#let me rewatch episode five at least twenty times

[respectthepetty]

Every You, Every Me is only eight episodes long, so now I'm going to rewatch episode five AND Mick and Top's My Universe episodes because I deserved twelve episodes of *this*

Do Mick and Top want to give me a gym bros BL?

Because I'd gladly watch these two work (it) out.

[serpentinearchitect17]

I figured it was time to do another rewatch of ATLA, and I’m so glad I did! Going through all the episodes re-ignited my love for the series and sparked my interest in writing again. Zutara always has, and always will, hold all of my heart. They have me in a chokehold like no other. But, can we take a moment to appreciate Zuko and Jet’s little moment of friendship? We were ROBBED of more scenes of the two of them 😭

Anyway, I went back to one of my unfinished fanfics on my computer. It’s a Zutara adaptation based on the Netflix show, Dash & Lily (with Zuko taking the role of Dash and Katara taking the role of Lily). Maybe I’ll continue it someday. I’d like to, since I think it has the potential to be a cute and fun story to write. Let me know if this is something you’d like to read in the future.

There’s one scene that I partially completed. It’s between Zuko, who’s a grad student at Ba Sing Se University, and Jet, his best friend and roommate, who’s a bartender in a restaurant. It’s a modern AU fic with no bending.

I thought I’d share the scene here, just for fun. Otherwise, it’ll keep gathering dust 😅 Enjoy this platonic Jetko banter!

*****

Pushing open the set of double doors to the restaurant, Zuko shivered from the sudden blast of warm air. As soon he stepped inside, he stamped his feet against the mat, dislodging any remnants of the snow and ice from his boots.

Looking up from the ground, he found the place practically empty, except for a few stray customers who were either finishing up their dinners or were lingering, chatting with their dining partners. Considering that it was about an hour until closing on a Tuesday, he wasn’t surprised to see the slow pace of the restaurant. Still, a blend of spices – cardamom, coriander, and curry, if he had to guess – wafted around him, signaling that the kitchen hadn’t stopped making dishes for the night. He breathed in deeply, hoping the comforting aroma would center him as he made his way towards the bar.

From his vantage point, there was only one person in that area – the lone figure in a black t-shirt behind the bar. Thank Agni it was just him tonight. Zuko shuddered at the thought of having to share the space with other patrons when he was in such an awful mood.

Inching closer, Zuko could hear Jet whistling a jaunty tune, as he hung glasses on the rack above his head. Once Jet’s eyes landed on the bedraggled grad student, he flashed a bright grin. 

Before Zuko could open his mouth to greet the bartender, Jet raised an eyebrow and drawled, “You look like you could use a drink.”

Sighing, Zuko nodded. “More like five,” he muttered, slumping into one of the large bar stools.

Chuckling lowly, Jet pointed a finger at Zuko. “I’m cutting you off after two. As your roommate and best friend, I say this with all the care in the world –” He paused dramatically before bluntly announcing, “You’re a fucking nightmare when you’ve had too much to drink, especially when you’re in public. At least I could have some fun if you were a handsy drunk or a reckless one. But, no, you just have to be the rudest, meanest drunk I’ve met in my entire life.” He shook his head, his lips curling into a smirk. “I mean, you’re always rude, but alcohol makes it twenty times worse.”

Narrowing his eyes, Zuko snarled through his teeth, “Fuck you.”

Unperturbed by his friend’s mood, Jet simply winked. “Maybe later, gorgeous.”

Instantly flushing at his words, Zuko crossed his arms and growled, “Just fix me a fucking drink. I don’t care what it is, as long as it’s strong and makes me forget about the day I’ve had.”

Jet raised both hands in surrender. “Fine. Here’s the deal, though – you’re gonna drink the whole damn thing without threatening to maim or murder me.”

A loud groan escaped Zuko, but he relented with a wave of his hand. “Whatever. If I were sane right now, I’d punch you and tell you to fuck off. But, I’m not, so just go for it.”

Jet pumped a victory fist in the air before rubbing his hands together, almost maniacally. “Bro, you’re in for a treat.”

Making an impatient gesture, Zuko shot a sharp glare at Jet. “Hurry it up, will you?”

Turning his back, Jet got to work. He grabbed two bottles of liquor and a handful of other ingredients, purposely shielding his actions from Zuko’s view, which in and of itself was highly disturbing. Of course, Zuko trusted his friend not to drug or poison him, but at the same time, his level of concern steadily increased as he watched Jet throw item after item into a cocktail shaker.

A minute later, the drink was poured, and a glass slid across the bar. Zuko caught it easily with his right hand, thankful for his quick reflexes.

“Drink up, Z.”

“Cheers.” Zuko knocked back a good portion of the concoction, which apparently was a huge mistake. His face immediately screwed into a look of utter disgust, as he coughed out violently, “What the fuck did you just give me, Jet?!”

Doubling over with laughter, Jet slapped the bar counter. “That’s my ‘Get Zuko to talk’ drink! I just made it up on the spot! Isn’t it awesome?”

Shoving the offending drink away, Zuko wheezed, “That, right there, is the foulest thing I’ve ever tasted. And that includes all the horrible drinks and foods Azula has made me try over the years just to torture me!”

After righting himself and taking a breath, Jet turned to Zuko with a snort. “Oh, lighten up. It’s not that bad.”

“You’re not the one who tasted it, you jackass!” Zuko argued, finally settling down from his coughing fit. “Seriously, what did you put in there?”

Shrugging, Jet listed the ingredients as if he were talking about something as mundane as the weather. “A blend of Maotai and the Earth Kingdom’s strongest whiskey, crushed ginger, crushed lychee, a few sliced Thai chili peppers, freshly squeezed mandarin juice, and carbonated coconut water.”

[bluestar22x]

TLOU Rewatch: Episode 3 (Joel And Ellie Involved Scenes Only)

- Let me say upfront that I didn’t really miss the interactions Bill had with Joel and Ellie in game that much, it was probably my least favorite part, but I did prefer that plot to 50 minutes of flashbacks that dragged for me (cut it down 20 minutes and add more action and I might have felt different – and/or involve Joel and Tess more). Keep in mind that I only enjoyed the game and show as much as I did because of Joel and Ellie. I also love Tommy and the show’s version of Tess quite a bit, but the love for them doesn’t even come near what I have for Joel and his interactions with Ellie. 

Anyway, time to dive in…

- Joel silently making a tower of rocks as a kind of memorial for Tess is probably my second favorite no-words-spoken scene in the show – right behind Joel and Ellie’s silent interaction at the end of episode 7. This simple action just says so much. He’s saying goodbye to someone who’s been by his side for the majority of the twenty years after the outbreak in the only way he can think of. He can’t bury her, but he can do this. Also, the scenery is gorgeous. (They should’ve had this happen farther away from Boston cause there aren’t mountains like that so close to the city, but oh well – it’s still pretty.)

- Love how Joel is giving Ellie the silent treatment because of what happened to Tess but it only takes him a short pause to decide to throw her some food. He may be angry, but he’s not going to let her go hungry out of spite. (He also gave her his jacket overnight and didn’t immediately take it back in the morning. Help.)

- “So don’t blame me for something that isn’t my fault.” Ellie’s right, but I think deep down Joel wasn’t truly angry with her anyway. He knows it was his desperation for the truck battery so he could find Tommy that led them on that path, and it was an attempt to deflect his guilt onto her. As soon as she points it out to him he realizes it was unfair to do that and stops trying to close her out. But his nod shows it stung to have it thrown back at him. He no longer can deny his choice ultimately led to Tess’ death.

- His heavy sigh when she asks about the scar on his head. He is already tired of her questions and there’s only been five of them. Grumpy old man. <3

- “Someone shot at me and missed.” It was a half-truth. I want to pull on my hair whenever I rewatch this moment now.

- The running gag of Ellie asking for a gun and Joel saying no is one of the best.

- Joel saying he didn’t forget where he hid the supplies, he’s just zeroing in on it...sooo….you forgot. Lol (To be fair to him, I’d probably forget after 2 years too.)

- The way he says fuck when she leaves the room because he’s not finding the supplies. Imao. (Also, that was kinda hot.)

- Ellie’s fascination with the infected in the basement is pretty dark.

- I love when Joel’s calling her name in the store. I love that he sounds increasingly worried with every “Ellie” he says. It’s so good. He was giving her the silent treatment just hours ago and now he’s afraid something happened to her.

- Joel may be annoyed with all her questions, but he answers every single one, even the one about the outbreak.

- Joel trying to keep Ellie from seeing the skeletons on the side of the road is such a dad moment. They’re in the apocalypse, she’s already seen worst, but he wants to shield her from what he can. Which is also why he doesn’t want to give her the gun at first.

- Jumping to the dinner scene, the way Joel tells Bill to get the gun out of his face – that’s the most threatening he’s ever sounded outside actually torturing and killing people. Damn.

- Also love him calling Tess mine – like that’s better than saying girlfriend or you know, partner. Partner would’ve been the best word for it to keep their relationship sounding more neutral and still accurately nod at Bill’s relationship with Frank. Mine is way more possessive and hotter Joel. Lol

- Back to present day, the letter. Jeez. While Joel wasn’t close to them, it still has to be rough to lose Tess and then find out the very next day that Bill and Frank are gone too.

- Love Bill’s sense of humor in the letter. And it’s so interesting to watch Joel in this scene, the way he’s standing there absorbing what Ellie’s reading off the page about protecting the one you care about most. And oh man, the way my heart breaks when Ellie pauses because Bill refers to Tess as the one to protect, and Joel has to run out of the house when he sees her name written on the paper.

- I’m so glad they added that scene where he rushes out after telling Ellie to stay in the house. He needs a moment to compose himself, he’s trying so hard not to break down. Argh. The way they show how much he cared about Tess and the guilt he feels over her death in the show is something else.

- You know what? It’s impressive that Joel knows how to make a battery, even in this post-apocalyptic world. That man is smart. (Sidenote: I love his smile after he sees Bill had all the supplies to make one. He’s like of course you had all of this on hand you grumpy bastard I had a mutual understanding with.)

- The way he tells Ellie they’re going to keep their histories to themselves when in the very next episode he breaks that rule.

- His reaction when Ellie says “There’s a wall of them [guns].” Lol

- Yes Ellie, stock up on the toilet tissue. Hoard it. Hoard the toilet tissue. (Guess what I’m referencing.)

- Will never get over Ellie telling Joel he WILL take a shower. Oof. Guess he and Bill have more than one thing in common. Joel’s face after she says that cracks me up too.

- Joel not knowing how to react to Ellie’s compliment. Lol 

- The seatbelt moment. <3 Love Ellie’s smile after he makes sure she’s secure. (I love this entire scene so much. Everything from her wonder over the truck to the end credits - it’s so cute.)

- Joel doesn’t just smile, he freakin chuckles at Ellie’s comment about the music being better than nothing, and she smiles back at him, loving that she finally got that kind of reaction from him. It’s the first time she sees him express a positive emotion, and she is the reason he had it. <3

- To me the first half of their scenes in this episode really showcases how Joel’s getting attached to Ellie and the second half at Bill’s house showcases how Ellie is getting attached to him. Her talkativeness slowly wears his walls down, and his acts of care towards Ellie wears hers down.

[asphodelical]

The Great Anime Rewatch of 2024 - Part VI

Magic Knight Rayearth

First watched: circa 2006? Maybe? Rewatched: February 2024

Original rating: 5 New rating: 5

This is very ‘baby’s first anime.’ Far be it from CLAMP’s best work, it fits in perfectly with all the isekai shows currently drowning the market. Rayearth also is one of those stories that feels specifically intended to be enjoyed by a specific age group of a specific gender and little else. It at least hast he benefit of having magical girls and mechs, making it less generic than having a bland male wish fulfillment hero. I also like how the girls’s armor evolves. But Rayearth really is nothing special. 

__________________________________

xxxHOLiC

First watched: circa 2007?  Rewatched: February 2024

Original rating: 5 New rating: 4

The colors look so flat and washed out. I also forgot how much anime original material was here, too. Similar to like how I remembered, the only things I really liked about this adaptation are the music and the voice cast. Ah, the illustrious history of weird, botched CLAMP adaptations. 

__________________________________

Tsubasa Chronicle 1 & 2

First watched: circa 2006? Rewatched: March 2024

Original rating: 4, 4 New rating: 2, 2

Bee Train, your art style is awful. Just like xxxHOLiC, the colors here look dull and flat. The animation is also abysmal, with consistently off model characters and abnormally slow blinking. It doesn’t help that the anime has a lot of closeups and long shots on faces that I’m sure someone thought were very dramatic. But it’s just awkward standing and staring—a clear effort to cut corners. Also, the pacing is terrible. Why did we spend four and a half episodes in kudan-land? It’s an absolutely botched adaptation that happens to have a fantastic soundtrack, courtesy of Kajiura Yuki. (That opening song I never liked is still bad, though.) 

As for the second season, it wouldn’t have been so bad if the anime original episodes hadn’t been so uninspired. Whose idea was it to have everyone revisit previous worlds? Also that final episode always bothered me, even as a kid. This dumbass is made up of Sakura’s feathers, and she only absorbs one? Bro, what? If only Bee Train hadn’t gotten their grubby hands on Tsubasa, and they started the adaptation later in the manga's run. Production IG really saved us with Tokyo Revelations. 

Also, for the record, an animated work can still not look the best and still have good visual direction or interesting imagery. (I.E. Jimmy Neutron, Revolutionary Girl Utena.)

__________________________________

Noir

First watched: circa 2006 Rewatched: March 2024

Original rating: 6 New rating: 4

This was one of the first anime I watched in Japanese. Since then, it’s mostly stayed with me in the form of its soundtrack. But how does the actual material hold up for me nearly twenty years later?

Not very well. The beginning has so many problems: episodes 2-4 have absolutely nothing of importance or of consequence. Even after that, we learn almost nothing about either Kirika or Mireille, and the episodes are terribly repetitive. As bitching as the music is, it feels like there are only five songs because they’re reused so often. 

Revisiting Noir was a boring slog. I don’t think this story warranted a 26 episode TV series. It would’ve been more suited to an hour and a half long film. 

__________________________________

Cowboy Bebop 

First watched: 2009 Rewatched: March 2024

Original rating: 10 New rating: 10

The Great Anime Rewatch of 2024 is, frankly, not going very well. Let me revisit something I know I’m going to love. From my very first viewing, I knew Cowboy Bebop was a masterpiece. Since then I’ve rewatched it numerous times. I’ve always been bad about talking why I love this show. But it only resonates with me more as I get older. 

Cowboy Bebop is about a spaceship of fools. Fools who fail constantly. And when they find success, there’s no victory in it. Yet this cynicism is wrapped in quiet confidence and unbridled commitment to style and atmosphere. And it’s accompanied by one of the greatest soundtracks in anime. Also, its sense of humor is incredible. 

[snowpiercer-recaps]

Season 1, episode 1: What About his Dick?

Spoiler alert!!! This is a rewatch recap of Snowpiercer s1e1: First, the weather changed. Naturally, it is full of spoilers for that episode. However, it also contains spoilers for some other episodes of season 1 and season 2. You have been warned!

The show opens with André Layton reading us a nice bedtime story. In a shocking turn of events absolutely nothing like the real world, the 1% have caused a climate disaster. Layton explains that the great visionary Mr. Wilford foresaw that the attempt to reverse climate change would cause the world to freeze, in what sounds like a thinly-veiled accusation that Wilford actually caused the freeze. 

Next, some of the main characters get introduced. They start as they mean to go on: Layton takes charge before he’s even come up with a plan, Zarah inexplicably avoids any fighting, Miles just hides away for most of the second half, and Commander Grey refuses to wear a helmet. 

After the opening credits, we’re introduced to Melanie. As she walks through a calm, quiet, corridor, I’m relieved to discover that there is at least one set in this production that’s lit brightly enough that my laptop screen can actually display it! She makes the morning announcement in the overly-calm tone of voice of a person who is close to snapping. At the end of the announcement, she warns the passengers to be prepared to brace. Viewers should also take note of her warning.

For anyone attempting to keep track of the timeline (I have tried and failed), Melanie informs us that Snowpiercer is six years, nine months and twenty six days from departure. 

Layton uses the announcement to make sure that his watch is synchronised to Snowpiercer Standard Time, and if anyone knows what brand of watch battery he’s using, please let me know. Meanwhile, some Jackboots begin to unlock the gates and doors, allowing room service waiters Till and Osweiller through with the day’s breakfast orders.

Santiago shows us all why he wasn’t at the revolution planning meeting, and starts a fight with an armed soldier. Till responds with her best impression of a substitute teacher, telling the class to “Sit down and calm down!” 

Josie and Murray complain that there’s only one cart of gourmet barres de bestioles today. Osweiller’s a dick about it. When the room service team and their military escort leave, we get to see a bit of tailie life: Murray works as a lunch lady, Winnie works as a personal trainer, and Miles works as a competitive rat breeder.

Layton demonstrates some questionable parenting skills for a while, then attends a revolution meeting where the main item on the agenda is exposition! We find out the following:

Lights knows a lot about the electrics on the train (I’m calling it now: she used to be a Wilford Industries Engineer)

Old Ivan can tune pianos, but there’s no piano wire on the train

There hasn’t been a child born in the tail for five years...

... largely because tailie women are being sterilised

Murray is the last Australian

There was a rebellion in year three, and thirteen arms were taken as punishment

Layton then tries to convince the others that six and a half years of living in squalor isn’t long enough, and they should all stay in the tail for a just little bit longer! But Pike and Josie call him out on his bullshit, and the revolutionaries agree to launch their attack as soon as the room service crew returns. 

Josie apologises to Layton, and then for some reason they repeat the exact same debate that they literally just had at the revolution meeting. When that’s over, he tells her that he doesn’t want her on the front line tomorrow. Josie has apparently had enough arguing for one day, so instead of telling him to go fuck himself she dodges the subject and gives him a little kiss on the head.

The tailies sing and pray and sharpen their weapons, while Old Ivan gives Layton a knife and a pep talk about how the train is a ‘fortress to class’. Layton is considerably more impressed by the line than I am.

Uptrain, Melanie wishes good morning to a First class iguana.

It doesn’t take long for us to understand why she does this: it’s the most enjoyable conversation she’ll have all day. She makes smalltalk with the human passengers, in both English and Cantonese. Then, because the iguana wasn’t enough evidence that life in First is fucking batshit, Lilah and Robert Folger complain to Melanie that they are being body-shamed in the sauna by scandinavian royalty. 

To recover from that/prevent herself from exploding with frustration Melanie attempts some light chit chat with the Folgers' teenage daughter, LJ. LJ’s hobbies include petulance, obvious foreshadowing and eating third class noodles. Mr. Lam warns LJ of violence in third, and Ruth dismisses it as, “Nothing but track talk.”

“Ruth!” Melanie snaps, “Stop trying to make track talk happen! It’s not going to happen!” 

Melanie sends Ruth to investigate the track talk. Despite the fact that the rumours are about Third, Ruth has to go to the Tail (??). Ruth complains that she was hoping to avoid the Tail, so Melanie placates her by flirting.

“You know you love an excuse to wear your fur.” 

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of a thousand lesbians typing Mel/Ruth fanfiction.

Next up, the tailies are preparing for the revolution. Pike is on lookout, and he reports that hospitality are overseeing today’s room service! Perhaps the tailies' complaints about portion sizes are finally going to be taken seriously? Due to hospitality's presence, the tailies put the revolution on pause; they want to hear what Ruth has to say.

A hush descends as Ruth takes to the stage - which is technically just an IKEA stool, because they're in the apocalypse.

Initially, Ruth suffers from a little stage fright. However, like all good divas, she quickly recovers by blaming her assistant. Then, she announces that they have a removal request for Mr. André Layton. 

The ‘removal request’ turns out to be more of a ‘kidnapping order’. Layton is dragged away by Jackboots as soon as he’s identified. We get a montage of him undergoing a creepy medical checkup and a very public shower, before being led uptrain by Till, Osweiller and some Jackboots. Layton asks them what’s going on, and Osweiller’s a dick about it. 

Till guides Layton’s head into the rickety little open air subtrain like it’s the back of a police car, which is probably sensible, but makes me laugh every time.

Their little meta train journey takes Till, Osweiller and their kidnap victim head to the third class mess hall. Layton, of course, promptly hisses at the sun as he enters.

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of a thousand ex-twilight fans typing Vampire!Layton fanfiction. 

Lead Brakeman Roche gives Layton some soup and a grilled cheese, and I cannot wait to get a side-by-side of the way Layton looks at that sandwich vs the way he looks at his baby next season.

Roche also finally tells Layton why he was kidnapped: there’s been a murder on the train, and Mr. Wilford forgot to pack a homicide detective! It's a good job they treated the one they had in storage for 6+ years so nicely!

Back in the Tail, Miles tells Josie that he packed Layton’s worldly possessions: a book, a chain, a spoon, a photo and a badge. Miles also says that people don’t come back to the Tail. Perhaps this is supposed to be true, but my main takeaway is that the kid needs to listen more carefully to Old Ivan’s story about fixing a piano once.

From Miles and Josie's cosy chat, we cut to a frozen, dismembered torso stashed under the floor. Osweiller’s a dick about it. Till uses her Cop Skills to give Layton the details about the murder victim, Sean Wise. Then, she asks the great universal question:

Layton, quite rightly, cannot fucking deal with these incompetent baby cops. He walks off.

Osweiller tries to tell a joke, but unfortunately he’s no better at stand-up comedy than he is at law enforcement. Instead of asking for constructive criticism of his work or graciously accepting his small failure, he decides to deal with his disappointment by kicking the shit out of Layton. If only there was a train therapist in episode 1, to help him deal with his complicated grown up emotions!

Till does a half-assed job of getting Osweiller to stop kicking the shit out of the only surviving homicide detective in the world. However, before she's particularly successful, they get caught by their dad boss. He tells them they’re grounded for a week and sends them to their room the Tail.

Next up: some more exposition! It turns there was another dickless murder victim two years ago. Uh-oh! Before he'll consider doing his pre-freeze job for the people who have kept him in slavery for the past 6+ years, Layton asks for some basic human rights for the Tailies. Instead, Roche gives him a xenophobic anti-Tail rant.

To make things weirder, iiiiiiit’s creepy doctor time! Klimpt is brushing someone’s hair with his pants half down, and that’s all I want to ever say about that scene.

After some uncomfortable chit chat with Klimpt, Melanie tells Layton that, if he can prove drawer prisoner Nikki’s innocence, then she’ll give him a job he doesn’t want and move him away from Josie and Miles! She might know a lot about engineering, but our girl has some things to learn about bribery. 

Roche then takes Layton to Snowpiercer’s queer, poly commune: The Chains. He calls the people living there a bunch of freaks, to remind us that he’s even more of a dick than his son employee. Layton meets the murder suspects, who are Sean Wise’s partners and... surprise! One of them is Layton’s ex-wife, Zarah!

Layton finally does a bit of detective work, and pieces together that Zarah must have been the one who told the cops that there was a spare homicide detective stored in the tail. He wants to question her first. She kisses her partners goodbye and, spoiler alert: that’s the last we ever see or hear of them again!

Layton and Zarah quickly cover why she outed him as a cop, and then they get into the real argument that’s been brewing: he’s pissed at her for taking the upgrade to third, and she’s pissed at him for making them survive the apocalypse just to live in the tail. They shout at each other for a while, and this might be Zarah’s best scene in the whole damn show? He takes a dig at her for moving on, to which she retaliates that he probably “bunked with Josie the moment [she] was gone.” He denies it, and then we cut to… Josie, holding Layton’s possessions, in what appears to be their shared bunk.

Pike’s got his tin foil hat on and visits Josie to accuse Layton of knowing all about the kidnapping. He makes a vague threat that doesn’t make any sense. Then, he asks her if she gets it, and she replies that she got it all. After watching this episode four times, I still don’t get anything! Seriously: what is going on in this scene?

In Ag Sec, despite the fact that Layton was in handcuffs and under military guard earlier that day, Roche is now happy to allow his charge to crash a school trip unrestrained. Layton accuses Melanie of using Zarah as leverage, but Melanie brushes it off: she just came here to talk about her strawberry garden and give Layton a load of useful information about how the train works.

Downtrain, the Tailies are singing. It’s Old Ivan’s birthday! In true grandad style, all he wants for his birthday is some peace and fucking quiet. The Tailies leave him alone for a few minutes, and Ivan plays some Rachmaninoff from a smartphone that’s juuuust about still working. Miles mimes along to the piece on a mockup of a piano keyboard, some other people dance together, and everyone seems about as happy as they could be under the circumstances.

Then, the music stops.

Because Ivan used the phone charger to hang himself. 

How does a TV show bounce back from a graphic suicide scene? Nudity!

Jinju goes for a swim in the aquarium car wearing nothing but a knife strapped to her thigh, like some kind of Scandinavian royal. Apparently she didn’t want to borrow one of Lilah Folger’s sauna bathing suits.

There are a lot of shots of naked asses in this show. Let's count them!

Jinju has made some lovely, fresh sushi to share with her boss. Melanie - because of course she does - immediately enquires about Jinju’s love life.

Who is the head of HR on this train, and why aren’t they keeping better tabs on Melanie Cavill?

Mama Grande tells the Jackboots about Old Ivan. Melanie makes an evening announcement. The revolutionaries get kitted up. And then, it all kicks off.

Till and Osweiller (who are still grounded working their double shift) come into the tail to collect the body. The tailies walk around the body to say goodbye. Osweiller’s a dick about it.

Josie, proving that she’s one of the few characters with any common sense, hides her face with a bandana.

Till and Osweiller go to move the body, and surprise! Z-Wreck switched with Ivan! He swiftly punches both Brakemen in the face, and the revolution begins. 

There’s some cool fighting, but it’s all far too dark and fast for decent screenshots. One of the Jackboots picks Osweiller up by his collar and tosses him from the tail like a Simpson's character being thrown out of Moe's bar.

Till, meanwhile, is dragged back by the tailies. They’re right: of the two Brakemen available for hostage taking, she’s definitely the most tolerable.

The revolutionaries block the doors with ramps. At first, I can’t figure out why that’s necessary. Then, Strong Boy runs up the ramp and launches himself out of the Tail, landing with his fist in a Jackboot’s face. It all becomes clear, then: the ramps are for dramatic effect!

Apparently nobody sees any reason to prevent a five year old child from running through a battlefield. So, Winnie watches Strong Boy slice a Jackboot’s hand off, and then races to pick it up. She makes it all the way to the next doors, chips them open, and squeaks in terror. She’s met by a solid wall of navy and black uniformed Jackboots, punctuated only by Grey’s ever-helmetless head.

Melanie is about to enjoy her leftover sushi, when an alarm starts ringing.

She does what we’d all do in that situation: she leaves her fancy dinner on a random windowsill, and goes back downtrain.

Grey wants to use Layton as a hostage to get Till back, but Melanie arrives just in time to remind him that, actually, they need the detective uptrain to solve the murder. Instead, Layton is appointed as lead negotiator. They send him in to talk with his comrades, unsupervised. Great plan, guys!

For a reason that I still cannot fathom, Pike, Z-Wreck and Strong Boy apparently decided to bring their hostage out of the Tail. Till is, as she so often will be in this show, covered in blood. Layton and Pike have a standoff, until Layton finally comes up with a plan: he’s going to harm the hostage! He also sees an opportunity to get rid of Pike, and suggests that he, Strong Boy and Z-Wreck surrender themselves to the drawers. Ruth and Grey don’t think it’s enough, but after a bit of haggling, they land on a compromise: Grey won’t kill any more tailies if Layton solves the murder for Melanie, and Ruth takes "a significant arm" in the morning.

And now, finally, Melanie can eat her damn sushi! She chips into her validatingly-messy bedroom, gets out of her work uniform, and puts on a hoodie. Then, she walks into the engine and grabs a drink. She tells someone - who at the time we do not know is just Bennett - that he’s in her chair. They have some flirty banter, and I am yet again left wondering about HR on Snowpiercer.

And then, after a mouthful of sushi, we get one of the best reveals I’ve ever seen on TV:

And that’s it! The end of series 1, episode 1!

[fulokis]

Note: This is not intended to be salt please don’t take it that way.

Rewatching strike back and the timing isn’t quite lining up for me. Like I know the show has always played loose and fast on the detransformation after using the power, but this was probably the most extreme example we’ve seen.

I’m assuming since Felix specifically said “assuming she hasn’t transformed back by now.” His power wouldn’t have worked had she detransformed and retransformed. Not only that but in previous episodes we see she’s placed the hero’s drop off places (where they give her back the miraculous) all over Paris. Even with her being able to move quickly across Paris it will still take a while.

Alya also told her to hurry up before she deteansformed to get the other miraculous. Which means she was still in the original transformation. Thats less than five minutes to cover potentially almost 40 square miles of land where she’s hidden the other holders. To be able to do that efficiently within five minutes the horse miraculous would need to be used multiple times.

Now say maybe she hid them within a decent distance. Too close and you risk the other holders learning each others identities. And most of them have been left on roofs and up high. So let’s say to be on the safe side ladybug looked up typical visibility on a clear day (which I did). 3 miles is about what it is for someone standing at 6 feet.

So let’s say you can have 3 hero’s within a 3 mile radius. One on the roofs, one on street level and one in the sewers. You have 9 heroes that ladybug has to retrieve the miraculous from . That’s three sets of heroes that have to be out side of each other’s 3 mile radius without any over lapping. That’s probably about a 12 mile radius that has to be covered in order to space out and give room for error.

Even going 60mph that still takes at least 12 minutes to get to each hero on one level, that doesn’t even count the amount of time talking to each one. If we factor in a minute for each exchange that’s easily pushing 45 minutes. Factor in that she had to get to Adriens house I would say likely almost if not more than an hour between her fixing everything and getting to the point of retrieving the dog miraculous.

Even using the horse miraculous it’s still going to take way longer than five minutes. Giving about a minute or so for kalki to recharge, that’s almost twenty minutes before she even heads to Adriens and that’s on the rushing side.

So either ladybug is getting her adult powers, I’m over analyzing a children’s cartoon, or the creators likely thought that no one would care or even take half an hour out of their life to calculate and write such an analysis so they figured it was fine.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Yesterday's Lie" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who absolutely won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

Here it is! The midseason finale of The Owl House Season Two! An episode featuring Luz going back to the human realm, is hyped up to heaven about how painful it'll be for the audience, and features more anxiety by how Creepy Luz is a thing. And BOOOOOOOOY howdy were fans not ready for this. I'm sure as hell not ready for when I wrote this intro at *checks time* thirty minutes before watching the official premier. Yup, the words you're reading right now are from me in the past, when everything was still pure and simple. Whereas future me is still probably destroyed by the events that transpired. Isn't that right, future me?

Future Me: Actually, it wasn’t that bad. The ending hurt, sure, but other than that, it wasn’t too painful.

Wow, that is some neat input! At least, I think it was. I wouldn't know because I literally wrote that after watching the episode. With the words you're currently reading being written at *checks time* twenty-six minutes before the premier...this whole intro is confusing, isn't it, future me?

Future Me: Sure is.

Yeah, it's definitely confusing. In any case, let's dive into this spoiler-filled review as we find out together just how painful this episode was! Take it away, future me!

Future Me: Will do! Major spoilers ahead, folks!

Now, let’s review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz’s Room: We only see it for a short time, but everything about it just screams Luz. The pile of weird-looking stuffed animals, the witch hat in the center of the floor, and the fact that she has bunk beds, a single child's dream (Or so I've heard). It's a small thing, but I love it.

Vee: Here she is! The character previously dubbed Creepy Luz who now turns out to be yet another new addition to the ever-growing list of characters that we, as a fandom, would give our lives for. Because holy s**t was Vee the best type of expectation subversion. Showing us all the ominous ways of how she basically took Luz's place made fans assume that Vee was an evil doppelganger. Turns out, she was just a tortured soul that was desperate to live a new and better life and lucked out in finding Luz's. What Vee does is...questionable at best, but seeing what she went through with the experiments Belos pulled on her, you understand why she would do it. And I personally love it's that same background information that makes Vee resentful of Luz of all people. Luz's life is a relative dream come true, and running away from that would be insane to someone who spent most of their existence through imprisonment and experimentation. It's an intriguing point of view, even though it's admittingly flawed given how it's mostly Camila that seemingly made Luz's life bearable. But the flaws don't matter. What matters is that you can see where Vee is coming from, and to me, personally, I think she's understandable enough to make me root for her to have some kind of happy ending. Whether as Luz or as herself, I'm hopeful to see Vee get some semblance of peace.

Camila: *Round of applause* Don't mind me! Just taking the time to love how all them sons of b**hes who thought Camila was a bad mom are now heavily invalidated. 'Cause, guess what? Camila is a fantastic mother, both to her daughter and her daughter's doppelganger! Allow me to walk you through the highlights:

How Camila looks like she’s not okay with the fact that "Luz" is clearing out her weird stuff, seemingly acting too different to the Luz she knows. Added to the fact that Camila doesn't like it.

How Camila drove Luz to camp whether than letting her take the bus

The fact that Camila takes that box of junk back in, not willing to part with the tin foil sculpture Luz made.

The way she was willing to play along with the game she thought Luz was doing, supporting her daughter's creative mind that Camila admits to being glad to see.

And, best of all, the willingness Camila had to help this poor creature, despite the lies it lived.

It's that last part I really want to touch upon, though. Because an action like that shows just how much Luz's heart comes from Camila. The kindness and generosity of helping this poor creature, who she has every right to run out on, proves how Luz learned to be everything she is today through Camila's own loving heart. Vee was scared and hurt, and the second Camila saw that she was then more than willing to help because of it. It's something that Luz would do, and it proves that even though Camila didn't exactly get everything right, she's still a great mom where it counts.

“A new life”: A perfect line.

Initially, it makes audiences think that it has everything to do with replacing Luz. It's only through future context that we know it's about escaping the s**t show Vee once lived through that it's clear she's talking about starting over. It hits us with intrigue on the first viewing, only to hit harder with the feels during a second. Really well-done.

Luz in the Mirror: A well-done surprise that makes fans curious about how this even happen in the first place. Kudos to you, writers.

The New Portal: I don't mind that they found a way to build this off-screen. Showing Luz and the gang slowly building a new portal would have been a little too tedious to watch, and it's so much better to just start this episode out with it. Besides, maybe we'll get the slow and steadier version now that we've seen how quickly building one might not have been the best way to go, given how fast that thing fell apart.

Luz Between Dimensions: I have no clue what the hell that place she was in is called, but it's awesome! The overall design of the realm is the correct type of unsettling, like it's oozing with mystery, but it's somewhere that you probably don't want to be in for too long. Whoever designed it deserves all of the credit because I don't want to even think about all the hard work that went into making this look as well-made as it was.

Luz Resisting to See Amity: What? Luz and Amity are adorable, and seeing Luz's immediate thought about seeing Amity makes my shipping heart scream with glee. Don't judge me!

Hiding Luz’s Dad’s Face: Well, that was a fun story while it lasted.

So, it turns out that Luz's dad really was a part of Luz's and Camila's life at some point, but not anymore. As for why remains to be seen, as we don't really know yet if we'll see him make an appearance. I'd say that the odds are high that he will, given how much of a point this episode made about keeping his face hidden. Shows don't usually do that unless the goal is to hype up some official reveal, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.

Luz Telling Herself to Count to Five: Hey, more evidence for how I relate to Luz! I know how it feels to be all panicky about a specific situation, and I only got better when I took the time to calm down for a bit. Sometimes, I even tried the "count to x" method that Luz used...it never worked, primarily because it made me feel worse when people told me to do it, but I still tried it! Plus, there's also some narrative foreshadowing when after Luz says five, the realm shows her Vee, or Number V, which is a pretty cool detail you'll notice on a rewatch.

Luz Helping Vee: I gave Camila praise for helping Vee in the end, but that doesn't abstain Luz from her own set of recognition. The second that Luz realized that Vee wasn't really a threat and is far from evil, our favorite human does what she can to help and even makes a deal where they're both happy. Because, of course, Luz is that perfect of a protagonist who is more than willing to help others in need. And it's why we love her so.

Looking for Magic that Eda Left Behind: A pretty cool idea that gives Luz and Vee a chance to bond and giving us an insight into Eda's past antics and misadventures in the human realm. Not much I can add to it, though.

Gravesfield: It's surprisingly not as jarring as I thought it would be to spend an episode in the human realm. I thought for sure, after all that time in the Boiling Isles, there would be something off about walking around a normal environment for a change. Turns out, it's almost easy to get used to. Or, for me, it is.

But I will say that there's this neat use of colors when comparing Gravesfield with the Boiling Isles. In Gravesfield, the coloring looks dulled down and standard, which is a stark contrast to the bright vibrancy of everything we've seen in the Boiling Isles. It's a subtle way of showing how things are different, aside from the major discrepancies we could come to expect. And I think that's why I appreciate it much more.

Eda’s Called Herself Marylynn in the Human Realm: Hang on...hang on...do you mean to tell me that the crack theory about Eda being Stan's ex-wife is actually true?

...

...What even is this show?!

Vee Making Friends with Camp Members: This shows the most apparent difference between Luz and Vee. Where we see Luz is already fearing the many ways that could go wrong with interacting with teens, Vee revealed that she adapted to her situation and had a chance to make friends. The implications of this are worth discussing another time, but for now, I'll say that it's pretty intriguing that we gain this much insight into both Luz and Vee through such a small thing.

Belos Wanting to Learn How Basilisks can Drain Magic: ...Didn't Raine say that Belos was taking away magic? If so, I think we can figure out how he's doing it. The question now is: Why?

Jacob (The Curator Guy): This guy was a riot. At first, Jacob seemed like a threat with the way he trapped Vee and was apparently stocking her, but the second he goes off about his conspiracy theories, it becomes clear what type of character he is. And was it a blast seeing how much of a crackpot this man is. It wasn't cool seeing him wanting to dissect the precious angel that is Vee, but I still chuckle about things like his "Flat Eather's Certificate." So while he's not that much of a threat, he's still fun to watch.

The Owl Beast was in the Human Realm: ...How did that happen? When did it happen? And how the hell did Eda get out of a situation like that?! Who knows, but it's still a shocking piece of news to learn.

Luz Telling Camila the Truth: Hey, she faced her fear after all! Although, the results aren't as pleasant as when Amity faced her fear two weeks ago.

Camila is a Veterinarian: ...One insignificant reveal...managed to destroy so many fanfics. I mean, we probably shouldn't have just assumed Camila was a nurse...but what the f**k else were we supposed to think?! Sorry for seeing the scrubs, and the first thing that came to my mind was "nurse" and not "vet."

By the way, that had to have been intentional, right? There's no way that Dana Terrace didn't think we'd assume Camila was a nurse. She'd had to have put off a reveal like that just to trip up her fans. And if that's the case, then that is a major d**k move...but that's why I mildly respect it.

Two Human Brothers went to the Demon Realm: Turns out we don't have to be in the Boiling Isles to learn more about it. Because now we have more information about how two humans were taken to the Isles with the help of a witch, thus setting up a grander reveal if it turns out that one of the humans was Philip and the witch was Belos. Because if that's true...then there's more of a history between those two than we thought.

Jacob has a Training Wand: This helps me believe that it's highly likely for Jacob to make a return and to have a power boost for when he does. After all, focussing all that attention on the training wand is way too convenient for it not to come up again in the future. Meaning we're most likely going to get more pain from Jacob if he shows up again.

Camila Beats the Crap out of Jacob for Vee: ...Writers, don't make me choose between Camila and Eda on who's the better cartoon mom. I know Eda's technically not a mom...BUT I STILL DON'T WANT TO CHOOSE DAMNIT!

Also, the sandal...just...

Why the f**k does Camila have a sandal in her purse? I don't know. Is it still funny that she does? Most certainly.

Camila and Luz’s Talk in the Rain: Ooooooooh, I was not ready for this...

I wasn't ready for the crying.

I wasn't ready for the hurt in Camila's eyes when she found out Luz chose to stay in the Boiling Isles.

I wasn't ready for Camila asking if Luz hates being with her that much.

I wasn't ready for Luz profusely stating how it was never Camila's fault.

I was not ready for Camila to tell Luz that she'll try to do better.

And I definitely was not ready for Luz to barely have enough time to promise that she'll come back.

This episode wasn't the twenty-two minutes of nonstop angst that I thought it was going to be...but this short scene more than make up for it.

Luz Tries to Stay Strong: Yet another thing she unwittingly learned from Camila. Camila tried to keep a brave face when Vee was with her and Luz, most likely not wanting to tear either of them down in the process. Luz does the same thing here as she avoids talking about the details of what went down in her sort-of journey back home. And seeing her clearly fake smile slowly droop into an uncertain frown, it uh...it definitely tore me up inside.

WHAT I DISLIKED

I want to say it's perfect, but there's one major issue that really bogs this episode down.

Continuity Error in How Vee Replaced Luz: Having Vee take Luz's place the same day Luz appeared in the Isles is a smart idea on paper...if it wasn't for the fact that it's impossible.

Because Eda closed the portal door the second that she saw Luz, meaning that there's no way for Vee to go to the human realm. It's a major plothole that makes no sense, and it might just be the first time ever that this series wasn't so closely knit with its story. Which ends up taking a dive in quality in the process.

IN CONCLUSION

I'd say that "Yesterday's Lie" is an A-. Everything about Luz, Vee, and Camila is incredible, combined into a story that ends in tragedy and uncertainty for the future. That plothole may drag things down a bit, but everything else is handled so well that I'm not lying when I say it's easy to forgive and forget.

(And that's ten episodes in a row without a single stinker. HOW THE F**K DOES THIS SEASON KEEP WINNING?!)

[captainsspnanon]

C2E26 - Found & Lost - rewatch/reaction

(this is a critical role reaction ms. I only see the tags after I read the post and I don’t use xkit :P)

This episode is almost five hours long noooooo……. I don’t know if I’m going to have the attention span for this!  And I don’t want to take a week to watch the episode in chunks, especially because I want to do my Molly wrap up….  (hindsight….yeah, it took about a week, oh well)

(also hindsight, this post got LONG despite not getting too much into the Molly death. OOOPS.  Hindsight from like an hour or so later, this post is SO SO FUCKING LONG I’m sorry!!  I ramble so MUCH)

The most annoying thing so far about starting this episode is that at some point I was at about an hour into it, and so anytime I bring the episode up, it automatically starts at an hour in and I have to keep bringing it back to the beginning.  DON’T DO THIS TO ME PLS.

BLUE LIGHTING IN THE STUDIO it looks to much better imo

...Matt has a tiny speck of glitter below his lip. This will probably distract me way too much.  Also, hello FLIES.  You’ll be around for a bit!

I really like the voice that Marisha does in this bit.  I -think- it’s the Transatlantic accent that used to be used all the time in the US, but I’m honestly not sure.

The good news is that the glitter isn’t visible once they’re all on screen.  The bad news is that I’m probably going to be distracted this episode by being thirsty for Liam.

I forgot how terrible their rolls were for the investigation!  No kidding they’re not even gonna know that Jester and Fjord are missing XD

NATURAL TWENTY and frumpkin will never be useful at perception checks ever again  (I only somewhat kid, but I adore frumpkin anyway)

KEEEEEGGGGGG!!!!! I love Keg I love Keg so hard!!!  (also I totally thought we also got Nila this episode, but I guess not.  Sumalee has done on screen work, so she’s probably who Matt was referring to in regards to scheduling)  (also Ashly is adorable and for some reason I can just TOTALLY see her as Keg, despite describing someone who is physically in a very different structure than herself.  Also ALSO yay for letting hair go gray naturally and showing off that it can look damn good!  [granted that’s totally an assumption and maybe she dyes it])

I thiiink this may be my favorite introduction to a guest PC in both campaigns.  Not favorite guest PC, that goes to Sprigg, but favorite pure chaos of the meeting.

Yup, still not a fan of Molly making choices that other people have already made their own (Nott introducing herself as Jeff and then Molly immediately telling her true name anyway).

First abandonment of mounts!!!  ...awww, now I miss the moorbounders.

Not much to say during the Ankheg battle aside from one – oops foreshadowing Molly’s death, and two – as someone who is not really familiar with all rules of DnD, especially for a lot of classes, it seems like dual wielding is always the best choice for melee because you get three attacks per round.  Does dual wield have less damage than not? There’s got to be some advantage for NOT dual wielding, otherwise it seems like it would always be a handicap to not be.  YAY FOR NOT KNOWING SHIT.

Yes, I’m one of the viewers who watches but does not play.  Granted, I am trying to play, but I am really reluctant to just join a random online group so am trying to find in person people to play with.  And of course since I’m having a rough time, but several people who would be interested in at least trying out a one shot, I need to DM it.   Yeeeeyyyy……

Matt is so excited to have the lights changing for battle and rest, oh just you wait!! It’s gonna get EVEN BETTER.

Also they keep talking about healing and potions and oh dear the foreshadowing.  It never gets as bad as the Vax foreshadowing was (because OMG that Vax foreshadowing was constant and heavy!), but it’s still there.

I wonder if they ever use the sac of acid/venom they collected.  Can’t remember it. Also, first Keg is aroused!  And it wasn’t even for combat!

Oh, they just become ‘vials of acid’, not anything specific.  WAIT.  Beau gets one. IS THIS WHAT SHE USES TO SLOWLY KILL THE GUARD ON TOP OF THE SANATORIUM?????

Yeah, so they DO meet the Firbolg family!  But not Nila.  Well, I got some of it right.

Lol at Matt trying to make this sound as creepy and evil and foreboding as possible when it’s just a woman giving a boy soup.

Yes, they did call out short rest.  Glad Matt allows it, they mentioned it several times.

Alright, I’m gonna be kinda gushy for a second.  Liam is FANTASTIC at his physical embodiment of his PCs even when he is not ‘actively’ RPing. While I’m already forgetting a lot of C1, I remember feeling that Vax just listening to someone looked very different than Caleb listening to someone, and Caleb listening to someone looks very different that his C3 PC listening to someone.  And it’s very subtle.  And I saw online people being so complementary to Liam for scratching his arms as Caleb and how IC it was (this is back during my first watch), and I was like, the dude probably just has itchy arms and incorporated that into the character, but then I didn’t see Vax scratch his arms.  I didn’t see C3 PC scratch his arms.  I didn’t see various one shot PCs scratch their arms either.  So I went from really appreciating a lot but assuming it was standard Liam RP to being REALLY impressed by his physicality.  And it is something which I feel that only Matt really gets into to that degree?  Like, Matt is FANTASTIC at physical embodiment and keeping in it.  I feel like Marisha and Laura are tied next on the list, but they also easily break the embodiment during note taking or funny moments, whereas I feel like Matt and Liam are able to keep from breaking more often.  Travis I think is next on my list, followed by Taliesin and Ashley, and ending at Sam.  Sam is a fantastic RPer for sure, and obviously amazing at improv, but Scanlan’s listening face, Nott’s listening face, and his C3 PC’s listening face I feel all just end up looking like Sam listening.  THIS IS HARDLY A BAD THING. Honestly, it’s what I’d expect from everyone!  Active RP when the PCs are talking or in a scene, but the player’s expressions during narrative moments or descriptions.  But this episode is just reminding me of how many of these guys are so thoroughly invested and also trained to be actively in the moment, even when they’re not doing anything.

In hindsight, they say a variation of ‘making my way’ a LOT.  They haven’t started the running bit yet, but it’s in my head every time, and holy crap is it a verbal crutch for a lot of them! XD

Molly actually references tea way more than I thought he did!  It gives me a little half-giggle every time, considering how Cad’s thing ended up being the tea.  (I have a sneaking suspicious that Taliesin just really likes tea, not that I can blame him!)

I find it entertaining that even now, about half a year or so into the second campaign, and Liam accidentally slips into Vax for a moment.  

Nott and Keg are best combination, omg

See, with all of Molly’s lying at this point, especially to the crew, I honestly can’t tell if he’s doing another lying about the royalty scam so that he can hear Beau’s story, or if he’s actually opening up a bit and starting to be truthful.  It honestly can go either way, but this is a problem with a character who lies all the time.  If you’re not constantly insight checking, then how are you to know?  And considering that this ends up essentially making Kingsley?  Yeah. I’m not upset about it, but I just want to know if it was intended to be true or not.  And I feel like finding out now or during the wrapup would almost lead it to the risk of possibly being retconned if Taliesin wanted there to be some sort of poeticness to it.

It is interesting and kinda poignant that Beau and Molly did start finally opening up to each other right before he died.  Like, even if Molly was lying about the story, what he said about how he felt about his past matches with what he said under the Zone of Truth spell, and it SEEMED to be an honest story.  This moment is really more about how it ended up impacting Beau, but had Molly not died it would have been an interesting start of a change in the relationship.

OOOOF.   FUCKING OOOOF.  Okay, this soliloquy from Caleb hits a LOT different after the wrap up.  The first time I watched it, I enjoyed it but I also kinda felt that it was just a bit too self-indulgent?  Like, yeah, okay, good to know how Caleb feels, but Liam isn’t gonna just go have him walk off.  EXCEPT LIAM WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING IT!!!!!!!! During the wrap up (and I think during Talks later on), Liam talks about he was genuinely thinking of having Caleb leave MULTIPLE times, and was already discussing it with Matt and how it could work.  So this right here???  THIS IS GENUINELY LIAM CONSIDERING!!!!!   And how HARD would this scene have fucking hit if he ended up deciding that Caleb WOULD leave and a few episodes later (maybe once Travis and Laura were back?) Caleb skips out and a new PC comes in!!!!  Or if the Trent sub-plot came in after this arc, Liam 100% shared how if Trent came in sooner Caleb was more likely to return to his old ways and end up becoming an antagonist!!!!    And with all that knowledge, this scene hits FUCKING HARD omg.  AND NONE OF THE OTHER PLAYERS KNEW.  Oh god, would it have been as much of a betrayal as Scanlan/Tary?  I don’t think so, at least not PC-wise.  But TABLE-wise???  I think it would have been as much of a ‘betrayal’ as Sam did, even though the PCs weren’t together as long.

Once again, the Suggestion from Caleb reads a lot scarier in hindsight, it’s easy to see Bren peeking through in that moment, guaranteeing getting the information they need no matter the cost.   (also why am I okay with this and not Molly using spells?  Again, it’s because Caleb’s is on NPCs or guest PCs, whereas Molly is on PCs.  It’s protagonist centered morality which I’m fine with that view during DnD campaigns)

I almost want to see a compilation video off all the times Caleb goes Bren, but it’s somewhat subjective and would probably be difficult as hell to make. (also super time consuming)

Also, I really like Matt’s decision here to give Ashly a bunch of information about the slavers and have it be WRONG.  It very much makes sense of what Keg would know!  I also like how the reaction to spells such as Charm Person, Suggestion, etc, all seem to have different reactions depending on the player they are impacting, because each player interprets it differently.  It adds a personal flavor it it that I really appreciate.

Huh, we don’t have much longer with Molly.   Does Molly not try to take the gun from Nott telling her that she’s not responsible?  Did I make this up?? I swear it happened, this is the instance I was referring to when I was annoyed at Taliesin rather than Molly, because just because you made Percy doesn’t mean you can prevent anyone else from using a gun.  But it’s not happening.  Did Caduceus do it???  *checks critrole transcripts*  OH HEY apparently I only needed to wait 17 minutes XD  WELL NO NEED TO REACT TO IT LIVE I already explained my feelings here XD

While I have no problems with how the combat itself played out (that sounds bad.  NOT referring to the death, but to the strategy), I’ve seen people complain that Nott should have been involved in the combat and not trying to free people from the cages, and that’s why Molly died. What I’ll say to that is that MOLLY is the one who repeatedly suggests that Nott free people from the cages.  Like, REPEATEDLY. It’s the focus of Molly’s planning!  So it’s not the same situation as when Sam leaned into the RP of Nott being scared and not going through the water leading to them being down a player in the fight.  Instead, this was something that had been decided tactically beforehand, and unfortunately just ended up playing out to a rough ending.

God, this is like the ONE OF TWO TIMES that the Nein is good at planning shit, and it all turns out pretty much worse can scenario.  Well, I guess they kill one of the baddies I think.  The only other good planning is with the Intuit charges to take down most of the Tomb Takers.  At least – that’s what I remember!  It’ll be fun to see if any other good planning moments come up that I just can’t remember!

Huh, I was wondering why Liam was being weird about Taliesin suggesting Fireball.  It wasn’t like, Caleb backstory weird.  So I looked it up.  It’s episode 26.  Caleb doesn’t get or use Fireball until episode 32. So I guess he’s in the weird aspect of trying to RP as Caleb who doesn’t know what Molly is referring to when Molly is telling Caleb to use Fireball, also Liam maybe feeling the whole fact of that he likes to RP at least his first use of a spell, so even if he did have Fireball maybe he would have wanted to RP the moment of Caleb using it for the first time versus the team magically already knowing he had it?  OR MAYBE I’M READING TOO MUCH INTO IT.  I have mixed feelings about this moment for what I recognize are utterly bullshit reasons.  I really love Liam’s RP, Caleb’s my favorite PC, I’m not big on Molly, so rather than just brush off a moment at the table where I can’t even know what’s going on because it’s all facial expressions, instead I’m reading too much into it and getting ‘protective’ over Liam.   ….at least I recognize that I’m being dumb as shit for this?

LOL Caleb actually tells Beau that he doesn’t know Fireball when she brings it up too, but I missed it because the main conversation is with Keg and Nott while the Empire Kids are muttering in the background.

...I said I wasn’t gonna talk about the gun bit, but I am just a tiny bit.  ONE – I love that they end up staring directly at Matt during the bit like ‘DAAAAAAD’.  Two – I’m sure Sam was fine with it, but hoo boy yeah does it annoy me.  I dunno, it just seems like bad Table etiquette?  Like, don’t be a dick about your friend’s loot.  At least I’m consistent with this, I don’t like hearing about rogues stealing from other party members and similar things.  ...at least inter-party.  Guests are a different thing XD That’s something I appreciate with Nott.  Even with her big confession of “I’VE STOLEN FROM ALL OF YOU” towards the end of the campaign, she really hasn’t?  Like, she ‘stole’ a ring from Jester (who had her eyes closed and let her), and the biggest thing is she tried to steal Fjord’s academy letter. Maybe I’ve forgotten, but I legit don’t remember her stealing anything else from the party.  (again, not counting shakaste and guests)   Bah, looking at the wiki didn’t help.  ANYHOW it’s just a personal preference thing for table play, but it’s something that I’m sure was fine at their table.

Beau running through the plan twice almost has the same type energy as when she was putting together the stuff with Lucien and the Tomb Takers!

AAAAA they’re teasing Matt about having a map available and Marisha says ‘he’s a witch Sam, you know this’ and Sam says ‘can he float’ NO NOT YET BUT WAIT TIL HOT BOI

Also I mentioned it early, but fuuuuck there are a lot of little foreshadowing moments during this episode.  Mostly because they’re going into a super tough fight, so they always tend to joke about them all dying ANYWAY, but always hits harder when it happens.

Huh, they still have the map compass and the initiative tracker.  The compass maybe they used throughout but it’s just so unobtrusive that I didn’t notice it?  Also I feel like they don’t tend to say directions, but I may have forgotten.  The tracker I KNOW will go at some point.

Oh shit I forgot that it’s snowing or about to be snowing when Molly dies and the after bit.  That’s super beautiful and poignant, but also just one more thing of things seeming like planned when it’s pure coincidence.

I’m surprised how many times they reference Clarota.  Like, it was a decent NPC, but he didn’t feel all THAT memorable to me?  I wonder if it’s because maybe it was the first NPC they had where they had befriended him and then he turned on them?  Or since it was the very start of the stream that he’s more memorable because the starting of the stream is memorable?  Or maybe I’m just not invested in an NPC that they are super into.  *shrugs*

Wait.  Okay, so Matt’s bringing the Shepards on to the map now, and Marisha goes ‘those look like our dead horses!’, clearly a joke because of the minis, but that REMINDED ME.  They should have three horses during this ambush!!  Like, we can assume that the party hitched them further up the road to be hidden, but it was just completely forgotten from the entire planning throughout.

Fuuuck, I forgot how clutch that Slow spell was!  4 of 6 failed!  Druid and Lorenzo still up.  I wonder how differently this fight would have gone had they gotten slowed too?

LOL they’re talking about how they’re still proud of having Vorugal fight the Yenk.  This ALL went over my head entirely during the first watch! Talking about Umbrasyl too…  this is why I don’t mind watching C2 first though, because by the time I got around to watching C1, I’d forgotten this shit anyway!

I understand why Ashly is making the narrative decision that she is doing, not sure how I feel about it.  Kinda the same mixed feelings that I had when Sam sat out a combat for RP.  Molly’s already pretty damn injured at this point, so I’m not even sure if her making these choices had any difference in how the combat would have played out.  Paying close attention to this now out of curiosity.  Okay, her first attack would have missed regardless of the disadvantage, judging by Sam and Taliesin’s faces on her first roll.  And her second attack she’s shaking her head again after the first roll.  So her first round of combat done WITHOUT her self-imposed penalties would still have missed both attacks.  The only thing that could be brought into question would be if she would still attack Protto or someone else if she wasn’t doing the ‘fear’ aspect of it.  Lorenzo’s already prepping cone of cold, so would not have changed for her attacking him.  And based on her RP of it, she may have gone for Protto regardless?

OOOOOO I forgot Slow got dispelled!!!

I FORGOT THE CONE OF COLD WAS JUST BARELY OUT OF REACH OF CALEB

41 cold damage. Caleb could have legit died this battle if he was any closer holy shit.  I forgot how actually terrible this battle was

oh FUCK when dwelma goes down and marisha is planning what to do, taliesin say to hit dwelma while she’s down and help her bleed out.  OH THE FUCKING FORESHADOWING OUCH (also his hp counter is showing 14, but I think it’s only actually 4 right now?  These counters are so useless)

Yup, ‘cause now Molly goes down.  It’s odd, because it feels very anticlimatic? But it’s also a case of it only feels that way ‘cause I knew it was coming, both times.  If I was watching this live?  Fucking shocking.  (also also, yup.  Ashly playing Keg at full disadvantage did literally nothing to impact the fight one way or the other.  It would have played out the same if she hadn’t gone for it because of poor die rolls, and because Lorenzo, even from the beginning, made it kinda clear that he would attack her ally to punish her, rather than attack her directly.) (also also also, Matt changed blood maledict again.  Here it was two at level five and three at level nine, current balance is two at level six and three at level thirteen)

There will be lots of thoughts about Molly and resurrection and Taliesin’s initial thoughts and stuff in my wrap up, not going to go into any of it here.

I didn’t notice it the first time around, but Matt’s voice is audibly shaking when he’s asking for Molly’s last words.  And now after Molly is dead and Matt has to continue the combat??? I really didn’t see how hard this must have been for him at the time.

I’ve now seen the behind the scenes photo of Taliesin holding Dani from when he went offstage.  Honestly, regardless of my feelings for Molly, now and even first time around, I felt HORRIBLE for Taliesin!  Especially with knowing just how long he planned this PC for, and as much as the backstory didn’t exist, I’m sure he thought for ages about those two years that he did know, how it would have worked, the relationships he would have formed, scams he would have pulled, etc. etc.  And what’s even WORSE is knowing that Taliesin and Liam were on deadline crunch for an art book, and so he couldn’t even really take proper time to himself to mourn!  And it IS mourning.

I’m kind of glad that the two permanent deaths we’ve had so far have been with players who were more experienced with DnD.  Liam played in high school and then had been DMing for his kids at home even during C1, and Taliesin of course had been playing for ages.  It doesn’t make it any better, but it almost sort of kind of does?  Just...almost better equipped for it, in a way.  And Vax’s death was at the very end of a campaign, so for a death to occur early campaign?  Taliesin was honestly probably the best one for it to happen to.  Marisha I think could have worked as well, because I know she was playing DnD before the homegame started, so she’s in the top three of most experienced at the table.  UGH I JUST FEEL SO BAD FOR HIM, even though this was yeaaars ago now!!!  And we know he comes back (kind of, eventually) and before that becomes the second best antagonist of the campaign!!!  But I still feel so awful for Taliesin for this moment.

Though I also suppose for any CHARACTER for this to have happened to, it’s also for the best?  At least thinking of players and their backstories, Molly had the least ….  I don’t want to say ‘developed’, but I can’t think of a better term.  He was a PC who was impacted by his backstory the least, has the least interest in it.  Not sure how it would have turned out with Lucien hunting down Molly’s body, but he was the most disinterested.  I mean, if Nott had died, we’d never have found out about Veth.  If Fjord had died, we’d never have Uk’otoa (at least not to the same level).  Beau’s backstory is tiny little drips and drabs out, we know nothing about Yasha, Caleb we have about half the story.  I guess Jester, technically, because she didn’t really have a big GOAL aside from find her dad and see the world?

I cannot understand what Liam mutters to Marisha before he leaves the table.  I know she asks for some more booze, but I just can’t make out what he said. I’ve read comments before that he maybe was doing a quick check in on Taliesin to make sure he was okay.  It’s a very nice thought, so I’m hoping that it’s true.  ...but Liam also does seem to have the smallest bladder, so it could have been that too.

Nothing to break the tension like Marisha saying Keg instead of Lorenzo, and then saying Beau instead of Molly.  Nice little giggle!

I hate the fact that after Matt called the session, they have to literally take a moment to tell the fans not to flip the fuck out on the players for not playing to perfection.  Watching live for C3, I get to see that yeah...there’s a part of this fanbase that’s just fucking NUTS.

Oh the video stutters right at the end.  :(  And little lol at Matt saying they have one fucking villain now for the campaign.  Oh matt.  You thought you could keep lorenzo alive.  LOL  (it’s okay, Lucien as the villain works out super well!)

Next post – my Mollymauk breakdown.  No clue when this will come out, I have a lot to write about, and I didn’t want to start it with partial information so I waited until this episode is done.  I’ll still write it soon though, because I’m not going to let myself watch the next episode until I’m done!!  (just gotta figure out if I’m going to watch Talks before or after the write up.  ...probably before, I think.)

@suicidallyreckless

[katierosefun]

well, here we are! june basically flew by and it was a little rough, but we’re back with some long recs on cool things i’ve read/listened to/watched, and i’m about to force everyone to sit down and listen to my sleepover-esque ted talk in which i give unwarranted and unasked for rec lists. so here we go!

kdrama:

while you were sleeping

okay, so i tried to watch this kdrama when it came out in like...2017, i think? but for some reason, i wasn’t able to get past the first episode. i don’t really know why? because it’s so beautifully shot, and i super love the premise, which is basically this girl and this guy are somehow able to see things that are going to happen in the future...but only in their dreams. this whole kdrama really handled the plot super well--each episode honestly felt like a movie in itself, and the filming was just stunning, and i think this has to be one of the most visual kdramas i’ve ever seen. each character is also super interesting and complex on their own, and i really loved seeing such a strong cast of characters interact with each other in this world. 

i think the only slight downside of this kdrama was that i couldn’t really get invested in the romance? i’m not quite sure why--i found both lead actors’ performances wonderful, and don’t get me wrong, i did think they were cute together as the drama went on, but i still couldn’t find myself buying into the romance until maybe relatively late in the drama (like...ep 11 or so? ep 16 was honestly when i realized that awww, wait, they’re actually super cute). but then again, i feel like the writers weren’t really prioritizing the romance either--i think they really wanted us to think about the beauty of dreams and redemption and how everyone can touch another person’s life in some significant way, so i can’t really be mad about it!

but anyways, overall i really enjoyed this kdrama and watched it all a lot faster than i thought i would! SOLID music, beautiful cinematography, good acting, mostly good writing, and some really memorable characters! def. a must-watch if you love suspense, aesthetics, and some wonderful characters.

the ghost detective

i’m someone who doesn’t like horror or scary things at all, but i was so intrigued by the plot and whatever material i saw on tumblr, and...of course, choi daniel, lee joo young, lee ji ah, and park eun bin. honestly, this is just a really wonderful and really underrated cast, and they really all brought out their a-game for this 32-episode supernatural / thriller / horror drama. basically, this kdrama follows the story of a young woman who’s trying to figure out who murdered her younger sister...and of course, there’s something supernatural going on. 

honestly, this kdrama was such a ride. i loved the crime-solving aspect of it, and i was really in love with the interactions between all the characters, esp. that of eun bin and daniel’s characters. (guys...they’re so ride and die for each other. there’s also so much yearning. so much yearning in this kdrama, it just about killed me--) 

the villain was absolutely, appropriately, elegantly creepy, and like...scary beyond belief. basically, the villain (lee ji ah’s character) feeds her victims these harmful thoughts and ultimately get them to kill themselves. it’s sad and haunting, especially when you see that the victims tell their victims “don’t listen to the bad things. try only to listen to the good things”. and...yeah. themes of how to handle all of these bad feelings inside of you really came through in this kdrama, and there were a lot of themes of suicide and the kind of rage and sadness that comes with that. (also! if you’re a fan of lots of angsty/whumpy situations....this kdrama definitely does not hold back with all of your fave whump/angst tropes! literally! every! episode! i! had! to! lie! down! because! too! powerful!)

school 2013 

(aww, look at this precious cast…as though they didn’t all make me ugly cry at least five times—)

yeah, yeah, yeah, i’ve talked about this kdrama ad nauseum, and i know i watched it last month, but as i was studying for the lsat, i really, really, really needed some comfort. most notably comfort re: studying life, academics, how difficult it is to study but also be uncertain of your dreams…and if you are certain of your dreams, how that sometimes requires studying but that just makes life all the more overwhelming…can you tell i’ve been thinking about this a lot

i’m not going to ramble more about this kdrama considering i already have done so multiple times, but i enjoyed this rewatch and honestly,,,my love for this show has just grown even more. there’s a good reason why people consider this a comfort kdrama, because. i consider myself deeply comforted. also, i’ve been listening to the ost for the whole month. it’s become a problem. but sometimes. sometimes you need to listen to songs that feel like someone’s patting you on the head and telling you don’t give up, set down your burdens, don’t think you’re alone and dream whatever you want to dream, go wherever you want to go. i’ll stop talking now, but god. when i say that i think everyone who has ever felt incredibly tired by work or school and just wished for someone to give them a big hug either then or now...god. this is just one of those kdramas that i think honestly touched so many people’s lives, and i’m very grateful for the cast and crew and writers for ever bringing this story to life. :’) (god, okay, now i’ll stop talking before i make myself cry i’m fine this is fine)

your honor

so, i watched this kdrama thinking that it would be light and funny given that yoon shi yoon is the main male lead, but boy was i wrong--don’t be fooled by these happy little faces, this kdrama is heavy. this kdrama is about a young man (with a criminal record) who winds up impersonating his twin brother, who happens to be a judge. we also have a trainee who, after seeing the legal system fail her older sister, is on the rise to dispense justice through the courts the best she can.

honestly, the first few episodes were rough, mostly because of the content. big trigger warning for rape, violence, and sexual harassment at work. this kdrama really didn’t hold back when it came to addressing how the very people who use the law can also be the very same people who manipulate and abuse it. because of that, i found this kdrama incredibly powerful. that said, it certainly had its lighthearted moments too. 

overall though, i liked this kdrama. the main characters were incredibly complex and genuinely the type to make me believe that for all the injustices in the world, there are still and always will be people fighting for the right thing. as someone who wants to enter the legal field, this kdrama was just uplifting. i was so blown away by the absolute rawness of the main two leads, esp. yoon shi yoon, who i’ve only ever seen in super lighthearted kdramas. so this was a really interesting change of pace, and i genuinely enjoyed watching this!

waiting for love

so this kdrama is just two episodes, and what’s better is that it’s available on youtube! it’s about two college students--a young woman who’s been hurt by falling in love with jerks now just wants to date, not really fall in love...and a young man who’s excellent at giving dating advice except he’s afraid that he’s never going to actually fall in love, so he just dates a girl for the sake of dating.

now, i kinda thought that this show was going to be kinda lighthearted, a little shallow--but it was weirdly...comforting? idk, i found myself liking it a lot more than i thought it would be. this is far from the perfect kdrama, and i kinda wished that we got more than 2 episodes because i think some of the plot points could have been better expanded, but...there were genuinely a lot of scenes that made me think a bit more about what it actually means to be in a loving relationship--like how it’s not enough to just put on a happy smile and eat meals together, but like...you know. there has to be trust and actual liking and also, yeah, maybe a bit of frustration in order to actually know whether a relationship is real or not. and given that the characters were all discussing the pressure on getting married and romance esp. when you’re in your twenties...idk. makes you think about are you dating someone for the sake of appearances? or do you genuinely...like them?

there was also quite a few tropes that i personally adore in this kdrama, which helped balance out the stuff i found more tiring. there was a lot of the “right person, wrong time” stuff going on (you really want the two main leads to get together after a certain point, and you just keep holding your breath whenever they walk past each other and beg please please please let it be this time...), and also that good old “two strangers fall in love with each other purely over writing to each other” (god. first the half of it, then me & au, then greenhouse podcast...something about this trope huh). that said, there were def. some parts that made me “:////” because some of the characters were kind of frustrating, but i’m gonna chalk that up to good writing since i think i was mostly mad about how i knew people like some of the characters lol. overall, i think this might be at least semi-enjoyable--it’s probably not something i’ll watch again, but it def. made me mull over what it means to actually be in a loving relationship, esp. if you’re in your twenties and everyone around you seems to be in happy romantic relationships/getting engaged and whatnot. 

movie: 

columbus 

i’m a firm believer that there are some movies that are meant to cheer you up, some movies meant to make you cry, and then there’s some movies that are just meant to...sit with you. and this movie is definitely one of them. this story follows casey, a high school graduate, and jin, the son of a famous architect. the two of them are both so incredibly exhausted with their lives (casey with her constant worry about her mother, who’s a recovering drug addict; jin with his surface-level lack of concern for his comatose father). in their small town of columbus, indiana, the two of them bond over architecture and just. being quietly there for each other.

this movie’s been compared a few times to lost in translation in the sense that there’s this not quite romance between the two leads, who have a bit of an age gap (john cho and haley lu richardson have about 20 between them!). to be honest, i didn’t really get the sense that there was supposed to be a romance. if anything, it just felt like...two really lonely people finding each other. definitely not a simple friendship--definitely not a familial kind of relationship, definitely intimate. 

idk. i think this movie might not be for everyone--i definitely agree with a lot of past reviewers that this movie is on the slower side. there’s some stuff here about complicated relationships with parents, a lot of cool architecture, really beautiful shots...and overall, it’s just...quiet. it’s lovely, and i can’t really stop thinking about it. it’s subtle, bittersweet, and oddly compelling. might not be the kind of thing you’d want to watch in the middle of the day, but if you’re a little sad and in the mood for something not to necessarily lift your spirits but...at least acknowledge them and sit with you, then...this is the movie to watch. idk. i felt kind of crummy the day i watched this movie, and i felt as though someone just sat next to me on a park bench until the sun went down. (mayhaps specific but hush, i’m writing this right after finishing this movie, so i’m...feeling a certain way.)

wish dragon 

i watched this movie right after watching columbus because a) decided i was in the mood for something lighter, and b) i learned that john cho?? voiced?? the dragon?? (caroline your crush on john cho’s jumping out this month...) 

but anyways! i loved this movie a lot. it was so satisfying? like, just narratively speaking? and the animation was wonderful and also weirdly smooth and satisfying, and there were a lot of funny and touching moments. this movie’s about this young man named din who stumbles upon a magical teapot that holds the wish dragon long--long has to grant din three wishes, and yes, i know, very aladdin, but that said, this movie has so many original twists that it feels weird to call it an aladdin retelling. it really did feel like a movie completely on its own, which i applaud the writer and director for! 

i don’t want to spoil too much of this movie, but something i really enjoyed was that din’s main wish is just to see his old childhood friend again. idk, i think we all have that one friend from when we were really little that we miss--and this movie really dug into that, as well as themes about parents wanting to do the best they can to provide for their kids, and!!! and long the dragon gets his own storyline and amazing character development too!!! i was honestly just amazed at how this movie fleshed out the characters so well and had so many wonderful themes that just made me tear up. guys. this movie’s great. highly recommend for its wonderful characters and the power of friendship. just a grand old time in general. :’))

searching 

yeah...yeah, i wasn’t kidding about my crush on john cho this month. yes, i watched three of his movies within 24 hours. this movie is about david kim who’s looking for his missing 16 year old daughter, margot. this film is honestly noteworthy for many reasons, one of them being that the entire movie is told through like...a laptop screen, as in we kind of follow david’s frantic search through facetime, facebook, tumblr...which i honestly didn’t think i’d be into, but whoo boy, i was wrong. it just added to the whole addictive quality of this movie, as it usually does when it comes to anything from the thriller genre. 

but besides this just being a straight up addictive thriller with absolutely mouth-dropping twists (but like...good twists, and smart twists, good god--), this movie was just...touching? there’s so many themes related to what grief does to a family (because we learn within the first 10 minutes that the mom died due to cancer), and there’s just...something really fragile about relationships between surviving family members. i was absolutely blown away by john cho’s performance as a tentative and grieving widower whose world just absolutely falls apart in his search for his daughter. this movie was just so...real because of that. like, yes, this movie has all of the suspense that you would expect this kind of movie to have, but there was also just...so many beautiful themes about grief and how far parents would go for their kids and godddd yeah no i started sobbing when the movie ended. god. 

also, my bias towards john cho aside, i...really loved his character. david kim is absolutely believable, and like? he’s not just the guy putting the pieces together--he’s also the guy who misses his wife and also the guy who wishes that he was there for his daughter. he’s also the guy who pauses and re-writes all his text messages because he’s trying to be a good dad. i feel like with a lot of these suspense / missing person movies, it’s really easy to have characters who are just the stoic alpha male types--and david kim definitely had his badass moments in this movie, but like...something i just loved was seeing the vulnerability that comes with...having a missing child. being a parent. god. this movie messed me up but in a good way. i can honestly say that this movie is now probably going to be one of my fave movies of all time. highly recommend, am literally obsessed with it.

book:

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

ohohoho………where to begin with this book. this was one of those books where i was like “huh i kinda don’t understand why people are so obsessed with this book”, but then i hit like...page 20 or 30 and was like “oh god i Literally Cannot Put This Book Down Oh No” and wound up finishing it in like three days (mind you, i only read at like...midnight these days. i don’t understand why either). 

i finished this book at like 2 am and promptly burst into tears because this was just one of those books. it follows the story of evelyn hugo, a famous hollywood actress from the 60s or so and onwards. known for her intense beauty and her seven husbands, she’s now giving an exclusive interview to the young reporter monique grant, where she’s about to tell all about her life. this book had me dropping my mouth multiple times, and i think tjr can spin one hell of a story, with so many good twists and turns and intensely memorable characters. by the end of the book, i was actually mad that evelyn hugo wasn’t a real person, because i, too, fell a little in love with her and thought, i want to actually watch her movies. i want to learn even more about this remarkable woman. 

but alas! she’s not real, so i don’t get to see her accept an oscar or look up all the tabloids about her and her seven husbands or her speculated (and very, very, very real) relationship with celia st. john. basically...i just loved this book. the last line made me smile and laugh and cry a little bit (actually...cry a lot), and y’know...i’ll admit it’s not totally perfect, but i’m glad this book exists, and i’m glad that even though tjr isn’t bi herself, was very adamant in this book about bisexuality being real. just. like. god. once again. mad that evelyn hugo isn’t real. it’s fine, she’s real in my heart.

[vaguely-concerned]

The Mandalorian Chapter 13 reactions

Well, that was... well. in short I quite enjoyed some of what happened while din was there and I didn’t really care about what happened while he wasn’t there lol. I think it’s becoming increasingly clear that I just don’t care for the episodes dave filoni writes for this show, which is simply a matter of taste I guess. 

(if you loved this episode wholeheartedly -- probably look away now, I’m going to be a bit of a downer about it and I don’t want to shit on your joy haha)

- let’s just get this out of the way first: there’s a lot of stuff around rosaria dawson and transphobia in real life and yeah, of course that affects how I watch the show. I don’t even want to talk that much about ahsoka in this because of it. she was not that good in the role, after seeing how it played out I don’t think the character needed to be in this show at all, and she should never have gotten the role in the first place and that’s about it for what I’ve got to say. 

- dave filoni consistently does things with din’s characterization that feels off and weird to me, subtly out of place with what we see in other episodes (he’s... ruder? more short tempered/cocky/actively or aggressively interpersonal? more prone to express himself directly than he is usually? idk how to describe it but filoni!din always feels one step to the left of what he should be and I’m so hyper-attuned to this character that when something’s a bit iffy with him it throws everything else off haha. it feels like a shallower, more convenient read on him and I don’t like it)  

I also think filoni is almost too familiar with and in love with the source material sometimes? “A Mandalorian and a Jedi? They’ll never see it coming” is undeniably a great line that echoes in decades of deep lore and so on, but dave my good man din had no real idea what a jedi even is until literally this morning. we, the audience, know about this long and storied history, but unless ahsoka spent the afternoon explaining it to him din still only knows the faint outlines of it, he has no personal experience of or attachment to it. it’s not bad, as such, it just rings false to the character based tone of the show for me personally 

- positivity break: baby sitting perched on the dashboard to be close to papa while they’re in hyperspace........sd sdfskdjhfdsakjksdhfkasjd  

also this is some full on madonna and child in the manger shit and I am LIVING for it (odds he’s crying quietly behind the helmet here? pretty damn good if you ask me). the mundanity of what’s essentially the shitty spartan bathroom of the razor crest on one side contrasted with the light and tenderness and love on the other? amazing, a perfect microcosm of what this show does with combining the grittier everyday down to earth stuff in the star wars universe with myth and wonder and magic and through it elevating both

 - the idea of having an iconique samurai/sword duel standoff and a western standoff going on simultaneously is genuinely inspired, but in action it didn’t really work for me. (the sword duel stuff needs these moments of stillness with sudden outbursts of violence and then stillness again, the western standoff needs mounting tension until it’s nearly unbearable, and cutting between them the way they did you sort of didn’t get either to its full potential. again it’s a cool idea, though, I hope someone picks it up and does it better at some point)

- seeing a jedi and a mandalorian wander together through a burned out wasteland left desolate by greed and warfare should have hit me harder than it did but for some reason it didn’t, idk. thematically sound, though, I like it a lot on the metaphor level

- I LOVE that pure beskar makes a specific sound, and that it’s an almost ethereal noise like the high clear chime of a distant bell. also now din has something to fight light sabers with that isn’t the dark saber which makes me so happy because you guys I do not want him to be the mand’alor. keep that funky laser sword away from my dad, apart from killing him at the end that is literally the most boring way to end his arc pls do NOt 

- wow they really went in hard on the samurai stuff in this one huh! there is a part of my mchanzo-loving heart that thrives on seeing a space cowboy and a space samurai team up, *wild otp-fuelled whisper* they’re twin genres inextricably entwined okay they belong together if you see this spreadsheet I’ve made over here -- 

- even knowing it was just a trick I felt such intense distress seeing the signet pauldron away from din. like the attachment I have to these pieces of metal because That Armour Means Dad... wild  

- they really chose the dumbest name possible for the baby huh fsajdfhsaj I agree with din his name is ‘kid’ now (eh just give me a while to get used to it probably I’ll come around)

also... you know what I’ve said before about shrinking the big unknowable galaxy ‘the mandalorian’ has been setting up? wow did they do that big time in this one, and it makes me feel decidedly :/. why does the baby have to come from the jedi temple, is there truly no other tradition of force users in the entire galaxy he could be from? WHY do you have to pull thrawn into this when most people watching this show won’t even know why he’s such a big deal? is this a stealth tease for a rebels sequel? if so why spend an entire episode of this show that only gets eight precious episodes a season on it??   

- on a more fun positive note: baby’s clothes are clean again, so it’s confirmed that din does wash them (and I guess that he does have some means of washing clothes aboard the razor crest!). I loved... most of the dad and baby stuff in this one, but then don’t I always I’m easy to please that way haha (the ‘playing catch’ sequence felt a bit off to me but I don’t know why. din being like ‘he’s so stubborn’ wasn’t... eh. didn’t land right. “that would be a first” was fun tho lol) 

- having ahsoka state the baby’s feelings out loud like that felt... weird? and also kind of unnecessary in parts, like yeah he’s a baby who’s been passed along to different groups of strangers and experimented on by empire scientists, you don’t need to spell it out for me that he’s been scared and lonely, or at least spell it out more interestingly? it’s such blunt force storytelling where it didn’t need to be? there are more elegant ways to get the same things across, I am absolutely convinced 

- ...wow while I was watching the episode I was mostly like ‘okay this is Fine I can go along with it’ but seeing what I’m thinking about in hindsight... yeah probably my least favourite episode of this show full stop haha, it took the spot from chapter 5 which was also a filoni ep

- I did 100% genuinely adore the whole part of din approaching the town and meeting the magistrate. consistently hiding the baby behind his cape and his arm? being deliberately, teeth-grindingly dispassionate with everyone, just giving them nothing? getting to see a bit of professional bounty hunter din again? wonderful in every way, I love this man  

- lots of meaningful shots of baby in the middle with a mando on one side and a jedi on the other, it’s almost like they’re setting up some Themes here lol 

- ...do you think din told ahsoka about either the rhino-levitating or the force choking. because girl I don’t think not training him is going to make this just go away haha, he just won’t know what he’s doing  

- it makes me so sad that baby connects his force powers with being abused :( (also a heartbreaking sign of just how much he cared about din from the very beginning, since he used it on the mudhorn to save him anyway ;________; was that like. literally the first time he sensed kindness and affection in anyone in like twenty five years or... ) 

- I understand why ahsoka would feel this way because of her past and specific traumas, but tbh attachment in a baby? probably a good thing, he doesn’t really have the higher brain functions to cultivate non-attachment yet and needs a safe figure because again. he is a baby. 

good on her for realizing it’s not a task she can take on both for the baby’s sake and her own, and also that din is that baby’s Dad though. the way she smiled at the end watching them leave seemed vaguely hopeful/had a little bit of wonder in it, like maybe she felt the potential for something good there, something she couldn’t conceptualize from her background but could sense the tentative outlines of anyway?  

(also so much pressure on a lil bb to decide his path... his dilemmas should be limited to what colour socks he wants to wear today not the course of his entire life :( I know he’s a magic baby but.......) 

- idk maybe I’ll find more affection of this episode through rewatches, you never know

[godkilller]

@izzabizz139

I wanna hear you rant about the Gin vs Hitsugaya anime fight bc I love seeing your pov and you clearly write better than whoever extended that scene :) pretty please

          out of character.  DON’T ENABLE ME SO MUCH !!  No but I cackled when I first saw this ask because oh my god, clearly you saw a taste of my annoyance about the anime adaptation -- no, adaptation implies it was accurate, I’ll say the anime’s take was “inspired by” the manga’s quick run-in. I’ll start by saying this moment is supposed to be a bit important considering, via the audience’s point of view, THIS IS THE FIRST WE SEE OF TWO CAPTAIN-RANKED SHINIGAMI CLASHING. The only other captain-involved fight we’ve seen thus far in the manga is Kenpachi  ( who is an outlier and should not be counted... no, I joke... but, still, Ichigo was not an equal to him, his sword was sliced through like butter. )  The whole reason I enjoyed this encounter between Toshiro and Gin was simply this; it wasn’t some fancy multi-chaptered fight. IN THE MANGA, THERE ARE ONLY TWO BLOWS MADE. One, by Toshiro, to begin the fight. The second, to end it, is Gin’s strike.

          I want you to know that I’ve rewatched this specifically to answer this ask, and only due to this, as I wouldn’t have ever sought it out otherwise. HONOR MY SACRIFICE.

          Read more for length. I’m merciful.

          In the anime, they monologue at each other, and it’s mostly a combination of Toshiro making three separate death threats  ( he starts this off by saying “I’ll kill you before Hinamori arrives” and then goes on rewording it each time, and then also repeats the death-threat he gave Gin prior to this conflict about “I’ll kill you if Hinamori bleeds” )  and then also Gin and Izuru talking about how truly powerful and amazing Toshiro is -- no, this isn’t me being bitter or petty, I literally shit you not, Gin has a line that is legit “AS EXPECTED FROM HITSUGAYA TOSHIRO, CAPTAIN OF THE TENTH DIVISION, A CHILD PRODIGY OF TH' SORT THAT ONLY COMES ALONG ONLY ONCE EVERY FEW CENTURIES. HOW VEEEERY DANGEROUS. YOU’RE SERIOUS, AIN’T YA?” like don’t get me wrong, love a good sarcastic little shit comment like that, but the amount of times the anime pumps Toshiro up like he’s their shinest new cash cow ( and he is, at this point, it is not even 50 episodes into the series and they’ve realized everyone likes him and he’s jumped to high ranks in popularity polls... earning him filler spotlights, and eventually his very own non-canon movie )  so everything coming out of Gin’s mouth feels like more bullshit than necessary. Izuru’s already literally monologued, internally, how powerful and amazing Toshiro is anyways. Why this ?

          Not to mention that, prior to saying that long-winded shit, Gin’s haori changed length three times  ( and once it was longer than his entire body by several feet, and no not in a ‘to show motion’ way )  and most importantly Shinso was drawn, consistently, at katana-length for the duration of their little spat where the following, too, happened: Gin frog-leaps after doing a backflip, Toshiro gives Gin two (2) haircuts, Gin ruins some floorboards and gives Toshiro at least one splinter in his arm, Toshiro whilst wearing socks lands on Shinso’s blunt edge and pushes the sword down with his footsie because that’s how that works, there’s another backflip somewhere in there that Gin doesn’t need to be doing, twirl, twirl, and ballet, Gin’s face elongates until his chin is bigger than his face, Gin spends ten+ seconds purely dodging very close strikes to his face as Toshiro is the only one making breathy growly and ‘tsuuaaah’ sounds, there is a brief moment of no gravity as Toshiro keeps hacking at Gin midair and Gin blocks it over and over again but they still stay in the air but they’re not standing or jumping or using reiatsu they’re just like, momentum-locked I don’t fucking know, Gin frowny faces as he blocks because like somehow this kid who doesn’t even have more reiatsu than him, whose arm strength should not be an issue, is like. making him nervous?? as sword sparks fly. if you know me at all you know I hate when they fuckin’ firework sparkler-ify swords clashing.

          Anyways, all of this happens whilst Shinso is the wrong length and Gin’s hair is getting purpler by the second and this entire thing is somehow a big jack-off to Toshiro’s immense strength even though he’s screaming and wailing at Gin like a child and Gin’s just a vessel at this point to Enhance Toshiro, which, fine, okay, but at least be more accurate with it god damn. ANYWAYS,

          THEY JOUST. They literally run at each other, swords centered, and run past / to the side of one another. Jousting. “Cause that’s how that works. No slashes, no cutting motion. Just swords centered, because the animators were like “no worries guys I know swordfighting basics that’s a legit pose” yeah it is WHEN STATIONARY. Not rUNNING IT DOWN.

          And then Gin’s sleeve is cut, somehow, from the Jousting, because wow Toshiro wow wow wowowowow, and then Toshiro comes back and starts wailing at Gin again and Gin blocks it, again, and it’s all very annoyingly repetitive, and Gin’s frowning and sparks are flying and Gin’s using Shinso, the katana-length wakizashi I guess, with two hands because like I said, the animators knew basics and basics are “katana are used two-handed” like. Okay, you’re not wrong, but I cannot stress this enough: SHINSO IS NOT A KATANA. It’s shorter and meant to be used single-handed!!!! sTop!!! So then Gin rips off the tattered part of his sleeve and throws it at Toshiro, who swipes it away from his face using his Zanpakuto because that’s intelligent and a piece of cloth was definitely threatening enough to use your sword to bat it away  ( btw, Hitsugaya wasn’t holding his sword with two hands at this precise moment, so he could have just... used his other hand )  and then Gin goes in for the classic “stabby stabby rapidly at you while the animation gets a little breather because we repeat this cycle a few times with flashy bgs and phew money made” ... WE ARE FOUR MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS INTO THIS FIGHT BY THE WAY. Gin does this for seventeen (17) agonizing seconds straight. Yes, I counted. That was sixteen and a half too many seconds for me, personally.

          Toshiro somehow lassos Shinso whilst Gin is stabby stabby-ing with Hyourinmaru’s chain component. I say component like it’s somehow some type of beauty guru’s lipstick holder, but really am I that wrong ? When else has he ever used this feature ? Anyways, he lassos Shinso because yeehaw I guess, god I’m falling apart at this point can y’all tell????? I need a drink.

          and so, because now Toshiro has Gin’s sword somehow trapped with chain even though it’s just looped around it, he backflips over Gin for a cool trickshot, no blow issued, just vibes, and Gin uses a big brain moment to tug Shinso and the chains slide off. okay now what. We’re past five minutes into this fight, nonstop.

          SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD TIME FOR GIN TO PAUSE AND APPRECIATE TOSHIRO AGAIN! “I see, I shouldn’t have underestimated you, HItsugaya Toshiro” I’m starting to have a feeling Gin’s VA was told to just wing these lines because the amount of times he fills silences / Gin’s mouth movements with Toshiro’s long-ass name is astounding, he’s definitely drawing blanks here but he sure as hell knows one thing: that damn ice-boy’s name. He continues by saying “I suppose I’ll end up regretting it afterwards.”

          Toshiro says that’s not enough, and it’s really dramatic and cool. His eyes even glow all icy and blue and pretty, like his flowy reiatsu. Aesthetic points were gifted entirely to Toshiro’s animations in this scene. Gin was finished in MS Paint and each new scene they had to draw Shinso from memory and try to remember what hue of purple his hair was at gunpoint. Toshiro lets off a big wave of reiatsu and then it vanishes, and he jumps up reaaaally high. like this guy’s flying. his eyes arent glowing anymore that’s sad. Bring Back Glowing Eyes For Strong Shinigami 2k21.

          Toshiro releases his Shikai, and it’s badass, the sky darkens, Izuru looks distinctly more worried than usual, and Gin’s frowning with his teeth out like Bugs Bunny’s having a bad day, all is right in the world. Toshiro and his released Shikai have a nice moment for the Pics, and a big epic freeze frame blur moment happens with it all coiled and swirling around him. Wrow!  ( click the ‘wrow’ it’s a link to my exact reaction )  Izuru narrates for the third time about how powerful Toshiro is, his reiatsu, his Zanpakuto being a deity who is only unlocked every few centuries. The strongest ice-type sword. Pardon the pun, but that’s... you could say, so cool.

          It can even control the weather. So hey, next time it’s rainy, cold, icy, or snowing and you’re unhappy, it’s time to direct a big fuck you at Toshiro.

          Gin dodges the first dragon, and blocks the second with Shinso because blocking water and ice with a sword makes sense right? This actually takes a solid amount of seconds as Gin cuts through the entire length of this ice dragon noodle. Things dissipate, and pause, too, to really drag this out. Surprisingly, this reveals that Gin’s made a boo-boo, his left arm’s frozen, which doesn’t even mean anything because Gin is right-handed, and Toshiro teleports himself behind Gin in true fighty fashion.

          We have arrived at seven minutes and just under twenty seconds of this fight, and Gin turns, DOES THE UNTHINKABLE, gasp! He opens his eyes. His red, dull, evil, gray-eyebrowed with purple hair eyes, and shoots Shinso through its hideout spot behind his haori. This nearly takes off Toshiro’s eye and upwards of his head, but the little guy dives down fast. The rest happens in slow motion, supposedly, because it takes an eternity and people talk entire full sentences in its span of time.

          Gin asks Toshiro if he’s sure he’d like to dodge that  ( it’s a little late for that ) and says that Momo’ll die if he does. SHINSO SCRAPING ALONG AGAINST HYOURINMARU STRANGELY MAKES NOT A SINGLE SOUND. Mute. Even though before they had no problem animating and adding sounds to them smacking blades earlier. There are soundless sparks though, so there’s that. Yay. Can you tell how exhausted this’s made me? I need a nap.

          Shinso is already more than halfway towards Momo, still unconscious, she most definitely has a serious concussion via Toshiro backhanding her midair consider she’s been unconscious for longer than ten minutes. Toshiro has time to get up off the floor where he dropped to dodge, realize with a shocked gasp, turn, shout her name, and watch as Rangiku arrives in a random glow of gold which never happens ever again and blocks the attack with Haineko. Haineko almost cracks on the impact, and continues growing in damage as Rangiku holds Shinso there, implying that she’s stopped it from reaching one-hundred sword’s lengths to pierce Momo. Yes I’m including that implication / note in here because we love to see Rangiku succeeding in life and being Not-Helpless, all while potentially damaging Haineko severely if it wasn’t able to hold him off. Yikes, Gin!

          Rangiku threatens to join the fight if he doesn’t withdraw his sword. Gin smiles, withdraws it, and then Shunpos away.

          Whatta mess. Oh, and the anime fight was pretty fucked up, too.

          This is a long post, but here’s the manga version:

Toshiro leaps into the air,

This is where the fight actually starts between them:

And end. 

Five pages. Two blows. Does not equate to ten minutes of non-stop fighting and monologues. Sometimes, and I mean this in the most unbiased way possible, less is more.

[according-to-the-laura]

StackedNatural Day 7: 5x03, 6x01

StackedNatural Masterpost: [x]

September 24, 2021

5x03: Free to Be You and Me

Written by: Jeremy Carver

Directed by: J. Miller Tobin

Original air date: September 24, 2009

Plot Synopsis:

Sam decides to stop hunting but has a hard time after he receives a surprise visit. Dean and Castiel try to find the Archangel Raphael in their bid to stop the Apocalypse.

Features:

“Personal space”, the tie fix and the badge flip, explicit substance abuse parallels that will be dropped when inconvenient to the plot, the infamous brothel scene, Raphael's lightning wings, God is an absent father, Sam as Lucifer’s vessel.

My Thoughts:

First multiple episode day!

CLASSIC EPISODE. I rewatched this one pretty recently but it’s fun to watch it in the context of stacked! Absolutely love that we get to watch Sam meet Lucifer for the first time immediately after watching Sam have his first hallucination of Lucifer in Meet the New Boss yesterday.

This is definitely one of the big Destiel episodes of the early seasons. I forgot that Dean buttoning up Cas’ shirt and fixing his tie, the upside down badge, and the entire brothel scene all happen in the same episode. WHAT a gift to me personally, thank you Jeremy Carver.

I have never once been able to watch the whole brothel scene without laughing out loud. The absolute desperate gay panic on Cas’ face the entire time is hysterical. The fact that Cas mentioned Chastity’s dad and her reaction was to scream like she was being stabbed to death. Hers being the first mention of absent fathers in an episode explicitly paralleling Dean and Cas’ relationship with their missing dads. Triangulation of desire between Dean, Cas, and Chastity if you squint hard enough (or at least in retrospect with November 5th being A Thing That Happened).

Cas’ little smile in the alley while Dean laughs is so precious, and correct me if I’m wrong but I think it’s the first time we see that kind of expression on his face? He’s pretty stoic in season 4 from what I remember.

The two best portrayals of angel wings in this entire show are Cas’ first appearance and Raphael’s lightning wings in this episode. The whole Raphael scene has immaculate vibes. The lighting, the directing, the acting, all off the charts.

It’s so early in their relationship but Dean deciding that he has Cas’ back in his search for God. First instance of capital-F Faith that Dean has displayed. I cry.

Sam’s struggle to maintain his bodily autonomy is so tasty in this episode, it brings me back to my Samgirl days. It’s such a good narrative choice to have Lucifer so casually say he’ll bring him back to life if he kills himself right after he had demon blood literally forced into his mouth. Also, can we talk about the hypocrisy of Lucifer saying that he’ll never trick or lie to Sam when five minutes ago he was pretending to be Sam’s dead girlfriend? That’s fucked, dude.

I was finished writing this part and checking my quotes and the blocking notes after Dean and Cas’ last conversation in the transcript got to me: “DEAN looks over; the shotgun seat is empty. His smile falters.”

Notable/Kickass Lines:

“You knew there was something dark inside of you. Deep down, maybe, but you knew. Maybe that's what got me killed. I was dead from the moment we said hello.”

“So, what, I'm Thelma and you're Louise and we're just going to hold hands and sail off this cliff together?”

“When humans want something really, really bad, we lie.”

“There are two things I know for certain. One, Bert and Ernie are gay. Two, you are not gonna die a virgin. Not on my watch.”

“God? Didn’t you hear? He’s dead, Castiel. Dead.”

“Maybe one day. But today, you’re my little bitch.”

“I've had more fun with you in the past twenty-four hours than I've had with Sam in years, and you're not that much fun.”

Laura’s (completely subjective) Episode Rating: 9.8

IMdB rating: 8.6

------------------------------------

6x01: Exile on Main St.

Written by: Sera Gamble

Directed by: Phil Sgriccia

Original air date: September 24, 2010

Plot Synopsis:

Sam is mysteriously released from Hell and seeks out his brother, who is trying to have a normal life. Together the brothers must join forces with their maternal grandfather, Samuel, and begin the fight anew.

Features:

Dean pretends to be a PTA dad, Dean almost kills a yorkie, the Campbell Family Business, an abrupt change in the djinn lore for plot convenience.

My Thoughts:

I know that Dean is a good liar because it’s a necessary part of being a hunter but it is almost tragic how easy it is for him to lie to Lisa and how easily she accepts it. I think she knows he's lying but just doesn't really care.

Obviously in this episode he isn’t actually happy but I still got super pissed halfway through thinking about how they’ve been telling us for TEN YEARS that what he really wanted was to settle down with a family and then. You know. Rebar.

Seeing him pull out John’s old leather jacket gave me visceral flashbacks (flash-forwards?) to Cas’ trenchcoat in the trunk of the Impala. He really just carries around the coats of people who have abandoned him, huh?

I remembered the salient points of this episode (Sam, the Campbells) but completely forgot what happened in the monster plot so the Azazel jumpscare got me, haha. Also fully forgot that Bobby had known Sam was alive and didn’t tell Dean and I felt so betrayed personally. So miserable for Dean that he got what he wanted and all it did was make him more unhappy. Watching this back-to-back with Free to Be You and Me was whiplash. He was so much happier hanging out with Cas hours away from almost certain death than he is with Lisa or when Sam comes back from the dead. They didn’t even hug!! Dean, that’s your brotherson! Come on!

I like the soulless Sam arc. He’s just off enough from previous seasons to be eerie but it isn’t overplayed. The Campbells are annoying as hell though. I know it’s on purpose and they’re supposed to be irritating but like. Stop microaggressing my favourite boy! Let him play golf!

This is kind of a bummer episode but the thing that made me saddest was watching his nightmare hallucination of Ben drinking Azazel’s blood and thinking “oh no, his biggest fear is losing another son to demon blood”. :(.

Notable/Kickass Lines:

“You wanted a family. You have for a long time, maybe the whole time.”

“My God, you have delicate features for a hunter.”

“I should've known that if I stayed with you that something would come, because something always does. But I was stupid and reckless and...You can't outrun your past.”

“You know, you had ancestors hacking the heads off vamps on the Mayflower.”

Laura’s (completely subjective) Episode Rating: 7.4

IMdB rating: 7.8

In Conclusion: Trying to find time to watch 2 episodes today was tricky. I am anticipating a lot of late nights in October and November when we hit 4 episodes a day regularly. RIP.

<< Previous Day | Next Day >>

[that-was-anticlimactic]

it’s three am and I should I be asleep but today is the ten year anniversary of Ninjago and I’m just... so so so happy and full of genuine joy. Ninjago is the reason I joined tumblr (even if I’m more atla now, I will always be Ninjago at my core), Ninjago is the reason I began to write as much as I do now, Ninjago helped me realize third person was my writing strong suite. Ninjago is... so much to me. I was there in 2011 when it started and I remember all of the raw emotions I felt watching the show.

Finding out Lloyd was the green ninja. The ninja getting younger and Lloyd growing older. Crying at the season two finale when Lloyd broke his leg and the rest of his team got hit and turned evil. I remember being devestated when Zane died. And being so happy when he came back. I vividly remember being in the car to Dairy Queen when I was in eighth grade when I first found out Cole became a ghost and I remember watching season five in other languages on YouTube just to see what happened.

I remember sitting on my bed crying over The Last Resort. I remember the fandom screaming when Maya and Ray entered the picture and when Lloyd said “Twins look alike”. I remember everyone guessing who Samurai X would be and who the baby was. I remember episode 92 of Ninjago when Harumi died and I remember saying “the resistance never quits” and feeling such power and confidence in myself. I remember crying when Cole fell— not just because he’s my favorite character, but also because Ninjago handled that scene so well. I remember learning the scene when Lloyd finds out Cole fell in asl and rewatching that scene at least twenty times a day. I remember telling my math teacher that episode 98 of Ninjago would be live-streamed during her class (senior year of high school) and that I had to watch it because I have been so mentally distraught about the fall all week and her kids loved the show too so she let me and I actually cried in class when Lloyd “died”.

I remember learning about Ninjago anime through tumblr. I remember screeching when Cole had the nightmares about falling and when Zane was the Ice Emperor. I remember getting so excited when I found out Scott and FugiDove were voiced by Adrian Petriw and that Cole fell once more. I remember season thirteen coming out and crying again because Cole finally has a season and it was so freaking good. I remember learning that Kirby Morrow died on November 19th, 2020.

I remember a family. I remember a passion. I remember the home I never felt like I had. I remember the true potential episodes. “I know who I am”, “you are the best you”, “I’m proud of who I am and I want you to be proud too”, “I knew when I had to make a choice”. I remember “we are so hooped”.

I remember love and heartbreak, tears and joy. I remember that the best way to defeat your enemy is to make them your friend. I remember bequeath. I remember “this isn’t about numbers, it’s about family!”. I remember Jay essentially telling Cole that his feelings for him are stronger than his feelings for his girlfriend. I remember “Chen can try his best to split up our team, but he’s about to find out what happens when we put ourselves back together”. I remember that as iron sharpens iron, brother sharpens brother. I will always remember the iconic “that was anticlimactic” from Kai.

I remember “save me, Jay Walker. There’s gonna be a wedding and I want you to do something about it”. I remember that if you want soenhnjng bad enough, you find a way to make it happen. I remember Day of the Departed and how kind Cole was to Yang, how he regained his mortality and was left with his scar. I remember Cole’s relationship with Wu, how close of a bond they had. I remember getting literal chills from Britt McKillip singing “spider’s in the house, sleep, sleep. Spider bit the mouse, sleep deep. Don’t wake up or else you’ll find a spider in your mouth”. I remember laughing so hard when Cole was singing as Rock Dangerbuff. I remember Jay going mad in the realm of Oni and Dragon. I remember seeing the bones of the Ultra Dragon. I remember being so excited to see the elemental masters (and Darreth) again. I remember “there’s more to life than surviving!”.

I remember being so happy to learn that s11-13 were going to happen. I remember Vex and Akita, Unagami and Scott, The Skull Sorcerer and Vania (the Geckles and Munce). I remember Lilly. I remember.

I remember Ninjago, a show that means more to me than I can fit into words. I remember a silly television show that changed my entire life. I remember characters who brought me joy when no one else could.

So I thank Cole, Kai, Jay, Zane, Lloyd, Nya, Pixal, Skylor, Garmadon, Wu (sometimes— if he’s not hiding stuff😂), Misako, Darreth, Ronin, Pythor, the other Elemental Masters, Cyrus Borg, Dr. Julien, Lou, Ray and Maya, Ed and Edna (I love them), Morro, Harumi, The Overlord, Mystake, Faith, and so many other characters.

Thank you, Kirby Morrow, Vincent Tong, Brent Miller, Michael Adamthwaite, Kelly Metzger, Jillian Michaels, Sam Vincent, Paul / Michael / Brian Dobson, Mark Oliver, Kathleen Barr, Jennifer Hayward, Heather Doerksen, Alan Marriott, Andrew Francis, Ian James Corlett, Britt McKillip, Scott McNeil, Tabitha St Germain, Lee Tockar, and so so so many others.

To Dan and Kevin Hageman, Tommy Andreasen, The Fold: thank you so much.

[gemsofgreece]

Hello, may I request some comedy/light drama etc. recs from the golden age of Greek TV?

Okay, then *cracks knuckles*

(For anyone who didn’t read the first answered ask, the “golden age” of Greek TV is 1990 - 2010)

I don’t know if you are the Anon who had asked the 2010 onward shows because they didn’t mind the subtitles. If you definitely need subtitles, I am afraid there are only two shows you can watch right now:

Είσαι το Ταίρι Μου (You’re My Soulmate)

Romantic comedy / light drama (2001 - 2002). Vicky and Stella are two very different friends who are Greek immigrants in Australia. Vicky is stunning and men go crazy for her but she has many insecurities. Stella is not conventionally attractive but she allows nothing to bring her down. They both fall for the same handsome rich Greek, Nikos. It’s no brainer who wins - Nikos is a womanizer and falls immediately for Vicky. The interesting part is what happens next - when Vicky’s insecurities make her come up with a crazy plan / prank that will unleash hell over these three, Nikos’ entire family and a couple of friends living in Athens and change their lives forever...and everyone will then get what they deserve... or what they are brave enough to claim. Overall just a hilarious and clever comedy, with great acting and memorable characters you end up loving and an ending that isn’t a cliche. Here’s the link to watch with english subtitles.

Στο Παρά Πέντε (In the Nick of Time)

Mystery / Crime Comedy / Light drama (2005 - 2007) One of the two most famous Greek comedies. Five totally different people happen to be witnesses to the murder of a politician. Before he dies, the politician asks them to find who did it and take revenge for this and other crimes they have committed.  These five unassuming people become friends and start solving the mystery together like hilariously amateur detectives. In time, they will find out that there’s something more that unites them besides their friendship...and maybe not everything happens accidentally. Here’s the link to watch with english subtitles. This one is being subtitled right now.

So bad news: only two shows with English subtitles. Good news: They are the best of the best, so no problem.

But if subtitles are not necessary, let’s proceed with the rest I love in no particular order:

10 Λεπτά Κήρυγμα (10 Minutes of Scolding)

Comedy (2000 - 2003). The life of Leonidas Alivizatos, an untamed only child with divorced parents. The story is basically the endless ways Leonidas find to escape the limitations his parents put to him and the shenanigans he does with his best friend Telis and his girlfriend Marilena that drive his family crazy. Fun fact: My generation, we all had at some point a crush on Leonidas...right?

Singles

Romantic Dramedy (2004 - 2008). The show has four seasons although it’s the first one that mostly had a lasting impression on me. The story revolves around the social, professional and romantic lives of six young single people: Maro, a sensitive hopeless romantic, Rania, an angry cynic who hates relationships, Lila, a sex crazed cheerful woman, Orestes, an average I’d say young man who has his eyes on Maro though, Arthuros, Orestes’ best friend and a socially awkward man with a dark family past and  Loukas, a divorced father who seems to be quite the catch. There’s something special about the first season, it had an atmosphere, a style that I loved. The music was great too. I still remember the episode with the Reaper nightmares and that green light. In the following seasons, half of the cast changed.  Y’all Greeks here do you remember the title song? I love it.

Δεληγιάννειο Παρθεναγωγείο (Deligiannis School for Girls)

Comedy, Drama (2007 - 2008). Summer 1939. The events of the series evolve at the last period of the Greek Regime, the Greco-Italian War and the Nazi Invasion of Greece. Mimis Metaxas in the headmaster of the School and trapped in a miserable marriage. His father-in-law invites Agape, his niece, to teach at the school. Mimis falls desperately in love with Agape but of course he keeps it a secret. Agape is a free-spirited woman and it is soon clear that she is a Communist (or at least leaning toward left ideals) and Mimis tries to balance his job as the Headmaster of the school, his sad marriage, his love and the historical events happening in the country with his need to keep Agape protected at all costs and under full secrecy.

Κωνσταντίνου και Ελένης (Constantine and Helen’s)

Comedy (1998 - 2000). Okay, this is officially the best Greek comedy to date. After it ended in 2000, it has been on TV repeatedly and continuously to this day. For twenty years non-stop. It still  has bigger viewership than new current shows. An old aristocratic childless man writes two wills right before his death in which he gives his big residence. The one will is for Constantine, his aloof and conservative nephew who is a professor of Byzantine History in the University. The other will is for Helen, the only daughter of his beloved poor gardener who is a potty mouthed waitress. Constantine and Helen arrive at the house the same day and they are both determined to inherit the house and they can’t wait until the court date. The story revolves around everything they do to get rid of each other and their friends who are just as crazy as they are. There’s an interesting story about this show: they had done some tests and pilots and they were convinced that nobody was going to watch their show so the show became low budget and the actors were free to go batshit crazy. This ended up creating this hilarious masterpiece that is being rewatched by million Greeks to this day.

Οι Μεν και οι Δε (Them and the others)

Comedy (1993 - 1996). Dionysis Dagas, a famous lawyer who defends criminals lives with his wife Vana, an aristocratic lazy woman, in their apartment in Kolonaki. In the apartment right next to them Timos and Nana Stamatis come to live, unemployed and a jewelry artist respectively. Timos and Nana attempt numerous times to take money from frugal Dionysis and in general a big war starts between them as snobby Dagas are the exact opposite of the hippy Stamatis.

Σαββατογεννημένες (Born on Saturday)

Comedy (2003 - 2004). A sexist and all around horrible man named Savvas wins 7 million Euros at the lottery and as he learns it he has a car crash and loses his memory. His three ex-wives, the Greek language teacher Keti, the actress Bia and the tourist shop owner Soula, all very different and hating the guts of each other and Savvas, team up to find the lottery ticket before Savvas' memory recovers. But in order to achieve that, they have to act a lot and they have to take care of incapacitated Savvas themselves.

Το Καφέ της Χαράς (Chara's cafe)

Romantic comedy (2003 - 2006 and 2019 - now). Chara Chaska, an Athenian unmarried mother decides to start anew and takes her daughter with her to go live somewhere close to nature. They go to a village in Mountainous Arcadia, named Kolokotronitsi. What Chara doesn't know is that the village is extremely traditional and backwards and governed by the conservative and misogynist mayor Periandros Popotas. Popotas and the villagers will start a big war against the newcomer, especially when they find out she wants to open a modern lounge cafe and is not married. Chara has only few supporters there but soon she will also have the interest of her biggest enemy. The show has been revived since last year, as the continuation of what happens many years later but I haven't been watching.

Dolce Vita

Romantic comedy (1995 - 1997). Christina Markatou is the mature rich widow of a tomato factory owner and now she runs it on her own. Christina visits her daughter Dorita in Italy where she studies and upon her return to Greece she unexpectedly has a one night stand with young Antonis Kaloudis. What they both don't know is that Antonis is Dorita's fiance and travels to Greece to meet her family. After the initial shock, Antonis realises he prefers the mother but Christina tries to resist. The love though is too strong. Christina begins seeing Antonis, full of regrets and self-loathing, and tries to hide the affair from her daughter, the nosy housemaid Aspasia and the absolute terror that her mother-in-law is, Olga Markatou. Is there any chance for happiness?

Εγκλήματα (Crimes)

Black comedy (1998 - 2000). Alekos and Flora have always been in love but never got together and got married to evil Soso and kindly Achilles respectively instead. Alekos finds Flora and they start an affair. Soso finds out about the affair quickly and tries repeatedly to kill Alekos. All the crazy things that happen start from all of Soso's murderous attempts and affect the lives of the aforementioned as well as their close relatives who are as crazy as the main characters. Will Soso achieve her biggest ambition to become utterly evil and kill Alekos and whomever else stands in her way?

Σ' αγαπώ, μ' αγαπάς (I love you, you love me)

Domestic comedy (2000 - 2002). The hilariously realistic life of a couple, Dimitra and Thodoris (the actors play with their real names). The actors had such great chemistry that they were chosen as the voice actors for Greek Marlin and Dory in Finding Nemo (also with great success).

So, these are my favourites but there are many others I like or that are very popular but not my cup of tea. Any other Greek is welcome to recommend their own faves.

[beware-of-you-98]

JENNIFER👏JAREAU👏DESERVED👏BETTER👏

✨it’s rant time✨

buckle up lads bc it’s gonna be a doozy 

tw// suicide mention, tw// canon typical cm violence, tw// je— 🤢 jei—🤢🤢 i can’t even fucking say it 🤢🤢🤢 je*d

so yesterday i was watching criminal minds again (wow shocker) again for the first time in like,,,, 3 months??? [that’s not important] on weTV (which was just so happening to air reruns from season 3) and there was one thing that really stuck out to me that i didn’t necessarily think about much until i went into work today

season 3, episode 15 “a higher power” shows the team going up to pittsburgh to investigate a spike in suicides rates in the community under the suspicion that it’s the work of a serial killer (okay, cool, normal fucked up every day BAU life, nothing really sus there)

but what really kinda just hit me out of the blue today was just.... how unaffected jj was by the whole case in general

the team is maybe at most, a few hours away from her hometown, with the main topic of the case being surrounded by multiple suicides and taking her past into consideration (she’s literally a stone’s throw away from her hometown where she lost her sister to suicide) and yet she just.... remains unbothered... she never toys with the necklace around her neck or ever seems uncomfortable despite this case hitting way too close to home

i guess just rewatching this episode really just... opened my eyes into how underdeveloped jj was character wise for a really long time (i mean really we know more about gideon and elle in season 4 than we do jj and they had been gone for at least a season and a half at this point)

i mean.... i guess in in heat we get... something??? when we find out that she’s been seeing will for nearly a year?? cool i guess??? and we do get an episode named after her but really it doesn’t tell us much about her background or dive more into her story other than “oh strauss is forcing me to leave that sucks” but it doesn’t really go much into detail about anything beyond that

oh hotch handpicked her to join the unit but i don’t think it ever gets any deeper than that (when it should have!!!!??!!) [correct me if i’m wrong]]

by season 5 we have a detailed idea about every other character on the team (with the only exception possibly being garcia but i digress)

we know hotch has a younger brother that looks absolutely nothing like him and said brother wants to be a chef

we know rossi came back to the bau because of a cold case that’s gone unsolved for twenty years

we know every year, morgan goes home for his birthday and visits the grave of the john doe he found when he was a teenager

we know way too much about reid and his issues jesus christ

fucking hell we even know about emily’s dark past, how much it still haunts her even before we get the ian doyle arc

even ashley seaver has a deeper storyline than jj at this point like ffs

jj.... well..... she has that boyfriend down in louisiana ig?????

and that’s what becomes annoying

jj’s character really isn’t developed past more than i have a boyfriend and i’m pregnant up until maybe, and that’s a really generous maybe, the episode will gets held hostage at a bank and damn near gets himself killed (we see her with henry.... again, i’m being very generous here)

really, we don’t see jj get any sort of deep development the rest of the team has been getting until 200

i loved seeing her finally get some depth, for her character to finally be treated as if she’s an important asset rather than a pretty face that deals with media

she becomes a character we can sympathize with!!! she has issues and fears and traumas!!! finally!!!

and then they keep expanding on her as the seasons continue!!! like yes!!! this is what i wanted from the beginning!!! jj deserved this!!!

and then

it all comes crashing and burning into a pile of shit with five words

five

words

you know the words so i really don’t have to type them out and become unnecessarily angry

but wtf

all that character development they had spent building up over the years, after finally starting to get the ball rolling to making jj a solid character the writers decided “,,,,,,let’s just boil her down romantic feelings she kept hidden for....reid.” (of all people????? confusion)

the biggest sigh i just let out

first of all, that’s such an overdone trope in hollywood and in modern times we’re sick of it we need way more flavor than that

second of all it just..... ruins jj’s character right there on the spot

a majority (maybe i’m just generalizing) but most people in the fandom are reid stans and of COURSE they’re going to be absolutely livid at that bitch jennifer jareau pulling that card on their favorite little twink

it makes her look like a bitch

and it literally makes no sense whatsoever

they went on one “date” once in season 1 and it’s never mentioned again until jj confides to emily in the bathroom in the first episode of season 14

they have about as much romantic chemistry as two planks of wood

what was so wrong with jj and reid being best friends/having a sibling like relationship (which would have been a big deal for jj!!! to let someone that close again!!!! but no!!!!!!! jj is woman!!!!!! reid is man!!!! they must have romantic chemistry!!!!!! gross)

why did jj have to have hidden romantic feelings for reid

please tell me why that was a thing

and then the writers (probably sensing that they in fact fucked up big time) just kinda.... brush it off in 15

“u were my first love” reid: “oh okay (is sad for the duration of the season)”

it doesn’t fix what happened

it doesn’t change what happened

jj still looks like a huge bitch to a majority of the fandom

and it was overall a completely useless and pointless arc that just set out to completely ruin jj and it’s so infuriating

what was the reason

what was the reason

why u gotta do it to her like that writers

i’m sad jj deserved so much better than what those stinky writers did to her

tldr: jj deserved better

[shirtlesssammy]

15x08: Our Father, Who Aren’t In Heaven

Then:

Fighting the good fight since 2010

Now:

At the Lucky Elephant Casino, God’s knocking back fruity drinks, playing slots, and murdering everyone around him. Things don’t look so fun in Chuck-land. 

Meanwhile, Eileen is living her best new life hunting a werewolf. She’s kicking butt but has a temporary setback when Sam shows up. She shoves him out of the way to finish the job. She asks Sam if he’s following her. MAYBE he’s being a little overprotective, but c’mon, he did just bring her back from the dead. I’m guessing he’d like to keep her on the side of the living a little longer than a week or two.

Later at the bunker, they’re eating their respective burger (Eileen) and salad (Sam), and Dean walks in with the demon tablet. He’s hoping the tablet will reveal a weak spot with God. They’re going to need Donatello!

Cas knock’s on Donny’s door. Hmm, I see, divorced husbands still communicating about the case and Cas still doing things for the cause. 

Donatello comes back to the bunker, but isn’t happy about it. He gets to work eating chicken wings and translating the tablet again. Sam, Dean, and Cas casually hang out in the library and sneak concerned looks towards the prophet.

Donny finds some footnotes written by Metatron about God’s secret fear that he only shared with “his favorite.” Lucifer was already locked away by the time the tablets were written. He must mean Michael. The problem with finding Michael is that he’s locked away in the Cage. Donatello starts to freak out over how overly dramatic TFW’s lives are but then passes out in a chair. He comes to --but it’s Chuck this time communicating directly through his prophet. He tells them to leave it alone. Then he threatens all the women in their lives if they don’t (and I just hate/love this because this calls back to early SPN so much when the women died for all their man-pain.)

They tell Donatello to go home. Then they all decide (Cas reluctantly) to go to Hell to find Michael. Dean sarcastically tells Cas that he can “stay here” at the bunker. And I can’t for the life of me find the post now, but whoever made a post of Dean increasingly going from sarcasm to flat out begging for Cas to stay at the bunker is my hero. 

In the bunker’s kitchen, they cast the same spell Rowena used to get Cas and Belphagor to Hell before. Dean cuts his hand as part of the spell (something he’s done a thousand times before) and Cas takes the time to heal him (but doesn’t touch him like he normally does) and it takes so much of him to do it. I’m just going to sit here quietly for a bit before proceeding. 

Once in Hell, Cas leads the way until they run into a bunch of badass lady demons that completely kick their asses. Well, they do until a very familiar voice bellows, “STOP!”

It’s ROWENA!!! 

She’s now Queen of Hell. She’s also posturing up a storm. Ah. They tell her they want to lock up Chuck and they’re looking for Michael. She tells them he could be anywhere. The Cage opened just like the rest of the doors in Hell. She sends her demon minions to find Michael. 

Back at the bunker, Eileen is watching over the spell, and she gets a call from Sue, another hunter. She needs help with a vamp nest. Eileen agrees to help as soon as she’s done helping TFW. 

In Hell, TFW meets with Rowena in her throne room. She tells Sam that killing her was a good thing. She’s queen! Then she asks him to get her another drink (!) so she can have a little therapy time with the other two clowns. She tells them to “fix it” because there’s no reconciliation in death. A demon comes in to inform them that Michael “is nowhere to be found.”

For Perfect Framing Science:

Actually, he can be found at Jaci’s Red Wagon diner. It seems that Adam and Michael are good buds and Adam’s currently enjoying his first burger in ten years. 

Dean checks in with Donatello just one more leeeetle time to see if he’s gotten any Chuck-adjacent flashes. Just when you think you’re out, yadda yadda yadda… He THEN checks in with Sam about Eileen. She is FINE, Dean, they have “an agreement.” Dean picks up on Sam’s waffling, and tells Sam that she fits the parameters of a potential partner: she knows the life, plus she’s hot. That’s way better than the life Sam tried to build with Amelia, a bag of limes, and a dog. This conversation is also notable for Dean’s admission that he’d been in a very dark place not long ago but he’s climbing out of it now.

At the diner, Adam continues to chill with Michael and contemplate the future when Lilith arrives. 

She’s there to bring Michael to Chuck. “I’m not accustomed to being fetched,” Michael says coldly. It looks like things are headed towards fisticuffs when Michael just…burns her to ash right there. Ah, archangels. (Side note: I rewatched this section with the sound off while gathering images and watching her performance is every bit as engaging. I’ll miss you, scrunchy-nose Lilith.)

Donatello has a vision and sees Michael’s spiteful smiting (smiteful?). He calls Dean with Michael’s location. He’s in Cairo! Time for Dean to hop on a plane and hold Cas’s hand nervously the entire time… I’m ready for an airplane destiel fic episode!

Cas has an alternate, non-hand-holding suggestion. He’ll pray to Michael instead. In the quiet of an upstairs corner of the bunker, next to a REAL and also METAPHORICAL CHESS SET, Cas characterizes their last meeting as “unpleasant” and asks to meet up. “I’m not your enemy anymore. Now we all have the same enemy. God himself.”

Mmmkay, compelling words. Michael meets Cas in a warehouse. He remembers Cas. “You called me assbutt and set me on fire.” LOL, classic. Cas faces Michael stoically and lights a circle of holy oil around him. That’s the Winchester’s cue to enter and they do so with STYLE.

DAMN!

Dean presents a set of warded cuffs for Michael’s consideration. There’s clearly only one way out of the circle of fire.

For Check out the Curtains Made of Chains SO PRETTY Science:

Michael is twenty-five shades of pissed off at being confined. In the bunker he accuses the Winchesters of abandoning their brother and then shocks them all by flashing Adam back in control. 

Adam seems much more chill than Michael and reveals that he and the archangel only had each other in the cage so they came to an agreement. Dean, who only recently stopped dragging himself around in a post-Michael traumatic haze, is gobsmacked that Michael’s letting Adam walk and talk. He tells Adam that there’s nothing they can say to fix what they did by leaving him in the cage. “How about ‘I’m sorry?’” Adam suggests.

Michael wrests back control and we go back to Chuck talk. Team Free Will attempts to briefly explain that Chuck isn’t trying to usher in “boring” paradise. Instead, Michael’s dad would rather see everybody suffer, including Michael.

Adam pops back behind the helm and advises them to stop their paltry attempt at convincing Michael of Chuck’s perfidy. On his (their) own, Adam unpacks the situation. He doesn’t forgive the Winchesters for what they did, but he does think they’re operating from good intentions. I don’t remember where I saw this online, but somebody posted that they have never liked Adam more than in this episode. I completely agree! There’s a lovely amount of complexity and growth hinted at through this performance.

Michael finds it hard to shake off a near-eternity of being God’s favored son. God is “having a mid-eternity crisis,” Adam suggests. Maybe Michael should at least entertain the possibility that Chuck isn’t on the up-and-up. Michael doesn’t want to doubt his father. “You still care about that after he left you in the cage?” Adam asks.

Meanwhile, Eileen’s friend Sue calls again. She’s ready to move on the vamps and needs backup NOW. When Eileen hesitates, Sue needles her about having to ask for permission. Eileen rises to Sue’s barb and agrees to meet up. The camera tumbles, Sue swears, and Eileen acts immediately as the call ends. She races to Sam’s room and fills him in on her friend’s perilous situation. Together, they run off to give Sue backup. (I love how this scene both shows Eileen’s need to assert her own independence and her absolute trust and pragmatism in getting Sam to back her up.) 

Cas heads in to speak with Adam/Michael. Michael is still not on board the fight-Chuck train. Cas responds with sass, as is his custom. “I never liked you. I thought you were too haughty. Too…to paraphrase a friend, you had an entire oak tree shoved up your ass.” 

Now Cas finds him pitiable. Michael isn’t God’s favorite. He’s just a tiny part of Chuck’s favorite soap opera. DAMN, Cas. 

Cas goes even further, telling Michael that Lucifer was the smart one all along, and Michael SNAPS. He flips Cas over the table and gets him in a headlock. Cas struggles, and manages to lock both his hands on Michael’s temples. It’s brain zapping time! Even an archangel is no match for Cas’s mind mojo, and Cas dumps a clip show of Chuck being a dick writer into Michael’s head. 

Later, Cas decompresses alone in the kitchen. Dean arrives, then suggests that Cas might have misjudged the situation and gone too far with Michael. D E A N. Before Cas left, Michael essentially said, “Leave. Get out. I want you dead.” We’ve all been in agony for several days now over the parallels between this line and what Cas thinks he’s getting from Dean and AAAAUGH THE SWEET PAIN OF IT. “We didn’t bond,” Cas summarizes. If you need me, I’ll be hunched in this burning dumpster, muttering about profound bonds. 

The bunker rattles, and they race to Michael’s room. He greets them with, “God lied to me.” He gave everything for Chuck, but it turns out he’s not even unique across the multiverse if there are other Michaels out there. 

Sam and Eileen arrive at the hunt and discover abandoned vehicles. Sam’s suspicion bone is tingling, but then Sue shows up. She’s got this swagger, so Boris and I immediately assume she’s been turned into a vamp because we’ve been watching this show since forever. Uh, Sue’s not a vamp. She’s Chuck! Or…you know, Chuck’s her! [Admiral Ackbar voice] It’s a trap!

Michael agrees to help Team Free Will. He pulls out a slip of paper with a spell on it that can contain Chuck just like it contained Amara. All they need is myrrh, cassia, rock-rose, and the nectar of a leviathan blossom. It’s a flower that grows in Purgatory. Michael opens up a rift-style door with the snap of his fingers.

The door will stay open for twelve hours. Dean uncuffs Michael/Adam and apologizes for what happened to his half brother. Adam smiles sadly and wishes them luck in their Chuck-fighting endeavors. After he/they leave, Cas and Dean turn towards the glowing rift. It’s Purgatory time, baby! And you know what they say about Purgatory. It’s the perfect place to work out your emotions in a friendly, non-deadly environment!

Quotingmoon in Purgatory:

There’s a crack in his invincibility shield

When I go crazy again, just shoot me

Usually I enjoy our little process. I toss something at you guys and you slam it right back. It’s fun! Like tennis! With monsters

What am I picking up from you two? A wee tif? Tell your Auntie Rowena

Why would he send you, a demon, a speck of infernal bile?

Oh, I didn’t come to beg

Since when do we get what we deserve?

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