#laurel rewatch got

[laurellerual]

Laurel rewatch GoT - Part 15

A name for Gendry

In the books Arya adds Dunsen to her list for the simple crime of robbing Gendry of his helmet. Even after parting ways with Gendry on less than happy terms, she continues to repeat Dunsen's name in her prayer. It may be just a stolen object, but it seems clear that for her the wrong suffered by the Bull is very serious, in fact she places it on the same level as Polliver robbing her of Needle.

In the show, Arya adds three names to the list because of Gendry. These are Beric and Thoros, who betrayed him and sold him like one sells a slave, and Melisandre who bought him and essentially kidnapped him with the veiled intention of harming him. Except that at a certain point she totally forgets that for some reason, and removes them from the list. And the most wtf thing is that we find out about this change the same night she and Gendry have sex. I mean, she's been flirting with him for days, it's clear that she's still fond of him... but since he survived Dragonstone, I guess the buying and selling of human beings is forgiven and forgotten?!

[themysteriousashe]

your dirty little mind || cs55 and cl16

notes: this is my first threesome smut, and it is grammarly edited, so wording and/or flow might be weird. i was inspired by all the sweaty videos and pics of the two ferrari boys from the charity game on tuesday. additionally, i listened to charles jeffrey by ray laurel on repeat to write this.

warnings: smut, threesome, p in v sex, oral sex (male and female receiving) anal sex, penetrative sex, minors dni, 18+ only, grammarly edited

word count: 4.2k (just under, but rounded up)

The game was intense. First, Charles ate shit to try to make a goal, and Carlos was injured. The whole football match had you gnawing your bottom lip in nerves but also in anticipation. Watching the two men play and gradually become drenched in sweat did something to you. Maybe that something was remembering the nights the three of you spent together, bodies moving passionately and sweat glistening on various shades of skin. Your hands gripped the fabric of your linen pants, one foot tapping to release the energy building in your system.

The weather wasn’t hot, sitting at a pleasant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, but your body grew worked up during the match from anxiety and being turned on. You would curse mentally whenever you saw the boys wipe their faces with their shirts, revealing the chiseled abdomen hiding underneath. Carlos’s boxers peeking out from his shorts almost ruined you, your mind flickering to a time you took them off of him. They would catch your eye occasionally, shooting a smile your way. Each time, your cheeks heated up, and you shifted in your seat to get more comfortable.

As soon as the match ended, you followed the crowd filtering out of the game. As you patiently waited, your phone buzzed in your bag; the bag was close enough to your body that you felt your phone go off, and you immediately reached in, curious about who could have texted you. The message was from Charles, surprising you at how fast he could return to the locker room.

You smiled to yourself, knowing you were egging Charles on. You tucked your phone away, descending the steps to the line of cars waiting for people. You walked the line of vehicles, avoiding people standing on the sidewalk. Carlos demanded you have a driver since you were in Monaco, the city of luxury and allure. It was a fight you would never win, despite telling him how many times you didn’t need one. Charles hopped in, taking Carlos’s side. His selling point was the two couldn’t be seen with you before the race events; it needed to be after.

You begrudgingly accepted his reasoning, agreeing to the driver on the condition you wanted a ride in Charles’s Ferrari; once it was acceptable, you could be seen together without speculation arising on the internet. The driver was an older gentleman standing outside a black car with tinted windows. You greeted him, giving him Charles’s address. It was an apartment you visited what felt like a million times; it wasn’t foreign to you and was a familiar hook-up spot for the three of you if you all happened to be near. You got into the car, the driver closing the door behind you, and buckled up for the driver.

The ride to the apartment was quiet. To keep yourself occupied and at ease, despite your heart hammering in your chest at what was to come, you scrolled your phone, already seeing photos of Charles and Carlos in the match. You bit your lip, shamelessly rewatching the clips of Charles lifting his shirt and wiping his face with the jersey. When you were about to close Instagram, you were greeted by a post to Charles’s story. You tapped on it, a snort leaving your nose in amusement. You typed a quick message to him, saying, “Me fr,” knowing he’d get a kick out of it. 

You loved how Charles could joke about his mistakes and watch the fans’ reactions. Watching the internet speculate about his personality filled you with pride because the both of you frequently sent each other stupid shit daily. So the internet wasn’t wrong when they claimed Charles was a meme lord.

The car pulled to the apartment, and you thanked the driver, undoing your seatbelt. You assured him he didn’t need to exit the vehicle, stating you could open the door yourself. He smiled at you in the rearview, and you returned the smile as you opened the car door. You stepped out, gazing up at the looming apartment building before you. Your lips quirked up in a smile as you pushed the door closed, stepping forward towards the entrance.

You typed in the code to his apartment as you had done many times before, a buzz and the click of the door unlocking signaling your access. You carefully opened the door, sliding through as thin of a crack as you could. You greeted the security with a nod and a smile, receiving one in return as you headed towards the elevator. You clicked the up arrow, pulled out your phone, and checked your notifications while waiting for it to come down. Once the doors opened, revealing an empty car, you stepped in and pressed the button to Charles’s floor, immediately pressing the button to close the doors quicker.

The elevator ascended, your heart pounding as to what was to come. Your phone was tucked in your bag, your eyes intently watching the numbers tick until a ding announced your arrival. The doors opened, and you stepped out, walking to Charles’s door. You knew it would be unlocked since the boys didn’t want you to mess with a key and prolong the fun. You opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind you. As soon as the door closed, a figure appeared before you and immediately smashed his lips on yours. His hands made their way to your body, gripping your waist while the other grabbed your back.

Immediately, your body reacted to the action, your arm falling and your hand tucking your bag off, letting it fall to the floor. You returned the kiss with the same fervor, hands flying into the dark strands. By feeling alone, you could tell it was Carlos, as he was a little bulkier than Charles. His tongue immediately parted your lips, and you moaned, letting him explore your mouth and teasing him with your tongue. He pressed you against the door, the hand on your back falling to your rear. He gripped your ass, pulling your flesh against his body. You could feel the slight presence of an erection pressing against your thigh through his jeans.

“Starting the fun without me?” Charles asked, leaning in his bedroom doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. You pulled away from Carlos, soft pants leaving both of you. His pupils were blown wide, pushing the beautiful brown to the edges. You looked over at Charles, smirking as you pulled away from Carlos. You began to head towards him, a pat on your bum from Carlos causing a jump in your step.

“Carlos was just saying hello, Leclerc. I do enjoy his greetings,” you teased, gently pushing Charles in the middle of his chest as you entered the bedroom. He chuckled, following Carlos in. You turned in the center of the room, the darkness from the large windows penetrated by the soft lighting of bedside lamps.

“Now you have me here,” you said, sticking your arms and hands out to the side of you before they dropped back down.

“Now you’re here,” Carlos responded, his eyes scanning you up and down. A flirty smirk was on his lips, and you smiled. Charles stepped forward, reaching out and taking one of your hands in his, tugging you into him.

“I think it’s my turn, mon chérie,” Charles purred, leaning down so his nose brushed against yours. You looked up at him through your lashes, lips parted and breath speeding up.

“Now it’s your turn,” you whispered, reaching up to clutch the opened button-up and t-shirt combination that Charles frequently wore. He leaned down and kissed you, not as rough as Carlos’s kiss. That was the difference between them: Carlos loved to devour, and Charles liked to savor. As Charles and you kissed, Carlos stepped forward, stepping behind you. He set a hand on your hip, using the other to move your hair to the other side. He began to leave kisses on your neck, starting below your ear.

You gently moaned into the kiss, tightening and untightening your grip on Charles’s button-up as Carlos kissed your neck and Charles’s licked your bottom lip, asking for entry to your mouth. You happily let him in, his hands slipping between the both of you to begin unbuttoning the linen shirt you wore. His fingers grazed the curves of your breasts as he continued down, causing your breath to hitch in the kiss. Once all the buttons were undone, you pulled your arms back from your shoulders, letting Carlos remove the top and drop it to the ground.

Once Carlos removed your shirt, he had better access to more skin. He kissed down your neck to your shoulder, nipping at the curve of skin between them. You shuddered, goosebumps forming on your skin. You pulled away from Charles’s kiss, panting softly as you looked at him. Your eyes remained locked with his bright green ones, pushing the button-up off his shoulders. He removed it, dropping it to the ground. Your hands went to the hem of his t-shirt, fingers sliding underneath to graze the chiseled skin of his abdomen. You gently scratched his skin with your nails, pushing the shirt up. He helped you remove the shirt, bare on his torso except for the necklace around his neck.

You turned around, Carlos’s lips breaking away from your skin. He smiled at you, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. Charles traced your curves with his hands, pressing up behind you. You could feel his arousal behind you, teeth gently biting your lip as you undid the buttons on Carlos’s shirt. You held intense eye contact, your fingers moving in a familiar rhythm. Inch by inch, Carlos’s torso was revealed until there were no more buttons.

You tore your gaze away, ogling at the Spanish beauty before you. You touched his warm skin and danced your fingers along the curves. Charles hooked his fingers in the waistband of your linen pants, leaning forward to pepper kisses on your right shoulder. You reached up under the shoulders of Carlos’s shirt and pushed the fabric away. The shirt flowed off his arms, falling to the floor. He reached forward, cupping your cheek before kissing you, his lips revealing his hunger for you.

Charles’s kisses on your skin flowed down your back, his teeth nipping at your hips through your panties as he slid your pants down. He kneeled behind you once the material pooled at your feet, kissing upward. Instinctively, you stepped out of the clothing despite being occupied with Carlos, who massaged one of your breasts through your bra. Charles stood up to his complete form, kissing your shoulder once more as his hand swept across your skin to your panties.

Your eyes immediately flew open as soon as you felt Charles’s hand slip beneath the material of your panties and graze your clit, going to feel your wetness between your folds. The kiss was broken as a moan left your lips, your back arching into Charles. Carlos chuckled between his pants, swiping his thumb across his bottom lip. He attacked your neck with kisses, nipping and sucking at the skin.

You squirmed between the two men, reaching forward and gripping Carlos’s shoulder to help you stand upright. Charles had you on your toes as his fingers lazily circled your clit as if he was playing the piano. Moans bubbled in your throat, but you let out soft pants, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing how they made you feel. Carlos was occupied with reaching behind you, fingers slowly undoing the hooks of your bra. His lips were focused on the skin of your breasts that peeked out from the fabric.

Carlos slipped your bra from your form, discarding it on the ground. He knelt, hands flying to your waist and fingertips digging into the skin. He kissed the curve of your breast before bringing his mouth around one of your nipples, causing you to moan loudly. Your free hand flew to his hair, gripping the dark strands as he teased you from the front and Charles teased you from behind.

You felt the heat and tension build up in your core, signaling your nearing orgasm. You didn’t want to be the first to come, not yet. However, your mind was too distracted and overstimulated by their ministrations to focus on anything but the pleasure they brought you. You opened your eyes, staring at the ceiling and trying to get your thoughts in order.

“Let’s take this to the bed,” you panted, feeling the two pause at your suggestion. You could feel Charles’s smile against your skin, the hot breath from his mouth causing a chill to run through you.

“I think that is a wonderful decision, wouldn’t you agree, mate?” Charles purred to Carlos, taking a step back from you. Carlos released himself from teasing your breasts with his mouth, sliding his hands to your ass as he stood up. He squeezed the flesh, a grin on his lips. Finally, he nodded at what Charles had to say, pulling away and stepping to the side, signaling with an outstretched arm to the bed.

You scoffed, shaking your head as you walked past Carlos. He nailed a good smack on your ass, causing you to yelp in surprise. Laughter filled the air as the two men chuckled at your reaction before you sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back on your arms. You gazed at the two men, looking them up and down seductively.

“I think you both are wearing a little too much clothing. I can fix that for you,” you purred, bringing your hands down to your panties. You hooked your fingers beneath the waistband, pulling them down and off your legs. You dropped them to the floor, keeping your legs open as the two men stared at you as if you were a meal. Carlos’s tongue darted out, wetting his lips.

“Lei sarà la nostra morte, amico,” Carlos huffed in Italian to Charles. You laughed, understanding what the Spaniard said from the little bit of Italian the boys taught you here and there. Charles laughed, walking past Carlos and squeezing his shoulder in agreement. He stepped before you, reaching out and caressing your cheek before gripping your chin. You gazed up at him, giving him a gaze of submission but also tempted to suck his thumb between your lips.

“Will you do the honors, fille chérie?” Charles asked, bringing his thumb up to your lips. You nodded, gently nipping at the pad of his thumb before reaching forward. His hand fell to his side as you undid his belt, leaning forward to kiss his flesh softly. The strap hung undone, framing the button of his jeans. Your fingers slipped the button free, teeth nipping at his right hip. His breath hitched, chest rising and falling as you slowly pulled the zipper down. You reached in, purposefully grazing the obvious erection in his underwear before tugging the jeans down.

“Putain d'enfer,” Charles breathed, pulling away from you. Your hands brushed his thighs as he stepped away. You grinned at Charles, knowing you got underneath his skin. Carlos had watched with his arms crossed, amused as you spent time with Charles. As soon as Charles was yanking his jeans and underwear off, Carlos quickly undid his belt and jeans, soon bared before you.

“Fuck, I am the luckiest woman in the fucking world,” you breathed, toes curling and eyes almost rolling into the back of your head at the sight of the two naked men before you. You watched as they stepped around, Carlos lying horizontally across the bed. His head was slightly close to the edge. He looked at you, patting his chest.

“Come have a seat,” Carlos suggested, eyes beckoning you. You grinned, crawling over to him before straddling both sides of him with Charles’s assistance. He gave you a hand to position yourself over Carlos’s face, and you thanked him with a squeeze of his hand. Next, Carlos brought his hands to your thighs, caressing the skin. You shuddered, blinking your eyes repetitively a couple of times at the sensation.

Carlos pulled you down with no warning, tongue immediately delving within you. You cried out as his tongue circled your clit before attacking between your folds, lapping at your wetness. You reached forward, gripping Charles’s forearm. He waited for you to adjust, in awe at the sight of you.

“Ch-Charles, let me, please,” you pleaded, reaching forward with your free hand and wrapping it around his cock. The motion widened his eyes, but he stepped closer, cock level with your face. You looked up at him as your hand moved down toward the base, feeling the brush of his hair. Your gaze was innocent despite your lips wrapping around the tip of his cock and flicking your tongue out to run over the slit. He groaned, hands clutching your head at the base of your hair and fingers gently digging into your skull.

You closed your eyes, focusing on pleasing Charles with your mouth as Carlos pleased you with his. You took as much of Charles as possible, removing your hand from his forearm to grip the comforter beneath you. Your other hand stroked what couldn’t fit into your mouth, but you liked to focus more on the tip. You would bring Charles close to the back of your throat before pulling back, sucking and licking on the head.

As you teased Charles, Carlos moved to suck on your clit, slipping away one of his hands from your thigh and pressing a finger between your folds. You moaned on Charles’s cock, the sensation causing Charles to pull a breath through his teeth. Carlos gently brought his finger in and out of you, adding another. Your brows were furrowed in pleasure, Carlos’s actions causing you to stop sucking Charles’s cock. It still sat in your mouth as you moaned, soon pulling away from him. A strand of saliva followed your lips, soon breaking away.

Your eyes were squeezed soft, pants and moans leaving you. You opened your eyes, brows still furrowed as you looked at Charles. He leaned down, capturing your lips in his. He could taste himself on your tongue and lips, deepening the kiss to devour more. One of his hands clutched the base of your neck, fingers still tangled in your hair. You were brought closer and closer to the precipice of an orgasm, and you reached down, gently smacking Carlos’s shoulders as Charles kissed you. You pulled away, out of breath from Charles’s kiss.

“Carlos, please,” you begged, not wanting to cum on his mouth alone. You needed both of them. Now. Carlos slowed down, removing his fingers first before he pulled his mouth away from you. He licked his lips, patting your thighs to signal you could move. Charles helped you once again, gripping both of your hands to guide you off of Carlos and the bed.

Carlos sat up from the bed, soon standing up to move. His cock moved up and down as he walked to the end of the bed, your eyes watching him as Charles grabbed condoms from the nightstand. He pulled two out, ripping the serrations to separate the two. You glanced behind you at the sound, watching Charles walk over to Carlos and hand him one.

“Thanks, mate,” Carlos said quietly, accepting the condom. Both men ripped the packaging and slipped the condoms on.

“Come here, cariño,” Carlos said, shifting back from the end’s edge but still keeping his feet planted on the floor. You went to him, leaning down and kissing him as you planted a knee on each side of his body. He returned the kiss, one hand on your back, the other lining his cock up with your entrance. You reached down as well before sliding down on him. The kiss deepened as you allowed him to fill you to the hilt, his body taking the both of you back on the bed.

Charles watched the both of you, aroused by the scene and watching Carlos fill you with ease. He stepped between Carlos’s parted legs, touching your lower back. He caressed the flesh of your ass, causing you to pull away from Carlos’s kisses and watch Charles. He took himself in his left hand, shifting to level before slowly entering you from behind. Your eyes rolled back, toes curling, and cunt clenching around Carlos as Charles entered you.

Both men gave you a moment to adjust; the sensation wasn’t new, but it was always slightly alarming initially. Charles leaned forward to kiss your shoulder before straightening back, waiting for the cue. You nodded aggressively, eyes squeezed shut as you clutched Carlos’s shoulders. Carlos kissed your temple before both men moved together, Carlos thrusting up into you and Charles’s thrusts pushing you forward. You moaned, ready to come apart right there.

They were slow at first, continuing to let you adjust like the gentlemen they were. Then, when the only noise you made was panting, they changed their pace, their hips snapping against you. You moaned, back arching, which pushed you further into Carlos. Carlos’s hands gripped your hips, fingers digging into your flesh that you knew would leave a mark behind. Charles’s grip was a little looser than Carlos’s on your waist but would still leave faint marks behind.

The pace they set quickly brought you closer and closer to an orgasm, the sensations of both pumping in and out of you overwhelming your body. Carlos thrust up, hips lifting off the bed, and a spot inside you that made you see stars. You gasped, clutching his bicep to the point your nails dug in. The sound of panting and your moans echoed throughout the room, all three bodies glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

“Fuck!” you cried out, soon feeling the tension in your core snap. You squeezed around Carlos, the tightening of your walls pulling him with you, causing his lips to stutter and his grip to tighten. Despite fucking you from behind, the tension of your orgasm was enough to bring Charles to his climax. He rode through his orgasm, slowing his pace until he stopped.

You fell on Carlos, not caring if your full weight was on him. Both of you were a panting, sweating mess. He removed a hand from your waist, running his fingers through his hair. He laid his head back, staring at the ceiling as he tried to get his breathing down to normal. Charles leaned over you, panting, but he kissed your spine. You hummed softly, weakly glancing back at Charles. Your eyes met, and he offered you a gentle smile, rubbing your back before he removed himself from you.

Charles walked to the ensuite bathroom, going to quickly clean up before he joined the both of you in bed. Carlos tilted his head up, stroking your back before gently patting your bum. You sighed, sitting up and letting him hold the condom before you removed yourself. Carlos leaned over, moving some hair that stuck to the sweat on your forehead. He gave it a gentle kiss, stroking your hair in the process.

Charles quickly returned, picking you up from the end of the bed. Carlos stood up and went to the bathroom, patting Charles on the shoulder. He carried you bridal style to his side of the bed, kneeling to place you in the middle before laying down next to you. You lay on your back, staring at the ceiling until Charles was beside you. Your head turned to meet his eyes, a soft smile on both faces. He stroked your hair, and you gently caressed his thigh and knee.

Carlos joined you both on the bed, wearing boxers he discarded on the ground. He lay on his side, close to you. You reached out to him as well, squeezing his forearm. He traced circles on your skin.

“Glad we got to fuck after we eye fucked each other during the match,” you said. Both men laughed, shaking their heads in amusement. You chatted idly about the match, making fun of Charles’s faceplant into the ground. After the teasing, Charles urged you to get cleaned up, which you did while throwing a small fit about it. You went into the bathroom, cleaned yourself up, and slipped on the panties you wore before. Charles stood next to his dresser, boxers on and a soft, folded t-shirt in his hands.

The t-shirt was extended to you, which you graciously accepted. You unfolded the material before slipping it on, following Charles to the bed that Carlos was still on. While you had cleaned up, Carlos slipped under the sheets, exhaustion from the day’s activities finally hitting him. You took your spot in the middle, Charles following you after. You snuggled up before fatigue and sleep took all three of you quickly.

[gffa]

Hi Lumi! I’m the anon who asked about your thoughts on the sequel trilogy. Thanks for your answer! It made me kind of want to rewatch TROS with this new lens because I do get what you said about the bones of the movie being good. Another thing your post got me thinking about was the concept of “The Chosen One” because I know a lot of people were frustrated that the sequel trilogy seemed to throw Anakin’s last act of bringing balance to the Force out the window. And I got to thinking that nowhere in the originals or prequels does it state that once Anakin brings balance, there will always be balance. Unfortunately, evil rises again. Anakin brought balance and it’s not his fault things became unbalanced again. That doesn’t diminish the moment and impact of his sacrifice. And with Anakin dead and Luke not in a place to answer the Force’s call, the Force needed to find a new Chosen One. And years after the sequel trilogy takes place, there will probably be a new threat that needs a new hero to be called. I kind of like the idea of there being a sort of community of Chosen Ones rather than one person carrying all of that. Anyway, I’ve written a mini essay in your inbox so I’ll sign off now. Thank you for all you do!

Hi again! To be fair, I can't make the movie more polished than it is, it's always going to feel like so much wasted potential, but I do genuinely like the bones of what's there and will always defend that. As for the "Chosen One" thing, that's exactly my view of things, too! Rey being a Chosen One doesn't take away from Anakin being a Chosen One, because, like, what is balance of the Force? It's when there's stability and light in the galaxy. It doesn't mean that the actions of one single Jedi fix all the problems, it means they take the Sith Lord out and the galaxy has to help heal things. Anakin killing Palpatine doesn't mean the Empire suddenly implodes, it means that without the Emperor there, the Rebellion can get to work on establishing the New Republic, it means everyday people can start cleaning up the mess of the Empire. Anakin is the Chosen One meant to destroy the Sith and balance can be restored through that. But what happens when the galaxy gets lazy and the New Republic isn't proactive enough? What happens when people decide to rest on Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa's laurels? Evil rises again. And looking around the world today, that's an incredibly salient message, especially when this movie came out. "Oh, we beat the Nazis in the previous generation, we don't have to pay attention to that anymore!" Yeah, we fucking do. And Luke's not there to be called on to defeat the rise of the First Order, he's cut himself off from the Force. So, the Force chooses a new Chosen One, Rey, and puts her in the position this time, she destroys the Sith, but the galaxy still has to rise up and help her on the bigger stuff. One Jedi cannot defeat the entire oppressive regime, but everyone in the galaxy standing up to fight back against the First Order? That is what balance should be. Rey removes the Sith Lord, so that the rest of the galaxy can help each other again. Because I don't think one Sith Lord can be the sum total of what determines balance. The Force lives in everything, every living thing has the Force moving through it, every living thing contributes to the Force. If the quintillions of people in the galaxy are suffering, if they're angry at the state of what's happening, if they're hurting, then how can that not affect the Force? One Jedi can't fix all that, but if Rey gets rid of the Sith Lord and the rest of the galaxy says, yes, we are going to help this time, we're determined, we're going to hold on to hope, we're going to fight to help others, which they can do because the worst part of the catalyzing of those feelings is gone? Then I really love that as a message. Rey being a Chosen One doesn't take anything away from Anakin being the Chosen One of his time, because they're not the sole determiners of the Force. Everyone has to do their part, no matter how big or small, that fits the theme of "balance" so much better imo.

[gay-dorito-dust]

do you have your own batboys fancast? Also who do you picture as Bruce any fic with him I just picture Christian Bale, sorry I love asking people this to try help me with my own because for the life of me I cannot place jason I just picture him as a comic drawing, I cannot unsee Brenton Thwaites as dick and I don't want to because he was perfect imo And Anna Diop was the perfect starfire! I want a starfire movie with her 😩 I LOVED the Gotham Alfred but also Michael Caine forever also, I think David Castañeda would be a good older damian especially a Batman damian. Idk if you've watched any arrowverse stuff but I freaking loved their Nyssa!! Also do you have a Talia fancast, I also just picture Talia as a comic drawing because I cannot place her although I sometimes picture her as Tarja Turunen because I think Tarja is so cool! Sorry for all my rambling I hope I'm not being annoying apologies

Totally unrelated but I am forever in love with the arrowverse Laurel Lance, she also needs her own movie 😭 on the verge of rewatching that entire ass longgg show/crossovers for any Laurel scraps I can get, she was actually perfect 🥰 All the canaries were so cool esp when Sara became the white canary

I don’t usually get into the whole fan cast stuff as if probably suck at it tbh but when it comes to Jason I’ve seen Jensen Ackles come up along with Matthew Daddario, both of whom I love but just don’t see as Jason Todd in the slightest.

Like yes Jensen did voice Jason in under the red hood but I don’t think that’s a plausible excuse to have him play as the live action version. I love him but no.

The guy they had as Jason in titans brought a lot of emotion to the character as Jason practically wears his heart on his sleeve, but he just didn’t fit, I love him but he didn’t work.

Dick I’m not too certain tbh

Anna Diop, love her, gimme more of her as Starfire plz and thank you.

Michael Cain was amazing as Alfred, would love to see him as the character for a small part but I don’t think he would tbh.

Damian Wayne, all I can say is I hope they don’t fuck his character up bc people already do that enough with mischaracterising him to be someone he isn’t, I haven’t read comics and even I know half of the stuff ppl make up about him are bullshit.

So I just hope they get him right for DC’s sake.

There is a lot of dc characters that I don’t see a lot of actors being able to fully embody bc no one is ever going to be happy with the outcome, everyone is hard to please as they want the casting to be perfect and that’s just not possible.

I don’t watch much of the arrow verse but the actress for Laura lance? Love, love,love her. Gay as fuck for her ngl.

Now for Talia? I’ve got no clue, none at all, as I’ve said before fancasts aren’t my thing and I haven’t seen many ppl talking about how they would like as Talia tbh. If they ever do I hope it’s faithful to the comic character and not a watered down version of her but that’s asking too much apparently.

[madwomanwithawarehouse]

Unthinkable 10 Years Day 3: Favorite Episode of Season 2 - "Time of Death"

Okay this is one of my all-time favorite episodes for so many reasons and definitely the one I've rewatched the most ( I'm pretty sure I can quote all of the Felicity/Sara scenes by heart)

This episode explores so many dynamics in so little time, but somehow doesn't come off feeling rushed or overloaded (at least in my opinion). Laurel being angry at everyone, but trying to help her parents get back together, her fight with Oliver in the hallway that feels like the first honest moment they've had in years, and her reconciliation with Sara finally leading to her first AA meeting.

We also get to learn about why Sara looks after Sin (side note: still pissed we got no elaboration on them after s3) and Thea beginning to notice the cracks in Oliver and Moira's relationship

The biggest focus, however, is the changing dynamic in Team Arrow now that Sara has joined full time (and has gotten back together with Oliver), and specifically, how it's affecting Felicity.

We quickly see how well Sara can hold her own against Oliver and Dig at the same time, inter cut with shots of Felicity looking worried, relegated to the sidelines. In the overhead shots you can even see that her computer chair has been moved from its usual spot, showing how displaced she is from her normal routine

They pause and compare scars, but when Felicity offers up her own story, it further reinforces how different she is from her teammates. The same (mildly flirtatious) "You're [still] cute" from Sara that was sweet during their introduction, now feels condescending when Felicity is feeling insecure. Her later attempts to train where she gets her form corrected by Sara brings out her bitter side in a way we haven't seen directed at anyone other than Oliver before, and Sara picks up on something being wrong

Her insecurities about her place on Team Arrow get further compounded with the arrival of the Clock King.

One of my favorite villains mostly due to the fact that his whole timing is everything/clock shtick does not really match his hacking capabilities thematically. He times everything, kills people with clock parts, quotes "tempus fugit", but yeah his thing is that he's a good hacker who robs banks. 10/10 no notes.

This is the first time we've seen Felicity go up against another hacker and well, he bests her, badly. I think what's almost worse is Oliver's complete belief in her abilities to beat him, which just makes her feel even more worthless when she can't and Sara comes up with a lead instead (using her computers). She's been sinking lower and lower into her self doubt and then Tockman blows up [her part of] the lair.

And it's the final straw. She was part of a trio, she was "the girl", (she was even kind of Oliver's "girl"), she had a place, a specialty, she felt like she mattered for the first time in a long time. This also comes only an episode after she reveals that her father abandoned her and her greatest fear is experiencing that again and Moira threatening that she's going to lose Oliver if she reveals Thea's paternity. So it's especially fragile, this state she's in now. Oliver's attention has shifted, 3 becomes 4, her space is not really hers anymore. In her mind, she's no longer special, now she just doesn't fit in. Dig's pep talk comes too late. How can she be irreplaceable if she's already been replaced?

So is it any wonder that she does something reckless to try to regain some control?

Felicity proves her technical prowess by tracking Tockman down and her badassery by taking a bullet for Sara and giving Tockman a taste of his own virus, knocking him out.

Now that she has proven her worth to the team (entirely to herself, as no one else doubted her), the combined efforts of Sara, Oliver, and some "aspirins" are able to raise her spirits the way Dig had earlier. Sara knows just how to compliment her and Oliver reaffirms her place in his life/the team and all is right again with their resident genius.

(And bonus, Sara and Felicity are now forever bonded by the homoerotic nature of life saving and nursing back to health)

All in all, such a good episode with solid character building, real consequences, and a quirky villain that is extra for no discernible reason. Iconic.

[elderflowergin]

SBS Hyena, episode 1 rewatch (part 2)

I realise I haven't tagged/warned for spoilers, but this will be full of spoilers. I'm sorry.

So the first we see of her… is Kim Hee-sun. Gorgeous hair, beautiful no makeup-makeup face, and...near-bare feet. (This is entirely from Hee-jae's perspective, so his observation of her feet is probably intentional. It’s also not the last time he’ll do it.)

(I assume Hee-jae's writing paeans to her cute turquoise toenails in his note-book.)

I love Hee-sun's oversized white shirt. It’s  interesting that she should wear that, because in the scene just before this, Yoon Hee-jae sheds his shirt in his office and throws it in a bin. And here she is, in a lovely bit of continuity, looking like she might have just picked it off his floor and worn it, along with that cool preppy sweater. 15/10 for style, infinity/10 because she's Kim Hye-soo, and in this house she's everything.

Moving back to daytime —

This is the first time we've heard any reference to Hee-jae being related to a judge, and it's in this unnaturally coy fashion. 

We’re meant to see Hee-jae as a legal force to be reckoned with. He’d have to be, given what we’ve seen so far. Here, he's assuring a result to a client because of who he'll have on his team. He's coasting on Atty Ma's team's work (whether he admits it or not), his own big guns and lots of unearned confidence like any other corporate blowhard. 

I say his confidence is unearned, but he’s probably never had the reason to believe otherwise. He’s a big boy working for one of the big boys - things have never not fallen the way he’s wanted them to, because that’s the way their world functions. Money talks, and they have so goddamn much of it that there is never a real contest. This is the status quo of Yoon Hee-jae’s life, and it’s about to be undone in the most wildly spectacular way possible. 

Yoon Hee-jae has never had to pay his dues or prove his worth - that’s always been for other people to do. Whether he wants to pay his dues or prove his worth…is a different, and more interesting question. He does prove to be smart, thoughtful and deeply strategic as a lawyer later in the show, but we’re not going to see that side of him for a few episodes. 

And then, we find out his grandfather was the former Chief Justice. 

Yoon Hee-jae doesn’t bring this up until Ha Chan-ho brings it up first. It’s not really mentioned up till now, although it gives important context to his success and confidence. He's very comfortable talking about his pull, but he doesn’t talk about the source of the pull, if that makes any sense. I think there are two reasons for this. 

This speaks to a spectacular kind of privilege - this sort of disclosure usually opens doors, but when you’re in that stratosphere of class and breeding, it’s probably declasse to say it out loud, and more than that, it’s unnecessary. People know it and so the doors are always open, 24/7. It’s like the difference between having to tell the maitre’d at The Fat Duck that oh, by the way, you’re Meryl Streep, and you’d really like a reservation, please, and having the table by the window set aside for you every Friday night. 

I also think he wants to be seen as a good, successful lawyer, and not necessarily just Daddy’s boy. That is vital to Hee-jae in a way that seems, again, almost overtly privileged. In a society that is largely only concerned about Getting It, thinking about How You Got It either comes from having the moral backbone of a Hwang Si-mok or the extreme privilege of a Yoon Hee-jae. Those are the two warring forces in Hee-jae - wanting to be known for being a good lawyer, and yet resting on the laurels earned by those before him.

An all-black suit, for a douchey comment about hooking up with one's client's younger sister. That is cackle-worthy in light of what said younger sister does a few episodes down the road. 0/10 for the sister comment, Hee-jae. 

Next up: the prettiest girl ever. 

BOO HYEON A, BEST GIRL, BEST OF ALL. APART FROM JIEUN. 

@thefeastandthefast once said her hair probably smells of raspberries, and that is entirely correct. She is the loveliest and her belted jacket is so chic. (10/10. I dock no points from Ms Boo.)

She, too, is in all-black, like Hee-jae, which positions them similarly against all the other lawyerbots. This dovetails with things we will learn later about both characters. Both are second kids; both come from incredible privilege, and both are the softest marshmallows who will come to love and adore Jung Geum-ja.

I'm constantly amazed by Yoon Hee-jae's total and utter lack of chemistry with anyone other than Women Who Can Step On His Neck. Park Se-jin and Ju Ji-hoon have such a friendly vibe for two very good-looking people. 

Unlike, say.....

THEM. THEM. 

Yet again, this entire encounter feels surreal, in the way the best romances often do. For starters these two aren’t knocking elbows with five other grumpy people looking to do laundry. Yoon Hee-jae doesn’t dress like this, ordinarily. (As an aside, his soft old man cardigan made me giggle. I had at least two bosses who wore cardigans like this, so at least this is somewhat accidentally accurate to me.) I mean, when Ga Gi-hyeok visits him late in the series, he’s wearing a cool bush shirt (thank you @rain-hat) that looks like something Dries van Noten might have put out. (I think it was Gucci, though, I stand to be corrected). All his soft lil sweaters are reserved for the woman he loves.

(He stares at her feet up. Just sayin'.)

(Next up: we're upping the ante, the stakes, and most importantly, the hotness. A violet dress makes its appearance. A man's dignity makes its disappearance. IYKYK)

[fibula-rasa]

Seen in ’23: Annual Roundup

Top new-to-me films of ‘23 

(in the order I saw them, not preference)

The Blizzard / Gunnar Hedes saga (1923) [imdb | letterboxd]

The Rafter’s Bride / Koskenlaskijan morsian (1923) [imdb | letterboxd]

Funeral Parade of Roses / 薔薇の葬列 (1969) [letterboxd | imdb]

Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press / Dorian Gray im Spiegel der Boulevardpresse (1984) [letterboxd | imdb]

Drylongso (1998) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Cruz Brothers and Miss Malloy (1980) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Burning Crucible / Le Brasier ardent (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) [letterboxd | imdb]

Merry-Go-Round (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Dream Demon (1988) [letterboxd | imdb]

Mazel Tov / Ost und West (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Signal Tower (1924) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Second Track / Das zweite Gleis (1962) [letterboxd | imdb]

Restless Blood / Levoton Veri (1946) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Man Without Desire (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena / 少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録 (1999) [letterboxd | imdb]

---

Honorable mention:

Ritratto di donna velata (1972) [letterboxd | imdb] (because it’s technically a mini-series)

Spirits of the Dead / Histoires extraordinaires (1968) [letterboxd | imdb] (because it would make the year-end list for “Toby Dammit” alone TBH)

So, according to letterboxd, only 33% of the films I watched in 2023 were rewatches. In an unexpected bit of consistency, that’s also my proportion of rewatches for ‘22 and ‘21. Sometimes crunching the numbers teaches you potentially meaningless things about yourself.

On my letterboxd, I put together a list of my top new-to-me films of ’23, in case you want an easier way to check if there’s anything you might want to add to your own watchlists!

READ ON BELOW THE JUMP!

As I continued my tradition of watching films as they turn 100, the 1920s was my most-watched decade as it was in 2022.

I was startled looking at the stats that the 1930s were so underrepresented! To ward that off in 2024, I think I’ll binge some pre-codes. Maybe we should all watch pre-codes in March 2024 to dishonor Will Hays on his birthday?

My top individual years were:

1923

1987

1986

1920

1911

1971 (unexpected!) 

1988

---

In another bit of unexpected consistency, I seem to have watched roughly 60% American-made films every year for the last 3 years?

Regardless, I think my MVP for this year was Finland. Teuvo Tulio is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors and the silent films from Finland that I watched this year were highlights too!

---

My most watched actors for 2023 were:

Alice Howell

James Finlayson

Stan Laurel

Snub Pollard

Katherine Grant

Marie Mosquini

Christopher Lee

Jackie Cooper

Lois Weber

Mabel Normand

Noah Young

Oliver Hardy

Richard Smith

Can you tell that I watched a ton of silent comedy in 2023? Of course Marie and Snub are making a return appearance here from last year, so I suppose I watched plenty of comedy shorts in ‘22 as well.

If you were only to count the feature films that I watched, Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Douglas Fairbanks, Vincent Price, and William Haines would top the list!

---

My most watched directors were:

Alice Guy

Dave Fleischer

George Jeske

Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass

Charley Chase

John G. Blystone

Lois Weber

Richard Smith

Maya Deren

Phillips Smalley

Another affirmation that I watched a whole lot of silent shorts, but this time because of the fantastic Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers set. I highly recommend picking up a copy (or checking it out of your local library). Not only is the set well curated, but there are so many great extras to put the films in context. 

For Christmas ‘23, I got the Cinema’s First Nasty Women set and I’m very excited to marathon those and be influenced into a year of behaving badly.

Maya Deren makes the list because I re-watched her films in advance of my cosplay/profile of her. If you haven’t dug into Deren’s short but fascinating filmography yet, I highly recommend it!

[lupeloto]

tag game time!

thank you for the tags @creepkinginc @energievie @lingy910y @mickeysgaymom for tagging me!

name: laurel❄️

location: united states

astrological sign: gemini sun, gemini moon *backs away slowly* and virgo rising

What's a TV show or movie you plan to re-watch this year? i plan to rewatch spn for the billionth time (boooo) and umbrella academy before the new season! (i'll prob end up rewatching seasons of shameless because i have no self-respect)📺

Whats a book or fic you will probably re-read this year? i'll re-read every one-shot i've ever enjoyed as i do weekly, and i'll prob re-read the outsiders as i do yearly📖

What is a song you will likely continue to play on repeat? unknown/nth by hozier🎶

What's a tasty treat you look forward to eating more of this year? chocolate chip cookies, i have really been in my era of the ccc and i shall continue that journey🫡

What's a time sink that you will continue to sink time into this year? mindlessly scrolling on tik tok for too long, writing just to end up hating it and then writing some more, watching the same 3 shows over-and-over🤫

Did you pick up any habits in 2023 that you plan to continue? creating a to-do list daily! not just for schoolwork but for everything has been so helpful for me📃

What's your toxic trait? how much time you got? how many characters does tumblr allow again...?

What is a coping mechanism you will continue to indulge in this year? my ole faithful...escapism through television😁

Tell me something you like about how you look! my style! it's kinda cool ig...

Give me at least three adjectives describing things you like about yourself. funny, .... that's all i got!

i'll tag some peeps @heymrspatel @jademickian @michellemisfit @gardenerian @gallawitchxx @krysmiss @golden28s @transmickey @ardent-fox @stocious @such-a-barbarian if you havent joined yet and would lieklike tooo

[thecustomcosplayed]

aw man this is "in the midst of rewatching legends S2 and thinking abt Sara too much" part two because I have so many thoughts

(once again, semi spoilery if you care and me rambling)

OKAY LISTEN

Season 2, episode 11 is one of my favorite episodes in the entire series. There's so much happening with all the characters, and a lot of growth in most of them (also Sara angst potentials are through the roof)

I think this episode is one of my most rewatched in the entire bc of how much I love it. Some of the parallels with Sara go so hard in this episode it's actually insane

So obviously Rip appears in front of Sara, Rory and Washington (go with it) and bc he's all brainwashed and stuff he shoots her and leaves her for dead

AND JUST THINK ABT IT FOR ME. JUST FOR A SECOND

Sara dies/is left for dead by somebody she once considered a close friend who is no longer a friend because they were brainwashed by an evil force and she got shot.

ITS LITERALLY PARALLELING HER GETTING KILLED BY THEA???

Obviously it's not a one for one (arrows vs bullets, motives, etc) BUT ITS THERE? And the brainwashed friends were brainwashed in association with Malcom Merlyn????

Please tell me somebody else sees this because what the heck? This is such good writing (even if it wasn't fully intended)

And also, slightly more far fetched, but I think it also included her kind of "passing the torch." She makes Laurel want to become the Black Canary, and she makes Jax the captain/puts him in charge.

Maybe I'm just crazy and like this show a little too much but like tell me you can't see it a little bit?? This episode is telling/helping move along like three different plot points at once and one of them is a parallel to Sara's first actual death.

And she does die! Rip snaps her neck and she just dies (thank Gideon for her not staying dead 🙏). The show doesn't pull a "aww no rip finds the goodness of his heart-' no he kills her!! Jjst like Thea did!!

He does it without a second thought. Thea does as well (though she does regret it later when she finds out). They both kill her and Sara literally doesn't talk about it

Like maybe I haven't watched S3 in a while but I don't remember it ever really being brought up again?? They just don't mention the fact that Sara died again? To Rip no less?

And it makes me wonder how much Rip actually tells the bureau. Did he tell them about that time he got brainwashed and killed the captain and tried to kill the rest of the team?? Does Ava know? How does she react when she finds out? How much does Sara tell her about that entire shenanigan? I want so many answers that can't be solved 😭

ALSO I AM ALMOST FORGOT BUT. This happens on December 25th, which yes is Christmas Day BUT ITS ALSO SARA'S BIRTHDAY. She died on her birthday. like she legitimately died for a bit on her birthday. That's so insane????

tl/Dr: Season 2, episode 11 is an amazing episode and my favorite of the entire series!!! It raises so many questions and a lot of great fic opportunities (imo)

[userlaylivia]

What ships do you love now but hated at the start? Which character do you feel is most like you and why?

ily <333

jake/cassie from the secret circle, I thought they had chemistry but he got between my otp and I still do have a couple issues but after rewatching so many times I started shipping them!!

zig/maya from degrassi, I really don't know why I hated them honestly maybe because I shipped camaya so much but now I love them so much!!

there's some I started off shipping them stopped then regained my love for them back like oliver/felicity from arrow and barry/iris from the flash even though my otps are oliver/laurel and barry/caitlin lol

character most like me is hard because there's many lol but brooke from one tree hill and she's the most relatable to me, she's strong and loyal and will do anything for her friends and family and I believe I'm the same way!

[laurellerual]

Laurel rewatch GoT - Part 7 

Arry was Arya all along 

In the books Gendry is a boy who cannot be older than 13/14. When Gendry discovers that Arya is noble, she and Gendry have been friends for several chapters. The two are alone and discuss the fate of their little pack equally. It’s the first time that the two begin to define themselves as "us".

In the series Gendry appears ten years older than Arya. When Gendry finds out that Arya is noble, she and Gendry have known each other for five minutes. The two are among the other recruits and Gendry treats Arya like a little girl who is bothering him. At this point the only thing that binds them is Arya's secret. 

From the beginning their relationship appears unbalanced. The age difference leads to the exclusion of many of the scenes with a too obvious romantic subtext. No wonder so many show-only fans were taken aback by the final consummation of this relationship.

[hislittleraincloud]

Rewatch Wednesday S1E08 and I’m sure the fic brain cells will immediately get ready for battle (fix canon).

Pretty please, with marshmallows on top? I swear we’ll all be very good and quiet until you’re done.

I've been keeping it on a loop (generally, except when Netflix hates me) and 8 still pisses me the Hell off. Fucking disappearing staff...fucking how the fuck did Wednesday even get from fucking Raven Island back to the goddamn school when there were no fucking boats except the one that Laurel and Tyler used to haul her little ass to Raven Island to begin with...fucking Bianca and her sword...I got some good answers for these...but Part 2 is most likely going to be mostly Wenovan aftermath after the first ~3(?) sections.

And when I mean 'people need to leave me alone' I mean IRL, not here. I don't mind being bothered here by people, it's the ones that give off aerosols around me that I can't stand/fuck up my brain space.

Worry not/no need to beg, 8 is happening. I already got more than half written (plus the Epilogue, which is only an Epilogue for the very end of the first season, not the series).

Hella tired rn though, I think I need sleep 💀

[winedark]

rules: list eight shows for your followers to get to know you better.

tagged by @alethiometry!! thank u bestie <333

tagging: @wolfhalls, @godsopenwound, @derelictship, @avgustea, @besukhov, @wolveswithoutteeth <3

(lets see if i HAVE 8 shows)

elementary. SHOW OF ALL TIME. it is truly the only sherlock holmes adaptation i've watched from the last 20 (30? 40??) years that feels like a modern adaptation and not a self-parody (miss sherlock excluded — i've yet to watch!). i never got the hate towards nyc being the setting except i guess america bad?? but it makes total sense imo and it breathes light into one of the most adapted books ever. jlm's sherlock is SO treasured to me, lucy liu's watson is just as dimensional as sherlock, girlboss moriarty, BEES, also the focus on recovery throughout the series gave it so much heart, its truly such a good adaptation. i know fundamentally its just some procedural crime show (and its biggest flaw is obviously the inclusion of ny-pd, s03 e08 you mean nothing to me) but i love her and i rewatch the first season pretty much every year. literally where would i be without her

the x files. mulder and scully have had an IRREVERSABLE impact on my fashion sense. i am watching every single episode with a notepad by my side and taking detailed notes of what they're wearing. i love this show so much, every other episode is outrageously problematic even for its time, but i'm obsessed. iconic theme tune (my dads ringtone btw). scully is one of my ultimate pop culture heroes but i think i'm more like mulder (my hero for being irritating). i think my favourite episode is wet wired. i've never seen anything past season 7.

the sopranos. WAIT! wait before u (understandably) judge me i promise its more than a dudebro mafioso show, i think the characters are all some of the best written characters i've ever encountered, and idk i don't watch a lot of similar shows but i don't get the impression that its about justifying the mafia lifestyle, quite the opposite. also the introspection that you see develop is phenomenal. what really floors me about the show is that the female characters are ALL so incredibly written, carmella soprano i love u 💍 i'm actually only half-way through this show so maybe the inclusion to this list is premature but i trust my judgement

succession. this show is constantly rotating in my mind like a slow roast. i'm also quite convinced that 90% of the fans are watching an entirely different show. is tom my favourite character YES but i hope shiv leaves him and he gets nothing in the divorce and he has to move back to iowa or wherever. he's the worst. marcia i love you

it's always sunny in philadelphia. embarrassing how many times i've seen seasons 2-10 but my brother and i's lexicon are primarily references from this show. i think my favourite episode is the cereal defense, it's so stupid.

1899. netflix i am gonna get you bitch 🔪 daniel crawling out of the atlantic ocean changed me

ummmm. i don't have 8 shows. can i leave this as a placeholder for yellowjackets because i see potential my loves <3 if not um. earth's greatest spectacles, the 3 part documentary series narrated by domhnall gleeson that changed my world. i think about it all the time. i love u new england i love u svalbard i love u okavango.

how to get away with murder.

this show has done so much psychological damage, charlotte and i watched it together and i've not been the same since. i don't even know where to start; why is your penis on that dead girls phone. season 1 part 1 being the best few episodes of television ever and immediately going downhill after. annalise keating will send anyone to jail. bonnie killing a 22 year old because why not. whatever the hapstall case was. michaela pratt's villain era (ilu). laurel's flop era. connor's haircut. michaelasher breakup on some random crossover episode in favour of a character who gets about 2 minutes screentime. guy murdered at the gay wedding. michaela growling at someone in a grocery store. connor being the ONLY person to get arrested for murder(conspiracy?) out of the k5, while arguably being the person most removed from committing actual murder (flop king). gay divorce. frank incest reveal based entirely on the ''foreshadowing'' of some throwaway season 1 line. franklaurel girlies found dead. whatever the fuck was going on in the series finale. i'm not the same

[zhouxiangs]

my top albums of 2023

(but i'm cheating, probably, because of course i am)

tagged by @theelast-straw <3

in no particular order except for roughly release date/order in which i got obsessed with each album, i present you: the albums i've had on loop for most of 2023

i like to listen to albums from start to finish, i think for the same reason that i tend to rewatch the same movies when i can't sleep (the sense of familiarity) but i'm picking a favourite from each because all of them had that one (1) song i got obsessed with and/or made it into one of my very specific playlists... some even more than one, if i'm honest lol

my world, aespa (2023)

what can i say about my favourite gg except that i love them so much? their title tracks are always a 10/10 for me but so are most of the sides, and for my world we got some amazing track videos (my favourite was of course i'm unhappy). plus there's the added layer of collecting pcs and the friends i cry about pieces of cardboard with, and while i admit i went a bit overboard during my world and that may be one of the reasons i got overwhelmed and eventually bored so now i'm stepping back from collecting, i still had lots of fun and this was my soundtrack for most of it.

perfume, nct dojaejung (2023)

my sons and jungwoo, do i really need to say anything else... i was lowkey scared i wouldn't like the mini for some reason and yeah that wasn't a problem, i am still obsessed with perfume lol i think this came out right after i decided i wouldn't buy more physical albums except the ones that i really loved the design of, and then i loved the songs so much that i ended up getting doyoung's box... and eventually two pbs from ktwt because i wanted to make covers out of them, and then never did lol

golden age, nct (2023)

pado and baggy jeans are my most played songs of the year; wish i could say i've gotten over the brain worms baggy jeans caused but nope, it's still on loop in my mind months later and i fear it's not going anywhere 👖

nil, the gazette (2006)

so this one is not new... but for some reason in the first half of the year, i think? i got back into the gazette; i've been listening to nil now and then throughout the years but now i also listen to their whole discography regularly. it's like being 16 again but with back pain lol happy to announce nil is still my favourite album of all time, and that i somehow remember all the lyrics! for this one i'm picking cassis because it has been one of my favourite songs since it came out and then cemented its place forever in my heart when i saw them play it live, which is something i'll never forget.

fact check, nct 127 (2023)

ICONIC MOVE, MY MOTION. i adore fact check, 127 never miss with their title tracks and i always go through at least a few days where i need to play them on loop because they won't leave my mind otherwise... but this time, if i could only pick one song from the album, it'd have to be angel eyes. i don't know if it's the happy 90s boyband energy or what but it's so special to me, makes me happy every time i listen to it <3

ร็อก เล็ก เล็ก, micro (1986)

we all know when and where this came from, don't we? one thing i'll always be grateful to only friends for (other than sandray both as characters and as a ship) is the music; i discovered so many wonderful songs and artists by listening to the playlists, and of course my favourite was micro, particularly this album which i started to listen to because both อย่าดีกว่า and อยากจะบอกใครสักคน are in it, and while they're still my favourites i really like the rest of the album too.

the land is inhospitable and so are we, mitski (2023)

i think i discovered mitski back in 2018 when be the cowboy came out, but for some reason i never listened to her music a lot? i had a pearl in my playlists, but it wasn't until laurel hell came out in 2022 that i started to listen to more... and then this year we got this amazing album and she's now one of my most listened artists of all time. my favourite is my love all mine because, like for most of twitter, that was (one of) my sandray song(s).

something to give to each other, troye sivan (2023)

this album came out right when i was itching for new music and to make more playlists because i was bored of always listening to the same songs. it was kind of a break? not because it's super different from other things i listen to, i don't think, but idk it was exactly what i needed right when i needed it. there's something about can't go back, baby that has always made it stand out to me, but don't ask me what.

to. x, taeyeon (2023)

mother! taeyeon has been in my life continuously for the longest time; her voice is such a comfort, it doesn't matter if i stop listening to kpop for years (which i've done a couple times in my life because i am that dramatic) i don't think i could ever quit her. honestly the whole album is perfect, no notes, and we even got a live clip for all for nothing. best way to end the year!

not tagging anyone but if you see this and want to do it you can consider yourself tagged <3

[the-rewatch-rewind]

Another new episode! Maybe the weirdest movie I've talked about yet?

Script below the break

Hello and welcome back to the Rewatch Rewind, the podcast where I count down my top 40 most rewatched movies over a 20-year period. My name is Jane, and today I will be discussing number 30 on my list: Twentieth Century Fox’s 1952 science fiction comedy Monkey Business, directed by Howard Hawks, written by Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer, and I.A.L. Diamond, and starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, and Marilyn Monroe.

Dr. Barnaby Fulton (Cary Grant) is a chemist developing a formula to reverse some of the symptoms of aging. His boss, Mr. Oxley (Charles Coburn) believes this could become a fountain of youth drug, but Barnaby is more realistic, and merely hopes it could cure his bursitis. He’s been experimenting on chimpanzees but decides to try the newest version on himself – and soon after begins behaving like a frivolous college boy. However, unbeknownst to Barnaby, or anybody else, one of his chimpanzees has mixed a separate formula and poured it into his water cooler, so it’s actually the drink of water he used to wash down his formula that he’s reacting to. After a wild day, much of which he spends with Oxley’s sexy secretary Miss Laurel (Marilyn Monroe), the formula finally wears off and Barnaby is back to his more mature self. He’s eager to try it again, but after hearing about his day, his wife Edwina (Ginger Rogers) drinks his second dose before he has a chance to – and, crucially, also takes a drink of tainted water. And hijinks continue to ensue.

The first time I saw this movie was when it happened to come on TV. It must have been summertime because my sister was away at camp and I distinctly remember writing her a postcard about how I had just watched the funniest movie ever. Thus began a phase when I was kind of obsessed with this movie: I watched it three times in 2003, three times in 2004, and twice in 2005. Then I got a little tired of it and took a break, but I returned to it in 2009 and again in 2010, then twice in 2012, and then once each in 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. There are certain things about this movie that really bother me, which is why I don’t rewatch it as frequently anymore, but there are also things about it that I absolutely love, so I don’t think I will ever abandon Monkey Business completely.

This is the second appearance of both Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers on this podcast, so I’ve already mentioned that they’re two of my faves. To people who have vaguely heard of them, a movie like this might sound out of character for these stars. Cary Grant seems to generally be remembered as a debonair leading man, and Ginger Rogers is generally remembered as Fred Astaire’s frequent dance partner. While those aren’t exactly inaccurate perceptions, they are definitely incomplete. People don’t talk nearly enough about how funny both of them were. Like, no offense to the writers, but with the wrong stars this movie could have been absolute garbage. I mean, I think we can all agree that the story is completely ridiculous. But Grant and Rogers were both comedic geniuses, and basically the only reason I keep revisiting this movie is because of how fun they are to watch in it. By 1952, they were both at least two decades into their film careers, and while they did sometimes play serious dramatic roles, much of their work was in comedy, so they’d had plenty of time to hone their comedic skills, and it shows.

I love that Monkey Business gives them so many opportunities to show off different facets of their comedic talents. The silly tone of the movie is set at the beginning of the opening credits, which Grant keeps interrupting by opening the door, and we hear director Howard Hawks’ voice offscreen saying, “Not yet, Cary.” Then in the first scene, Barnaby and Edwina are at home, preparing to go out for the evening, but Barnaby is distracted thinking about the formula and keeps failing at getting ready properly, until Edwina gives up. They both have such perfect timing and excellent chemistry that this dynamic feels entirely believable and natural, and is also incredibly funny. The first time Barnaby takes the formula, Edwina isn’t around, so we get to see Cary being a goofball by himself, and then with Marilyn Monroe as his “straight man”. But then Edwina takes the formula, and it’s Ginger’s turn to be silly, and Cary’s turn as the straight man. And then later both Barnaby and Edwina drink a bunch of coffee in his office, using the water from the cooler, so they both start acting like children, which means they get to act goofy together for a bit. These changing dynamics are all handled flawlessly. Even when they’re under the influence of the formula and acting silly, they’re still somehow believable. While I’m not convinced that feeling younger would really make people behave quite the way they do, the actors sell it so well that it’s easy to just accept it.

The aspect of their behavior that I have the hardest time accepting is that while under the influence of the formula, both Barnaby and Edwina seem to have the instinct to cheat on each other, in ways consistent with stereotypes about their respective sexes. Younger man Barnaby finds himself drawn to sexy Miss Laurel – I know I mentioned in a previous episode that as an asexual I don’t really understand what “sexy” means, but there seems to be a general consensus that Marilyn Monroe was it. Her character is a fairly basic ditzy blonde who was clearly hired for her looks and not her secretarial skills and isn’t particularly interesting, although she does get to say one of the funniest lines in the movie: “Mr. Oxley’s been complaining about my punctuation, so I’m careful to get here before 9:00.” The first time Barnaby takes the formula, he leaves work in the middle of the day, so Miss Laurel is sent to find him, and they end up going out on an extended date. At one point, Miss Laurel kisses him on the cheek, but then he mentions his wife and she backs off disappointedly. So it’s relatively innocent “cheating,” if it can even be considered cheating at all, but that doesn’t stop Edwina from getting jealous – a feeling that is significantly heightened when she takes the formula, to the point that she tries to start a fight with Miss Laurel. Then younger Edwina seems to think she and Barnaby are on their honeymoon, but they end up having a weird fight that doesn’t really make any sense and she locks him out of their hotel room, at which point she calls their lawyer, Hank Entwhistle, played by Hugh Marlowe, who, it was revealed in their fight, kissed Edwina once, presumably years ago. We don’t get to see exactly what happens next, but the following morning Hank seems to think Barnaby is physically abusive based on what Edwina told him. So to summarize: men who feel young want to go out with pretty women, and women who feel young want to pick fights with their husbands and turn to a “friendzoned” man waiting in the wings. And this is reiterated when they take the formula again and act like actual children instead of young adults. Even then, Barnaby is drawn to Miss Laurel and Edwina is jealous of them, and after a fight with Barnaby, Edwina calls on Hank again. I’m not going to claim the way they portray this isn’t funny, because it is, but I don’t love that message, and that’s part of why I don’t love this movie as much as I used to anymore. There are a few scenes between “normal” Barnaby and Edwina where they talk things out that I think are actually pretty good, and it seems like they’re trying to show that a certain level of maturity is necessary for a healthy long-term relationship, which I think does make the message better, albeit amatonormative. I still think they could have made that point without being quite so sexist about it. Although it was 1952, so… maybe they couldn’t have.

There is also some blatant racism in this movie that I realize was common for the time, but that doesn’t make it okay. Child Barnaby overhears child Edwina calling Hank to come over, so he grabs a pair of pruning shears and rallies a group of (all white) neighbor children playing “Cowboys and Indians” to help him tie up and scalp Hank when he arrives. One of the kids informs Barnaby that they have to do a war dance first, and sing, so Barnaby organizes the kids into an “Indian choir” of sorts, and listeners… it is so painfully bad. On the one hand, from a historical perspective, it’s interesting to see how white American kids used to play in that era, but on the other hand, it’s just… no. I get that it’s supposed to be silly, but there are so many ways to be silly that don’t involve mocking Native Americans. A less serious complaint I have about that part is the next time we see Hank after he’s been tied up, part of his head has been shaved all the way to the skin, and there is no way the clippers Barnaby had could have cut anywhere near that close. And while I can easily suspend disbelief enough to accept a chimpanzee unlocking the secret of youth with a mixture of random chemicals, asking me to believe that pruning shears could shave a man’s head that closely is going way too far!

I also had a know-it-all phase when it bothered me that people often refer to chimpanzees as “monkeys” when they’re actually apes, but now I’m more in the “all words are made up to begin with and classifications of animals are especially made up, so who cares” camp. I guess that’s one way I can tell I’ve grown up and matured since the first time I watched this movie, without trying to use the ability to maintain healthy romantic relationships as a metric. But the more I learn about how animals – particularly apes – have historically been treated by the entertainment industry, the less I can enjoy seeing them in older movies. I haven’t heard any specific stories about Monkey Business in particular, but I doubt the chimps featured in it had very good lives, and that is yet another thing that makes it harder to enjoy this movie.

But despite all its problematic aspects and its relentless amatonormativity, overall I do think Monkey Business has a pretty good message about our society’s obsession with trying to stay young. After he and Edwina have both tried the formula, Barnaby has this to say about youth: “We remember it as a time of nightingales and valentines. But what are the facts? Maladjustment, near idiocy, and a series of low comedy disasters. That's what youth is. I don't see how anyone survives it.” And in the final scene, Barnaby concludes: “You’re old only when you forget you’re young.” The movie points out the importance of learning from experience to keep people from acting like fools who don’t understand consequences their whole lives. But it also shows that you can embrace getting older without completely abandoning the youthful joy that people and things you love brought you when you were younger. So the way I feel about this movie is remarkably consistent with its message. As I’ve grown and matured and learned more about the world, I’ve become more aware of its negative aspects, but that doesn’t negate the delight it brought me when I was younger, and having some problematic elements doesn’t make the movie all bad. Monkey Business reveals that life is more complicated than we think it is when we’re young, and youth is more complicated than we think it is when we’re old. Basically, life is messy, and there are no quick fixes, so let’s stop wasting time seeking perpetual youth and instead make the most of the life we have.

This does feel like a bit of a hypocritical message coming from Hollywood, which is famous for its obsession with youth and beauty. I do appreciate that this movie’s two main stars were both in their 40s – positively ancient by Hollywood standards, at least for an actress. In fact, at 41 years old (possibly only 40 at the time of filming), Rogers was the oldest leading lady to ever star in a Howard Hawks movie, which is incredibly upsetting. Grant would continue to play leading men for over another decade, and by this point in his career he’d already begun starring opposite women who were closer to Marilyn Monroe’s age than to his own (he was 22 years older than her), so it’s a bit refreshing to see him mostly paired with Rogers, who was only 7 years younger than him, with his attraction to Monroe portrayed as youthful infatuation that we’re not really supposed to take seriously. Marilyn Monroe herself perfectly embodied Hollywood’s ideal of youthful glamor, and it literally destroyed her well before she could make it to her 40s, so her presence in this movie really draws attention to the hypocrisy of its message. It would be great if the entertainment industry would actually take the movie’s advice and value age and experience rather than constantly worshipping (and thereby often ruining) youthful beauty, but as is so often the case, Hollywood released a movie with a decent message and then proceeded to ignore it.

Thank you for listening to my conflicted thoughts and feelings about this movie. I truly don’t know if anything I said made any sense to those of you who haven’t watched it, which I assume is most people, but I greatly appreciate you sticking with me anyway. Remember to subscribe or follow if you want to hear more, and rate or leave a review to let me know how you’ve been enjoying this podcast so far. Next week I will talk about the third and longest movie I watched 17 times, which is another fun, silly, obscure older movie, so I hope you’re enjoying these. And if you’re not, I hope you will continue listening anyway, I promise there are more recent and more well-known films coming up too. As always, I will leave you with a quote from the next movie: “How do you say in English ‘parachute’?”

[lazywolfwiccan]

Ok I liked Felicity during season one and two of the show but after a while she got very annoying. During rewatching some of Crisis On Earth X (one of my favs crossovers btw) and just finished part one. Omg Felicity literally embarrassed herself and Oliver after screaming, “I don’t wanna marry you!!”

Like omg girl couldn’t you be quieter. They had this one again off again thing going then William shows and whatnot.

I bet if Oliver and Laurel were a couple instead of them, her and Oliver would’ve been engaged during Crisis On Earth X and or thinking about their relationship together. Like their own wedding stuff and probably growing the family. Idk honestly

Also cuz I watched Smallville, Felicity Smoak is a mini copy of Chole Sullivan but more annoying and rudely harsh towards a lot of people, just say 😂

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Here’s how Chole looks like btw. Honestly I liked Chole and Oliver relationship on the show

Laurel would've walked Oliver away from the people and just talked to him!!!

Though I did like Felicity standing up to Dark Arrow,