#like realistically it would only make sense if it was nate but also it would be so much funnier if it was *anyone else*

[haledamage]

and Wayhaven asks for Kira: I also want to know 15, 29, and, um, 30, bc I think I know all the rest already xD

15. Would they have reacted to Falk's flirting, if given the opportunity?

in a situation where she wasn't already deep in her feelings about one of our favorite vampires... probably. he is very pretty, if a little intense, and I'm starting to get a sense that she likes men with long hair

but as it stands, no. by the end of book 2, she's already very aware of how she feels, and has probably considered the L-word at least once on all the routes (with various levels of trepidation)

29. If they could have chosen a different profession, what would it be?

I have a half-formed au of Kira as an editor for the newspaper instead of a detective, which I think would suit her really well! it would be a job that would actually use her English degree, and would let her apply both her people skills and her deductive/knowledge skills. plus, it would let her be selectively antisocial instead of being so public-facing like her detective job!

the only downside being... Bobby. so much interacting with Bobby. but hey, at least she might be able to report him for sexual harassment if he keeps calling her "angel"

(the reason it's only a half-formed au is because I haven't figured out how Kira would actually get involved with all the Unit Bravo/Agency stuff. she wouldn't have any reason to cross paths with Murphy, and UB aren't good enough actors to convince Kira that a small town newspaper editor needs a team of four trained secret agents to protect her. the only way it would happen is if outside forces dragged her into it. or if only one team member went in undercover or something 🤔 hmmmm, that has potential)

30. Any funfacts about them you'd like to add?

hmmmm what fun facts do I have about Kira that I haven't already shared...

oh! I really want to give her another tattoo after the events of book 3, or between 3 and 4 depending on if there's any timeskip there. something unique to each romance but not necessarily like a romantic tattoo, if you know what I mean

the idea came to me because one of my favorite tattoo artists had some flash designs that involved crystals and I was like 👀

(not this exact design, but it was along the same line)

and now all I can think is Kira getting a crystal tattoo on Mason's route (probably on her sternum, right about where it would hang if it were on a necklace 👀)

I haven't figured out what she'd get on Nate's or Felix's route yet. they are very difficult to pin a solid idea on, but I'm working on it

I have a few possible thoughts for Adam's route, but I keep coming back to the idea (this is your fault, you put this in my head) of "fear makes us fighters" along the slope between her neck and shoulder, starting just under the scar from Murphy >:3 won't that be a fun thing for Adam to (eventually) find when he (eventually) gets his act together and (eventually) romances Kira the way she deserves

also not really a fact about her, but I'm considering retconning parts of Kira's backstory and making her American 😆 pretty sure that idea came about because I wrote a line in something recently where she mentioned her senior prom and then I had to go down a research rabbit hole to find out if that's even a thing outside the US

plus, once I look past Mishka's Britishness leaking through, Wayhaven does have deep-south-small-town vibes. somewhere near Savannah or Charleston, maybe 🤔

[nocturnalazure]

Evolution of the storyline

This is following @danjaley's post about all the turns her story has taken throughout the years and her enquiry about my own process in the comments. More under the cut because long.

I haven't got any blurbs of potential dialogues to share simply because I don't write anything beforehand. My writing is mostly improvised.

I have never planned anything until the Sam/Ash-to-the-future storyline (that takes us back to somewhere around 2017, phew). I have a vague idea of where I want to go and sometimes adjust during shooting or writing. Since I don't plan, the canon story becomes the only story and all the other options I may think of are quickly forgotten. That's still the way I roll most of the time BUT...

When I sent Ash and Sam 250 years into the future, it became clear that I didn't want it to be any future. I wanted to see the future generations of all my Sims. But that of course requires a huge amount of planning. I've always enjoyed pairing up characters so my favorite part of planning was deciding which couples would be best together, who would have kids, etc. At the second generation, it became a bit random simply because I was working with names in a timeline and not characters I had the time to get attached to. But I scrupulously recorded all the generations. See below: I used that Excel timeline it to keep track of how many generations I needed to get to Sam & Ash's timeline (the dark red line at the end) and how old everyone would be (so that I don't end up pairing up a YA with a toddler, ya see?). The various life stages are the pastel cells. I won't tell you what the other color codes are.

Then I went in game and impregnated the hell out of my Sims. I just made quick genetic templates so to speak. You want a sneak peek at some of these hastily created Sims? Go here.

You may be horrified to know that at some point (a long time ago), I had considered pairing up Hugo with Annabelle. Or Jessie with Cordelia. I know. I'm sorry. Youthful mistake. We're definitely not going there.

Julian and Risa were also supposed to have a second child called Dorian. I think I just wanted my Sims to pop babies all the time.

What about Nate, Ivy and Seth? I can't remember exactly when I decided to kill them off (the most difficult decision I've ever made), but it definitely wasn't a key element from the start. Like so many plot events, it just... suddenly made sense and I knew I had to go down that path.

So like I said, I need a specific future. But having many Sims popping babies all over the place didn't seem manageable (or realistic). So I kind of implemented a sort of one-child policy (two at most) and removed some potential kids from the generation lines. That's when the Golzine line was set. I know exactly who will be heir 250 years in the future, and who their parents are.

What am I going to do with all those other Sims over multiple generations that I have basically fated to each other? I have no clue yet. I thought I'd figure it out as I went along... you know, as I usually do!

Big haha. Joke's on me.

Because obviously, here we are, 7 years and a big mess later. That future storyline has me backed into a corner. Characters have evolved and some couples just don't make sense anymore. Now I remember why I hate planning when it relates to my creativity. It's so limiting! Obviously, I can't explain in details without spoiling but I'm on really shaky ground. That's why it's taking me so long to get back to Sam & Ash. All I can safely say, because you all know that by now, is that Laurie and Erik were not supposed to fall for each other! I had initially planned Erik to marry Cordelia, then rather quickly changed my mind because it had suddenly dawned on me that he would be so good with Gloria. That was already a problem, but at least it was easily fixable. My two doofuses pining after each other was not part of the plan AT ALL.

How did that happen? Well, mostly because I completely misunderstood Laurie's personality. I've realized it quite early on while writing him, but I may have underestimated the extent of his influence over the plot. The Golzine storyline is the one I had to work on in the most detailed way because they have quite a big impact on pretty much everything. I know who Laurie's heir will be, and the heir after that, and the heir after that. In order to get there, things have to happen a certain way. Some characters have to be born, ya know? And things would happen because of previous events. Laurie is a wrench into all of my future plans.

He was supposed to be some sort of casanova and to have an enemies-to-lovers relationship with Anh Wong. He was self-assured, flirty and a bit entitled. In other words, he was Noah's successor and his relationship with Anh was always meant to be a chaotic one (she's the one who would send him to jail), even when Laurie was with other women. Note I said "women". I hadn't considered that he could be bisexual. His relationship with Erik was strictly that of a close friendship. I was quite hyped about Laurie and Anh getting together and the (friendly) dynamics between him and Erik as his right-hand man. Although I never do that, I had even written down some lines of dialogues. I won't share those though, because it is all cringy banter and not much substance. But I kept the gist of my initial plan: Shu trying to protect her sister from getting her heart broken, Laurie and Anh's little dance and her mistrust of him, Erik the guard dog... Then I threw in the mob council last minute (initially, its only role was to legitimate Laurie as the Golzine heir), but characters like Jie, Romeo and Omar turned out to be a lot less minor than I'd thought and the entire Laurie arc has spun out in a ludicrous way. When I started it in 2020, I never thought I'd still be working on it in 2024.

...I don't regret anything. *sniff*

After all, I always meant for Anh to let her hair down at some point.

I was so sure that I knew Laurie, that I had his character and motives well under control. I don't even know how he did it but he took over his own story. Even now, he's pulling his own strings, I guarantee you. I believe that this is why the latest update (that I had been looking forward to writing for literal years) took so long: slowly but surely, Laurie is redirecting me. Nothing in that update happened exactly the way I had planned.

I'm convinced that the guy is the key to everything but how exactly? I guess he'll let me know last minute.

This story is a moving target, for real. I'll tell you what. Ask me again in 2034. By then, the plot will maybe have moved forward a little and I will be able to tell you how what I was planning a decade earlier actually didn't work out and we'll have a good laugh about it.

(Actually, once we're a bit further along on the current storyline, maybe I will be able to share more on what was supposed to happen - patience!)

[fangsforiris]

Hii! Thanks for my Jennifers body request❤️ when you have time, can you make them (Sakamaki and Mukami) react to Cassie from Euphoria? Do everything when you can, I can wait ❤️

☄. *. ⋆

Sakamaki's & Mukami's Reaction to Cassie Howard from 'Euphoria'

☄. *. ⋆

☄. *. ⋆

Hi again!! Thank you so much for the ask!! I hope you enjoy how I perceive the diaboys in the scenario. Thank you again and to other stars for your support, it means the world. <33

Word Count: 2159

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Sakamaki’s:

Shuu (Ririe):

☄ Shuu normally doesn't get involved with people by his own will. After all, half of his interactions with individuals thus far has been due to the manipulation of events by others and by chance. 

☄ But as an individual, he wouldn’t see Cassie anymore than just a potential target for blood if he was truly desperate. 

☄ Knowing that women and men attract themselves to him like a magnet, he wouldn’t have to do much if he needed to use Cassie for his own needs. 

☄ Cassie would probably like someone like Shuu, seeing that he’s attractive and carries a layer of nonchalance. 

☄ If he were to find out about her substance addiction, he’d feel some sort of void… it’s as if he understands those feelings of self-loathing far too well?

☄ Considering that he’s probably tried to find the answers at the bottom of the bottle, much to his despair, like Cassie, turned up empty handed. 

☄ Shuu would realistically not care for Cassie, choosing to stay emotionally detached from any drama that can surface from any potential involvement with her. 

☄ The million dollar question: is she his type? Not at all. 

☄ Like most, she serves to be someone who Shuu would only find a use if he was on the brink of it and was in a do or die situation. 

Reiji: 

☄ Reiji would instantly find her pathetic.

☄ Not only for her obvious stupidity, but for her insecurity and need for male validation. 

☄ He wouldn’t get how women succumb to this type of state so easily. However, he’d put two and two together and pin it on daddy issues. 

☄ (As if he doesn’t suffer from mommy, daddy, and older brother issues–)

☄ Reiji’s the type to be quite hypocritical towards anyone’s problems, and if anyone were to call him out for the blatant hypocrisy, he’d shut it down immediately.

☄ However, Reiji might carry out a clinical analysis of her problems with substance misuse and mental health concerns. Considering how he has a large access to drugs and pharmaceuticals. 

☄ Almost like Nate, if need be he’d easily manipulate her using the very substances she takes to remedy her pain. 

☄ Perhaps lace her drink if they were at a party, test out his new drugs, that sort of thing. 

☄ Would he want to get involved, especially knowing that everyone knows of her sex life? Not at all. He’d claim that she wasn’t at all a decent or respectable woman and wouldn’t want that to taint his own reputation. 

Laito:

☄ Laito, having similar taste to Ayato, would go for her. 

☄ 100% by the end of the week he’d have slept with her. 

☄ Most likely would make a bet with Ayato or Kanato to see who gets with her first. 

☄ Laito would assume his usual ‘stalk his prey’ tactics, along with mindlessly flirting with her. 

☄ He’d ask her about her day, make her feel worth the attention she’s receiving, and assure her that she’s more than her body. (In a sense, tell her things he wished others told him. But don’t tell him that, he’d lose it.)

☄ He’s also the one who’s most likely to manipulate her in hopes of getting what he wants. 

☄ He’d instantly be able to tell her vulnerabilities, and considering there’s so many, she’d be easy prey. 

☄ Unfortunate for Cassie, as she would instantly fall to his whims in pursuit of ‘real love’ which is not Laito’s speciality. 

☄ She’d become even more of a wreck after dealing with Laito, emotionally that is. 

☄ Cassie better get ready for either heaven or hell, because with Laito if he doesn’t get his way he’ll either make it the worst experience ever or let you have some fleeting moment of enjoyment. 

Kanato:

☄ After hearing about her reputation amongst the guys and girls at their school, Kanato would already have a set idea of what she’s about. 

☄ That is, not a very good one. (Unfortunatley, just how rumors spread, most likely he’d know about the leaked sex tapes, and thus the torture begins.) 

☄ Perhaps someone, Ayato or Laito, might’ve sent them to him just to prove a point. 

☄ He’d be able to tell just by the bet Laito made that she wasn’t the type of girl he ever wanted to become associated with. 

☄ If he saw her in the halls, he’d feel bad. Mainly because he’d think back to Laito and how he’d feel if it was Laito painted with the same brush Cassie was being painted with currently. 

☄ That’s assuming that Laito doesn’t already have his persona and ‘theme’ already made for him. (Spoiler Alert: He already has that reputation going for him.)

☄ On the slight chance he does interact with Cassie, he’d perhaps treat her to a drink or two, just to be nice, and leave her alone. 

☄ Perhaps even in a fit of annoyance would he scold her for her lack of self-respect and to fix it. 

Ayato:

☄ Ayato would find her hot. Simple as that. We all know his set taste in women, and based on looks alone he’d instantly make a move. 

☄ As in, if they were to pass each other in the halls he’d start his chase. 

☄ He’d definitely harass Cassie for her number. Follow her around, and toy around with her. 

☄ It might at first come off as pushy, making Cassie use a bit of her head to decipher that this isn’t at all what she wants. 

☄ But due to the repeated attention, small groping, and attempts at flirting, Cassie might find herself liking it. She’d feel guilty about it, but after a while she’d find every way to excuse it. 

☄ (This is, unfortunately, how she’ll display her desperation for wanting something that lasts.) 

☄ In terms of the bet with Laito, he’s sure as hell winning. Nothing will stop this man from claiming his oh-so-obvious prize in front of him. 

☄ And to flaunt it in front of his brothers? The motivation and competitiveness seems to have no limits. 

☄ I think Ayato would catch onto her insecurities, and feel bad about his approach thus far. Seeing as he’s the most ‘humane-like’ diaboy out of the entire cast. (Canon fact, stated by Karlheinz himself.)

Subaru:

☄ Subaru wouldn’t like the fact that Cassie constantly waited on men, or lied in waiting. 

☄ Ever since the incident with his mother, resulting in his existence, and the aftermath to cover it, he hates women who would let themselves lose every part of themselves just for a man to potentially look their way. 

☄ Most likely, he’d see his mom in Cassie, specifically in terms of her need to please and wait. 

☄ I guess he’d consider her to be conventionally attractive, but he wouldn’t make a move. 

☄ Someone like Cassie, especially with her current reputation, isn’t his type. He’d rather someone more lowkey so his half-brothers wouldn’t catch on. Or anyone for that matter. 

☄ He wouldn’t necessarily care about her body count, but more so the fact that everyone knows her personal business. 

☄ Subaru is an avid believer of keeping your sex life private. He doesn’t like it when people know what he’s up to, and this can be for anything, but especially this. 

☄ This is probably the only thing he holds more of a modest view of, since he tends to get embarrassed easily. 

☄. *. ⋆

Mukami’s:

Ruki:

☄ Ruki, similar to Reiji, wouldn't have an interest in women with ‘loose morals.’ 

☄ As in, he wouldn’t be interested in knowing that a potential partner of his (assuming if Ruki wanted to pursue Cassie) had their nudes and sex tape leaked for everyone to see. 

☄ He’d use it as an excuse to use her if needed, perhaps if he really needed sustenance for blood. Other than that, I don’t see Ruki interested in Cassie. 

☄ He’d maybe have a few one-liners about her if any of her brothers toyed around with her, possibly judging them. 

☄ But would Ruki pursue Cassie? Not exactly. 

☄ He likes knowing that those within his possession wouldn’t disobey him or do something that makes him look bad, in a sense almost like McKay. 

☄ If he found out that Cassie had a substance abuse problem, he’d let his brothers know about it then leave it at that. 

☄ Ruki wouldn’t go out of his way for someone like Cassie unless it benefited him or it was to lend some aid to his brothers. 

☄ On the off chance these two do interact, he’d be cordial, leaving whatever current events about her that’s currently running wild in the air. 

Kou:

☄ Kou would definitely shoot his shot right at the get go. 

☄ Perhaps do some light watching from a distance/information collecting to see what she’s all about. 

☄ But based on looks alone? Easily a 10. And easily someone he’d want to spend a night or two with. 

☄ However, I doubt he’d be into her insecurity in every single thing she did. Cassie tends to solely do things due to male validation. 

☄ Either Kou would get tired of it, wanting his prey to at least have a mind of their own, or utilize it to his advantage and simply opt for manipulating her. 

☄ He’d 100% guilt trip her like the other men she’s been with. Stating that if he’s putting in so much of his own energy to get to know her, shouldn’t she do the same? 

☄ If he found out about her drug use, he would slightly find sympathy to spare. After all, he out of everyone understands the struggle of substance abuse. 

☄ Coupled with Cassie’s obvious sexual trauma, perhaps he’d see a little bit of him in her. Causing him to take a moment to reflect on his own actions, making him question if going down this route with a human would make him just like his abusers. 

☄ However, what he wouldn’t like about her is her lack of mental strength for ridding herself of the craving for validation. 

☄ Like he gets it but at the same time, you can’t promise salvation to someone who can’t see the promised land being mentioned. 

Yūma:

☄ Yūma wouldn’t find Cassie to be all that appealing. Sure she’s pretty, but what else is there? 

☄ Cassie wouldn’t be an ideal type for someone like Yūma, considering how he too has his own demons to figure out considering he’s an amnesiac. 

☄ Yūma wouldn’t want to go for someone who doesn’t have any loyalties in check. 

☄ This is, assuming he knew about the Cassie and Maddy situation. 

☄ After all, if there’s one thing Yūma is, it’s loyal. He’s loyal to his brothers and consistently has their back. 

☄ He couldn’t ever think of betraying their trust or doing anything to purposely hurt them. He may look the part, but he’s truly caring to those who warrant it.

☄ For Season 1 Cassie, he’d probably shoot his shot. Seeing as she’s less ‘problematic’ then and has less of a bad reputation.

☄ If Yūma found out about Cassie’s childhood via. word of mouth, gossip, whatever the case may be, he’d hold some empathy for her. 

☄ He’d certainly have a one-liner or two about the daddy issues being a major contributor to how she is, but he wouldn’t say anything more— that is unless he��s provoked. Then it’s fair game in his eyes. 

Azusa:

☄ Azusa wouldn’t know what to feel about Cassie.

☄ It’s not like she’s ugly, far from it. It’s just… he doesn’t think he’d see himself within a relationship with her.

☄ Azusa’s ideal type is someone who’s most likely strong, both mentally and maybe physically. Someone who would be able to push him around, but chooses not to. 

☄ Almost like a dom partner, but who’s caring towards him and helps him through his self-harming tendencies. 

☄ Cassie doesn’t seem like that type of person. She, like Azusa, seems like an individual more likely to be manipulated and used for someone else’s benefit. 

☄ Azusa would feel bad about whatever it is she’s going through, especially if they happen to meet in a party setting. But he wouldn’t make any advances towards her.

☄ On the off chance they do interact, and Cassie’s in one of her moments where she feels powerless, thus displaying her ‘crazier than maddy side’ she brags about in the show, he’d most likely ask for her to take out all her frustration on him. 

☄ For most of his interactions, Azusa has that small voice at the back of his head begging to be torn apart. 

☄ It’s self-destructive, but as we know, he wouldn’t want it any other way. 

☄. *. ⋆

I hope you enjoyed this ask!! I'll be working on Shuu's HC's next.

[m0tel6mxzzy]

rue bennett, ginny miller, and lack of nuanced perception in how mental illness in black women works

i think the tragedy of euphoria (if i had to list just one) is partially the fandom’s lack of understanding of rue, leslie, and gia…cultural attitudes in the black community have a lot to do w why leslie acts the way she does. and then race is never mentioned bc sam levinson doesn’t comprehend the nuances of race and mental health in the black community.

he can comprehend addiction, but nothing like the fact rue being a black woman will have her heavily stigmatized by the black community as well as the predominantly white one she lives in as her “proving black stereotypes.”

he can comprehend addiction, but nothing like the fact rue being a black woman will have her heavily stigmatized by the black community as well as the predominantly white one she lives in as her “proving black stereotypes.”

that just hits a lot harder knowing in the beginning of s1, she has zero hope and so it feels very hollow when lexi encourages her sobriety, and again in s2 from jules when she’s going thru withdrawals. she is tired of being the scapegoat by everyone around her, even if they have valid reasons for wanting her to get clean and she is making decisions that harm others. and she feels during the s2 interaction with cassie that she is being pitied, simply cannot take it anymore, and retaliates bc she is just so tired of everyone around her being believed to be innocent and pure when they are not, and her being expected to be even in the throes of addiction and it being perceived as “not her.”

bc in a sense, rue is not her addiction. however, she’s lived with it so long that she is used to it, practically revels in the deviant label her entire schools mocks her with, and thus feels like she cannot leave. jules conflicts with this, because she cares for rue as a friend and romantically but is not going to associate with her if she continues. but even when she is sober, people like nate are shit talking her efforts to stay clean when they simply have no idea what she’s gone through, yet jules is proud of her despite rue finding it hard to stay clean. cassie only does the same as nate because she needs a defense for having gotten with him but not taking accountability for how that hurt maddy, even if she was right rue’s friendship with lexi was incredibly toxic and transactional. the issue here is everyone has valid points abt rue except for nate, but no one is seeing the nuances of her situation. it’s either “she’s good because she’s clean” or “she’s bad because she’s not” and jules seemed to be the only one blurring that line because she’s dealt with addiction in her family before.

leslie kind of reminds me of my mom in that she did help me thru mental issues, but it was a very “deviant” thing to do bc of how in most of black american society, racism is seen as something you need to be “stronger” than and thus stronger than any other obstacle. so realistically, some black ppl in rue’s extended family might actually ridicule her or attribute her addiction to personal flaws or solely her father’s death. rue is an atheist, but also her mother was this religious church girl in her youth and rue is seen in church settings during rehab. there’s a possibility leslie didn’t even tell others abt rue’s hospitalizations or if she did and word got around, she had to fabricate some sort of lie so rue would not be judged for her addiction.

and ppl perceive leslie as “overreacting” as they do gia and that’s very suspicious to me. idk like, as compared to ginny and georgia ginny has severe depression and georgia is like, praised for a lot of the manipulative shit she says to ginny when that’s a huge contribution to her mental issues not being resolved for as long as they were in the first place. i personally think a lot of the g&g fandom missed the point of the show—georgia is not perfect. loving your kids does not mean they don’t get to feel traumatized when you admit to murdering their step father. generational trauma is a thing and you cannot love someone into not acknowledging or feeling their extent of their own.

ginny and georgia somewhat makes that distinction in the therapy sessions by explaining bc georgia is white there is a lot of experiences she cant understand ginny has, so she cant just invalidate them. however the fandom is so corny and anti black that they will compare ginny’s trauma to georgia’s to undermine her. and then praise georgia for doing what she should’ve done as a parent which is support ginny and complain how ginny should be “more grateful to have her.” and say the same abt her father. that truly just paints an insidious lack of compassion for black women dealing w/ mental health issues. bc abby and marcus, dealing with their own, have quite never been given such animosity for having mental issues, they’ve actually been given much more sympathy.

[richardsphere]

Leverage Log:The Toy Job

And now for the series original run's second-to-last episode. Title-based prediction: Corporate Mandated Christmas special and/or beanie baby speculative market based episode. --- Amateur thief tries to steal from a research department. (company name seems to be poggio, which, im fairly certain based on the shows original runyears is a reference to the OG POG's. Not the later return of POG as a slang term.)

Christmas tree in the brewpub cause it is the christmas episode. Toy is a choking hazard, cant be allowed to get on the market.

mark is a former armsdealer (also his name is "hazlit" which I think is meant to be a sound-alike to HAS-bro). This means he knows how to set up competent security. The raports are on a drive thast in a safe in a double-walled room, and its a safe good enough that Parker says drill it rather then going for a finger-feel. (we need a distraction, and we need it loud enough to overcrowd the sound of a drill)

--- they're arguing christmas gift protocols. (must be hard deciding a reasonable limit when you're all billionaires). Sophie suggests limiting the spending budget, and Nate negotiates her down to $50 per person. (which probably means, per person per gift, everyone gifting everyone 1 gift. So $200 total) which would be more likely to work if you werent all thieves. Like we all understand the punchline here... None of you are gonna spend a cent on each others gifts.(and im shocked as hell that Hardison spent money on that motorcycle for Parker.) --- He forged the paperwork, but its nice to see an episode where we acknowledge that most of the times (off screen) their jobs end up with a simple "Parker gets in, gets out and the billionare cries in prison". Its kind of like the Anthropic principle. "the only realities humans can observe are those whose fundamental principles allow for observation by humans" also known in media as "Johny bravo gets laid all the time, those stories just dont make good episodes". But its always nice to have a show allude to the "boring" adventures that are its shows day-to-day. --- "we're gonna steal christmass" boo Chaos already pulled that line in season 3! --- Nate does not like the "whirly-glee-glee" as a name. And we're about to steal toys from children in underdeveloped countries.

Parker sees the whirly box, and a box labeled "Baby Joy Rage" and makes an executive decision. (i think she's right, kids need a toy with at least some edge or personality to get truly hyped about)

--- Sophie's on the radar, Hardison did some stats on neighbourhoods that have historic trend-setter influencer potential. Elliot is giving the dolls away for free (ultimate move in loss-leader strategies) Sophie puts it in the bag of a child-star, Hardison does a paparazzi photo, and I absolutely hate how simple yet plausible this entire endeavour is. --- Sophie's actors are being brought in to call-center mode. (I like Zachary) Cant con a 6 year old, but you can con the parents. (love the little joke about "get on the mommies")

Nate hates "baby feels a lot" more then he ever hated Whirly-glee-glee. He's also the episodes obligatory "christmas sceptic".

Hardison sees a picture of a bloggermom and is suddenly a lot more interested in operation "get on the moms". Like Elliot suddenly has a Sophie level of depth for his con-character prepared.

Dead mom, single father, slighlty outdated sense of childrens gender identity but clearly demonstrated potential for growth. Man Elliots Dad-sona is just putting on the schmaltz. --- Elliot trying to keep Hardisons stories realistic, Nate stuck between the two. Back to Sophie and this Gil is signing this deal memo without looking at it. He's too busy socialising to actually watch what he's signing. Around Sophie you might as welll be signing your own death-warrant. --- Oh most of the data is in online pre-sales nowadays? Reservations on the internet, that a hacker with a botnet could rig? Like taking candy from a baby. --- Sophie makes VP at Poggio Parker gloating about her executive decision. Fake a gas-warning to clear out the factory for Nate --- Nate putting a final stretch on the sale of the trojan horse make the mark feel FOMO. Sophie is absolutely repulsed by this man (unfortunately he does not feel mutual) --- Oh the mark has counterplayed them by making a knock-off product. Well this guy just went full on Narcissus --- Oh, thats funny. Not only does this Gil guy who owns the shelves not watch what he's signing, Look who also doesnt pay attention to that stuff. --- Client gets a new job, Nate owns a boat? (i mean its not a shock that he owns a boat, its not out of character just dont think it was ever properly established, i've never seen him on a boat and the only time he was near a boat was saying goodbye to his father in the Three Card Monte job).

Introducing the character who's spent the last season ominously leering at retirement as a boat-owner in the second to last episode feels like maybe he wont die, in that it introduces a prospect of retirement as a thing he's thought about. But also it introduces "one day to retirement" as well so i dont actually know if his survival chances went up or down just now. But the reminder of Sam's sickness itself (a sickness that is still ominously vague, nameless and nebulous) in the second-to-last episode... I know i was wrong when i said it seasons ago, but is Nate dying? Also peaking at the name of the next episode... (long goodbye), yeah thats ominous. Im gonna say, next episode features a health scare, Him and Sophie retire for his health and he passes the torch. (to the 3 collectively in general, Parker in specific) and I think he will die between series and sequel but not in the finale itself. His death between the series and sequel puts Sophie back in the game, which then opens up space for the "lawyer" to slot into the sequel series without bloating the cast to a rather unwieldy 6. --- Good episode and unintrusive as holiday specials are concerned.

[anonil88]

Reposting this because, I was right.

This was written the summer before season 2 aired.

Gonna talk about my lowering expectations and my wariness or worries for Season 2 of Euphoria.

These are just my personal opinions and speculations. This is long oops, buckle in.

This season is about to be so dark and a bit more gritty, less pretty effects but still great visuals and edits. I look forward to that I just hope it doesn't turn off too many fans. I saw a lot of people did not enjoy the specials for their lack of glitter and their blunt honesty. The dialogue is needed especially because not only Rules but all of these teens have terrible communication skills. The specials were honestly amazing and a great step into this more realistic aspects of a very complicated love story. I hope we can continue this line of realism and more perspectives or at least Rue talking about other characters perspectives. I would actually love to see Leslie, her mom, and things from her side of the story.

We all know it will be dark but my fear is that its going to be a trauma dump with poor writing, and no room for breathe. I know Sam has about like 5 different projects going on so I hope he took or takes his time with this script. But, after Malcom and Marie I'm a bit worried because he is going to have to go into uncharted new territory. Especially with these newer characters, I know HBO/A24 euphoria casting is looking for a stripper or two which has me a bit shook. I wonder how far they are going to push this show in the limits of wild but realistic teenage years. Personally even at 25 have never been to a strip club but I do know people who started stripping/dancing at 18. Either during our senior year of highschool or their freshman year of college. Sam being a cis white man is going to have to do his research and talk to people in order to not write a character like that in a damaging light. Which I hope doesn't happen because I'm pro adult dancer with transparency about that industry and others like it. Someone does need to spell out realistic consequences of joining in those industries at a young adult age, but it needs to be done correctly. I don't know if Sam will be the right person for that but only time will tell.

I have the same worries with the introduction of more poc cast and specifically black characters. Again time will tell and I cannot judge something entirely that I have not read or seen.

In general with Sam's writing i hope that any input that the cast has with their characters and the storylines is taken into consideration. I know this was done with the bridge episodes and season 1 but, sometimes studios can loom over talent when something is so successful. With all the awards, acclaim, and criticism I hope that peoples voices are still being heard and listened to. It would be a disservice to HBO to force expectations that could hurt the shows quality. *glares in last season of game of thrones*

While I'd love for this season to focus on anyone other than Jason Bateman Jr. the show is a drama and eventually Nathan will have to surface at some point. Rmfe.

I think there definitely need to be something where the on hand psychology liaison works out a plan for dismantling the Nate is just a fixer upper thing going on. I'm usually fine and let people ship what they ship but seeing so many abuse apologist sends off alarms in my mind. I realize it has partially to do with Jacob being attractive, which is also a great point the show is making pretty people can be bad too. But, it makes sense why this show is not geared for kids/young teens because the point just flew over theirs and even a lot of adults heads. I can only think that he will not be written as a complete villain because truth be told he is not entirely evil. He is a scared little boy in a grown man's body who needs therapy and real weighted consequences. He might not get either of those things and we just see him go off into the world, that is scary but real.

I'm aware that all of these characters could and likely will make turns for the worst. All teenagers and adults make mistakes, sometimes damaging ones. But, since some of these characters are trying to get into college I think that needs to be taken into account with their stories. Unless Nate doesn't plan on going to college it is unrealistic for him to be acting a whole fool the entire season. So I hope we don't get a over the top Joker character because senior year you kind of don't have time to fuck your senior year up unless you actively try to. At least in my experience. Also for the love of Jesus I don't want him and Jules to be anything. Even if he has feelings I need it to be plainly written out that its twisted and one sided because he is emotionally manipulating both her and Maddy.

Our time with certain characters is either running out this upcoming season or will fade. I know McKay might not come back or will be a background character. I actually think that is smart so the story isn't bogged down with irrelevant characters but, i hope the storyline and Rue or Nate's story doesn't suffer because of this. With the introduction of new characters the focus could go anywhere with this new season.

Maddy has the tape and her limbo of a breakup with Nate to worry about. If she uses it against Jules in favor of Nate, imma have to hope karma bites her in the ass.

Kat has her stalker and I'm terrified where they will go with her storylinr. I hope the writer does show the more negative aspects of camming, as well as, the effects it can/would have on a minor doing that. Because in the moment it is fun....and then you find yourself conscious of the decision you've made and with whom. The very serious legal ramifications that exist as well should you get caught. But, i really don't want them to girlboss Kat for being an underage person making money that way without any scope of what she's getting into. That would be so so harmful. But, I don't want her story to become one giant p.s.a for the dangers of XYZ work.

I believe in a Jules Vaughn supremacy and I want to protect her from that evil boy and his father. Am so so looking forward to new Jules' makeup and fashion looks that reflect the characters rejection of doing things for male validation . I do love her even though her and Rue's communication issues drive me up a wall. She should have just been like Rue, I like you a lot so can we sit down and talk about this but she didn't and now they are both out there crying into a pillow asking why doesn't she like me. I do get that they are 16/17 and I too at 17 most definitely wasn't equipped to communicate that well either. Hunter is doing a phenomenal job and I see a long career in her future.

Oh Rue, I think he is handling Rue's story well, but as always they can handle certain things differently. I.E even though I didn't see it as romantization I know some people did see the scene with her yelling at Fez and her OD as being too cheery. Rue in the special episode makes you angry and I actually would love more of that. I want to be upset at this character that I love and relate to so much, because a lot of her choices are frustating. Even the ones she makes that aren't revolving around her addiction which is honestly the only thing her life really revolves around. I wonder what else Rue enjoys or will find joy in besides drugs, Jules, and hanging out with her mom. She desperately needs to find a better outlet and hoping we get to join her on the journey to finding that..

Since we see everyone's perspective from her eyes it will be nice to see how her lack of sobriety affects those around her. Especially the baddest most down friends someone could have, Lexi and Fezco.

Lexi and Fez's episodes are gonna be so good, but God i know they are going to be vastly different because of the lives they lead. Fez' will get very sad or upsetting and Lexi' is going to bleed out of Cassie and Rue's storylines. These two are the closest to Rue who dealt with her addiction before rehab and before we met Rue. If Rue is this bad when she has no reason to keep living, imagine how she was directly after her dad passed away. Which because she is unreliable she never talks about and we only see glimpses of when she isn't narrating. So it will be really interesting to get a deep dive for both of these characters.

Fezco is the only man I really care about in this show. Um, Ethan is okay but I don't think he needs an episode. I'd rather get an episode on Fez and his little brother/cousin.

I would also like no love more of detective Lexi because that was too fun. Also Lexi is every person who has a bestfriend who gets into a relationship and they gush about that person in front of you for a little too long.

I'm kind of worried for Cassie honestly because she has come out of the wanting to date to feel loved phase, but will she focus on herself? Will she focus on school or skating? Will we even get to see more of her character or will she fade into the background a bit more and her story goes stale? I don't know i just hope that if there are any scenes like last season that its done in a "tasteful" way. She shouldn't be the show or productions golden ticket or free pass to be used as an object or trophy. McKay already did that and she deserves better. After my many rewatches of season 1 I'm still a bit unsettled by some of those scenes with her. I get she's supposed to be looked at from that lens of owning her sexuality while dealing with the male gaze, but at times its like jeez yall are really had to go there. Maybe its because i don't or try not to look at women with misogyny as a backlight, BOO DANIEL BOOO. The carousel scene is probably one of the most uncomfortable 5 minutes I've ever experienced watching TV. I just hope that behind the scenes and in table reading discussions are being had with Sydney' and any other actors to respect their comfort levels.

It is funny that out of the HBO shows with nudity that this is the one with the least femme presenting nakedness. I'm not weirded out by nudity but even for me seeing all them elephant trunks had me like O.O. It is nice to see that all bodies are being normalized and specifically that its not just "lets sexualize femme bodies" for views. Instead it subverts the norm while also reinforcing that bodies can be shown without any other intent than that bodies exist in many forms. A couple newer HBO and HBO max original shows are also following in Euphoria's lead with this, but there are still some HBO shows that I'm like so "you can show topless women back to back but the men are covered up and "modest". "

Ugh I hope the Game of Thrones spinoff has learned from its past, but that's me trying to be nice instead of saying I'm not interested after that finale season.

After this season we likely only have one more season, 3 Season model has taken over and honestly it makes sense to only go to 4 seasons max with this show. S1 and 2 for junior year, S3/maybe 4 for senior year. A season for each semester. Also if im remembering correctly Sam said he got clean after highschool or around that senior year to college years. And since Rue in a lot of ways is based off of him that timing makes sense. So I hope for a season 2 that is more reflective of the bridge episodes that gets us to season 3. And, I hope for this upcoming season even with the criticism that will come that its handled and executed beautifully. Glitter, messiness, and realistic sadness in all.

That's all I've got to say for now.

[jaydonsjam]

Wow! So I’ve never read Werewolf By Night and honestly I think my only knowledge of him is just the fact that Moon Knight debuted in his solo series. I loved the Werewolf By Night Disney+ special which sparked some interest in reading more about the character. So I started with Jack Russell’s (still laugh at his name) debut in Marvel Spotlight #2! I then read #3. Btw I found a Marvel reading order that chronicles all the Marvel comics starting with Fantastic Four #1 and onward. I told you guys that I made a list of mystic/supernatural/horror characters that I wanted to explore more of and spent most of last night coordinating with the reading order and their appearances to make a list of comics to read (there’s a lot btw). Anyways, so my list of comics to read started with Marvel Spotlight #2-3. I LOVED Werewolf’s debut! I couldn’t put it down. I loved how much dialogue and text description in the 28 page comic. It felt like I was reading something more akin to a short graphic novel than a comic book if that makes any sense. This really felt like a book with pictures lol. I totally get why a lot of comic readers today would absolutely hate this issue because of the word count (that’s why I’ve heard people hate Bendis. Just between you and me, he’s one of my favorite writers.) but for me I was engrossed even more with the amount of reading I had to do! It felt like a great universal monsters movie mixed with some pulpy action. Also just to add some context, my favorite Universal Monsters movie is Wolf-Man so I’m an easy lay here, I’ll admit. There’s even a mention of Lon Chaney Jr. which made me grin, not gonna lie. If I had to voice a nitpick and this goes for a lot of comics from this era, I hate the whole “he’s wearing a mask thing” it’s like really you can’t see that this dude is clearly a werewolf? But again, I think it’s just a sign of that era. So like I said with my Morbius posts, I’m a sucker for a tragic character and Jack Russell is similar to Michael but less villainous in these first two issues. Jack has the wolf genetics from his father and once he turned eighteen he started transforming into a werewolf every full moon. I like that there’s a physical struggle (that Jack has less control over) with Jack and the wolf but also a mental struggle between himself and his wolf-self. It just works so well. I also noticed right away that these issues mention the word “kill” and even show people dying a lot more than the Strange and Spidey comics I’ve made posts about. I wonder if because this is a horror comic, if they were free to show more death and killing? The comics authority were still around and they were sticklers for pretty much anything which often is why some comics are just really bad because they had to be careful about what content they showed. Jack’s mother dying immediately made me care more for the character but I’m biased because of my own personal loss (my mother) probably. I’m curious because the comic went back and forth between his stepdad being responsible for the death of his mother so I hope they give more of a confirmation at some point. Jack killing the man who killed his mother worked for me. I’m also a sucker for great anti-heroes and Jack fills that bill too. I think anti-heroes are probably more realistic than the straight up good guys but that doesn’t mean I don’t like heroes. So yeah I loved Marvel Spotlight #2.

So getting to Marvel Spotlight #3, I gotta say while I enjoyed it this was definitely less enjoyable for me than Jack’s initial debut issue in #2. We have a classic horror trope with a right-hand bad guy named Kraig very reminiscent of Igor but here more of a physical threat. At first I thought Kraig was Frankenstein’s Monster but just turned out to be a metal-handed heavy named Kraig. Jack gets tricked by Nathan Timly one of his “dad’s friends” and is chained in a dark room by Nate and his wife Andrea. Andrea had hair like Bride of Frankenstein which I liked. I do enjoy the various references to Universal Monster movies. One of my favorite moments is when Kraig loses his cool and kills Nate. It’s a very dark moment and I was surprised to see it happen in a Marvel comic from this era (it’d be different nowadays). I did feel for Kraig, he thinks Nate and Andrea are going to give him his hand back if he follows their directions. But sadly I think any reader knows that’s not going to happen. The whole time they have Jack they interrogate him because they want a book called the “Darkhold” (I was very excited when it was mentioned!). Anyways I liked the final fight between Kraig and Jack (great art throughout!) and how it ended with Kraig getting struck by lightning after he holds his hand in the sky. Brutal death. Then from what I can gather, Andrea is killed for trying to use spells without the Darkhold? I might be wrong about that. I gotta say I like when Jack is in and out of consciousness he thinks he sees a female figure in the distance and the way Mike Ploog drew her silhouette with a storm in the background was just great. Loved it. Overall I enjoyed the issue and can’t wait to explore more of Werewolf By Night!

(Marvel Spotlight #2 and Marvel Spotlight #3 written by Gerry Conway with pencilling and inking by Mike Ploog)

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 2x11 thoughts

For an episode that ends with a journalist Ted trusts but has (understandably) recently lied to warning Ted that he’s publishing an article about his panic attacks, it was fitting that this episode seemed entirely about what all of these characters choose to tell each other. And after most of a season of television that Jason Sudeikis has described as the season in which the characters go into their little caves to deal with things on their own, it turns out they are finally able to tell each other quite a lot.

Which is good because, um, wow, a lot is going to happen in the season finale of this show!

Thoughts on the things people tell each other behind the cut!

Roy and Keeley. I absolutely loved the moment during their photoshoot in which they bring up a lot of complicated emotional things and are clearly gutted (“gutted”? Who am I? A GBBO contestant who forgot to turn the oven on?) by what they’ve heard. We already know that Keeley and Roy are great at the kinds of moments they have before the shoot begins, in which Roy builds Keeley up and tells her she’s fucking amazing. From nearly the beginning of their relationship, they’ve supported each other and been each other’s biggest fans. But their relationship has gone on long enough that they’ve progressed from tentative arguments about space and individual needs into really needing to figure out what they mean to each other and how big their feelings are and what that means in relation to everything else. Watching these two confess about the uncomfortable kiss with Nate, the unexpectedly long conversation with Phoebe’s teacher, and—most painfully—the revelation that Jamie still loves Keeley didn’t feel like watching two people who are about to break up. (Although I could see them potentially needing space from each other to get clarity.) It felt like watching two people realize just how much they’d lose if they lost each other, which is an understandably scary feeling even—or especially—when you’re deeply in love but not entirely sure what the future holds. Not entirely sure what you’re capable of when you’ve never felt serious about someone in quite this way, and are realizing you have to take intentional actions to choose that relationship every single day. I’m excited to learn whether Roy and Keeley decide they need to solidify their relationship more (not necessarily an engagement, but maybe moving in together or making sure they’re both comfortable referring to the other as partner and telling people they’re in a committed relationship) or if things go in a different direction for a while.

Sharon and Ted. I’ve had this feeling of “Wow, Ted is going to feel so intense about how honest he’s been with Sharon and is going to end up getting really attached and transfer a lot of emotions onto the connection they have and that is stressful no matter how beneficial it has been for him to finally get therapy!” for a while now. And Sharon’s departure really brought that out and it was indeed stressful. But the amount of growth that’s happened for both of these characters is really stunningly and beautifully conveyed in this episode. Ted is genuinely angry she left without saying goodbye, and he doesn’t bury it some place deep inside him where it will fester for the next thirty years. He expresses his anger. (I also noticed he sweared—mildly—in front of her again, which is really a big tell for how much he has let his carefully-constructed persona relax around her.) He reads her letter even though he said he wasn’t going to, and he’s moved. I don’t think Ted has the words for his connection to Sharon beyond “we had a breakthrough,” but Sharon gets it, and is able to firmly assert a professional boundary by articulating her side of that breakthrough as an experience that has made her a better therapist. And is still able to offer Ted a different kind of closure by suggesting they go out before her train leaves. No matter how you feel about a patient/football manager seeing their therapist/team psychologist colleague socially, I appreciated this story because IMO it didn’t cross big lines but instead was about one final moment in this arc in which both Ted and Sharon saw each other clearly and modeled what it is to give someone what they need and to expect honesty and communication from them. I liked that Ted ends up being the one saying goodbye. (The mustache in the exclamation points!) I like that whether or not Sharon returns in any capacity (Sarah Niles is so wonderful that I hope she does, but I’m not sure), the goodbye these characters forge for themselves here is neither abandonment nor a new, more complicated invitation. It’s the end of a meaningful era, and although the work of healing is the work of a lifetime, it’s very beautiful to have this milestone.

Ted and Rebecca. So, maybe it’s just me, but it kinda feels like these two have a few li’l life things to catch up on?! (HAHHHHHaSdafgsdasdf!) I really adored their interactions in this episode. I maintain that Biscuits With The Boss has been happening this whole time (even when Ted’s apartment was in shambles, there’s biscuit evidence, and I feel like we’ve been seeing the biscuit boxes in Rebecca’s office pretty regularly too), even if it might have been more of a drive-by biscuit drop-off/feelings avoidance ritual. It was really lovely to see Ted on more even footing in Rebecca’s office, joking around until she tells him to shut up, just like the old days. And GOSH—for their 1x9 interaction in Ted’s office to be paralleled in this episode and for Ted to explicitly make note of the parallel in a way Rebecca hears and sees and understands?! MY HEART. In both of Rebecca’s confessions, she is not bringing good news but it is good and meaningful that she chooses to share with Ted. In both situations, Ted takes the moment in stride and offers acceptance equivalent to the gravity of what she has to confess. And in both situations, he’s not some kind of otherworldly saint, able to accept Rebecca no matter what because he’s unaffected by what she shares. He is affected. When he tells her about Sam, you can see a variety of emotions on his face. Rebecca is upset and Ted is calm, and even if I might have liked for him to try to talk about the risk the affair poses to the power dynamics on the team or any number of factors, I also really liked that he just accepts where she is, and—most importantly—does not offer her advice beyond examining herself and taking her own advice. A massive part of being in a relationship with another person (a close relationship of any nature) is figuring out how to support that person without necessarily having to be happy about every single thing they do. It’s so important that Ted connects what she’s just told him about Sam back to what she told him last season about her plot with the club. These both feel like truth bombs to him, and he is at least safe enough to make that clear. These are both things that impact him, things that shape how he sees her and maybe even how he sees himself. He cares about her and is capable of taking in this information; he has room for it. But it’s not something he takes lightly, and neither does she. See you next year.

Tumblr user chainofclovers and the TV show Ted Lasso. My brain is going wild thinking about all the ways the next “truth bomb” conversation could go in 3x11 or whatever. Maybe they go full consistent parallel and Rebecca confesses something else, this time about her and Ted or some other big future thing that impacts him as much or more as the other confessions have. (The same but different.) Maybe the tables turn and Ted has something to confess to her. While the 1x9 conversation ended in an embrace and the 2x11 conversation ended with a bit more physical distance (understandable given the current state of their relationship and the nature of the discussion), the verbal ending of both conversations involved voices moving into a sexier lower register while zooming in to talk specifically about their connection to each other, so I have to assume there will be some consistencies in s3 even if the circumstances will be completely different. I don’t really know where I’m going with this and I obviously will go insane if I sustain this level of anticipatory energy until Fall 2022 but I have a feeling my brain and heart are going to try!

Sam and Rebecca. I know there’s been a lot of criticism about whether this show is being at all realistic about the power dynamics and inevitable professional issues this relationship would create. On some level, I agree; I like that pretty much everyone who knows about the affair has been kind so far, but you can be kind and still ask someone to contend with reality. But I also think that in nearly every plot point on this show, the narrative is driven by how people feel about their circumstances first and foremost. (It’s why the whiteboard in the coaching office and the football commentators tell us more about how the actual football season is going from a points perspective than anyone else.) This episode reminded me how few people know about Sam and Rebecca, and how much their time together so far has been time spent in bed. The private sphere. I thought this episode really expertly brought the public sphere into it, not—thank goodness—through a humiliating exposure or harsh judgment but through an opportunity for Sam that illustrates not only all his potential to do great things but how much Rebecca’s professional position and personal feelings are in conflict with that. Could stand in the way of that. I don’t have a strong gut feeling about where this will go, but I do think Sam’s face in his final scene of this episode is telling. He started the episode wanting to see Rebecca (his most recent text to her was about wanting to connect), and Edwin’s arrival from Ghana really exploded his sense of what is possible for his life. If he’d arrived home to Rebecca sitting on his stoop prior to meeting Edwin, he’d have been delighted. Now he’s conflicted, and whatever decision he makes, he has to reckon with the reality that he cannot have everything he wants. No matter what. And Rebecca—she has taken Ted’s advice and is attempting to be honest about the fact that she can’t control Sam’s decisions but hopes he doesn’t go, and even saying that much feels so inappropriate. And I’m not sure how much she realizes about the inappropriateness of the position she’s putting him in, although maybe she’s getting there considering she exits the scene very quickly. I’ve honestly loved Rebecca’s arc this season. I think it’s realistic that she got obsessed with the intimacy she thought she could find in her phone. I think it’s realistic that her professional and personal ambitions are inappropriately linked. (They certainly were for Rupert. It’s been years since she’s known anything different; even if she’s done some significant recovery work to move on from her abusive marriage and figure out her own priorities, she’s got a long way to go.) I know there are people who will read this interaction between Rebecca and Sam as a totally un-self-aware thing on the part of “the show” or “the writers” but what I saw is two people who enjoyed being in bed together and now have to deal with the reality that they’re in two different places in their lives and that one has great professional power over the other. If that wasn’t in the show, I wouldn’t be able to see it or feel so strongly about it.

Edwin and Sam. I really enjoyed all the complexities of this interaction. Edwin is promising a future for Sam that doesn’t quite exist yet, though he has the financial means to make it happen. He offers this by constructing for Sam a Nigerian—and Ghanaian—experience unlike anything he’s found in London. Sam is amazed that this experience is here, and Edwin’s response is to explain to him that the experience is not here. Not really. The experience in Africa. Sam has of course connected to the other Nigerian players on the team, but this is something else entirely. I’m really curious if Sam is going to end up feeling that what Edwin has to offer is real or not. That sense of home and connection? So real. And so right that he would want to experience that homecoming and would want to be part of building that experience for others. But at the end of the day, he went to a museum full of actors and a pop-up restaurant full of “friends,” and is that constructed authenticity as a stand-in for a real homecoming more or less real than the home he’s building in Richmond? (With other players who stand in solidarity with him, and with well-meaning white coaches who say dumb stuff sometimes, and an a probably-doomed love interest, and a feeling that he should put chicken instead of goat in the jollof, and the ability to stand out as an incredible player on a rising team.)

Nate and everyone. But also Nate and no one. Nate’s story is so painful and I’m so anxious for next week’s episode. For a long time I’ve felt that a lot of Nate’s loyalties are with Richmond, and a lot of his ambitions are around having given so much to this place without getting a lot back, and having a strong feeling that he’s the answer to Richmond’s future. But now I’m not so sure; his ambitions have transferred into asking everyone he knows (except Ted, of course), if they want to be “the boss.” But Nate is all tactics and no communication. When he wants to suggest a new play to Ted, he hasn’t yet learned to read Ted’s language to learn that Ted is eager to hear what he has to say. And while Ted has been really unfortunately distracted about Nate and dismissive of him this season, he clearly respects Nate’s approach to football and was appreciative of the play. Nate just can’t hear that. The suit is such a great metaphor of all the things Nate is in too much pain to be able to hear clearly. Everyone digs at him for wearing the suit Ted bought him (including Will, who’s got to get little cuts in where he can, because he’s got to be sick of the way Nate treats him), but when he gets fed up his solution isn’t to go out on his own and find more clothes he likes; he asks Keeley to help him. And then crosses a major line with her...and no matter how kind she was about it, she was clearly not okay. Everything is going to blow up, and I’m so curious as to whether Nate will end up aligning himself with Rupert in some way or if he’s going to end up screwed over by Rupert and in turn try to screw over his colleagues even worse than he’s already done. Or try desperately to make amends even though it could be too late for some. Either way, I’m fully prepared to feel devastated. (And there’s no way I’m giving up on this character. If he’s able to learn, I truly believe he could end up seeking forgiveness and forging a happier existence for himself. Someday. Like in season 3 or something.)

Ted and Trent. Trent deciding to reveal his source to Ted is a huge deal, and I’m torn between so many emotions about this exposé. I’m glad it’s a Trent Crimm piece and not an Ernie Loundes piece. I’m glad that Trent made the decision to warn Ted and let him know that Nate is his source. I fear—but also hope—that this exposure will set off a chain reaction of Ted learning about some of the things he’s missed while suffering through a really bad bout with his dad-grief and panic disorder. The things Ted doesn’t know would devastate him. I wonder if Ted will want to figure out a way to make Nate feel heard and reconcile with him, and I wonder how that will be complicated if/when he realizes Nate has severely bullied Will, gets more details on how he mistreated Colin, etc. I wonder if Rebecca, whom Nate called a “shrew” right before she announced his promotion, will be in the position of having to ask Ted to fire him, or overriding Ted and doing it herself. So many questions! I have a feeling it’ll go in some wild yet very human-scaled, emotionally-nuanced direction, and I’ll be like “Oh my GOD!” but also like “Oh, of course.”

This VERY SERIOUS AND EMOTIONAL REVIEW has a major flaw, which is that none of the above conversations include mention of the absolute love letter to N*SYNC. Ted passionately explains how things should go while dancing ridiculously! Will turns on the music and starts gyrating! Roy nods supportively! Beard shouts the choreography like the Broadway choreographer of teaching grown men who play football how to dance like a boy band. Everyone is so incredibly proud when they nail it. I love them.

I cannot believe next week is the end. For now. I’m kind of looking forward to letting everything settle during the hiatus, but I’ve really loved the ride.

[girlstalkmichael]

Just finished new gossip girl and here's my thoughts:

all the characters were unlikeable to me except max and i thought it was just me but after a deep dive on youtube it turns out almost everyone feels the same way

the characters were bland and boring and i tried so hard to get invested in these characters and their storylines but it was torture

i hated some of max storylines especially the teacher thing and the the relationship with audrey and Aki thing but atleast he feels like a third dimensional character and have some depth to some extent in this show which can't be said about many charactes plus Thomas Doherty's acting is great

julien does not give the it girl vibes and charisma at all and in general it did not make much sense for her to be the it girl in the new York private school rich kids community like i it made sense for someone like blair and serena in the og to be in that position hell even Monet would fit more than her

also obi does not give the vibe that he's the prince of new York like the show likes to say

in general the casting is so off except Thomas

none of the characters have any distinct or unique personalities like the writers just copy pasted all the characters' perosnalities except maybe Max to some extent and in the og that was not the case at all from the first episode their personalities were shown maybe the only one who was a bit bland was nate but even him had redeeming qualities

The teachers being gossip girl make no sense at all either they make them actual villains of the show or make gossip girl a student because trying to make them heros is just so weird and inappropriate since they are litteraly teachers who are bullying their teen students

The writing is just terrible and that reflect on the plots and the characters drastically

the fact that the teachers revived gossip girl just to teach the students a lesson and to make them better people makes no sense since gossip girl never ever made anyone change for the better

the show was trying so hard to be woke and politically correct that they did not allow anyone to be complex characters, villains or anti heros and just wanted the viewer to root for everyone that ever set foot in that show

julien for some reason doesn't know how to control her minions and i thought they were the sort of minions like the ones with blair in the og but they just keep doing things behind her back and julien listens to them so easily like some times it feels like she is their minion in a way if you get me and julien in some point in the show acts like they were her bffs even though they've never showed that they care about her at all and she just needs to ditch them

the show didn't even try to make the viewer understand why all the group would be friends when they barely have anything in common and the group just feels awkward and just don't have any chemistry together

all the ships in the show were meh at best

The fact that there was so many poc being from really really high social class doesn't feel realistic to me and i know it's good to have representation in the media I'm a middle eastern muslim myself and i would be part of the minorities if i was living in the us so i understand the importance of representation

the acting wasn't great either except Thomas really gave it his all and I've seen some of them in other shows and their acting was fine there so it could be a product of bad writing or directing for some of them

and what's sad about this show is there was potential for it to be great

i hope they fire the writers who wrote the atrocity that is s1 since for some reason hbo decided to renew it

I enjoyed milo surprisingly and i know that georgina is going to be in s2 so i will watch s2 just for her and i hope that somehow the show can get better

I talked so much & thanks for anyone who read all that

Anyway i don't what other shows I'm gonna do this with next but i did have fun doing the gossip girl ones

[tennesseetrekkie]

Stargate/Leverage Crossover Ideas

I’m surprised I never see more fics/ficlets/prompts/just plain posts about these two universes. They’re canonically connected! (There are Stargate symbols on the wall in Lattimer’s vault in “The Last Dam Job”, the producers confirm it too). It’s actually the main reason I started watching Leverage and my need for a crossover has only grown since. Here’s a few thoughts I’ve had:

I 100% believe that Eliot was a member of an SG team. When Aimee said “it’s like you dropped off the face of the earth”, well, he did. They only take the best of the best and that’s Eliot. He’s fully aware of the existence of the Stargate program and aliens, etc.

While serving there he got involved with Maybourne’s team, he thought it was in the best interest of his country. He was one of the very few who didn’t get caught. I like to think he still has a few souvenirs from his time off-world, several highly classified things he really shouldn’t have. I don’t believe he left the base empty-handed. It’d make sense if he had a Goa’uld healing device, but that would mean at some point he ended up with naquadah in his blood, which given all the crazy things that have happened to him in his life wouldn’t be too surprising, but that’s a whole different story...

Eliot never mentions any of this to the rest of the team, not only would this put them in danger but earth being at war with ancient, parasitical aliens is pretty heavy knowledge. This is a lot of fun when SG-1 shows up...

In a crossover with SG-1 and the OG Leverage for me it would have to consist of Cameron Mitchell (the timeline puts it after O’Neill was promoted), Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Teal’c. I can’t figure out a scenario where Vala is included and doesn’t let it slip to the Leverage crew that aliens and spae travel are a thing.

There are two scenarios in which I can think of where these two would meet: First, the Leverage crew uncover something in a job that Eliot recognizes as alien (either an artifact, or maybe even a Goa’uld, that’d be fascinating if he did have naquadah and was able to spot the Goa’uld), he tries to deal with it without letting the team know but finally has to tell Nate they need to call the Air Force, it takes a lot of convincing especially since he can’t actually say why. Second, SG-1 shows up to a job the Leverage crew is already doing. Eliot recognizes them, they recognize him. Sam might even pull her gun. He gets them away from the Leverage crew to see what’s going on, meanwhile Hardison is running their faces through one of his ID programs and now everyone is wondering why Eliot is talking to “two USAF colonels, some loser who should be on Ancient Aliens, and some guy who... doesn’t exist?”. 

Whatever the case, it’s inevitable that these two have to work together. Only thing is, the Leverage crew can’t know SG-1 is here because aliens and SG-1 can't know that the Leverage crew is here because crime. The only one who can and does know everything is Eliot, who is the constant go-between for both of these teams, and also very tired. He definitely knows the Goa’uld language and uses it to talk to Daniel and Teal’c about the more... classified details of the job when the others are around. Yet again Hardison is confused when he tries to figure out what they’re speaking only to find out that it doesn’t exist.

Parker is strangely good at guessing things. She immediately 100% believes that Teal’c is an alien. Nate, Sophie, and Hardison assure her he can’t be, even though they’re not completely sure themselves, this whole thing is too weird. 

I can’t really figure out the rest of it, which is why I’m writing it this way instead of in an actual fic, but this is... something. Not sure what. This is really the most realistic version I’ve thought up. Headcannon where the Leverage crew actually do find out include (this is not any specific sequence or headcannon, just ideas):

The crew ends up on a small ship (maybe Eliot used rings to get them out of a dangerous situation or something) and Hardison and Sophie are visibly and audibly freaking out. Nate is trying to remain calm and failing, it’s not as intense as Hardison and Sophie, but he’s definitely freaked out. Eliot, of course, just rolls his eyes and yells at them to calm down as he goes to figure out the controls. Space ain’t nothing when you’ve been there hundreds of times. Then there’s Parker... Her reaction is basically to look out a window, smile, and call it “Cool!”. Everyone is a little taken aback by how she can just be okay with this?

Upon finding out about aliens and space travel Hardison is excited, terrified, and absolutely furious at Eliot for never telling him about it. There’s a headcannon I have of those two somehow getting transported to another planet and not knowing it at first and trying to figure out where they are. It takes Eliot a while to convince Hardison that they’re on another planet, because “yeah, it looks like Canada, that’s just what alien planets look like!”. 

Sophie trying to grift aliens... The game has changed and she is loving it! A whole new universe of challenges. Seeing that would be a thing of beauty.

All of it just causes Nate to drink more, unfortunately. It’s a lot to take in. But if Eliot had to tell just one member of the team about it (both to stop them from asking him to explain what’s going on and why can’t he tell them? and to convince them of the amount of danger they’re all in) it’d be Nate. He’d come away from that conversation very visibly shaken and tell the crew that Eliot’s right, they don’t need to know, at which point they accept it and back off.

Parker handles any strange situation well, so aliens are no big deal. I bet at one point someone (not Eliot) brings up Atlantis and she theorizes that “it’s probably actually a spaceship that flew off to another galaxy!”. Nate, Sophie, and Hardison just rolls their eyes or shoot her a weird look or something because what a stretch! But Eliot nearly chokes on his drink! He has to regain his cool really quickly because now everyone is looking at him, but how can she possibly know that?? He wonders if she ever stole classified material, but nope, Parker just made the most random guess possible and nailed it because Parker.

OH! And one more thing! One night in Nate’s apartment when they’re all getting ready for dinner Hardison has it on this weird cheesy scifi show and  is all like “look at this garbage!”, Eliot takes a look and is like “wait, what??” and sits down and starts watching. Dinner is now going to be late because this is hilarious! It gets canceled after one episode but he makes sure to catch the TV movie as soon as it airs. This is how Eliot Spencer became a “Wormhole X-Treme” fan and no one has a clue why.

If anyone else has a Stargate/Leverage headcannon, please, please, please share it!! Charater interactions, different senarios, ANYTHING! And let’s all hope that, even though Stargate hasn’t been around for a while, Leverage Redemption will throw us fathful fans a bone with some kind of reference!

[mermaidsirennikita]

Gotta say I only watched 2 episodes of Euphoria season 1 before I dipped out but all of the clips and gifs I've seen of season 2 look 10 times better to me. And yet I've seen disscusion that this season is not great? Specifically the writing not being great.

I'll be honest, I think Euphoria kind of has the same issue with its fandom that Succession did in season 3:

This is to say, there was a long(er than usual) gap between seasons, and a pandemic, and during that time the show blew up. Euphoria was successful in season 1, but its season 2 premiere ratings is evidence of the fact that it came back with a much bigger, much more vocal audience.

And some of that audience is great. Some of it... not so much. My perspective (just three episodes in, mind you) is that season 2, while imperfect, is better than season 1 thus far. I say this as someone who was uncomfortable with some of season 1. Now to be fair, you're always going to be uncomfortable with parts of Euphoria. Teens are fucking and doing drugs and getting into life-threatening situations. (While, it must be said, being played by adult actors). However, I often felt like season 1 kind of... traded in plot for shock factor. I feel like season 2, thus far, has more of a grip on who the characters are and where their stories should go. There are things I'm not a big fan of (the amount of Sydney Sweeney nudity--though! It must be said! Sydney has gone on the record as being comfortable with it and being able to say no to nudity, and she is an adult woman, so the "they are exploiting Sydney and she knows not what she does" rhetoric is a bit... condescending) but I think that the show is currently more cohesive than it was in season 1.

Tbh, a lot of the criticism I've seen is bullshit. That doesn't mean that I haven't seen valid, well thought out critiques. But honestly, a lot of what I've seen is like... Look at me, I know this show is MORALLY BAD, please do not BLAME ME for watching every week, I AM A GOOD PERSON!!!

And like, we're all watching the saaaaame scenes of Zendaya doing fentanyl, you know? I don't really see the point of watching the show if you're just going discuss how morally abhorrent it is to you. It's just a bit funny too, because the only reason why Euphoria is getting this kind of critique is that it has the HBO license to show more explicit sex, to show more explicit drug use. The activities depicted on this show has been depicted, in a less explicit sense, on teen shows for decades. Degrassi and Gossip Girl did all of this.

I also think that the show is doing things that fans kind of just don't like, and tbh as fandom has grown and become more of a "known" factor in society, I do think we have a lot of people in fandom who can't ride. This is not just a phenomenon with Euphoria--again, I saw very similar things happening in the Succession fandom. How could Rue do drugs again??? How could Rue and Jules be having relationship issues?

Conflict is the heart of a show, and when conflict makes sense, I enjoy it, personally. I love Rue. It hurts to see her in the depths of addiction. But it's realistic, and intriguing conflict for Rue to continue to dig herself into the hole of addiction. It's realistic for her to be an asshole to people because she is an addict. It makes sense that this would negatively affect her relationship with Jules, and it's realistic that Jules would look elsewhere.

In the same sense, it makes sense that Cassie, someone who has been depicted as having a lot of depression, a lot of self loathing, and a need for love from men, to seek out a boy who is not only KNOWN to be abusive, but the one person she shouldn't be with anyway because he was with her best friend. Cassie's relationship with Nate is hard to watch, and I see it being dinged a lot on social--but they're not giving us this relationship because they're trying to romanticize abuse. It's actually a pretty harsh reality that I think makes total sense of Cassie as a character, and it makes sense that Nate would prey upon her.

Another thing--although I think this show portrays emotionally authentic things for teenagers, it's very clear that we aren't supposed to see this as the way life should be or is for teens. The heightened costumes, the fact that poor girls are carrying designer bags, the cinematography. The show is very clearly coded as surreal, and that does make me give it some license. Does that mean everyone else needs to like it? No.

But I don't know. It just seems a bit hypocritical to me that because this show is depicting things that are very much PRESENT but more ALLUDED TO in other shows, it's suddenly the bridge too far lmao.

[tobesobri]

This!!!

Sometimes i read rhis stuff and i think ugh what about sex education? But then I think again and the whole point of explicit nudity and sex there is completely different so i guess its ok? I hope so because i love sex education lol

well the difference with sex education (ive only watched the first season so i may be wrong but) is that they are teenagers navigating being teenagers and like dealing with sex in their relationships as teens. its age appropriate and more about being informative and open about experiences that teens find themselves in. meanwhile euphoria is like. adult shit but with teen characters, if that makes sense. like they really should have changed the setting. it could have been set in college and they could have done what they wanted instead of giving people the ick bc we’re literally all adults watching this show about high school characters having very adult experiences. like i do like the show bc im still foolishly rooting for rue dkcndb but this season is getting on my nerves. it feels like more than ever they’re relying on shock value nudity to make up for how shitty the plot has become.

on another note too i just remembered that tiktok trend of people being like ‘when you forget you go to euphoria high’ like just the way they dress says everything. none of the ‘teens’ in sex education dress like they do in euphoria. and yes i love all the makeup and outfits and stuff but only on the actors themselves. the teen characters its like? you would never wear that to high school bc you would be dress coded the second you stepped foot on campus ckvn and im not saying euphoria is necessarily realistic but its just the difference between teens experiencing being a normal hormonal teenager and teens/the high school experience being sexualized. (plus like this past episode when lexi came out with her play i was like oh shit yeah— they’re in high school bc like they never fucking do school related things. i have no idea what their grades are like surely cassie’s grades are suffering rn with this nate obsession chvb)

also (sorry this is so long winded i have too many thoughts) i guess i could compare it to this like trope in writing and fanfic too. authors will write their main female character being super inexperienced and virgins and when they get to the sex scenes its like hardcore p*rn banging. like that’s how euphoria is. and then there’s authors who make the sex fit that context and don’t just throw random shit in for the hell of it, that would be sex education. like if you want hardcore banging right off the bat, just write an ofc who is experienced. (and in euphoria’s case, just make the damn characters adults)

so anyway! yes i agree that the intent is very different between sex education and euphoria and i would not compare the two on the grounds of sexualization bc i don’t think sex education does and euphoria most definitely does.

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

how do u think dan and blair's relationship would be during derena's loveless marriage? do you think that they would have a affair (even if it is not a physical one) or that dan would still be in love with her, for example?

this was such a fun qn! (answer's a bit depressing, as all post-canon stuff tends to be.) under the cut :D

it depends entirely on those 5 years, i feel. it's really easy (& fun!) to be like 'ah yes dan never stopped loving blair' (& it's not that unlikely, either) but five years is plenty of time to get over someone, too, so i think it's super ambiguous. when s6 ends, before the time skip, dan and blair loathe each other - and understandably so!! they both betrayed each other's trust in a really big way, so that would need to be fixed in some way.

my brain being mine, i am always pushing the dan in my head towards the nate in my head, because i really do think once we're post-canon, anything can happen! but yeah, i love post-canon dan/blair too for the reason of like... canon being the way it is, i don't think dan OR blair would be happy/satisfied in their marriage.

we see how chuck treats blair so much in canon. he prioritises his business over her, and that never changes, it's that way even in s6 which was supposed to be a chair fix-it of some sort, i guess. and at times he is violent and controlling and possessive of her. none of this is good, obviously. and i think in some ways, it would make sense for blair to gravitate towards dan, because dan has been a source of stability and help for her before, when her life was crumbling around her, he was her safe space ("i would never have survived the last month without you"). dan has seen her at her worst and still believed in her (despicable b, anyone?) so i do think just by the way derena/chair marriages work out, dan and blair would have ample opportunity to gravitate towards each other - especially given they run in the same social circles now or whatever, blair and serena are best friends, serena and chuck are step-siblings (everyone and their mother knows how i feel about that).

potential doesn't necessarily mean it would actually happen, though, especially given how things ended for them last time. dan could very well be like 'blair i'm not doing this for you again' or whatever - though it's very unlikely, just given his character, and how easily he forgives people he cares about (case in point, vanessa, when she returns in 1x06). dan and blair ultimately get each other on a wavelength nobody else gets them - which is what is so fun about them as a friendship or a relationship. they both have similar taste in art/movies, have engaging conversations, intellectually stimulate each other, and all that. i could see them both missing that, even when they're like "that relationship was a total flop i could never do it again", even then, they would be like "yeah but that museum we visited together..... the points that were made in that conversation...."

like i think they would miss each other, a lot. as people MORE than as romantic partners. dan would miss his friend blair, and blair would miss her friend dan. but they're BOTH incredibly stubborn, and they both also hurt the other REALLY badly. so that would need to be worked through at some point (maybe during the 5 year flash forward) then i think a dair affair is actually really likely. they've always been good at denial and warped logic, after all; i could see them falling into each other out of mutual dissatisfaction and loneliness in their own marriages and that eventually grows into love.

but my personal favourite dan headcanon is that he wouldn't really be in love with blair during his married life. like i don't see him really pining over her. i see him feeling completely wrung out and emptied and dried, where love is concerned. dan and blair both love with all their heart, and for dan, i think after blair, he would feel like he could never love anyone again (yeah, not even blair) because of how shattering that heartbreak is (and how little he really got to heal, to be honest.) i think that'd explain the derena wedding, even, because if he's never going to get the sparkly romance feel, why not go for a pale imitation of it with the one person who's in the same boat, the one person who's seen all his bullshit and seen him at his most cruel and somehow still loves him?

blair, on the other hand, is married to chuck. who is a black hole when it comes to blair's big heart. chuck likes the fact that blair loves so wholly and completely and with so much of herself, and he wants all of blair's love, and all of blair. i don't think blair would end up with the same issue as dan, of 'how can i love', i think she'd know that she has a big heart, but she'd feel caged in by it perhaps. in a very 'chuck is the only person i haven't scared away; maybe i am Too Much for anyone else.'

if dan & blair's loathing/resentment for each other and the hurt they feel has been resolved, i think it is possible they could, despite trying so hard to avoid it, despite doing their BEST not to become dan-and-blair again, despite ALL that, they could end up falling in love. and it would be different from the first time, because they know what the worst thing they could do to each other is; because they've already done the worst thing they could do to the other. in that sense if they are able to get together now, they'd probably communicate better and be more realistic and be extremely stable. perhaps they would leave their marriages for each other.

but i think it's equally likely for dan to go, 'blair, i can't do this again, i am not enough of a person to help you, i have my own problems and i just cannot be your support system or rock anymore,' and maybe blair would go, 'i can help you too, dan,' but i don't see dan accepting her help, or even believing she could help him. something i think about a lot is dan's entire thing with losing milo, and the parallel that exists with blair's miscarriage. it could've been so easy for blair to use that parallel to form a connection with dan, for her to actively talk about milo or let him know that she gets it. instead, we don't get that at any point. the only mention of blair knowing about milo that we get which i remember is her 'look, it's georgina's baby!' at w - which is really mean, actually! dan doesn't take it to heart because he's all 'blair waldorf, whatever' but it's a depressing line because it shows that blair knew he had been hurt in that way and yet never came back to it. i'm bringing this up because i think that could probably play a role into like, dan wondering if blair has ever actually seen him in a bad place where he's really hurt and feels totally lost, and dan wondering if blair knows how to navigate that. because, well... serena has!! serena & dan are very much always holding hands when one of them hits rock bottom (whatever else they don't have, this is something they always did.)

i mean. i do think blair's a natural caretaker, but i think it's extremely possible dan wouldn't let her take care of him, you know? so yeah. my answer remains: depends on those 5 years of flash forward, entirely!! 50/50 either way.

[masonscig]

water

wayhaven summer fic #5

pairing | nate x ramona

word count | 2.1k

warnings | mention of sex, an innuendo

author’s note | i tried to figure out how to get around nate’s aversion to water, and i hit a wall so... i dug around it and decided to write an actor!au !!!! i’d seen a comic months and months ago by @/pvnkvampr and another one that i can’t seem to find again, but i wanted to take that and apply it to nate and ramona! nate’s the type to fall in love with his costar after years of working together and you can’t convince me otherwise. also, to clarify !!! the beginning of the fic is supposed to be like nate x ramona’s romance route so any of the exposition centered around their relationship being fleeting/him being deeply in love with her is nate the character rather than the actor! (you’ll see lmao i’m definitely overexplaining) this is a bit of a stretch bc they’re on the water... and ramona drinks water. but whatever it works !!!!!

•─────────────────•

She was standing on the edge, looking out at the glimmering water, the sun, high in the sky, skipping off of each wave like a smooth rock.

The wind whipped her hair, tossing her short curls until they were unruly, and she was smiling.

Her grin was wide, eyes closed, as she inhaled, drinking it all in – the sunshine fueled her.

Half of Unit Bravo were under the deck, quietly stewing in annoyance. They’d given up complaining to Ramona, though. Frankly, she didn’t care.

Farah was passed out on the floor underneath a sliver of shade at the top of the yacht, chest heaving as she slept soundly. Ramona had taught her how to swim earlier, and she’d used all of her energy flailing around determinedly in the relentless July rays.

Nate watched her as she held her arms out to her sides, fingers outstretched, chin tipped towards the sky.

She was unbridled joy held together by the strings of her bikini, and she radiated a warmth that could rival even the summer sun itself.

So unrestrained that changes didn’t phase her – most conflict rolled off her shoulders in a way that startled Nate, a being who’d existed for hundreds of years and had seen the best and the worst of it.

Nothing baffled him more than this part of his existence.

The way love fell into his lap and he didn’t have to try anymore. 

But despite it all, he’d deluded himself into thinking it was permanent – they were permanent. And they weren’t. And that was okay.

“Oh, you’re back!” She grinned, stretching her arm out until her fingertips grazed his bare arm, her palm warm against his skin. “I was wondering what you were up to.”

“I had to do a quick wellness check of our crew –”

“– Oh my god, are Adam and Morgan still seething down there?–” She asked, cutting him off with a laugh.

“– Very much so, I’m afraid,” he said, his mischievous smile betraying his tone.

“I thought a tiny little shindig would be better than a huge shebang, you know?” She turned in his grip, back against the railing, his arms curled around the bare skin of her waist.

“You’re still trying to stump me? Give it a rest, love,” Nate laughed into the thick mess of curls at the top of her head, pressing a kiss to her sun-warmed strands.

“I will say a phrase you don’t know and then you’ll owe me some juicy Agency secrets,” she giggled, snaking her arms around his neck.

“Like what?” He asked, lips straining at corners, his grin threatening to falter.

“Like how the hell does Morgan wear jeans and no underwear? That’s something I can’t for the life of me wrap my mind around,” she all but shuddered.

“That’s an answer you’ll have to coax out of her, unfortunately.” He said, a bit distracted.

“You know you can keep your Agency secrets, mister secret agent. I have no need for ‘em,” she stuck her tongue out, still stained bright red from the margarita she’d finished hours before.

He must’ve looked puzzled, because she continued, inching in closer until he could feel her everywhere and it wasn’t in the least bit appropriate.

“We both know you have even juicier secrets to spill,” she said, before leaning in to whisper the last bit, her fingers tangled through his hair.

“And I’ll lap up every last drop of ‘em,” she murmured, kissing his earlobe.

The pads of his fingers were sunken into the flesh of her hips, and he tried desperately to anchor himself to spare the others, but he couldn’t get a grip on anything but her warm, warm, sunkissed skin –

He blanked.

His thoughts were scrambled and he couldn’t form words. Couldn’t recall the words he needed to say. But he could see the paper so clearly –

“Line?” He mumbled, feeling her go limp with disappointment in his arms.

Farah groaned from across the deck.

“Cut!” The director yelled, and all but stormed over to him. “What happened out there? You were on a fuckin’ roll! The chemistry was insane. God, I wish you could’ve been watching –”

“Don’t make him feel like shit over it, Craig,” she gently warned, stepping forward just a bit until she’d angled her body between them. “I flubbed my lines all last week and he was so patient with me.”

Craig sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, the wrinkled skin between his brows crinkling even further. “Alright, alright, I get it. Not gonna hound you over one take, but I need you to get it in gear, man. We’ve only got a couple more hours of sunlight in this godforsaken shitheap, and we’ve gotta wrap this part up so we can film the sunset kiss –”

“I understand. I won’t mess it up this time,” Nate promised, glancing over to his co-star with an apologetic smile.

Ramona shrugged, waving his statement away. “It’s fine, seriously. I’m totally okay with running that again.” “Speak for yourself! I’m dying out here,” Farah called from across the deck before turning back to the hair and makeup people, pursing her lips for more lip balm and sunscreen. “Please get it right this time, Agent Sewell.”

“That’s just the name of my character –”

“I’m well aware of that,” she yelled, cutting him off. “Method acting. You get it.”

His co-star shook her head, patting him on the back. “Don’t mind Miss Hauville. She’s just upset she was dragged out here to lie down on a hot sundeck like a dead body for half of an episode.”

He laughed at that, relieved that his co-star was keeping things light.

Truth be told, he’d had a rough time getting his on-screen family to cooperate with him, much like the character Nate Sewell.

Adam’s actor was a notoriously nice guy, but he had a knack for intense method acting, so he’d been a stoic asshole for months – there was no getting through to that guy when he was in filming mode. Morgan’s actress was a bit of a wildcard. She was fucking the executive producer and everyone except Craig knew it.

Farah’s actress was arguably the biggest success of them all – she was constantly booked and busy and effortlessly making headlines. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that she was only there as a favor, not because she wanted to.

She was a film star who never touched TV, but hell, she was half the reason millions of people tuned into the pilot episode.

The Wayhaven Chronicles wouldn’t be the same without her, or Ramona’s actress, the fan favorite. Yeah, she was the protagonist, but the cast, crew, fans, and everyone alike loved her.

And he had a bit of a crush.

He was aware that on set romances usually fell apart before they could really begin, but he couldn’t help it.

Not only did he spend nearly all of his free time with her running lines and hanging out in her trailer, but to make matters worse his character was canonically falling for hers, and… he found himself enamored with her, too.

He’d never admitted it out loud, and probably never would, but it was getting harder and harder to push those feelings away when they had to share an on screen kiss.

Season one wasn’t too bad, considering they were just testing the waters to see who the fan favorite love interest was out of the four of them, but by the end of it, social media had all but rioted to lock in the “Natemona” romance plot.

And there they were, well into season two, a handful of kisses shared (a lot more than that considering the reshoots and the practicing) and a plot decided.

And he was into her – way more than he’d like to admit.

The rest of filming went pretty smoothly. He got over his nerves and kissed her like a champ, and they got patted on the back for their realistic chemistry by all the execs and producers on set.

When they finally broke for a quick food break, she followed him to his trailer.

“People are gonna eat this episode up, huh?” She asked, closing the door behind them and grabbing a water bottle from his fully stocked mini-fridge.

“Surely they will,” he agreed, stepping around her to grab his salad from the fridge. “If they were rallying for the relationship before, they’ll be vindicated this episode.”

She laughed into the rim of her bottle before chugging it. “So why were you frazzled today? Something at home?”

He eyed her, raising a brow.

She held her hands up in mock surrender, before plopping onto the couch across from him. “You don’t have to answer, dude, I’m just lending my ear.”

He chewed thoughtfully, trying to choose his words wisely. He swallowed, took another bite, chewed.

His mind was just as blank as the deck scene.

He shook his head before setting his food down. “I’m sorry I’ve been off today.”

“I don’t care if you’re not feeling like yourself. It’s normal to have an off day. I just wanna know if you’re okay,” she said with a tenderness that he’d never heard from a co-star before. 

“To be quite honest, you’ve been distracting me,” he admitted, timidly.

She pursed her lips. “What can I do to fix it?” 

He squirmed in his seat. God, this was a lot harder than he thought it’d be.

“It’s, uh, nothing you can really fix. It’s all me.”

“Well, what can I do to help?”

He shook his head again, glancing away from her.

“Look, I know Craig’s been rough on us this week, but don’t let it get to you. We can practice more –”

“It’s not that, I promise.”

She waited, sensing that he had more to say. He took a deep breath, then continued.

“It’s something I don’t want to admit to you. It’s embarrassing.”

“Honey, my last job involved waxing places that would make your grandmother gasp. I promise nothing phases me,” she joked, running a hand through her hair.

“There’s… quite a few lines Nate says this season that I’ve resonated with,” he started, trying to figure out what he was gonna pull out of his ass.

She sipped her drink, waiting.

“Things like… ‘I care for you, Ramona’ and, uh, ‘You’re important to me’,” he said, twisting the ends of his summery button up shirt between his fingers.

“Yeah, same here. We’ve become really close –”

She stopped abruptly the moment she noticed the look in his eye. And the subtext hit her like a truck.

“The things Nate feels for Ramona… I find myself feeling for you,” he admitted, hesitantly, looking anywhere but her face.

“If you don’t feel the same, that’s okay. I’ve just developed a bit of a workplace crush that I can’t quite shake, and that’s my fault –”

She stood from the couch, and he glanced up at her, finally, nervous to see how she’d taken it.

And before he could register what was happening, her lips were on his – a sweet tender kiss. 

One that, scarily enough, felt exactly like the last time they’d kissed. And the time before that. And the time before that. And the time before that. 

When she pulled away, she cupped his cheeks with the softest touch in the world, gazing down at him with an expression like she’d gotten the best news of her life.

“Those kisses weren’t just practice to me, either,” she whispered, stroking the pad of her thumb across his stubble. “I just wasn’t sure if you felt the same.”

He blanked. Again.

He couldn’t find any words, so he did what Nate would do. What he wished he’d had the courage to do for over a year.

Gently enclosing his arms around her waist, he tugged her down to the couch with him, planting kisses across her face, cheeks, nose, lips, over and over and over, revelling in the broken giggles that erupted from her.

Maybe allowing the essence of Nate Sewell and how he loved pervade his life over the past year and a half of filming was the right step. It’d gotten him the girl, after all.

[garrothromeave]

the hell is mystreet season 6??

(warning, long post ahead)

ok so before i start this

1) ive never posted shiiiit on tumblr before so watch me suffer, im just here to talk about stuff that my friends who dont know anything about aphmau have to listen to me rant about for hours on end

2) i havent seen mystreet in like years (except season 3, i watch that frequently since im laurance and shadow knight deprived) so please bear with me because i might be completely wrong on this lol. it’s just like, pointing out things i remember

3) im sure someones already talked about this but who cares

4) im gonna do this stupid thing where i just explain myself a bit at first, if you dont want to read that just skip to the part where you see “the actual thingy:” in bold and italics 

5) mild disclaimer; i am completely aware that jessica is not a professional writer. i know that she did her best to appeal to her fans, and honestly, respect for that. while this post will come off as aggressive and probably look like hate, that’s not my intention in the slightest. it’s just... intense criticism. im sure y’all probably already know that, but yeah, just stating that anyways. i do believe that jess is doing her best, and in no way do i want to dismiss any hard work she’s done. that being said; prepare for a very strongly opinionated post.

haha watch there be 10000+ typos in this making me look like a complete dumbass

ok here we go 

one of the main reasons i stopped watching aphmau back in 2017 was the mess that was season 4. like, in the first few episodes of the emerald secret, i thought “woah!! this is kinda cool, im a sucker for mystery!” because of course i was, it was something new and something exciting. the only problem i had with it at the time was kim, but that’s just because i always found her annoying and out of place. i just didn’t understand why garroth dragged her along and honestly i still don’t to this day BUT, moving on.

anyways, as the season progressed, 13 year old me was of course just “:0!!” the entire time--that is, up until the reveal of the main villain. i remember watching the episode, seeing the reveal of ein, and then stopping. like, just for a quick break, but i was still just overwhelmingly disappointed. like, and this was the time when pdh was airing and ein just got made alpha (i think?) and i had really really liked eins character in pdh. either way, that really sucked and actually opened my eyes to a lot of things.

one of the main things bein’ the fact that this was supposed to be a slice of life kinda series that decided to take a turn to a more edgy kinda approach. which, i guess i regularly wouldnt mind? but seeing as mcd was kinda bein neglected at the time it just didnt sit right with me. BUT WHATEVER, point is i stopped watching mystreet all together at the end of season 4.

like, a whole year later my brother tells me that shit’s getting intense in season 5 + 6 of mystreet, and my brilliant self decided to give it a shot--but i refused to watch all of season 5, so i only stepped in when ein made an appearance. so whenever that was, that’s where i picked up because i didnt care enough to see 

and y’know--i honestly didn’t hate it at first. in fact, i found it oddly cool. it wasn’t enough to get me into aphmau again, but it was enough to where i was intrigued. i dont know why, but i never watched the finale, so i didnt see the ending until just a few weeks ago--but back then, i thought it was neat. looking back on it however... im just so confused. 

side note: only got back into aphmau this time around because of mcd. mainly because like, i adore the first season and the first half of the second season. and being nearly 18 now, im a lot more appreciative of plot and well-written characters n junk. 

the actual thingy:

ok back on track. imma stop spilling out my story of how i got back into aphmau, and lets just skip to what rewatching mcd made me realize of season 6′s plot and shit:

-emmalyn. how the fuck does ghost even remotely exist? if she’s emmalyn as claimed, then why have we already seen emmalyn in the mystreet universe alive? look i get that creators can do whatever they want with their stories but at the same time please provide some sort of explanation good god. and maybe they did and i just havent seen it, so if there is one--let me know. but until that day imma just sit here confused as fuck

-ok so imma just be real, the whole ‘ultima’ thing is just... not great. in my opinion, anyways. like... i saw someone mention this in another post, but if this ultima stuff was like, a really big deal, why isnt it mentioned in mcd? though i suppose since its a curse of sorts, it could be later on past the time period in which mcd takes place--but even then, how did it manage to make its way into aaron’s family bloodline? 

-WHY IS EVERYONE AT STARLIGHT ITS JUST SO CONVINIENT like what happened to this place being the most expensive shit on the planet or whatever, and how the gang happens to run into like, the werewolf trio and blaze and kai and guy and nate all of these people like god damn life doesnt WORK LIKE THAT 

-im sorry but turning people into relics? thats... thats the best you could come up with? plus, like, how does that even work? in mcd it’s established that relics are separate entitles that choose their wielder, based on a ‘personal’ connection (being a descendent of a previous wielder) or if they’re a good match personality and (i think?) moral wise. so the whole turning-people-into-relics doesnt make much sense to be honest. 

-irene really over here using her god powers to only keep her friends alive like god damn not a great god if you ask me 

-can i talk about how incredibly predictable aphmaus death was? like i just kinda sat there waiting for it to happen and when it did i literally went “haha! wonder when she’ll be revived” because god forbid we actually kill off characters 

-when aphmau + demon warlock fought in the irene dimension there was no passage of time whatsoever in the real world whiiiiiiiiich really bothers me because they fought in there for at least a few minutes

-speaking of aphmau and the demon warlocks fight does it bother anyone else that it had to be aaron who took over the fight?? like we get it hes the big protector blah blah blah but god damn it wouldve been cooler if aphmau had fought this battle as her. aaron fighting this battle was so underwhelming

-...love. like, thats the only thing thats needed to break out of a forever potion? love? LIKE YEAH, GOOD GUYS GOTTA WIN SOMEHOW, but its just so cliche and overdoneeee

-oh yeah and also when travis went bonkers and became the demon warlock or whatever, why’d he only take over katelyn and garroth?? like, zane had been influenced by the potions in the past as well? DONT GET ME WRONG--i do love some good brother edge, but uh, the demon warlock was just bein kinda a dumbass by not possessing zane too just sayin’

-can aaron please go to fucking jail for mass murder now like holy shit, he just got sent home on a fuckin boat. also why did blaze forgive him for killing him thats not even remotely realistic. then again, nothing in mystreet has ever been realistic when it comes to characters and motives and personalities, (cough katelyn being actually abusive and travis being an actual pervert) but yknow whatever

-katelyn and kawaii chan literally added nothing to the plot whatsoever. like lets be real, katelyn lost her personality the moment season 5 started and kawaii chan just kinda sits there :I

-ok im sorry this was bound to come up but cmon guys imagine laurances potential if he was in season 6 like god damn this is beyond maddening. AND YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY REALLY COOL PARRALLEL?? IF IT WAS LAURANCE WHO SNAPPED GARROTH OUT OF HIS MIND CONTROL THING, because it would mimic laurance’s speech to get garroth to snap out of his rage in season 1, episode 100 of minecraft diaries. like how fuckin rad would that have been? missed opportunity 

-also?? why does kim/ghost know magicks?? like, if i remember correctly, emmalyn is a scholar--not someone who knew magicks. i mean, i guess research? study?? but its been established that knowing how magicks works =/= being able to use magicks. i dunno, just doesnt seem right i guess. maybe its explained, i wouldnt know (yes i know that makes me look like a dick leave me alone)

-melissa should have stayed dead. LIKE, NO, ITS NOT AS SIMPLE AS “haha it takes more than a few bullets to kill me”??? look ive got nothing wrong with melissa (cough lie cough) but yknow it would have just been cool a character... stay dead? for once? its just too fuckin cliche that shes alive god damn

-can i also just say the only good thing that came out of season 6 was travis’ dads sacrifice like damn that made me actually sad

-howww was lucinda turned into a relic. or yknow, anyone else? like im sure they explain it better in the actual show i just dont remember, but its just that easy? turning anyone into a relic? granted, a normal person wouldnt be able to produce a good relic, but idk man. IM JUST SAYING; that the only really powerful relics that aphmau should have been able to wield is the one that aaron + zane produced because shad relic and esmund relic moment. lucinda isnt even like, connected to a divine warrior. ALSO, another point, if its seriously that powerful of a relic getting one from just a magic user like lucinda, why go through the trouble? i mean i guess ofc youd want the “all powerful” one that the ultima produces but i mean damn whats the point

-ok this is just going to bother me but in one of the episodes (i think might have been in season 5 actually) where that like, guardian dude was chasing aphmau and zane and at one point they split up and the dude just chuckles at zane diverting paths and goes under his breath “youre not the important one here”, suggesting that aphmau somehow is? first of all, id argue that any ro’meave is significantly more important than aphmau was, especially not knowing much about her other than that shes with aaron. i might be missing some bits an pieces, but if i was that dude id forget about aphmau and go after zane 

-killing off derek for shock factor sucked, and i know the moment was supposed to be really sad because like “oh :( aarons dad is sacrificing himself for his son” but lets be real dereks still was a shitty father and i dont think his reasons for doing what he did was very good at all

-less about plot or more like: why the absolute fuck did the gang bring kim along instead of, oh i dont know, a life-long friend? like, laurance or dante maybe?? im sure its explained, i never saw aphmaus year or most of season 5, but god DAMN id hate to be apart of this friend group AND GOD LIKE, imagine reconnecting with an old friend who ends up getting closer to your best friends and taking priority in their lives over you (cough laurance) like god damn lol

-im just going to preface this one with: i dont remember everything that’s happened, so if im wrong i apologize in advance--but (you actually can correct me if im wrong and please do) didnt like, irene reincarnate her friends in order to give them better lives? I DONT KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE, ITS JUST WHAT I REMEMBER--however, if im correct, then:

a. why the hell would she bring back someone like zane, or gene, or ivy, etc.

b. why the hell do they all have the same exact names? first and last? again, im aware that the whole mystreet+mcd tie wasn’t originally supposed to be there, but i dont think that means such a coincidence can be excused? its just a bit much if you ask me.

c. why the hell is the fact that (as much as i literally hate this) aaron is a decedent of shad being ignored? like, you’d think that something like this would be something thats actually important, or something the demon warlock couldve taken advantage of. or are we completely erasing every other connections to divine warriors besides aphmau + irene? because even if irene did reincarnate them or do whatever it is she did, does she even have the power to sever the connections between them and their ancestors? my guess is, no.

d. speaking of irene why on earth was aphmau able to talk to/see irene, they’re literally the same person are they not? did she like, fuckin reincarnate herself without actually doing it?? BUT--i will give it to them, the demon warlock did refer to aphmau as something along the lines of being “one of the 3 parts of her broken soul” or something like that. however, my point still remains. also what are the other two did i miss that or is it never explained

now; if irene in fact did not ‘reincarnate’ her friends then please ignore that little bit right there :)

but yes, those are a few of the problems i have with season 6 off the top of my head. i would go into like, season 4 and 5 more as well, but i honestly didnt feel like it. at some point i might go into other things, like how important laurance could have been to the plot of these later seasons, or HELL, even dante. i might also go into what could have made season 4, 5, and 6 actually good--maybe... a rewrite? perhaps? but im getting too far ahead of myself, so i just leave you with this for now.

and i know that as soon as i post this 15 more things are just going to pop into my head BUT im going to try and not edit this post because why stress myself with that even more

anyways thank you for coming to my tedtalk 

[wellhalesbells]

✨✨ TOP FIVES FOR 2020 ✨✨

2020 was, i think we can all agree, a massively chaotic year but i have never consumed as much media before in my life, so i thought others might benefit from my slothery uh, connoisseur.... ship?  yes, that.  below are the books, comics, shows, and movies that got me through!

B O O K S .

the starless sea, by erin morgenstern - i loooove this book because it loves me back.  it says: ‘oh, you’re a reader, well i have just the thing for you.’  it luxuriates in language and story and riddles and fairy tales and it feels like an entire library in a single tome.

they never learn, by layne fargo - oh fuuuuuck, this was satisfying.  i thought it might feel a little exploitative as it is very aware of the zeitgeist and likely would not exist without the #metoo movement but it never ever did.  this was a fucking ROMP, period.  reading about a woman getting away with murdering skeezy guy after rapey guy after shitty human just made me happier and happier.

moonflower murders, by anthony horowitz - this is the second in the susan ryeland series (and the first was hardcore good fun too) and really feels very classic mystery with the artful twist of catering to the literary community.  mainly because: susan isn’t a detective, she’s an editor and she gets drafted in this time because the clue to what happened to a missing woman is in a book she edited, if she can find it.  both of the books in this series have such an excellent coming together moment that is rare af to find.

the invisible life of addie larue, by v.e. schwab - the writing in this is just so good.  it has that feel to me where i just want to drop the book and open up my own page and let my fingers fly.  it’s that inspiring kind of writing that reminds you of all the things language can do.

crown of feathers/heart of flames, by nicki pau preto - aaahhh, this series is SO FREAKING GOOD!  why is there not more of a fandom for it, why???? it is so many of my favorite tropes all resting perfectly together to the point where you almost forget they’re tropes because they just so naturally evolved there.  ugh, it’s just.... it’s so heart-bursty good.

.... number 5, part 2?  raybearer, by jordan ifueko - this was just so original and i was invested af.  like, what a brilliant idea though and an even better execution??  i loved every character and am so looking forward to the next in the series so i can get to know them even better!!

honorable mentions (sh*t i still liked a whole heckuva lot): you/hidden bodies, by caroline kepnes // writers & lovers, by lily king // i’ll be gone in the dark, by michelle mcnamara // the faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, by joseph fink & jeffrey cranor // girl, serpent, thorn, by melissa bashardoust // a little life, by hanya yanagihara // the guinevere deception, by kiersten white // obsidio (and the entire illuminae series), by amie kaufman & jay kristoff // the bone houses, by emily lloyd-jones // house of salt and sorrows, by erin a. craig // we hunt the flame, by hafsah faizal // savage legion, by matt wallace // blacktop wasteland, by s.a. cosby // crier’s war, by nina varela // the empress of salt and fortune/when the tiger came down the mountain, by nghi vo // upright women wanted, by sarah gailey // the monster of elendhaven, by jennifer giesbrecht // a deadly education, by naomi novik // you let me in, by camilla bruce // when you ask me where i’m going, by jasmin kaur // the lights go out in lychford/last stand in lychford (and the entire lychford series), by paul cornell // the devil and the dark water, by stuart turton // serpent & dove, by shelby mahurin // one by one, by ruth ware // ruthless gods (this was SUCH an upshot from the first book - it’s worth sticking with if you’re on the fence), by emily a. duncan // cemetery boys, by aiden thomas // the inheritance games, by jennifer lynn barnes // the fortunate ones (2021 release), by ed tarkington

C O M I C S .

cosmoknights, by hannah templer - the art was gorgeous, the gayness was glorious, and just.... hot HOOOOOOOOT lady knights in space?!  a princess winning her own hand?  find something not to love in there, i dare you.

don’t go without me, by rosemary valero-o’connell - wow. wow wow wow wow wow.  the writing was stunning, so lyrical and atmospheric and deep, and rosemary has to be one of my favorite artists but even that managed to come as a beautiful surprise because it was just so freaking bold.

through the woods, by emily carroll - i loooove emily carroll, the convergence of spine-tingling horror and art that feeds into it, that is both visually and aesthetically pleasing, is hard to beat!  p.s. i also read beneath the dead oak tree from her this year and it was also a BANGER.

the impending blindness of billie scott, by zoe thorogood - zoe is someone that i just want to follow.  she’s just starting and i want to be there for every single step.  i love her art style and her ability to tell a story with it.

above the clouds, by melissa pagluica - this was so unique, and such a baller concept, as nearly half the entire book is conveyed only through the art and yet you’re never once lost, never once confused as to what any character is thinking or feeling.  it’s a story within a story and only one of those gets words though they both are chock full of emotion!

um.... number 5, part 2? crowded, by christopher sebela - everything about this series is fun af.  crowd-funded assassination and a hirable bodyguard who’s rated like an uber driver???  and the chemistry between the two mains is so great and gay!!

honorable mentions: monster and the beast, by renji // long exposure, by kam ‘mars’ heyward // fence, by c.s. pacat // invisible kingdom, by g. willow wilson // ms. marvel, by g. willow wilson // heathen, by natasha alterici // not drunk enough, by tess stone // giant days, by john allison // die, by kieron gillen // be prepared, by vera brosgol // ascender (sequel to descender, which is also great), by jeff lemire // the unbeatable squirrel girl, by ryan north // bang! bang! boom!, by melanie schoen // gideon falls, by jeff lemire // life of melody, by mari costa // cry wolf girl, by ariel slamet ries // the tea dragon society, by katie o’neill // ptsd, by guillaume singelin // heartstopper, by alice oseman // solutions and other problems, by allie brosh // finding home, by hari conner // the magic fish, by trung le nguyen // something is killing the children, by james tynion iv // the weight of them, by noelle stevenson // spill zone, by scott westerfeld // skyward, by joe henderson // miles morales, by saladin ahmed

F I L M S.

parasite, dir. bong joon ho - oh it was satisfying, oh it was suspenseful, oh i had to watch some of it through my fingers but i loooooooved it.  such a good story and so well made.

knives out, dir. rian johnson - okay, everything about this movie was amazing.  every single character was fun as hell and i could’ve watched an entire movie about each of them.  what a great fucking mystery!

blindspotting, dir. carlos lopez estrada -  this made my heart hurt so damn much.  what glorious writing, acting, and story!

portrait of a lady on fire, dir. celine sciamma - gooooorgeous cinematography, amazing chemistry, and such a soft, atmospheric film.

the farewell, dir. lulu wang - i cried and my heart felt so full and i love it so so much.

um.... number 5, part 2? someone great, dir. jennifer kaytin robinson - no part of me expected to love a netflix movie this much but it’s a love story that doesn’t get told that often??  the end of a relationship and the true love of friendship and i love these girls and i love jenny and nate’s broken relationship.

honorable mentions: eighth grade, dir. bo burnham // booksmart, dir. olivia wilde // midsommar, dir. ari aster // the curse of la llorona, dir. michael chaves // the secret life of pets 2, dirs. chris renaud & jonathan del val // jojo rabbit, dir. taika waititi // the invisible man, dir. leigh whannell // the favourite, dir. yorgos lanthimos // can you ever forgive me?, dir. marielle heller // troop zero, dirs. bert & bertie // ready or not, dirs. matt bettinelli-olpin & tyler gillett // brave, dirs. mark andrews & brenda chapman & steve purcell // the half of it, dir. alice wu // palm springs, dir. max barbakow // doctor sleep, dir. mike flanaghan // uncut gems, dirs. benny sadfie & josh sadfie // birds of prey, dir. cathy van // bloodshot, dir. dave wilson // the old guard, dir. gina prince-bythewood // enola holmes, dir. harry bradbeer // hocus pocus, dir. kenny ortega // always be my maybe, dir. nahnatchka khan // finding dory, dirs. andrew stanton & angus maclane // die hard, dir. john mctiernan

S H O W S .

black sails (2014) - this show, this shooooooooow.  i cannot, it just makes me want to cry with how good it is.  the characters, the EMOTIONS, the story, the plaaaaaan.  like, the creators clearly had a plan for every single step of this show and it was a gOOD, GOOD PLAN.

the untamed (2019) - truly, cheesy good fun with one of the best gay romances ever.  i love these characters and their relationships to each other and the way it glories in its own ridiculousness.

the righteous gemstones (2019) - one of the things that bothered me about my next choice (the ratio of female to male nudity) was so much more realistic in this one (i mean, we’ve all gotten five thousand dick pics and i know like three people?  so the fact that there is so rarely male nudity in shows when there are tits everywhere..... no, how does that even make a tiny bit of sense?).  this show was such great, wonderful, awful fun.  they’re not great people and the show is under no delusion about that and it’s GLORIOUS!

the witcher (2019) - this was just hella fun, i loved the characters and the fantasy elements.  i’m excited for the next season, it’s just entertaining swashbuckling through and through!

fargo (2014) - all of this was really very enjoyable with the through line being somebody fucks shit up and gets involved in something they really shouldn’t be involved in that’s going to swallow them whole.  season one and season three were my stand-out favorites but they were all so violent, clever, and vicious!

um.... number 5, part 2? central park (2020) - um..... so many of the hamilton actors in a muscial cartoon drawn and written by the bob’s burgers team? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOESN’T SOUND AMAZING?!  it was such a joy to hear daveed diggs and leslie odom jr.’s voices again!!

honorable mentions: schitt’s creek // the mandalorian // mr. robot // broadchurch // mindhunter // jack ryan // the good place // the end of the f***ing world // big little lies // elite // kidding // servant // letterkenny // curb your enthusiasm // i am not okay with this // ozark // buzzfeed unsolved: true crime/supernatural // you // runaways // dear white people // dickinson // brooklyn nine-nine // will & grace // 9-1-1 // dead to me // solar opposites // never have i ever // killing eve // what we do in the shadows // grace and frankie // avenue 5 // roswell, new mexico // the bold type // evil // tuca & bertie // impulse // the umbrella academy // watchmen // infinity train // corporate // search party // on becoming a god in central florida // a.p. bio // criminal: uk // the morning show // mythic quest // last week tonight // prodigal son // the great