#like. ive watched maybe four episodes of season 1

[get-more-bald]

Brb. Getting my brain chemistry changed 👍

[deepwoundsandfadedscars]

The fact Shadow and Bone comes out the weekend when I have a test on Monday is homophobic

[bucked-it-up]

I finally have some time and think about what happened in the episode and also in a way this season as a whole. This is probably going to be a ramble mess and I’m sure i will get some info incorrect as i am mainly doing this off of memory, i also haven’t fully read the post episode interviews but i know the gist of them. Now with that disclaimer out of the way I’m gonna just blurt my feelings out.

One. I want to start that personally for me the season has felt off from the beginning but particularly from after the opening episodes, i felt like the pacing was off and disjointed. I enjoyed the episodes don’t get me wrong but yeah something just has felt off for me writing wise, everything seemingly has been resolved quicker and easier than i think anyone thought it would be

Two. Might as well get into the meat of why i am rambling about my feelings. 806. Well it was certainly an episode. The miceli bucktomy scene that we have all looked forward to since we knew it was happening just immediately felt off. It was their 6 months? But yet Tommy seemingly got buck a present that didn’t fit what he has said about basketball at all in the past and to me felt dismissive as i was watching it. Buck taking a picture of the girls felt odd to me the tension about it idk just wasn’t for me but that part of the conversation could have led to interesting turmoil and lead to more stability. The Abby of this part. My first reaction was Ew. I was never one for the spec that Tommy was Abby’s ex never felt right and didn’t click but I would’ve been okay with it if it was handled differently. Tommy felt dismissive towards why Abby would be upset about a 2 year Relationship where they were engaged, like she had every right to be hurt and react maybe in a way you didn’t expect or like. While this led to a good speech from josh and gave buck the information he needed to know he would be happy in the relationship even if tommy had been with Abby and he understood why tommy did what he did or at least accepted it.

Three. The Break Up. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT! They both express a want for a long term relationship and tommy decides that no that’s not what buck wants? And it also feels like it goes against him wanting a family somewhere to be and they were showing that he was becoming a part of it in 805. Just what was the characterisation in that scene? They weren’t the buck and tommy i know. Him saying buck? Like fuck you writers. You could have written a break up in so much more of a respectful way, handled it so much more respectfully not apparently doing 805 the way it was just to make 806 hurt worse. You had such a beautiful peace of representation on your hands and you just fucked it up.

Four. What i know of about the interviews. As said above ive not read them. I’m not in the right place to right now but i do know the gist of them. Why do you want buck’s character development to just fall back to season 1 buck, Oliver? Why? Tell me why it would make sense. Buck has shown longing for a long term relationship from the first hook up of the show. He didn’t sleep around after Abby who was his first transformative relationship as he said and tommy was he second major one again something that buck said. So why Oliver would he choose to fuck around? Why?

Five. The Eddie and Buck scene at the end. I will admit i didn’t properly watch it because i was too sad and that scene felt like someone had just rubbed a whole load of salt in the wound. I find out then from my friend that they had buck come over to eddies while he’s doing that pantless dancing and has shaved. Feels like bvddie ship bait not gonna lie. Would buck go to Eddie after a break up? Yes he would they are best friends why wouldn’t buck go there. But why couldn’t the scene be different, have it come at it from a different way.

Six. I dont know if I’m going to carry on watching the show, i have no nope for bucktommy coming back but if you do I’m really happy for you sincerely i would like some of that hope tbh. If i do watch it i will probably watch it after hearing spoilers.

Finally, I’m not reading this through so pls ignore any small mistakes but if you do want to correct me on something please do it kindly and politely. I love you all, my inbox is open if you need to rant somewhere and please take care of yourselves.

[silvercrane14]

Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War - two students are in love with eachother but refuse to "lose" and admit their feelings. Instead, they have increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess.

Okay I will admit. this Is a romance and also ive only seen the anime. So actually this would fall more under anime recs bcs the english dub voice acting is AMAZING. Anyway tho its a comedy that I really enjoy. Its about romance but like. Idk I dont read/watch romance often so I cant say "its not like the standard romance plot". But its less about them Falling In Love and more about them Overthinking Everything And Being Silly. ALSO !! tho it takes a bit, it does go into the characters a lot. Very centred on the characters relationships !! Not just romantically between the main two, but in general.

Why I think you would like it: similar in "vibe" to nozaki-kun. Funny!! But it has its moments of seriousness and it understands its characters well.

Mushishi - Eye Have Not Read This im sorry 🙏 i havent even seen the anime so I dont actually know much about it but ive been recced it so many times I figure I should pass it to you.

If u like Natsume's Book of Friends you'll enjoy this. Genuinely I think this is my strongest rec for you on this list even tho I've never seen it. I really do think u wld enjoy 👍

Insomniacs After School - IM REALLY SORRY I HAVENT READ THIS ONE EITHER. I HAVE IT KN GOOD AUTHORITY U WOULD LIKE IT I JUST CANT GUVE ANY DETAILS. BCS IDK REALLY.

"Two young teens who can't sleep find companionship with each other. They must learn to overcome any challenges and figure out what's important to them."

Why I think you would like it: Ive heard its similar to Skip to Loafer in a way!!

Girls Last Tour - Two young girls explore a post-apocolyptic wasteland. They go through abandoned buildings and old towns in their journey, battling solitude eith only eachother

This one is a little sad. More likeeee. Meloncholy, yk? I dont have much to say about it. Very good manga.

Why I think you would like it: The character relationship between the two girls seems like something you would enjoy.

Look Back - to be super honest its been over a year since I read this I dont fully remember what happens. Theres this girl wjo draws comics for her elementary school newsletter. Shes funny so every1 really likes her and her comics. at some point another comic appears, but its actually just four panels of background art. Its so beautifully drawn that the other students begin to fawn over it. Angry kver her loss of attention, the first girl goes to meet the girl making these new comics (The background girl doesnt go to school, she works at home). Thr end up becoming friends and the story shows how their friendship develops and changes, growing closer and growing further apart.

The manga is p short for. a manga but its actually just a Really Long oneshot. Its rlly good. not much else to say.

Why I think you would like it: Very similar to Blue Period. About art and how it reflects people. Also very strongly driven by the relationship between the two girls.

The Girl From The Other Side - ive been typing so much i really cant give a whole review on this. Similar to WHA. kinda. beautiful art. read it u will enjoy it

Kaguya-sama I watched the first two seasons of! Maybe I should read the manga too, I did think it was fun

Mushishi I watched maybe the first episode of, but I should definitely try again,,, I don't remember anything about it lol

I've read Insomniacs After School!!! I'm definitely not caught up though, and I've been planning on watching the anime,,,

Girls Last Tour I,,, might have seen? At least part of it a long time ago. I'll have to rewatch/read the manga

Look Back sounds really interesting,,, I'll check that one out!!!

I'm actually reading The Girl from the Other Side in Portuguese rn lol I have volumes 1-5 on my shelf

[madisonrooney]

It probably would be a spoiler LOL but hartley and rhino would be such a good pair! Now I just need for Disney to make it happen, give the people what they want!

I know there tends to not be many spin off series (off the top of my head I can only think of ones off of Disney XD and suite life) but what are some spin off shows you’d like to see? Is there a particular way you would do them? Or better yet is there a spin off you would re-do?

I will leave you with that to ponder, hope all is well - ❄️🎄

(theres also cory in the house and ravens home! and i guess gmw counts? and uh.....one that shant be named)

i believe ron and john pitched a spinoff about BOOMS which i kinda figured l&m cali style was leading up to given the introduction of a lot of new, younger characters. would i be bummed that thered be no dove beyond possibly a cameo? sure, but would i still watch it and be excited about it? absolutely. i guess it would just take place after what wouldve been the summer of rooney, when parker is back from the biodome. we could see his relationship with val develop. joey wouldve graduated but maybe hed go to college in california? ive seen him as more of a homebody before but for the sake of the show, i might want him to be there lol. maybe jillow could resume, josh would be there... the BOOMS kids were fun (finch was my fav) so i feel like it could work. they could continue the reality show format from l&m. now that we KNOW thats what it is, it could be a new reality show that airs in luxembourg and the fact that its a reality show could be played with in the show itself, rather than not mentioned at all like in l&m (until the finale, that is).

ive thought before that a dog with a blog animated series would be fun! poor mick and daphne would be out of a job lol but i think it could be a cute concept. you could get away with a lot more physical humor/action/etc with the dogs since you can animate them.

ive said this before in the discord that ravens home took till season 5 to finally get the concept right imo. i do enjoy the first four seasons but i have a good deal of problems with them, namely that they didnt pull enough from the original show, which s5 is a lot better at doing, plus they felt repetitive. s5 is getting better at being a mix of episodic and serialized, so i have hope for s6. so basically, if i were to re-do it, i would've started at s5 lol, but kept the good stuff from seasons 1-4, like the original cast (nia bugged me sometimes, tho)

gmw im sure thered be things id do differently but its been too long since ive watched either show to say specifically. tho i think we can all agree that we couldve done without the triangle/maya "turning into riley" lol (also rilaya endgame)

also bunkd neednt exist ❤️

once again if you can answer non-spoilery go for it! lol

[cosmic-hoboandthehighlander]

Thanks for tagging Pom!!

1) Spell your name in songs.

I have a long name but thankfully these are all songs I like!

C alm Before The Storm - Phillip Phillips

A bsolution - Ghost

B etter By Now - Abby Holliday

O ut of Touch - Hall & Oates

O ver - Phillip Phillips

S quare Hammer - Ghost

E lectric Avenue - Eddy Grant

2) Why did you choose your URL?

I had the same url for a few years before this and it was fandom based for a fandom I no longer really like to associate with, so I made a change. I didn’t know what to do, I had just joined the Bobs Burgers fandom but I wasn’t ready to commit to a BB url, so I chose a Spyro theme as a temporary fix that has stuck around longer than I wanted it to. It’s a quote from the first game, “keep your horns on, Spyro!”

I’m probably gonna change it - I’m just not sure to what and it might confuse people and they won’t know who I am!

3) What is your middle name?

…I think maybe I don’t want the internet people to know this

4) If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?

I have no idea, I never think about this. If a witch counts, then that. If not, oh well.

5) Favorite color?

It changes daily I think. Or often anyway. I really like sage green right now

6) Song you love right now?

Dance With Me by Phillip Phillips has been on repeat for days, I love this song so much that I’ve named a fanfiction after it’s lyrics and it makes several appearances in the same fic, including as Mort and Teddy’s wedding song.

I’m also really into Spillways by Ghost for whatever reason - I listen to it every day on the way to work.

7) Top four fandoms?

Ha, I don’t know if I even have four fandoms anymore…

1. Bob’s Burgers - I write exclusively for this fandom now, because I honestly got in too deep and accidentally fell in love with a rare pair. I’ve made some really cool friends and everybody has been so awesome and supportive! I can’t believe I didn’t join this fandom sooner, being a fan of the show for so many years, but I’m so glad that watching an episode and randomly wondering if anybody shipped Teddy and Mort earlier this year led me to such a fun fandom.

2. Good Omens - I mostly lurk here, but these people have some of the best fanfiction and edits! I love them and I wish I had more time to dedicate to learning how to write ineffable husbands, but for now reading it has been amazing. I started watching the show for David Tennant and stayed for Michael Sheen, funnily enough.

3. What We Do in the Shadows - again, I lurk in this fandom a lot more than I actually participate. I have written a fic, actually, but it’s from two seasons ago and I never finished it so it’s still a WIP that’s definitely way out of canon now! Not sure if I will ever post it, but sometimes I still work on it for fun. Wish there was more fanfiction available but the tumblr fandom is pretty active and the artists are so talented. And the commentary on this show from fans is just so amusing I love it.

4. Ghost - look, I’m outta fandoms okay? Do I consider myself a member of this fandom? Not really. But, I do happen to look through the tags and watch edits and I love watching videos of rituals and I’d probably die for Papa IV okay so? This counts. (Of course I’d die for Copia, he’s an old man and y’all know how I feel about old men 😉)

8) Tag nine people.

Listen, I should be sleeping and I’m super tired and I’m pretty sure all the people I’d tag have been tagged or have already participated! But if you haven’t, take this as a personal invitation to do so.

Get To Know Me Tag Game

(Thank you, @inevitablemoment!)

1) Spell your name in songs (Taking these songs from my "Smile Guaranteed" playlist - AKA songs that immediately make me go "Ooo!" and turn it up)

Everything is AWESOME!!! (feat. The Lonely Island) by Tegan and Sara

Real Gone by Sheryl Crow

I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith

Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates! by The Aquabats

Ain't No Easy Way by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

2) Why did you choose your URL?

It has been my fanfic pen name since 2004. The first published fanfic I wrote was for the Pirates of the Caribbean fandom, and it was a ridiculous crackfic about Jack, Will, and Elizabeth running around the 21st century with me and my two best friends. When they said goodbye at the end, they each gave us a pirate name. Jack gave me the name Black Grace, so "BG Sparrow" I be! I could never part ways with it at this point.

3) What is your middle name?

Dawn. And I don't like it. Makes me feel like some braided pigtail 12-year-old in Little House on the Prairie, and that's just not my vibe. My sister won the middle name game with "Linette".

4) If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?

A mythical creature... I must admit, I have never been asked this. I'm boring in this way, but something humanoid. Powerful. Maybe immortal. Fairy? Yeah, let's go with fairy. I've always loved the message of how powerful belief is in Peter Pan.

5) Favorite color?

Brown. I know, right? Five-year-old me is screwing up her face screaming, "You could pick any of the gorgeous colors in the entire universe, and you picked brown?" Yeah, I did. Blues/teals/aquas have always drawn me in and still do, but brown wins out by a small margin.

6) Song you love right now?

The most recent additions to my Annual Awesome: 2023 playlist include Death Drive by junodream (My No Pines Marty anthem) and Dancing With Your Ghost by Sasha Alex Sloan. Also listening to the score for Lawmen: Bass Reeves by Chanda Dancy right now because for some reason, the scores from these Tyler Sheridan shows fuel my 1885 BttF stories like none other, and I need a new one to attach to Once Upon a Time in the North as I write it. So far so good!

7) Top four fandoms?

Back to the Future

Pirates of the Caribbean

Iron Man

National Treasure (back in the day)

8) Tag nine people

@odddelorean

@brinkle-brackle

@bri-to-the-future

@synthsays

@fiddlstyx

@marielle-heller

@additionaladdams

@mythical-bookworm

@professorsaber

[madwheelerz]

Who’s Spying?

I believe that something that is decidedly not Vecna has been watching over Mike since before the events of season one even begins. We see him from some very odd angles at times and it’s almost like we peer in at him. We don’t do this nearly as often with other characters even if they are shown under framing that implies stalking. It’s not to the extent that Mike is.

(more stalking shots)

So, who do I think is spying? The mind flayer or maybe for the purpose of this post the “shadow”. Mike’s understanding of the shadow is very unsettling under this perspective, but I digress. @boysdontcryboycry pointed out that Mike’s name only appears in the second episode summary of a season, if it appears at all and so far it has appeared three times, mysteriously absent in the season three summary. The also noted that his appearance with different groups totaled to seven and all that I could think of was the relationship between seven and demogorgons.

In season two the main villain is the shadow, and this is the same for season three. In season one all signs are pointing to Vecna and we know in season four that Vecna is the big bad. This to me implies that Mike is opposite of the shadow and that while Willel are off fighting and defeating Vecna, Mike will have to deal with the eldritch monster that might have been spying on him. So many important numbers make their appearance in the Wheeler house: 8:15, the moment Karen calls off the game, 20, which we hear repeated a few times and is what will be needed to win, a campaign that took 2 weeks to plan and stopping breaks the flow. Vecna not being able to continue back-to-back once he’s been foiled.

There’s also 10 hours and two 10s make a 20. The shadow intends to utilize Will to spy- on what exactly? What is the shadow so interested in that it needs to be close to in order to understand? The shadow is capable of moving across plains so what does it need Will for? Perhaps to spy on Mike? It knows Mike’s name and nobody else’s.

The hivemind tries to grab Mike specifically.

This honestly makes the hub reference that much more ominous. Mike’s sensitivity to Will feeling the supernatural and Will feeling the supernatural specifically when it has to do with Mike. We have to remember that Will might be connected to Vecna, but the shadow is what possessed him and what likely continues to possess him. We learn in season three more fully that the shadow can go dormant and allow the host to do as it pleases.

We also see Mike in some very odd outfits, odd in the color choices. We see him in green in every season, but four. We see him in red in season one, we see him in outfits that seem to have all the colors of the clocks in stranger things, primary colors with a green background, in them.

El

I believe El is to Mike what demogorgons are to the shadow. That is, I think Mike created El in the same way that I suspect that the shadow created demogorgons. Micha(el) and (El)even. Now you might be wondering if he created her what about her number? What significance does the number 11 have to Mike? Well, it’s his birthday number. Mike’s birthday is 4/7/1971. 4 + 7 is 11 and even if you include the year and go 4 + 7 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 1 = 29, 2+9 = 11.

Also, the meaning of their birth names is reflective. Michael means “gift from god” while Jane means “god is gracious”. They imply something similar. The kindness of a deity. This also likely why there seems to be a glitch with the Ives because Jane didn’t exist instead her history is filling itself out as we go. That would be the kicker wouldn’t it all the parallels to Mike and different parental figures in El’s life leading up to this.

In conclusion my idea is that Willel will be going after Vecna while Michael will come face-to-face with the shadow.

[zexalmonth]

The prompts aren’t late, time is moving imperceptibly faster.

On August 1st to the 31st we’ll be welcoming in to our 6th Zexal Month! Under the cut is the new set of prompts, based on the Four Seasons. This year, Mod Iris has cleverly made the alternative prompts as the titles for each prompt. So, for example, if you aren’t vibing with Day 12′s prompt, you may do a prompt based on the word ‘Mixtape’, even if you don’t follow the question/prompt attached to Day 11. Keep an eye on this blog and the #zexal month 2022 tag for the event!  

Week 1: Beginning with Spring!

1st: Seeds (The beginning)

Looks like Kotori is planting a garden! 

Who are you and what seeds will you bring to help her out?

2nd: Sprouts

As per Takashi’s calculations, the sprouts have emerged just in time! Gotta love a student who applies his knowledge. 

Who is your favourite character and what makes you like them?

3rd: Buds

Alit and Gilag’s Tiger Lilies and Spider Lillies miraculously budded together. It’s like they’re best friends just like their planters. 

What are your favourite friendships? 

4th: Flowers

Astral loves the flowers. Even though they bloom and scatter in a short amount of time, the memory remains long in the envoy’s mind. 

What are some of your favourite memories and scenes from Zexal? 

5th: Fruits

Tokunosuke is stuffing his face full of cherries and praying his neighbours don’t find out. Unfortunately, they do and he learns a lesson in communication. And the consequences of stealing. 

What lessons has Zexal taught you? Alternatively, what consequences do you wish some characters faced up to?

Week 2: Diving into Summer!

8th: Sunshine

After much cajoling from his brothers, Christopher finally got out of the house and went to the beach. It’s not bad, he supposes. It’s pleasantly warm, even. (If only he didn’t get so easily sunburned). 

What parts from Zexal warmed you up? Create something heartwarming.

9th: Sea

Ryouga likes to visit the sea to gather his thoughts and relax. The locks at low tide are an added bonus. It’s nice… until IV and his alarmingly sunburned brother show up. 

Zexal characters going on vacation. Where are they going and what would they pack?

10th: Barbecues

Uh-oh! Looks like Gauche messed up all the patties at the BBQ he was so excited to have. Luckily his friends brought their own things! 

Show us something involved with recipes or food!

11th: Mixtape

Unfortunately, Vector is going through a Soundcloud rapper phase. (He says he’s special because he mixes it with 2000s Punk and alt). 

What’s your fave Zexal Soundtrack and why? Produce something while listening to it if you can!

12th: Summer Reading

Durbe loves borrowing books from the library and then reading them under the summer sun so much that he usually falls asleep reading. 

What’s a book that reminds you of a Zexal character? Alternatively, combine books you’ve read/are reading with Zexal (Isn’t a certain vampire popular at the moment?)

Week 3: Falling into Autumn

15th: Sweater Weather

Rio loves to curl up with her favourite movie playing in the bg and a cup of coffee in her hands. She’s got a keen eye for fashion and loves to wear her sweaters inside the Barian mansion. 

What’s the ideal watching environment for you? What episode would you rewatch?

16th: Falling Leaves 

Walking through Heartland’s parks during the fall is a lovely sight. Tetsuo thinks maybe he could enter his school’s photography contest this year. Hayami Shuta’s been #1 for 5 years straight but the imagery here might give him a run for his money.

Talk/show us some of your favourite/cool places/scenes in Zexal!

17th: Back to School

After a long summer break, Yuma is late for school again! Scrambling out of bed, he dreads the long lessons but looks forward to meeting his friends again!

What kind of student do you think your favourite character is/was? Is it time for a Middle/Highschool/University AU? 

18th: Pumpkin Spice

Black Mist never got the hype over pumpkin spice until he stole a prep’s body and tried some. Now it’s all he drinks and he thinks he’s starting to turn orange. 

Give your favourite a pumpkin spice… thing. What happens? Does anyone die?

19th: Trick or Treat

It’s Thomas’ favourite holiday and he doesn’t care Heartland City doesn’t officially recognise it. He’s going to be the COOLEST Destiny Leo anyone has ever seen. It’s going to be a sight for his fans. 

Redesign your favourite Zexal character! Alternatively, give a Zexal character a cool outfit/costume. (Or… are they the costume?! Cosplayers, if you’re waiting for a sign, this prompt is especially for you).

Week 4: Winter

22nd: Snow

It’s Anna’s first snow in Heartland and it’s colder than she expected. Maybe she will have to buy that coat and apologise to Kotori for calling her weakling. 

It’s unexpected friendship/shipping day!

23rd: Holidays

During winter break, Kaito and Haruto like to go out to the countryside villa and watch as the snow slowly falls. Alone in the snow, the two brothers realize that home is wherever your family is. Even if your family includes a robot nanny.

What holidays do you think the characters in Zexal celebrate?

24th: Cold

“Achoo!” Every winter, Micheal catches a cold and ends up having the entire Arclight household fussing over him as if he were a young child. He likes the attention, he supposes, but did the medicine have to taste so bad? They’re living in the future for crying out loud! At least he has time to organise the things in his room…

What does your fave’s bedroom look like? Design a room for them if you can. Also, we apologise to every artist in advance for asking them to draw backgrounds today.

25th: Moon in the river, plum wine in my hand, I weep for the stars

Thus goes a poem from Mizael’s diary. He only shares his poems with very close friends, which is a pity because they’re all wonderful. 

Write a Zexal poem/ode/limerick/haiku or whatever your heart desires.  

26th: Do you want to build a snowman? 

No! Not like that! Vector’s entry for Heartland’s snowman building contest is…concerning to say the least. There’s no more red food coloring in the pantry is all I can say. 

It’s a snow day! How does your character spend it? Or, how does your favorite character build a snowman?

Week 5: New Years

29th: New Years

The Tsukumos walk to the shrine. It’s almost midnight, you see, and they’re going to ring in like the new year like they always have. After reminiscing on all the fun times they had throughout the year, ending it surrounded by their loved ones, it’s a perfect conclusion. 

Goodbyes and Zexal fandom love letters. Share your open letters to the Zexal fandom in general!

———————————————–

As usual, feel free to do whichever prompts you like. These prompts are a guideline, rather than a hard rule, and you can make art, write fanfiction, make amvs/animatics or just talk about it! Just do what you can manage! No need to do all of them if you don’t want to.

Sorry again for the late prompt list. Mod Iris got into their dream uni and I’m nearing the due date for my PhD thesis! Rest assured, Zexal Month 2022 will run smoothly in August!

See you all then! Please share this around and spread the Zexal love!

[arctic-comet]

Osblaine week 2021, Day 2: Lyrics

Over the last several weeks, I have carefully curated a playlist for Osblaine. The final total length of the playlist is 2 hours and 53 minutes.

The playlist can be found HERE

Click "Keep Reading" if you're interested in the introduction, commentary, more graphics and the full tracklist.

For full disclosure, I have to give some of the credit to my amazing fellow Osblaine fangirls @dystopiandramaqueen, @splitscreen and everyone who participated in a certain conversation for the original inspiration and even bringing up some of the songs.

You should look at the playlist in five parts: one section for each season that's aired and one section for the future (because I like to end things on a hopeful note).

The playlist contains a lot of the following:

Music from movie and TV soundtracks

Instrumental music

Remixes

Classics and covers of classics

Country music. I blame Florida. My sincerest apologies.

Some of the songs were chosen because they reminded me of a certain Osblaine scene, and some of them aren't specific to particular scenes but chosen for the general Osblaine vibe. And most of the movie/TV music I chose have been used for couples that remind me of Nick and June.

Part I- Season 1, first 12 songs of the playlist:

Forbidden Love- Abel Korzeniowski, Jasper Randall, The Hollywood Studio Symphony (Romeo & Juliet)

Fireflies- Owl City

Echoes in Rain- Enya

My Ghost- Glass Pear (Bones)

Daring to Hope- Anne Dudley (Poldark)

Everytime We Touch- Cascada

1000 Times- Sara Bareilles

Too Good At Goodbyes- Sam Smith

In Case You Don't Live Forever- Ben Platt

To Find You- Cast of Sing Street, Brenock O’Connor

She- Elvis Costello (Notting Hill)

Miracle- Instrumental- Cö Shu Nie

Hanging By A Moment- Lifehouse

Commentary:

The first instrumental song IMO works as an intro for their entire love story.

The next two songs are more about having the right vibe. It's a little ambiguous and dark because that's how their life is in Gilead.

Leave my door open just a crack

Please take me away from here

'Cause I feel like such an insomniac

Please take me away from here

Why do I tire of counting sheep?

Please take me away from here

When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

***

Wait for the sun

Watching the sky

Black as a crow

Night passes by

Taking the stars

So far away

Everything flows

Here comes another new day

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

***

"My Ghost" is June's POV before they sleep together, wondering if she can trust Nick:

Who can you trust, in this place?

And whom can I put my faith?

If you're real, then show me now,

Who you are

The last two songs are for episode 1x10, for both Nick’s reaction to June’s pregnancy and the beginning of her first escape attempt (arranged by Nick).

She may be the face I can't forget The trace of pleasure or regret May be my treasure or the price I have to pay She may be the song that summer sings Maybe the chill that autumn brings Maybe a hundred different things Within the measure of a day

Part II- Season 2, next 10 songs:

Love Will Keep Us Alive- Eagles

So Easy- Phillip Phillips

Incomplete- James Bay

Rewrite the Stars- The Piano Guys (The Greatest Showman)

I’ll Be Your Shelter- Taylor Dayne

Love Never Fails- Brandon Heath

P.S. I Love You- 05:11- John Powell (P.S. I Love You)

It's A Girl- Mychel Danna (The Time Traveler's Wife)

I'll Stand By You- Josh Groban, Helene Fischer

The Miracle of Love- Eurythmics

Commentary:

The first four songs cover June’s escape attempt and the time they share at the Boston Globe.

"Incomplete" is Nick's POV from when she's on the run and he knows she'll be gone from his life soon. He lives in the moment.

I don't wanna look down

I don't want us to break up in the clouds

All I want is to stay us, to stay with you now

"I'll Be Your Shelter" is for when June's mental health is at its lowest point and he goes to Serena to beg for her to get June help.

What you need is a friend to count on

What you got baby you got someone

Who will stay when the rain is fallin'

And won't let it fall on you

P.S. I Love You takes me back to episode 2.09, Nick’s selflessness in the episode and of course the scene where after telling June that Luke loves her, he tells her that he loves her too, despite believing she probably doesn’t feel the same way.

It's A Girl makes me think of the beautiful moment they share during June's false labor when he helps her out of the van and they climb the steps together.

I’ll Stand By You is for 2.10, Nick holding June after she was heartbroken over Hannah and over what the Waterfords did to her and clinging onto him.

Part III- Season 3, next 6 songs:

Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close- Alexandre Desplat (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close)

All I Ask- Adele

Never Enough- Loren Allred (The Greatest Showman)

I Don’t Wanna Live Forever- Taylor Swift, ZAYN (Fifty Shades Darker)

Love is Gone- SLANDER, Dylan Matthew

Constellations- The Oh Hellos

Commentary:

For obvious reasons, it was extremely difficult to pick songs for this season.

The first (instrumental) song is for the beginning of the season with June coming back to the Waterford house and them then saying goodbye to each other on the street.

All I Ask, Never Enough, I Don't Wanna Live Forever and Love Is Gone are for their night together in June’s room at Lawrence’s (the one we didn’t get to see sigh). They know it's possible it's all they'll ever have, and they'll take it, but it'll never be enough.

I will leave my heart at the door I won't say a word They've all been said before, you know So why don't we just play pretend? Like we're not scared of what's coming next Or scared of having nothing left

Look, don't get me wrong I know there is no tomorrow All I ask is

If this is my last night with you Hold me like I'm more than just a friend Give me a memory I can use Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do It matters how this ends 'Cause what if I never love again?

***

All the shine of a thousand spotlights

All the stars we steal from the night sky

Will never be enough

Never be enough

Towers of gold are still too little

These hands could hold the world but it'll

Never be enough

Never be enough

***

I'm sorry, don't leave me, I want you here with me

I know that your love is gone

I can't breathe, I'm so weak, I know this isn't easy

Don't tell me that your love is gone

That your love is gone

"Constellations" is for their long separation and the doubts that I'm sure plagued them both during it. Would they ever see each other again?

Part IV- S4, next 12 songs:

All of Me- John Legend

(Everything I do) I Do It For You- Bryan Adams

Iris- Natalie Taylor (City of Angels)

She Was Like A Bright Light- Hans Zimmer, Rupert Greyson-Williams (Winter’s Tale)

Noah's Last Letter- Aaron Zigman (The Notebook)

What’s In The Middle- the bird and the bee (Bones)

ivy- Taylor Swift

Footprints in the Sand- Leona Lewis

Remember Me (Lullaby)- Gael Garcia Bernal, Gabriella Flores (Coco)

On The Nature Of Daylight- Max Richter

My Heart Will Go On- Basil Jose (Titanic)

The Story- Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy)

Commentary:

There were sooo many songs I wanted to include in part IV, but I controlled myself and ended up with this particular dozen.

"She Was Like A Bright Light" and "Noah’s Last Letter" are an instrumental double punch to the gut for Nick’s time in Gilead during episodes 4.07-4.09. The first one is meant for when he finds out June made it to Canada, and the 2nd for is for when he starts to gather info on Hannah to give to June.

"What’s in the Middle" and "ivy" are June’s POV of episodes 4.07-4.09.

"What's In The Middle" has more of an angry and confused vibe, and June was definitely both in episodes 7 and 8.

Losing your head is such a common theme

All your brains are falling out, falling out the open seams

Where is the heart, is the heart of the matter

I will empty out my skull of all this useless chatter

On the other hand, "ivy" has this haunted vibe, but there's also reverence and acceptance, which she begins to achieve in episode 9.

Oh, goddamn

My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand

Taking mine, but it's been promised to another

Oh, I can't

Stop you putting roots in my dreamland

My house of stone, your ivy grows

And now I'm covered in you

The next three songs are of course all for their reunion in 4.09, and I couldn’t resist including the song that was actually played in the scene.

"The Story" draws the season to a close nicely, with June understanding that her current needs are different from what they used to be and that there’s someone who understands her completely (and it’s not Luke).

You see the smile that's on my mouth

It's hiding the words that don't come out

And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed

They don't know my head is a mess

No, they don't know who I really am

And they don't know what I've been through like you do

And I was made for you

Part V- Season 5 and Beyond, the last 6 songs

Secret Love Song- Little Mix, Jason Derulo

Burn With You- Lea Michele

The Bones- Maren Morris

Feels Like Home- Auli'i Carvalho, Keegan DeWitt

Love Will Find A Way- Piano Covers (Lion King II)

Like I'll Never Love You Again- Carrie Underwood

“Secret Love Song” is a more angsty tune about a love that’s still kept a secret like June and Nick’s love (as far as most people are concerned). Now that they’ve already made out in front of the man who raped and abused June and made Nick watch him do that, I want to believe they can let go of the secrecy in S5, at least when it comes to a few people.

I'm living for that day Someday Can I hold you in the street? Why can't I kiss you on the dancefloor? I wish that we could be like that Why can't we it be like that? Cause I'm yours, I'm yours Why can't you hold me in the street? Why can't I kiss you on the dancefloor? I wish that it could be like that Why can't it be like that? Cause I'm yours Why can't I say that I'm in love? I wanna shout it from the rooftops I wish that it could be like that Why can't we be like that? Cause I'm yours Why can't we be like that? Wish we could be like that

***

“Bones” is about a relationship with a strong foundation, which IMO they do have. It will carry them in the future, too. They’re more into each other now than ever before and especially June is coming to terms with how strong that love is. They’ll weather any storm.

When the bones are good, the rest don't matter

Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter

Let it break 'cause you and I remain the same

When there ain't a crack in the foundation

Baby, I know any storm we're facing

Will blow right over while we stay put

The house don't fall when the bones are good

***

“Feels Like Home” is more hopeful. Their home is with each other and I hope that’s something that will be explored more in the future.

Take me, I'm ready

Go slow but go steady

To a place that we can call our own

I wanna know what feels like home

***

“Like I’ll Never Love You Again” is a good conclusion for the playlist. It’s hopeful and a testament to an epic love.

I wanna love you like the rain on a roof

Stronger than a bottle of a hundred ten proof

I wanna take love to places that love has never been

Yeah, I wanna love you like I'll never love you again

And I'll love you again

Oh, and again

[uniformbravo]

Jujutsu Kaisen Good

ok yall if u haven’t already u GOTTA check out jujutsu kaisen, a new anime airing this season! there are only 4 episodes out at the moment but all four of them have been consistently amazing?? it gives me BIG demon slayer vibes tbh, i feel like if you like kny there’s a good chance you’ll like this one too!! it has it all:

likable characters who are all big dorks!!

amazing animation!! even the one moment they flash back to several times looks so good i aint even mad they keep showing it (i couldnt find that moment to show here but Look At This Shit)

interesting premise w/ great execution!! it’s about fighting the physical manifestations of curses (basically monsters) and aiming to take down The Big Bad by eating all of his grody cursed fingers and then dying (yes this is the protagonist’s mission and By God He’s Gonna Do It)

rly good comedy oh my god this show is so funny, every character so far has great presence and they all play off of each other so well it’s SO fun to watch (also good balance of comedy and more serious moments, neither feels like it’s interfering with the other and we love that)

cool powers! one of the main characters’ weapon is a hammer and nails that she basically uses like a manual nail gun propelled by her own cursed energy (iconic honestly)

another character’s main power is to summon Big Pubbies (and he’s The Stoic One so this is particularly entertaining to me), he calls them “demon dogs” which i believe roughly translates to Big Pubby 1 and Big Pubby 2

protag’s power is being possessed by A Bastard (the official World’s Biggest Bastard actually) who kind of hilariously has no voluntary control over this body he’s stuck in, so broken down to its bare essentials this anime is literally just the “a bagel” “no!” “two bagels” vine

op song by eve!! we all love a good certified Eve Banger

one of the most infectiously fun eds ive ever seen oh my GOD just try & watch it w/o smiling even a lil bit i dare u. also the animation and stylization are off the CHARTS my eyes r blessed thank u mappa

in conclusion please give jujutsu kaisen a chance i swear u will not regret it for at least one of the above reasons!!! or maybe u just like cool shounen action anime!!! that’s cool too!!! either way jujutsu kaisen good thank u for ur time

[sapphicambitions]

Okay so I finished watching black sails a few days ago and I’ve spent the last few days reading other metas and posts and interviews about Flint & Silver to gather my thoughts (thots, if you will) and these are the conclusions I have come to:

John Silver and James Flint have the most interesting and well written dynamic ives ever seen between two characters. I am endlessly fascinated by their relationship. Because it’s so unique and complex and I can’t think of any other relationship between two men on screen that even gets close to being on their level, that level of intimacy and their DIALOGUE????? especially in season four????? there is no daylight between us???? i have made myself transparent to you????? you already know me in all the ways that’s relevant???? fuck me up dude!!!!!

All of that being said, I don’t like… ship them. At least not in the conventional way of shipping. I don’t see them as boyfriends or husbands or even as romantically involved. Like I said I LOVE their dynamic and I am fascinated with the complexities of it, and I really and truly think that they loved each other deeply, but to me the idea of them being like in an explicit, canon relationship sort of... cheapens it?

Especially if we’re talking about seasons 1-3 flint & silver. To me, saying that they were romantically involved during that time period sort of misses the point of their build up. Because they didn’t even really like each other then. They were necessary evils in each other’s stories. ESPECIALLY in seasons 1 & 2, they weren’t friends! They were work place acquaintances who needed each other to survive. And remember Silver’s whole season three arc of “I think flint controls the weather”???? Lmaooo the idea that they were romantically involved at that time, to me, almost does a disservice to their characters and the journey that they took to get to where they were in the fourth season.

Because I don’t think that they truly started to even be friends until that night around the fire. When Silver asked in who’s name they were fighting the war and Flint told the truth about his past. When Flint made himself transparent and vulnerable to Silver, and they openly discussed their partnership. When they came to a mutual understanding of each other, when they felt the possibility of the future together, that is when they really and truly emotionally connected and became more than work place acquaintances, became even more than just casual friends.

But I still don’t think that they were like, together together in season four.

Do I think there were extremely high levels of homoeroticism? also-fucking-lutely. But I don’t think they were romantically involved. For many reasons.

I think that the last two episodes of the series do not work if they did not love each other. The last two episodes are not effective if there is not something deeper there, if there isn’t something to lose when they fall apart. Like when Billy and Silver fall apart? I was like aww they were friends. :( and that’s it. When Silver and Flint fell apart? I sobbed my fucking eyes out. Would I have been as destroyed by Silver’s betrayal if I didn’t truly believe that these two men had a deep and profound relationship, that they needed each other and completed each other? Lmao no! No I wouldn’t have. If Flint didn’t love Silver, he wouldn’t have taught him sword fighting, he wouldn’t have shot Dooley, he wouldn’t have looked so deeply crushed when Silver raised the gun. Because the look on his face? When that happens? That is heartbreak, pure and simple.

BUT. I ALSO think that the last two episodes of the series do not work if that love is explicit and defined. I do not think it works if Silver is fully aware of that love. Because I don’t think he is. I think he has found himself closer and closer to Flint, committing himself to Flint, becoming the other half of Flint, and….. doesn’t quite realize how homoerotic it is lmao. Because he has Madi! And Silver has never really had someone to be close to before, so I honestly don’t believe that Silver was aware how how Homo(TM) the whole thing was with Flint, at least not consciously, at least not out loud. And I say this because there is a very important moment in the finale that doesn’t work if their relationship is defined and official or romantic in any way.

It’s when Flint says “This will all have been for nothing. We will have been for nothing. Defined by their histories. Distorted to fit into their narrative. Until all that is left of us are the monsters in the stories they tell their children,” That is his last card to play. That, to me, is the THESIS of the series, that moment is what they have been building up to for four seasons, that is Flint’s driving force as a person. And Silver says: “I don’t care,”

That moment is reliant on Silver not understanding the queer implications behind what Flint said. That moment is reliant on Silver being a man who has never experienced the life ruining homophobia that Flint has experienced. That moment is reliant on Silver genuinely not caring, it is reliant on the complete disconnect from Flint in that moment, and if the two of them had been in a defined relationship at the moment, I wouldn’t have bought it. And it is heartbreaking and tragic because Silver DOESN’T get it. He doesn’t! He does not know what it means to fear how the world will see you for who you fundamentally are, fear how mothers will tell their children about you, fear how your story will be told, and I do not buy that moment if Silver is aware of his own queerness. Maybe other characters in other stories, I might, but Silver, self serving and self saving Silver, to not care? He has to genuinely NOT care.

I’ve mentioned before in other posts that watching Silver and Flint’s story play out is a lot like watching Romeo and Juliet, that you know that their story will end in tragedy, but you watch it unfold anyway. But there’s another reason I think they parallel the star crossed lovers. And I think the moral of Romeo & Juliet (it’s my favorite play step up and fight me) is not that the young lovers were stupid and reckless, but the moral is that they might have lived if not for the outside forces trying to drive them apart. Romeo and Juliet is about how the toxic and warring world in which they lived wasn’t sustainable for their love, that they were driven to their deaths by parents who didn’t realize the harm they were inflicting upon their children.

I digress but the POINT being that it is outside forces that drove the two of them apart. (Get Wreked, Billy) The toxic and warring world in which they lived wasn’t sustainable for their partnership. You can see it best in 4x09 when the flashbacks of the two of them alone on the beach are funny and tender and vulnerable and open between the two of them, and present day where Silver’s trying to get Flint a little bit KILLED and you can see how much things have changed between them since that day on the beach.

How might have things changed in another direction if they hadn’t been driven apart? Because like I said earlier, Silver and Flint’s relationship was a JOURNEY, it didn’t happen overnight. And I can’t help but feel like they were only at the beginning of their relationship when they fell apart and that is another tragedy, the what if? of it all. How might their relationship have changed and gotten even deeper if they hadn’t been pushed apart? What hadn’t been explored between them, what was still left unsaid when Silver raised his gun at Flint? So that’s ANOTHER reason I don’t think they were like ~together~ because there is tragedy is losing something you don’t have, that you might have had. Losing something that you don’t know what it could have become and that breaks my heart because it feels like they had only JUST begun and then they were ending in the most heartbreaking and tragic way.

Also to be honest, the main reason that I love Them is because I’m a slut for tragedy, and knowing that something is going to have a sad ending but rooting for them anyway. Romeo and Juliet, the Hunchback of Notre Dame musical, Hadestown, the Song of Achilles, They Both Die at The End, even rewatching Brokeback Mountain, you get it. Tell me that they aren’t going to make it in the end and then let me watch them fall in love anyway. Let me watch them grow to love each other knowing that they’re going to end in tragedy. I should be sobbing on the floor by the end of it, I WANT to be sobbing on the floor by the end of it. That’s my shit. It is literally my favorite type of story. fuck me UP

So those are my Thots (TM) about Flint & Silver. They have one of the most well written relationships I’ve ever seen on screen and I am endlessly fascinated by them. I don’t like romantically ship them because I think it’s too complicated to reduce their relationship to “they’re dating“ when it is their journey from reluctant work place acquaintances to “It’s hard to know where one began and the other ended” that is so incredible. But I do think there is a deep and profound love between them and the finale doesn’t WORK unless they love each other, but it also has to be somewhat unspoken for it to work, too.  Because I don’t think Silver was aware of his own queerness and I think he has to actively not understand the queerness of Flint’s fight in order to do what he does otherwise I wouldn’t buy it. And I think that they were only at the beginning of their partnership, and I wonder where it could have gone if they hadn’t been ripped apart. Theirs is a tragedy of losing someone you love and losing something that isn’t easily defined, losing something that could have been. And their tragedy does not work if they didn’t have something to lose.

[butterflies-dragons]

You’ll Be Queen One Day

This is something I wanted to say about the current debate of Queen Sansa.

For a big faction of the fandom, Queen Sansa is only D&D fan fiction and that won’t be Sansa’s endgame in the Books. ¡¡¡NEVER!!!    

According to Bryan Cogman, the man named by GRRM himself as the Keeper of the Lore, hints of Sansa’s Show endgame as Queen in the North were there since the Pilot Episode back in Season One:

BRYAN COGMAN: In the pilot, Sansa’s main function was informing members of her family and the audience that the only thing she wanted was to get out of Winterfell and go live in the big city and become queen—except a very different kind of queen than the one she ended up being. So Sansa’s storyline was always meant to have a note of triumph at the end, especially after all that she went through in the middle of the series. It was appropriate that she came full circle at the end. She was the only Stark left in Winterfell and leads the North into this new chapter. She’s the best hope for the North’s future.

—Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series by James Hibberd

"Winter Is Coming"

“In the pilot, Sansa’s main function was informing members of her family and the audience that the only thing she wanted was to get out of Winterfell and go live in the big city and become queen.”

Please take note that GRRM was very involved in the first four seasons of the Show. Especially the first one, he participated in the casting, he was part of the original pilot, he travelled to filming locations, he wrote one episode per season, etc.  

Season 1, Episode 1: "Winter Is Coming". Directed by Tim Van Patten & Written by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss.

SANSA: Do you think Joffrey will like me? What if he thinks I’m ugly? CATELYN: Then he is the stupidest prince that ever lived. SANSA: He’s so handsome. [CATELYN rolls her eyes.] SANSA: When would we be married? Soon or do we have to wait? CATELYN: Hush now. Your father hasn’t even said yes. SANSA: Why would he say no? He’d be the second most powerful man in the kingdoms. CATELYN: He’d have to leave home. He’d have to leave me. And so would you. SANSA: You left your home to come here. And I’d be queen someday. Please make father say yes. CATELYN: Sansa… SANSA: Please, please. It’s the only thing I ever wanted.

Watch the scene here.

Curiously enough, the immediately previous scene was a scene of Dany, the one where she said to Viserys: “I don’t want to be his [Khal Drogo] Queen. I want to go home.” A scene straight from the Books:

"I don't want to be his queen," she heard herself say in a small, thin voice. "Please, please, Viserys, I don't want to, I want to go home." 

—A Game of Thrones - Daenerys I

What a contrast with Sansa’s scene!

But Sansa’s scene is not from the Books. We don’t have any scene between Sansa and Catelyn at Winterfell.  

Sansa wanted romance more than being a monarch. She certainly was not opposed to marry a prince or a king, but her wishes were more about romance, being a Lady in a song, a wife of a gallant knight, and a mother of future ladies and gallant knights.      

This is what happened in the Books:

“Honors?” Ned laughed bitterly.

“In his eyes, yes,” she said.

“And in yours?”

“And in mine,” she blazed, angry now. Why couldn’t he see? “He offers his own son in marriage to our daughter, what else would you call that? Sansa might someday be queen. Her sons could rule from the Wall to the mountains of Dorne. What is so wrong with that?”

“Gods, Catelyn, Sansa is only eleven,” Ned said. “And Joffrey … Joffrey is …”

She finished for him. “… crown prince, and heir to the Iron Throne. And I was only twelve when my father promised me to your brother Brandon.”

—A Game of Thrones - Catelyn II

"Joffrey likes your sister," Jeyne whispered, proud as if she had something to do with it. She was the daughter of Winterfell's steward and Sansa's dearest friend. "He told her she was very beautiful."

"He's going to marry her," little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. "Then Sansa will be queen of all the realm."

Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment. "Beth, you shouldn't make up stories," Sansa corrected the younger girl, gently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. "What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He's very gallant, don't you think?"

—A Game of Thrones - Arya I

Catelyn pushed Ned to accept the betrothal while Sansa corrected Beth’s comment about her being Queen.  

* * *

Later in the the Fourth Episode of the First Season, Cogman wrote a scene between Sansa and Septa Mordane where the septa says that Sansa will be Queen someday.

Again, this scene is not from the Books.

"Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"

Season 1, Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things". Directed by Brian Kirk & Written by Bryan Cogman.

SEPTA MORDANE: Someday your husband will sit there and you will sit by his side. And one day, before too long, you will present your son to the court. All the lords of Westeros will gather here to see the little prince... SANSA: What if I have a girl? SEPTA MORDANE: Gods be good, you'll have boys and girls and plenty of them. SANSA:What if I only have girls? SEPTA MORDANE: I wouldn't worry about that. SANSA:Jeyne Poole's mother had five children, all of them girls. SEPTA MORDANE: Yes, but it's highly unlikely. SANSA: But what if? SEPTA MORDANE: If you only had girls, I suppose the throne would pass to Prince Joffrey's little brother. SANSA: And everyone would hate me. SEPTA MORDANE: Nobody could ever hate you. SANSA: Joffrey does. SEPTA MORDANE: Nonsense. Why would you say such a thing? That business with the wolves? I've told you a hundred times... A direwolf is not... SANSA: Please shut up about it. SEPTA MORDANE: Do you remember your lessons? Who built the Iron Throne? SANSA: Aegon the Conqueror. SEPTA MORDANE: And who built the Red Keep? SANSA: Maegor the Cruel. SEPTA MORDANE: And how many years did it take to build... SANSA: My grandfather and uncle were murdered here, weren't they? SEPTA MORDANE: They were killed on the orders of King Aerys, yes. SANSA: The Mad King. SEPTA MORDANE: Commonly known as the Mad King. SANSA: Why were they killed? SEPTA MORDANE: You should speak to your father about these matters. SANSA: I don't want to speak to my father, ever. SEPTA MORDANE: You will find it in your heart to forgive your father. SANSA: No, I won't.

Watch the scene here.

* * *

Later in the the Sixth Episode of the First Season, there is a scene between Sansa and Joffrey where the prince says that Sansa will be Queen someday.

Once again, this scene is not from the Books.

"A Golden Crown"

Season 1, Episode 6: "A Golden Crown". Directed by Daniel Minahan. Story by  David Benioff & D. B. Weiss & Teleplay written by : Jane Espenson and David Benioff & D. B. Weiss.

SEPTA MORDANE: My prince. SANSA: My prince. JOFFREY: My lady. I fear I have behaved monstrously the past few weeks. With your permission? Joffrey offers Sansa a necklace. She turns around, for him to put it on her, as acceptance. SANSA: It’s beautiful. Like the one your mother wears. JOFFREY: You’ll be queen someday, it’s only fitting that you should look the part. Will you forgive me for my rudeness? SANSA: There’s nothing to forgive. JOFFREY: You’re my lady. One day we’ll be married in the throne room. Lords and ladies from all over the Seven Kingdoms will come, from the last hearth in the North, to the salt shore of the south. And you will be queen over all of them. I’ll never disrespect you again. I’ll never be cruel to you again. Do you understand me? You’re my lady now, from this day, until my last day. The two share their first kiss.

Watch the scene here.

I think that Sansa & Septa Mordane scene and Sansa & Joffrey scene were written from this Book scene:

“The king is dead.” Sansa could not say how she knew it, yet she did. The slow, endless clanging filled their room, as mournful as a dirge. Had some enemy stormed the castle and murdered King Robert? Was that the meaning of the fighting they had heard?

She went to sleep wondering, restless, and fearful. Was her beautiful Joffrey the king now? Or had they killed him too? She was afraid for him, and for her father. If only they would tell her what was happening …

That night Sansa dreamt of Joffrey on the throne, with herself seated beside him in a gown of woven gold. She had a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known came before her, to bend the knee and say their courtesies.

—A Game of Thrones - Sansa IV

So far we have:

Sansa: “And I’d be queen someday.”

Septa Mordane: “Someday your husband will sit there [Iron Throne] and you will sit by his side.”

Joffrey: “You’ll be queen someday.”

The Sansa and Joffrey scene even got his own theme, a song composed by Ramin Djawadi called: 

You’ll Be Queen One Day

¿Why changing “Someday” for “One Day”? Maybe this curious detail means nothing... Maybe it means something...  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Why reiterate some many times that Sansa will be Queen, if it was clear that Sansa was betrothed with the Crown Prince Joffrey Baratheon, the Heir of the Iron Throne?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“—except a very different kind of queen than the one she ended up being.”

This is not the first time that Cogman alluded of that old say that says: “Be careful what you wish for” in regards of Sansa. He said something similar about Sansa’s arc in Season Five, specifically her marriage with Ramsay Bolton. 

Basically, when we decided to combine Sansa’s storyline with another character in the books it was done with the idea that it would be hugely dramatically satisfying to have Sansa back in her occupied childhood home and navigate this Gothic horror story she’s found herself in and, of course, to be reunited with Theon – setting her on the path to reclaiming her family home and becoming a major player in the big overall story. 

This stupid line “hugely dramatically satisfying” is BS of course. Men..........    

I have the impression that after they run out of canon material, D&D, Cogman and all, decided to recycle old plots. Here with Sansa, they basically gave her ANOTHER ONE GOTHIC HORROR STORY.

Since they didn’t like Sansa’s Vale plot as Alayne Stone, they gave Sansa “another lesson” like Kings Landing and Joffrey: “Be careful what you wish for”.

Sansa wished for a Southern Courtly Life with her Prince in Kingslading, and she got a Ghotic Horror Story. 

Sansa started to wish to return North, to Winterfell, to her Home, and D&D, Cogman and all decided to gave her Ghotic Horror Story 2.0 in Winterfell with Ramsay. Sexual abuse included. Men..........        

GRRM uses “Be careful what you wish for” theme very often, you just need to read his tale: “In The Lost Lands” or re-read Cersei’s story with Maggie the Frog. And as I just mentioned, Sansa’s wishes for a life at court in the south with her gallant Prince Joffrey. But D&D are just... not so good adapters.            

“So Sansa’s storyline was always meant to have a note of triumph at the end, especially after all that she went through in the middle of the series.”

¿How the majority of the fandom interpret these Cogman’s words? This way: “Queen Sansa is a reward for Sansa’s Season Five arc.” 

But Season One is four seasons before Season Five, and there were hints since the Pilot Episode... 

The fandom: SANSA WILL NEVER BE QUEEN, ¡¡¡NEEEVEER!!! 

..............................

“It was appropriate that she came full circle at the end. She was the only Stark left in Winterfell and leads the North into this new chapter. She’s the best hope for the North’s future.” 

Full Circle: From wanting to be Queen consort in the South to be the Queen in the North, by her own right.

Sansa’s Show endgame is also very in line with characters getting what they wished for but not in the way they thought. That is like the bit that follows: “Be careful what you wish for” = “You might just get it.” Seriously, go and read GRRM’s tale: “In The Lost Lands.” You can thank me later.     

Please also take note that GRRM has repeatedly said that:

Sansa is a major character. Part of the core that dominates the story.

He knows the endgame of the major characters for decades.

You can read more here.

So, if Queen Sansa is only D&D fan fiction, then WHOA! They planned it all since the very beginning, since the pilot episode itself. How surprising! Especially since GRRM was very involved in the Show back then.  

D&D wrote the pilot: “Sansa’s main function was informing members of her family and the audience that the only thing she wanted was to get out of Winterfell and go live in the big city and become queen.” AND GRRM LET THEM.

Cogman wrote a scene that was not from the Books where Septa Mordane says that Sansa will be Queen someday. AND GRRM LET THEM.

D&D wrote a scene that was not from the Books where Joffrey says that Sansa will be Queen someday. AND GRRM LET THEM.

D&D commissioned Ramin Djawadi to compose a theme for Sansa called: “You’ll Be Queen ONE Day,” for Sansa and Joffrey scene. AND GRRM LET THEM.

D&D wrote that Sansa’s Show endgame was being crowned Queen in the North. AND GRRM LET THEM.

And if you wanna read about Queen Sansa from the Books, please read these posts: Here and Here.

Good night.

[hanna-kin]

Eagles season 3

Finished season 3 and would love to hear other people´s opinion on the finale and the season as a whole.

Here are my thoughts, with spoilers. 

Overall this is my favourite season so far. To be fair I never enjoyed season one that much but still decided to watch season two. Won’t gt too much into detail on these season in case I get feeling and post about it. 

Anyway, I really enjoyed this season and looked forward to every episode. I feel like season three went even darker and deeper than season two and I feel like it really benefited the storylines.

One thing I’ve always feard though is the writers ability to handle such deep topics. Overall I think the creators did a good job with this but I still think such deep topics could use more time. For instance what happened with Felicia and especially the aftermath. Ten short episodes is such a short time to dive deep into all of the characters storylines and I feel like it got a bit obivous in season three aswell. 

If they had made the show even two episodes longer I think that would have improved tha pacing quite alot. Felicia’s storyline obviously got the most focus and for good reason but I would have liked to see more time put into Amie’s storyline with her dad and the pressure of her going on tour and dealing with her record company. Felt like we just touched the surface on both of them honestly.  Same goes for the other characters.

With longer episodes or a few more added ones I feel like they could have gotten some more attention to the other stories as well.

 I´m not the biggest fan of all the time jumps either. The first one I can get behind. It was clever to have a year go by after the first ep. Didn’t mind that. But then I lost track of time. How much time passed between ep nine and ten? No idea. A week? A month? 

And green trees in december? In Sweden? Yeah...no. It’s a minor detail but it bothered me so much because they could have made the timeline make more sense. 

That was probably my least favourite aspect of the show. It just felt a bit jumpy in my opinion.

For the things I did like though. The contrast between the different families. Ludde’s family having a super strong and close bond all four of them and supporting eachother. The contrast with the Kroons being awkward friends (Felicia and her dad and the house warming party) or straight up not supporting eachother at all even through the hardest times and just yelling at eachother. We have Amie and Petra who have such a realistic relationship with Amie struggling with getting to know her father. In the end they have such a great relationship and its so telling that even if they sometimes clash Petra has always been there for Amie. Finally Klara’s family. So sad. She’s such a lonely person, isn’t she. With everything that happened last season I do feel bad for her. Having lost her dad thorugh a super traumatic event and having a shitty relationship with her mother who just seemed to disappear abit after her dad died. We have four families with such different dynamics. 

It’s interesting because outwards the Kroons and the Ceder’s probably looked like the most stable but obviously they are not. 

I also love the Kroon sibilings. I feel like their sibling dynmic is realistic. Loved how Elias was angry at Felicia but also just dropped at soon as he couldn´t find her. Also loved how Felicia noticed that Elias is not treating himself very kindly despite her own struggles. Best relationship in the series?

I also like the realationship with Ludde and Andreas,they really are ride or die with eachother. 

I can’t pinpoint exactly what I liked about this season but there was alot more. With the exception of the time jumps I found myself enjoying it alot. I liked the vibe and the storylines even if I would have wished for more time on them. Elias issues were hinted at but will they be dropped or developed further like Felicas were?

Thought I’d go through the main storylines one by one. I started with Felicia, planning to just do it in this post but wow it will take up so much space. I’ll make them in a separate post. 

I’m gonna be honest and say I expected something more from the season finally. I mean I guess we got alot but it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as I thought it would be. It’s not entirely a bad thing though. Loved to see Felicia getting help and her parents teaming up to go see her. I know many people loved to see Amias finally get together and I do love them together. I just don’t know. Even with the cliffhanger it was not as dramatic as I had expected. 

But what do you think will happen? NO matter what Andreas has such a sad fate. Either he dies/gets hurt or he gets back in prison? Or the shot just went off in the aiir? probably not though. 

Finally

It feels like the acting has gotten so much stronger since season 1 which is nice to see. It’s pretty solid across the cast with some reallly good performances (Alva, for instance) which makes me even ore excited for season 4. I feel like the writing has only gotten better and better and that it will continue to do so. Looking forward to next season alreay. 

What did you like best with season? What was your favourite/least favourite thing? What dou you think will happen in season four? 

I realise people probably won’t care about my opinions but ive been dying to discuss this show with someone since this season started, I’d love to do it. And I’ll probably do some more posts. Definitely on the different storylines and which ones I liked the most and maybe some predictions for season four. 

[hobbitkiller]

She-Ra, Supergirl, and Tangled: A Tale of Three Female Relationships: Part 2

*SPOILER WARNING FOR SHE-RA, SUPERGIRL, AND TANGLED: THE SERIES*

For those of you just tuning in, I’m taking a deep dive into 3 female relationships in 3 of my favorite tv shows that all turned into toxic messes at some point. The point of this series of posts is to exam these relationships, where things went wrong, whether there’s a chance for redemption, and what conclusions, if any, we can draw from these relationships about media’s representation of female characters and female relationships.

Oh, and shipping, ‘cause this is tumblr after all...

So, in Part 1 I gave a summary of the female relationships in question in these three shows (Adora and Catra, Kara and Lena, Rapunzel and Cassandra). I also summarized how these relationships began and when they started to go wrong. If you already know that stuff because you love these shows too, you don’t necessarily have to go back and read it, but doing so is always encouraged.

In this installment, I will be exploring 3 themes related to the festering resentment within these relationships: Mother Knows Best, Chosen Ones, and Itty Bitty Boxes. Follow the jump to get started!

PART III: MOTHER KNOWS BEST

I’ve heard a few people claim that Mother Gothel is not a top tier Disney villain. She doesn’t have the following that characters like Scar or Maleficent have. However, at the same time, I’ve heard many people saying something along the lines of “This is my mother.” There’s something uncomfortably familiar about Mother Gothel in Tangled. I recognized the same putdowns and microaggressions that I used to get from my stepmom in Gothel’s targeted jabs at Rapunzel’s confidence throughout the movie...all done with a smile and “It’s for your own good” attitude.

A lot of media focuses on the relationship between fathers and sons. Mothers in Disney have historically been silent or dead. (Except Perdita. That bitch was awesome). 

This, of course, makes it interesting that 5/6 of these characters have verbally (and in some cases physically) abusive, manipulative mother figures. And for Adora and Catra and Rapunzel and Cassandra, that mother figure is the same.

Here are our three abusive mothers:

Shadow Weaver who raised Adora and Catra:

Lillian Luthor who is Lena Luthor’s adoptive mother (and played by the absolute joy to watch that is Brenda Strong):

And, of course, Mother Gothel who kidnapped and raised Rapunzel for most of her life and is the SPOILER biological mother of Cassandra:

There are, of course, good mothers sprinkled in. Rapunzel’s biological mother, Queen Arianna is great once she actually gets lines in the TV show. Lena’s birth mother was also, by all accounts, a very kind and loving person. Kara has two moms, and while both have flaws, both are inherently good people (particularly Eliza Danvers, her adoptive mother).

However, in spite of the presence of some positive examples of motherhood, the relationships between all three of these pairs is heavily influenced by the three narcissistic women above.

All three of these women are dishonest, withhold affection only to give it away as a special treat, and actively manipulate their children. Yet, at the same time, the children can’t help but seek approval. Adora and Catra both feared and desperately sought approval and affection from Shadow Weaver. Lena tries to cut ties with her family, but keeps being drawn back in when Lillian admits pride at her accomplishments or that she does, in fact, care about her. Rapunzel sought affection from Gothel growing up because she was her one human contact, and, when Cassandra learned the truth of who her mother was, Cassandra desperately wanted some validation that the mother who abandoned her loved her on some level.

These mother/daughter relationships scarred 5/6 of our characters (Kara has her own hangups about her mother, but not on the deeply psychologically scarred level as the other five.) 

Adora is mockingly called paranoid by Shadow Weaver for understandably thinking the woman who lied to and manipulated her her entire life was up to something. Catra pushes everyone in her life away emotionally for fear of being hurt (only to create a self-fulfilling prophecy when they leave due to her behavior). Lena is constantly scared of being “betrayed” and manipulated. When she’s hurt by Supergirl asking Lena’s boyfriend to snoop on her, she says it was “something my mother would do.” When she and Kara first became friends, Lena was reluctant to do so because of the trust issues from her family (Lex Luthor is obviously also a manipulative, abusive jerk). Even Rapunzel, the embodiment of sunshine, has lingering trust issues. In the Season Three episode “Beginnings” she explains to Eugene that one of the reasons she likes Cassandra is because Rapunzel spent 18 years with someone who lied to her, whereas Cassandra was forthright and said what she was thinking.

Cassandra’s mother issues are a little more complicated. When she was four, Gothel abandoned her in order to kidnap Rapunzel and Cass was adopted by the captain of the guard. Cassandra has deeply repressed this memory by the time we meet her when she’s 22/23. Then, she’s given a glimpse of what life was like with Gothel:

Early in the series, Cass talks about how her father instilled in her the value of “earning my keep.” It’s clear here, though, that love as a transactional relationship had been instilled in Cassandra early in life: “And when it (love/affection) came, it came with strings.” 

This transactional view of relationships is something shared by all 5 members of our “bad moms” squad on at least some level. Adora constantly feels the need to fix things and be useful to her friends. Catra thinks if she just wins enough or is good enough, maybe Shadow Weaver will finally love her. Lena’s approach to relationships largely revolves around buying things for them and trying to unilaterally solve their problems for them without their input. Rapunzel has to go through an entire episode to learn that you can’t buy friendship through doing nice things, and that she doesn’t have to. Cass ties her self-worth deeply to her usefulness to others. They all struggle to find internal validation at times.

The other way mothers play a part in the downfalls of these relationships is the element of competitiveness. This is an issue with Adora and Catra and Rapunzel and Cassandra. As previously stated, both of these couples share a mother figure. And, in both of these couples, there is a deep resentment on the part of the non-golden haired child toward the other. Shadow Weaver did not hide that Adora was her favorite. She frequently praised Adora while berating and abusing Catra even when both had done equally well. Even when Adora abandoned Shadow Weaver and Catra for the rebellion, SW was more concerned with getting Adora back than appreciating the loyalty and accomplishments of Catra. 

Mother Gothel literally gave up Cassandra to take Rapunzel.

Both Catra and Cassandra feel completely overshadowed by the blonde in their lives, and part of them can’t help but think that, if only Adora or Rapunzel were out of the way, or had never existed, maybe they would have been chosen as the favored one.

This, of course, brings us to our next topic:

PART IV: CHOSEN ONES

I’ve never been a big fan of Ron Weasley. I didn’t read the Harry Potter books until I was in my twenties (yes, compared to many of my readers, I’m old), and I think this lead to me being less charmed by his humor or bullying of Hermione than I otherwise might have been. I found his temper aggravating and he is just...the worst...in the sixth book. Like, he purposely starts dating someone to punish Hermione who had already asked him to Slughorn’s party because Ginny pointed out that Hermione had probably kissed the guy she was dating TWO YEARS AGO. No, seriously, read that book again. That’s what happened. Then the seventh book happens and it turns out Dumbledore KNEW Ron was going to ditch the team at some point...

That being said, as I sat down to write this novel-length meta, I found myself thinking about what it’s like to be the support team for the “chosen one.” In the seventh book, Ron could have stayed at home with his pureblood family. He would still be in some danger due to their involvement with the Order of the Phoenix, but it would have been a lot safer than traveling around with “Undesirable No 1.″ Yet, because he loves Harry, he chooses to go on this mission. 

In the three pieces of media we’re discussing, 2/3 have literal chosen ones--characters with specific destinies of supernatural origin: Adora and Rapunzel. Kara also largely fits into the trope as someone sent to earth from afar to “save us.” As I somewhat jokingly said in the first part, all three of these pieces of media feature a blond super-powered person who needs to save the world.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be the best friend or “sister” of the person who’s “burdened with glorious purpose”?

On the one hand, it’s constant fear over that person’s safety and wellbeing. On the other, there’s a bit that can’t help but feel resentful. Imagine having a friend that overshadows every accomplishment you’ve ever had seemingly by virtue of just who they are.

Now, of course we know that it’s no easy road being a chosen one. There’s a lot you have to sacrifice, and it usually involves injury, near death, and a boatload of trauma. And the support teams know this. For some, it’s never an issue. But for others...

In She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Adora, to Catra, always had the presence in her life of a chosen one, even before she got the sword and became She-Ra. Shadow Weaver had sensed something powerful about Adora when she was a baby, and thus treated her as the “Golden Child” to Catra’s “Scapegoat.” 

This idea of the “Golden Child (GC)” versus the “Scapegoat (SG)” rolls a bit into this issue with “chosen ones.” In toxic, narcissistic families, parents often hold up one child as the great one while the other is the one to blame for their problems. Think Olga and Helga in Hey Arnold! (Is that reference too dated for some of you guys? Man, I’m old. Also, I remember finally being old enough to realize Helga’s mom was an alcoholic and it blew my mind.) This also usually entails encouraging a level of competitiveness between the siblings.

In some ways, it’s like a “chosen one” is the whole world’s golden child. Anyone who researches this dynamic knows it’s abusive to both the GC and the SG, which is clearly displayed in She-Ra when Adora is stressed by the pressure of expectations and the knowledge that her mistakes will most likely be taken out on Catra. That doesn’t change the fact that Catra resents the positive attention (the adoration if you will) Adora gets--that, no matter what Catra achieves, it will be nothing compared to Adora.  This resentment is a big part of what fuels the escalation of their personal conflict leading to one of the saddest pieces of animation since Fry’s dog died sad and alone on Futurama. In the Season 1 episode “Promise.” (This is, by far, the best episode of the series), Catra airs all of her feelings she’d been repressing about what it felt like living in Adora’s shadow--how it made her feel like a “side kick,” something Adora never consciously tried to do and is shocked to discover.

Cassandra on Tangled:The Series has similar feelings about her role in Rapunzel’s life. Not only is her best friend the one with the magic hair and great destiny, but she is also her boss and monarch. Aside from the two songs I included in my last post, “Waiting in the Wings” and “Crossing the Line,” this conflict is best demonstrated early in Season One in the episode “Challenge of the Brave.”

Cass didn’t suffer abuse in quite the same way Catra did (though Gothel was the worst mom for her first 4 years), but she does feel disrespected and overshadowed by Rapunzel even before learning about Gothel. In “Crossing the Line”--a song many likened to “Let it Go” when they first heard it, Cassandra lays out these feelings further:

There’s a line between the winners and the losers.

There’s a line between the chosen and the rest.

And I’ve done the best I could,

but i’ve always known just where we stood.

Me here with the luckless.

You there with the blessed.

Now, when this song first came out, there were negative reactions from some fans. How could Cassandra call someone who had been kidnapped and locked in a tower with the neglectful and verbally abusive Gothel for 18 years “blessed”? But, from Cassandra’s perspective, Rapunzel still gets everything, power, respect, etc., purely because she was born a princess while Cass has worked incredibly hard her entire life to achieve one goal, becoming a guard, and is constantly denied.

With Lena and Kara in Supergirl, the resentment, again, is mostly between Lena and Supergirl for most of their relationship. Multiple times during the show’s run, Lena has expressed concern about human’s relative helplessness in the face of aliens like Supergirl who have power. This is why Lena sees some of her shadier actions such as making Kryptonite or trying to give humans super powers as justified. She doesn’t go to the extreme levels of hatred that her brother Lex does, but that distrust in those who are naturally more powerful runs throughout the family as does the resentment that aliens have seemingly usurped the leadership role among humanity that should have belonged to the Luthors.

What makes this interesting is that, in most of her relationships, Lena, as a billionaire, is the more privileged and powerful one. This is really best demonstrated in her relationship with James Olsen, whom she orders around as his boss while buying him expensive gifts and going behind his back to fix his legal problems. And for much of their relationship, this is how Lena sees her relationship with Kara. It’s not a manipulative or cruel thing. Lena just sees Kara as her adorkable reporter friend who is hapless in the face of danger.

Then, all of these preconceived notions come crashing down when Lena learns that Kara is Supergirl. Suddenly, she learns that her hapless friend was actually playing her the whole time--that she was stringing Lena along and pretending to be only human. 

Lena’s resentment may not be as explicit in this case as Catra’s or Cassandra’s, but it is layered within all of the emotions Lena Luthor is pretending not to have.

This, of course, leads us to our final subject for today.

PART V: “ITTY BITTY BOXES”

I’ve mentioned a few times throughout this novel-length meta the word “repressed.” Catra, Lena, and Cassandra are not good at expressing their emotions in a healthy manner. Much of this can be blamed on the aforementioned mother figures and the trust and intimacy issues that having narcissistic, abusive parents can lead to. 

Narcissistic parents often place the burden of maintaining the emotional wellbeing of the family on the children. It is your job as the child to make sure they don’t get upset. It is you who has to keep the cool head and maintain the facade of positivity. Parents like Shadow Weaver, Lillian Luther, and Mother Gothel do not see it as their responsibility to help their children regulate emotion or address it. To them, “negative emotions” are character flaws.

Of course, anyone who’s watched Inside Out knows that emotions aren’t inherently good or bad and feeling, addressing, and understanding them are vital to good mental health.

Too bad Inside Out wasn’t there for Catra, Lena, or Cassandra growing up.

Instead, each of these characters has learned to bottle up and hide emotions like sadness, fear, hurt, and true, deep anger. Lena even outlines her approach to such feelings when helping Brainy, an alien who is basically like an organic computer, solve a problem:

I was not the only person that was reminded of this gem after that scene:

Putting emotions away in an imaginary box is a real technique for keeping yourself from becoming overwhelmed in a situation where you need to focus. However, “forgetting the box existed” is not the appropriate use of the boxes. They need to be opened, and the feelings addressed. 

Catra is interesting, because in some ways she’s very vocal about her frustration and anger. Yet, that surface level frustration manifests in yelling at her friends and subordinates over their job performance or just being a general jerk. It’s not an expression of her true, deep feelings. Catra doesn’t let anyone see the deep levels of hurt she feels when Shadow Weaver manipulates her to join Adora. Instead, she just almost destroys the world...as you do. Season 4 in particular features a Catra who is more mean to her friends than ever before, yet she is still repressing so much of her true feelings to the point of mental and emotional collapse.

Cassandra also struggles to express her feelings, particularly to Rapunzel. Part of it might be because Rapunzel is her princess, and it’s not Cassandra’s place, but it’s also something she struggles with in general:

The above line occurs in an episode where Rapunzel knows Cassandra is mad at her and keeps pushing her to share her feelings. As we can see, Cass is not a big fan of that. Even though they talk at the end of the episode, it’s clear that there are still some hurt feelings on Cassandra’s side that she doesn’t express until she has electric blue hair and is singing a rock ballad about “Crossing the Line.” This is also fascinating because, as previously stated, one of the reasons Rapunzel likes Cassandra is her honesty. But, like with Catra, Cassandra can be honest about surface level annoyances, but intensely represses anything deeper.

All three of these characters let their emotions fester until they become deadly infections that poison their relationships, not just with their best friends, but with everyone. Many of these relationships could have been diverted from their dark paths if there had been more honest and open communication both between the characters and internally. If Lena acknowledged the real reasons why she was hurt when learning Kara was Supergirl, if Catra had been honest about feeling overshadowed and pitied by Adora, if Cassandra had expressed the pain she was feeling in her relationship with Rapunzel, things could have been different. Instead, those feelings have turned toxic.

NEXT TIME IN THE NEVER-ENDING ANALYSIS:

Blond Bulldozers 

I Don’t Care (I ship it)

Just going to do 2, because 3 subjects were a bit much.

Hope to see you there.

[ectodog]

it’s the 4th anniversary of the premier of vld which of course means i have assembled a rough timeline for my descent into voltron special interest hell. it goes something like this:

- june 10 2016: vld season 1 premiers. i am none the wiser

- january 20 2017: season 2 comes out. this fact is irrelevant to me

- august 4 2017: season 3 happens. still not entirely sure what a “voltron” even is

- mid-august 2017: one of my friends cosplays keith. that’s cool. who’s keith?

- october 17 2017: season 4 arrives. that’s fine i guess

- march 2 2018: season 5 has entered the building. i am vaguely aware that i have known people who watched it at some point. the fandom is apparently “terrifying” but i survived homestuck, so i scoff at the concept and go on with my life

- june 15 2018: season 6 drops. i see a bunch of cool gifs and pretty fanart. coupled with the hype i have absorbed from the lead up to it, i wonder if i should give the show a watch

- june 16 2018: i start watching vld. two (four) episodes in and i love it. i can already tell i’m a hunk kinnie, and this brings me no end of joy

- june 28 2018: within two weeks, i have caught up entirely. i am thriving in the post-s6 hype

- july 20 2018: at sdcc, the Big Reveal happens. shiro is gay. he is a disabled main character of of colour in a wildly popular show for kids, and he is kind and brave and the pinnacle of masculinity, and he is gay. no matter your shipping opinions, this is incredible news and it’s hard to Not ride the high, so why bother trying? they show a trailer and announce the release date for season 7, and within hours a bunch of booted recordings of s7e1 are floating around online

- july 23 2018: my interest level has gotten to the point where i need to make a separate twitter for it, so i do. (fun fact: as of today, less than 2 years later, said twitter has over 7300 posts on it. my main, 4x that old, has ~30k)

- august 10 2018: season 7 is online at 1am my time. im selling at an artist alley all weekend, starting the following morning. i binge half the season anyway before passing out, and completely avoid the internet until i can watch the rest later that day

- october 5 2018: at nycc, the trailer for s8 and release date are revealed. i immediately book the announced day off work because i know i will want to watch the entire thing at once the second it’s out

- mid-october 2018: “leaks” of s8 start appearing online. pretty much no one in the fandom believes them, because no one Likes them. they seem ridiculous. people start making “leakverse” fanworks to feed some of the finale anticipation into, including me. no one really thinks they’re plausible at all

- december 14 2018: season 8 airs. i post a quick but heartfelt fanart before gearing up for 1am. it starts, and i cry. the first time they form voltron, i cry some more. things keep happening, and i keep getting tears on my screen, and i have to pause and start it over and over, but i live tweet the whole thing anyway. the leaks were... real. i come out of it unsure how i feel, exactly, but i am exhausted from the marathon and so immediately pass out

- the same day, after some sleep: im upset and confused as to why the finale season was so hollow. i see im not alone. it’s a rough week, feeling like something i love so deeply let me down so much. i realize it’s only been 6 months since i got into it - but, clinging to a deep sense of betrayal, i cry some more anyway

- the immediate aftermath: there are petitions and accusations of censorship and conspiracies about where the “real” s8 is. it’s hard not to get caught up in, or at least dragged down by, the lack of hype. no one who worked on the show says anything for days, weeks, months. fix it fanwork starts cropping up, and i surround myself in them. none of the excitement from before is there, not the same way it was. i start a new and highly ambitious piece of art out of spite. it’s left unfinished

- january 2 2019: lion forge releases the third volume of vld comics. no one really cares. i certainly don’t

- the intermediate aftermath: it becomes clearer by the day that the season was, simply put, a failure and a flop. no one liked it. kids cried over it and parents had no idea how to explain it to them. the fandom and community dim for a while, but i keep immersing myself in the trove of fanwork that already existed, and i start trying again to make some of my own

- may 29 2019: lion forge comics announces that they are not renewing their license to make more vld comics. that, coupled with the abysmally rated final season, seems to be the nail in the coffin for this iteration of the ip. there won’t be anything else official for vld. somehow, this sparks a renewed interest in me. despite everything, im more dedicated than ever before to preserve and proliferate my good experiences. i know this won’t be a blip in my history as a fan, so i’m determined to be happy with it, as best i can be

- the rest: is, as they say, history. as of now, i have something like 20 fanworks of my own in progress for vld. my ao3 bookmarks number in the 100s, and my to-read list is at over 250. ive made a concerted effort to be more active and engaged in the fandom, because it came so close to fizzling out, for me and maybe for everyone, but it’s brought me so much goodness that i cant and Won’t let that happen, not without a fight

it’s been just under 2 years since i decided to watch voltron on a whim. and it has honestly become a central part of my interests and identity in that time - but for the majority of it, it’s been because of fandom and fanworks, and that’s maybe what made it stick so well to begin with: the creative, varied, amazing parts of it that no network mandate could have offered on its own

this started as a way to catalog my journey into and through vld but honestly it kind of became a love letter to the fandom (at least, my corner of it). that’s what’s made these last years so special - what’s made them simultaneously fly by and feel like a solid constant. a dedicated, talented fan base who are capable of so much more than the constraints of the source material

it’s amazing to look back on, and incredible to keep looking forward to. we’ve all been told - “go, be great”

we have been, and continue to be. like the stars, and like my love for vld, it’s inevitable

so thank you all for the years of “great”. 🖤

[owlghost]

1-25 for the ask game, for 25 I choose Danny!

hot damn okay!

1) When did you first watch Danny Phantom?i watched it the day it premiered! i was eight years old wowie

2) What’s your favorite fic?OH SHIT idk man i have read and loved way to many to pick a fav uh i personally really love horror and angsty stuff, which is very easy to find lmao

3) If you could canonically rewrite any episode, which would you chose?obviously phantom planet. i like the concept of a crazy-ass asteroid thats going to destroy the earth unless ghosts and people join together to ~save the day~ but it couldve been done without all the other bullshit i probably dont need to explain

4) What’s your favorite ship (if any)?pitch pearl holds a special place in my heart since it was one of the first that i ever liked, otherwise im neutral on most of them

5) Thoughts about Amethyst Ocean?i hate it and i dont like sam either

6) Thoughts about Gray Ghost?im neutral on it

7) Thoughts about Swagger Bishie?i used to like it a lot, even now i enjoy the dynamic but otherwise neutral

8) Thoughts about Wes Weston?if written well he can be a really good addition, so yeah i enjoy his character

9) Thoughts about Vlad?couldve been a really good antagonist, but hes too rigid of a character in canon. theres a few fanon versions i really enjoy- one being where he’s still a bad guy for using his powers to get rich and blackmail people, but hes not out for murder (tho maybe still bitter) and doesnt want danny as his son. like hes a bad guy but not a Bad Guy if that makes sense

10) Would you rather wear the striped pants or ‘It’s not gay if he’s dead’ t-shirt?those pants are atrocious, give me the shirt. tho maybe confusing since im a lesbian lmao

11) Most underrated fic trope?nobody knows au, please give me more i am starving

12) Most overrated fic trope?field trip into dannys head/ghost zone, its just been written so many times that the dead horse is now ground meat

13) Which do you prefer more, ghost hunger or dissection fics?AW FUCK MAN dont make me choose both are so gross and horrific that i love them equally

14) Have you ever read a dissection fic and if so, do you remember your first one?ya obviously, and it was lab rat which was also the very first fic i read for the fandom and i was fuckin HOOKED

15) Who’s your favorite character?i mean danny bc im basic but other than him either frostbite of wulf

16) Would you rather Danny be an astronaut or the Ghost King?not to project but i’d rather him be an astronaut bc i personally know the pain of growing up and working so hard to do a specific thing, but then having something happen that completely destroys all that work. okay im 100% projecting but let him live out his dreams BLEASE, for me

17) Would you rather Danny expose his secret to his family or classmates?both are good but probably family so there could be some heavy duty hurt/comfort

18) What do you think ghost speak would sound like?like a recording of someone speaking but its played in reverse w an overlay of static and an echobut i also like where its just a jumble of letters so it looks and sounds like gibberish but theres obviously rules and grammar and whatnot

19) Thoughts about field trip fics?the horse is GROUND BEEF guys(write whatever u want idc, just have fun)

20) Thoughts about “season four” fics?i dont think ive read any so idk

21) Which two characters would you like to swap bodies for a day?MAN IDK i dont really like body swap stuff

22) Any headcanons about the Infinite Realms?its the opposite of space so anything and anyone could and does exist bc its truly infinite and ever expanding

23) Any headcanons about the A-Listers?kwan and star are actually pretty nicedash has a shitty home lifepaulina is middle class At Best but has amazing sewing skills so she can make any garment look expensive

24) Any headcanons about Dani?shes nomadic so she doesnt stay in place very longanonymously runs a very popular instagram where she takes pictures and videos of the places she visitschanges a lot of aspects of her appearance so she doesnt look like a danny clone anymore- basically becomes her own person physically

25) What song do you associate with Danny?enter shikari - airfield (thats also a link to the song)