers wanted to make him trans (+ Wanda by proxy since she’s Peri’s bio mom) but weren’t allowed so that’s how they got past the censors.

And I love this because you just know Hartman would be furious about it! With our current society more aware of trans people and how men can in fact get pregnant, I could definitely see him sweep the whole mpreg thing under the rug, hoping people would forget about his “”accidentally-progressive”” (and also very sexist 😒) episode, but nope! New show said Cosmo was pregnant and gave birth! And better yet it didn’t even elaborate further! It just goes “btw this guy has an uterus and was once pregnant, here’s his bio child if you need more proof” and then walks on like nothing happened, I love it!

- Going back to the episodes talk for the last three dashes, there’s that shot at the very end of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” that I really dislike. It’s the one when Dev lashes out on Peri, with him hovering over Peri who’s laying on the ground in fear.

Really not a big fan of this shot bc 1. It makes Dev look way too much like a villain, especially with the way Peri’s laying like a servant that gets beaten up, and 2. Peri, honey, you’re a grown ass man; why are you so scared of that 10 years old scarred kid that’s lashing out while in a very vulnerable mental state? What are you doing on the ground buddy? I’m not asking for him to fight back but at least stand up! Don’t act like that kid can actually hurt you! Btw I’m completely fine with Peri afterwards looking like a dejected puppy (after Dev makes his wish), it’s just that one shot with him on the ground that I dislike.

- Obviously I’m genuinely curious to see how things are going to go in the next episodes (which apparently air tonight?). Like obviously Dev is going to spiral but if you have a scene at school how will it go? How will Hazel feel about the whole thing? What about Peri? Is he going to be gone for a few episodes? Be a temporary third fairy to Hazel? Crash at Cosmo and Wanda’s for a while?

(Personally I’m hoping for the third option, it would be a good way to still give him appearances to show the main plot’s still going without giving him to much screentime, which could take away from Hazel. Also given how much he wants to appear independent, I don’t see him being a third fairy to her, though I think he’d be ok with staying at his parents for a bit, if only for emotional support (though tbh I doubt they’ll do that, most likely he’ll be doing his own thing off-screen for an episode or two). Also I want to see a “human” design for him)

OK so I wrote this yesterday before the Irep episode came out, so on one hand nevermind all that but on the other hand I’m letting it in bc I AM curious as to how things are going to evolve with our main cast, especially with Dev spiraling and pushing both his bestie and fairy away.

- Btw is nobody going to talk about how Vicky’s dress might be a reference to one of the “Oh Yeah” shorts?

- VERY LAST SECOND ADDITION, SPOILERS FOR IREP: So yesterday before I finished both this and the other post the new episodes dropped, with a few clips shared on Tumblr. And OH MY GOD IREP’S DESIGN!!! The fact that they kept him as a cube makes me so happy!!! I was HOPING at least ONE part of him would be a cube and they delivered!!! He looks like absolulte dogshit I love it!!! Bc yeah for some reason I remember Foop as a character you’re not supposed to take seriously at all? And as a result I really like how stupid Irep looks. A+ design right there! /gen