#i'm still in s1 and enjoying it before shit gets real

[leo-artista]

Simpler times

[gnpwdrnfandoms]

bluff

- Mitch x ofc!Dallie

- 650ish words

-Set sometime before s1. Some use of curse words. Dallie is a tall plus size woman, you decide what that looks like for you. Picks up where what are the odds? left off but you don't have to read that to read this.

Mitch is aware of Babe watching him, can feel the old man's eyes boring into his back and he subtly shifts his weight to block his view of Dallie and her folder full of bad news.

Because Mitch is also pretty fucking sure what happens in Vegas is damn well supposed to stay in Vegas. Not stroll into his bar three years later talking shit and waving around a goddamn marriage license.

"What is it exactly you think we need to talk about, sugar?" He asks, closing the folder and giving it a push back across the bar to her.

She stares at him like he's lost his ever loving mind and maybe he has. He knows he should agree to whatever she wants and be shut of it, but he's feeling ornery about her just strolling in his bar acting like there wasn't a point in time, even if it was only a few days, where she was really interested in this washed up cowboy.

"This dissolution of this sham of a union for starters?" She questions, tucking the folder back in her designer bag that he'd bet costs more than the bar rakes in on a good night.

"It should only take a couple days. I'd compensate you for your time and pay for your flights to Nevada and back home as well. Now that I've finally located you, I'd just like to put this behind me, ya know? No offense to you, of course," she smiles up at him. "I just don't think either of us expected to have to deal with this?"

But the thing is, maybe he's not completely surprised by the news. Maybe there's a possibility he'd found a cheap gold band rolling around in the bottom of his duffle when he'd gotten back to Oklahoma but he had his pops to deal with and even though she'd definitely made one hell of an impression, he'd never even gotten her last name so it wasn't like he knew how to find her and he kinda just pushed the whole thing to the back of his mind.

And yeah, okay, maybe he had snuck out of the hotel room while she was still sleeping so it's definitely his fault they're in this predicament, he'll admit that much but if he'd stayed any longer he was pretty sure he never would've made it back to Oklahoma. He would've just followed her right on to Reno like some lost fucking puppy and fully integrated himself into her life. And despite the fact that she seemed to really enjoy his company, he didn't exactly get the impression she was looking to shackle herself to a fresh out of prison, no prospects, down on his luck cowboy.

But now that she's here? And he's made a tiny little bit of something of himself? Well, hell, he doesn't have to make it easy on her to just wipe her hands of him does he?

"I appreciate that, honey, I really do," he drawls, propping his arms on the bar top and leaning in close. "But I could pay my own way. If I was going, that is."

"If?" she splutters, her eyes going wide in shock before she narrows them at him in irritation. "What do you mean, if you were going??"

"I got the bar to run for one, and I got my pops to take care of for another," Mitch smirks, pointing his thumb over his shoulder in Babe's general direction. "I can't just up and run off to Vegas for a couple days."

"I know you think you're being real cute here," Dallie sighs dramatically. "But the jokes on you, cowboy. I don't have anywhere to be and nothing more pressing to do than get this taken care of so I hope like hell you've got a guest room where ever you call home because I'm not going anywhere until this is done and over with."

[abrisaber]

Full Moon kinda sucked :/ (Another HB Rant - Spoilers for Full Moon)

I hate to say this but I think Vivziepop has finally lost me. Now I'm not saying I'm no longer an HB fan, JMI was geneticlly enginered to get me addicted to whatever he's in meaning I could'nt stop watching HB even if I tried. However I am starting to doubt Vivziepops talents. I have no idea what happened between the first half of Season 2 and the second half but this kind of seasonal rot has to be studied in a fucking lab.

I want to like the episodes after "The Circus," I really do. I don't even hate Cherubs, but aside from Oops and the Mid-Special, every episode following The Circus has ranged from disapointing to awful compared to S1.

It's not even like I hate the episodes after The Circus either. Seeing Stars was okay for the most part, Exes and Oohs tried to do something, even Unhappy Campers introduced a potentally intresting character (and thats it). But these episodes have so many glaring flaws in my book that it's hard to grasp.

In my opinion, Helluva Boss was at its best during the balk half of season 1/The beginning of Season 2 (Truth Seekers-The Circus) and the decline in writing quality started at around Seeing Stars.

I made a long post that explains what about Truth Seekers I like so if you care even a little bit about my opinions, you can suffer through that rant, but to shorten it here, Truth Seekers is my favorite episode of the series because it balances the comedy and the drama expertly imo. Truth Seekers feels like Helluva Boss had finally stuck the landing at what kind of show it wanted to be. It showcased how Blitzo felt about his past relationships and his current one, it gave Moxxie a chance to be heard outside of his flaws (before the show decided they wanted to retread the same fucking plotpoint a couple more times), and it was pretty funny (comedy is subjective tho so feel free to ignore my feelings on comedy from here on out).

Ozzies is a good episode because, well, Asmodeus, but also it does more for Blitzo's character. It contrasts with Truth Seekers via two of the three halucinations calling him out on his shit, and it starts to build upon how he views his relationship with Stolas.

While I don't really like The Circus, what it did at the end for Stolas and overall how it setup the relationship for him and Blitzo was genuinly good imo. How it started with Blitzo initiating the one sidedness of their relationship and whatnot.

Notice how I'm talking almost exclusively about Blitzo as my reasons for enjoying these episodes more than others. And thats because Helluva Boss is at its best when it treats Blitzo as its main character. Even from the beginning he was the real star. Obviously you have characters like Stolas and Moxxie also getting focous, but even in those episodes, Blitzo still gets development, because Blitzo is the main driving force for the show. He's the Helluva Boss. He's the center, the emotional core. HB should be about HIM and HIS relationships to others.

Some of the worst episodes are the ones where Blitzo isn't really the main focous, I'm not saying that Blitzo automaticlly makes the show good or that he should be the only one get focus, but when you pull back and look at the series, almost every beloved episode have him (or him and Stolas) at its emotional center.

To keep this already long post from being absurdly long, I'll skip ahead to why I really didnt like the newest episode, Full Moon.

SPOILERS AHEAD

First things first, the Cherubs and Dhorks fucking suck ass as antagonists. They're annoying, they're not funny, and just like Crimson and Striker in Oops, they serve zero narritve purpose outside of being glorified cardboard cutouts for the main characters to fight. They are everything wrong with B-plots in media. Their only existence is to create artifical narritve throughlines that makes artifical suspence to keep the audience engaged like babies watching those baby sensory videos. "Oooo look its the Cherubs from the most nothing burger episode of Season 1. Oooo it's the Dhorks that are easily the most forgetable aspect of Truth Seekers. OOOhhh isnt it sooooo fucking hilarous how the Dhorks killed a bunch of children? Ohhh aren't you so invested to see these characters that mean absolutely nothing to the plot that Vivziepop is trying to sell the show with? DONT YOU JUST LOVE THESE KEY JINGLING ASS CHARACTERS YOU FUCKING BABY-"

I got a little carries away there, but my point is that Dhorks and the Cherubs are worthless slop that should be removed from the plot entirely.

Usually I wouldn't even care since 2/3 instances where useless villans show up to be useless, the main plot not involving them is really good (Refering to Oops and Truth Seekers).

But the main-plot in this episode is just as bad, if not WORSE than the B-plot.

Regarding my previous rant again, I was an avid defender of Stolitz up until maybe Western Energy, although in that case with the aftermath of Ozzies being handled mostly offscreen is more me being skeptical about Vivs pacing and writibg style. I didn't have a problem with the actual idea of Stolitz yet, just with the execution.

In actuality, my problem with the writing started in The Full Moon.

Even with me being an avid defender of Stolitz, even with me analyizng and disecting Blitzo's mentality and reasonings and emotional trauma, even with me trying to justify BOTH sides of this toxic relationship with no real abuser,

THIS does NOT come off as Blitzo begging to keep Stolas in his life because he cares about him and wants to be with him. I'm sure theres some of that in there and I still have faith that Viv try to put more of that into the execution going forward. But no matter how many times I watch this ending scene and the scenes before it, no matter how long I sit and think and think and think about this dynamic, this scene does NOT feel that way to me.

To me, this scene looks like a lower class citizen begging on his knees to the person whos essentaily employing them to let him keep his job to be able to feed his family and keep his colluges/close friends in work.

This feels like a man whos society is stacked against him trying to keep the one thing he has afloat.

I don't feel this way towards the entire scene. When Blitzo tries to avoid the whole conversation by trying to keep the transaction going, thats when I see more of the emotional side, but it still doesn't sit right with me how the dynamic is being represented.

Stolas explains it pretty well in the moments after. He says "This transactional thing we have, its not right anymore. It hasn't been. It never was. And now, all I can see is how wrong it is to be teathered to someone in such an unfair way. And not know how they feel."

To me, this finally feels like Stolas coming to his senses and realizing that he and Blitzo's relationship is unbalanced. He sees that Blitzo's reliance on him is unfair, so he works to end it.

My problems start to arise again when Stolas reacts to Blitzo trying to play it off again as Roleplay.

I can understand his side of the coin, how he feels that Blitzo only wanted him for sex and nothing more, or how he believes that Blitzo doesnt really care for his feelings and only stays for the book, and when giving Blitzo the option, he chooses to ignore it.

But I still cannot get over how icky this scene makes me feel. Blitzo has made it clear how he thinks Stolas feels about their relationship. In the Just Look My Way music video it seems that Stolas somewhat realizes that Blitzo is hurting in some capacity. When Blitzo vents his frustraitions, Stolas says "I didn't know you thought so lowly of me" which doesnt make any fucking sense in response to what Blitzo is saying.

Again, its that image of a person mistreated by society begging someone who is privlaged to let him keep his job. I cant stomach this idea that Stolas got his fucking feelings hurt over someone he indirectly played with for his own pleasure and to escape his marrige venting their frustraitions about how THEY feel about it. HE HIMSELF admitted that the relationship was unfair, so when Blitzo says "You treat me poorly and expect me to believe when you suddenly express your feelings for me? Can I get a minute to actually process what you said," its litteraly just parroting what Stolas was saying.

Stolas knows how Blitzo feels. He knows Blitzo is hurting. And yeah past relationship trauma isnt an excuse to be shitty, but it's not like Stolas made it very obvious that he did actually care about Blitzo's emotions.

Up until this point the relationship has been one sided on both sides. Both parties think the other doesnt care or that the other is just using them for something. Both sides caught feelings and didnt want to admit it, and Stolas was the bigger person for trying to initiate that discussion. But with the ending line Stolas says and all the promotional matreal being released for the upcoming seasons, the show feels like its going to make Blitzo out to be the one in the wrong when he isnt. Blitzo did the same fucking things Stolas did, so why does it feel like the next few episodes are just going to be "Blitzo sucks and we hate him." Like are you fucking serious??

Maybe I'm reading the whole thing wrong, who knows at this point.

[kingsmoot]

Oh it's definitely a lot of speculation! I am fairly certain the timelines line up that GRRM was openly supportive of the S2 writing before the "cut 2 episodes" directive and that his fallout with Condal began sometime after, though. It's also true that Condal's original statement about the cut season tried to frame it as a "creative" decision rather than a financial one. It wasn't until later that I think Hess(?) admits that it "wasn't [our] decision".

GRRM definitely didn't go as hard as he could have but I think the way he kept teasing the post and the fact that he followed through with it is already really bad on it's own. GRRM seems to think it's a noble cause and that he's "saving" the show, but the reality is he's whipped up a frenzy of hate as a means to bully the writers. I understand his frustrations as the author, and I get that he helped Condal get the job but... It's Condal's now! To accuse him of having "no plan" while he is likely in the midst of petitioning for a bigger budget to actually accommodate his plan, after he's already had the rug ripped out from him last season, feels really cruel. It's hard to extend empathy to George when he's extending so little to the person HE picked to handle this adaptation.

I also agree that GRRM probably talked to Condal the most and that's likely why he's the target of his ire. But idk... GRRM has a lot of experience working in television and it feels like he should be more understanding of Condal's position. He gives passing mention to the constraints of writing for television, but it still feels like he expects Condal to have the same creative freedom of an author rather than a showrunner. GRRM was supportive of S1 and at least supportive of the untampered plans for S2 - so to turn on Condal so severely is just baffling.

GOT ended a failure and Execs need results to feel that ASOIAF properties are worth the continued investment- and even that isn't enough, given S1 was a massive success and the budget still got cut. GRRM's resistance to making big-picture sacrifices is why he ~can't~ be a showrunner. He CAN and SHOULD make creative suggestions- in his capacity as an Executive Producer. But the showrunner (Condal) has every right to reject those ideas if they do not make commercial sense. It's not all about creative integrity- it's show business, and it's Condal's job to consider both. Cutting characters and combining storylines is the most common way that this manifests!

Sorry to rant in your inbox about this... I took a break from socials post-season because the hate was so bad and I was just starting to poke my head back in when this dropped. As someone who really enjoyed S2, I'm... exhausted! But it's great gossiping about it with people who aren't just using George's post as further fuel to keep shitting on the show.

Hope your foot is okay<3

oh, please don't apologize!! this is interesting and a topic that i want to engage with, i appreciate you coming to my inbox!! (and thank you, my foot is fine now, i just hate medical procedures and wanted a distraction while waiting around being anxious at urgent care)

and yes i agree with everything you've said, i was just chatting with my friend @intomyth about how if nothing else (and there is a LOT else) it is irresponsible of george to point at one single person in front of his rabid fanbase and say definitively "i'm mad at this guy about this adaptation. the things i'm mad about are his fault." because, like... show AND book fans have proven over the years that they will create targeted cyber harassment campaigns over nothing (like twitter accusing liv of sleeping her way into this role just because they are rabidly misogynistic chronically online alicent antis who have lost all sense of decorum and perspective and do not perceive olivia cooke as a real human being with a job that she does well and not the evil bitch hag queen of westeros who stole rhaenyra's throne since none of that is REAL!!!) so i cannot imagine the kind of harassment they will concoct when they feel like they are raising their sword and shield in george's defense and with his blessing.

all in all while i can try to understand and/or speculate on george's personal feelings, i think his conduct was inappropriate. i don't personally agree w any of his "criticism" of the show in his blog post (bc it wasn't actually criticism...) and i think publishing it at all was the wrong move. it was rude and unprofessional and most of all strange.

and i am ALSO exhausted, dude!!!! i loved s2.1 - 2.5 and thought 2.6 - 2.8 were a total bust but at the end of the day... hotd is fun tv. that i like watching. in my free time. which i (like most working adults) have little of. the vitriolic hate tornado that has been built up around the dragons and incest show is very strange to and uncomfortable for me. do you guys watch tv like your life depends on it because someone is like... threatening you? is this how you earn your rent money? are you being forced by clandestine and inescapable circumstances to watch a show that makes you so angry it's permanently altering your health record? what gives, dude? what happened to watching tv because it's fun and you like it?

[clairedaring]

/surprise leap out from your screen! Hahahha!

Yo Claire, first! I gotta say, I didn't expect to read BL meta essays when I followed your blog, but now that it's part of my dashboard, I like it! I'm not familiar with BL culture and stuff (the only BL stuff I really like is this Japanese manga named The Summer Hikaru Died, and even then I'm more sucked in by it being of the horror genre with interesting philosophical explorations), so these essays are so interesting to read!

And another thing! This post about the highest-grossing GDH movies mentioned The Medium (which I liked!), and that reminded me: I need Thai horror recommendations!

I don't know if you're into it, but maybe some of your friends do? And they can give me some good stuff? It's been so long since I've watched Thai horror—I grew up with that shit, man. I figured that someone who watches a lot of Thai media probably knows quite some newer Thai horror films I can watch on a weekend or something. Thanks!

(P.S. I realize I still have so many thoughts about สาธุ. I'm rewatching it when I have the time and realized there are still more details I forgot from the first viewing. A lot of them is embodied by the actors so well! I hope to find the time to write some essays/rambles about those things these days! Honestly... this is the only thing I can contribute to the สาธุ/The Believers tag 🫡🥲)

Hiiii Lyn! You are always welcome in my humble inbox.

You cannot imagine my happiness knowing you will soon fill he สาธุ/The Believers tag with insightful metas/essays. No pressure though but I am now indeed impatiently waiting for more สาธุ posts.

Aw, I'm so happy to hear that you've enjoyed the BL metas I've put on your dash even though queer love series are not usually ones you would watch because they're mostly romance based. ಥ_ಥ

Okay now onto the main part of my answer. Even though romance and comedy are indeed my favorite genres of series, as an enthusiast and follower of Thai actors and their works, it is inevitable to come across horror works (films or series) starring my favorite actors. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of horor (i'm a huge scaredycat), the genre has never stopped me from watching works of my favorite actors before -> I've definitely watched more horror media than I wanted to (┬┬﹏┬┬). I'll separate my recommendations into two part: one for series and one for films.

Thai Horror Anthology Series Recommendations

1. Girl From Nowhere Season 1 & 2 (2018 -2021)

Synopsis: A mysterious, clever girl named Nanno transfers to different schools, exposing the lies and misdeeds of the students and faculty at every turn.

Thoughts: although it would qualify more as thriller than a horror, girl from nowhere offers sharp commentaries about violence, sexual assault, bullying and various social issues. The series is more like an anthology with each episodes presenting a different story. The way my jaw dropped when I found out that the storylines in the episodes are inspired by actual real news reports/stories. Watching both seasons, you may feel that S1 is less budgeted than S2 which is true because S1 wasn't funded by Netflix Thailand. After picking S1 for streaming, Netflix decided to invest in a S2 for GFN and the cinematography for S2 is just immaculate.

2. After Dark (2020)

Synopsis: When the night falls, humans are more of a threat. Composed of 4 interlinked horror stories:

"Blind Date": Pink, a dating app addict, meets Q, a mysterious handsome guy. They establish a deep connection that ends up with Pink having a strange pregnancy which haunts her until the end.

“Requiem of the Adolescent”: Lada, a nurse hired with a vast amount of money to take care of Her Serene Highness Srisaang. Her terrors awake when her patient abnormally gets better.

“Death Channel”: Off and Boat, a successful youtuber and an idol team up to create a paranormal activity channel that has been sponsored by an anonymous user, they never know what is waiting.

"Into the Hole”: Chai, a charismatic person is a one-night stand expert in hopes to record a sex tape to earn a dime. Then he meets Dao, a charming woman. His mischievous behavior continues, but this time it would not be as easy as before.

Thoughts: it's gory, gross, raw, rough and scary as hell. some of the most visually traumatic series i've ever watched. incredible acting performances.

3. Angkhan Khlumpong The Series (2021)

Sypnosis: It is made based on ghost stories that people called and shared on the "Angkhan Khlumpong" radio program.

Thoughts: Episode 5 'Imaginary Friend' is scary as hell. All the episodes are quite scary in general. The stories rely a lot on jumpscares but Thailand is really good at making scary ghosts, the makeup team is always going all the way.

Note: Netflix Thailand is producing the sequel series Terror Tuesday: Extreme (2024), which comes out in 10 days (August 20). Netflix Thailand has never really disappointed with their budget so I'm pretty sure it'll be spooky.

Thai Horror Films Recommendations

1. Hoon Payon (2023)

Synopsis: Tham searches for his brother Te in order to deliver the news of their parents' passing. Te is ordained as a monk at a temple on Don Sing Tham Island. On arrival, Tham meets Jes, the grandson of the former abbot. Jes makes hoon payon, enchanted effigies of the dead. Tham learns of a rumour that Te vanished after murdering the abbot. Tham doesn't buy the story nor does he respect the villagers' strange reverence for the sculpture of Pho Pu Sing Tham. Though his appearance is unsettling to Tham, Pho Pu Sing Tham is said to protect them. Soon, a girl goes missing, a wild predator roams the island, a vengeful ghost is rampant and worse yet, the figure of Pho Pu Sing Tham is destroyed. The enraged villagers prepare to curse and hunt down the unknown culprit.

Thoughts: I watched this for Up Poompat who plays Te and I was genuinely shocked by his performance. Not scary enough as old Thai movies but still very thrilling.

2. Shutter (2004)

Synopsis: Tun, a young photographer, and his girlfriend, Jane, were driving home after drinking with friends, when suddenly they crash into a girl that was walking in the street. Panicking, Tun tells his girlfriend to run away. The next day, Tun discovers mysterious shadows in his photographs, and his girlfriend start seeing strange things in his house.

Thoughts: This is a classic Thai horror film and arguably the best horror film Tong Banjong (the director of The Medium) has ever directed. Director Tong's forte is really horror so please don't mind that the next 3 recommended films are all from him. They are truly THE classic horror films of Thailand.

3. Alone (2007)

Synopsis: Conjoined twins Ploy and Pim are very close until Pim meets a boy named Wee, causing her to decide to separate from Ploy. The surgery is performed but Ploy does not survive. Years later, Pim and Wee are living together in South Korea when Pim suddenly has to return home to take care of her mother after she has a seizure. While back home, Pim is haunted by a ghost from her past.

Thoughts: I really don't know what Director Tong is lacing in his horror films but they're always keeping me on the edge of my seat and most of the time my hands glued to my eyes 😭

4. Phobia (2008)

Synopsis: A horror movie anthology containing 4 stories-Loneliness: a woman confined to her apartment starts to receive texts from a stranger, Deadly Charm: a group of high school delinquents get cursed by a student that they bullied, The Man in the Middle: Four friends go on a camping/rafting trip that turns out far differently then they had planned, The Last Flight: A flight attendant has to accompany the body of a princess, the wife of her lover.

Thoughts: Another horror classic from GTH studio. I can't remember the details to all these stories but I can assure you when I was closing my eyes through half of this film because of how scared I was. I wanna say it's because I was young when I watched it but I'm sure I'd still be keeping my eyes close shut if I watch it again.

5. Phobia 2 (2009)

Synopsis: A horror omnibus consisting of five stories - Novice: a teenager takes refuge at a Buddhist sanctuary after committing a crime, Ward: a biker has to stay overnight in a hospital room with a strange man after an accident, Backpackers: a Japanese couple hitchhikes across Thailand until; they accept a ride from the wrong person, Salvage: karma visits woman who has successful business fixing up cars that were involved in fatal accidents, In The End: the movie crew working on a horror sequel experience a night of real fear.

Thoughts: They're all scary but I think the scariest segment is 'In The End'. I would say this is one of those rare occasions where the sequel outdid its predecessor Phobia.

6. Sick Nurses (2007)

Synopsis: A group of sexy nurses who harvest organs are haunted by the vengeful spirit of one of their dead patients.

Thoughts: this is more slasher than horror but i remember watching this when i was younger and i was scared as heck. I don't even dare to search up the trailer to embed here.

Bonus: 'not purely horror, only has creepy elements but deserves a honorable mention on this list because it's super underrated' film

Malila: The Farewell Flower (2017) dir. Nuchy Anucha Boonyawatana

Synopsis: Former lovers Shane and Pich reunite and try to heal the wounds of their past. Shane is haunted by the tragic death of his daughter, while Pich suffers a grave illness. As death approaches, Pich dedicates his remaining time to making Bai Sri, a ceremonial ornament. Meanwhile, Shane decides to become a Buddhist monk until one night at a graveyard, he encounters his lover in another form.

Thoughts: not horror but i think this film is the first that pops into my head while watching The Medium. Similar feels in their portrayal of Thai rural village lifestyle and Buddhism being a big part of both stories.

You may notice that most of these horror films from GTH Studio share similar directors, screenwriters or other creative staffs with The Medium. And that's because GDH 559 is basically the successsor of GTH Studio (which got dissolved in 2015). I've always a big fan of GDH films and I do try to watch as much GDH/GTH works as possible, but horror is really not my forte so I can only offer you these humble recommendations. I hope you'll enjoy at least one among the ones in this list.

[jaskierx]

I’m still just so annoyed that I couldn’t even appreciate Izzy’s death when I first saw it cause all I could think of was how the fandom was gonna become unbearable. The moment I saw him got shot I was hoping and praying he wouldn’t die not because I care about him but because I didn’t want to see the fandom turn to shit (well, to more shit than it already is)

Despite that I’m still happy with how it turned out. I was so worried they weren’t gonna address how awful izzy was to Ed and that the only mention of it would be the “you and I did this to him” line. And it wasn’t!!! And the “there he is” parallel from s1 really got to me :) I’m happy in the end but MAN watching the scene first time round was so stressful

ngl i cannot relate to the first bit lmao. i was so relieved when he died bc it fixed most of my complaints with the season. he apologised to ed. we got recognition that izzy actually had been in the wrong all along. it became clear why he'd been getting so much screentime and why the writers had had to speedrun his redemption arc.

and as much as the canyon side of the fandom has become even worse since the finale aired i'm at least glad in a way that they've become more visible? like it feels like people who hadn't properly encountered the canyon before s2 suddenly started seeing their takes and being like 'oh shit those guys are quite something huh'

and yeah it's really bad that they've got to this point, the racism and ableism and abuse apologism and their persecution complex is a real problem and has caused people to consider leaving the fandom, people feel unable to talk about izzy bc they're worried that the canyon will get on their back. but i'm still holding out hope that eventually they'll get sick of devoting hours of their life to a show they now supposedly hate and will fuck off somewhere else and we will be free to enjoy an izzyless and canyonless s3 😎

[mystic-myrtille]

Watched the movie and honestly it was fine. No groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece. No disasturous dumpster fire. Just an ok movie that felt like a fanfiction from s1

Here's some more thoughts I have. There's no structure it's a little chaotic. Also spoilers (duh)

The stuff I liked:

The music was good

THE ANIMATION IS GORGEOUS. The lighting in every scene is perfect, the city actually feels populated and the colors overall are so much prettier than in the show

I loved the akuma designs

They do a good job of establishing how Marinette, in the beginning, is very anxious, affected by Chloe's bullying and how she doesn't have friends. That works better than what the show tried to establish, about how Marinette had no friends but still being popular for some reason

Alya being a good friend

The way Adrien deals with the loss of his mother and how playing the piano brings him comfort and makes him feel close to her. Imo the show went overboard with how literally everything Adrien does is dictated by his dad and never something he might genuinely enjoy doing. The fact that he had this hobby made him feel like he was more than just a sad boi

Adrien also seems to struggle with not having many friends outside Nino. Works pretty well with the characterization that he's socially awkward after being homeschooled for most of his life

Generally this Adrien has more PV vibes? I‘m digging it ngl

Marinette's dad is the best

Fu's introduction to Marinette sure was something xD

Gabriel was a good villain character. The show version is just some weird ass goof who is a huge ass to his son and everyone, yet the show wants you to feel for him without giving us a reason to care. This version actually has complexity. He’s still an ass, but now the pain over loosing Emilie feels real. You also have him hesitating to use the butterfly but ultimately spiraling completely into an actually threatening villain.

the fight scenes looked great

Marinette is still clumsy and awkward towards Adrien but without being too cringe about it and doing stupid shit. It‘s just heart eyes and day dreams and some stuttering. She‘s still nervous but I never felt like Adrien brought oit her worst side like in the show. She was simply a girl in love. This was wholesome to watch and so much better than... whatever the fuck the show did with the fucking dating trauma to use for """comedy""" bc the show runners have zero respect for her seriously I'll never get over how fucking stupid that was Marinette honey you deserve so much better

I honestly think this is a better version of the square. Still heavily flawed, but their dynamic feels so much more natural. Ladynoir stuff was sweet

The end where Marinette looses the earrings and then saves Chat without the costume was a good scene

Most of their moments were just quiet moments between just the two without any outside forces and characters constantly pushing them together. This bothers me in the show so much and is another major reason I cant get behind the ship, but for the most part the movie has some gentle pushing here and there but no convoluted and stupid cringy plans. In that regard movie love square is superior

Nino had a thing for Alya from the start pretty much, unlike in the show where he was crushing on Mari five minutes before getting with Alya. I like them in both the show and the movie, but the way they got together in the show was a little meh

Nino getting screentime in general

The stuff I don't know how to feel about:

Careless whisper. It was silly goofy but especially the second time when Paris is on fire and we skip to Adrien's room where he sulks... yeah that tome switch really threw me off

Two different voice actors for singing an talking. The difference was very jarring and while good for Bryce, Cristina has the voice of an angel like cmon I need her to do at least a cover from one song

Gabriel's redemption. Ok so I'm a little torn because the way they did it ties in very well with the the "power of love" theme that his love for Adrien makes him realize his mistakes bla bla, but he still terrorized a city and yet faces zero consequences, and Adrien forgives him, which are all thing that really rub me the wrong way. Idk the franchise is so obsessed with painting this man in a sympathetic light and in order for this to feel truly satisfying Gabriel shouldn't have tried to destroy Paris like 5 minutes earlier. I see what they went for and thematically it worked but I just need Gabriel to be put in prison

Speaking of Gabriel, the Adrien Gabe relationship isn't as abusive as in the show. This isn't good or bad, but I still think (very unpopular opinion) the show doesn't handle abuse well at all bc the only point of the abuse is pity points in oder to get the fans to care about the characters. So taking that out of the movie where you have limited time to wrap this whole thing up might've been a smart decision

With the ending they sort of hinted at a sequel

The cut off kiss at the end. They still act like a love square kiss is something sacred that they can‘t just give their fans. Commit to it already

The stuff I didn't like:

The dialogue was… something. Marinette just asking her mom over breakfast how to make her dreams come true. Babe just just woke up, that deep convos are for late nights

Generally the dialogue in both the movie and the show is a little weird

Lika Alya‘s „people try really hard to fail as hard as you“ Marinette spilled some coffee it‘s not that hard

Even though I liked the portrayel of Marinette‘s anxiety, at times the went overboard with it

Going back to the Gabriel redemption, just let Adrien have negative feeling about Gabriel already. The s5 finale have him idolize him and here he just instantly forgives and forget

So the butterfly is a villainous tool by default? They could've fixed their messy lore but noooo

The scene where Marinette gets her miraculous feels rushed.

The way Adrien receives his miraculous. He was chilling in his room and suddenly a black cat shows up. He doesn't even have to proove himself like Mari when she almost got hit by a truck. The moment in the show was already weak but this is just fucking stupid

the first akuma was just some random dude. They should've used someone the main duo has a connection to

Chat being a lil bitch about Ladybug rejecting him. Hated it in the show, hate it here. They could've used the movie to fix Adrien and they didn't. Other than that being a dick move as so many people have explained millions of times now, I find this such a boring source of conflict for the climax of the movie? They worked well before and they both know they care for each other as partners and even if being rejected hurts, Chat acts like LB just threw their friendship away or something with how strongly he reacts to it. In the show it felt blown out of proportion and it does here as well. I think they should've had a different kind of conflict which actively hurt their partnership or Chat stops treating LB unfairly just because to her he‘s not a romantic partner.

The fart jokes. Though tbf this is a kids movie

The way Marinette falls for Adrien was extremely underwhelming. Adrien smiles at her and helps her get up and then just walks out of the library all like „she‘s so weird“. Could‘ve been fixed if he and Mari stayed in the library and had a little conversation

Also Adrien‘s introduction in general? He just chills in the library and… yeah that‘s it. I blame this on the writers of the movie cutting character introductions short because they assume the audience already knows the characters and therefore doesn‘t have to introduce them. I don‘t think that was a good choice

The Adrienette stuff was just a montage. Would've been nice to actually see them connect (though that was probably a time issue)

Also they didn't give any spotlight to Marinette's good qualities like selflessness and intelligence. Would've been nice to see her be more willing to be there for people and help them out with things as a result of her gaining more confidence

Seriously the montage was a big mistake and takes away a lot from what could've made the movie stand out

The reveal felt a lot like Adrien only loving Marinette because she's LB, which was a big reason for me to not ship Adrienette prior to the flip (not that I did after). Something like this would‘ve been believable in a setting where they didn‘t know each other as civilians I guess, but that doesn‘t work for the square. Had they actually shown Adrienette develop outside of a montage this would'be been way more believable and touching.

I think a reverse love square from the beginning would've worked better here, or they should've made the Ladynoir side canon

Adrien tells Marinette about his dead mom. Chat noir tells Ladybug about his dead mom. How does she not make the connection?

The "power of love" theme fell flat with Marinette. she doesn't have her moment of "oh I have to protect the people I love" like Tikki's dialogue suggests. There were multiple people at the theme park she could've spotted being in danger and that should've made her want to save them. Tom being there was literally the perfect set-up. The show does this with Alya being trapped under a car or something and Marinette seeing her

I also think the jump from anxious Mari to brave Mari didn't work. In both the show and the movie it just feels like she just decides to be confident now without really getting there through hard work. The motivation was there in the show (see previous point) but in both instances it just happened too fast. Let Marinette have time to really adjust to her new role

This would've worked if the movie didn't try to keep the show's formula of "villain of the week". Why are we getting a montage about that when there's already a whole ass show with five seasons where we already see that? This montage took up time that could've been used more effectively. The movie should've tried to be more of it's own thing, really shoud've tried to flesh out the characters more in a way the show doesn't. They didn't need LB and CN immediately competent and loved by the public after the theme park fiasco. Just use the run time of the movie to get adjusted to fighting crime on a weekly basis, have them fail to then fix their mistakes and learn from them. Why not do a training montage with the point of becoming better instead of flirting? The movie tries too hard to keep up the show formula and it takes away the quality the story could've had

Also in Marinette's case it felt like the only "power of love" that mattered was her partnership with Chat. Her family and friends weren't completely unimportant but definetely underutilized in that regard. Romantic love is not the only important love you know

Their powers of cataclysm and miraculous ladybug only came in at the very end. The built up could've worked if they spent more time showing how they become good and experienced heroes over time

Generally the climax was underwhelming. Gabriel learns Chat‘s identity and the damage is made undone like 10 seconds later

Adrien being like "yeah I didn't really get close to people after my mom died" what's with the Nino erasure smh

Luka wasn't important

Kagami wasn't even there

I think the end scene hinted at the sentimonster stuff and I wished they would've just not include that

Final thoughts

There are things the movie did better than the show and some things it didn't. They don't waste much time on establishing who the characters are because they expect viewers to already know that from watching the show. But like the show, they fail to use the concepts they've set up in an effective way. The movie not only tries to stay true to the show but is almost dependent on the audience knowing the series.

But yeah, the movie atmosphere was nice. Nothing extraordinary but also not super bad. It had s1 vibes and despite the problems I listed, I had a good time for the most part. Not a must watch but still fine

4/10

[servenas-inner-fangirl]

Liveblogging Black Sails 2x10

So now what, is Vane gonna storm Georgetown and rescue Flint personally? I would love to see his face. And then there's the matter of the dead crewmembers to talk about...

Also I love that the boys are getting along now, but who is gonna rescue Eleanor??

Still can't believe Miranda was killed simply for yelling.

Also did nobody notice the pirate ship in the harbor, the one they were supposedly so carefully watching, being attacked by other pirates?

God, I'm not ready for this episode.

Really enjoying Abigail's silent fury though. The more I see of her, the more I love this girl.

So that's the plan? Leave Flint's men behind with all of Vane's that disagree with the plan? Oh my god, that is never going to work.

But I gotta say, I love this new "We're all in this together" Vane. But then, he was half right all along - Flint's plan to reconcile with England failed (through no fault of his own). But Flint was also right - war with England is inevitable and they can't survive unless things change.

Also the fact that Miranda, who always tried to convince Flint to re-join civilisation, was the one that, in the end, couldn't stomach what it would take. God, I've been thinking about this way too much.

Vane even still has the blood of Flint's crew on his shirt. Yeah, this is going to go over well.

Flint manages to look done with everyone even while heading to his own execution, that is a skill.

Ugh, Lord Ashe trying to make himself feel better. I hope somebody kills him.

A CONFESSION? You've got to be kidding me.

Flint's words are as sharp as knifes here, though.

God, his face as they defile Miranda's body. Is that the first time we see him close to tears, if only for a moment, before it's replaced by anger?

Eleanor's disappearance is gonna destabilize Nassau quite a bit. They're celebrating now, but this could be a problem later...

Also how exactly are Vane and his men gonna sneak into the square? There hardly is a man who looks more like a pirate...

First time we see Anne on a ship. Love her hair blowing in the wind <3

Her conversation with Jack reminds me of what Eleanor (or dream!Eleanor rather) said to Vane: That next to him, she would always just have been a woman. But they still manage to be partners.

Oh no, Silver's co-conspirator, here to cause trouble again...

Awww, Silver is finally making friends! Or something.

And here we go, people are beating each other's heads in, to the surprise of absolutely no one. On the other hand - smart of Vane to leave behind the men he couldn't trust, because they're expendable to him.

Okay, that was over quickly. Let's see what still happens...

I don't think Lord Ashe can be happy that Flint is interrogated so publically. Some nasty things he could say...

"Everybody is a monster to someone." <3

That is the plan?? Okaaaay?

Awww, he came to defend him. <3 He couldn't look like more of a pirate if he tried though, for real, at least clean up the blood!

Ah yes, Abigail's diary!! I had forgotten about that. Now they have a problem.

Ugh, they've really never heard of true justice, have they? It's disgusting.

Aww, Max buying Eleanor's place, maybe in part because she still cares for her?

Hm, the Silver of S1 might have done this thing, but I have a feeling this Silver won't.

Oh fuck, is this how Silver loses his leg? Because he stays loyal to Flint??

Hahaha, Flint's and Vane's conversation during the trial. Maybe now they can finally talk some shit out.

"Figured if anybody makes a trophy out of you, really ought to be me." Awww, the beginning of a wonderful friendship??

Haha, Flint is so smart, of course he doesn't believe that's the whole plan. (And that's kind of reassuring.)

Ugh, seeing those two united with a common goal, however temporary it might be, really is the best thing ever. I'm about to vibrate off the couch from excitement.

Hahaha, Vane loves giving rousing speeches, and finally he has a receptive audience, must be a dream come true.

Even shackled these two are still so dangerous, I love it.

YES, justice for Miranda!!

Oh Silver, you smart, smart man, I could kiss you.

Nice, rescuing some slaves along the way (or at least giving them a fighting chance).

Ugh, the Man o'War appearing from the smoke and firing, what a beautiful picture.

Yes, Flint freeing the rest of Vane's crew. ;_; (Speaking of which, where are the men that rappelled down from the city wall? Did any of them make it?)

Vane might not like Flint, but he does respect him. That satisfied little smile when Flint anounces that he will destroy Georgetown... he really does value strength in other people, doesn't he?

Silver really has become a part of this crew. Who would have thought... But it must be pretty scary for someone like him to have to rely on other people for help.

The Man O'War firing on the defenseless city like a giant angel of death... what a picture.

I hope Abigail is safe, though.

Aww, they actually made Silver quartermaster! <3

But Flint doesn't seem too concerned about Eleanor's arrest. I wonder how Vane took that one.

Noo, Silver still lying to Flint. But then, what else is he supposed to say...

Goddamn, can nobody ever tell the truth in this show? But they found the gold?? And the walrus?? And the gold??!!

Holy SHIT that is a lot of gold.

[thebunniesgrim]

Genuine question. what was loona's problem with Bee in S1 ep8?

This is a long post, sorry.

(Idk if it's just that I already didn't like or care for Loona making me misread this situation or what but she was so defensive btw I don't hate Loona she's just not my cup of tea it's fine if you like her)

Loona has this big problem with her. For what? I understand when they first met Bee was definitely giving "mean girl acts nice but really isn't nice" vibes. Because the when Bee called her a sweet pup and a cutie then laughed after definitely sounded really condescending. I totally get it, but afterwards why is Loona so hostel? I’m not saying Loona had to go frolic in flowers with Bee and braid her hair or whatever. I just think she's a little to hostel. Even if she didn't have an opinion on Bee, I thought she would have just acted like she always does, just uncaring and low-key.

Because Bee was being nothing but welcoming and nice to Loona. It's not like Bee was being stuck up and tried hazing Loona at her first hell hound party. Loona and the audience saw that she means well. She was very hospitable to Loona, telling her to enjoy herself and eat, drink, or whatever. Loona and the audience saw that Bee cares about her party goers. See if they were ok and had everything they needed or wanted.

Bee even told her to she liked Loona because of how up front she was. My thing is, why did Loona blow up at Bee at the end of the episode? Bee is clearly chill with Loona and Blitzo, for that matter.

We don't know how long Loona and Blitzo was at the party before they left but it long enough for Blitzo to get wasted (which I’m assuming took a while because Blitzo in the truth seekers episode said it takes a lot for him to get fucked up) and for her to have made a group of friends/ acquaintances

At any point Bee could've kicked her (and Blitzo) out or embarrassed her, but she didn't. Bee was even a good sport when Blitzo beat her at her own game, even gave him a bow and said she respected him.

Why is Loona getting so defensive when Bee asks her to check up on Blitzo?

It's not like they were talking bad about him. They weren't talking shit about him. It's not like Bee was like "hey your dad is ruining my party, get the fuck out" Bee was just worried about him, she even explained that Blitzo was causing problems and that his vibes weren't ok. They didn't even ask her to leave. It's not like they were kicked out without any explanation. Loona wasn't in a bad mood when Bee and Tex talked to her. Then she just switched on a dime.

Why is she starting a fight with Bee? She was ready to fight Bee over it, too. I'm convinced if it was just Bee that talked to her and Tex wasn't there, she would have definitely tried to fight Bee. She didn't even back down on her own volition. She only said sorry and apologized because Tex looked sad. There were other hell hounds around and she still tried that nonsense. She only cared about Tex's reaction.

So what I'm getting is that Loona would have let Blitzo get blackout drunk and get into who knows what kind of trouble till she was ready to leave if Bee and Tex didn't say anything? Wow, daughter of the year over here.

Also, why would you try to fight a demon more powerful than you? Not only is Bee one of the deadly sins, she's also Tex's girlfriend. Did she Loona really think Tex (someone who she had/has a crush on and is her first real friend) would ever talk to her again if she fought Bee? Like there weren't going to be any consequences of that? She could have been killed or if Bee didn't kill her. She would forever be known as the dumbass who tried to fight (pretty much royalty) The Beelzebub. I feel as though that's worse than being known to a few as the girl who puked at a party once.

How am I supposed to take the ending of the episode seriously if she only helped Blitzo because she was told to do so? It would have been significantly more effective if she helped Blitzo on her own and took him home. Showing that she'd always be there with him. Before she out right said it to Blitzo before they got home, having her show it actions and words.

I know everyone likes Loona, and she has trauma and she has a hard time opening up to people but like what does that have to do with her totally lashing out at people being nice to her and worrying about her dad

What kind of trauma makes you defensive about people worrying about your loved ones? I can't buy the “she was acting tough” excuse because she wasn't acting tough she was being a bitch.

Look, I’m not trying to bash everyone's favorite girl. I just don't see how her actions were justified in the episode. This episode made me dislike her more than I already did. I'm open to other opinions on how Loona acted and maybe I find a new perspective to look at that'll change how I feel about Loona. I really want to like Loona but every episode she's in I just grow more and more frustrated with her and this episode really put the nail in the coffin for me personally. I’ve watched this episode multiple times and I still think Loona acted a tab out of line.

Sorry if this was hard to follow or didn’t make any sense at all. I was just trying to all of my thoughts out before they poofed out of existence. Also, this is the first time I’ve blogged something or gave criticism out loud for people to see. Sorry if there was poor grammar or punctuation. I’m not the best at writing, but I’m working on it.

[heavencasteel420]

tbh i think mileven will remain canon, but it'll seem weird to me if they still portray their relationship (and jopper for that matter) as flawless ~TWU WUV~ but totally ditch jancy. i'm biased, but it would feel off to me.

I agree completely. The strongest argument in favor of Jancy breaking up—really one of the few serious arguments, as far as I’m concerned—is that they are both very young and might benefit from experiencing more of the world separately/not having to make their college plans around each other. I have a hard time imagining a “Nancy and Jonathan go their separate ways” ending that wouldn’t leave me feeling unsatisfied and a little jerked around, plus I don’t trust them to address Nancy’s loneliness or Jonathan’s anything, but I get why other people think it’s a good idea. If I weren’t so invested in both characters it’d probably sound sensible.

Yet this argument applies even more strongly to Mileven, who are even younger and less experienced (especially El), and who don’t seem to share many goals/interests. Anyone who’s nodding along approvingly with “don’t go to college with your high school sweetheart” isn’t going to (or at least shouldn’t) be smiling on two characters (one lab-raised) meeting at twelve and staying together forever. I guess the show could avoid the issue somewhat by ending the story before their senior year and not doing any flash-forwards? Still, they both seemed pretty restless in S4.

(I will also say the applies strongly to St4ncy, supposing that happens. What, she’s going to break up with her high school boyfriend, only to immediately get together with her previous high school boyfriend? Is Steve going to follow her to Boston? What’s he going to do there? I think there’s a reason most St4ncy fics I’ve read either focus on the immediate aftermath of S4 or flash far into the future.)

And, yeah, Jopper doesn’t have the logistical problems (imminent or eventual) of the teen/YA ships, and I think they enjoy each other’s company and work well together for the bulk of the series, plus they have the kids in common, but I really hate how rude and dismissive he is to her in S3. It’s so jarring how they play that for comedy after Lonnie spends S1 gaslighting Joyce so he could exploit Will’s death and using her mental health struggles to scare Jonathan into not telling her about the demogorgon. And not to defend Lonnie but at least he didn’t know that shit was real (unless certain theories are true). I end up just kind of ignoring their S3 dynamic tbh.

[purrincess-chat]

I heard you were comforting sad Adrinette shippers and I came as fast as I could.

honestly I'm so tired of the fandom drama. Once again had to block people because apparently Adrinette is boring and generic and then dating is destroying the love square development. Like I don't know how to say this but, Adrinette dating doesn't ruin the development, that is the development. Now people are saying that the love square has been destroyed. All from their not fav side getting together?

Hugs for all the tired Adrinette stans. People turned on them so quickly and for what?

You are so right, nonny. Adrinette dating is the development for the square. The dynamics changing was always bound to happen. That's how development works. What would be boring is if they stayed the exact same. People have been begging for something to happen between them for 4 seasons, and now when something has finally shifted and changed people are clinging to the old ways like "how dare the writers change them, they were perfect the way they were!!" Make it make sense, yall.

I'm still trying to see the boring part of Adrinette dating. Every episode I have watched this season has been so interesting and emotional, and it has made me fall in love with them all over again because they're so precious. And the show finally delving into their characters and addressing issues so they can come closer together and deepen their bond??? Hello??? That's so good??? And needed? Literally how is Adrinette becoming more comfortable with one another to a point where Marinette is confident around him instead of stammering and Adrien finally having someone he can lean on for support with his whole family situation bad for the love square? Literally how? The kids are finally getting the opportunity to love each other openly and be together. That's what we have all been waiting for since s1. Just because it wasn't a side some people wanted doesn't make it bad writing. The writing this season has been better than all of the past seasons. There is linear plot, character development that sticks, a deeper look into the villains motives, people making moves all over the place, foreshadowing. Literally everything we've asked for this whole time.

Some people just need to accept the fact that this is canon now, whether they like it or not. They can either live with it or move on. If the show no longer appeals to them because *checks notes* the flagship of the show got together, and there are "other shows that do high school romance way better" then perhaps they should go watch one of those shows instead. I've lost interest in shows before too, but rather than whining about it to people who still enjoy it, I just stopped watching. It's really that simple. And all of the hate and vitriol spewed at Adrinette and Adrinette stans for having the ✨audacity✨ to defend their enjoyment of canon and how this development makes sense with everything the show has given us up to this point is actively making the fandom worse. Like good god it's the same two people, arguing why it's unfair that Adrien and Marinette got together when it should have been Marinette and Adrien getting together is the stupidest shit. And actively shitting on people just for liking canon and making actual real people feel bad for enjoying a show about fictional teenagers just because it didn't turn out the way some people wanted? Shit behavior. Absolutely shameful.

Don't feel too bad about having to block people, nonny. Do what you have to for your peace in fandom. We can hang out here and have sleepovers and talk about how wonderful the love square being canon is while eating snacks and braiding each others hair. ❤

[besidesitstoowarm]

series 1 retrospective

i'm not going to pretend this is anything literary, anything more than my random thoughts about the show i just rewatched. this is my blog. other, smarter people have said more intelligent things 20 years ago. this is the sicko blog for insane people, pull up a chair

so i have not watched s1 in its entirety since junior year of high school, which was a soul-destroying 12ish years ago. i liked nine well enough but i was already on tumblr at the time and was eager to get to ten, whose good looks and charm had been already sold to me. early into college i began to prefer the moffat era to the davies one and never turned back (i'm interested to see now how i'll feel) and rapidly got soured on the davies era by ten/rose shippers (this was not fair of me). 2014 was a dark time, you had to be there

ANYWAY other than the occasional episode in isolation (rewatching "dalek" for example) this is the first opportunity i've had to just enjoy nine without baggage and without being overly eager to skip ahead to "the good part" and like, god damn. the show is good lol

i remembered nine as being "dark" for some reason, more serious than ten or eleven, and i don't think that's fair. he has subjects he's touchy on and he's a bit rude but he's unbelievably earnest, undeniably goofy, and ridiculously loving. he imprints on rose immediately and protects her like a mother hen. he flirts with jack and only gets annoyed when jack flirts with rose. he really isn't that harsh on mickey after the first episode or so. ten is very dramatic in his wailing pathos (not a criticism) but the depth of feeling in nine, mostly good sometimes negative, is unreal. eccleston absolutely crushes the role and i'd kill to see more of him

this is the first time i've loved rose in like a decade. she's grounded, she cares about the average person. she's kind of got brienne energy if brienne was pretty. she's unapologetic about who she is and where she came from, she throws herself whole-heartedly into everything, she has this subtle dark streak where she chases excitement at any cost and flirts with death. she really seems like she'll kill herself if she doesn't risk her life with the doctor, it's kind of scary. you know that speech at the end of "family of blood" about like the fury of the time lord? rose would do that shit for real, ten got it from her. nine may be the navigator but rose is the swashbuckler. i wish we got to see her go ape shit

i found jack surprisingly obnoxious in his first appearance, which i did not recall ever feeling before. saved only by multiple instances of glenn miller. the glenn miller orchestra still exists and tours, did you guys know that? my dad founded a big band with someone who played in it. just a little fun fact for you. the rest of jack's episodes were fun, i like him well enough. wish torchwood had been good, he's a natural leading man with a good mix of humor and dramatic ability. he gets to play the zoe to rose's jamie. did you guys know john barrowman had a cameo in the producers? anyway

mickey was the character i was most surprised by on this rewatch. wow! poor tin dog of a boy. his teary outburst in "boom town" had me genuinely emotional, i really felt for him. i can't imagine how it felt to be left behind like that. he's not a natural fit for companion in the way rose so obviously is, i think it was good for both of them that they broke up, but it hurts anyway. i want to compare him to someone but i don't really know who. he's kind of rory, but rory insisted on coming along and made a pretty good companion. he's not really danny, bc danny was ian, to me. idk. i like you, mickey

i think the tone of the whole series was sublime. about half the episodes were biting political/media commentary (the slitheen/satellite five respectively) and most of the rest were classic doctor who "idk, you figure it out. there's a guy here" charm. "dalek" was an obvious standout for both the quality and the best introduction to the emotional core of the time war. eccleston is able to slide on a dime between bad puns and heartwrenching sorrow, and he carries the show sometimes, he's so adaptable which is perfect as the show found its footing. i was surprised to have genuinely enjoyed every episode this season. "the end of the world" doesn't quite have the polish of a classic moffat ep like "the empty child" but its place as second in the series (after "rose" as a perfect introduction) really sells the premise here, not just "what is this show about" in a literal sense (alien with a time machine) but in an emotional sense, why are we watching this, what's the purpose, why does doctor who exist (or STILL exist)

one of the things i distinctly remembered feeling when i first watched the show, and this will come up again in "christmas invasion," is "why is rose so sad that the doctor regenerated? it's the same guy, but now he's way hotter" but like i get it now. for the first time i understood and felt her confusion and grief. ten is fun and there are a lot of reasons to love him in his own right, but he's not nine, and it's understandable to sit with that emptiness. [clears throat] more like "are you my dadd–" [i am shot and killed for my sicknesses]

[imminent-danger-came]

*sets down a second folding chair and places it next to my previous one* 3x03! The finale! Sharing my thoughts since I talked about the first two. It’s not all negative like before, but it’s goin’ under a read more anyways since imma complain:

First of all: that shit was very cool. Belos taking control of the Island? Dad titan? Titan Luz? The music?

Like, I was super into it! I enjoyed the finale (even though I'm going to complain about it, I swear I did), and I enjoyed it WAY more than the first two episodes of s3. 3x01 and 3x02 were...honestly I think they were terrible. 

*Sigh*.

God. I’m so sad they butchered my Philip story. They butchered his character so, so terribly. That man was a walking corpse of the plot for all of s3. We got no real conclusion for the Wittebane brothers or for the golden guard. "This is for the good of your souls". Okay. That didn't lead anywhere. Like, a villain can be irredeemable AND have depth, you know? But this is what The Owl House does, they establish things that don't lead anywhere.

Again, I think this could have been fixed! Belos could have manipulated Hunter with Caleb’s past while they were in the same body, and seeing the inner struggle of that conflict would have added SO MUCH. It could have made flapjacks death more relevant too—have flapjack let himself get absorbed by Hunter/Belos so his soul could be used to help Hunter fight off Belos’ control. This adds so much to Hunter’s arc for the season while also giving us like, the story of the Wittebanes from an actually relevant source. It also has flapjack going out the way he lived: showing Hunter that he’s more than Belos’ manipulation.

I’ve talked about it before but the Collector felt very different from his original appearances. Of course I loved him by the end, but I do still miss what once was. They totally retconned his og story which is whatever, but I wanted to know what the deal with the owl beast was! That was like, one of the main plot points s1 set up that was further expanded on in s2. Maybe this was always what was planned for the collector (though the way talks about titans when he meets king in "King's Tide" makes me think otherwise). If this was always the plan...then it was sloopy lol. Sure, give the child who doesn't understand the concept of death morals, but make sure when he's talking to Philip it actually SEEMS like he's a misguided child, rather than legitimately super fucked up. Or, even have it seem like King actively affected the Collector over the couple month time skip—have the Collector go from a completely moral-less being who relishes in chaos to a being who has someone else to be their morals.

I think my main problem with s3 of toh is that I think they could have done it. I’ve seen more done with less—The Dragon Prince only ever has 9 20 minute episodes per season, which is like, only 40 minutes more than toh s3. Lego Monkie kid has 10 minute 10 episode seasons, and I'm always blown away with what that show is able to accomplish. I just know it's possible—TOH could have done way more with the time it had.

Another thing I wished they did was have Luz’s guilt be around more than just leading Philip to the collector. Like, there was definitely more there. Eda losing her magic? The pain her mother went through of fearing for her child? All of her friends being stranded from their home? The boiling isles being destroyed? Luz feeling like a burden to everyone in s2? Idk, it was just clunky man. They basically went, Luz, this is why you're terrible: "you helped Philip meet the collector", "you helped Philip meet the collector", and "you helped Philip meet the collector". I appreciated the bit with Hunter saying "you got your palismen while I lost mine", like thank GOD there was SOMETHING.

I’ve seen some other folks make points about the Titan giving Luz powers going against the lesson of 1x02 (1x03?)—which is fair, but I think I disagree! I was all for the “Belos ripping the power from the island while Luz was given that power” parallel. It wasn’t about her being “chosen”, it was that she happened to be there, and more importantly she happened to be kind. Luz had to be the one to accept that power I think—it wasn’t the Titan’s choice, it was Luz’s. But maybe that’s just me!

Here's a little buffer sentence because I'm totally jumping around lol

Anyways, they TOTALLY abandoned all of the side characters at the end there. Rip Gus, Willow, Amity, Camila, and Hunter. You were real one’s and we didn’t get to focus on you at all in 3x03. This makes your character send-off 3x02, which is a real shame. Like, why did Hunter get Flapjack powers? Honestly? I just feel like it didn't add anything and actively took away from the "finding your own way to do things" theme they had going. I know that the show started with Eda, Luz, and King and that the show needed to end with Eda, Luz, and King—but those side characters not aiding in ANY way for the final confrontation felt...weird? Like a missed opportunity? IDK.

Finale complaint: Lumity. Like, they're cute, of course they are. And obviously I've been spoiled by Rayllum for YEARS, with the way arc 1 of TDP literally culminated with the leap scene and a love confession. Like, I know. TDP has forever altered my brain chemistry. Rayla affects Callum just like Callum affects Rayla. Lumity just...doesn't have any of that. Their relationship, despite being a huge focus for seasons 1 and 2, just...didn't amount to anything for the finale. Like, yay! They kissed! It was sweet! But what did it honestly add to the narrative they were trying to tell? How did Amity impact Luz's character? TOH has never been strong on a thematic front, and that's obvious to see in every aspect of the show.

Like, I wasn't a huge huge fan of Amphibia's ending, but man! At least there was intent! And, at least plenty of people *did* enjoy that ending for what I think were the right reasons. Even if I don't like how they went about it, the whole "some things you love leave your life and some things come back" message was good.

So, tldr: Could have been way better, plenty of wasted potential (especially in the first 2 episodes), but I do still think it was a solid finale! Solid finale for a mid show, with a very shaky run to get there.

*sets down my folding chair and sits* So, 3x01 of the o/w/l h/ou/se. Fair warning this is a negative rant so I'm putting it under a readmore:

I can not believe the stars were aligned for the PERFECT Hollow Mind parallel, and it DIDN'T HAPPEN. Hunter and Philip trapped in the same body/mind? Hunter fighting for control? Luz coming to terms with the fact that she lead Philip to the collector? Flapjack getting absorbed into Hunter like all those previous palismens were absorbed into Belos? Like that would have been so good it KILLS ME that it didn't happen. Learning how Philip and Caleb found their way to the Boiling Isles would have been way more satisfying coming from Philip himself.

And honestly like...the episode was fine-ish, but I think overall I was disappointed by it. I don't really care for how they handled Hunter and Luz's respective secrets, and I was SUPER disappointed by Luz's reaction to Belos' return. Like there he is, the man who caused about 3/4 of all your trauma, and like....nothing? Like on god running into Belos should have been the culmination of her s2 and 3x01 arc, yet it wasn't.

I also just kinda wish Luz's refusal to tell her friends she helped Phiplip meet the collector was based more in her fear of being a burden rather than the fear of her friends hating her. This isn't to say there weren't good moments in the special, but they were definitely scattered throughout the episode. It all just fell super flat for me. But I guess in general I find The Owl House to be a very mid show.

Since typing this post in my drafts I've also watched 3x02 and honestly, I feel the same way I did watching the first episode. The writers tried to give every character their own new mini arc instead of focusing on what had already been established previously. Which would be fine, except... this is the penultimate episode. We should be building off of everyone's series long arcs (of which Luz only really has, and I guess Hunter too since he was only around for season 2. Kind of Belos? They've just like, abandoned writing him).

Genuinely disappointed they took away all of the fucked-upedness from the Collector and just made him a lonely kid, rather than a child with the powers of a god and no regard for others or morals. His debut in "Hollow Mind" made him out to be someone who truly relished in chaos, and now he's just like...a child playing make-believe. I think an angle like this could have worked with a different approach, but the episode as is isn't really my thing.

Both these specials feel like "these are all the ideas we had for season 3, let's shove them into these specials" rather than effectively using the time they had. Like...the human world and hexside shenanigans are fun, sure, but focusing on the like...everything else you now don't have time to pay off is way more important.

[explosionshark]

did you watch angel? or are you exclusively a buffy person. i've been watching with my gf and had this doubt suddenly pop up

I'm watching it for the first time, actually! One of my friends is watching Angel and Buffy with me in air date order but it's been a little slow going so we're still only in Angel s1.

It's a little uneven (some episodes straight up suck SO bad) but I'm enjoying it, overall. I like Angel a lot, I love Cordelia, I think their dynamic is really fun. My favorite episodes are when the show gets kinda goofy. Tbh I'm really excited to finally be watching it for real. I've only seen a handful of the crossover episodes before, so actually having context for insane shit I remember is nice now, haha.

[burst-finish]

i just watched ep 41 and got literal chills again ugh, probably one of the best eps of the season because it offers so much even beyond the crazy good bey battle we get between free and sisco and lui and drum

the ep starts of with sisco scaring the asahi brothers into stop wasting their time fighting lol my first thought was that damn thats so in sisco's character he says the right shit without holding back lol, but looks like im proven wrong later on in the ep lol

then its drum and lui discussing their tactics for the battle! these two get along well and i think we all enjoy it coz its kinda unexpected? lui like this angry short stack lmao while drum's this wholesome cinnamon roll but i realise what brings them together is the intense way they deal things related to blading HAHA like please lui for real sent a heli after drum and brought him back to the his island JUST to ask him to team up LOL that was too much for me. my personal favourite was when lui squatted down to talk to drum lol like please would the?? shirasagijo?? lui?? squat down to talk to anyone? nah man i dont see it. but its really these little details throughout the show that shows us glimpses of how the legends that we use to follow so fervently in the previous season have changed and grown, just found it rlly sweet.

and then comes sisco and free talking while they ride the lift to go to the stadium. sisco opens first with saying "that was kinda out of character for me" which had me thinking wait isn't it actually like you?? but then i realised that i think evo sisco wouldn't even have bothered to talk to the asahi brothers, and he was actually helping them out in his own way, which was really cute haha. then he goes on to say that he didn't expect them to grow so much and that he was looking forward to battling them. when he asks free whether he felt the same free just went "hmm maybe, maybe not" (ISTG THIS CLOWN🤡🤡) and sisco laughed and went "acting all cool as per usual eh" UGH so nostalgic i can't take it

AND THEN the actual epic battle comes and the animation was great, they really know when to do it right. the way lui and free use the same lines against each other gave me chills man i'm really happy they explored their rivalry from evo more in sparking, from pairing them up together in the legend festival and stating that they were a legendary pair up, to making them face off against each other now, all their moments really delivered.

CHILLS MAN CHILLS

i actually didn't remember who had won this one and to me i realised it doesn't really sit well with me if either free or lui won, because their rivalry is so neck to neck i couldn't even imagine any of them winning. and i was right thankfully, because they knock each other out of the stadium at the same time, (they showed the audience watching with anticipation in slo-mo right before the beys touch the floor simultaneously, i was literally at the edge of my seat ahhh) with satan still standing after they do so, slowly coming to a stop. so glad to see sisco win after his entire arc earlier in the season.

and finally we have the lead up to the asahi brothers vs rantaro and valt (ok side note but i finally figured out why it felt so weird typing out rantaro i realised no one uses his name in the show HAHA its always kumicho, also this season is just an excuse to give us the most epic battles of all time lol i remember in the previous set of match ups when it was valt and rantaro vs lui and drum at the end it was just lui and valt facing each other which gave me deja vu of the nationals back in s1 :') but surprisingly they didn't put much emphasis on this one as compared to other legendary face offs, hmm i wonder whyy, do yall got any idea?)

OK that was way off tangent but tbh they didn't really start that battle this ep and i didn't watch 42 yet so i don't have much to say, except for how pumped rantaro was for the match, he even said that he was the most pumped amongst all of them and the bombers was like shookt about how hyped he was, sisco even called him an idiot for grinning so much LMAO (but sisco was also smilling ur ass of when u were saying that hMMmMm) can't wait to see how that battle goes because i have short term memory and forgot who won👌

anyways thats my review of sparking ep41! when i was looking through my posts around the end of last year and realised i said i would analyse this i thought nahh i probably won't be watching that ep anytime soon, so i'm really glad i did! and since this is probably my longest post(or maybe the one on rantaro that i posted recently now that i look at it, but these two are def my longest) i wanna thank yall for reading through my stuff! i'm not sure if yall like this kinda content and honestly i started this blog so i could read through my own favourite moments in bbb, because it's something that's really close to my heart, but i decided to tag it anyways since i realised we don't have content anyways, so i wanted to contribute some myself too? either way, thanks so much for sticking around!

see yall soon!

[wingsofhcpe]

SNOWPIERCER S3 EPISODE 4: GOD SAVE THIS FUCKING TRAIN

Mel haunting Alex is tearing me apart but also it would lowkey be real cool if she was actually hunting her train, her engine. Y'know, poetic. And since we've started with the supernatural shit anyway (don't think I've forgotten about Layton's visions), why not? May as well go big or go home.

MAMA GRANDE?? 😭😭😭

The last Aussies too... I'm in so much pain, why does this season keep killing characters off screen. I get it was the flu and everything but still.

Ngl for a moment I thought the cars blocking the track would be the ones Layton got rid of during S1. That would have been cool too.

Pike is PISSED and also not taking Layton's bullshit and you know what? Good for him.

Also Pike I love you but how did Ruth fall in love with you when you literally walk around in your PJ's. Gremlin man.

Oh Roche ..please get yourself together, your daughter needs you!

(although I did very much enjoy it when he stabbed Wilford in the heart. Bastard absolutely deserved it).

RUTH AND PIKE DATE TIME. PIKE MAKING HER LAUGH. I'M CRYING.

Ruth with her hair down like that is gorgeous pls queen do that more often and also marry me.

Also idk why but she reminded me of Zelda from Breath of the Wild in that episode. Does that make Pike Link?

Me whispering "now kith" in That scene and my mum shushihg me. We're both SO invested in this ship.

Pike telling Ruth she should lead 😭 what a simp, I love him.

Also uh, I know we were all joking last week that they were going to fuck but um. Okay. So that happened. Good for them, good for them.

RUTH WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY DID YOU LEAVE HIM I KNOW YOU'RE A WORKAHOLIC BUT LIKE. DON'T BE DAFT HE LOVES YOU.

"teal is not your colour" Pike how DARE you. I will have to hit a hard pass on that. (....but I do see the symbolism that she shouldn't just be on hospitality and should take a step up and actually lead. Clever one).

Oh Alex...OH ALEX.... The little flashbacks with her friend ruined me, they both deserved so much better.

Speaking of, I LITERALLY OWN THAT SAME BUNNY PLUSHIE. I'm not shitting you I have this very bunny and I'm gonna post a picture asap because holy shit, of all the things to relate to it had to be the plushie???

I love how the show decided to explore Alex's dynamic with Wilford, how she still loves him even though he's an abusive piece of shit. As someone with an abusive father, who cannot bear to think of anything happening to him even though I hate him, this scene really hit home and I found it exceptionally written.

This is the first time I'm actually 100% on Zarah's side and Layton can suck my fucking dick, also poor Madame Headwood, grabbing her dead husband's shoes for comfort the moment Layton lunged at her 😭

I want a redemption arc for Jupiter and I'm not even joking at this point.

On that note I want to hug Javi and protect him forever it's what he deserves.

Till really being everyone's babysitter and therapist in that episode huh.

Till and Asha are actually a great ship, I'm rooting.

Also good idea yall, let the severely traumatised, panic attack-prone person get drunk and roam around in a rave party! No way this will backfire on all of you.

LJ straightening her hair.....mwah.

But also that means she's the girl trying to stab Os from the trailer... here's to hoping it's just knifeplay.

I think that's all but at this point you guys know me, you know I'm gonna follow up with like 50 Ruth/RuthPike posts so. Ahem. Love you all. And I'm sorry for what I will become for the next 24 hrs before I sink back into attack on titan hell and start screaming about my beautiful wife Hange Zoe.