#like this show isnt just for old time watchers

[knight-gwaine]

Doctor Who is inherently built to evolve with the times and I think it's so strange when people get all butthurt about it not being the same. It's literally meant to be a family show for all generations. There will be consistency but also they gotta give us something new and exciting because that's the POINT.

[cherriesandcharms]

What are your thoughts on the lack of elvish prejudice in DAV? As an elven rogue, I was pretty disappointed tbh

okay so beware spoilers below and im going to get rambly

also im assuming we're discussing the prejudice and hatred TOWARDS elves? if i got that wrong sorry for the unsolicited essay on the lack of fantasy racism lmao

im putting this below the cut bc it did get long

I will admit that this didnt cross my mind my first time through. but ur right, theres a distinct lack of "knife ear" comments. I haven't gotten far into my playthrough with my elf rook so idk how ppl react to them yet.

from what i remember there are comments from Bellara and maybe Davrin about the gods actions making things harder for elves but we dont see the evidence of this, which i would have liked to explore more

i have a couple of lore questions that i dont know the answer to that popped into my head while thinking about this:

do cities in northern thedas have alienages in the same way that the south does?

Is this something that the game doesn't show us, or do they just not exist and there is more elven integration, at least in the poorer areas we're shown (dock town in minrathous)?

with the way the class system and slavery in tevinter works, is the disdain shown towards slaves generally, regardless of race? Fenris was an elf, but his mistreatment was focused on him being a slave from what i recall

The Exalted March of the Dales was an Orlesian Chantry crusade in the south, without this kind of conflict in the north were tensions not as high between elves and other races (also potentially answering the alienages question???)?

maybe im stupid and easy to please but i can also rationalise the lack of fantasy racism with what we see in game

Factions:

the veil jumpers are lead by elves (or at least irelin and strife are our main contacts), spend all their time with elven artifacts, and primarily work in arlathan forest and are close with the dalish. makes sense we dont get racism there

the crows care more about their contracts, and again one of our main contacts (teia) is an elf, plus they're dealing with the antaam taking over the city, if ppl are gonna be racist im sure they have a target that makes more sense (sanitization of the faction attitudes is another issue)

the wardens are focused on trying to end the blight, and accept all races into their ranks anyway. i like that the first warden doesnt hate u bc of ur race but bc ur this random lunatic who strode in yelling about elven gods and distracting his wardens from fighting the blight. and then later on we're mainly dealing with Antoine, an elf (and his wife)

Lords of Fortune has Isabela and i am an isabela/merrill truther 😌(pls refer back to "stupid and easy to please") (also again, dont love the portrayal of the lords, but thats a different issue)

i feel like it makes sense that we dont get racism from the mourn watchers, theyre so respectful of the dead, i dont think u can care that much about a persons eternal rest and hate them in life

full disclosure i picked saving treviso, so in my experience the shadow dragons had bigger issues to deal with. im chill with the viper not being racist when he got blighted and is fighting a cult. but also goes back to my points about minrathous having a different way of looking at class systems

other world building points:

we dont spend a lot of time with royalty/politicians unlike in previous games. v easy to show elves being mistreated in the winter palace, or the arl of denerim's estate, but we dont get shown a lot of that in these cities

I do think it's weird that we have such a lack of bigotry to the elves with the history of the other games, and the fact that the old elven gods are tearing the world apart, it could have been explored more. however im not upset by the lack of. ambient racism

i know a big complaint that people have is that veilguard isnt as "dark" as origins, but i dont think a game needs bigotry to be a dark and confronting story

[single-malt-scotch]

im def the type analyzing the technical or trend side of mcyt content creation (someday i will make the bdubs thumbnail analysis) and whenever jev's content comes up i really think about it. (should be said what im describing w his videos rn isnt a jab! he talked about trying to make one-off videos hitting trendy subjects and thats exactly what hes doing, and so i want to mention what i notice)

jev stated in one of his previous HC videos that his videos were on a decline. he pointed out some things that i imagine casual watchers wouldnt ever consider, but theres some key reasons as to why jev's HC series was doing poorly. Some he points out and others are things I also realized.

people are not likely to click on videos with episode numbers because they don't want to jump into a series they know nothing about. in turn, many people have started to not put episode numbers in their series titles at all (out of HC, bdubs. but youll notice this for other kinds of non-smp videos too). So when this is done, people wont assume it is a long running series, and are more likely to click it. "One off" content implies videos that are... one-off. Think snapshot reviews, build challenges, hardcore challenges... So two potential ways to improve views/have a better time in the algorithm is to drop numbers of episodes. No, not The only solution but its a pretty important thing.

this is a huge factor imo... how many recommended/home page videos do you get thrown at you related to minecraft that have nothing to do with series (or you wouldnt know due to the title)? All I get are hardcore videos, snapshot videos, and i have also gotten loads of Joel's (smallishbeans) "i did [thing] in minecraft" which have a shit ton of views. Those videos from him are a blatant example of "one off" videos that also try to pull you in with a simple title and premise.

Now looking back at jev. he said he was going to try these more one off videos, and hes started that with things like "things you didnt know about minecraft". the interesting part to me too is noticing 'repeats' of these kinds of videos... jev is not the first person to do a video like that, so you would think "why would you make it?" well, the thing is. youtub doesnt care. its gonna throw your video around and there is a good chance your "things you didnt know about minecraft" video may come up for some random person instead of someone else. it may show up for some kid who hadnt seen someone else's and so yours is the first. (and lets be real if 11 year olds are finding it they probably wont care its another and think 'oh boy, more things i didnt know about minecraft!')

On the smaller side I just notice how different some parts of newer videos have become- for some reason its kind of a thing to use shaders, a lot. most people wont use it through an entire video but often times its the intro. some people use shaders all the time. Additionally intros almost always consist of a user in f5 mode, facing the camera. I am sure that f5 mode thing started quite a while back (in terms of new mcyt) but caring about the visuals of an intro wasn't important a long time ago, it was hardly considered lol.

every time i think about these things its like im storing it in my brain for me to use but, hell if i am ever gonna make enough videos to apply it. regardless, the trend of videos can be seen in youtubers you watch if you look close enough. but even so we have lots of 'old school' people here that don't always change to fit these trends. if they have a loyal long time following, its less likely they will. (usually if its not titles- which i think is more common now- you may more obviously see it in thumbnail styles) but theres always a potential of people shifting slightly because the algorithm isnt playing very nice.

[stupidusernamepolicy]

tv tag game

— list 8 shows for your followers to get to know you better. tagged by beloved mootie @michaelmandog

1.Good Omens

This is such a feel-good show for me and cleaning out my drafts made me remember how much I love it. Also a reminder that I need to finish Staged. The friendship between the authors and the ways it impacted the book and show is so important to me...

2. Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul

"oh watch it it's the best show ever" "yeah yeah sure" and then... Meth show for middle aged dads sent me on a *checks calendar* FIVE MONTH FIXATION? I need to be euthanized. Also Michael Mando. That's all.

3.Final Space

SHINED SO BRIGHT AND GONE TOO SOON. This was THE underdog adult animation and though I've separated myself from it a lot it's still one of the best out there. Space fantasy dramedy about a convict out in space that is a testament to all that adult animation can be, but often isn't. If you can stand a bit of exec-meddling awkward humor, this one is the hardest WATCH NOW on this list. Also, catboy above voiced by Steven Yeun and he goes so hard.

4.Invincible

Continuing on the thread of amazing adult animation with a much more popular entry, this is an adaptation that is so far so much better than the source material. I stayed up til 5 am binging this. It has 4 things I love: great animation, (comic) trope subversion, GORE, and Steven Yeun (again!)

5.Futurama

This show is older than me, and I never watched it growing up, yet it still feels like home whenever I watch it. If I need to cheer up and have my TV on, this is the clear choice. It's so nostalgic and has so much heart while also being really, really fucking funny.

7.Gravity Falls

Similar to Futurama: another comfort show!! It brings back so many memories, even though I watched it after its original run. One of the rare things I own official merch of (I loved it enough to pay for shipping from the US)

7.Mob Psycho 100

Obligatory singular Anime entry. This is the one anime I'd recommend to non anime watchers, as it subverts a lot of typically annoying anime tropes and is a rare entry where the adaptation is as good if not better than the source material, and yet it's AMAZING because it OOZES with love of the source material! I'm definitely biased because it's the kind of story my middle school self needed, and that my current young-adult self... also needed. It's about growing up, about how people need other people, and it rewired my brain.

8.Rise Of The TMNT

JUST LIKE FINAL SPACE, SHINED TOO BRIGHT AND GONE ENTIRELY TOO SOON!! I was a HUGE fan of 2003 series when I was a kid and this one completely reignited my love for TMNT. The animation is poppy and dynamic and tastefully stylized, the story goes from monster of the week to the absolute insanity that is the netflix movie, and it has the kind of personality that a reboot of such an old series needs and benefits from (partially also ended up being its undoing because people hate fun). Like Final Space, if you're not averse to a little cringe humor aimed at a younger generation, I have 2 words for you: MUST! WATCH!!

HONORABLE MENTIONS BECAUSE ITS HARD TO PICK

Arcane! because all that can be said about it has already been said about it. But it is fantastic and if you have not watched it yet because "its league of legends ew" and "its a cartoon" quit being a boob and go watch it.

Mrkomir Prvi! Because it's a really funny sitcom set in medieval Croatia, and it's only here because it's incredibly obscure on a global level, but it's really the kind of original TV I love to see and rarely do. They did a pandemic episode in which they called the diseased "influenzers", enough said.

Tagging! @its-me-ej, @djcranberry, @hellomingo, @lemonykleonella, @mediasploshion and @bamsara(long time no talk!! i hope this isnt a jumpscare)

No pressure, and happy reminiscing >:)

[natalienomad]

1. Rivaini

2. chaotic good, there with the good morals but damn if it ain't weird as shit to get there

3. Elf and Deathcaller Mage. I figured a Lord of Fortune would be chill with spirit magic.

4. Relaxing at a graveyard in Rivain. Possibly digging up corpses looking for loot, and maybe a companion or two.

5. Oh sarcastic! If you're a necromancer ya gotta have a lil giggles in ya to be around the LoF.

6. Davrin. Hunting down monsters may not be Rooks jam, but petting a cute griffon? And saving griffons? Can't pass that up! Not to mention going on walks with tea that makes ya high sounds like a pleasant evening.

7. Emmy. My lil Richy. He needed someone to understand the spirits like him that wasn't from the Mourn watch. An outside perspective, with equal reverence for the spirits.

8. At first? Lucanis. Until he showed her coffee and rum go well together.

9. Oh no, Isabela thinks we're still too down to earth to really get into the thick of it. That's why she lends us Taash, to really get the fire going under the Veilguard.

10. Shes been known to take a few sticks and bang on rocks for a good time.

11. Staff. Staff Staff Staff. Make thing blow up? Make thing blow up Wayyyyyy over there? Yes please.

12. Asexual, with a Panromantic heart. If things happen, they happen. But the true goal? Is getting a kiss and really feeling it down in her chest.

13. Isnt necessarily evil, nor is it good. Simply a way of balancing the world. You live. You eat. You breathe. You die. ....though she may raise you afterwards.

14. She's a big nature hobbyist. Going out on walks, seeing the wildlife, trying to maintain that balance of life and death.

15. She liked Antoine and Evka right away. And her first hatred was with the Mayor of D'metas crossing. Trading life for gold was silly. You rob graves to get gold and raise them. Give them new life, not condemning them to a branded unlife.

16. Assan may be a good boy, but she's always wanted to have a few druffalo to tag along and help ferry her treasure and new friends.

17. It feels like she got tossed into the life, just by happenstance. She doesn't mind, tho she detests the leadership she has to take on, it weighs on her.

18. More than likely owning said druffalo caravan.

19. At an old age, after continuing our little Manny's training after my dapper guy passes on. One day I'll join him, after they dig his coffin up, and lay us to rest together. Knowing Manfred will become the greatest watcher of them all, a lich all his own.

20. It's a complex stance, she'd aid him in his freeing if the spirits, to take down a tyrant meant to enslave others. But to sacrifice those same spirits like a pawn? She'd feel regret and pity and shame and continue the fight, knowing it was the only way, but knowing this man also had to be toppled.

21. Hard to pick a favorite, she uses a healthy balance of fire, necrotic and ice. But if she had to pick one? The fire beam ulti.

22. Common, Elvhen and Qunari.

23. Ask Manfred to go on a walk.

24. Oh absolutely. Whether the skeletons we raise have a semblance of the original owner or just a spirit accessing the memories who's to say. But we certainly pass on, somewhere.

25. Oh Deathcaller for certain. She'd wish to dabble in Evoker, but being a powerhouse in the back that can wipe a wave of darkspawn out in seconds is a Good Feeling.

26. Herding Dog. Not a war dog. I have a job, and it's helping these nerds figure themselves out and point them in the right direction. And I'm happy to do so.

27. Traipsing along ancient burial grounds mostly. Going into town to sell said goods, share interesting stories I've heard from the spirits in the tombs.

28. Oh Rook is Alllllll too happy to let Isabela take the wheel. Literally and figuratively. The Lords are far more chaotic than Took could handle. She needs a good balance of crazy and semi crazy, and sane to help Her stay sane.

29. Mourn Watch. So I could've snuggled up to this kindly older man quicker! He's such a charmer!

30. Her carefree and loving nature that she expresses to herself and all her friends.

Rook Questionnaire

inspired by @cassieuncaged's BG3 Character Development Questions but for Rook instead!

1: Where in the Thedas is your Rook from?

2: What is your character's alignment?

3: Race and subclass?

4: If your Rook was a companion, where would they be found?

5: What emotion did they usually pick?

6: What companion are you platonically close with?

7: Romantically close with?

8: Who are they suspicious of?

9: Does your Rook get along with their chosen Faction?

10: Are they proficient in playing any instruments?

11: Weapon of choice?

12: What is their orientation?

13: What are their thoughts on killing? Is it a necessary evil or do they enjoy it?

14: What hobbies does your Rook have?

15: What NPCs do they like? Which one's do they dislike?

16: Do they have a favorite creature in the Thedas?

17: Do they enjoy life as an adventurer?

18: What would your Rook be doing if they weren't recruited by Varric?

19: How do you think they'll meet their end?

20: Would they side with Solas or fight him?

21: What is your Rook's favorite ability?

22: What languages is your character fluent in?

23: What do they do after an absolute crisis?

24: Does your character believe in the afterlife?

25: What specialization best represents your Rook?

26: What animal best represents your Rook?

27: What was their life like before the events of Veilguard?

28: Is your character the de facto leader of the party? Or do they consider someone else to be the leader?

29: If you could choose a different faction for your Rook, which one would they have joined and why?

30: What's your favorite thing about your Rook?

[eyelessfog]

hey let me hear about hollow knight !! tell me the lore of those funky looking creatures!!!

gmornin! lordy, okay, hollow knight lore is. where do i even start….

so, the basic gist is that youre this little guy, in a dead kingdom, fighting basically all of the citizens, who have been infected by this disease that makes them violent. like, the kingdom is super long dead, and youve come at about the same time as a lot of other new people: quirrel, tiso, zote, uh. it cannot be just those three. NO wait okay there’s also cornifer and iselda, theyre married.

anyway, so nearly everyone is infected. you fight them all. and. okay, so theres this temple, up at the beginning of the game? and it has three masks on it and you have to go get the masks, because the masks are keys.

thats the basics. lets get into. like. stuff evan isnt allowed to see bc evan is playing blind

so the masks are attached to people, right. three famous guys that the old king told to go into a coma and then, if they ever woke up, their key would be broken.

the three people are monomon the teacher, herrah the beast, and lurien the watcher.

monomon is protected by a big jellyfish. uumuu. <- love this guy. quirrel helps u defeat it.

herrah is protected by her whole home. deepnest is. not for the faint of heart. if you dont like bugs dont play it with sound on.

btw if you kill her at the right time, hornet, who is one of the first main bosses, will be waiting outside to be like “yeah she was my mother. kind of screwed up that she died but… tbh i didnt really know her. but you get that i’m allowed to mourn her anyway”

hornet is your, the player’s, half sister 👍 her mom is herrah and your mom is this tree?? and your dad is the king

anyway so then there’s lurien and its so. waugh. you KNOW hes the most favoured by the king because he has 13 knights to defend him??? you dont have to fight all thirteen but you do have to fight, like, five. but yeah, lurien was like.. the mayor of the main part of hallownest, the kingdom. herrah was from a completely different and smaller kingdom, where she was queen, and monomon was like. her own little spot. she just had the archives

anyway, why dont we talk about the pale king. so the pale king is the dad guy. he’s a god, by the way. and basically he’s fighting this little war with the god of dreams, her name is the radiance, so she decides to screw up ALL of his people and give them all a disease if they dream. and everyone dreams/has a dream so she got like. everyone, right?

and the king was like NO okay we have to stop this. so we’re going to make a jail. and then a SECOND jail, for that jail.

the first jail was his kid. you are also his kid. not the same kid though. okay so basically he had a bunch of kids. like SO many kids. with his wife. who is also a god. and then pumped the kids’ eggs full of void, WHICH IS ANOTHER GOD. so the kids 1 1/2 god. which is difficult to do. anyway

look up birthplace cutscene and grab the longest video or the first one that shows up to see how many kids is a lot of kids.

anyway, so he fills the kids with void so that they dont think or feel or dream, but he messed up because his test was if any of them could get up to him [they are all in a pit] he would bring them along and they would be the knight. the jail. but if they managed to get all the way up????? they had a want to get up there. so that was his like. 1000nth mistake.

so both you the player and this other one got to the top, but only the other one got OUT.

so they shoved the radiance into the knight, and then locked them up and then closed the door and shoved masks on the door.

okay so i have to go do stuff now but like. you have to go kill your dad [hes already mostly dead] in his dream to steal 1: his throne and 2: half of this charm, and then go to your mom and bother her until she gives you the other half, and then go into the abyss and do the cutscene, and then you get the shadesoul <- i think? shade soul or shade heart. whatever

and THEN you can go fight the hollow knight and you have the ability to unlock the secret boss because hornet will rush in and stop the hollow knight and you can dream nail them and then you get to fight the RADIANCE who has SWORDS and LAZERS and it SUCKS. <- its kind of fun i am just sosososo bad at it. anyway

to be clear you can beat hollow knight without having to do all this stuff but if you wanna fight the radiance. white palace. buzzsaws….. <- pretend they are quaking in their boots but like not actually because they love white palace tbh

[fetish4juggalos]

The sawyer brothers watching movies

Ive just recently decided to use my tumblr as a idea outlet so I may be hyper posting for the next few days:^)

Just a reminder that these are only tcsm 1&2 headcannons so the new stuff doesn't apply so sorry if it seems out of character

Apologies for grammatical/spelling errors

Chop top:

Chop top is the kind of movie watcher who never stops talking. Hes constantly info dumping about actors, history behind films, and just generally talking abt whatever comes to mind

If yall are watching a film thats part of a franchise or a re-adaption of an old movie that hes already seen then he will spend the whole time complaining abt how the movie messed up the time-line or how Hollywood has gone to shit since hes left

If the two of you are watching a horror movie and the protagonist is running or hiding from the antagonist theres a good chance that he'll be laughing maniacally to the point that you cant get him to shut up

During fight scenes or chase scenes he'll more than likely be yelling at the screen "GET THAT BITCH" and bouncing in his seat

I feel like chop top has pretty bad short term memory so even if he has watched this same damn film 100 times it never gets old

Definitely has a bias for horror/gore films

Nubbins:

Though nubbins is just as chaotic as his twin in other circumstances I feel like hes pretty quiet during movies

Probably sits criss-cross on the floor hands sat in his lap or with his knees to his chest, eyes big, focused on the screen

If you guys are watching a horror movie however he tends to be alot more energetic. Making faces and mocking the characters as they run screaming from there impending doom

Always has to have something to do with his hands so he often picks at his clothes, picks at the carpet, and figets with his knife. But dont just let him continue because if hes spaced out enough he might just unravel 1/4 of the carpet!!!

He just like chop is a big fan of horror movies:)

Bubba:

Bubba isnt a big fan of horror unlike the twins even though his share in the "family business" could be described as such

Is already desensitized to gore but gets scared/startled easily at jump scares

Because of this he only really likes to watch classic movies with little violence

Likes to watch movies with pretty actresses and stares at the screen the whole time in awe

Doesn't need/get as much sleep time as you do so if you plan to go to bed in the middle of a movie or after a movie make sure to leave the tv on rerun or pop a new movie in for him to watch

If he sees a scene he likes he'll make noises while simultaneously pulling you by your sleeve to get your attention while motioning to the screen

Drayton:

Definitely a big westerns fan

Will sit on the couch silently laughing or smiling at the screen only occasionally asking you questions about the movie

If your showing him a new movie that you picked up then he'll probably make some random comments like "damn so this is what the new stuff is like" or "quality has really changed since I was a boy" but trys not to talk too much

Will fall asleep during the movie then wake up mid throw down confused and asking questions about whos winning

If the the twins come down to watch with yall then the night wont be so peaceful. Chop top will be jumping around repeating the same phrase over and over again and nubbins will be mocking the characters and laughing.

Thats when drayton gets the broom and all hell breaks loose

[fandomsofagrrrl]

What do you think? Is Buffy The Vampire Slayer (as a show) relatable to Gen Z? I saw a post on facebook that said that the “younger generation” doesnt “get it” and thatbthey delt it was always like that because they were also older when watching it (19) and wouldn’t have been able to understand it while they were younger. LOL

I wasnt “older” or not even “old enough” to be watching BTVS. Its 2022 and i am 33 and watched it while it was in syndication. You do that math lol but i would watch it every week. It was part of my routine. What helped me finish my homework a but faster that day, what made me excited to go home after school. It inspired me as well as i was a skinny bullied girl with virtually no friends. GIRLS CAN BE CUTE AND BADASSES AND SHOW LEADS!!?? hell yeah!

Now, after many reruns, dvd rewatches, and streaming, the thing I understand most about BtVS is that TO ME, its not just a “show” everyone can enjoy. Believe me: i have tried to basically shove it down the throats of every new friend i make 😂😂

But “likeable” - Thats how they “make” tv now; likeable and watchable for most. Palatable. And probably behind a paywall like HBO or AMAZON if it isnt cuz let’s face it, the belief is that “good” shows are not on regular ass local TV stations lol

Back then though? Yeah you always need “viewers” to keep the shows going season after season but everybody had to find a network for their shows to be watched right? Lol viewers used to be a dime a dozen because what else where you gonna do on a Tuesday night at 8? Balance your check book? Maybe 🤔 lol

To casual viewers, it was easy to come back because most episodes were “monsters of the week” but us hardcore watchers? The ones that love BtVS? We got something else entirely every time we watched;

I know i got support, life lessons, even catharsis and so much more from my views. It will never be as special to most. I consider myself one of the lucky few because i was able to understand, grasp, grapple with, grieve and even celebrate life a little bit more by watching this show.

Let the kiddies watch their “Euphoria” lol i will stick to what i know and love.

Hopefully you can relate too🥰

[bonesandthebees]

Some random questions xd (optional dw)

do you like hermitcraft? cause im brainrotting abt it lmao

what is your fav color? mines green!

if you could pick any power in the clinic!universe what would you pick and why? personally i would pick Phils powers cause i want to flyyyyy

What DND moral alightment are you? if u dont know what this is dw, im a true neutral

what is your answer to the trolley problem? i think i would move the lever but idk

If you had to pick one persons lore on dsmp whos would you pick and why? i think i would chose quackity's

What is a fic idea you have but dont think would do well/ isnt something you feel like writing?

what is a comfort movie/show/video? mine isnt a movie but its a 3 hour long techno vid haha

given the chance to be in MCC who would you pick for your team?

i just felt like this btw:) you dont have to answer any of them btw^^

-👑 (king)

oooo these are fun questions!!!

no I don't watch hermitcraft, but I hear bits and pieces from the people on my tumblr dash and my twitter tl who do watch it. also, I've watched 3rd life and last life (and part of double life) which have a lot of the hermits in them, so I'm mostly familiar with the hermits through that (I will say that I am not immune to good times)

yellow is my fav color!

oooo I'd probably pick wilbur's power. siren abilities hello?? insanely powerful man. if not his then I'd go with niki's because I always wanted to be a waterbender like katara when i was a little kid

uhh I'm either neutral good or true neutral, not exactly sure which

I have no idea what my answer would be tbh

if you mean pick someone's lore as in my favorite lore, it'd be wilbur's hands down. he created such a complex and fascinating character who was incredibly consistent in his characterization, I brainrot over c!wilbur so often so everything from him is my favorite

oh god most of my google drive is full of fic ideas that either wouldn't do well or I just don't feel like writing lmao. one example is that I love coming up with aus of movies but rarely do I actually wanna write them out entirely. one movie au I think about so often but would never get around to writing is an au of the movie Push. Push is not a very good film. it's fun! but it's not good lmao. the concept was SUPER cool to me though. it's a movie about people who have psychic powers that are hunted down by an evil government organization yknow the drill, but the plot is about a guy in his 20s who is a 'mover' (has telekinesis) that's kind of down on his luck and doesn't have much of a life. he gets dragged into a plot to steal a metal briefcase because a 13 year old 'watcher' (sees the future) shows up on his doorstep and tells him she sees the two of them teaming up to find this case and she's convinced it has a shit ton of money in it. a lot of other stuff happens but the main two characters have such older brother/little sister energy that i literally can't stop thinking about crimeboysing it. it would be so fun but I'll never write it unfortunately.

hmm... one of my favorite self indulgent movies to rewatch just for fun is a super cheesy 90s film called hackers. the fashion is peak bad 90s fashion and the plot is so stupid, it's so much fun I adore it. I love rewatching it to cheer myself up

OOOOO GOOD QUESTION! ok i'm assuming you mean cc's I can pick. now the thing is, I suck at minecraft. so while I'd love to give myself a goated team so i can win, I don't think I'd have much of a chance of winning either way. but I'll give two teams anyway, one for a chance at the win, one just for fun content. so for a chance to win: tommy, phil, and shubble. for content: wilbur, wisp, and jack manifold. it'd be terrifying but also hilarious.

thank you for the questions these were really fun!!

[sheerioswifties]

So this past year unsolved hasnt been doing the supernatural episodes because crawling through small tunnels and sleeping in old houses isnt very covid safe. You'll see in the most recent season theyve been social distancing. Filming outside seated like 10 feet apart.

Ohhhh kay yes that makes sense. Oof this freaking virus has literally ruined everything huh. Okay next I need to learn about what the watcher is? I keep seeing it referenced in posts about unsolved like is it a new show Shane is doing on his own or just a new iteration of this one or. Idk, I'll find out. Okay well I hope someday people wear masks and get vaccinated enough to quell this thing so that they can come out to the Pacific Northwest for a few things actually omG I wanna go sasquatch hunting with them up here like very good times and I really do want to try apple taters

[acynicalcat]

8 people I would like to know better!

Omg thank you @stubbychaos for the tag! I dont get tagged very often to do these things (I guess Im not all that interesting? lol) 

Favorite colors: Blue!!!💙 Aqua, teal, mizu, azure. I love most shades of blue. I find the colour really soothing and relaxing. It reminds me of the seaside 🏖 I also really love green and that smokey purple-grey shade.

Last song I listened to: Ive been on this huge Lo-Fi hiphop beats and chillhop. It makes great background music for studying or reading or even just while you’re working and want some non-intrusive background noise. The title of the last Lo-Fi chillhop song I listened to was Dive Bar by ENTRO//. I would highly recommend checking it out.

Favourite Musicians: Im really big into the Indie scene. Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker is probably my favourite alltime Indie band and I would HIGHLY recommend checking them out to anyone who is interested in indie music. Some other bands I really enjoy are The 1975, Judah & the Lion, Matt Maeson (his song Hallucinogenics? ugh. so good!). Royal & the Serpent has this great song called “Overwhelmed” which I relate to on such a deep level. 

Last film I watched: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. 🌠Yo, my ADHD has had me hyperfixating SOLEY on Star Wars for the last few months lol. Ever since the final season of Clone Wars came out Ive been on a 24/7 StarWars kick. Thought it would be fun to go through all the Star Wars material in chronological order. 🌌

Last TV show I watched: I’ll be honest, Im not really a big TV watcher. There is very little in terms of TV programming that actually sparks my very limited attention. But I have currently been crushing my way through two docuseries on Netflix. The first one is called Myths&Monsters and the second is the Babies documentary. Myths&Monsters sort of takes a look at specific themes in mythological fiction across different cultures and over time and how universal our stores actually are (appeals to the lit. nerd in me) and the Babies documentary examines the way babies brains grow and develop in the first year of life AND LET ME TELL YOU, THAT SHIT IS FASCINATING! Like some of the shit science is discovering now is INCREDIBLE. I listen to more podcasts than I watch TV.

Favorite original character: I have a sister trio that is my absolute favourite original character. They tend to make it into all of my non-published writing. You have the elder, responsible sister and then the younger shit-disturbing twins. They’re kind of the sisters I wish I had. 

Sweet, spicy, or savory: Sweet and Spicy together is probably one of my favourite combinations ever. Mango Habanero hotsauce? *chef kiss* 🔥🔥🔥

Sparkling water, tea, or coffee: Oooo I NEED my coffee in the morning. 😩 I get very grumpy without it (and honestly the migraine that follows isnt worth skipping morning coffee). Im also super obsessed with tea. I used to work for a tea company and let me tell you, if you give me a chance I will talk your ear off about tea. How it is grown, how it is produced the whole nine yards. 🍵🌱

Pets: I have a dog 😊 His name is Atlas, he is 11 years old and he is honestly the best boi. I know a lot of people say that about their dogs but seriously, Atlas really is the bestest boi in the world.

Here is Captain Atlas, my One-eyed Sky Pirate ❤😍

8 people I would love to get to know better are @no-droids-allowed @maiden-of-asgard @di-kut @star--wars--imagines @vercopaanir @djxrxn @leok-rogue No pressure if you've already done it or just don't want to :3

[agentbarton12]

Old People Teenager Watchers

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6

~

the advice - 3

Tony trusted Peter.

He doubted he’d say it to his face, but he hoped that Peter knew it anyway. He trusted that, when in a situation, Peter would make the right decision. Okay, more like hoped, but whatever.

The point is, when Peter came to him saying that he was ready to reveal Spider-Man to world, Tony thought he was being a complete idiot.

Why would he want to give up anonymity? What could possibly make him think this would be a good idea? Hormones, was the first answer that came to Tony's mind. Peter wanted to impress someone and he thought the best way to do that would be to reveal his identity. Then Tony got to thinking about all the people Peter could want to impress, but the only one he could think of was MJ (that’s right. She’s MJ now. Take that Steve) and that didn’t make sense — she already knew about his not-so-secret identity. Which meant that there had to be another girl.

Ugh.

Just the thought of Peter liking anyone except Michelle made Tony sick.

He tried very subtly to figure out why Peter wanted to do this (“Why, Peter? This could ruin your life. Don’t go public, Pete. Don’t do it. You’ll give me a heart attack. Ah, there it is. Do your super spider ears hear that? That’s sound of me dying. You really wanna kill me?”), but for some reason, it never worked.

He had been so lost and confused for a full hour, and that was the longest he had gone not understanding something, when MJ sent him a picture.

Emmjaaay

[image attached] chill out, dude. they were gonna figure it out anyway. besides, he feels like its “time” or whatever now

The picture was of Peter in his Spidey suit sitting on a roof without his mask on. It was a grainy picture, but if you knew who Peter was, you would be able to tell it was him. Honestly, of all the reasons to reveal your identity, it’s because someone took a photo of him. Not because it would benefit humanity or some noble thing Steve would talk about, but because of a picture.

Tony was tech genius, for crying out loud! He could make this picture disappear and Peter wouldn’t have to do something rash, like reveal himself.

TonyMan

How do you feel about this?

Emmjaaay

eh, im kinda, dare I say it, proud of him. that hurt so much to type.

TonyMan

Ha. But really, you think he’s ready? This is a big step up.

Emmjaaay

arent you, the same guy who tried offering him a spot on the avengers team when he was what, 12? he turned you down because he didn’t feel ready, now like three years later he does. just sit back and trust he’s making the right decision even if you feel he isnt. its the only reason I have put up with his self-sacrificing tendencies.

TonyMan

Do me a favour and activate the auto-correct on your phone.

TonyMan

Like, seriously. Please.

They held a press conference the next day. No, Tony was not announcing him as an Avenger, just the identity thing, which still wasn’t sitting well with him.

Really, he thought Peter was being irrational, and he even told him as much, which resulted in Peter saying that he wasn’t a kid anymore and was allowed to make his own decisions, no matter how rash Tony thought them to be.

As it turns out, it went pretty well. Peter even had an original speech planned that was so clearly written by MJ, Tony thought it was her up on the podium. He answered questions quickly and curtly, going into detail where necessary, and where not, giving vague answers. He was so clearly taught by Pepper, that Tony thought it was her up on the podium.

The press ate it up and even got Peter to demonstrate some of his powers. Of course, the kid decided that climbing the walls was a good idea and when he saw MJ somewhere at the back, even though she said she didn’t want to go, he lost his grip and fell on his face. MJ laughed the loudest.

So, maybe Tony should’ve trusted Peter’s decision, because it seemed to have worked out okay. The world knew he was Spider-Man, but didn’t know where he lived, which was great for May and his friends. The press knows his school and Tony knows that the first couple of weeks back are going to be hectic.

Tony apologised to Peter for not trusting him and promised to trust him so much, he might as well be his Magic 8 Ball. He explained that he was worried he was doing it because he felt forced, but Peter explained that he has been thinking about it for a while, and that picture just gave him the push he needed to go through with it.

Like Tony expected, Peter was swarmed at school, and as a result, Ned and MJ were too. MJ was undoubtedly the best at handling press, because she was never interesting enough for them to get any information. She hardly spoke when she saw any camera, always burying her face in a book, and making sure Peter and Ned don’t do anything dumb, like exist too much.

All in all, nothing bad had happened since then. Sure, a couple villains tried to use Peter’s open identity as a means to get to him. One guy thought that kidnapping Ned and MJ would be a good idea, but he didn’t count on them practically being the adopted children of the Avengers and was in for a surprise when not one, not two, but all the Avengers showed up to his basement hideout thing.

No one’s tried anything again.

Sadly, like Tony expected, there was — ahem — another girl. Name was Gwen Stacy or something dumb like that. Pepper says the only reason Tony doesn’t like the girl is because he wants Peter to end up with MJ.

And Tony isn’t denying it.

He’s discovered that Gwen and Peter aren’t dating, which means there is still a bit of wingman-ing that can be done. For Peter and MJ. Not Gwen. Gwen could go ahead and be hit by a bus for all Tony cared. In fact, he should make that make that happen…

The only thing that sucked more than Gwen and Peter getting chummy together, was that the only one who was determinedly unbothered by it, was the one it concerned the most.

MJ responded to their relationship (or lack thereof, if Tony had anything to do with it) with a slight furrow in eyebrows and the tilt of her head, as if figuring out if she was okay with this (she wasn’t) or if she had any say in it. But, when she saw Peter’s dumb grin, she gave them the slightest of smiles and told them not to be gross. Sometimes, Tony hated how diplomatic MJ could be.

At the end of the day, Tony had a semblance of hope that they could end up together. This hope dropped marginally when he walked into the kitchen and found MJ's face in his freezer.

“You got any ice cream?”

Tony nearly got a heart attack. “What? — How do you keep getting up here?”

“Like, I know you have ice cream, but you got any good ice cream?” she went on, ignoring his question.

Tony crossed his arms. “I have good ice cream. I don’t know if you noticed, but all that dairy goodness in there is ice cream Ben & Jerry's named after me. Stark's Raving Hazelnuts.”

MJ slowly shut the freezer door. “I just remembered I’m lactose intolerant.”

The billionaire rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha. It’s good, though.”

“I hear it’s chalky.”

“From where?”

“Around.”

When Tony realised that she wasn’t going to elaborate, he changed the subject. “What are you doing here? Thought you and the dudes got together every Wednesday to celebrate the fact Friday’s around the corner?”

MJ shrugged as she continued looking through his fridge and various cupboards. “Yeah, well I guess Idiot Number 1 realised that Peter Parker is just as popular as Spider-Man. He’s gone to a party with Ned.”

“A party? On a Wednesday?”

“Could be. Could be a fundraiser, could be a charity event, could even be a wedding — all I know is that Peter is a very high demand right now.” She had given up one finding anything and stood on one end of the counter and pulled out her phone.

“Why didn’t you join them?”

Another shrug. “I’d like to hang out with my friend when he’s my friend. I understand that in public, he’ll either be Spider-Man or Peter Parker: Teen Avenger — ”

“He’s not an Avenger.”

“ — But, I prefer Peter Parker: Dork Extraordinaire.”

Tony hummed in thought. “Have you told him this?”

“Partly.” She looked up from her phone. “I’m getting ice cream, you want anything?”

“Thought you were lactose intolerant?”

“Fine I’m bad-ice-cream-flavours intolerant,” she deadpanned. “Now, you want anything?”

“Cheeseburger and fries. Coke, too.”

MJ hummed. “Cool. Cash or card?”

“I knew it,” Tony sighed. “Cash.”

MJ visibly deflated. “Dammit. I was hoping to get your pin number.

“Not happening.”

She shrugged and pocketed her phone after she made the order. Tony followed her to couch were they sat staring at a blank T.V. screen. He watched as she pulled her feet underneath her and absentmindedly started tugging on her hair — even though it was in a bun. It seemed to be a habit.

“So,” Tony started, “when are you planning on telling Peter you like him?”

“Don’t know if I want to.” MJ sighed.

Tony was taken aback. Mostly, because he wasn’t expecting her to answer, but also because she wasn’t denying it. When Tony said as much, she rolled her eyes and said, “I know how to acknowledge things, Tony.”

He raised his arms in defense. “Never said you didn’t, just that I’m surprised you did.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not gonna make a difference, is it? He’s fawning over Gwen and vice versa — it’s kinda cute, honestly. Like, I catch him staring at her while she’s studying, or working on an equation and it’s like he’s just in that moment. Like it’s just Gwen working and nothing else.”

“Oh, so it’s exactly how he acts around you?”

Her nose scrunched up as she looked at him. “He does that?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. There’s a betting pool we have to see who’s gonna break first and ask the other out. I bet one of my suits that it’ll be you, so don’t disappoint me,” he said jokingly, trying to subtlety instill the prospect into her mind. It didn’t work because she just continued to stare at the screen.

FRIDAY then alerted him that their food had arrived, and Tony asked her to have it brought up. He got up from his spot and moved to the elevator to collect their order, when they dinged open and Scott walked out holding the bag of food.

“’Sup, Stark — ooh, is MJ here? Why’s MJ here? It’s Wednesday, right?” Tony held up a hand to silence him and opened his palm.

“Food first, questions later,” he said, motioning with his fingers to indicate that Scott should hand over the bag. Scott ignored him and walked away to sit next to MJ on the couch.

“Hey, Scott,” she greeted, with a two finger salute.

“Hey. Whatchu doin’ here?”

She shrugged before holding her hand out and Scott more than happily handed over her ice cream. He took out Tony's cheeseburger and bit into it. That was when Tony rushed to intervene with his teammates mouth and his food. Scott merely held the food at arms length away from the billionaire and told him to get his own food. Tony huffed in annoyance about how that was his own food. Scott ignored him and proceeded to take a huge gulp of the drink. MJ just watched in amusement, a smirk playing on her lips behind her ice cream spoon. “See, Tones. Why would I want to hang around a bunch of fame-hungry and genetically modified teenagers when I have front seat tickets to the lamest argument ever?” she asked while Tony and Scott where still bickering over the food.

Tony frowned. “Ned’s not fame-hungry or genetically modified.”

She replied shrugging, “Ned’s special.”

“That he is,” Scott agreed. “Where are they, anyway?” he asked referring to Peter and Ned, shoving a handful of fries in his mouth. Tony hit him upside his head so hard, he sputtered out half-chewed potatoes on the couch. He eyed Tony without a single regret. “I hope you know that you’ll have to clean that up. Because we both know who it’s gonna bother more,” he said in a challenging tone.

Tony stared at him defiantly and MJ mentally counted to fifteen before Tony snapped and went to the kitchen for napkins. Scott celebrated childishly when Tony moved to wipe away the food. He did not account for Tony dropping the napkin in his lap with a devilish grin.

“I hate you,” Scott said. He got up and threw it away. When he came back, he found Tony finishing off the burger while slurping down the Coke. He gave Scott a smirk and Scott responded by flipping him off.

“Totally better than some movie premiere,” MJ said grinning.

“Who’s at a movie premiere?” Scott asked sitting back down on the couch.

MJ responded, shrugging, “Peter and Ned. Maybe. I actually don’t remember what event it was.”

Scott hummed, continuing to stuff his face with chips. Tony looked at Scott evilly then grinned and said in a sing-song voice, “MJ misses Peter.” MJ rolled her eyes, while Scott looked like he wanted to smile, but was fighting against it.

“How do you know?” he asked eventually.

“She told me,” Tony answered in the same voice that got him in the head with a cushion. “She also told me that she likes him.

Scott couldn’t help it and smiled the biggest grin he could muster. He practically squealed with delight and clapped his hands excitedly, then suddenly, he stopped. “Wait. How come you told Tony and not me?”

“He asked first.”

“Fair.” After a moment of silence, Scott asked curiously, “When are you gonna tell him?”

“Why does everyone feel like I need to do something?” she mumbled. “And besides, he’s practically almost in love with Gwen, so I’m not going to bother myself.”

Scott sighed. “There is no way he can be ‘practically almost in love’ with anyone when you’re a person that exists. And, trust me, if there is one thing you can do with these things, it’s try. I mean, look at me,” he gestured to himself wildly. “Hope thought I was just an idiot who stole her father’s suit, but now — ” MJ snorted “ — What?” Scott asked frowning.

“Nothing. It’s just funny how you say thought like she used to think that and she doesn’t now.”

Scott scowled while Tony gave her a fist bump. “Anyway, point is: I thought I had literally no chance with her, but turns out she liked me too! Or learned to like me too. Or is learning to like me too...I need to make a call...” Scott stood up slowly and walked out of the room silently.

Tony looked around and breathed out. “Wow, MJ, you made him question his relationship.”

She shrugged. “Oops.”

A beat. “That was good advice though. You should try.”

She didn’t answer. After a moment she said, “Yeah, well maybe Gwen deserves a shot too.”

Sometimes, Tony hated how diplomatic MJ could be.

[theaterkid821]

Okay, some people on the internet. So I am here to deliver

I am gonna try to give a moment by moment of everything i remember from acting to singing to set. Okay so here goes. Before we start let me say this before you @ me. I did love the show. if you are going to see it, you are in for an amazing show and you will not be upset. i also do know about myself that i am a very judgmental watcher of shows so my comments are mainly small minute details that i noticed when watching the show. please don’t judge me. i am merely saying what i saw.

PRE:

I went with two of my friends (one of whom would have killed me if I didn't get them tickets) and my mom who happily drove us there. 

literally everyone there was socially awkward teens and 20′s who knew the show to a tee.

a good 5th of the audience was dressed as Michael 

the three of us (as many were) were a little worried about the age of the actor playing Michael (more on that in a moment). in the playbill, he seems to be wearing some blue eighties sweater and were quite worried that he wouldn’t wear The Hoodie. (He does don’t worry)

in the playbill, they have quotes for each character. Rich’s quote had me floored. his was “that’s what” -she

Looking at the set, they clearly saw the original show because the stage setup was very similar to the one seen in the bootleg. 

AND THEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN

the amount of applause that Jeremy got when the lights went up was amazing.

another example of how they clearly saw the original is how versatile everything is. almost everything was on wheels. and it was interesting to watch them bring it on. 

the choreo can definitely be described as contemporary/lyrical. and it’s AMAZING. 

i thought it was really cool to see that the sign for the play was on the back of the lockers that they rolled across the stage.

Christine at the water fountain. enough said. it’s basically the energy and tone of chapstick thing but just at a water fountain.

Also, side note: THEY KEEP THE “BOYF” ON HIS BACKPACK THE ENTIRE SHOW

the second that Michael got on the stage everyone practically screamed with glee. 

watching Christine sing I Love Play Rehearsal was beautiful. that song is my inner soul 

Mr. Reyes has a ponytail wig. it’s beautiful. 

watching Christine get crushed by “A Midsummer Nightmare About Zombies” killed my heart.

Jake was played very differently in this scene. when he’s hitting on Christine he plays it more as hitting on her than just kind of ranting. 

The SQUIP song. Oh. My. God.

Rich’s voice gives me life. 

again, choreo in this is amazing

i felt a little disappointed though because he was acting as if he’d do the hand motions and then didn’t

that being said, when he went up the octave on “ITS FROM JAPAAAAAAAAN” the crowd went wild

they dragged the beanbags on stage. i abstain from commenting on this.

Two Player Game was much calmer and less choreo focused than i would have liked but it was still fun to watch.

they kinda skim over the “he’s totally scamming me” line.

the transition has the actors dress up as famous video game characters and it was adorable

they did the payless shoe person differently. there are 2 instead of one and they are dressed very black and avant-guarde. i actually liked it better this way. it added more of a creepy tone to it and it worked really well.

the box lit up. it lip up blue.

watching them act like they were working when Jenna came into the store was beautiful. 

literally the unison talking in “all sale is final” gave me chills.

small thing that i found very funny: when the Mountain Dew bottle was opened, it fizzed and a couple drops came out and Michael’s response was “it’s fresh”

he said he was mourning in chilli fries but it was pizza...

during The SQUIP Enters, Jeremy does it more as the SQUIP is kind of controlling his body a bit as it activates which i appreciated. it didnt just look like he was having a stroke.

The SQUIP is hands down my favourite character and he did not let me down at all. also dressed in black avant-guarde clothing. but he has lights on his shirt and painted wirey pathy things on his neck. 

he stayed on the “sexy anime female” for a moment and it was beautiful.

his voice. oh my god amazing.

when Jeremy is talking with Brooke and Chloe in the store, he copies the SQUIP’s movements. the SQUIP was cool and Jeremy was awkward and it floored me. 

moving forward

the play thing was very funny. they clearly were just reading it for the first time and it was beautiful.

Chloe just says “cough” instead of actually coughing

it got so dramatic when Jeremy went into his monologue.

the SQUIP holds out the “not exactly” when Jeremy asks him if he killed Eminem and it’s beautiful.

Let me try to explain the beginning choreo for Upgrade. Brooke brings his hand down her chest near her heart, Jeremy pulls his hand away and the SQUIP pulls it right back quickly. and this happens like 3 times.

more wirey pathy things came down when Jeremy decided to upgrade which was cool. it shows him being more taken over by the SQUIP

at the end of intermission, kids from their upcoming show were there to draw the 50/50 raffle. my only thought was, “WHY ARE THERE 5 YEAR OLDS HERE THIS IS NOT A SHOW FOR A 5 YEAR OLD!”

the costumes for the haloween party were beautiful

not all of the costumes were sexy which i appreciated.

there was someone just in a unicorn costume and head.

for Do You Wanna Hang, apparently Jake’s parents’ blanket is zebra print... i dont know what to make of this.

Michael. In. The. Bathroom. Oh. My. God. I’m. Dead.

that being said, due to his portrayl of the role (i will get into that later) and his motions in this song during the bridge just gave me more “i’m upset vibes” than “i’m having a panic attack” which kind of bothered me.

Smartphone Hour. they had robes on and then took them off to show glittery cheer uniforms. it was beautiful.

some of the guys were in dresses and wigs

in pitiful children, they have the light up shoes. it was so cool and unique. 

they had a little wirey thing on the back of the jacket and it was cute

Jenna’s vocals chords are a-mazing. 

the awkwardness of The Pants Song brought joy to my soul.

the stage get’s this sparkly gray streamer wall and it’s a really cool asthetic for The Play.

Jeremy literally threw himself across the stage. it was so cool.

Michael got an ovation during “Michael makes an entrance” and when he pulls out the mountain dew red. 

when everyone’s been squipped, giant light strings come down and it’s like they’re attatched. 

Rich is just similing and looking around with his eyes in the hospital

JEREMY WEARS A CAST FOR A FEW MOMENTS THE CROWD WENT WILD. they knew their audience

the cheers Rich got for “oh my god i’m totally bi”

never have i heard more people gasp than when Jeremy’s dad came out with pants.

Christine and Jeremy got an applause when they kissed (no one is surprised here)

THINGS I FUST FEEL NEED TO BE SAID (here comes my judgement i warn you now please dont @ me)

Jeremy- i know it’s a very hard role to play but i was slightly underwhelmed. the difference between character and posture from when he isnt squipped and when he is was to very small and much more could have been done with that. he definitely went for more of a “jeremy is a loner” vibe instead of “jeremy is a socially awkward dork” which was intersting.

Michael- i have a lot to say about this one. i was pleasantly surprised but there were some things i would definitely have done differently. he payed it more as stoner than awkward dork. he was much calmer which was interesting.  it again made the panic attack much less believable. the actor also held himself still much older. it was a small thing that would and could be looked over but it made it slightly less believable.

as i said before, if you do get to see it you are in for a treat. and if you dont i hope that this gives you some shed of light as to what it was like

[cynthiamwashington]

Nine Doctors Couldn’t Help Me

It’s Monday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Monday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

My primal journey started in 2010. I had just attended my last Weight Watchers meeting ever. I had been doing Weight Watchers since 2005, and was at my highest weight ever. I was massively obese, I was severely lethargic, and I lived with daily brain fog. I was having miscarriages, but was being told there was nothing wrong with me. I went to a new doctor who told me that when I got pregnant again, I should come in and immediately start running tests so that when I lost it, we might have some insight as to why.

That was at the end of April. I was depressed and desperate. My dad had stumbled onto Mark Sisson’s website and pushed me to try Primal eating. I was extremely skeptical. In 2001, when I had first started dealing with health issues, I had been diagnosed with peripheral insulin resistance and had tried the Atkins diet. I was living in a dorm room at the time and failed miserably. So I was skeptical about trying another low carb restrictive diet.

But what did I have to lose?

Within a month of going Primal, I had lost several pounds, my brain fog was slowly clearing, and my gut was healing (another problem I hadn’t realized existed!).

And in July, I got pregnant again. This time it stuck. My son was born 9 months later. After 3 miscarriages, I am firmly convinced that I stayed pregnant because of my diet changes, and I became a full Primal convert.

After my son was born, I immediately resumed my Primal lifestyle. His first real food was bacon, and he loved liver as soon as he was old enough for real food. I continued the Primal journey, and continued slowly losing the weight and regaining my health.

Then I got pregnant again. This pregnancy was a whole different situation. I had hyperemesis gravidarum for both pregnancies, but this time I couldn’t eat anything. I lived off of cinnamon rolls, as they were the only thing I seemed able to keep down, and I drank nothing but gatorade. I was miserable, I was unbelievably adverse to the smell of all meat so I couldn’t even try to be Primal. I developed eczema on my arm so badly that I had to wear sleeves to work so my clients wouldn’t think I’d contracted ringworm! Luckily, my daughter was born healthy. I ended that pregnancy 10 lbs above where I started. And then my health disappeared.

The rash on my arm never really went away. I soon had eczema on my legs as well. Furthermore, I was so constipated that I wouldn’t go to the bathroom for days at a time and had constant crippling, severe stomach cramps. I had horrible brain fog, and who knows how much of that was a daughter who wouldn’t sleep versus dietary issues.

But more importantly, when she was not quite a year old, I broke out with hives. At first we didn’t know what they were and thought they were bed bug bites! Finally we clued in and I went to the allergy doctor. I knew I was reactive to wheat. As soon as I had cut it out in 2010, I noticed I got sick every time I ate it. I was suspicious of eggs and dairy. But I tested positive to literally every single food, plant, and animal they tested me for with the exception of white fish!

He immediately confirmed that it was an allergy problem. But that night I ended up in the emergency room with full body, raised, angry red, large diameter hives (like inches in diameter). He put me on all sorts of steroids, antihistamines, and beta-blockers. I cut everything out of my diet, and literally ate nothing but unflavored ground beef and vegetables for months.

And the huge, angry, red, full-body hives never went away.

I went from the allergist through eight other doctors. I went to conventional doctors, homeopathic doctors, acupuncturists, herbalists, etc. The hives never went away. I finally took myself off of all meds because they were turning me into a zombie. Unfortunately, even off of meds, nothing improved. One doctor started me on progesterone, thinking it was a hormonal problem because my cycles were so irregular (they had been like clockwork up until my daughter), and that made me much sicker. Unfortunately, those side effects didn’t go away once I took myself back off the meds.

Finally, out of sheer desperation, I gave up. I stopped going to doctors. I cleaned my diet up to be 100% Primal. I started meditating daily. I changed my job to reduce the stress.

And between less stress and diet improvements, finally, the hives started to go away. It had been a year and a half. They weren’t gone completely until after the two year mark, and even as recently as a few months ago they’d still pop up if I became too stressed or ate the wrong things.

Since then, my health has been a slow improvement. The eczema slowly disappeared. My gut slowly healed. But my weight wouldn’t drop. All the signs that showed up when I was put on hormones (heavier periods, breasts that were so sore you couldn’t look at them for a full 2 weeks each cycle, twenty day cycles) were still present. And I was plateaued. I would drop to 188 lb (I’m 5’3), but could never get below that number.

I was stuck there for nearly 3 years. I was feeling better overall, but I was stuck. I would be extremely clean for about 2 months, then I would give up since my weight wasn’t shifting anyway. Then a week later I’d be back to Primal eating because the brain fog and low energy would have come back.

Finally, this last spring, I broke that plateau. I had been 100% Primal for a few months, finally, and everything suddenly balanced. My cycles regulated, I stopped being in pain, and my weight finally started to drop again.

It’s still a journey. I’m not quite to my ideal weight yet as I’ve hit several other plateaus since. But for someone who has been obese since they were 16, now that I finally know what works for me, I can be patient. And more importantly, being Primal allowed me to heal up such severe disease after nine doctors couldn’t help me that I became an even stronger advocate than I’d been before.

I was already a licensed veterinarian and was using Primal principles in my animal patients, but after finally healing my own body, I became a certified Primal Health Coach so I could help the humans as well!

So what have I done since I received my certification? Since I received my certification, my life has gone in all sort of directions!

I was already using Primal principles in my holistic veterinary practice. I have absolutely continued using those principles to help heal the pups who walk through my door, and I have created an educational website and Facebook group for owners interested in healing their pets through diet!

However, I still wanted to help people, too.

When I first graduated, I obtained two informal coaching clients. One was a friend of my mother’s who had suffered from IBD, allergies, inability to lose weight, and masses around her thyroid (although they said her thyroid values were normal).

When we first started talking, she was eating grains with most meals, avoiding fat, and filling her diet with things like vegetable oil!

The first thing we did was cut the grains and vegetable oil, reintroduce real foods, and increase the healthy fats.

Within a month, she had lost 20 pounds, her energy was returning, and her IBD was feeling more controlled than ever!

My other client was a friend of mine who had also suffered from IBD, but who also had her gallbladder removed a few years before. In addition, she couldn’t lose weight and had all sorts of fluctuations in her hormones.

Again, with nothing more than diet changes, she slowly started to recover. Her weight decreased more slowly, but it was the first time she had ever succeeded in getting it off! More importantly, the IBD that flared with every menstrual cycle started staying controlled, and her hormones started to balance.

However, that wasn’t the end of coaching for me.

Around this time, I started having other veterinarians approaching me, asking how I had changed my life around. I had gone from severely burned out and feeling trapped and desperate in my job to outsourcing myself from my own business, moving to another state, and learning to love life and travel again!

And they wanted to know how I had done it.

Well, the first answer to that question was that when I started to get my stress under control (which started with getting my diet and health under control), then changes just started to take place that allowed me to completely turn my lifestyle around.

So I also began coaching veterinarians and other health care professionals on how to change their lives around. That coaching isn’t just about health, but health is almost always a piece of what we have to cover since these are women under massive loads of stress, and we have to deal with the health effects of that stress.

Today, I do both health coaching and mindset coaching. I believe in helping people live their best lives, and I will use whatever means necessary to help them do that! So while much of my focus is on veterinarians and other health care professionals, I still do regular health coaching as well.

I teach people that it is definitely possible to live the life of your dreams, and in my case, it all started with learning about ancestral health!

– Jenny Elwell-Gerken

Jenny’s listing in the Primal Health Coach Institute Directory

Website: www.drjeg.com

The post Nine Doctors Couldn’t Help Me appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Article source here:Marks’s Daily Apple

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WIRED Binge-Watching Guide: Fargo

The transition from big-screen to small-screen isnt an easy one to navigate. For decades, television networks have attempted to cash in on the name-recognition of hit movies to create a “sure thing” television series. Few have been successful. For every M*A*S*H or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are far more Ferris Buellers Day Offs, Gung Hos, or Casablancas. Fargo is an exception to the rule.

Created by Noah Hawley, who is executive producing FX’s X-Men series Legion, the anthology show is the ultimate tribute to Joel and Ethan Coen’s unique style of storytelling in that it contains dozens of nods and references that Coen aficionados will instantly recognize, yet easily stands on its own as a one-of-a-kind accomplishment. Like much of the Coens’ work, including Fargo itself, the series is best described as a black comedy, but its also got elements of horror, drama, and sci-fimaking it a space where anything can happen.

Populated by the same oddly accented, seemingly-good-but-perhaps-slightly-simple kind of characters that made the movie Fargo so memorable, and quotable, both seasons of the TV show have focused on what happens when an everyday person accidentally stumbles on a crime. In Season 1, that everyday person is pretty much anyone who walks into the path of Lorne MalvoBilly Bob Thorntons pitch-perfect sociopath who might be fun to have a beer with. In Season 2, its a young coupleEd and Peggy Blumquist, played by Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunstwho get embroiled in a crime war when they try to cover up what any normal person would consider an accident.

Because the show is so densely packed with nuance, storylines, and characters (not to mention a dream list of actors, including Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Adam Goldberg, Glenn Howerton, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Root, Jean Smart, Ted Danson, Bokeem Woodbine, Brad Garrett, Nick Offerman, Kieran Culkin, and Bruce Campbell as Ronald Reagan), its hard to give much detail without giving too much away. It’s better you watch for yourself, particularly before Season 3which features Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Carrie Coon, David Thewlis, Michael Stulhbarg, Jim Gaffigan, and Ewan McGregor playing two charactersdrops in the spring. Heres how to binge-watch Fargo. (Go Bears!)

Fargo

Number of Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)

Time Requirements: While dedicated binge-watchers could easily complete both seasons in a single weekend, Fargo is the kind of show that deserves a digestion period. Its so nuanced and layered that it can sometimes take a minute to connect the dots of the storyand because of that, watching just one to two episodes per night is ideal. Stick to a single hour, and youll be done in less than three weeks. Opt for two episodes per night, and 10 days will have you caught up and ready for Season 3.

Where to Get Your Fix: Hulu (Season 1), Amazon, iTunes

Best Character to Follow: Because it’s an anthology series, theres little character crossover from Season 1 to Season 2. As such, were going to cheat a little here and give you two charactersone for each season. Though Deputy Molly Solverson (Tolman) does Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson proud as an eagle-eyed detective, its sociopath Lorne Malvo (Thornton) in Season 1 that makes the story tick. Hes very much a nod to No Country for Old Men’s Anton Chigurh, in that youre never quite sure what his motivation isif theres any motivation at all. Hes brilliant and calculating, but can change personas in a flash and, even when hes acting psychotic, theres something oddly charming about him. It’s the kind of role that’s exactly in Thornton’s wheelhouse, and made more interesting because he embodies it.

When it comes to actors of a certain age, few can play the good guy as believably as Patrick Wilson, which allows his character, Lou Solverson, to bring a bit of calm into what is an out-of-control power struggleboth between two criminal enterprises and two competing law enforcement departments. But whereas Solversons character stays true to what we first see him to be, its Kirsten Dunsts Peggy Blumquist that gets to have all the fun (well, from an acting standpoint) in second season. Shes a young wife who is tired of living in the pastthough she doesn’t seem to live too much in reality, either. Still, flightiness and all, its hard to not to be charmed by her transformation from stuck-in-a-rut townie to self-actualized badass. Even though she makes all the wrong moves, shes still always able to see the positive. Both Dunst and Wilson received Golden Globe nominations for their rolesas did Thornton, Tolman, Freeman, and Hanks in Season 1and all for good reason.

Seasons/Episodes You Can Skip: For shows with smaller episode counts, we often advise against skipping any… before pointing out the weakest one or two episodes. Fargo is that rare series that truly does not waver in its quality. Plus, each episode is packed with information and forward movement in terms of the narrative, so it also requires your full attention. Sure, there are a few episodes that we can (and, in just a second, will) point to as standouts, but there’s not a single episode you should skip.

Seasons/Episodes You Cant Skip: If you want to start with just a single season of Fargo, you can really start with either one and not be lost. (Though its good to start from the beginning.) Because its an anthology, each season is a self-contained unitthough the stories are connected. In fact, it’s one of the few series that makes going back and watching the whole thing a second time a great ideabecause youll pick up on references in both seasons that you hadnt noticed the first time around. Which is a long way of saying: Dont skip a single episodeespecially these…

Season 1: Episode 1, “The Crocodiles Dilemma” You simply cannot watch (or understand) the first season of Fargo without watching its first episode. It starts out very similarly to the moviecomplete with a (fake) disclaimer that the events depicted within the show are all truewith a long stretch of snowy highway and a death. It introduces us to the main antagonist, Lorne Malvo (Thornton), plus bored insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Freeman), anxious police Deputy Molly Solverson (Tolman), who is trying to figure out why a man wearing only boxers would be frozen to death in the middle of a field, and single dad/cop Gus Grimley (Hanks), whose frightening encounter with Malvo sets the story in motion.

Season 1: Episode 4, “Eating the Blame” A flashback gives us some insight into how Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt)who Malvo is protecting from being blackmailed but blackmailing at the same timebecame the Super Market king of Minnesota. Grimley, struggling with the fact that he made a huge mistake by letting Malvo go when they first met, comes face-to-face with him a second time and isnt about to make the same mistake again. At the same time, Malvo uses his one call from jail to continue his campaign against Milos, and has roped Don Chumph (Glenn Howerton), a personal trainer and wannabe blackmailer, into helping him.

Season 1: Episode 6, “Buridans Ass” Recent widower Lester Nygaard, who Solverson suspects of killing his wife, slips out of the hospital to point the finger in another direction, while Malvo continues to torment Milosgetting Chumph to do the dirty work, then finding a way to cut him out of the plan. Solverson and Grimley join forces to try to get to the bottom of whats going on, but find themselves lost in the midst of a white-out with near-fatal consequences.

Season 1: Episode 9, “A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage” Its not a year later and much has changed for the main characters, but Solverson still isnt satisfied as neither Nygaard nor Malvo is behind bars. A chance encounter leads Pepper (Key) and Budge (Peele)whose reputations have been sullied and now have a lot to proveto Solverson, who shares her theory of what happened the previous year and gains their trust and support. Meanwhile, Nygaard runs into Malvo in the most unexpected of places and, feeling emboldened by a new life, decides to grow a backbone. Bad move.

Season 2: Episode 1, “Waiting for Dutch” Season 2 takes us back to 1979 with what seems like an entirely new cast of characters, until we meet State Trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson), the father of Molly, who is a crossover character from Season 1 (where he owns a diner and is played by Keith Carradine). Here, he finds himself in the middle of a war between two crime syndicatesFargos Gerhardt family and a group of badasses (Woodbine and Garrett) from Kansas City. As in the first season, an everyday couplebutcher Ed (Plemons) and hair stylist Peggy Blumquist (Dunst)find themselves in the middle of this war when Peggy accidentally hits the youngest Gerhardt with her car and, rather than call the police, tries to hide the evidence.

Season 2: Episode 6, “Rhinoceros” The Blumquists many bad decisions have come back to haunt them, as Ed has a price put on his head and is nearly killed when his butcher shop burns down. But Peggy, who Sherriff Hank Larsson (Danson) suspects is “a little bit touched,” sees this tragedy as a chance to self-actualize and start a new life. Reality sets in when Ed is arrested, and a couple of Gerhardts show up at her house. Karl Weathers (Offerman), the towns only lawyer, arrives at the police station (barely standing) to help Ed out, but it turns into a standoff with the Gerhardts demanding the return of their man, and that Ed be sacrificed.

Season 2: Episode 8, “Loplop” Having captured the leader of the Gerhardt gang, Peggy seems to be adjustingand even enjoyinglife on the run, with a hostage in tow. But, much to Eds dismay, the Gerhardts dont seem all that concerned with getting their man back, so he makes a call to the Kansas City guys to see what he can do. At the same time, the police are on their trail.

Season 2: Episode 10, “Palindrome” One wouldnt necessarily say that either season of Fargo ends on a “happy” note, but after much bloodshedand at least one UFO sightingthe war between the two crime factions seems to have come to an end. And Solverson can come home to his wife, Betsy (Cristin Milioti, who is wonderful) and daughter Molly (here played by Raven Stewart) and contemplate the future. The one that, if you watched Season 1, you already know.

Why You Should Binge: With so many popular series currently in their tenth or more season (see: The Simpsons, Greys Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory), its nice to be reminded that economy can be a good thing. The TV-watching world is catching on to that, as anthology series like American Horror Story have been gaining in popularity. Bottom line: Why spend 266 hours watching all of Criminal Minds when you can watch one of televisions very best crime series in less than a week?

Best Scene”Pepper and Budge on the Scene”:

Given the huge cast of characters, plus the various storylines in each season, choosing a “best” scene is damn near impossible. Lorne Malvo transforming into Pastor Frank Peterson when he’s being questioned by the police is what makes Thornton a one-of-a-kind performer. But one of the things that makes Fargo different is the truly innovativeand cinematicapproach it brings to television. Yes, weve heard this “cinematic” argument for many other shows, many of them deserving of what might be the highest compliment. But Fargo takes it to the next level; its regular use of split screen gives the viewer a birds-eye-view on everything thats happening (one camera might show whats happening in the front of a house, while another shows the back) and also provides a visual metaphor for what’s happening in the story (a split in the screen might indicate a fracture in a relationship).

In one of Season 1s most breathtaking moments, what could have been a gore-filled scene instead took a more subtle turn where the violence is heard and fully understood, yet not seen, giving the viewers imagination a workout. Its bookended by the comedic influence of Key and Peeles FBI agents Pepper and Budge, who always seem to get distracted at the very moment their jobs require undivided attention.

The Takeaway:

Albert Camus was fond of pointing out the absurdity of life, and famously that, “Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity. And maybe that’s what gives us our joy for living, because the only thing that can defeat absurdity is lucidity.” No, thats not a lazy way of ripping off another writer in an attempt to summarize the seriesbut it could very easily serve as the show’s tagline. In fact, Camus even gets a couple of direct shout-outs in Fargo, including a second season episode titled “The Myth of Sisyphus.” Anyone familiar with that 1942 essay knows that its essentially a metaphor for the futility of life and the lack of control we truly have over what happens to ourselves and the people around us. And that the only way to combat the seeming pointlessness of it all is to embrace whatever challenges come our way and accept them as the path thats been laid out for us.

In the land of Fargo, strange things happen. Bad things happen. Tragedy strikes. There are deaths, and there are births (though the former far outweighs the latter). There are moments of sadness, and laugh-inducing incidents. And through it all, the series enormous cast of characters weather the challenges and persevere (well, the ones who live to tell the story at least), as they move forward and prepare for whatever life has in store for them next. Stated more simply: Thats life.

If You Like Fargo, Youll Love: If you haven’t seen the 1996 Coen brothers’ movie upon which the series is based, that’s your first mistake: Fargo the series perfectly captures the darkly comedic tone of Fargo the movie, which was nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture) and won two (for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay). Its about a sad-sack car salesman who hires some guys to kidnap his wife in order to get some money from his father-in-lawand its small-screen sendup is full of subtle nods and references. (Jos Feliciano, anyone?)

On the small screen, its really not hyperbolic to say that Fargo has sort of created its own genre. Which isnt to say that it doesnt share elements with some other series: Like Breaking Bad, its a look at what happens when seemingly “good” people suddenly find themselves on the other side of the law; the two shows also share a very precise type of pacing where the story unfolds in a way that keeps you guessingand watching. So it stands to reason that it shares a lot of the same characteristics (plus one Bob Odenkirk) with Better Call Saul, too.

For sheer strangeness and creating a world in which anything can happen, Twin Peaks is yet another kindred television spirit.

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/08/07/wired-binge-watching-guide-fargo/ from All of Beer http://allofbeer.blogspot.com/2017/08/wired-binge-watching-guide-fargo.html

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WIRED Binge-Watching Guide: Fargo

The transition from big-screen to small-screen isnt an easy one to navigate. For decades, television networks have attempted to cash in on the name-recognition of hit movies to create a “sure thing” television series. Few have been successful. For every M*A*S*H or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are far more Ferris Buellers Day Offs, Gung Hos, or Casablancas. Fargo is an exception to the rule.

Created by Noah Hawley, who is executive producing FX’s X-Men series Legion, the anthology show is the ultimate tribute to Joel and Ethan Coen’s unique style of storytelling in that it contains dozens of nods and references that Coen aficionados will instantly recognize, yet easily stands on its own as a one-of-a-kind accomplishment. Like much of the Coens’ work, including Fargo itself, the series is best described as a black comedy, but its also got elements of horror, drama, and sci-fimaking it a space where anything can happen.

Populated by the same oddly accented, seemingly-good-but-perhaps-slightly-simple kind of characters that made the movie Fargo so memorable, and quotable, both seasons of the TV show have focused on what happens when an everyday person accidentally stumbles on a crime. In Season 1, that everyday person is pretty much anyone who walks into the path of Lorne MalvoBilly Bob Thorntons pitch-perfect sociopath who might be fun to have a beer with. In Season 2, its a young coupleEd and Peggy Blumquist, played by Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunstwho get embroiled in a crime war when they try to cover up what any normal person would consider an accident.

Because the show is so densely packed with nuance, storylines, and characters (not to mention a dream list of actors, including Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Adam Goldberg, Glenn Howerton, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Stephen Root, Jean Smart, Ted Danson, Bokeem Woodbine, Brad Garrett, Nick Offerman, Kieran Culkin, and Bruce Campbell as Ronald Reagan), its hard to give much detail without giving too much away. It’s better you watch for yourself, particularly before Season 3which features Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Carrie Coon, David Thewlis, Michael Stulhbarg, Jim Gaffigan, and Ewan McGregor playing two charactersdrops in the spring. Heres how to binge-watch Fargo. (Go Bears!)

Fargo

Number of Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)

Time Requirements: While dedicated binge-watchers could easily complete both seasons in a single weekend, Fargo is the kind of show that deserves a digestion period. Its so nuanced and layered that it can sometimes take a minute to connect the dots of the storyand because of that, watching just one to two episodes per night is ideal. Stick to a single hour, and youll be done in less than three weeks. Opt for two episodes per night, and 10 days will have you caught up and ready for Season 3.

Where to Get Your Fix: Hulu (Season 1), Amazon, iTunes

Best Character to Follow: Because it’s an anthology series, theres little character crossover from Season 1 to Season 2. As such, were going to cheat a little here and give you two charactersone for each season. Though Deputy Molly Solverson (Tolman) does Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson proud as an eagle-eyed detective, its sociopath Lorne Malvo (Thornton) in Season 1 that makes the story tick. Hes very much a nod to No Country for Old Men’s Anton Chigurh, in that youre never quite sure what his motivation isif theres any motivation at all. Hes brilliant and calculating, but can change personas in a flash and, even when hes acting psychotic, theres something oddly charming about him. It’s the kind of role that’s exactly in Thornton’s wheelhouse, and made more interesting because he embodies it.

When it comes to actors of a certain age, few can play the good guy as believably as Patrick Wilson, which allows his character, Lou Solverson, to bring a bit of calm into what is an out-of-control power struggleboth between two criminal enterprises and two competing law enforcement departments. But whereas Solversons character stays true to what we first see him to be, its Kirsten Dunsts Peggy Blumquist that gets to have all the fun (well, from an acting standpoint) in second season. Shes a young wife who is tired of living in the pastthough she doesn’t seem to live too much in reality, either. Still, flightiness and all, its hard to not to be charmed by her transformation from stuck-in-a-rut townie to self-actualized badass. Even though she makes all the wrong moves, shes still always able to see the positive. Both Dunst and Wilson received Golden Globe nominations for their rolesas did Thornton, Tolman, Freeman, and Hanks in Season 1and all for good reason.

Seasons/Episodes You Can Skip: For shows with smaller episode counts, we often advise against skipping any… before pointing out the weakest one or two episodes. Fargo is that rare series that truly does not waver in its quality. Plus, each episode is packed with information and forward movement in terms of the narrative, so it also requires your full attention. Sure, there are a few episodes that we can (and, in just a second, will) point to as standouts, but there’s not a single episode you should skip.

Seasons/Episodes You Cant Skip: If you want to start with just a single season of Fargo, you can really start with either one and not be lost. (Though its good to start from the beginning.) Because its an anthology, each season is a self-contained unitthough the stories are connected. In fact, it’s one of the few series that makes going back and watching the whole thing a second time a great ideabecause youll pick up on references in both seasons that you hadnt noticed the first time around. Which is a long way of saying: Dont skip a single episodeespecially these…

Season 1: Episode 1, “The Crocodiles Dilemma” You simply cannot watch (or understand) the first season of Fargo without watching its first episode. It starts out very similarly to the moviecomplete with a (fake) disclaimer that the events depicted within the show are all truewith a long stretch of snowy highway and a death. It introduces us to the main antagonist, Lorne Malvo (Thornton), plus bored insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Freeman), anxious police Deputy Molly Solverson (Tolman), who is trying to figure out why a man wearing only boxers would be frozen to death in the middle of a field, and single dad/cop Gus Grimley (Hanks), whose frightening encounter with Malvo sets the story in motion.

Season 1: Episode 4, “Eating the Blame” A flashback gives us some insight into how Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt)who Malvo is protecting from being blackmailed but blackmailing at the same timebecame the Super Market king of Minnesota. Grimley, struggling with the fact that he made a huge mistake by letting Malvo go when they first met, comes face-to-face with him a second time and isnt about to make the same mistake again. At the same time, Malvo uses his one call from jail to continue his campaign against Milos, and has roped Don Chumph (Glenn Howerton), a personal trainer and wannabe blackmailer, into helping him.

Season 1: Episode 6, “Buridans Ass” Recent widower Lester Nygaard, who Solverson suspects of killing his wife, slips out of the hospital to point the finger in another direction, while Malvo continues to torment Milosgetting Chumph to do the dirty work, then finding a way to cut him out of the plan. Solverson and Grimley join forces to try to get to the bottom of whats going on, but find themselves lost in the midst of a white-out with near-fatal consequences.

Season 1: Episode 9, “A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage” Its not a year later and much has changed for the main characters, but Solverson still isnt satisfied as neither Nygaard nor Malvo is behind bars. A chance encounter leads Pepper (Key) and Budge (Peele)whose reputations have been sullied and now have a lot to proveto Solverson, who shares her theory of what happened the previous year and gains their trust and support. Meanwhile, Nygaard runs into Malvo in the most unexpected of places and, feeling emboldened by a new life, decides to grow a backbone. Bad move.

Season 2: Episode 1, “Waiting for Dutch” Season 2 takes us back to 1979 with what seems like an entirely new cast of characters, until we meet State Trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson), the father of Molly, who is a crossover character from Season 1 (where he owns a diner and is played by Keith Carradine). Here, he finds himself in the middle of a war between two crime syndicatesFargos Gerhardt family and a group of badasses (Woodbine and Garrett) from Kansas City. As in the first season, an everyday couplebutcher Ed (Plemons) and hair stylist Peggy Blumquist (Dunst)find themselves in the middle of this war when Peggy accidentally hits the youngest Gerhardt with her car and, rather than call the police, tries to hide the evidence.

Season 2: Episode 6, “Rhinoceros” The Blumquists many bad decisions have come back to haunt them, as Ed has a price put on his head and is nearly killed when his butcher shop burns down. But Peggy, who Sherriff Hank Larsson (Danson) suspects is “a little bit touched,” sees this tragedy as a chance to self-actualize and start a new life. Reality sets in when Ed is arrested, and a couple of Gerhardts show up at her house. Karl Weathers (Offerman), the towns only lawyer, arrives at the police station (barely standing) to help Ed out, but it turns into a standoff with the Gerhardts demanding the return of their man, and that Ed be sacrificed.

Season 2: Episode 8, “Loplop” Having captured the leader of the Gerhardt gang, Peggy seems to be adjustingand even enjoyinglife on the run, with a hostage in tow. But, much to Eds dismay, the Gerhardts dont seem all that concerned with getting their man back, so he makes a call to the Kansas City guys to see what he can do. At the same time, the police are on their trail.

Season 2: Episode 10, “Palindrome” One wouldnt necessarily say that either season of Fargo ends on a “happy” note, but after much bloodshedand at least one UFO sightingthe war between the two crime factions seems to have come to an end. And Solverson can come home to his wife, Betsy (Cristin Milioti, who is wonderful) and daughter Molly (here played by Raven Stewart) and contemplate the future. The one that, if you watched Season 1, you already know.

Why You Should Binge: With so many popular series currently in their tenth or more season (see: The Simpsons, Greys Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory), its nice to be reminded that economy can be a good thing. The TV-watching world is catching on to that, as anthology series like American Horror Story have been gaining in popularity. Bottom line: Why spend 266 hours watching all of Criminal Minds when you can watch one of televisions very best crime series in less than a week?

Best Scene”Pepper and Budge on the Scene”:

Given the huge cast of characters, plus the various storylines in each season, choosing a “best” scene is damn near impossible. Lorne Malvo transforming into Pastor Frank Peterson when he’s being questioned by the police is what makes Thornton a one-of-a-kind performer. But one of the things that makes Fargo different is the truly innovativeand cinematicapproach it brings to television. Yes, weve heard this “cinematic” argument for many other shows, many of them deserving of what might be the highest compliment. But Fargo takes it to the next level; its regular use of split screen gives the viewer a birds-eye-view on everything thats happening (one camera might show whats happening in the front of a house, while another shows the back) and also provides a visual metaphor for what’s happening in the story (a split in the screen might indicate a fracture in a relationship).

In one of Season 1s most breathtaking moments, what could have been a gore-filled scene instead took a more subtle turn where the violence is heard and fully understood, yet not seen, giving the viewers imagination a workout. Its bookended by the comedic influence of Key and Peeles FBI agents Pepper and Budge, who always seem to get distracted at the very moment their jobs require undivided attention.

The Takeaway:

Albert Camus was fond of pointing out the absurdity of life, and famously that, “Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity. And maybe that’s what gives us our joy for living, because the only thing that can defeat absurdity is lucidity.” No, thats not a lazy way of ripping off another writer in an attempt to summarize the seriesbut it could very easily serve as the show’s tagline. In fact, Camus even gets a couple of direct shout-outs in Fargo, including a second season episode titled “The Myth of Sisyphus.” Anyone familiar with that 1942 essay knows that its essentially a metaphor for the futility of life and the lack of control we truly have over what happens to ourselves and the people around us. And that the only way to combat the seeming pointlessness of it all is to embrace whatever challenges come our way and accept them as the path thats been laid out for us.

In the land of Fargo, strange things happen. Bad things happen. Tragedy strikes. There are deaths, and there are births (though the former far outweighs the latter). There are moments of sadness, and laugh-inducing incidents. And through it all, the series enormous cast of characters weather the challenges and persevere (well, the ones who live to tell the story at least), as they move forward and prepare for whatever life has in store for them next. Stated more simply: Thats life.

If You Like Fargo, Youll Love: If you haven’t seen the 1996 Coen brothers’ movie upon which the series is based, that’s your first mistake: Fargo the series perfectly captures the darkly comedic tone of Fargo the movie, which was nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture) and won two (for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay). Its about a sad-sack car salesman who hires some guys to kidnap his wife in order to get some money from his father-in-lawand its small-screen sendup is full of subtle nods and references. (Jos Feliciano, anyone?)

On the small screen, its really not hyperbolic to say that Fargo has sort of created its own genre. Which isnt to say that it doesnt share elements with some other series: Like Breaking Bad, its a look at what happens when seemingly “good” people suddenly find themselves on the other side of the law; the two shows also share a very precise type of pacing where the story unfolds in a way that keeps you guessingand watching. So it stands to reason that it shares a lot of the same characteristics (plus one Bob Odenkirk) with Better Call Saul, too.

For sheer strangeness and creating a world in which anything can happen, Twin Peaks is yet another kindred television spirit.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/2017/08/07/wired-binge-watching-guide-fargo/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/163896384312