#if you watch s1 A LOT of stuff happens in the first 2 episodes

[thelassoway]

I'm still so mad that we got all those parallels and callbacks and yet no tedbecca. It was all for nothing. THEY WERE IN LOVE DAMMIT!!!!

Hi!

First, I hope all is well with you.

And this gif sums up my feels on that season of that one show:

🍻

[theriverbeyond]

#SPOILERS

ok so I watched arcane s2 act 1 and my immediate reaction is mostly mixed -- I think there was gorgeous art and strong individual emotional beats but I think it all got watered down by everything else -- I did LIKE it, I guess (?) and am reserving full judgement for the whole season until the next 2 acts release, but yeah.

warning for SPOILERS and also critiques below:

the deluge of new characters I have no reason to care about, and whom i am given no specific reason to care about (besides the itty bitty one, and that's just bc they are a child) does not hit. I dojt get it. why are these people special or chosen for the strike squad. they're just randos, and fangirls and one of them is a random dude you all seem to have grabbed off the street (?) also who tf is amara. was she even in season 1 at all?

the integrated music videos felt significantly LESS integrated this season than the last. last season it felt like the "music video" segments were just like.... really well done and stylized parts of the show, here they feel more like clipshows or standalone music videos during which the actual show takes a pause. some of them do advance the plot and all are gorgeously done but like, I dunno. feels a bit much, honestly, especially in a show that NEEDS to be incredibly economical with its time

relating to that, it feels as if nothing really happened at all besides setup, and I guess that was perhaps narratively necessary, but using THREE episodes of a 9 episode season to set up the plot feels..... REALLY wasteful, especially when i feel like those 3 episodes didnt have a tight plot OR tight character focus. everything feels very loose. the timeskip between s1 and s2 is like.... idk! why did we skip that. why didnt we just skip farther. how is Vi suddenly beloved by topside those bitches hate her!!! anyway. there is a lot happening and a lot being set up and, as i said before, a LOT of new characters being introduced and I'm not very emotionally invested in most of them. The differences between act 1 s1 and act 1 s2 are feeling incredibly stark right now.

To me, Arcane has always been a character driven work, so I can forgive it of plot issues if the emotional focus and character arcs are strong. I.... didn't feel that here! and even the big character moments didn't quite hit. for me. like ok CaitVi kissed. but like. they've known each other for a week? Why are they acting married? The most resonant and emotionally intense part of the CaitVi arc in act 1 was when Caitlyn HIT HER with HER GUN, in a way that felt deeply reminiscent of how encorcers probably hit Vi when she was in prison. And that was like at the very end. sorry but the kiss just did not hit for me. sorry. so sorry. you can kill me with Hammers if yuo want to

A lot of characters seem to be making plot centric decisions that simply do not feel within their character. Vi becoming an enforcer -- I literally do not care about the game, it is emotionally inconceivable for show!Vi to do be super down with gassing the undercity. Jinx and Sevika suddenly being buddy buddy is weird, even thought i LIKE it, it just feels.... fast. Jinx's arc, emotionally, feels the best and most consistant, and I feel like there's so much setup happening it isn't given the space it needs to breathe. Caitlyn becoming a facist is like.... fine, I guess. I really like the emotional conflict this inserts to the story but again it just feels inconsistant with her lifelong characterization as someone who is out of place on the force. also didn't she actually get fired lol. why is there a Kiramann supercomputer.

a lot of stuff just feels emotionally really off. Cait going wild with anger in her grief is fine, but then it feels.... bad that the redhead bitch who's CHILD Jace KILLED last season is a villian for wanting revenge also? maybe this is just an inherent weakness of the genre. or the source material. or whatever. i mean season 1 was pretty enforcer-critical at least in the first 2 acts. sorry for wanting a story made by people with money to be consistant in its negative framing of cops :/

l am deeply confused about the Noxian angle here -- I think it serves a meta narrative function of giving Topside and Bottom (aka, all the characters we care about, who hate each other rn) a common enemy to rally against, but there is just. a lot going on, honestly. too much? only time will tell. this all makes me deeply concerned/curious about the governmental system of Piltover though. why is Caitlyn like the town King now. why are they not electing new councilors.

don't even get me started on viktor being undercity jesus

Anyway. things I liked: the opening, especially its contrast to season 1. Jinx & Vi's fistfight was incredible I just wish Vi felt more emotionally consistant BEFORE it happened. I really LIKE jinx being given essentially a second chance in the form of saving and caring for a child in a situation that puts HER in a reversed position from her youth. like OK it definitely feels way out of left field but like, that's fine I guess. I like what they're doing with the kid. the art is gorgeous as always. I love how the enforcer squad is represented like hunting hounds, coming out of the gas. unfortunately i think their gas masks are wildly erotic. anyway. what was i saying?

that's my immediate thoughts. I'm definitely open for comments/explaining, but i really don't like the "it makes sense if you play the game/pay attention to LoL meta" kind of explanations I see thrown around -- it's a narrative weakness to be relying on viewers to know LoL lore, especially on the heels of season 1, which didn't need viewers to know anything.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/09/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Day 30 in the Gravy Basket; Cast & Crew Lovely Letters; Resources; Starfury Convention; Astrodglide Fic/Pic Week 18+; New Watchparties; People of Earth; Wrecked; SchadenFreude; Coyote Vs Acme; Articles; Morale; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika

Day 30 in the Gravy Basket. (FYI Long Post is LOOONG today was a very busy and long day) Well we made it folks, we made it to one month since Max cancelled OFMD and we're still going strong. Some CRAZY stuff has happened since then and some of our crew put together some fun lists of what's happened.

Thank you to @gheyandwoke on twitter for these memes:

And that's not even everything that happened! So just remember, when it feels like it's been way too damn long, A LOT has happened

== Cast & Crew Lovely Letters ==

For Valentine's Day we've set up a Kudos board for our cast & crew of OFMD! (it's on an unlimited version so make as many posts as you'd like!) You can send pictures, gifs, videos, or just text, and we'll be sharing it to them on valentine's day across as many platforms as we can.

== Resources ==

One of our crew members, Lady Penni, aka @Pellington21 on twitter was kind enough to send in a HUGE list of Positive Critic Quotes to the Repo today and they got added in. Speaking of Resources, do you have images/gifs/infographics/text you want to share with the crew? Please feel free to send them to our contact form over at the repo. @quirkysubject as well as some other crew members are being kind enough to help me get it filled in and up to date (as well as updating the accessibility) and we want to make sure if you want to share your resources you can! Let us know what name you'd like to be credited by and we'll get things uploaded! Repo Contact Form

= Starfury OFMD Fandom Convention =

So as a heads up, the first Our Flag Means Death specific event has been anounced by Starfury for Heathrow, UK 8 Nov - 10 Nov 2024. Details at www.starfury.co.uk I would like to point out as it's been brought up QUITE A BIT that it would be good to hold off buying tickets for now. Apparently Starfury is NOTORIOUS for saying certain guests will be there, when they haven't been confirmed yet (and they did that today with Rhys Darby) so it may be good to wait a bit before purchasing. This did cause some "Come to my convention" clowning for various people on twitter, which produced some fun stuff.

= Watch Parties/Events! =

= Astroglide Fic/Art Week 18+ =

You heard that right. 02/09/2024 - 02/25/2024 is Fic/Art Week

Please feel free to @Astroglide on twitter, or even here on tumblr @astroglideofficial and use the tags: #LubeAsACrew #SaveOFMD

= New Watch Parties! =

Thank you @iamadequate1 for getting these all in one place! Twitter Thread

Feb 12 - Feb 16: People of Earth S1

People of Earth is no longer on any streaming platform, but it is available for digital purchase (ex, on Amazon). If access is an issue, DM @gentlebeardsbarngrill

Season 1 watch next week from February 12th to February 16th.

Skipping the week after in case people want to participate in the n next Palestine strike.

Season 2 watch from February 26th to March 1st

Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST.

Watch two episodes per day. Episodes are 21-22 minutes each.

Use the following Saturday for the tags/watch if interested but not able to make this time.

Hashtags:

#PiratesOfEarth

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

Mar 4 - Mar 8: Wrecked Season 1

Wrecked is no longer on any streaming platform, and it is not available digitally on US sites. (Apparently, it is available on German Amazon?) There are sources being passed around. If access is an issue, DM @gentlebeardsbarngrill

Season 1 watch from March 4th to March 8th.

Season 2 watch from March 11th to March 15th.

Season 3 watch from March 18th to March 22nd.

Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST.

Watch two episodes per day. Episodes are 21-22 minutes each.

Use the following Saturday for the tags/watch if interested but not able to make this time.

Hashtags:

#WreckedPirates

#SaveOFMD

#ForOurCaptain

== SchadenFreude / Coyote Vs. Acme ==

So some crazy stuff happened today. Apparently Zaslav made a decision to not only remove Coyote Vs. Acme from Max but to shelve it so no one else could purchase it.

Wanna learn more? The Final Days of ‘Coyote vs. Acme’: Offers, Rejections and a Roadrunner Race Against Time | Exclusive

Coyote vs. Acme's Fate Might Have Been Sealed by Real Judge Doom David Zaslav

Now what does that have to do with Our Flag Means Death? Well, just like we've been seeing for weeks now the WBD stock has PLUMMETED like crazy since The Wrap article came out this morning.

It sent the following trends all over twitter: (Thank you Mich for capturing these!)

Wanna help out Coyote Vs. Acme? Please sign their petition to get it saved: Petition

Seeing this much negative press for WBD is great and shows it's not just OFMD they're cancelling, they're making crappy decisions left and right. The term "Zaslovian Blunder" was also coined today on the @saveofmdcrewmates tumblr:

*Zaslovian (adjective): to make a decision that is unanimously deemed absurd, that almost seems to purposefully damage one's reputation, company, self, and others.

== Articles ==

5 TV weddings to celebrate the 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage in San Francisco

Peak TV Is Officially Over: FX Tallies 14 Percent Drop in Scripted Series for 2023

== Morale ==

In honor of 85k signatures, our friend @lucyrosebutler on twitter shared the rest of her Cameo with Rhys. (We'll see if it explodes this post, please don't I will cry)

Full video clips on twitter.

== Morale Cont'd ==

Hey Lovelies. 30 days is a LONG time. I get that. I'm feeling it in my bones too. I want you to know it's totally normal if you are feeling frustrated, and exhausted, and just over all of this effort to get our show back.

It's okay to feel that way.

You don't need to be positive all the time, you're allowed to feel grief. I know we've grieved several times since the original announcement, but just like progress, grief isn't linear either.

It's going to come up again in waves, and hopefully those waves get smaller each time, but they will keep coming until we get our show back.

I say UNTIL WE GET OUR SHOW BACK, because despite my own frustrations, I don't really have any doubt that it will happen at this point, it's just a matter of when.

What makes me feel that way?

Chaos Dad's silence

The fact he hasn't told us to just stop cause there's no way it's gonna happen

The whole "everybody is ready to go" in Aotearoa we heard from Wee John Wondays

Rhys' continuous pile of support

The Cast and Crew being more active on social media again

The continuous positive press

and so many other little things that continue to happen that keep making it feel like we're inching forward.

I'm not an expert, I just have a feeling, based on staring at every happening that's happened over the past 30 days.

So if you need to, go grieve lovelies! Get mad, get frustrated, scream, cry, it's normal and it's healthy. You deserve to let feelings those out.

You are human, and you are wonderful, and you can't be a ray of sunshine all the time (nor should you have to be).

And for those of you who aren't grieving, and instead feeling renewed excitement, that's absolutely wonderful too. Don't feel like you have to grieve if that's not where you're at! Every one of us has a personal journey through all of this, and not one of us will share the exact same experience, so remember not to judge your progress based on everyone else.

Anyway, I'm rambling now, so on to the love notes:

== Love Notes ==

YOU are beautiful.

YOU are doing so damn well.

You are trying your best at whatever you're dealing with in your life, and you're kicking ass, no matter how much it doesn't feel like it some of the days.

You are a glorious piece of stardust, and whether you're shining bright or dim today, you are radiant.

Remember to breathe, and drink some water, and get some rest so you can keep shining.

Love you crew, hope wherever/whenever you are on this big blue marble you're doing well.

=Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika =

In honor of the Love Birds Watch Party I'm including it in tonight's theme. Idk about the Taika one, they seemed to match, or I'm just tired.

[savagewildnerness]

What a gorgeous interview with Assad.  Imagine being him… you audition for a minor role… then all of a sudden you’re Armand… then you’re not Armand for S1, then you watch S1 and it’s incredible and in S2 you’re Armand and you actually have the largest role in the entire season 2 and THEN your first scenes are that gigantic argument with Louis and all of episode 5 in which you have to be absolutely peak 100% essence-of-Armand and in the back of your mind is like “Wow, if S2 fails, it will be MY FAULT!”  The pressure!!! And then Armand is just THE most complex character and has the most heartbreaking backstory and you have to convey him truthfully. It's all A Lot!!!

Anyway, as to the interview, you should listen to Assad talk beautifully about it rather than me yammer on. Every week, my first thought after watching a new episode is how I want to shout from the rooftops how magnificent Assad is! He is Too Incredible.

Leaving Interview With the Vampire aside (so you can stop reading here!) and turning inwards...

...the first bit made me sad on a personal level.  Who are the teachers trying to encourage shy children to act (so many actors talk this way and it seems SO alien to me!) and where were they in my life?!  There was no drama in my secondary school (in lessons we were taught at least, hahaha!) but in my primary school, Reception (age 4/5) did the nativity, Year 4’s (age 8/9) did the Christmas play and year 6’s (age 10/11) did the Summer play. It was a big school so no other years were involved in any play or any drama.

When I was 8, in year 4, the Christmas play was going to be A Christmas Carol and I desperately wanted to be in the play.  I had visions of playing Martha.  Anyway, there were around 100 children in each school year, BUT my class teacher was the Director of the play.  You couldn’t just audition to be in the play, you had to be invited to try out for it… but (admittedly very quiet, silent and shy) 8-year-old me said to my teacher that I’d like to audition for the play, and she…. LAUGHED IN MY FACE & said “hahaha, you can’t audition!  You’re WAY too quiet!”

And because I was way too quiet, I didn’t fight it.  I just took the “No.” Hahaha. And I learned that I was too quiet to have that kind of a dream & that I had been totally stupid to ever even imagine it. I only got quieter & less confident from that age onwards really, too.

But - It all worked out OK as I did actually play the leading boy in the year 6 play we did… only I know because it was a musical and all the 11-year-old boys had voices that were breaking so it was bad timing for them, thus I got the role.  And I REALLY FOUGHT for it.  In a way o don’t think I ever fought for any other thing in life. Stuff just happened to me? I think I was rubbish.  To audition for that, we had to make up our own scene and act it out, and I was good at thinking of imaginary worlds which was, I am sure the only reason I got to do that. But I did it. And it was the start and end. I remember I had to say “Don’t be respondent love” at one point and everyone laughed at this little kid saying those words. And I cried in a rehearsal (because the character was sad) and the teacher AGAIN said “Are you crying?�� And the other children laughed at me.

But there was no drama as I say in my secondary school… and anyway, from age 11 onwards I became a lot more insecure.  And seeing as everyone had always told me I was just a silent, shy thing I had nothing to fall back on to believe and I just believed that was all I was and I couldn’t achieve anything.

I recently met my music teacher from secondary school in fact and I was a music person in school as you might imagine and she said “Wow, I can’t believe you have a job.  You were always so quiet.”  So that’s great!  I always did well in exams, but apparently I was quiet to such an extreme extent, even a teacher of a subject that I was notable enough at that the teacher remembers me literally thought I would have zero ability to ever function in the real world.

I can’t say she was wrong! *Unfunctioning*!!! Hahaha

I really related to Assad's tales of secondary school. I was good at maths at school and did Further Maths A-level and I was the only person in the school to do it so had 1-1 lessons. In every single maths lesson (I'm not a kid at this stage obviously! I'm 16-18!) I sat with my teacher in SUCH utter silence that you would hear both of out stomachs rumbling. LOLOLOL, it was SO awkward. I can't articulate to you how at that age I literally could not do talking at all. It would make me want to laugh the way you'd hear our stomachs having a conversation, ahahahahah.

I made that all about ME! Oops.  But hey.  Storytime with me!  I still believe I am terrible at All Things. And I don't think I am as quiet now, but I know other people perceive me that way still. Oh well. I am silent and alone and that's fine. Words are overrated unless written or spoken by others, anyway!

[o-uncle-newt]

I'm not going to reblog Neil Gaiman's thing about how S2's episodes "don't have any fat on them" but I DO have some (spoilery) reactions to that below the cut-

OK so I already did another post here where I gave my impressions of the writing- but Gaiman mentioning this actually reminded me of something that I didn't put in there at all but kind of wish I had.

Because honestly, I don't think that the episodes not having any fat on them is a good thing.

Here's the thing- Good Omens, the book and the first season of the TV show, is a bunch of set pieces that loosely come together into a plot. The TV show less so, maybe- there's more of an effort to create a narrative- but fundamentally it's a bunch of ridiculous stuff all strung together to create the Apocalypse. (Like, there's a reason why book fans were so upset when the Four Other Horsemen of the Apocalypse didn't show up in the show- they did literally nothing for the plot but they were absolutely hilarious.)

So far, in the first 2 episodes of S2, I have to agree with Gaiman that there's no fat on them. And I think that's one of the things that kind of threw me. EVERYTHING that has happened thus far has felt like it's something that's probably going to lead to something else, like it's connective tissue for the upcoming story that will presumably make more sense later- and while there's plenty of entertainment and humor and sweetness, it's all to the point. You have to be paying attention, you have to take everything seriously (even if it's something that by rights feels inherently unserious) because it could matter later.

In S1, you didn't have to think too carefully about why a telemarketer is being eaten by maggots or even why there's still a witchfinder in the 21st century (for the show) because fundamentally it doesn't REALLY matter. Something will all come together at the end and in the meantime you can just enjoy it in the spirit in which it's given, which is of course an insane one. Each scene is just fun on its own. (I think this is in some ways truer in the book than the show- there were a lot of these scenes that I don't think worked on the show- but that was more about the execution than the concept.)

The fat in S1 was the good part, really. The plot wasn't all that important- it was all the moments along the way.

The closest thing to fat (to continue to use the metaphor) in S2, so far, is the minisode. It's the only thing where it doesn't necessarily feel like you'll be tested on it later. And it's also easily the best part of those episodes! You can just watch it and take all the ridiculousness for granted because it doesn't really matter. It's there to draw out the characters, it's there to give the world more color, and it's there to entertain.

Not that S2 isn't also there to entertain- it very much is, but it doesn't really have time to. It can be silly and random in the way that the book and S1 are, but instead of those being random throwaway moments (like Newt blacking out all of Dorking in the book- which signifies that his tech-unsavviness may be relevant to the plot later but is really mostly just there to entertain because it's so out-there), they are intrinsically tied into whatever the plot will turn out to be. That's really clear, even though we don't actually know yet exactly what the plot is going to be! The leanness of the plot is immediately evident.

I think, so far, that the main negative consequence is that it makes it so much harder to suspend disbelief. When you have a ridiculous moment in a throwaway scene, that's worldbuilding- it shows that this is the kind of world where ridiculous things happen, and then when a particular ridiculous moment ends up being important to the plot, that's fine because it's part of a whole constellation of ridiculous things in this ridiculous world- they've already deconstructed our sense of disbelief. When all you're getting is plot, when something a bit crazy happens you're like "oh, hang on, that doesn't make sense, that's a bit farfetched."

I think that that's one of the things that, so far, is giving "fanfic vibes" to the first two episodes. Maggie and Nina get locked into the cafe? In their first episode?! When we know that they're going to get together?!?! That's ridiculous. In the book and to a lesser degree S1, where like five other ridiculous things would have already happened that aren't heavily signaled to be important to the plot (Gabriel doesn't count because we know he's important to the plot too), this would just be one more ridiculous thing. In S2, it feels like something we need to suspend disbelief for because we haven't really had it suspended for us yet.

Everything I write about Good Omens here is going to come down to John Finnemore in the end because I can't help myself lol, but honestly, my first thought was "well he's really into plotting, so maybe this is part of that." But- he's also done nine and a bit seasons of a sketch show. While he was writing this he was also writing a season of JFSP (the sublime S9) where there was very minimal plot but everything was propelled by character building sketches, very much in the spirit of Good Omens. He knows exactly the power of random ridiculous moments to build the world and explain its ludicrousness. When him being a writer was announced, I saw so many people say "he's definitely got a bonkers enough brain to do this" except that it turns out that, while true, his bonkers sketch-writing brain doesn't really have a lot to do here.

That, plus the fact that I'd be really surprised from everything that I've heard over the last 2ish years if Gaiman wasn't the first and final voice behind everything written for this season, leads me to the conclusion that the issue might just be that S2 may be, as a group effort, over-plotted for its length. There's little room to breathe and live in the world. There are barely any humans, and as such there's not much time to remember that the story is set in a world where humans matter, which, as I pointed out in my previous post, is something that was really important in Good Omens the book and S1. It just doesn't have any fat.

Now- I should be clear- as I said with the other post, it is way too early to tell if GO2 is good or not, because all of the stuff in E1-2 was clearly building up to other things that haven't happened yet. I actually think S2 probably will be good. The above may not be "issues" per se. But I do think that talking about the original Good Omens like the "fat" is the problem kind of misses the point of why so many people liked it- and leaves GO2 with a pretty big burden to overcome in order to convince viewers that it is a continuation of the same world and same story they loved in S1.

[sleep02sunshiine]

7 questions regarding beloved bowl cut boy and Mike Weezer.

1.When did you start shipping Byler?

2.Out of the two who do you relate to the most and why?

3.What’s your favourite gate?

4.Whats your favourite season 5 theory of them?

5.Do you have any Byler speculations based on the behind the scenes images.

6.What episode/point in season 5 would you like to see them canon.

7.What’s your opinion on the Will has powers theory?

I first started shipping them when I hadn't even watched the show. But I became a fan of byler (and watched the show) summer 2022. So when the ''new'' season came out. Around the time my mother also started watching it, so i saw even more of the show and not only the byler clips. Watching the show tho really made me realise how much I liked this pair up of Will and Mike.

2. While I do relate to Will a lot (personality), over the 2 years I have noticed I am more of a Mike. First of all him and Nancy, I also have an older sister and she definitely acts more like Nancy than Jonathan. Also the tone Karen uses when comforting Mike (especially in S1) is something that I see in my mother. While my Dad is sweet and all, he also shares some similarities with Ted. Family stuff aside, I also often react in a ''mike wheeler kind of way'' especially when protecting friends. I hope that is enough explaination as I can't really put into words way I relate to Mike that much.

3. My favourites are personally Colorgate, Phonegate/Lettergate and Birthdaygate.

4. Definitely that one or both of them is gonna have a talk with Robin!!!

5. I don't actively follow the bts stuff but honestly just knowing that they are gonna team up is enough for me.

6. They are definitely not getting together OR confessinjg until something happens later in the season. I am thinking maybe after half of this season we see them maybe unintentionally flirting being oblivious until someone (I am gonna go with Dustin, as Lucas already pointed out the El thing in S1, so I think it would be funny to switch it up or maybe Lucas being like ''Maybe I wasn't right''). And also like said before I hope Robin helps them in some sort of way or even Vecna XD

7. I personally don't think Will is gonna get powers and if they are created and controlled by Vecna. But I totally stand for a Will and El power duo.

Thanks for the ask! :D

[princesstarfire1234]

I saw your RMA Post but before i ask, first i love your artstyle its so beautiful and each time i see it, it makes my day :] and second what are your thoughts of S2 part 1 and 2? And if you can rewrite it what will it be?

Aha hello!! I didn't think that RMA post would actually catch any eyes but I'm it did!!

First off, thank you so much! It's the best feeling ever knowing my art can make people happy just like that :]]

As for your question, I recently just rewatched a good chunk of S2 Part 2 but some of the details around the later bits are still fuzzy (rewatching em is quite hard for me as the english dubs aren't exactly that easy to find out there unfortunately)

I will say though, rewatching it really opened my eyes to just how much of a downgrade Part2 is compared to S1 and even just S2 Part1 itself, not just in story but in like the voice acting and animation. The voice direction is a bit off, characters sound flat, and the animation just feels... weirder, if that makes sense. It's not the worst thing in the world though, it's just an unfortunate thing I happen to notice. They also changed some of the VAs I think (liek Rema's) which was a strange decision but alright ig... There's also the reusing of so many games instead of new ones but oh well... Despite all my problems with it though, I like the inclusion of the new characters (Manus and all the other Leos Valiants). The Leos are all such silly guys :]] I do wish the DV7s got more screentime and played a bigger role though, the first episode for part2 really fooled me into thinking they would lmaoo

S2 Part1 still holds up, certainly not as good as S1 but still, it's got charm! I love the setting actually, Old City is such a bright and colorful place with like all these abstract and messed up winding pathways, it's so weird and funkyy, I dig it a lot!

So pretty!! God... just like how funky the cities look with all of them being like giant floating islands, it will always be cool af to me

Ik most of my followers don't care about runningman much but in the off chance some non-rma fan sees this, look at Tree City (pic below), I love it so much

Although... sometimes it really does feel like Season 2 is where the studio decided to lean more into it being a children's show. It's a lot less "dark" compared to S1 which is a tad disappointing. Like just compare Akong's battle (where the dude literally uses a bunch of the old guys to power up his thingy 😭) compared to CG's big mech fight. Still, I liked it! I like the neat guardians (the lil pullulu spirits who guard the gate, Vivace and Ensemble twins my beloved <3).

ALSO ALSO THE IRON BEAST, I can always appreciate a big robot guy aha

That's all I really got for the ramble aha, I'd say more stuff about S2 and maybe my views on it will change overtime but as of now, I haven't even really gotten around to properly finishing it yet. I remember watching it waaayyy back but it was all in korean with zero subtitles 😭 luckily, I am in a server with people sharing english versions so I'll probably watch those when I get more free time!

I really just miss talking about this show really and I feel like I've largely outgrown the fandom in old spaces where I used to talk in (like Facebook groups and Amino lmfaoo), so it's absolutely awesome to find RMA fans over here on tumblr!

[sneef-to-a-snorf-fight]

Totally Spies! S1 E1-5 Tier

Ok so my girlfriend (@twigsprout) and I watched the first 5 episodes of Totally Spies! and Wow. It's rough folks. So here is the tier list so far.

These will probably move around and new tiers will probably be made as we watch more episodes. First off, since this is the piss on the poor website, I want to clarify that the thing that makes episodes gross isn't the fact that they depict fetishes or kink, it's the fact that adult men are writing teenage girls in very obviously horny situations. Anyway here are some highlights from my notes.

A Thing for Musicians: the entire plot is that 2 old men trick a teenage himbo into being a hypno dom and turning anyone who hears his music (mostly teenage girls) into drones that call him master

The New Jerry: foot shot, weird sugar daddy vibes going on

Get Away: crotch shot in very horny position, alex gets catfished by her employer

Stuck in the Middle Ages with You: alex and sam get chained up in a dungeon, clover gets chained up multiple times and is threatened to be forced to marry some weirdo (of unknown age), clover and a king (who is definitely an adult) almost kiss

Child's Play: jesus christ, there was so much happening eventually i was just stunned and stopped writing things down. overall gist, a lot of age play stuff going down as well as doll stuff, reprogramming, age regression/hypnotizing, also theres an ass shot

Overall, so far, I think the show could actually be good if the writers weren't so creepy. My girlfriend also pointed out that even if they had just made the 3 main characters actual adults, it wouldn't be so bad. They're already designed like adult characters, too. Despite the creepiness, the show is fun and girly, and the y2k aesthetic is sublime. The music is catchy, too. But the writing just sucks.

The other thing is that the 3 main characters are indistinguishable from each other personality-wise. The only unique personality traits they have are: Clover is more boy crazy and Sam is smarter usually? Alex doesn't have any unique traits though.

So yeah! 21 episodes to go for season 1!

[sarucane]

OFMD Meta Series Master Thread

My brain works in meta series for some reason, and a couple of my individual metas have been really popular! So in case you're looking for more of my stuff, or to read a meta related to one you already liked, here're my series. I'll update them as I go.

Metas about Stories and Storytelling in OFMD

Do we just keep telling the same story forever? Meta on OFMD S1E7 "This is Happening"

(Note: writing this while on a holiday, there'll be more metas in this series once I get home and go through drafts ;) )

The Fuckery's the Thing: Finding truth through lies in "The Art of Fuckery"

True Stories, False Stories: "The Best Revenge is Dressing Well"

Stories within Stories (within more stories!): OFMD Meta Analysis of Ep 1 E4

Stede Bonnet's Stories (S2)

Ed Teach's Stories

Stede Bonnet's Stories (S1)

Storytelling in Our Flag Means Death

Character Analysis Question Metas

Why was finding Stede's letter so important for Ed?

Why did Ed think becoming a fisherman made any sense at all?

Why did Ed throw away his leathers?

Why did Ed want to "take it slow"?

Why didn't Izzy shoot Ed (then)?

Why did Ed headbutt Stede?

Why didn't Ed always protect Stede?

How did Stede leave pirating so easily?

Did Ed really want to die?

How did Stede know that Ed wanted to "watch the world burn"?

Why did Ed shoot Izzy then?

Spiral Parallels: The second season of OFMD references the first a lot, generally in ways that add a lot to the emotional depth of an original scene. Here's a heap of metas about that because I think it's cool.

53: Ed's Suicidal Spiral (S1E10, S2E1-3)

52: Weddings (S1E4/10, S1E1/2/8)

51: Pinocchio (S1E1, S2E1/8)

50: Beards and Unconditional Love

49: Whims, Self-Knowledge, and Commitment

48: Lessons of Episodes 5 (S1E4/5 & S2E5)

47: What would Jeff do? (S1E5 & S2E3/6/8)

46: Izzy Being Wrong Part 4--Izzy's redemption (in which he learns to be right) (S1E10-S2)

45: Izzy Being Wrong 3 (S1E6-9)

44: Izzy Being Wrong 2 (S1E5)

43: Stede's Fantasies Creating Reality (S1E1/3/8, S2E1/3/4/8)

42: Sandy Beards and Self-Hatred (S1E8 & S2E3)

41: Izzy and the Queer Community of the Revenge (S1E5 & S2E6)

40: Izzy Being Wrong Part 1 (S1E2-4 & S02E8)

39: Wearing Fine Things Well (S01E05 & S02E05)

38: Mad Devil Blackbeard (S01E04/10, S02E01/02)

37: Ed and Izzy in Those Scenes 2 (S01E10 & S02E08)

36: Ed and Izzy in Those Scenes 1 (S01E10 & S02E08)

35: Lighthouses (S01E04/10 &S02E06/08)

34: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 5 (S01E08 & S02E04)

33: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 4 (S01E08 & S02E04)

32: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 3 (S01E08 & S02E04)

31: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 2 (S01E08 & S02E04)

30: Manipulative Pirate Buddies 1 (S01E08 & S02E04)

29: Silk Robes and Ed's Self-Identity (S01E10 & S02E07

28: Izzy and Stede Talk Blackbeard (S01E06 & S02E03)

27: Ed's Despair (S01E10 & S02E02)

26: A Fall into Dark Water (S01E10 & S02E03)

25: Mary and Stede, Stede and Ed (S01E10 & S02E08)

24: The Character Development of a Belly Flop (S01E01 & S02E03)

23: Stede's Duels (S01E06 & S02E07)

22: Ed Leaves Stede (S01E08 & S2E07)

21: Executions of Stede Bonnet and Ned Lowe (S01E09 & S02E06)

20: Lucius and Pete (S01E6 & S02E05)

19: Ed and Izzy Sing (S01E10 & S02E06)

18: Izzy's Interventions (S01E06 & S02E01)

17: Stages of Intimacy (S01E06 & S02E06)

16: Poison and Positivity (S01E06 & S02E06)

15: The Kraken (S01E06 & S02E08)

14: Party Time 4 (S01E05 & S02E07)

13: Party Time Part 3 (S01E05 & S02E07)

12: Party Time 2 (S01E05 & S02E07)

11: Party Time Part 1 (S01E05 & S02E07)

10: Attention Crew of the Revenge, may I present… (S01E04 & S02E05)

9: Breakroom Chats (S01E04 & S02E06)

8: Ed, Izzy, and the Death of Blackbeard (S01E04 & S02E02)

7: Blackbeard and his First Mate (S01E03 & S02E01)

6: Cowards (S01E04 & S02E07)

5: The Unicorn (S01E04, S01E08, S02E04, S02E08)

4: Stede's Letters (S01E04 & S02E08)

3: Rise and Shine, Pirate (S01E04 & S02E04)

2: Stede's Grand Entrance (S01E03 & S02E08)

On the Spiral Narrative of OFMD 1: Pirates and Mermen (S01E03 & S02E03)

[melrosing]

Def agree with your opinions on the first hotd episode. I didn't mind Alicent's scenes so much, or the Cole thing but mostly it just felt random? Like they needed more time to introduce new things. Shouldve left B&C for ep 2 or then sharpen the focus of this episode. I am also disappointed that we didnt see any green side reactions to Luke's death. It felt like it was brushed over a bit. Highlight of this episode for me was the scene with Rhaenyra and Jace, Harry rly acted the hell out of his lines there, I cried.

yeah this is where I'm at too! I didn't really mind anything much, just it all felt a bit stifled by the pace? the Alicent/Criston stuff otoh just lacked context, I think if you're a casual viewer who maybe can't remember a huge amount from S1, you wouldn't really know what the writers wanted you to make of that r/ship?? it's only cos im ofc more interested that im like 'ooh maybe it's criston and alicent reflected their yearning for rhaenyra onto each other' etc but otherwise you'd probably be like 'who is this guy she's fucking oh yeah christian soot'

loved the Rhaenyra and Jace scene it was so beautifully acted by D'Arcy and Collett but yeah this was another one where it just felt like it was missing a couple beats.... I think the Robb & Cat scene in S1 of GOT for example works well bc it draws it out that bit longer where you're waiting for the release of feeling and then wallow in it a bit longer, this one was so good and then OH it's over

and for me the helaena stuff was the same. i've seen there are some people who are really happy w the direction there i.e. Helaena seeming to almost disassociate on the spot and fair enough bc I agree if saban had given streep's sophie's choice performance it wouldn't have fit for a character who just isn't very verbose and generally seems a bit dislocated from the present moment. but I think to really feel the impact of this scene you have to give her longer to work with. like watching helaena know what is happening, briefly bargain, briefly beg, panic when none of that is working, then refuse reality, go into survival mood, run. as it stands maybe she does go through these stages but it just happens too quickly for me.

also, just on the greens and Luke's death, I actually thought when vhagar was returning that the implication was that Aemond had been hiding out since the incident and was going to come back with his rehearsed 'did it on purpose' thing, but yeah no it was all offscreen. i do GET that they've got a lot to cover here but throwing big character moments offscreen was one of GOT's most egregious faults towards the end.... the audience is mentally building for these and then there's no follow through and it feels cheap.

[atopfourthwall]

Is Star Trek Picard S3 good on its own? Do you need seasons 1 and 2 to get into it or can they be skipped? I ask cause I tried to watch S1, twice, but I got bored. And I’ve heard mixed opinions about S2, mostly very negative. And now I’m just left curious.

Season 1 is meh. Not terrible, but okay. Season 2's first episode is great - well-paced, has an intriguing premise that could sustain an entire season if this was a normal show... aaaand then flops on the ground hard, abandoning that premise to keep putting in NEW premises and plot cul-de-sacs full of TOS nostalgia, unnecessary retcons, nonsensical plot points, writers who clearly forgot stuff that happened in TNG, rehashing plots done better elsewhere, and then ending on a complete nothing that is completely ignored in season 3. Like, I'd watch the final episode of season 1 to provide some context for season 3 (and honestly the finale for a certain character is beautiful IMHO and pretty good closure). Season 3 is... a ride. It's really the full nostalgia-bait that it's been wanting to be for a while, but it accomplishes that a lot better even if it's still a bit nonsensical and baffling in spots. The episode "Imposters" is probably the best episode of the entire series because it's proper resolution on a TNG story and it's so damn well done and well-written with phenomenal performances. It's goofy and full of contrivances, but it's overall fun... with one exception - Captain Shaw. I fucking hate him. A lot of other people seem to absolutely love him but I despise him at every moment and every time someone said "Oh, you'll like him by the end" I found myself more and more confused about what the hell they were talking about because the best parts of the show are when he's not on screen and the less he was on screen the more I liked the show. But hey, you might like him.

[epersonae]

fic etc (new version!)

[update March 21, 2024]

These days I'm writing fic for Our Flag Means Death.

Longfic

I have three finished long pieces, in order of connectedness to canon:

Hungry for love, ready to drown (T, 33K) - a Stede POV retelling of season one starting with episode four, lots of missing scenes (so much with clothing but also wound care! dream sequence!). My love letter to canon; I watched those episodes so many times in little bursts to really absorb the writing and acting, and I'm very proud of the results. Goes well with S2 prep, if I may say so. Will probably definitely most likely get a sequel, but it's taking me a while to figure out how to approach it.

the devil's threeway (E, 30K) - Ed POV, starts with a pre-canon encounter with Jack and (non-canonical) Anne Bonney, follows up with a post-S1 meet-up with Anne and (also non-canonical) Mark Read, and then a somewhat unusual reunion with Stede. Includes the fic where Ed would not. Stop. Crying. There is a reasonably likelihood that I will write something similar or equivalent with the canon versions of Anne and Mary, but it's still marinating.

for the benefit of all the broken hearts (E, 62K) - the not RPF but not not RPF that is maybe the best thing I've ever written in any medium for any reason: a fix-it fic for the gorgeous and weird Water Flowing Underground, told from the perspective of the unnamed second wife. My exploration of the aftermath of tragedy, the possibility of repair, and varieties of love. Read the tags, read the author's note, read WFU first (or don't, I'm not the boss of you, and I do know someone who read them out of order and still enjoyed it), but please give it a shot. Posts tagged #carlita coded content are related to this work, sometimes very obliquely. There is also a follow-up fic of missing scenes, end up several worlds away, that still has one chapter remaining (I SWEAR I'm going to finish it), and a short sort of non-linear AU, back on my beat, that explores some alternate endings.

Some favorite shorter pieces

I have begun to long for you, a "mutiny against Izzy succeeds" canon-divergence AU

nice either way, my contribution to the Beard Discourse

Commit to the Bit, modern AU blackbonnet engagement and wedding

Season 2 and post-S2 fic

I spit on your grave - post-S2, Stede and Ed have a serious conversation, starting with how Ed didn't "happen" upon Stede being gut-stabbed, and going some tough places from there

lost and found - post-S2, featuring beach comber Stede and those cake toppers

Through the storm - the crew of the Revenge between episodes 2 and 3. slow and creepy!

in case I never make it through to where you are - bad ending AU set at the end of 3. MIND THE TAGS, it's a rough one.

Other stuff

Occasionally I post OFMD fic recommendations, which started as a weekly thing but, you know. They are still posted in sets of five on Fridays, when I do them, and tagged #five fic friday. (There's no particular system to my listings, just stuff I like that's not PWP.)

Not fic: I am doing a little project where I make/recreate recipes that I have written down but haven't made in a long time (or ever) - that can be found under the tag #food as play. Includes my rewrite of the 40 Orange Cake Recipe!

I have also written a lot of fic for The Adventure Zone, my favorite being The Reckoning Arrives, a 77k fic in which Lucretia, Taako, Merle, and Carey go looking for Kalen.

I wrote quite a bit of my TAZ fic with my late spouse Ryn (@taakovapes). Ryn died in September 2021; here's the post I wrote the week they died. I often post/tag about them and death and grief. (See tags #not all exits are made equal, #[grief dab], and #posts I wish I could send to Ryn in particular.)

[laylainalaska]

I watched Foundation S1-2 this week and really enjoyed it, for certain values of enjoyed, copying over my write-up from DW, now with corrected character names since I've looked them up rather than spelling them from vague osmosis from the show.

(Blacklist the Foundation tag if you don't want to be spoiled from gifs, as I plan to promptly go seek out the least hinged gifs from this entirely unhinged show and bombard everyone with them.)

This show is a bonkers SF soap opera with gorgeous production values, Lee Pace hamming it up in crop tops, and a series of increasingly off the rails holographic versions of a dead chessmaster mathematician deploying his 9999-step plan to save the galaxy. I've literally seen nothing about this at all in my social circles, to the extent that I didn't even really know about it until the spouse started watching it. I was kind of halfway glancing at the screen now and then, if I happened to be in the room, for the first half of season one (and have only the vaguest idea what happened in the first few episodes, based on later events), then got invested and eventually completely hooked in season two, which also picks up after a 100-year timeskip so the cast has changed a lot anyway. Although between stasis pods, cloning, and holograms, it's mostly the same actors. (We have a running joke that by season 3 the cast will be at least 50% Cleons and Hari Seldons by volume.)

Anyway, so it is good? Hard to say! It's sort of like if Expanse and Game of Thrones had a (somewhat more optimistic) baby, in which the budgets are huge, the planets are beautiful, the spaceships are shiny, and lots of Big Feelings happen. The Evil Empire is run by an endless series of clone emperors played by Lee Pace in Romanesque armor and capes with massive amounts of scenery-chewing and an immortal robot bodyguard he occasionally has sex with. They have All The Clones in storage, so if he gets killed, they'll just transfer his memories and activate another one! Meanwhile the rebellion is being orchestrated as a 4000-step multi-century Xanatos gambit by a guy who started by having himself killed and activating a digital copy. Interestingly though, there is so much going on, and it's taking so much time for his plan to come to fruition, that it never really feels like the two of them directly pitted against each other (at least not that much), it's more like all of the stuff that happens along the way, the planets and the pretty spaceships and the people we meet who struggle and fight and save each other along the way.

I have to say that while I'm occasionally reminded by certain plot points and tropes that this is a series based on books from the 1970s, they did a good enough job with racebending, presumable genderbending, and so forth that it rarely feels like it. (Also, though I only know the books from general osmosis, I'm fairly confident the plot has gone way off-book anyway.) In season two there are no less than four young female characters of color in major plot-defining roles, there's a central gay couple whose loyalty to each other in the face of the Empire is a major plot point, and in general it's just a pretty, pretty show full of pretty people and pretty planets (and occasionally some really dazzling space-operatic SF stuff). It is definitely the most OTT and operatic thing I've watched since probably the MCU, and I'm really enjoying it.

Under the cut, out-of-order and largely out-of-context comments on various things I had a reaction to (mostly season 2 since that's where I got invested).

This show is an emotional roller coaster of the highest order. How many different instances of presumed dead and identity-switching can we pack into a single episode?

CONSTANT MY BELOVED. Season 2 in general gives great female characters, I already loved Salvo (;__;) and I also really enjoyed the ladies from the Cloud Dominion, but Constant!! She's just so funny and fun and so absolutely deadpan about everything from conning randos on some backwater alien planet to kidnapping a guy. I was so glad she lived through all of the half-dozen times she almost certainly should have died.

I was surprisingly upset about formerly-trapped-in-the-Radiant half-crazy Hari's death, "surprisingly" because, well, Hari being Hari, and also, it wasn't like this leaves us entirely without Hari Seldons, there's still Creepy Monolith Hari and who knows how many other copies out there. But that one had been through enough with Gaal and Salvor that he really felt like a different person. He's still a manipulative sack of dicks but I liked him! I was sad, but at least hoping he was backed up somewhere! And then two episodes later the most excellent reveal that he and Gaal faked the whole thing! I thoroughly loved all of that. Gaal hugging him! <333

"Don't trust the planet of the creepy utopian space psychics!" Orion and I were chanting at the screen, while they proceeded to not listen to us and it was, predictably, a bad idea. Seriously, when in all of sci-fi was trusting the creepy psychic utopia a good idea?

I had guessed/hoped that the guy with the whispership (can't remember his name) was going to warp into the plaza and save Constant from execution, but I really wasn't sure, and even with an inkling it was going to happen, that was an AMAZING entrance, A+++, no notes. Especially after Constant gave her speech and everything seemed to be setting her up to be a martyr to the Foundation, I was less and less hopeful she was going to get out of it alive somehow. Excellent rescue, very pleased.

I really enjoyed the entire subplot with the Evil Empire Honorable Space Admiral (can't remember anyone's names here either) and the scene in which he justifies his continued loyalty to the Empire is really a good scene. I mean, it's awful. But you can see his reasoning. He can't overthrow the Empire, if he refuses orders it won't change anything, he and everyone he loves will die, and someone else will be put in his place and follow the orders anyway. But then the whole thing with Constant's rescue points out that it may not be possible to change the entire Evil Empire, but you can make a lot of difference for just one person.

But I still wanted him to make better or at least different choices on the blowing up the planet sequence! I guess it all worked out according to Hari's 9999-step plan (my death is only the beginning! the death of my planet is only the beginning!) but that hurted.

Between Honorable Space Admiral and his fighter pilot husband, I was absolutely *not* expecting the husband to be the one of the two of them that survived. However, Honorable Space Admiral and whispership guy got a dynamite final episode (the fistfight with Cleon! never has a man deserved so much punching! the airlock switch!) and they both got to go out in an excellent death scene.

The entire thing with Terminus getting blown up! And then Deus Ex Monolith! And Constant's dads and Space Admiral's Space Husband are alive after the whole exploding planet fell on them! (I was SO happy Constant's family got reunited, I was so afraid she and Space Dads were going to go down each thinking the other one had died.) I think this episode gave me emotional whiplash.

SALVOR NO. WHAT WAS THAT EVEN. She just randomly died at the end there?? Come onnnnn. We already got like 12 death fake-outs in the last couple of episodes! Why'd that one have to be real?!

If time passes differently in the monolith, does that mean the entire rescued Terminus population are still going to be around after the second 150-year timeskip? I have questions!

Speaking of time passing differently in the monolith, best dialogue: Whispership guy: Whoa, it's dark. How long was I in there, anyway? Constant: Three years. Paulie: More like three hours. Constant: We agreed we weren't going to tell him! I love them. <3333

That sure was A Lot with the Cleons. And now I guess there's an entire Cleon/Cloud Dominion dynasty out there somewhere just waiting to cause trouble.

So yeah, I'm really enjoying my bombastic sci-fi soap opera! Season 3 when pls.

[tm-trx]

currents.44[2024]

selections from my week in media [27 october - 2 november 2024]

[listening]

"On My Bike" / Purple Kiss

[watching]

The Curse of Dracular - claymation short film - An artist animated his father's childhood school assignment and it's delightful. Destined to be an annual Halloween rewatch.

Fourever You, ep 1-3 - I'm liking the college dramedy of it all. I'm not quite sure who all the couples are, but am enjoying being in the dark and letting it all unfold. (The shy drawing club cutie is already a favorite so I'm hoping he gets a storyline.) I love how North is with Ter, the way he helps him clarify how he's feeling or what may be going on with Hill (what is going on with Hill, because at this point I'm more than a little confused?). I'm super curious to see if that emotional intelligence carries over to his own relationship journey. Also, Earth and Bas in a show together? Yay.

Jurassic World Chaos Theory, s1 {finished: 4 stars} - A fun watch and I'm glad season two is already out so I don't have to wait. So much excellent dinosaur action. I also really like the character design for older Darius.

Kidnap, ep 9 - So much filming stuff this episode, yay. I really like that Min's career is being given this much plot time, although it does feel like the drug dealer plot is gone for good, when it'll pop up again at the end (or ep 11) and feel out of place. Also, very glad they didn't actually do the Spiderman upside down kiss (least sexy kiss ever).

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan, ep 1 - The first episode was almost a shot-for-shot match with the original Thai drama and I'm not completely sure how to feel about it. Also, ten 25 minute episodes means there is a lot that's going to be cut and I'm wondering how the story will flow trimmed down if they hit all the main beats without planning for a season two. I am cautiously excited to see how it's handled and am keeping my mind open on the rest.

Peaceful Property, ep 10 - Another excellent episode. Creepy and sad by turns. Home and Peach are so great together and I'm going to be sad when the series is over. I've seen a few comments saying the show is queerbaiting. And unless I've missed some production interviews where they imply that the characters are in love, it's really not. This is just how buddy shows were before the 2000s. Starsky was definitely in love with Hutch. Sheppard and McKay were absolutely boning. Fraser and Ray K did ride off into the sunset together in the season finale. (Okay yes, that last one did actually happen for real, but my point still stands.)

previous Currents posts

.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

'Loki' Head Writer on Season 2 Finale and MCU Future (esquire.com)

I think this more than enough proof how unsalvable this entire series always was going to be. Because they made the TVA fascists, they were based off of 1984 and had straight up nazi coding. Remember all the art promotion? But then they honestly call Mobius someone who's like a company man, who sometimes breaks the rules, but really he just wants to live his life. Mobius was a fascist for hundreds of years and never spared a single person or even tried thinking of another way. I don't understand how some can be so unaware of what they've written.

Oof, that interview was painful to read.

The bit about Mobius just comes to prove these people don't understand the ramifications of the stuff they have written. We saw Mobius as that "company man" in S1 and I have no idea what they have done with him in S2, but if he didn't have his own beliefs challenged then this character is in the exact same spot as the first S1 episode.

Most of the time, these writers keep moving their characters from one place to another but when it comes to characterization, they always end up the same way they started. The character is taken from point A to B but... has said character really learnt anything about themselves? Or are they just going through the motions, reacting to stuff happening to them and taking on roles that don't ever develop their own personal story?

Mobius is never challenged, he was a company man who in his own words didn't get hung up on "believe, not believe", he just "accepted what is" - which basically means he took everything the TVA said to him as the absolute truth - so he NEEDS to have those beliefs challenged. He has to be written as someone who feels guilt, regret, remorse, who understands his role in the machine, and who is changed by the story. But the writers never did that because it wasn't in their plans to tell a story against the TVA - as Wright said, the TVA is their Shield. They're the good guys! 🤦‍♀️

Now, what Martin says about Loki: "The big idea was taking Loki from a lowercase-g god, to a capital-G God" is slightly insulting. Loki IS a God. But the rest is even worse: "[...] he gets his throne—but it's not a throne he wants anymore. This is a duty. He's doing this so everyone else can have their lives. He's giving up the thing that he wants most so that everyone else can have their free will."

So, that's basically the worst possible story you could tell about him? He "gives up" what he wants most? So this is yet another case where Loki doesn't get what he wants? He gets a throne, that he never wanted in the first place and we've known that since Thor1, and he has to sacrifice himself, his life, his future, his needs... so that everybody else can have their lives? It's a confirmation of this...

I don't know what to tell you. As a Loki fan that is not what I wanted to see. I haven't watched S2 so I have no idea if he takes on that role willingly or not, but this is Loki sacrificing himself yet again while those who did A LOT more damage than he ever did get away with it scot-free. And probably even the TVA is saved and protected and not burnt to the ground, right? Ugh.

Oh, and there's one more thing that blows my mind in that interview. This part:

Q: On a macro level, where would you say Loki Season Two fits in within the overall Marvel story? Eric Martin: "I actually don't know what the overall story is going to be. Things are so siloed off."

Marvel should be telling the head writers of their series what the overall story is. The MCU is supposed to be a "connected" universe. It doesn't surprise me that the latest phases are all over the place when these people have no idea what the main story is.

[hadesismybaby]

No one asked, but I made a comprehensive list of Ryan Corr’s movies/shows and if they are worth watching.

Here is how they will be graded: 1 to 5 Strong Bastards: The movie/show on it’s on 1 to 5 Perfect Curls: How much Ryan is in it

I’ll also add a little description about my general opinion on each.

Note to Ryan Corr and any associate: Please ignore. Thank you.

I divided between TV Shows and Movies, the list is long. I'm sorry.

PS¹: This is the list of stuff I watched, not everything he did PS²: I won’t talk about his acting, the dude can act, and it'd be redundant to say the same thing all the time

Ok! Let’s go and do this

TV Shows

In Limbo Banished

House of the Dragon (S1):

Show: 4.5 Strong bastards I’m guessing everybody that is here saw it. So you know

Ryan Factor: 1 Perfect Curls It’s only one curl, but when he appears on the screen he is perfect

Wakefield:

Show: 4 Strong bastards It’s a good show about mental health and general struggles, and how people deal with problems, from patients to staff. It's very heavy, and you need to be in the mood to watch it. There are too many characters and the episodes are divided with their story and how they interact between them.

Ryan factor: 2 Perfect Curls He is kind of too good for his own good. There is a sad sex scene that shouldn’t happen, but you can’t blame him for it. Appears heavily in a few episodes, but once his story ends, don’t expect much of him on screen.

The Secrets She Keeps:

Show: 4 Strong Bastards If you like thriller/suspense, watch it. It has some left and turns that are predictable, but still enjoyable, some infuriating characters (I got frustrated multiple times) but good acting all around.

Ryan factor: 3.5 Perfect Curls He doesn’t appear a lot on the first season, but he is there (looking sad and confused), second season he is way more on-screen, and he looks so good (understatement). And we have dork dance, interaction with kids (all your Modern Harwin AU fantasies). Just peek dad vibes.

Hungry Ghosts:

Show: 3 Strong Bastards This show starts so strong and ends kind of meh. The resolution and relationships seem rushed and dragging at the same time. BUT it is fascinating to see aspects of a different culture and as per my (very shallow) research Hungry ghost is a real thing in Buddhism, and they even have a festival.

Ryan factor: 2 Perfect Curls He is the skeptical white guy in the show, even after seeing some crazy shit. He shows up here and there, but not too much. He looks good but he always looks good, is a doctor, some people like that.

The Commons:

Show: 4.5 Strong Bastards I love the concept of this show, in the very near future the world went to shit (even more) because of global warming, it’s not difficult to see the reality they live in. My only main problem is with the main character, she always wants her cake and eat it too.

Ryan factor: 4 Perfect Curls Just my favorite Ryan character. Very smart, but very unserious scientist that looks like (in my humble opinion) the total package. His interactions with his goddaughter are perfect and I’d kill for them.

My Life Is Murder (S1E06):

Show: 3.5 Strong Bastards Murder of the week type of show. I like because even with murders it has a sort of light heart vibe to it, it’s not like Law and Order: SVU (or any of that kind) that everything looks sad and wet all the time. Also, Xena the Warrior Princess is the detective.

Ryan Factor: 3.5 Perfect Curls Family man who just lost his brother, very sad. His wife is super pregs, so yay for family and Dad Ryan.

Bloom (S1):

Show: 4.5 Strong Bastards About youth and regret. Most of the cast is older and when they eat this little fruit, they become young again and kind a new lease in life. I don’t want to say much because of spoilers. It’s a really well made show, you can feel the desperation on their actions.

Ryan Factor: 3.5 Perfect Curls It starts with Ryan taking his clothes off and running on the street, a great beginning. We see a lot of him, he’s one of the people who is older and eats the fruit. Ryan was more of the antagonist. He’s interacting with a kid, but more of the older brother vibes.

Cleverman (S1):

Show: 2 Strong Bastards CW level entertainment. There is a good message behind, if you skint and look from afar they did a good job with the message. The main is also a problem, he’s very passive and doesn’t want to do anything.

Ryan Factor: 2.5 Perfect Curls He’s the protagonist's BFF, when he shows the character is fun. But he doesn’t show much, he is not involved with the main plot in the first 4 episodes.

Wanted (S1E01-02):

Show: IDK how many Strong Bastards Two very different ladies become friends after they are kidnapped, also police corruption. I only watched the first 3 episodes, so I can really say much about the show.

Ryan Factor: 3 Perfect Curls (only 2 first episodes) Maybe the worst kidnapper ever? He looks good in a bulletproof vest, and way over his head.

Blue Water High (S2):

Show: 3.5 Strong Bastards (For a kids show) I’ll never shut up about this show. It was what made me fell in love with AUS teen dramas. It's about a bunch of teens competing to see who wins a sponsor and a place in an international surf comp. (Spoiler: Ryan’s character wins it) They all live together, they are friends and fight, all that. As a kids show I think it is good and it passes a very good message, the kids make mistakes, they are punished by it but never villainized.

Ryan Factor: 4.5 Perfect Curls (The show doesn’t have a lead) He was 16/17 when this was filmed, his hair is a disaster (but very mid 2000s) and I can’t even explain how this is the same person as Harwin Strong. Looks like he’s having a lot of fun.

Movies

High Ground:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards Very good movie about how colonizers think they’re better than anyone else and justice doesn’t apply to them. I think it’s based on a real story about a massacre in northern Australia.

Ryan factor: 0.5 Perfect Curls Glorified extra. I think he has 2 lines in the whole movie, he’s a priest.

Ladies in Black:

Movie: 3.5 Strong Bastards It’s a cute movie, heavy subject but they manage to make it cute and light. It’s about immigration and sexism, but they don’t go too deep into either and everything is solved with the power of love.

Ryan factor: 3 Perfect Curls He’s a Hungarian immigrant in Australia looking for a wife, he has an accent, he falls in love. He is adorable in it.

Outlaws/1%:

Movie: 2 Strong Bastards Outlaw Motorcycle club, they ride bikes and do outlaw stuff. Look, the movie isn’t good and there are a couple of SA scenes. I hate every character (except Ryan’s and his brother). The actors and direction are good, but the lack of depth and character development kills the movie.

Ryan Factor: 5 Perfect Curls He’s the lead (YAY!) and the only reason to watch the movie*. Exasperated, loving and sexy are the words I can use to describe his character.

*or any other actor if you like them.

Below:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards I don’t even know where to start with this one. It’s crazy and violent, also about a very important subject (I sense a theme here) about refugee detention centre and how desperate people do anything.

Ryan factor: 5 Perfect Curls He’s the main, and embodies the unhinged nature of the movie very well. He is a grifter who would do anything for money, but you can see deep down he's a good man and cares about people.

A Few Less Men:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards This movie is all comedy. The 3 main guys have to take their dead friend's body back to England, but they have 2 brain cells between the 3 of them. A lot of shenanigans.

Ryan factor: 2.5 Perfect Curls Ryan’s character is back in England and he screams with the mains via phone a lot. Looks like he’s having a lot of fun with the part. Looks great in pastels.

Ali's Wedding:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards If you like romantic comedies, watch it. It’s a real story about a muslin guy falling in love in a community they can’t really date, plus he feels a lot of pressure to be the perfect son.

Ryan factor: 0.5 Perfect Curls White guy in the movie, he’s in it to throw in a few funny lines, but the story isn’t about him, and he’s just another glorified extra.

Hacksaw Ridge:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards Another true story, Andrew Garfield is a super religious guy who wants to be a medic in war but doesn’t want to hold a gun because god doesn’t like guns. It loses 0.5 point because the beginning drags a bit. But it is a very good movie once we’re in the war zone.

Ryan factor: 1 Perfect Curl He shows up mid movie, dies and that is it. But he looks very good all bloody.

Holding the Man:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards True story (another theme), about a gay couple in the 80s - 90s during the AIDS epidemic. The movie kind of rushes in some parts, but you can feel they really love each other. It’s sad, but not one of those movies where people don’t know how to laugh.

Ryan factor: 5 Perfect Curl Main character, we see him in most scenes and there is a lot of skin. It’s hard to thirst over him when the subject is AIDS, but he’s so good in this movie. it’s just a little weird to see him in HS age with a 30 y/o face and body.

The Water Diviner:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards I think it is a true story, if not, it looks like one. Russel Crowe loses his sons and goes to the place they died to try to find their bodies. It’s a very loving and sad movie. It’s been a while since I watched, I don’t remember a lot about it, I just remember I liked it.

Ryan factor: 1 Perfect Curl He’s one of the Russel’s kids, he only shows up in the beginning and has a lovely moment with Russel Crowe. But hey, Jai Courtney is in the movie and he’s very hot.

Wolf Creek 2:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards Slasher!!! Brutal slasher, the kind of movie you feel anxious watching. The killer is HORRIBLE, a disgusting human being. It’s also loosely based on true stories from the 90s - early 2000s about the murders of turists in the Australian outback. I hate the couple in the beginning, too many dumb decisions.

Ryan Factor: 4 Perfect Curls He is not in the beginning, but he shows up and the killer hunts him. We see him suffer A LOT. He’s not dumb, which is good.

The end