#kevin keller series

[horrorlesbion]

riverdale characters + name meanings ➥ the (former) teens

[dalek65daz]

fan art

[wornoutspines]

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye | Book Review

Three summers ago I read this wonderful book by @KevinVanWHye and I still remember it. Date Me, Bryson Keller is a great read. #DateMeBrysonKeller #KevinVanWhye #BookReview #MustRead #YoungAdult

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye published 19 May 2020 Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new–the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he’s never really dated before. Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes. Kai Sheridan didn’t expect Bryson to say yes. So…

[courtana]

Alejandro is primarily a part of Los Vaqueros, not a core operative in Task Force 141.

Some quick fact-checking below.

There's an "introduction to Call of Duty" text post circulating that's telling new fans that Alejandro Vargas is a main member of Task Force 141. When others have tried to correct this, the post's OP blocks these people and does not correct their takes. But this needs to be corrected.

Firstly, yes, this claim about Alejandro is not true. While in the OG games, TF 141 had a larger swath of different operators, this is not true for the rebooted series. The core members were and continue to be Price, Soap, Gaz, and Ghost.

Please remember the scene in MW2019 in which Price quite literally decides who the core members of TF 141:

Link to full cutscene

If the "introduction to COD" text post wanted to include all the "allied members" and "associates" of TF-141 (per the language of the Call of Duty Fandom Wiki) as if they were all indeed equal parts of TF-141, they would then also have to include Rudy Parra, Nikolai, Farah, Alex Keller, and Kate Laswell. However, the text post in question does not. It's clear then the post is providing fans who are unfamiliar with the series inconsistent and, therefore, incorrect information about who is in TF-141.

More proof from the source material as to why the post's claim is wrong below the cut.

Alejandro is part of Los Vaqueros, a part of Mexican Special Forces. We see repeatedly that his allegiance is to his men (as seen in the MWII campaign) and that he identifies more with Los Vaqueros and with Mexico than any other entity—especially not to a task force made up of primarily British men that he recently got acquainted with.

Some might say that but if Alejandro is an "ally" of TF 141, then he's "practically" a member of it. This is weak reasoning. In war, alliances shift all the time. We can see this with TF 141 and Los Vaqueros' alliance with Shadow Company falling apart within less than 5 minutes in the campaign. We also see this in MW2019, where the CIA works with the Urzikstan Liberation Force (the group Farah belongs to) before the ULF got reassigned as "terrorists" and were no longer officially working with the CIA or the U.S. military.

It's normal for different military units to cooperate without fusing into one group. We see this in the OG games with TF 141 and the British SAS working together with USMC Force Recon and with U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force. At one point in the OG MW2, Price even briefly communicates with Makarov and says "Makarov...you ever heard the old saying...the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" when asking Makarov for information on General Shepherd. In the rebooted MWII, we see Soap and Ghost working with Marine Raiders, and in MW2019, the CIA cooperated with the Urzikstan Liberation Force. Just because they work together and are "allies" doesn't mean they all identify are one big, fused military force. now.

Furthermore, you might also say "but Alejandro in multiplayer can be seen using weapons that have the 141 emblem." This doesn't mean shit. SpecGru and KorTac are not campaign-canon groups. They are multiplayer factions made so that COD gamers can play against each other. It would make no logical narrative sense for Valeria Garza to be in the same group as Phillip Graves, Nicki Minaj, and Homelander from The Boys. And it would make no sense for Alejandro Vargas to be on the same faction as the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Snoop Dog, and basketballer Kevin Durant. So, this argument has no substance.

TLDR; An allied member of a task force ≠ a core operative.

[alexzalben]

🚨Riverdale & Nancy Drew Premiere and Series Finale Dates🚨

Riverdale’s 7th and final season will premiere Wednesday, March 29 at 9pm ET.

Nancy Drew’s 4th and final season will premiere Wednesday, May 31 at 8pm ET.

Both shows will air their series finales on Wednesday, August 23.

RIVERDALE SEASON 7 SYNOPSIS:

The seventh season of RIVERDALE goes where no season of RIVERDALE has dared to go before—the 1950s! Picking up where last season ended, Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) finds himself trapped in the 1950s. He has no idea how he got there, nor how to get back to the present. His friends are no help, as they are living seemingly authentic lives, similar to their classic Archie Comics counterparts, unaware that they’ve ever been anywhere but the 1950’s. Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) is the classic all-American teen, coming of age, getting into trouble, and learning life-lessons; Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) is the girl next door, starting to question everything about her perfect life—including her controlling mother Alice (Madchen Amick); Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) is a Hollywood starlet who moved to Riverdale under mysterious circumstances; Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) is the Queen Bee with a withering wit and a secret longing; Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan) is an activist fighting for the Black students of recently integrated Riverdale High; Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) is a “square” crooner wrestling with his sexual identity; Reggie Mantle (Charles Melton) is a basketball star from farm country; and Fangs Fogarty (Drew Ray Tanner) is a greaser who’s destined to be an Elvis-type star. It isn’t until Jughead is visited by Tabitha Tate (Erinn Westbrook)—Riverdale’s Guardian Angel—that he learns the cosmic truth about their predicament. Will Jughead and the gang be able to return to the present? Or will our characters be trapped in the 1950’s forever? And, if so…is that such a bad thing?

NANCY DREW SEASON 4 SYNOPSIS:

Season four of NANCY DREW begins as Nancy launches a new investigation to find a group of missing bodies from Horseshoe Bay’s cemetery that have been dug up and stolen—or have possibly risen. As Nancy is drawn into this ghostly case, a string of unexplained paranormal crimes leads the Drew Crew to believe that the literal sins of the town’s past have returned to haunt the living. Meanwhile, Nancy struggles with yearning for Ace, the man she loves. But when a slow-burning attraction begins between Nancy and the son of Ryan Hudson’s newest enemy, Nancy must decide whether this love interest is worth the ire of both her father and Ace—whose own heart may also be tempted by a new relationship. Nancy’s exploits this season will bring the Drew Crew numerous standalone cases, stunning twists, humor, and unexpected romances as they are drawn into a season-long mystery unlike any they have had to solve before. When Nancy’s efforts to protect her seaside hometown from the sins of its past backfire, she must do the unthinkable to save her friends from both the supernatural and earthbound threats coming for them—and it could cost her everything, and everyone, she’s ever loved.

[the-hinky-panda]

Hinky’s Masterlist

Minors DNI: The content on this blog is intended for adults (18+). By following or engaging with this content, you are agreeing that you are 18 or older. Do not interact if you are not 18 or over.

Ask: I love analyzing character, plot, storytelling methods, so if you ever want to talk about those things, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I also love hearing other people’s ideas so please, share those as well!

A03: Here is the link to my AO3 account. I have a lot of stories with OCs there if you like reading those. I’ve just started getting into writing the Reader stories.

Tag List: Sign up for your favorite characters here! 

Fic Fests:

October 2022 Fic Fest

**All stories are Fem!Reader and are explicit 

Dustland Fairytale - Complete

Mariposa - Complete

Pura Vida (An Alternate Ending to Mariposa) - Complete

Los Regalos - Ongoing series

La Chaparrita - Ongoing Series

After We Fall - Ongoing Series

By Land, Sea, and Air - Ongoing Series

How To… - Ongoing Series

The IT Series - Ongoing Series

The Penny Series - Ongoing Series

The Tremont Tempest - Ongoing Series

The Dog - Ongoing Series

The Lens - Ongoing Series

Sacrifice - Complete

Oneshots for Sacrifice:

Otherworldly

Ghastly

La Finca - Ongoing Series

Eldritch - Complete

The Florist - Complete

The Community Universe (in collaboration with @bullet-prooflove​)

The Medic Series (Coco Cruz x OFC! Morgan Fox)

The Preacher’s Wife Series (Hank Loza x OFC! Maggie Fox)

The Gin Blossom Series (Gilly Lopez x Reader)

Stand Alones: 

Vanishing Act (Kevin Jimenez x Fem!Reader)

Dog Days are Over (Chibs Telford x Fem!Reader)

Strings (Les Packer x Fem!Reader)

The Drowning Kind (Sean Renard x Fem!Reader)

The Seasons Series: 

The Fall Series (Porthos x OFC Reader)

The Winter Series (Aramis x OFC Reader)

The Spring Series (Athos x OFC Reader)

The Summer Series (Treville x OFC Reader)

Boss Mare Series (Jamie Dutton x OFC reader)

The Hare (Richard “Ritchie” Jerimovich x OFC reader)

Out of the Woods (Mitch Keller x OFC!Reader)

June Bug (Goodie Carangi x OFC!Reader)

Forged (Bill Bevilaqua x OFC!Reader)

War of the Roses (Bill Bevilaqua xOFC!Reader)

Vice (Armand Truisi x OFC!Reader)

[dzgrizzle]

12 Comics to Get to Know Me

Harrow County Hellboy (including all its weird spinoffs) Black Hammer (including all its weird spinoffs) Alan Scott: The Green Lantern (current series) Nightwing (current series) Swamp Thing (especially the Nancy Collins issues, 110-138) Any Godzilla comic featuring art by Matt Frank Conan the Barbarian & Savage Sword of Conan Batman: Gotham by Gaslight Star Trek (current series as well as the Gold Key Comics of my childhood) Jonny Quest (Comico, 1986-1988)

Archie (from the Christian Archie comics of my childhood up to recent series like Afterlife with Archie, the gay Kevin Keller comics, and the weird crossovers like Archie vs. Predator)

Shown: my favorite Hellboy cover, The Crooked Man and Others by Mike Mignola; and Tales from Harrow County cover by Tyler Crook

[molinabiancavalentina]

MODERN HISTORY

1ST BLOG _The Irvine Company - James Irvine / RELEVANT FIGURE

The Irvine Company is known for its commitment to water conservation and sustainability in its real estate developments. For more than 150 years, The Irvine Company has sought and implemented innovative ways to conserve and protect Irvine's precious water resources at Irvine Ranch. Today, The Irvine Company is a privately held real estate investment company governed by an independent board of directors. The Irvine Company is recognized for its master planning and environmental stewardship of Irvine Ranch in Orange County, including diversified operations throughout coastal California. As you can understand, the James Irvine Organization had a great relevance in the area of water conservation by creating several dams and reservoirs in the various streams of the Irvine Ranch, because of this generous inversion that had a long with it many benefits for the earth and its environment, we must remember that water is an important resource for the environment, so whatever it has positive repercussions on it will be positive in general.

James Irvine was a pioneer of California agriculture, building his family's Southern California ranch into one of the state's earliest and most productive large-scale agricultural enterprises. During the "Great Drought" of the 1860s, James Irvine and three partners purchased the land that would become the Irvine Ranch. Droughts plagued Southern California and the ranch for the rest of the century. Between 1920 and 1940, the Irvine Company spent millions on water development and conservation. This included drilling hundreds of wells and constructing a series of dams and reservoirs on the ranch's various streams. Later, the Irvine Company began widespread use of water-saving fixtures - such as low-flow showerheads and toilets - in homes, hotels, and office buildings in Irvine and elsewhere on the Irvine Ranch. In the 2000s, the use of reclaimed water throughout Irvine was made even more effective by the company's commitment to state-of-the-art irrigation systems that include "smart" irrigation controllers, drip and low-flow water delivery devices, and satellite-based weather data controls, among other technologies.

IMPORTANT PERSON: James Irvine - Bought the land where the Irvine Ranch is located and where the Irvine Company was founded.

The company was founded by James Irvine (Irvine family) and is currently 100% owned by Donald Bren. Because the company is privately held, its financial information is not available to the public. However, Bren is the richest real estate developer in the United States with a net worth of $15.3 billion as of April 2021. But if we must talk about numbers, I will mention some of the people involved in the company, referred to as the “Executive Group”:

Executive Committee: Charles Fedalen Jr, Frank Abeling, Mare Ley and Jonathan Brinsden.

Real Estate Division Executives: Roger DeWames, Ken Gillet, Todd Keller, Alan Parkin, Roger Ploum, Teresa Prestwood and Tom Sullivan.

Corporate Executives: Gino Bianchini, Rob Elliott, Mark Henigan, Paul Hernandez, Jason Maxwell, Bryan Stevens, Darren Thomas, Kevin Wagner and Abe Wong.

The Irvine Company converted the community's irrigation system to recycled water in March, saving an estimated 7.3 million gallons of potable water annually.

The result of this company's actions was that they helped to start recycling water in a high percentage by including it in their multi-family houses, since they are involved in this area, and the water saving forms they included were like an extra benefit.  The impact it had on the level of public service for what they sold was high because it was more convenient and environmentally friendly for the customer who was thinking of buying the commercial properties offered. Since the impact was great, the water conservation started to bring something serious in between people who actually think of acquiring one of their services the company offers.

The relevance that this company has today is that it is concerned that water is not wasted by unconscious people, although this company cannot simply force these people to conserve water, at least they try to give a message of awareness to these people. Currently, water conservation is almost zero, especially in countries like Chad or Angola, because in these countries there is not enough drinking water for all the people who live there, this is where the great benefit that this company gives to the responsible use of water comes in.

For resuming all this relationship between the Irvine Company and water conservation, it's very smart from their part to start this kind of good things since they not only gained more customers and clients but also get benefits from the environment we live since is like we are starting to solve this big problem we all know about water consumption by starting to conserve it. Although this company is not so well known by the young people of today, there is no doubt that the owner of this idea had a very good purpose in risking his money with something that could help save water and reduce the level of waste of this important resource. Really, this is something that the young people of today should admire.

[ao3feed--bughead]

In the Shallows

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities

Betty Cooper, a deaf woman living in New York City, enjoys life, love, and Jughead. He is her soulmate, and she is he. Follow along on an AU off Tides. Pure fluff. No angst here.

Words: 1010, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 4 of Tides

Fandoms: Riverdale (TV 2017)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Sweet Pea (Riverdale), Claire, Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews, Toni Topaz, Cheryl Blossom, Joaquin DeSantos, Kevin Keller, Alice Cooper (Archie Comics)

Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones

Additional Tags: hard of hearing character, Betty Cooper Loves Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones Loves Betty Cooper, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Bliss, pure fluff

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54423379

[sofiamantegafan110]

NEW X-MEN TV SHOW

SO ONE THING ABOUT ME IS THAT I WANT TO BECOME A SCREENWRITER. I REALLY WANT TO PRESENT MY IDEAS AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO GIVE THE NXM THE LIVE ACTION TV SHOW THEY DESERVE. I WAS INSPIRED BY A FRIEND OF MINE, @spiralcass, WHO CREATED AN AMAZING NEW X-MEN ANIMATED SERIES, TO SHOW MY IDEAS FOR MY OWN NEW X-MEN SHOW THAT I HOPE TO PUT ON SOMEDAY. I’M NOT SURE HOW MANY SEASONS OR EPISODES THERE WILL BE, BUT I DO HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD IDEAS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WILL INTRODUCE THE MAIN AND SECONDARY CAST FOR SEASON 1.

MAIN CAST: JULIAN KELLER, CESSILY KINCAID, SOFIA MANTEGA, CLARICE FERGUSON, LAURA KINNEY, SANTO VACCARRO, AND JAY GUTHRIE.

SECONDARY CAST: SOORAYA QADIR, MEGAN GWYNN, ROXANNE WASHINGTON, JOSH FOLEY, LAURIE COLLINS, KEVIN FORD, BRIAN CRUZ, VICTOR BORKOWSKI, LIN LI, ALANI RYAN, CALLIE BETTO, MONET ST. CROIX, DANIELLE MOONSTAR, AND XUAN CAO MANH.

SO YEAH, THAT’S MY CAST. I’LL BE PRACTICING WRITING FOR THE SERIES WHENEVER I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE, AND I’LL MAKE SURE TO POST EPISODES TO TUMBLR WHEN I FINISH THEM.

STAY TUNED, AND SHOUTOUT TO @spiralcass FOR GIVING ME THE INSPO!

[alaffy]

Riverdale 7x3 - Sex Education (Spoilers)

Well, unlike the last episode, this one was not enjoyable...unless the goal was some sort of meta shit to show how awkward sex is between teenagers by having the episode seem to be written by someone with no basic knowledge of sex.  And honestly?  If I was forced to watch this or they key party episode again, it's key party no question. 

 So everybody's on a sex kick and it's just cringe.  Betty has urges and Kevin doesn't (not towards her).  Clay comes out to Kevin. Veronica is still after Archie.  Julien is still after Veronica (and I have a feeling that his part might have been created because Reggie isn't here.  His lines towards Veronica really sound like Reggie).  Julien convinces Archie to date Cheryl to get him out of the way and because Penelope asked him to (Penelope is starting to realize Cheryl's urges).  Toni is playing the long game when it comes to Cheryl.  Jughead is comic Jughead, who ends up at the party in order to make the system think he's less strange.  Oh, and Archie and Cheryl may have ended up having sex (I question if they really went that far).

But let's talk about a few of the interesting parts.  Ethel says her parents were killed by someone dressed as a milkman; which happens to be similar to a story that was written in the comics that she and Jughead read.  Also, Ethel (who is staying at the Coopers) asks Jughead to break into her home and steal some drawings that she made.  Like the one of a girl that looks like her feeding two bodies that look like her parents into a meat grinder (are we sure she didn't kill them?).  Jughead gets the drawing, but someone sees him and tells Keller.  Keller questions Jughead as he's strange, like Ethel (this is why Jughead ends up at the party).  I am curious about how the comics are going to connect and really hope they focus on this soon.  

There are a couple of things that happen at the party that are interesting.  The first thing happens when they're playing a kissing game.  Jughead has to kiss Betty and it seems to be implied that they don't really know each other well outside of school.  And there's a joke made that "this will go well."  But when they kiss,  there's a music que and Jughead has a visible reaction.  Perhaps this jarred something in the subconscious?

But then a few moments later, when everyone pairs off, Veronica calls Jughead Holden Caulfield; which again he reacts too.  Mostly, he wonders why she called him that but...it is interesting to see the callbacks and the reaction.  Also, this is a good scene between Jughead and Veronica and it's too bad we didn't see more like this throughout the series.

Anyway, at the end of the episode, Ethel and Jughead are called into the principal's office.  Keller is there.  He tells Jughead that he searched Jughead's place and found the drawings.  And that's were the episode ends.I'm hoping next week for more mystery and less teen drama but...oh, look Archie and Cheryl are engaged.  Sigh.

[circlemidnight]

We already knew Riverdale was bad, but 🥲. They couldn't have done anything better for the series finale? You hadn't decided if you were going to watch, and just know that nothing makes sense. More than usual, I mean. It focus too much on Betty (and "Angel Jughead"). There was sort of a time jump to their senior year and, why? Then, there's the Poly Quad. I feel like they wanted to please everybody so they ended up pleasing nobody. Except whoever liked the poly quad, I guess. It might actually be a little funny, with a little distance, and if you aren't that invested in these characters or, you know, any narrative cohesion and coherence 😬. And, like, I actually like that Veronica's future is being a successful movie producer, but it's kind of sad that she and Betty didn't keep in touch, I guess. (And no partner is mentioned for her.) It seems like neither of them kept in touch, actually. Apart from Toni and Cheryl, and Kevin and Clay, of course. And that doesn't seem like the best of timelines, does it? And Fangs died, for some reason. And Frank Andrews and Tom Keller were murdered by Chic, what the fuck? And Pop died, too. And just, why be tragic at all, you know? Was there really any need for realism, whatsoever? But. No. Seriously. It's pathetic that they chose to go with Archie just getting married to a not-previously-seen-or-mentioned character and the rest of them just not getting married at all because they couldn't compromise themselves with any endgame. 🙄 Not that being by yourself is a bad future, but we all know it was like that just because they are cowards. And, truly. If they chose to make Archie "unavailable" by setting him up with a character we don't know, why not do the same for Veronica, Betty, and Jughead? Let them end up with their partners we don't know, too. Just cut out the dialogue between Betty and Jughead about not getting married, and imply they all found partners in the course of their lives. Honestly, there was no reason why not. Why decide to let Veronica, Betty and Jughead end up alone instead?

Ugh. thank you for warning me! I don't think I'm really in the headspace to catch up, and only then I would use it for gifs. Like fair enough B*rchie goes their separate ways after high school, I feel like it makes sense after the affair. Like they probably needed time to grow. I think they could have come back together later in life, maybe as a second marriage. I think it's so contradictory to imply that the core four love each other so much but then they never talk after high school? Also keep in mind that each heaven is personalized as we saw before, so this is just Betty's version of heaven. With ghosts from her past. I think the problem with focusing so hard on her POV is that everyone else just becomes a character supporting her story. We never hear their truth, or their version of events. We don't know if her imaginary Jughead angel is even telling her the truth. We never get to see the private conversations between other characters. And it feels like Veronica's happiness is a total afterthought? It seems cold to only mention her career success. When others got a happy ending with family. We know how much it hurt her to lose her family. There was no reason why jeronica couldn't reconnect and end up together, at the very least they could have just dated in high school and then later in life Veronica marries a movie star and Jughead finds Tabitha in Chicago and settles down. The quad makes no sense because Betty and Archie hurt them? Jughead literally became an addict? these events led up to the demise of the previous timeline. With that knowledge they would never be able to sustain a healthy relationship, and from what I understand of it, it just feels like Betty got to pick and choose who she hooked up with her senior year. I don't really think the personalities of the others align with the idea that they would carry out this scenario willingly. It's always been Betty and Archie's trait to stray. It makes sense they might agree to experiment. But Jughead and Veronica were never presented that way, the complete opposite in fact, to the point where their devotion broke them. Like, I don't know how to eloquently put this into words, but it angers me a lot that Veronica cannot have a love interest for herself. She has to share them with Betty, or else Betty will steal them from her. Every plot she has is upstaged or stolen from her. It's been exhausting to watch. Like, I think Ras thought he was being really clever, but the implication is that Jeronica has to share their new relationship with two people who hurt them so deeply they were both still really damaged by it long into adulthood. It's unfair that they died alone, without family. That they never found a second adult love and clung instead to people who hurt them and then forgot about them even when they got a second chance to make things right. idk, I think we all know what the big problem with the show has always been, but I wasn't expecting it to be so prominent in the ending that we'd miss out on the intimate moments of goodbye for every other character. This season has felt like such a waste, and has been so gratuitously vile in places, that like others have said I feel very disconnected from it. You're right it's cowardly. It's also absurd that they chose to relive high school knowing they were adults. To the point where Betty's one regret in her entire life is not signing her yearbook? It's just this weird implication that we all peak in high school and we'll never be that happy or content or beautiful ever again. High school sucks. We all know this. The showrunner loves to fetishize youth in a way that rings alarm bells. But no one seems ready to talk about that. Anyway I am sorry for ranting back at you anon, feel free to share more of your thoughts!

[historyhermann]

"Tron: Uprising": A Cyberpunk Drama That Is Out of This World

Beck and Tron [Screenshot: Tron: Uprising]

What if a program, in a virtual world, could start a revolution against their overlords? Tron: Uprising tries to answer that exact question. This series follows Beck, a program trained by a legendary warrior to take down the military dictator and his oppressive forces by any means necessary.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog, and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fourth article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on March 16, 2022.

Tron: Uprising is developed by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and is based on the 1982 film, Tron, and its 2010 counterpart, Tron: Legacy. It is related to other parts of the Tron franchise, such as the video game Tron: Evolution and the comic book series Tron: Betrayal. It is the only TV series that is part of the franchise, as a live-action series had been in development but was later cancelled. This 19-episode series had Charlie Bean as the showrunner and Robert Valley as the co-director. Although I wasn't sure what to think about this series at first, its combination of action, sci-fi, cyberpunk, drama, and superhero elements drew me in like no other show.

As a warning, this recommendation discusses some spoilers for Tron: Uprising. 

Paige and the programs of Argon City

Tron: Uprising centers around Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood), a young program in a computer world known as the Grid. He becomes the leader of a revolution against Clu (voiced by Fred Tatasciore), a dictator who rules over the Grid with an iron fist. As the story goes, Clu turned against the Grid's creator, Kevin Flynn, and the Grid's original protector, Tron (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner). Tron was reportedly killed by Clu, but somehow survived and vowed to train Beck, believing he could be the next person to defend the Grid.

Clu's loyal enforcer is the brutal General Tesler (voiced by Lance Henriksen). He is assisted by his field commander, Paige (voiced by Emmanuelle Chriqui), and Tesler's sadistic lieutenant, Pavel (voiced by Paul Reubens). Beck works at a garage and repair shop in Argon City run by Able alongside his friends Mara (voiced by Mandy Moore), Zed (voiced by Nate Corddry), and Link (voiced by David Arquette).

The series also features characters such as Bartik (voiced by Donald Faison) and Hopper (voiced by Paul Scheer) who are part of Paige's task force which is trying to find Beck, known as "Renegade" or "Tron" by the public. In addition, there's a criminal gang member named Perl (voiced by Kate Mara), a scientific program named Keller (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden) employed to brainwash those in Argon City into obeying the dictates of Clu, and a technician named Gorn (voiced by Kathryn Hunter) who specializes in modifying and erasing memories.

In some ways, Tron: Uprising begins on a similar note to Star Wars Resistance, as the protagonist of that series, Kazuda "Kaz" Xiono, works as a mechanic on the refueling station known as the Colossus, along with other mechanics. While the two series are nothing like each other, having different tone, themes, characters, and stories, there is some more overlap in terms of the voice talent. Wood and Faison voiced characters in the aforementioned series while Tatasciore and Reubens had roles in other Star Wars series.

Tron: Uprising has some diversity in its cast, as Chriqui is of Moroccan-Jewish descent, while VelJohnson, Faison, and Reddick are Black men. Although the show's cast is mostly composed of White people, Parminder Kaur Nagra, who is of Indian descent, guest stars in one episode, as does Jamie Hector, a Black man, in another episode. Even so, the series shines in other areas.

For one, the voice actors are well-established and carry the story, and characters. Apart from those who had roles in the Star Wars series, I was aware of Moore from Tangled: The Series, VelJohnson from 3Below, Scheer from Star Trek: Lower Decks, Mara from House of Cards, and Wilde from her many films. I was not familiar with the other voice actors before watching this series, so they were new to me. The voice of Boxleitner, especially, was very defined and I think one of the best voice acting performances of the whole series.

The music of Tron: Uprising is composed by Joseph Trapanese. It is fitting for a series that often deals with dark themes, even if it is said to be for "children." This includes characters being stabbed and disintegrating into nothing. In my opinion, this series is clearly not for children, even though it is within Wikipedia categories for children's animated series and was rated TV-Y7 when it aired on Disney XD. It is a mature series.

This reminds me of how Samurai Jack was given the TV-Y7 rating, with a subheading for fantasy violence, meaning it should be suitable for those over age seven. This is despite the fact that in the third episode, "Part III: The First Fight," the protagonist, Jack, is covered in black ink from the robots, which looks like blood.

The animation style of Tron: Uprising is one of the strong suits. Some described the series as a mix of 2-D animation and CGI. Variety described the series as borrowing from anime style. Showrunner Charlie Bean later said that he wanted to create a "distinct style" which hadn't been seen anywhere else, and this series fulfills that idea.

Animation of characters and settings is very fluid, blending together in a powerful way, especially in action sequences, like the one in the episode "Blackout." Even some of the scenes where light jets are chasing Beck, in his persona, make me think of the innumerable space battles in Star Wars Rebels. Animation of the bikes and the character designs were one of the most amazing parts of the show. The series looks and feels like something I haven't seen anywhere else before, with its impressive chase and fight scenes and amazing background art.

This makes it no surprise that the series was nominated for Annie Awards in animated production and storyboarding for specific episodes, while it won Annie Awards for character and production design. The show's art director Alberto Mieglo even won an Emmy Award for art direction in animation due to this series. The animation draws you in from the first episode and makes you want to keep watching. The show's art work was one of the many reasons it was positively received.

The story of Tron: Uprising is simple. It falls into the good/evil dichotomy, with Beck and Tron shown as "good" while Clu, Tesler, Paige, and Pavel as portrayed as "evil." Beck is pushed to act and refuses at first, and is guided forward by Tron, a magical helper/guide, part of the first three stages of the "hero's journey." However, Beck does not go on a trek of any kind. Instead, the series begins a little like the first episode of Samurai Jack where Jack learns to become a warrior.

Boxleitner described the series as akin to The Mask of Zorro where he is "looking for a young one to train and...[they] have that master-student relationship." Beck goes through training, which is, at times, brutal. He even saves one of his enemies, Paige, from being obliterated in one episode, and from being sucked into a sinking island in another.

On the other hand, he is drawn to devices that give him more power, like a special disk which he acquires in the episode "Price of Power," which makes him more aggressive. He tries to keep it in order to save his friends, even though Tron tells him that it is dangerous. This focus reminds me a bit of Steven in Steven Universe or Elena on Elena of Avalor whose powers are tied to their emotions.

His boss at the garage, Able (voiced by Reginald VelJohnson) is akin to Yeager in Star Wars Resistance, as he discovers Beck's life as the figure of resistance after thinking Beck is a slacker at first. He doesn't directly support Beck but covers for him when Beck is absent from work. Later he ends up being killed by Cyrus, when a bomb gets reactivated and explodes.

Cyrus (voiced by Aaron Paul) was chosen by Tron as the first renegade and later described as his "mistake." He believes that the only way to save everyone is to destroy the grid, that there is no free will, and that everything is pre-determined. He uses Beck in an attempt to activate an EMP but fails in this endeavor.

The character of Cyrus symbolizes the antithesis of Beck, in that he is willing to engage in violence and destruction to achieve his goals. These actions are not targeted, but are rather meant to send a message. Although Tron later kills him, he becomes weaker and is on the edge of death. Luckily, Tron is healed in the final episode and barely escapes from being reprogrammed for evil.

Yeager in Star Wars Resistance covers for Kaz, but never meets his demise. Similarly, Kanan Jarrus in Star Wars Rebels takes on Ezra Bridger as his apprentice to be trained as a Jedi. For Beck, it is different. He has a double life, struggling to balance being a freedom fighter and a mechanic at a shop. Although Able, just like Yeager, soon knows of Beck's secret identity, he also has a history with Tron, his old friend. He first tries to convince Tron to not involve Beck, but then helps out more directly.

Tron: Uprising includes the usual themes of romantic tension. Specifically, Zed is romantically attracted to Mara and becomes jealous of how she strongly supports Beck in his Renegade/Tron persona. This is made worse by Beck, in this persona, taking advantage of Zed, time and again, annoying him even more.

Mara also has a crush on the Renegade, something which Beck is unsure of how to handle. Even so, he still helps Mara, along with Zed, to free her and other programs from mind control. In a few episodes, Beck and Paige flirt with one another and go on several dates, even though they are on different sides of the conflict. This is short-lived. It comes to an abrupt end with Pavel's scheme to get back at her. She later claims that she got "soft" and lost focus, so she can no longer be with him. It is an open question as to how much Beck liked Paige, as he may have seen her as more of an asset and possible revolutionary than a girlfriend.

On the other hand, Mara openly supports "Tron," even questioning official reports and declarations which describe him as a "terrorist." She fully embodies the idea that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, something has been said in different forms since the 1950s. Zed is also attracted to Perl, a program he meets at a bar, until she steals a classic cycle bike.

Throughout the series, Mara comes more into her own, first when she is the temporary leader of the garage, and then as the leader of a group of graffiti artists, including herself, Moog and Rasket, known as the Jolly Tricksters. Toward the end of the series, she leads those defending Tron after she realizes that the Renegade cannot be blamed for the death of Able.

Tron: Uprising clearly indicates to the viewers which groups should be seen positively and which ones negatively. The occupation of Argon city is shown as a brutal takeover. It is akin to the Galactic Empire in Star Wars Rebels dispossessing people from their homes and enslaving others or the First Order in Star Wars Resistance which destroys entire planetary systems in shows of force. There is a curfew in one episode with a message blaring it is for the "protection" of everyone, when it is only a way to control people.

The oppression of Clu and his minions is a menace that Beck and Tron are wholly dedicated to resisting, without question. This is noted by Tricia Helfer, the voice of the Grid at the beginning of each episode. Tesler is shown using his words and messaging to try and turn the people of Argon against the Renegade without using any of his loyal lieutenants while declaring that he rules the state.

This is evident in the episode "The Reward," where he offers anyone who gives him information a special reward, almost like a game show. It causes many people to be falsely accused of being the Renegade. At one point, Dyson (voiced by John Glover), a villain who appears in a few episodes, rightly comments about how badly Tesler and his lieutenants are ruling the city, but no one wants to listen to him.

Tesler is willing to use brutal force against anyone. He de-rezzes those who disagree with him, equivalent to killing them, with his bare hands. He often uses propaganda in an attempt to make fellow programs support his brutality and turn on the Renegade. He is no mere villain. Rather he is cunning and deceitful, with messages that people may latch onto, believing he is speaking on their behalf when he is really out for himself. Even so, he can be manipulated by faulty information.

People's hatred of the "other" is shown in Tron: Uprising. This is most acute in Tron's flashbacks to when he attempted to stop a peaceful demonstration against ISOs (Isomorphic Algorithms), standing between demonstrators and the ISOs. Sadly, a provocateur ends up throwing a disk and the crowd rushes the ISOs, killing them one by one, while Tron and his team are left overwhelmed.

Later, Flynn states that ISOs have just as much a right to be there as anyone. This is similar to those saying that immigrants belong in a where they set down their roots, no matter if it is their "home" country or not, as opposed to faulty arguments about undocumented immigrants.

One character in Tron: Uprising shows the allure of power and manipulation: Cutler (voiced by Lance Reddick). Originally an ally of the Renegade and Beck, he returns in the final episode. He has been repurposed and demands Tron's surrender. He wants perfection and the victory of Clu. Sadly, despite Beck's attempt to save him, it is clear that he is too far gone, so Beck lets him fall to his death.

Just like Arcane, which is part of the larger League of Legends franchise, watching the films and video games, or reading the comics of the franchise itself is not needed before watching Tron: Uprising. In fact, I had never watched anything related to the franchise, apart from a 2011 Futurama episode which has a light cycle chase scene referencing the 1982 film and its 2010 sequel.

Sadly, like all too many animated series, there are no LGBTQ characters in Tron: Uprising. The closest we have is when Keller holds a device against her neck and it changes her form into a man, so as to disguise her real identity. However, this doesn't prevent fans from making their own headcanons of specific characters and shipping them if they see fit.

There are possible ships one could make, like between Paige and Beck in his "Tron" persona, since Paige is drawn to that persona, even willing to stop fighting it for short periods of time. However, someone could easily ship Paige with one of her female friends, or those shown in the episode "Isolated," like Quorra (voiced by Olivia Wilde).

Currently, there are over 280 fanfics for Tron: Uprising on AO3, often with themes of angst, friendship, fluff, hurt, or comfort. Some of the popular ships on the site are Beck and Tron, as friends, along with Beck/Paige, Tron/Yori, Mara/Zed, Pavel/Zed, Sam Flynn/Quorra, and Beck/Cutler romantically. Of these, the latter appears to be the only popular ship between male characters. Some have also written fics portraying Paige as asexual, and a few writers have shipped her with Quorra, and Radia from Tron: Betrayal and Tron: Evolution, but many more have shipped her with male characters, like Tesler, Pavel, and Beck, instead.

Tron: Uprising has a certain magnetism to it, from its voice actors, the music, animation, and overall feel. It is something you want to keep watching so that you can learn the whole story.

Beck has many near-death experiences and seeing people be de-rezzed in front of him means he is experiencing some level of trauma. The events of the series weigh heavily on his friends and even on Page, especially after Pavel conspires to label her as a "traitor" with manufactured evidence even as she remains a loyal footsoldier and enforcer of Clu.

The latter scheme hints at how easy it is to spin information to take out those you don't like, especially in an autocratic force like those occupying the grid, and that anyone can be a target. It is a very chilling idea and it has relevance to our current technological world.

Beck chased by enemy cycles in the first episode. This scene especially reminded me a lot of those years of playing Armagetron at camp.

To be perfectly honest, one of the original draws of Tron: Uprising was that it reminded me of a game I once played as a camp counselor with campers at a technology camp: Armagetron Advanced or "Tron" for short. It is a multiplayer computer game that tries to, according to the game's official website, "emulate and expand on the light cycle sequence from the movie Tron," and is said to be an arcade game of sorts "slung into the 21st century." That is part of the reason I liked this series so much, as there are a lot of scenes with light cycles.

When watching this series, I kept thinking back to all the fun times I had when I played the game, especially when I cackled when cutting off other players and causing their light cycles to crash into my trails, leading them to explode. Those memories were part of the drive that pushed me to continue the series. So, you could say, that for me, this series was a bit of a throwback. I don't mean that in a negative way, but rather that I like to make personal connections with what I'm watching.

The likelihood of Tron: Uprising of having another season is nil. It is less likely than a possible new season of Sym-Bionic Titan that Gennedy Tartokovsky has floated in the past. This is unfortunate because the show has the potential to be a longer series featuring many parts and chapters, just as series like Disenchantment has done. Even so, some fans have circulated a petition calling for Tron: Uprising to continue.

If there was a second season, they could expand upon the uprising in Argon City, the seizure of Able's garage by Pavel, and the huge fleet led by Clu on its way to Argon, obviously in an effort to crush any resistance. Perhaps there could even be a plotline where Pavel's involvement in framing Paige results in him being de-rezzed.

Tron: Uprising had a rocky airing schedule. It was effectively cancelled by Disney, which never renewed it for a second season, even after Kitsis said that the series needed more viewers. Just like Sym-Bionic Titan, the series was briefly on Netflix from 2013 to 2014, and only recently, in 2019, appeared on Disney+. When the series aired, on Disney XD, from May 18, 2012, to January 28, 2013, it received generally positive reviews.

The series might have felt a little familiar to me because Bill Wolkoff, a writer for many episodes, was most recently a showrunner for Rad Sechrist's Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. He also wrote a few Star Wars Rebels episodes. Additionally, André Bormanis, who wrote a few episodes of Tron: Uprising, is well-known for working on Star Trek series, even serving as a science consultant for various shows, so that undoubtedly rubbed off, in some way or another, into this series.

Some of the scenes in Tron: Uprising echo those in other shows, like General Hux addressing stormtroopers as they destroy planets in Star Wars Resistance, complete with slogans like "perfection is freedom." In an attempt to discredit Beck in his Renegade persona, they even use one of his own friends, Zed, against him.

This tactic is not successful as Mara convinces him that it is wrong. Unlike the aforementioned series, there is a continual power struggle between Paige and Pavel, who are trying to impress Tesler with their plans to take down the Renegade. Pavel, in one episode, even creates a program to falsely accuse someone of being the Renegade in order to cement his power.

Paige is a fascinating and complex character, whose backstory we see most directly in the episode "Isolated." We learn how she joined the forces of Tesler after previously being a musician and medic, feeling that the ISOs somehow "betrayed" her. The horrifying reality is that Tesler set the whole thing up so that she would think this way and join him.

She continually struggles to impress Tesler and cement her place, tracking down the Renegade whenever she can, with whatever forces are at her disposal, even forming a task force. She is so dedicated to Tesler that she rejects a plea by Pavel to form a secret alliance against Tesler. Almost like how the Colossus barely escapes the First Order time and again in Star Wars Resistance, the Renegade manages to escape repeatedly, even when putting himself into harm's way.

It is interesting how Beck takes charge to such an extent that Tron listens to him. It becomes a case of the "master" listening to the "apprentice," rather than the other way around. In fact, Tron is only being held together by a healing chamber and he is easing Beck into the role of being a hero.

With Tron: Uprising currently at the end of its series order, now is the time to watch it on Disney+, Amazon Prime, or elsewhere. It's a great choice to binge over a weekend or a week!

© 2022-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[ao3feed-jarchie]

Fairytale

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/6Fky8BL

by Ace_Fanboy0405

A fairytale.

That's all how Jughead could describe their vacation at the Lodge Lodge. Yes, it was wrong and a lot of other bad stuff but it was also good, hot and almost perfect; if only they wouldn't have girlfriends.

"We are a fairy tale gone bad, Archie"

"Maybe we are just not finished yet”

Words: 3911, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Series: Part 27 of Jughead x Archie works

Fandoms: Riverdale (TV 2017)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Cheryl Blossom, FP Jones II, Fred Andrews, Kevin Keller

Relationships: Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper & Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews & Veronica Lodge

Additional Tags: Endgame Jughead Jones/Archie Andrews, Past Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Past Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Archie Andrews, Trans Character, Trans Jughead Jones, Self-Harm, Recovery, Bullying, Betty Cooper is kind of… a b-tch

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/6Fky8BL

[twins2994]

Minnesota Twins-Chicago White Sox Series Preview

4.29.24-Joe Ryan RHP (1-1) 3.45 ERA Vs. Garrett Crochet LHP (1-4) 6.37 ERA

4.30.24-Simeon Woods Richardson RHP (1-0) 2.45 ERA Vs. Mike Soroka RHP (0-3) 6.83 ERA

5.1.24-Bailey Ober RHP (2-1) 4.21 ERA Vs. Chris Flexen RHP (1-3) 5.11 ERA

The Twins At A Glance- The Twins have gotten their season back on track with a seven-game winning streak. They swept the Angels over the weekend and have a rematch with the White Sox in Chicago this week. The offense has gotten hot and is averaging over eight runs per game during the winning streak. They are hitting .348 as a team. Ryan Jeffers is hitting .440 with two homers and five RBI over the past seven games. Eddie Julien has mashed three homers and knocked in seven during that stretch. The team will activated Carlos Correa off the injured list and optioned Austin Martin to St. Paul. Correa didn't want to have a rehab assignment and was working out with the team in Anaheim. Jhoan Duran had a couple of rehab outings and is close to returning to the active roster. I'm guessing Justin Topa needs another relief outing or two before he's back. The pitching staff has a 3.29 ERA during the winning streak. Brock Stewart hasn't allowed a run over 11 1/3 innings.

The White Sox At A Glance- The White Sox snapped out of a seven-game winning streak and swept the Rays this weekend at home. The offense was roaring with twenty-one runs in the three games. Eloy Jimenez went 6-for-13 with a homer and two RBI over the weekend. Gavin Sheets hit 5-for-13 with an RBI against the Rays. The Sox made some moves after being swept by the Twins. They called up Tommy Pham, Rafael Ortega, Brad Keller, and Prelander Berroa. Kevin Pillar, Dominic Fletcher, Jonathan Cannon, and Deivi Garcia were optioned out. Jonathan Leasure has been great out of the bullpen with a 1.59 ERA in 11 1/3 innings. He picked up the save on Sunday afternoon. The Twins will miss Erick Fedde, who gave them problems last week.

What To Watch For- The Twins swept the White Sox in a four-game series last week. The rematch is this week in Chicago. The Twins went (4-3) against the Sox in Chicago last season. Joe Ryan is (2-0) with a 3.68 ERA in four starts against the Sox. Garrett Crochet is (1-2) with a 4.40 ERA in twelve games against the Twins. Simeon Woods Richardson threw five innings and gave up two runs last Thursday against the Sox. Mike Soroka has a 3.75 ERA in two starts versus the Twins. Bailey Ober is (3-1) with a 3.35 ERA in ten starts against the White Sox. Andrew Vaughn has two career homers off Ober. Chris Flexen is (1-2) with a 4.01 ERA in five games against the Twins. Byron Buxton has two homers off Flexen. The Twins will try to keep things rolling against the White Sox, who got hot over the weekend.

-Chris Kreibich-

[nwbeerguide]

A Thomas Keller Restaurant Group exclusive no more. Healdsburg Beer Company releases Belgian Pale to the masses.

Press Release

April 3, 2024, Healdsburg Calif. -- Healdsburg Beer Company (HBC) is proud to announce the release of Belgian Pale, a crisp, medium-bodied ale originally made as a house beer for the world-famous Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, which includes The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, Ad Hoc, something like a million Michelin Stars, and the greatest cookbook series the HBC staff has ever read. 

With the Belgian yeast character of stone fruits and peppercorns, Belgian Pale is crisp and dry with an unmistakable old-world character and a floral aroma. This is a very flavorful but approachable, easy-drinking, and unmistakably Belgian-style ale. 

IBU 28  Grains: 2-Row Barley, Munich, and Wheat malts  Hops: Chinook, Amarillo  Yeast: Proprietary House Belgian Strain 

“We’re thrilled to finally release this to the public,” said HBC Founder Kevin McGee. “Originally created as ‘The White Apron’ to meet the specific needs of a house beer at one of the best restaurant groups in the world, it is an understatement to say that we’re proud of this beer.” 

Balance and drinkability are hallmarks of all HBC beers, which are crafted to be nuanced and compelling yet sessionable. Based in northern California and surrounded by some of the world's finest artisan purveyors and restaurants, the interaction between beer and food is always top of mind at HBC. All HBC beers are purposefully crafted to compliment a broad range of cuisines, but perhaps none so notably or with as much provenance as the Belgian Pale. 

Belgian Pale is now available throughout California and at select retailers across the US. Find it near you at healdsburgbeerco.com/where-to-buy. 

About Healdsburg Beer Company 

Healdsburg Beer Company started in a residential garage at a time when that kind of thing wasn’t happening. Upon learning that the common wisdom in homebrewing circles was that it wasn’t possible to license and bond a super-small scale brewery, founder Kevin McGee took it as something of a dare. Putting his law degree to good use, Kevin legally licensed and bonded his garage as “The Healdsburg Beer Company”, and unknowingly became one of the first of what would later be called “nano-breweries.” In December of 2019, the McGee family purchased Craft Beer legend Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) with Kevin as President and CEO. Working with the All-Star brewing team at AVBC, the original recipes for Healdsburg Beer

Company beers were scaled up for AVBC’s Bavarian copper brewhouse. Now as a sister brewery to AVBC, Healdsburg Beer Company is delighted to be able to bring their beers to a wider audience than ever before. Learn more at healdsburgbeerco.com 

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