#just watched the Rocky Horror episode

[emmathompsonegot]

Will Schuester is Bafflingly evil. I thought people were exaggerating about him, but no. In a show that manages to be self aware about Literally every other character, he is somehow allowed to commit atrocity after atrocity with complete narrative impunity

[green-cinnamon-stick]

I know I complain about it in the tags a lot, but I can't believe this season of Riverdale might actually be my favorite. I care about the plots, the acting this season is top notch, and the writing (while frustrating and still very riverdale) is actually REALLY good this season. It feels as cohesive as season 1. Riverdale has seemed so scattered lately. In terms of plot, in terms of character arcs, in terms of timeline. And don't get me started on reality vs fantasy and our suspension of disbelief on a LOT. (We're not gonna talk about last season's ridiculous comet superpowers nonsense.)

But this season has been consistent (as far as fiction goes) with the timeline and the character arcs. The drama finally has some depth, due in large to the time period, and they've tackled some pretty big issues. The most I've seen in a *single season. I think if this wasn't the last season, I wouldn't bitch as much. I was kind of hoping they'd let us off easy in the final season and so far I've had to deal with every one of my favorite ships not being together, mostly because of the era and all of the many biases the 1950s had.

[love-toxin]

Retrieval - entry II

entry I

plot: forging on through the horrors you've endured thus far, you venture deeper into the plagas cult territory to find something waiting for you there. more than something--someone.

(cws: fem!reader, blood, body horror, gun violence, knives, mention of a car accident, hurt-comfort, wound tending, raccoon city flashbacks, passing mention of smut)

word count: 5.3k

Even if you did plan out a route on your map, you've quickly realized that the landscape has changed so dramatically in your time away that it likely wouldn't have made a difference. In no uncertain terms, you are completely and devastatingly lost.

By now, the afternoon sun has long started beating on you from overhead and the sprinkling of rain this morning has turned the air thick and uncomfortably muggy. Each step up the incline of the dirt path and by extension the shifting of your clothing is a constant reminder of how sweaty you are, your stretchy shirt damp and sticking to your chest while beads of sweat pour down your neck and cling to your eyelashes. Your gloves have had to come off and Leon's jacket would've followed if the alternative wasn't to carry it–but regardless of those small choices you just have to accept the discomfort and keep trudging forward. You've got no idea where you're headed now but you won't get anywhere by sitting around, and at least you can try to peek through the trees and rocky inclines that line the road to see if you can spot any discernible landmarks. While you still have the task of finding Leon, returning to the village is no longer an option after what you saw this morning.

A shudder runs through you merely at the thought of it, your mind fuzzy with the memories like your brain is trying to protect you from the sight of that massacre. And it's almost worse to ponder that act of senseless violence than it was to witness the aftermath of it, not just because you recognize that some of those bodies were villagers that you'd cut down yourself, but also because you can't envision what kind of monster would have spread out such an unholy image for you. None of the creatures you remember seeing would have the patience or planning to do such a thing, and if it had been the work of a particular monster you'd faced off with, you're certain that if they knew you were there they would've killed you outright instead of trying to–what? Scare you?

Your boot meets a rock and you absentmindedly kick it up, watching with a passive interest as it skitters and tumbles its way around the path before rolling to a stop in the grass beside it. Was it to scare you? Could it have been a fluke, and you'd just barely missed the rampage of a vicious and callous monster? Or was it the will of the Plagas that called them there, and either ended them from within or had them hack each other into oblivion? You've got a feeling you would've heard something if either of those things were the case, but then again your sleep had been….preoccupied.

You shift the straps of your bag to ease the weight from one shoulder to the other, your gaze fluttering from one end of the path to the other like the presence of someone else would somehow allow them to be privy to your thoughts. The intense sweating you've been doing for the last few hours has masked over that wetness between your legs that you've been dealing with, the two forces intermingling so you can't really distinguish one kind of dampness from the other. It certainly doesn't make it any less uncomfortable, and it's an unfortunately clear-headed reminder of the shame you often feel after having one of those dreams about Leon.

After all, he is–was–your best friend. You met before Raccoon City went to shit, you lived through it together, and you faced the same hardships that came after when the world around you wanted to forget the cruelty of that horrid night. You knew how to joke around and keep the air light, you could drag each other out of your depressive episodes when nobody else could reach you, and Leon knew every ugly bit and piece of your life just like you knew his. Your friendship had always been something precious and you could never imagine throwing that all away by admitting to him that you're in love with him. He had been the only person in the world that you knew cared about you, the only person that would go to the ends of the earth to defend you, and to lose that would be equal to a death. It's what's made this loss all the harder, feeling like you've lost him twice over and having to mourn it all alone. And the guilt hits you even more when those feelings bubble up inside you again, because all you want is for them to just go away so you can grieve Leon as what he was, not what you wanted him to be.

You're always tempted to think he'd see you as gross for imagining doing those things with him, to him, but in reality you know that if you ever told Leon he would get the biggest head about it. Feelings or no, he'd be so smug he'd tease you until the end of time and it would stroke his ego to the heavens and back–and whenever you think about it, it just brings a smile to your face on instinct. He could be such a bastard sometimes, but there's no better person you could've called your best friend. Which, of course, makes the pang in your heart hurt all the worse when you're reminded that he's gone, and that he took his last breath in a place like this.

Speaking of which, it dawns on your senses that something absolutely reeks. Granted, the whole village smells of shit and blood–but this smell is different, it's almost worse, and it's to the point that you almost feel the need to pull your shirt up over your nose to block out the invasive wretchedness of it all. It's somehow getting worse as you walk, which can only mean you're getting closer to the source of it–and if it wasn't obvious by now, it becomes obvious with the crack of an aging engine roaring up and the sound of tires scraping over dirt and gravel. Fuck.

The raspy chorus of voices reaches you over the crest of the hill, and within moments of you halting in your tracks the vehicle comes barreling into view. On two crooked axles your imminent death approaches in the form of a truck gunning down the hill at top speed, two Ganados in the seats while God knows how many more growl and shout from the back and behind, brandishing their tools like weapons and vying for your blood.

It only takes seconds for your choices to dawn on you, but even that time isn't generous enough to give you much chance for a successful retreat. With two steps back you finally feel the panic whack you in the chest, but it powers your legs before you can think to move them and soon enough you're sprinting back the way you came. Your feet feel too light to control on the slope but you can't just stop, the heat of the engine is already at your back and if you hesitate, you know you're dead.

Fishing down the opening of your top, your fingers jab the secret pouch you sewed in there and two bullets come back out in your palm, warm steel forcing a calmness into your frayed nerves as you frantically load them into your gun. Those bullets are for emergencies, and you've encountered worse outcomes than this, but dying here would mean failure and there wouldn't be anyone left to try and bring you back to life this time.

You throw your arm back behind you to shoot, and everything flashes a bright, hot light to blot out the world–and then, just as swiftly, it all goes black as the ground falls out beneath you, pain shoots up your spine, and your eyes finally snap shut into total darkness as flame engulfs you.

"Officer! Wake up, officer!"

You haven't been called that in a while, but it still feels familiar–the voice, however, is different. There's only a distant wisp of something you recognize as you struggle to open your eyes.

"S'okay, I'm fine-" Your mumbling rings soft and faint over the crackling of fire and rain, barely audible–but the soon-to-be familiar face shakes his head and huffs a sigh as he pulls you back up to sit straight.

"You are not fine, officer. You're bleeding."

You see now what the situation is, your vision coming back into focus as Leon's warm hands steady you against the alley wall. Your memory's still fuzzy, but the pain shooting up and down your left leg is all you need to remind you of what just happened.

You'd been running down the street, escaping from a herd of the zombies with a bag slung over your back–the artillery from the station had been spread out all over the city and the medical supplies had run dry, so for almost half a day you'd been gone from the station to scout for supplies and redirect survivors towards the safehouses you and your fellow officers had staked out. One of them being the station itself, which had just come into view after you'd skidded around the nearest street corner and spotted those bright lights illuminating the front gate.

But after that, your recollection gets a little fuzzy. You'd heard a screeching sound on your left from behind, felt the tremor of something shaking the ground as several pairs of rotted hands reached for you from over your shoulder…and from there everything is a complete blur. A flash and a wave of heat had rushed over you, the blaring of a horn sounding from behind, and you vaguely recall the ground falling out from beneath you–although, based on the stiff soreness of your back, you suspect the impact of the truck that had hit you had sent you flying and you somehow wound up in this alley, or close to it. You've got a pretty good feeling you didn't just end up sitting back against it with your head propped up, else you've got the devil's luck for certain.

"Leon," You rasp, your throat dry and cracked from the heat and your laboured breathing. With that worried expression painted clear on his youthful face, he holds up a bottle of water to your lips–and you drink gratefully, feeling refreshed even by the wasted droplets dribbling down your chin as you struggle to swallow. "You can call me by my name, y'know–unless you don't remember, in which case my feelings are a–nngh, shit–little hurt." You cringe at the feeling of cloth scraping over your open wounds, nails digging into your other leg as Leon grazes the gash on your opposite thigh with a bit of medicine in hand. It's deep, you can tell that much, and if this were a movie you're morbidly certain that this would be the moment your partner has to put you down before you turn. Maybe you're already getting there, if the feverish heat crawling up your chest is any indication.

You shift your gaze over to the lump beside you, and find that your hand has been resting on the same bag you'd risked hide and hair for. It's half unzipped and looks like it's been rummaged through. It dawns on you that the water, gauze, and other medical supplies he's got rolled out are all part of the stash–and how embarrassing is that? You made so many promises to Marvin and the others that you would come back with hope in your arms, and yet you're the one using what you brought before you've even returned. Clipped by a fucking truck of all things. Yet, when Leon rolls your name off of his tongue with the ease of someone that's said it a thousand times before, your heart flutters and calms all at the same time.

"You're pretty relaxed for someone that just got hit by a car." He reaches out to squeeze your hand, and does so even tighter as he presses an alcohol-soaked pad into your jagged, bloody flesh. It stings like shit immediately and rips a string of curses out of you, but it's a necessary evil, so you just grit your teeth and bear it to try and make it easier for Leon to work. Being a newbie, you figured he would freak out…and yet, somehow, he's even calmer than you and he's doing a damn good job of keeping you distracted for him to tend your wounds.

"Truck, excuse you. Get your facts straight, rookie. Sounds cooler if you call it a truck-" Your half-joking reply is cut short as a sharp cry erupts out of you without warning. Burning pain shoots through your leg, tears immediately welling in your eyes and speeding down your cheeks as the searing sensation overwhelms almost every other sense. Your body jolts with it and Leon's hand comes down firmly on your thigh to keep you still, his other hand pressing warmth into your wound over the cloth he's smeared some herbs into. When the agony eventually starts draining out of you, it takes your strength with it and leaves you slumped back against the wall, lungs tight and burning from you panting and gasping for breath. With another wave soon to come and several more to follow, you have nowhere else to brace yourself but on Leon's shoulder, which you grab hard and squeeze tight as he works the medicine in and goes through the painfully considerate process of disinfecting the wound and bandaging it tight with a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

"Anything in there?" You finally manage to pant out, forehead dripping with sweat that he takes care to wipe with the other side of the cloth.

"No, don't think so."

"Thank fuck. I'd rather die than yank it out. You're a lifesaver, Lee." You're trying not to whimper as you speak, you don't want to come off as weak, but Leon really doesn't look like he minds nor that he's gonna use it against you in the future. His concern is written plainly on his face, thumbs gentle but firm as he wipes your tears like a brother would do for his younger sister. Or a friend for a friend. A partner for a partner.

"...Lee?" He murmurs, repeating the nickname for you both in a teasing way and a surprised one. You've only met a handful of times, haven't even gotten to know each other aside from the general pleasantries–but he seems happy. Relieved, really, that you don't mind his help or his company.

"You prefer 'rookie'?" You huff right back, anticipating a bit of sass or a rebuttal in some way. But he just shakes his head, seemingly unperturbed as he starts briskly packing the medicine back into your bag as the rain patters against it.

"No, no, just…I've never had a nickname before. Call me whatever you like." He speaks with a smile on his face and it would be irritating, if not for how sincere his words are and how much joy he clearly gets from the smallest gesture. As much as you'd like to dwell on it and humour him with a dozen questions, the zzzzip of your bag beside you and the shuffling as he lifts it up and pulls it snug over his shoulder brings you back to reality. Your very, very unfortunate reality, if the groaning and gnashing sounds in the distance are any indication.

"I hate to say it, but there's no way you're walking on this leg." He says that so ominously but his baby face really isn't doing him any favours, and you're not one to just back away when something needs to get done. So, despite his advice, you grip the wall behind you and stagger to get to your feet, bracing yourself against the warm brick as you hiss in pain and raise yourself unsteadily on only one leg–which, of course, has Leon holding out his hands to steady you as you do, exasperation passing over his features as you make no effort to use him to stabilize yourself.

"Hey! What did I just say?" Leon clicks his tongue like a mother hen, but doesn't leave you high and dry at all. He grabs the arm on your bad side and manhandles you into pulling it over his shoulders, his strength and the hand bracing your opposite hip giving you a very inconvenient shiver. Focus. "You're so stubborn."

"I'm not just sitting out here to die."

"I didn't say that. Here," With one step forward, it's clear that you're not gonna move fast enough to make it to the station unscathed. In a case like this, you'd expect to be left here while the more able-bodied of the two of you goes ahead with the medicine and sends backup when he can–but obviously that isn't quite what Leon has in mind. Instead, he bends down to slide his arm up behind your knees, counts down from two, and sweeps your legs out from beneath you with a careful swiftness to lift you up in a bridal carry. "It's okay, I got you." It's embarrassing and humbling all at once, a squeak smothering itself behind your teeth as you immediately cling to him with your arms around his shoulders. But he doesn't seem at all fazed, and doesn't even stumble as he starts walking towards the edge of the alley. If anything, he walks with more balance while he's carrying both you and your precious cargo to safety. "I'm not just gonna leave you behind."

Leon's got more integrity with one day of the force under his belt than most officers you've known. He's a blessing and an anomaly all at once, precious and potent like both an antidote and a poison mixed as one. But however unclear your feelings about him were that night, you know for certain that you would've died cold and alone in that alley if not for him. He rescued you without any inkling as to what he would get out of it–and even if it kills you, you're going to repay that favour by rescuing him.

"Well hello, miss stranger."

Your eyes flutter open, the ceiling of a room the first thing to meet your gaze–and the second being a man hunching over a table opposite from you, your head turned so far you nearly stumble off the makeshift cot you've been laid out on. "Had a nice nap? Figured as much–you took quite the nasty hit to the skull. Lucky you're still breathing!" He cackles jubilantly, and if nothing else that raspy laugh is what clues you in to that small shred of remembrance.

"Merchant? Wh…What are you…?" You shake your head in disbelief, a soft 'nevermind' passing your lips as you just elect to take this all in at face value. You never understood this 'Merchant' guy when you were here before, so you can't expect to pick him apart for answers now. With measured steps you approach his counter and try to shake off your limp in the process, your eyes scanning over the crowded shelves of his wares–and the inner pockets of his coat that he flashes open to take you by surprise.

"Uh…you got anything for my pistol?"

The Merchant chuckles heartily, and out comes several boxes of the convenient ammunition from beneath his rickety little table. With what little you've got to trade that you spread out on his counter, you can get about two boxes with twenty bullets each for most of what you're carrying. The money for airfare, a cab to the station, and some light supplies you picked up once you landed in Spain has cleaned you out pretty good, but he's fair as always and even offers to clean your gun for you while he's at it.

"Ooh, before you wander off–I've got somethin' extra for you, missy."

With a flourish befitting....him, he pulls out a decently sized piece of equipment out from a box behind him, and turns to lay the shotgun flat across your hands, the weight sinking into your palms as his half-gloved fingers retreat and he lets you get a feel for it. It's pretty hefty on its own, polished and substantial with a trigger that's got the kind of resistance you're used to. With a gesture from him to encourage trying it out, you take a decent step back from his table and lift the gun up into the crook of your arm, eyes lining down the length of it towards a very convenient lantern propped up on top of the crumbling stone wall opposite to you.

One cock of the shutter, a breath in–and a bang erupts from the courtyard, the lantern shattering into a thousand pieces and the Merchant's raspy laughter rising like the flock of crows that take flight from further into the castle grounds, cawing like mad at the sound that echoes like thunder throughout the canyon.

"She's a beaut, ain't she?" The hunched man chortles, clearly prideful of his work. You lower the gun back down to your hip, the smell of ashy powder filling your nose, and nod quietly before turning back to him and holding it out over his counter.

"It's great, but you've got all I had. Maybe I'll come back for it."

"Naw, missy–you keep that. S'on the house this time." Your brows raise in shock and a touch of confusion, along with a little seed of distrust that you can't help but entertain. You know better than to trust people blindly, especially strangers, but then again the Merchant doesn't exactly conform to any expectations you could've had. At your hopeful confirmation of "really?" he nods your way, the bandana that covers his face slipping a bit as he tilts his head forward and reaches behind him.

"While you're at it, have this too–not gonna be much use to me, I'm afraid." With a flourish, he unveils a sheath he'd been hiding only god knows where and sets it down in front of you. From just one glance as you strap your new shotgun to your back, a glimmer of recognition wells up inside you and your hands find the hilt in a matter of seconds. Raising it to your face, you gently tug on the handle to slide the blade all the way out….and sure enough, you do recognize it. The engraving on the side is about as familiar as your own handwriting considering how often you've been on the sharp end of this knife–a product of endless close-combat training sessions that your best friend insisted on practicing with you. It hits you right then–Leon would've died before he let go of this precious thing.

"Where did you find this? Here?"

"Just up the stairs there," He jerks his thumb back towards the entryway behind him, hazy memories of that winding path coming together in your mind as you recall going down it before. "Picked it up from a bloody puddle in the main hall. Return it to your friend, would ya? He's my best customer." You can feel his grin from behind the mask, and a pang hits your heart as you consider breaking the news to him….but the adrenaline is kicking in now and you just have to go, you have to briskly bid him goodbye and excuse your hurry as you rush out towards the stairs and mount each set in record time as you make a mad dash for the foyer.

By sheer luck, your frantic sprint through the winding courtyard betrays no hint of activity since you were here last. The cannon still sits perched at the top of the tower for a raven to crow atop it, and while the stairs are littered with bits of crumbling rubble they're still relatively easy to climb as you come out on the other side, mere feet of space separating you from the smashed-open gate you'd both fought so hard to get into. Down the looming path overshadowed by two huge, towering walls on either side, you hurry up the last few steps and brace both hands on the heavy doors, grunts of effort foregrounding the scrape and rusty squealing of the hinges as you slowly push them open to reveal the place Merchant had directed you towards.

"Hngh-!" With one last shove, you swing them out slowly and step back to catch your breath, before clambering through the entrance and slowing your run to a jog and then to a stop, eyes roaming in wide sweeps around the massive entrance room to look for some kind of clue. It's just as misty around the floor as it was before and the lights fortunately haven't gone out, yet the suits of armour, vases, side tables and weapons scattered everywhere don't alert you to anything immediately out of place. You do find yourself plucking a chunk of loose stone off the ground and slinging it at the nearest knight, however, just to watch as the plates of silver armour clatter with a hollow sound before crashing into a heap on the floor. It's better to be safe than sorry considering what you and Ashley went through last time with those things.

In doing so, and in stepping over to kick aside the helmet with a bit of indulgent violence, something catches in your eye in your peripheral. With a glance, you spot a few dribbles of otherwise un-noteworthy blood and slot your gun out of its holster just in case. But when you kneel down to check it out and wave a bit of the mist away, your eyes widen in disbelief as you see the speckles of blood lead toward a puddle–and beyond that, a trail that guides your line of sight all the way towards the set of doors leading to the inner sanctum.

Is this Leon's?

You shuffle quietly towards the pool of it a bit further away, realizing only upon getting closer how big it really is. Aside from the puddle itself there are smears drawn through it and radiating out to paint the unmarred floor, as if someone had either stepped through it and slipped or had sat down completely and let themselves bleed freely where they lay. Based on the trail, it resembles the evidence of an attack, an injury or death, and then the person being dragged off towards a second location. But no matter how weak he might have been, you just can't picture Leon being hurt like this and not fighting back, not winning in general, because when you pull out the knife and hold it over the puddle you can clearly see the spot it had been lying in when Merchant had picked it up.

There's only one other option you can think of, though, which is somehow more gruesome than the thought of your best friend being stabbed and his body being dragged away to be disposed of…

…Did he try to cut the parasite out of his body?

The scene in front of you paints a horribly gruesome picture with that idea in your mind. Did Leon sit here, bloody and injured from the explosion, and attempt to cut the Plagas out from his body? If he did, did he succeed? Or did he simply put himself through more torture before he met his inhuman end, and was dragged off by some other force to be used for more of their sick rituals? Following the trail of blood where it leads is your only option, but it is an option, which is something you've slowly started believing you weren't going to find after all.

"Leon!"

You call out his name as you get back up to your feet, your voice ringing through the hall in haunting echoes. It doesn't matter if you draw whatever's hiding out into the open. At least you'll know what's waiting around the corner to strike–and in the case that Leon hears you, you want him to know that you tried. You're trying. You want him to realize you want to find him, you're thinking about him, you care for him and that you didn't leave him behind just to forget about him. You're here now and you'll do anything if it means getting him back.

"Leon, I'm here!"

The next set of doors part somewhat easier than the ones that lead outside, your shoulder more than enough for you to push through and slip into the next room to track the trails left behind. Your legs stall once you've wound through the interconnected room between and laid your hand on one of those huge doors around the corner–you know exactly what could be waiting there, and what you'd had to deal with last time–but it just isn't enough to stop you, even though it should. You push through it and take a step into the long, massive room that stretches out into many key areas for an ambush, and breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of the wheels still in place and the staircase already lowered. Perhaps you have been lucky and nothing else has really changed aside from Leon's presence, but that still doesn't allow you to give yourself pause as you hurry up the steps and hop over the pedestals with your gun drawn. The blackened, muddy water doesn't scare you, nor do the half-ajar doors up on the catwalks that could burst open and spill out with bloodthirsty cult zombies. The trail Leon's left for you is getting thinner and sparser, however, and that does worry you as you approach the next set of doors and take them each in stride.

You can't lie to yourself, your hope is dwindling just as quickly as it came on. Only splatters and splotches of the trail remain and nothing else has alerted you of his presence yet–no notes, no scraps of fabric torn off his clothes, not even a hair in sight for you to inspect and try to determine whether or not it's Leon's. Maybe it was just a stray dog or a wolf after all. Maybe you really are grasping at straws.

"No. He's here. Don't give up yet." You whisper under your breath to yourself, praying in the very back of your mind that the self-reassurance is enough to keep your feet moving as you head in the direction of the courtyard. You just keep repeating it in your mind. He's here. He's here. Leon's gotta be here. I know he's here. I'll find him. Your inner voice grows so strong as you walk through the chilly air of the night that you really start to feel that way, to the point that it feels like Leon's eyes are piercing into you.

In fact, it really feels like you're being watched when you start thinking about it. It's probably just paranoia, and understandably so considering this place's gruesome past. Your knuckles brush over the handle of Leon's knife at your hip out of habit, but even with that thought in mind you still stop in your tracks right at the gate into the courtyard.

You swear you just heard a cough. It couldn't be. Monsters don't cough. Not like that.

The blade slings out of its sheath with a shiiing that could cut the air itself, and your fingertips are just barely brushing the grip as it flies in an arc out of your grasp–that's the moment you get a glimpse of the person standing behind you, and your breath chokes itself out of your mouth as the tip of that bloodied blade meets their throat.

You could've anticipated almost anything…but not this. Anything but what's standing before you, staring you down with eyes that could burn you down into ashes and blow you away in the breeze.

[emilybeemartin]

Ok ok ok ok listen. Because I have anxiety I feel it's my duty to say that this show won't be for everyone. I came to it over quarantine because my husband suggested we read Bernard Cornwell's series together, and I agreed because I liked Hornblower and knew this was the army equivalent and, let's face it, I wanted to see scruffy mid-thirties Sean Bean in uniform.

THE PREMISE:

Richard Sharpe is a lowborn rank-and-file soldier in the 95th Rifles during the Napoleonic Wars who is raised to an officer after saving Sir Arthur Wellesley's life (this all happens differently in the books, but the basic event is the same). Throughout the series, he rises in the ranks thanks to his bravery and heroism/recklessness, but he's always caught between two worlds--trying to be a leader of common men while never being accepted by the rest of the highborn officers.

Let's start with the bad:

CONS:

Look, this is a 90s drama glorifying the British army. So like, there are gonna be issues. Women are mostly romantic side pieces to be wooed and rescued, and there are plenty of subplots, verbiage, and stereotypes that didn't age well. Production values are low for the first few and so you've got battle scenes with like fifteen guys and a horse, which honestly I find endearing. But no episode is more cringey than Sharpe's Gold. Due to legal issues, the script had to be rewritten with none of the original material, and it turned into this bizarro semi-supernatural horror involving Aztec gold (in Spain, yes). It's completely different from all the other episodes, and even Sean Bean didn't like it (he called it a "mish mash," which is true). It's such a weird piece of work that we almost stopped watching the show, but we continued, and we were relieved to find that the rest of the series is markedly better. History Hack podcast does a great dive into why this episode was so whack.

PROS:

I MEAN COME ON

Sean really understood this character--absolute chaos on the battlefield and shy and awkward pretty much everywhere else. He's amazing in battle scenes and he's EPIC at acting wounded. But the scenes I replay over and over are when he's socially out of his depth and gets flustered and sputtery and so Sheffield the captions can't handle it.

Supporting cast:

You'll find a lot of your classic British TV favorites making appearances throughout this series, and the camaraderie among the riflemen is always fun. Obviously this is a dude fest, as stated above, but some of the women are also written and acted really, really well--- Assumpta Serna as Teresa is that winning combination of a love interest/action heroine who doesn't devolve into a damsel in distress, and even passes the Bechdel test on a few occasions. And Diana Perez as Ramona is so badass and enjoyable.

Locations: Aside from a few interior sets, these films are mostly shot outside on location, with practical effects and stunts. There's some gorgeous scenery of the Crimean peninsula standing in for Spain and Portugal, and it's just really fun watching these guys run around rocky escarpments and fields with flares and stage explosives going off around them.

Music: I saw someone tag the opening theme as "electric guitar jumpscare" and they're not wrong. It's wonderfully anachronistic and totally 90s and you'll never get used to it. But far better are the soldiers' songs John Tams threads throughout, as well as his and Muldowney's thematic scores, and you will always, always finish an episode with him singing "Over the Hills and Far Away" stuck in your head.

Filming Lore: There was a LOT that happened during filming. Everything from Paul McGann having to drop out as the lead to misadventures in filming in Crimea just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. History Hack podcast has an awesome series of "filming of" episodes with input from cast, crew, and historians, and Jason Salkey (Rifleman Harris) has a book called "From Crimea With Love" that details the batshit filming adventures. I haven't read it but he references it every six minutes throughout the podcasts.

So: you've been warned, you've been primed. Start with Sharpe's Rifles; it's on Youtube. Watch it and Eagle, maybe jump to Battle or Siege if you're not sure, and then make up your mind.

If this all sounds enjoyable to you, but you wish there were more tall ships, more Paul McGann, more heroic brooding, and even MORE true love cosplaying as masculine camaraderie, you're in luck! Because you should also watch Hornblower!

And then draw fan art of it all! Please,,, I am so lon el y

[psymachine]

wait wait wait -- deetress episode where they both have some shitty bar encounter with a dude and go on a "kill all men" vent/rant which sparks an argument with the guys over why they can say "kill all men" but men can't say "kill all women."

to show them that feminism can be exactly as hateful and violent as misogyny, the guys stage a crime scene making it look like dee & waitress killed them in a drunken man-hating rage (they're also drunk). dee & waitress wake up with hangovers bad enough to believe it and panic.

mac, charlie, and dennis are watching them yell and waiting for the right moment to reveal their trick, when deetress forcefully pull each other together and start planning how to cover-up their crime. the boys are a little taken aback, but dennis decides it will be even sweeter to watch them struggle and fail.

they get off to a rocky start, but gradually deetress start working better and better together. there is definitely a tense, emotional scene where they at least make-out a little. the boys watch with increasing horror and indignation as their murders are covered up bit by bit, arguing about calling the police on their fake crime.

eventually the boys just have to anticlimactically reveal themselves to get any kind of shock. dennis is especially furious, but deetress are like: well, you were never dead so actually we didn't do anything?

ultimately the argument goes nowhere, and the boys just have to live with that they now know. (and so do deetress.)

[podado-t-memes]

I’m watching Supernatural for the first time… I’m going to start season 15 soon…

I have a vague idea of how the show ends, and I remember how upset the fandom was 4 years ago, so I’m trying to avoid feeling sad. Please help!

Or maybe I just stop watching the final episode 30 minutes in and call it a day 😌

See some other SPN polls I made here:

Light Yagami / A Quiet Place / Carrie / Psycho / The Ring / Carrie / Psycho / Alien / The Shining / Mean Girls / Hocus Pocus / Rocky Horror / Midsomer / IT / Planet of the Apes / Jurassic World / Attack on Titan / White Chicks /

[t0ast-ghost]

Okay so I’m back on my bullshit (watching the original series for the first time) I’ll just start by giving a brief look at episode 4 and then a much longer look at episode 5.

Episode 4 (Where No Man Has Gone Before):

- where the fuck is Bones, I miss him :((

- please let Spock wear blue, cool colours suit him

- there’s a moment when Elizabeth is defending Gary and the whole room looks at her like “damn you got the whole room laughing”

- guys wait, just hit him with a rock, seriously

- “Nobody but us chickens doctor” - Kirk

- Scotty on da bridge

- there’s something about Star Trek and their psychiatrists always being women or being weaker, I wanna see a psychiatrist who is super buff and trained. Like you better process your feelings and seek help (I guess Ezri is more tough, but I still think her character is not well done)

- I bet those contacts hurt and were blinding. Like evil dead contacts were super thick and hurt and that was in the 80s, this is the 60s so those could not have been comfortable

- I like when things just appear/disappear in this show

- Kirk won’t hesitate to punch a bitch

- “I felt for him too” that’s such a big moment, Spock admitting that to Kirk

Episode 5 (The Naked Time):

My knowledge of this episode comes from the second episode of next generation so…

- damn those suits are orange

- “he was taking a shower fully clothed” mind your damn business

- OMG LEONARD MCCOY!

- “And as for my anatomy being different from yours, I am delighted.” DAMN GET HIM

- I think they may be flirting ur honour

- WHAT?!? Is that allowed??? I mean uhm…

- OMG ITS GEORGE TAKEI

- that blood is pink.. oops he’s dead now

- Bones sitting on tables/horizontal surfaces like this compilation

- uhm why’s he circle him like that tho

- “I want the impossible checked out too” WHAT, STOP BULLYING HIM!!!

- falling

- more falling

- YEAH KIRK YOUD BETTER BE SORRY DONT GET MAD AT YOUR CREW!!!

- oh wait is that nurse chapel?!? I haven’t seen strange new worlds (other than the lower decks episode) but I know chapel has a relationship with Spock

- I like how fucking emotional Spock actually is. Like I know he’s under the control of the virus in this episode but he shows so many emotions anyway. I love him.

- “I am in control of my emotions” sure bbygirl

- but in more seriousness this scene is amazing

- Sulu: let’s out the most pained terrifying scream

Bones: ._.

- “hey can I get a sip of that water” “it’s not water” “oh vodka I like your style” “it’s a complex chain of molecules that acts like alcohol when it enters the bloodstream” “what” “it’s sweat alcohol, pussy” (bones when explaining how the virus works)

- “Jim when I feel friendship for you, I’m ashamed” how do I- how am I- what do I do with that line

- James Kirk not afraid to slap a bitch

- SPOCK NOT AFRAID TO SLAP A BITCH BACK

- “SINNER REPENT” just write REDRUM stfu

- BONES Was it necessary to RIP HIS SHIRT???

- “are you alright James?” SIR CALM DOWN SPOCK CALM YOURSELF

- it is funny how immediately after both Spock and McCoy are right by Kirk’s side

- “time warp” ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW MENTIONED

- and they decided not to become time travellers

Okie dokie, if ya got this far, thanks! I’m enjoying watching through this and I like sharing it with all of you. Follow for more I guess?

the first episode thoughts

And all the other episodes thoughts

My Star Trek experience has been all over the place lol (next generation to lower decks to ds9 to aos and now arriving at tos (yeah I know it’s terrible I watched aos first but KARL URBAN))

[sprolden]

just finally watched rocky horror just so i can fully understand the glee episode based on it. i started the glee ep and i was like no i need to get the full experience and Thats what finally got me to watch rocky horror after all these years

[sarnie-for-varney]

I just noticed something about some of the actors in Granada Holmes.

A few of the actors (I've only noticed two so far) starred in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

Charles Gray, who plays Mycroft Holmes (and was first introduced in the The Greek Interpreter episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), also played The Criminologist in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

While watching the The Norwood Builder episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I noticed that Jonathan Adams portrays Jonah Oldacre. Jonathan Adams plays the role of Dr. Everett Scott in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[veryferaldistributions]

Tina & Friendship

One of my favorite, more recent Tina episodes is Season 11s “Vampire Disco Death Dance.” In it, Bob makes plans for him and Tina to go see the show’s equivalent of Rocky Horror. They get dressed in costume and everything, as Bob sees it as a “right of passage,” as Tina is 13, the same age as when he first saw it.

Unfortunately, Tina’s “friends” want to tag along after hearing that the movie is rated R. But not for any actual interest in the film. Tina realizes in this episode, as does the audience, that her friend group doesn’t really “get” her, and she doesn’t “get” them in return.

She and Bob end up having this amazing conversation at the end about how she’ll eventually find her people, though it may take a long time. And to not give up hope just because her friends right now are very superficial.

This episode was incredibly personal to me, not just as a Tina fan, but also as a huge Rocky Horror nerd. I watched that movie constantly from about the same age Tina is, and I truly felt like my weirdness was no longer out of place. The first time I actually went to a midnight showing wasn’t until my Junior year of college, and I quickly realized I don’t have the stamina for a midnight showing. But it was so special to me.

Even though I went with a good college friend of mine, it was still so reassuring to see like-minded weirdos in there with me. Weirdos who had been seeing RHPS for years and years! So something about “Vampire Disco Death Dance” felt incredibly real, incredibly close to home. I’m almost positive it’s based on someone’s real-life experience.

And though even as an adult I STILL struggle to find like-minded friends, this episode gave me that push to keep doing weirdo things. I’ll find my fellow weirdos eventually.

[oldmanontumbler]

Things They Do Not Tell You About NBC Hannibal

"I find trout to be a very Niezchian fish" is actually a NORMAL LINE. It makes sense in the context. It DOES.

Hannibal gives drugs to kids. This has no effect on Hannibal's life. He effectively convinces everyone that he did not give psychedelics as part of unregistered therapy.

Hannibal EXPLICITLY says that he and Will Graham are now the fathers of the child he gave drugs to.

Hannibal's own goddamn therapist EXPLICITLY says that Hannibal is in love with Will Graham.

There's a woman who essentially makes a devil's bargain "sell-your-soul" to Hannibal thing because he knows how to milk a guy's prostate for sperm with a cow prod.

Halfway through Season 3, the producer decides that dragons show up and has a dragon in full view in every single episode. The dragon gets a girlfriend, too.

The other half of Season 3 is all snails. Just snails. Constant slow-mo collages of snails and a teacup and snails and then the ocean and snails and then some snails from a different angle and then more snails.

Will Graham has a platonic M/F relationship with the only normal person in the show!!! Her name is Beverly and she likes guns and science.

All sex is kaleidoscopes. You'll be watching erotic spirals and then they'll turn into a rich girl and her brother's psychiatrist (who sold her soul and whatever).

There IS an MLM kiss!! It's not Will and Hannibal... it's these two guys named Francis Dolarhyde and Frederick Chilton ❤️ and it's very sweet ;) and very romantic ;))

The only song in the entire fucking show that isn't opera plays for the last few minutes of the last season's last episode and it honest to God sounds like something straight out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show

The ending is not sad 👁👁

Hannibal and Will are actually referred to as the "murder husbands" IN the show by the local gossip rag, which is called "Tattlecrime" for no reason.

"Hannibal the Cannibal" is a copyrighted title.

Hannibal actively uses an IPad

There are two guys named Price and Zeller who follow the rest of the forensics team around and crack bad jokes off of the murder. A nosy newsperson is burned to death and all that one of them has to say is "inflammatory journalism!"

Things Hannibal can detect with his nose include: cancer, encephalitis, fear, the scent of the skin of a woman who sat a foot away from the person he smells and did not touch him, and the precise location in the middle of a corn field that a certain corn was grown.

Hannibal draws erotic art of Graham. Regularly.

When he's not doing that, cooking, or killing, he is apparently trying to solve time travel.

Everyone has the DSM just... memorized.

A guy drinks people's tears in his martini

On two separate occasions, the Chesapeake area is terrorized by a murderous furry. The first guy has a mechanical fursuit.

Will Graham is CONSISTENTLY terrorized by a third, special murderous furry.

Every important location on the show is an hour away from all of the others

The intro is just noisy blood.

[spocks-evil-godmother]

To again enjoy SNW for what it is, I have just finished 2x8 "Under the Cloak of War" and am really enjoying my mixed feelings. There's a part of me that is like, "why did they do this to my friend m'benga" and part of me that thinks, "It would not have had the same impact with anyone other than my friend m'benga."

More so than other episodes in this season, there is something classically Star Trek about the entire setup. A character representing a dichotomy comes on board, the crew struggles with it, and people take action that does not align with Starfleet values, and there is an aftermath. The main difference, I think, is that the action M'benga takes is murder, and that he is a primary character on the show. For many other series, the offense would be less/more removed, and would not necessarily be performed by a main character (a recurring character, perhaps).

I think an episode like "In the Pale Moonlight" from DS9 is a fair enough parallel when I am trying to go to sleep, but: consider. The episode contends with Sisko doing something very Unstarfleet (committing an act of terrorism resulting in the deaths of innocent Romulans) but ultimately decided as necessary in the landscape of the war he is in. Sisko doesn't plant the bomb, but when the war criminal he hires does--the savvy audience member has to realize, Sisko is not naive enough to think that Garak was ever going to play by the rules. But, though this episode focuses on war and terrorism, Sisko is removed from the action. By his account, it isn't even really something he chose.

M'benga chooses to give a peaceful Klingon ambassador a highly dishonorable death, unprovoked, and lie about it to his captain. It's close. It's personal. It's problematic. And it really encapsulates where we are inside the story.

A little over a century later, it will still be controversial to have a Klingon serving as the Enterprise's security officer. Klingons are still feared and dangerous. They are still discriminated against. In that future, conflicts with the Klingons will remain frequent and frustrating, even if they are less lethal. I can't look up the details rn but I feel like the Klingons' tenure as members of the UFP lasts like, less than fifteen years. Those of us who love Star Trek know that though we may come to understand Klingons better, things stay rocky.

Peace, in this moment on Pike's Enterprise, must feel nearly impossible.

And M'benga is the doctor. We know him to have a big heart and a general concern for preserving life after being a soldier. And, more than maybe anyone else in the main group of characters, he has a cool head. He isn't like Erika, who is MAD and is LETTING PEOPLE KNOW. La'an and Una can get upset about the same (administrative) things. Spock is in his Feeling Some Kind of Way era. Chapel is on heartbreak island. Uhura doesn't fight with people but she is Stressed and Wants to Be Good Enough!! And Pike occasionally loses his mind for our enjoyment. M'benga, meanwhile, is a patient, thoughtful dude. And the horrors of war still haunt him, still grip his insides to the extent that when he is challenged with peace, it is not remotely in the realm of things he can accept. It is something to be resisted, disputed, denied, and put down. Period.

I loved this episode because it isn't an easy thing to watch. It doesn't have that characteristic hopefulness that many episodes (of both old and new trek) fall into. It is one thing to tell a story about peace and unity, and entirely another to live it out.

I cannot help but think that Major Kira would understand this episode implicitly.

My only other thought is just that I like that they chose the doctor. I think especially with Alvarado in the transporter buffer, we see that being a doctor on a battlefield means making life or death choices. And, we see that they are choices he has made before and choices he makes again. It is not a happy duty, but however we may feel about it, I think we see why M'benga accepts it as his duty all the same.

[62percentmaplesyrup]

I just realized i never made anything for my blog

Soo, uhh yeah, i mostly post abt byler💙💛

Abt me

Im pierce im 14-15

I spend most of my time on this app ngl..

I yap a lot clearly, ESPECIALLY in all caps bc yelling is fun.

i love drag anything overly feminize, yet i tend to dress more masculine, tho.

I love rocky horror picture show, it,Dr. who, especially the 10th doctor ,BYLER ,women💗 how could i not...

Im OBSSESED with horrible movies and watching them with friends and making fun of them,

i also have an appreciation for rusted jewelry bc it means you love and wear that piece as much as possible

Im very gay btw

Music im OBSESSED with THE SPARKS, artic Monkeys, george michael, Queen ,will wood ,chappell roan ,the abureys ,Troy Sivan ,gorillaz ,tyler the creator ,billie eilish ,michael jackson ,stevie wonder ,the jacksons ,literally any musical ever

Some of my favorite movies are Attack of the Killer Tomatoes 🍅 Lego batman, The grinch, Wanes World, CORALINE, Sweeny Todd, and beetlejuice, stand by me,it, Matilda,RIDE THE CYCLONE the falsettos beetlejuice

Iv also watched every episode of the Simpsons ever :/ i may have a problem

My fav food is avocado toast and coffee ice cream. i eat an ungodly amount.

Fav drink is root beer no fucking judgment ok i like it :[

My #1 fear is getting sleep paralysis i haven't ever experienced it, but it sounds terrifying, and im constantly moving in my sleep bc of it

I hate homophobia/racism/sexism./ transphobia FUCKING HATEE TERFSS GET OFF MY FUCKING PAGE please do not speak to me if u are any of these

Im also a minor, so please dont dm me anything creepy thx....Unless it's loki funny :3

Bruv i just got back into roblox so if you want to be my zesty bestie my account is chapelm0an

Ohhh, and please, if you ever want to talk abt byler or anything, i would love yap and listen:]

@elhopperentourage for intruding me to the borders and for being a good friend :]

And also @cafekitsune for creating them there ✨️gorgeous ✨️btw ❤️🧡🤍🩷💜 i love you my lil leasbeans :3

[officialjanetweiss]

List 8 tv shows for your followers to get to know you.

Tagged by @nero-neptune

OOPS I was tagged in this like a year ago and am just getting around to posting it 😅 I’m the queen of starting these and then saving them to my drafts to finish later and then just abandoning them. ANYWAY

(I, too, am giving a lil blurb for each one bc I love to talk)

Desperate Housewives

I started watching it a couple weeks ago finished it in the spring and I love one (1) republican. I am now slowly thrifting all of the seasons on DVD

My mom watched it when it first aired and I never sat down and joined her but I remember catching glimpses. As an adult I knew I would love it before I even started and I was right! It has WOMEN. It’s outrageous. It’s hilarious. It’s addicting. The theme song is glorious!! Almost every episode title is a reference to a Sondheim song!!! It has (mostly) aged surprisingly well. And in general it just reminds me of a time before streaming when TV was…different. Idk how to put it into words but first of all, remember when shows had 20+ episodes per season? Never forget what they took from us.

Glee

IYKYK. Any “old” songs I know I know because of either Glee or Rockband. Jayma Mays was my awakening. It introduced me to Rocky Horror and many other musicals. It got me into media literacy/critique and was the first show that I anticipated every single week and the first show I gave up on before it ended. I could go on for ages but you just had to be there (my tumblr from 2012-2015).

Passions

I watched this with my mom as a little kid and am slowly rewatching now. Soap operas are a staple on her side of the family and Passions is the only one I ever got into, because I was like 4 and there was ✨magic✨. As an adult I’m not even really into fantasy but in this case it works for me bc it’s so balls to the wall insane. I definitely don’t think I could get into it today if it weren’t for the childhood nostalgia. It ran for almost 10 years, which is not long considering some soaps are still kicking after 50 or 60. But at 2,231 episodes it’s a LOT if you’re not used to the slow pacing of the soap opera format. It’s so special to me though. I have cat and baby names picked out bc of characters on this show. AND THE THEME SONG!!

Soap

My all time fave. For 10 years I have run the only tumblr blog dedicated to Soap. It’s hilarious and touching and was ahead of its time. Susan Harris is a genius. Fleabag falling in love with a priest? Susan Harris did it first. That lady on Days of Our Lives being possessed? Susan Harris did it first. Who shot JR? Susan Harris did it first. The Golden Girls sitting at a table eating dessert and talking about sex? Susan Harris did that but she also did it BEFORE SHE DID IT. I’ve rewatched this show so many times and there are still scenes that make me laugh out loud. I would die for Jessica Tate. Bury me with the boxset.

That Girl

Just started watching this (in real time, not a year ago) and it’s just so fun!! Marlo Thomas is a cutie. Her wardrobe is unreal. I’ve laughed out loud quite a few times. She has great chemistry with the leading man whose actor’s name I shan’t bother to look up. I feel like I started watching it at the perfect time in my life too.

Ann Marie 🤝🏼 Cute little aspiring actresses who just moved out on their own to the big city and don’t have sex 🤝🏼 Me

Trial & Error

Came for Jayma, stayed for everything. Last year I watched Arrested Development for the first time and if you like that show I think you’ll like Trial & Error. Mockumentary style, wacky characters, great running gags. It was gone too soon and I’m still waiting for a season 2 DVD release.

Out of the Box

Here’s a throwback bc who am I if I don’t put a kids show on the list? I loved this show when I was little. It’s so underrated. I showed it to my current babysitting kids when I first started watching them and they love it too :,) Watching it as an adult makes me so emotional idk why. It warms my heart. If I were to ever become a preschool teacher I would make the babies sing the ending song at their graduation and make their parents cryyyy. If you have little guys in your life you should show it to them. It’s on Disney + (eewwww) but there might be episodes on youtube too.

Instead of blabbing about an 8th show here are some runner ups that I’ve enjoyed over the years, some of which I think are v underrated: Tuca & Bertie, Girlfriends, Mum (BBC, not to be confused with Mom, which I also enjoy), Fleabag, Go On, Jane the Virgin, Wonderfalls, Masters of Sex (might be due for a rewatch of that one), The Fosters (fuck them kids tho), Pushing Daisies, One Mississippi

I tag @lifesizehysteria @cakesexuality @sic-transit-gloria-mea and you can do it again @nero-neptune, I know you have more shows to talk about.

[mymanyfandomramblings]

what are your fave finn centric episodes?

just asking for a friend :]

ooh, my favourite eps for Finn, I'll try to do one for each season, plus some honourable mentions...

Ballad--sure he's an idiot but good gravy, he's a charming idiot. The karate in the bathroom, I'll Stand By You (my beloved) and the utter sincerity in You're Having My Baby despite the fact it was a Bad Move. Also, he jumps in to defend Quinn from her parents and stands up for her, which is pretty sweet. Besides, it's the beginning of Furt, which is very important.

My suggestion for Season Two episodes, is always going to The Sue Sylvester Shuffle--best episode of the show fr fr, and has Finn showing some admirable leadership.

Heart--the only season 3 episode where Finn is in focus without putting him through the wringer--we get some excellent Finn/Rachel interactions, plus The Dads. Also that scene during Love Shack where he pops up with the massive grin.

Dynamic Duets--the beginning of Teacher! Finn, and he's so cute in this episode. Besides, he's really good with Ryder and Jake. (also I love the newbies and this is a good ep for them)

OTHER HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Preggers--Finn crying makes me sad, but Cory's acting in this scene is incredible. Also, early Furt, my beloved

Sectionals--THE ACTING! In the confrontation scene. It's truly brilliant. Also the beginning of Finn's leadership skills

Grilled Cheesus--most episodes where I'm hyping Cory's acting, it's usually ones where he's making me cry, but in this case, I'm hyping the utter earnestness he shows in approaching the wildest material. Like, Finn believing that Jesus is in his sandwich is incredibly stupid, but Cory's acting makes me fully believe that this is something that could happen in Finn's reality. Besides, it's hilarious.

Duets--not a great episode for Finn on his own (he's not great with Sam and Kurt), but it's called the best episode for Finchel for a reason. The chemistry, acting and humour is off the charts for both.

The Rocky Horror Glee Show--Finn is my favourite part of this episode.

Silly Love Songs--he's being a tool in this episode, but it's so fun to watch

Born This Way--he's very out of focus here, but he gets I've Gotta Be Me, and the goofy smile on his face before he breaks Rachel's nose is everything

Rumours--always a top-tier episode for everyone, and it has a lot of Finn/Quinn--they're such a toxic couple, but they're fascinating together.

Yes/No--it's hard to watch in the light of Cory's death, but a very good episode for Finn, and the acting is so moving

Nationals--Paradise By The Dashboard Light. Enough Said.

That's all I can think of for now

[soul-sparx]

Some thoughts I have after watching the first episode of the new Ranma 1/2 anime as someone who's only heard about it in passing.

It did not leave the greatest first impression. I understand that it (1) is set in the 80s and (2) was made in the 80s, but with all that I've heard of it being, like, a foundational trans anime...it falls flat for me, for a couple of reasons.

The primary reason is that Ranma's curse is referred to as just that-- a curse. It's not just that their transformation was unexpected and unwanted, it is a blight on their life that they actively want to get rid of. Their demeanor is nonchalant, which is appreciated, but that falls to the wayside when they say on at least a couple occasions that their goal is to find away to stop the transformation and go back to "normal."

Compare this to Onimai (bear with me here), another gender bender story about a guy suddenly and unexpectedly turning into a girl. Onimai's plot revolves entirely around the ways Mahiro's life as a girl is much happier than she ever was as a man. She gains friends, she gets out of the house, she enjoys playing with her hair and trying on cute clothes-- there are troubles, both due to external forces like systemic misogyny and body changes, and internalized feelings of lost manhood-- but the latter read more as an egg who has yet to fully crack than someone who genuinely does not want to be a girl.

My other problem is Akane. Her misandry is understandable as a teenage girl in 1980s Japan, don't get me wrong, but if we do read Ranma as a trans girl, as I have been primed to do by years of reputational osmosis, then her entire quarrel with them feels innately transphobic. That's not necessarily a problem per se, transphobia is a problem that trans people deal with, especially in the 80s and especially in Japan. What is a problem is that, if I'm reading the signs correctly, she's set up to be Ranma's will-they-won't-they love interest. Alike in so many ways, yet opposed in so many others. The problem is that bigotry isn't just a disagreement, and I am actively rooting against Akane because of it.

There are things I enjoyed; the general characterization and comedy is fun, the action is well-animated and dynamic, the style, while modernized, carries that 1980s charm-- I will continue watching, will give it a chance, but I'm just a bit...on edge that this might end up being the eastern equivalent to, say, Rocky Horror.