#makes me wonder whether something was missing within my portrayal of her

[katyspersonal]

Cannot fall asleep or eat or drink or do anything productive, all I can do is cry and it's been like this for many hours and doesn't seem to stop. What a day, huh.

Tonight I had a short dream where different peoples/characters hearts were represented as small rooms, and I specifically focused on rooms of Maria, G3hrman and Ad3line. All three were terribly dirty, messy, full of trash and broken things and dark, so I redecorated them to be clean, colorful, renewed and pretty with "magic". Filled them with flowers and living butterflies, too. Made the washed up sullied colors vibrant again.

I just wish there was someone who could do something like this for me.

[chocojjk]

Hyunjin’s Playlist

summary: college student! hyunjin x college! student reader; strangers to lovers?

words: 5.2k

a/n: Hi, I meant to upload this a lot earlier however I was met with tons of writers block along the way. I wrote this without having an actual plot prepared lmao. But anyways, its done so I hope someone enjoys reading this :)

all songs used are songs that hyunjin has played on vlive but please keep in mind that the way the songs are portrayed are based off of my own interpretations. i am in no way speaking for hyunjin :) 

one.

we are often attracted to instruments that mirror our own identity. we find comfort in knowing that we aren’t alone, that somewhere out there, someone is feeling the same exact way. they say a person can tell a lot about another based on their playlist. songs become a portrayal of one’s feelings and experiences. through someone’s music, you can tell what kind of person they are.

“Let me see your playlist.”

“What?” the boy responded, curious as to why you chose that as your conversation starter. nonetheless, he unlocks his phone and opens his spotify app, showing you the songs that have definitely left a mark on his heart. 

Places We Won’t Walk - Bruno Major 

A blissful song with a hint of sadness. The boy in front of you treasures the small things in life, yet is saddened by the things that he cannot reach. 

When The Party’s Over - Billie Eilish 

He’s put up a wall. He’s not easily understood. He’s aware that he can hurt others so he has made himself believe that he’d rather be alone. That he’s better off alone. 

Instagram - Dean

He’s lonely. He often compares himself to those around him, wondering why he isn’t living the same luxurious life with all the same cheerful smiles that he sees on his feed. 

Please Love Me - Colde

He wants to be loved. “I like you,” you smiled, handing him back his phone, taking the seat next to him. 

-

“The weirdest thing happened to me today.”

Hyunjin started telling his friends about the girl he encountered on his first day of university. It’s been hours since it happened yet he couldn’t shake it out of his head.

“That’s it? She just asked to see your playlist?” Jisung exclaims, one eyebrow going up and a pout making its way on his face as he wore the same confused expression Hyunjin sported earlier that day. Hyunjin nods, answering the question that his friend had laid out for him. 

“Hmm, that is weird,” Felix agreed

“Maybe she’s actually a psychology major and it’s a project?” Seungmin suggested, trying to find the answers to the situation that has left them all clueless. 

“Orrr, maybe...just maybe...she thought you were cute?” Jeongin chuckled sarcastically

“But that’s literally all she said to me, she didn’t look at me after that anymore...when the class was over, she was gone without saying goodbye… s-she didn’t even tell me her name!” Hyunjin whines, sinking into his chair. 

“Why don’t you just ask her when you see her again?” their youngest retorts, tired of how his older friends were always overanalyzing things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.

You frustrated the boy. The way you didn’t even know his name yet somehow you came to the conclusion that you liked him. The way that you spoke exactly 8 words to him but made it seem like you know every story he has to tell. You made him feel vulnerable and he did not like that. 

Not one bit. 

-

“What's your name?” Hyunjin plops his backpack down as he takes the seat next to yours, the same ones as last week. 

“Why does that matter?” you ask, clearly teasing the boy. 

Hyunjin plasters on the fakest smile he could muster up, not really having the patience for your mind games, “well, if you’re gonna continue to sit next to me then the least you could do is tell me your name.”

You bite back a smile, his music gave too much of him away. He was good at hiding his feelings though which is something you’ll give him credit for later on. Honestly, if you weren’t paying attention, you might have missed the sour expression that was laced within the boy's tone of voice nor would you have noticed how he’s trying to show you that he’s unbothered by your words. 

Unluckily for the boy, your attention was focused solely on him. And so, you push his buttons some more, “technically, you were the one that sat next to me.”

Hyunjin stares at you, trying to read what was going on in your mind but all he could feel was the annoyance that was seeping through his body. 

God, you were annoying. 

“Slowly, hair will turn to gray,” you mumbled, a smirk forming its way on your lips. “What?” Hyunjin replied, a word he seems to be saying a lot ever since he met you. “If you keep thinking so hard, your hair might  turn to gray soon,” you joked yet it was clear to the both of you that it was only funny to you, the boy not catching on to the fact that you were phrasing a lyric from one of his songs.

“...my name is y/n,” you say, finally deciding to give the boy a break. 

“Alright class, I want to talk about your partner project, please find someone in the classroom to work with. This will be done throughout the semester and will be 30% of your overall grade so take it seriously,” the Professor informed, capturing both yours and Hyunjins attention.

“This project will be simple - it’s all about observing. Since this is a PSYCH class, I want you and your partner to pick 3 spots and just simply observe the people around you. For example, if you are at the cafe, what could the person in the corner with her eyebrows furrowed be wondering? Is she studying for an exam? Is she worried about a friend? There are tons of possibilities but I want you and your partner to jot down what you see and explain what you have observed.”

“That’s all for today, I’ll release you guys early so you can all have a head start,” she explained. 

You turn to the boy at your side, “so…you want to be partners?” 

-

Hyunjin doesn’t really know why he said yes, seeming he wasn’t comfortable with your presence at all. He convinces himself that he just didn’t want to go through the extra hassle of finding a partner when you were already available. Besides he could honestly care less, the only reason why he’s taking this class was for the extra units. After all, he was a music major. 

“How about here?” you suggested the grassy area in the middle of the campus. This part of the school was peaceful however it wasn’t quiet. Laughter and chatter from all the different kinds of groups filled up the morning air while the birds chirped along and occasionally, a squirrel or two would cause a bit of a ruckus. 

“We could grab some food and just sit down on the grass,” but the puzzled expression on the boy's face lead you to assume that he didn’t quite like the idea, “just so we would blend in more,” you added, hoping that it would be enough for the boy to say yes. 

“We don’t need to get food. We can just sit here and pretend we're talking, a lot of people around here are doing just that.” He was right. All you could do was nod and let out a sigh as the two of you sat next to each other, observing the scene ahead. You were hoping you could grab a quick bite during this since you still had classes for the rest of the day but that obviously wasn’t the case so you chose to just cover up your rumbling stomach with a cough or two here and there. 

“What do you think about him?” Hyunjin pointed at the boy that was sitting on the bench, flowers in his hand as he types away on his phone. 

“Hmm, I noticed his smile first, he’s practically beaming. He’s probably going to surprise his significant other. His legs bouncing up and down from excitement,” you chuckle, finding the anonymous boys’ action cute, “he’s probably texting them right now so they could meet up,” you concluded. You turn to Hyunjin, noticing his eyes slightly widen at your response. “What do you think?” you ask, slightly nudging him out of his trance.

“well... I think you’re right that he’s waiting for someone. But for me, he’s probably gonna confess to that person...uhmm, his ears are pink so he’s nervous… probably afraid of rejection. Because of this he’s probably texting a friend for advice,” he observed.

His answer didn’t surprise you, after all, you’ve already seen some of the deepest parts of him - even if he was unaware. On the other hand, he was in awe. Your guys’ answers were so different from the other. The way you viewed the scene ahead as something positive while his was more on the negative side. This sparked interest in him. But he breaks out of his thoughts as he hears your failed attempt to hide your growling stomach for the umpteenth time. 

He stands to his feet, grabbing you along with him. “Uhm, where are we going?”

He doesn’t say a word. He just grabs your hand and drags you along until you’ve arrived at the university’s main food court. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your stomach rumbling for the past twenty minutes,” he teases as you try to hide the blush that was making its way upon your cheeks. Now you were left speechless, nothing in the boy’s music has suggested that he had this sweet side to him. The side that would easily let someone in. 

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” you admitted as Hyunjin handed you the sandwich he had ordered, one for you and one for him. 

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry that I came off strong on the first day,” you apologized, aware of the way that you’ve been pushing his buttons and leaving him uncomfortable. 

“Why did you ask for my playlist?” He was finally going to get an answer to the event that has left him stunned for the past week. 

“It’s just a thing I do,” you confess nonchalantly, “I check to see if  we have similar taste in music and from there, I come to a conclusion on whether or not you’re cool enough for me to talk to,” you lied. You weren’t going to admit to him that the reason you do it was to analyze him. I mean, what kind of person assumes a person’s whole character through their songs, right? 

He wouldn’t understand. 

Honestly, you don’t even really understand yourself why you do it. Maybe because you liked having the upper hand - that way, no one can hurt you. 

Hyunjin lets out a laugh and you feel a little guilty. “So, if my songs were bad, you wouldn’t talk to me?” he chuckles. 

“Yeah, no… not in a million years,” you joked, laughing along with him. 

“So what would be a bad song to you?” he questions, a small smile playing on his lips. 

“I don't know, uhh-despacito?” you snicker

Honestly, there were no such things as bad songs. When it comes to songs, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but you had to play along with the little lie that you’ve already started.

“Hey! I like that song!” Hyunjin retorts, playfully throwing a crumpled up tissue paper along your direction, the two of you sharing a laugh as the small guilt you felt a while ago diminishes. It’s not like it’s going to hurt him anyways. You only see each other once a week and it was for class. Otherwise, you never see the brown haired boy on campus. You didn’t even know of his existence until you startled him with your question. 

The only reason he became your target was because the only empty seat was the one next to him. 

two. 

Second location. A frat party at the famous 3RACHA unit, who you’ve learned were good friends of Hyunjin. It was Hyunjin’s idea, convincing you that you guys will probably get a higher grade if you’ve incorporated various kinds of scenes. Plus, it was his first frat party and he didn’t want to miss it. You on the other hand was dreading this night ever since he brought it up in class last week. Parties weren’t your thing, you would much rather stay at home binging netflix shows, reading fanfictions, or watching compilations of your favorite kpop idols. But here you are now, rummaging the kitchen for something that didn’t contain alcohol as you’ve given up searching for the boy himself.  

“y/n!, heyy,” Hyunjin stumbles in, a red solo cup in his hand. 

“There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Can we please get this over with so I can leave,” you huffed, annoyed at the boy in front of you and the situation that you’ve found yourself in. 

“No.” He pouts before letting out a laugh, his eyes turning into little moons. 

“No? What do you mean, no?”

“Let’s have some fun first!” he beamed, dragging your hand out of the kitchen and into the party, ignoring your many protests. “Hyunjin, I didn’t come here for fun!” you sigh, arms crossing as you finally put a halt to the boys actions. 

“C’mon y/n, loosen up a little bit… you’re in the first party of the most popular frat in town, enjoy it while you can.” This time he holds his hand out, though his eyes had a tinge of red from the alcohol that was playing in his system, the sincerity in them couldn’t be missed. 

And so you do.

 You take his hand in yours as he shoots you one of his signature smiles. You party the night away with the boy at your side. He introduced you to a handful of new people but you forgot their names as soon as it came out of their mouths. 

-

You had way too much to drink but somehow you find yourself stumbling towards the park nearby, the boy's hand still in yours as he shares the story of how his best friend Jisung got chased by a duck and you couldn’t help but let out a boisterous laugh. Nothing about your laugh was pretty and if you weren’t so drunk, the embarrassment would’ve probably creeped up by now but you didn’t care. You couldn’t care - not when Hyunjins laugh would mix in with yours and you guys would have to literally cling to each other for strength. 

“Tag, you’re it!” he breaks you out of your thoughts as he starts running away, his laughter still ringing in the air as you chase him. After a while, you give up, you were in no way, shape, or form, fast enough to catch the boy - especially with all the liquor bouncing around your stomach. 

You sit down on the grass, catching your breath, your laughter dying down as your back hits the grass, eyes focusing on the twinkling orbs above. A few seconds later, warmth fills up beside you, Hyunjin taking his place next to you, mirroring your actions. 

“We never observed a person,” you say chuckling, breaking the silence that quickly hung over the two of you. 

“Sorry,” he smiles sheepishly, turning to you. Hyunjin takes this time to fully take in your appearance. No doubt in his mind, you are one of the most beautiful girls he’s ever seen. 

“Why don’t we, umm -,” he pauses, wondering to himself if this was going to be a good idea for him. 

“Why don’t we, what?” you reply quickly, curiosity getting the best of you as you turn to your side coming face to face with the boy himself. Your guys’ face were millimeters apart and the sudden feeling of his breathing being so close to you felt intoxicating. You dart your eyes down to his lips, thinking what it was like to feel them upon yours. 

Hyunjin lets out an awkward cough, breaking the tension in the air as he stares back up at the stars. “Why don’t we observe each other?” he suggests after his heartbeat finally calmed down. 

“Oh uhmm, o-okay,” you say, your voice faltering, pushing back your desire to kiss him. “You first,” you whisper, keeping your eyes locked into his features. 

“uhh, I think you’re wondering what the hell you’re doing with a boy you barely know at 3 in the morning. You don’t want me to notice that you’re actually really pissed at me for dragging you into this party and not getting any of our work done,”

The boy takes a pause as soon as he hears you giggle ‘hyunjin, you are so wrong,’ you think to yourself. 

“You’re the type to always get your shit done and you’ve probably already figured out everything you want in your life ever since you learned how to walk. You… you shouldn’t be wasting your time with someone like me,” he muttered, slowly turning to face you, this time a sad smile placed upon his lips. You sympathize with him, feeling sad with the way that he viewed himself. 

“Okay, uhm…you're anxious right now because you don’t know how i’ll react to your confessions. You’re the type of boy who doesn’t want to let anyone in but at the same time wants to know how it feels to be loved,” you sigh, the guilt you were feeling creeping in once again, slowly eating you up. Hyunjin grew tense under your observations. He hated how easily it is for you to read him when he thought that he was doing a decent job at keeping up with his facade. 

“You don’t notice the way others look at you because you’re too busy nitpicking your flaws. You didn’t notice how you were literally the life of the party back there. You didn’t notice the amount of girls practically begging for your attention…” you hesitate saying the last thing in your mind but as soon as you turned to him and saw the way he was looking at you, you couldn’t help but let the words stumble out of your mouth, “you don’t notice how much I want to kiss you right now,” and with those words out in the open, he brings his hands up to your cheek, slowly placing a light kiss upon your rosy lips and you swear you’ve never tasted anything better. It was a quick kiss, leaving as soon as it came, but the mix of his cherry chapstick and the alcohol created a combination that left you wanting more. Leaning up, you kiss him again, his mouth moving perfectly in sync with yours, deepening the kiss that you find yourself getting more and more addicted to with every second that passes. 

Hyunjin pulls away first, his thoughts finally all coming together as the alcohol was starting to slowly leave his system. He looks at you, the fear evident in his eyes. He fucked up and he knows it. He shouldn’t have kissed you. You guys were friends and frankly, he liked your company. He can never be that guy who starts a relationship with someone. He was sure that he was incapable of love and could never give you what you wanted. You knew this, of course. You knew this from day one. 

“I’m no good for you,” he sighed, mumbling several apologies for the actions that he took. And you realize how truly scared he was. That the tough image he’s keeping up isn’t because he had to but because he truly believed that it was the right thing to do. 

“That’s okay Hyunjin, we can blame it on the alcohol,” you wished you didn’t have to but you knew yourself that you couldn’t let this get deeper than what it was now.

Hyunjin walks you back to your dorm room, making sure you were safe inside before he headed back to his own place. 

-quiet when I’m coming home, i’m all alone. 

three. 

Hyunjin saw too many relationships around him fail, starting from his own parents. For him, love was merely an illusion. A desire that people get caught up with not because they are in love but because they lust the idea of love. The idea of having someone there to hold, to laugh with, to share stories with - it was all bullshit to him because at the end of the story, someone always leaves. Someone always says goodbye. It wasn’t worth it. 

Not for him. 

But sometimes he’ll see a picture on instagram and wonder to himself, could those smiles be permanent? 

“Are you just gonna keep stalking her social media or are you gonna actually talk to her?” Jeongin breaks the boy out of his thoughts. 

“I’m not stalking her!” Hyunjin replies defensively, hiding the pink that was creeping upon his cheeks. 

“I’ve literally been here for the past 3 mins just looking at you scroll through her feed and you didn’t even notice,” the younger boy points out, teasing him. Ever since the night at the park, Hyunjin couldn’t bring himself to talk to you. He knew that the both of you agreed to just forget it but could he really forget something like that? You made him feel what he was scared of the most. You made him feel like he wanted to fall in love. The memory of your lips against his keeps him up at night, your laughter ringing in his ear while the warmth from your fingertips makes him feel like he’s completely losing it. 

How can he still feel you when you were nowhere near him? 

How did you get past his wall so quickly? 

And why, fuck, why does he want you in it? 

-

You, on the other hand, haven't made any effort to reach out either. He was right about you. You were a know-it-all. Ever since you were younger you knew that you wanted to help the people around you. You enjoyed listening to others’, letting them know that they are never alone and that they could always turn to you for advice or simply just if they needed someone to listen to them. You liked the idea of being someone’s safe haven - that’s why you want to be a psychologist. 

But this - the way the boy made you feel, the way he cluttered your every waking thought - this was something you didn’t plan. This was something you didn’t have the answers to. Grabbing your phone, you finally gain the courage to send the boy a text 

Hey, we still have one scenario left, any ideas? - y/n

Hyunjin reads the text, his heart suddenly doing somersaults in the air. ‘Hyunjin, stop.’ he warns himself. He knows that he wasn’t ready to see you and so he ignored it. Grabbing his backpack he shouts a quick, “I'm gonna go practice,” before heading out to the dance rooms to try and clear his head. 

-

umm, what do you think about going to the diner across town? - y/n 

You did it. You double texted. After several hours, the boy still hasn’t responded to your text so you decided to take manners in your own hands. But as soon as you pressed send, you felt pathetic. He’s most likely just busy and that’s why he hasn’t replied but you like to make yourself believe that you had more of an effect on him. 

You were about to scream into your pillow, feeling frustrated at the situation until your phone let out a small ding, indicating that you’ve received a new message. 

sure - hyunjin 

how does tomorrow at 6pm sound ? - y/n 

good - hyunjin

These one word answers were killing you. For someone who usually knows and can assume what’s about to happen beforehand, you were left clueless and that annoyed you.  

-

“Hey, am i late?” hyunjin takes the seat across from you. no, he wasn’t late. you just arrived way earlier than the time planned hoping to calm your nerves before having to face the boy who has settled himself into your mind. 

“What do you think of that girl over there?” you point at the girl who was sitting, laughing along with her group of friends.

“geez y/n, can’t we order something to eat first,” hyunjin jokes. He barely got there and you were already on top of it. typical, he thinks to himself. You let out a small smile, happy at the fact that the boy was teasing you. Honestly, you were afraid that his responses were going to be as bland as his text messages and it has been killing your thoughts the whole night. 

“ok ok,, my bad… let’s order first,” when your food arrived, you fell into a comfortable conversation. like the thoughts that the both of you have been struggling with never existed. but in the middle of the conversation, something clicked within you. 

You can‘t read him anymore and that scared you. 

“honestly i think this whole project is stupid,” hyunjin blurts out, capturing your attention. 

“hmm, why do you say that?”

“i just find it absolutely ridiculous to just judge someone based on one scenario, you know? like i bet all our guesses have been wrong so far,” he confesses and once again the guilt rushes to your heart and you were left speechless. 

“Like I really hate it when people judge others without getting to know them like who do you think you are? Do people who do that actually think they’re better or mightier?” Hyunjin continues and suddenly the space around you feels tight, your lungs struggling to find air. You were the type of person that Hyunjin would hate and that leaves an unsettling feeling in your stomach. 

Hyunjin notices this after a while of you not responding to him and just picking at your food. “y/n, you okay?” he says, eyes filled with worry and you can't help but let out a tear, quickly brushing it off as soon as it hit your cheek. You don’t deserve the way he’s looking at you like he would fight anyone that comes to hurt you. 

“Hyunjin...i’m sorry,” you let out quietly as you tried to stop the rest of your tears from water falling. Grabbing your bag, you ran out of the diner, leaving a very confused Hyunjin behind to wonder what you were apologizing for. 

four.

7 missed calls 

you don’t dare try to answer any of it. 

the thought of having to face the boy and explain the reasons for your apology hurts you knowing that he wouldn’t want anything to do with you afterwards. how do you even explain it to him? there is literally no plausible excuse: 

“hey yeah i’m the jerk that you hate because i judged your whole personality based off of five songs,”

“i only did it because i like superiority”

“it also helps me feel better about myself”

yeah. he’ll definitely hate you afterwards. and so you sulk in your room, letting out your frustrated cries, your blanket comforting you as the sound of your phone ringing filled the air. after the 12th call, the ringing finally stops and you feel like you can finally think until a knock on your dorm room brings you back to reality. 

“hey,” he sighs, your eyes immediately widening as you shut the door as quickly as you opened it. 

“y/n, come on!” hyunjin whines

“how did you know this was my room?” you yell through the door. 

“I asked around,” he shouts back “now can you let me in??”

You were frozen in place, hands gripped on your doorknob to make sure that he can’t come in. “Look, we don’t have to talk about what happened okay,” he starts, “but we do have a project due in 2 days and i would like to finish it...so please just ….. just let me in.” He finishes, an exasperated sigh leaving his mouth once he comes face to face with the girl that has always been a puzzle to him. 

Entering your dorm room, you notice that the boy's hair is a bit disheveled and you wonder how many times he has let his hands run through them due to frustration. He’s doing his best to hide his furrowed eyebrows and keep a calm expression but you see through all of it. 

you’re doing it again. you think to yourself.  

“okay let’s just make up a scenario since we didn’t get one at the diner,” you suggest, finally breaking the silence that hung above the two of you. 

“why did you apologize?” hyunjin quietly asks, his gaze fixed strongly on you and you find yourself having to sit down due to the impact of his stare. 

“hyunjin…. you said we didn’t have to talk about it,” you responded, trying to change the subject. 

“I lied. I need to know the answers y/n. I need to know why you seem to see through my walls. I need to know how you dug a hole in my mind and stayed in it because I want you out. I don’t know what I’m feeling when it comes to you and I don’t like it.”

“How??? How can you see right through me?!”He frustratedly confesses, his voice getting louder with every question that leaves his mouth. 

“What?? are you a stalker??? Is that why you know?? have you been following me around ??”

“No!” you responded quickly, shutting down the assumptions that the boy has managed to come up with. 

“It’s your music.” you finally confess, your heart tightening as the words left your mouth, afraid of what’s to come next. 

Hyunjin stares at you, his mind finally connecting all the dots. The reason you asked for his playlist. The reason why you knew his stories and insecurities. All of it was because he gave you access to his music. And suddenly he felt bare. All his hiding, all the walls he put up, it was all useless when it came to you. 

“The last song in that playlist…” he starts but you finish the sentence for him, “please love me by colde,” your glassy eyes staring back up at him. 

“so, will you?” hyunjin asked, worry laced within his voice. 

“y-you’re not mad at me?” you stuttered, the boy's actions leaving your mind in a maze. he shakes his head. oddly enough, he didn’t feel any anger towards you. noticing that you were left in your thoughts to make sense of the situation at hand, he offers you a soft smile, “after knowing how troubled my mind was, you still stayed.”  

“i think i already do…” you confess, eyes fixated on him, “love you, that is,” you say mirroring the small smile that was on the boy’s face. 

At your confession, Hyunjin let’s out a shaky breath. 

“will you let me love you?” you ask him, a gentle tone laced within your voice, afraid of the answer to come. 

your eyes never breaking contact with his, you moved closer to him. hyunjins eyes darts down to your lips and suddenly the answer seemed so clear. 

love. 

the word that terrifies him the most. the thing that the boy has been swearing off ever since he was little. love was something hyunjin never understood but every time he looks at your eyes, every time he feels your warmth next to him, and now as your lips move in perfect sync with his, it all seems to make sense.

(a/n): this ending is so rushed and im not sure if im entirely happy with it but i really did not know what to do for the longest time. i was thinking of just scrapping the whole thing tbh but anyways....

feedback is always welcomed and my ask is always open :) 

thank you for reading! 

[gavillain]

Top ten princesses!

*rubs hands together* Alright, let’s rank us some Disney princesses. Technically there’s only four others who aren’t gonna make the cut buuuut they’re the four I don’t really like XD

10: Pocahontas (Pocahontas)

With Pocahontas, you can very clearly see the behind the scenes "self-consciousness" of the filmmakers baked into her character writing. Pocahontas was Disney's big attempt at Oscar gold, trying to tell a Big Important portentous story while also grappling with trying to make Pocahontas as inoffensive as possible. The result is a character who is kind and likable enough, but also kind of wooden. The historical accuracy value is practically nil, and Pocahontas as a character and a movie comes off worse and worse with the passage of time. All that being said, I think Disney did the very best job they could with Pocahontas given the situation she emerged in. They created a character who is likable, free-spirited, a strong believer in justice and unity, and a character who leads with empathy and courage at the forefront. If nothing else, Pocahontas is a strong role model for little girls to look up to, and her love story with John Smith is one of Disney's most mature love stories as well, so there's plenty for older fans to enjoy as well.

9: Mulan (Mulan)

Mulan is counted as a Disney princess because they don't have any other Asian princesses and they wanted a more diverse lineup. That's the reason. Y'all can stop pretending not to know now. But with that strange categorizing, Mulan is weird fixture of the princess lineup any way you look at her. Mulan, for me, both as a princess and a movie, has always been just kind of there. A lot of people passionately love it, and I get that completely. A lot of people tear it apart, and I get that too. Mulan is a great girl power character, and her resourcefulness and cleverness being her defining trait is excellent. Her internal turmoil over her identity is perhaps more poignant here than with any other princess, and Reflection still stands as one of the greatest Disney songs ever written. That said, Mulan's defining character flaw being clumsiness and awkwardness and this being why she has such internal turmoil about fitting in just makes her come off as a bit hollow to me, and I feel like there was a better route to take her. After how surprisingly good an LGBT take on her worked over in Once Upon a Time and how much better that informed her feeling like an outsider, it just made the animated version come off as weaker on the internal side to me. Good character overall, though, and I do really like Mulan.

8: Moana (Moana)

Moana has a similar situation to Mulan where she's not really a princess but she gets shoehorned into the princess mold because they have nowhere else to put her. She and Mulan are Disney heroes, and they have different expectations for that reason. All that being said, Moana is easily the best of the Revival era CGI princesses. For one thing, while she has a bit of the Revival trend of modernizing the princesses too much, they don't make her overly adorkable to make her relatable (... “overly” being the key word; she’s not exempt). On the contrary, Moana is written very much like a person. We see Moana grapple with the weight of duty both to her people and to the world as a whole. Her story is one of trying figure out whether it is better to chase the unknown or to follow the tried and true. And I like that. I also really appreciate how Moana wins the final battle with empathy for the monster, and that's what makes her unique. The whole "Know Who You Are" musical number is legitimately one of the most powerful moments ever put into a Disney film too. My biggest issue with her actually comes from Maui whose constant meta quips and spotlight stealing tends to undermine Moana's character a lot and takes away from some of her moments that I wish hit harder than they do.

7: Jasmine (Aladdin)

Jasmine is the only princess in the lineup who is not the main character of her movie. On the contrary, she's the love interest of the main character and more of a supporting player in her film. She doesn't even get a solo, something every other princess, save Merida who isn't in a musical, gets. As a result of this, Jasmine isn't really as strong in her own right as several of the other princesses. But she's still awesome. She has a strong internal life and vibrancy, and the way her character revolves around a longing for freedom and the way that compares to Aladdin and the Genie makes her really come alive and work well within the context of the film. She's also clever, resourceful, a self proclaimed fast-learner, and someone who never allows her voice to be silenced. Yet even with all her strength, she's allowed tender moments of kindness and gentleness to show that there's another side to her. Also the TV series and sequels expanded on her character in a wonderful way.

6: Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

Okay, yes, Disney's first black princess being a frog for more than half the movie was a bad creative decision on their part that wasn't a good look. But for Disney's first black princess, considering the company's history with race issues in particular and how self-conscious a lot of their princesses of color have come off, I think a lot of people underestimate just how good Tiana is. Tiana is vibrant and full of personality without every coming off as a stereotype or as anything less than dignified and admirable. She's hard worker, but she never comes off to me as trying to be "look how much better I am than the other princesses." She lets her actions and her character speak for themselves. I like that her arc is actually about finding a healthy balance between storybook love and wishing and hard work and determination. She's a woman with ambition, but she also learns to make time for a bit of fairytale fantasy and the things that really count like love and friendship. Also, just major props to Anika Noni Rose for making Tiana so damn likable and fun to follow.

5: Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

And now that we're in the top five, we start getting into the classics. Aurora gets an unfair reputation as a basic boring princess who needs a man to save her and has no value of her own. But with Sleeping Beauty being an adaptation of ballet in particular, that's really missing the forest for the trees. Sleeping Beauty was envisioned by Walt as the pinnacle of animation, an animated film that would stand tall in an art gallery, and you can see that very much at play in Aurora. From Marc Davis's absolutely stunning animation on her to Mary Costa's beautiful vocal work in blending with the musical stylings of Tchaikovsky, Aurora is, more than any other princess in the Disney lineup, a piece of high art. She's written deceptively simply to allow for the animation and the music to convey the brunt of her character. And, when you get right down to it, Aurora is, like art, designed around the emotions of the piece more than specific character quirks. Yet the essence of her kindness, of her grace, and of her sly looks and shrewd coyness is all right there in the character. She also pretty perfectly encapsulates the emotions and feelings of young love, and I think there's a lot of value in that portrayal as well.

4: Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

I used to give Ariel a hard time in the recent past, and I fully regret allowing certain sects of discourse to color my view of her. Ariel is an amazing character, and an excellent princess. One of the things that has struck me, revisiting the movie as a gay adult, is just how queer of a story Ariel's is. Hans Christian Anderson wrote the original in response to male lover of his, openly gay Howard Ashman was a major creative driving force behind the story, and openly gay animator Andreas Deja brought to life the visceral Grotto scene based on his falling out with his own father. There's queerness baked into the fabric of this film, and it shows itself clearly with the narrative of a princess who is unhappy with her home life and has a forbidden love that she must hide away from her own family and then must undergo the process of evolving into the version of herself that she wants to be in order to satisfy the love within herself. She gets dismissed as being just a rebellious teenager, but there's so much more to her than that and she hits home to so many people for that reason. Also, Jodi Benson's incredible voice work and the writing for her makes Ariel constantly a vibrant and interesting character who I feel like we get to know better and more intimately than almost any other princess.

3: Cinderella (Cinderella)

Though, much like Aurora and Ariel, Cinderella gets an unfair reputation as weak and needing a man, that couldn't be further from the truth. Cinderella is an abuse survivor who keeps her dreams, optimism, and kindness alive even in the face of crippling despair and misery. She's a woman who fought a daily battle just for the right to keep existing, and while the Fairy Godmother gave her magical assistance, Cinderella earned her happy ending herself. I just have to admire how she embodies patience and kindness while also still being strong in her own way. She's not a masculine warrior action figure; she's very feminine. Yet she finds strength in her femininity without relying on sex, and I just think that's wonderful. I also really love how much personality and humanity they filled Cinderella with without going overboard or making her into a parody of herself. Cinderella maintains the grace, poise, and beauty of a princess all while having so many little quirks and traits that make her feel like a real woman. Also, it must be said, Cinderella III is still the best Disney sequel, and I love how it expands upon her and gives her new opportunities to prove herself all while maintaining the core kindness and strength of her character.

2: Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

The one that started it all and still a radiant joy of beauty and kindness, Snow White is everything a princess should be. Like Cinderella, Snow White shows that you can survive abusive situations with your positivity in tact. In fact, Snow White goes one step further. She shows that "there's no use in grumbling when raindrops come tumbling; remember you're the one who can fill the world with sunshine." She's a beacon of hope and positivity who shows that compassion and kindness are the true virtues that deserve to be held as the most precious. She also shows the importance of found family and finding a loving support system that is right for you even if that's not your actual family members. In addition to all that, Snow White is great for being full of personality and having a vibrancy to her. She meets the dwarfs and immediately begins to take charge and to hold them to the standards she expects. She's never afraid to make her voice or opinion heard, and she's also got a playful teasing side to her that shines through. While her film is a heightened reality, she still has a core realness to her that makes her plight and her adventure feel all the more immersive for a viewer.

1: Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

But my favorite princess is always plain to see. While I love many of the other princesses, none quite hit that same sweet spot for me that Belle does. Belle is an outcast. She's a well read and intelligent woman more concerned with books and ideas of adventure than she is with the types of things she's expected to be concerned with by her small town. According to the townsfolk, she should be only concerned with getting married to a handsome man and being his doting little wife. However, Belle has absolutely no interest in taking part in any of that nonsense, and because of that, the people of her hometown write her off as odd or crazy. Many of us have been in a similar situation and felt excluded from society because we were somehow "not normal." Whether it was for our sexualities, our weight, our skin color, our religious beliefs, our over abundant love of comic books, or what have you, many people out there feel alone and ostracized. Yet Belle is that shining beacon of someone who lives her authentic life no matter what the world around her thinks, and that can give courage to others who relate to those feelings. Belle inspires the Beast to change to be better for her, not because she can break a spell, but because she sees the true beauty inside of him that no one else ever had. Some of my favorite types of heroes are those individuals who see the good inside of everyone. Those who give everyone a fair chance, especially to those who were never given a chance by anyone before, are the type of heroes we need more of in real life. No she can't fight off villains or complete daring feats of physical prowess, but she doesn't have to do those things to make a difference. She can save an entire castle by goodness and compassion alone. Paige O'Hara really does a fantastic job filling Belle with personality as well. I love that her voice work conveys confidence and strength, but also has moments of gentleness and vulnerability. She's allowed to have a range of emotions and certain spunk that is nothing short of endearing. Special mention must go to how excited and energized O'Hara plays Belle as getting when she talks about her books and stories. You really get the sense that reading is Belle's passion, not just something she enjoys. There's a real sense that Belle experiences the world around her fully and vigorously, and that adds to the charm of her character that makes her, for me, the most likable and best of the Disney princesses.

[aion-rsa]

DuckTales Season 3 Episode 22 Review: The Last Adventure!

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This DUCKTALES review contains spoilers.

From the opening moments of DuckTales’ final episode it feels like the end. Almost everyone is here. There’s an extra care put into the scenes, a knowledge that we are in the last hour of their adventures. A last moment of uncomplicated joy before things get messy. And at the center of it all?

Webby. In the beginning she seemed to be the POV character of DuckTales, the one everything seemed to focus around. Some of that was caused by the original air dates of the episodes accidentally putting all her focus episodes at the start but it was a feeling that never left me. The show was an ensemble piece but there was something about Webby that kept her at the forefront. Something that made go, “if anyone had to lay claim as the main character of DuckTales, it’s her.” Boy, was I right about that!

The finale puts her in the middle of everything and finally pays off the mystery set-up at the top of the season. We finally learn about her past and as its slowly revealed it tugs on Webby’s biggest heartstring. Family. 

Her clones May and June press her with questions about the family. How none of the people she has connections with are related to her by blood. They aren’t her REAL family. Scrooge’s family isn’t hers. Her friends aren’t family. They play on a fear that’s been deeply held within her, that for all the talk of family is what you make it they still aren’t REALLY family.

It calls into question that critical core element of this new DuckTales. One could argue the show has done a LOT to say family is what you make it and this shouldn’t be a problem for Webby but come on, she has two sisters right in front of her. That would mess with her head and make her feel insecure.

This question of family extends out of Webby’s plotline and to all the others, especially Donald and Della. Donald wants to go off on a big trip with Daisy, intentionally leaving the family behind for the first time in who knows how long. This is a major step for him. He gave up his life to help raise Huey, Dewey, and Louie. He’s stuck by them even as they lived at the mansion. The guy deserves some time with the person he cares about without the weight of responsibility he’s carried for so much of his life.

Della though can’t take it. She tries to get him to reconsider. She has excuse after excuse but the real reason comes out, she doesn’t want to lose any more time with him. She was gone for so long why can’t he stay and make up for that lost time? He could, but as much as Donald loves Della he’s finally putting himself first. Of course Della accepts it because she’s Della and she’s great. I’m so happy they did this with Donald, the guy deserves it. Just because Della wants to spend more time with him doesn’t mean he HAS to. He can take time for himself, he can be his own person, he doesn’t have to be defined by the loss of Della anymore. Of course he’ll still see her and the rest of the family, he’s just going off to start his own part of the family. That’s a crucial element of family as well; you don’t always have to be together.

But of course when Webby and Huey get kidnapped Donald is right there to help and so is everyone else. The whole family rallies together, though Beakley is off on her own. Earlier in the episode Beakley revealed to Webby that she retired specifically because of her. That Webby was more important than anything else and, as we later learn, she gave up taking out F.O.W.L. to do it. There’s a running theme of how much you’ll sacrifice for your family here, as Beakley puts it, “when you find your family you’ll give up everything for them.” It’s well threaded throughout the episode, the biggest example of it of course being the giant mission to storm the temple.

It’s here the family comes up against the biggest nemesis of the series, Bradford. Bradford’s whole deal is that he was the first Woodchuck (and a terrible one.) He wants to rid the world of adventure, contain all the chaos it brings. What does all this mean? Why is he doing this? On first watch it’s a little unclear but when you zoom out Bradford wants to keep the world in order, in check. No deviations, nothing unexpected, no challenges, nothing unpredictable. He claims he’s a businessman, not a villain… but of course he’s a villain because a LOT of business people ARE villainous. Wanting to keep the world in check and playing by their rules is how they keep control. How they stay in power.

Adventures threaten that. They give power to those who don’t have it; they allow a wonder and mystery to fill the world. To give people hope, to bond them together. For Scrooge, it helped create his family. So of course Bradford would try to shut that down, he’s better served if people are unhappy and under his thumb as a businessman. Controlling Scrooge’s money was also a great bonus.

Bradford threatens the very heart of the series, adventures. He uses Webby specifically to gain the ability to take Scrooge’s adventures away… but of course he underestimated the family. He thought creating Webby’s clones would tear them apart, that separating everyone into cages would keep them from rising up… but you can’t stop the Duck family and Webby is the heart and soul of that. Even when she learns she was just another clone that doesn’t stop her for long. For anyone else that might have been a bigger blow but when she learns that Beakley saved her when she was a baby? That Beakley gave up everything for her so that someone would love her? That keeps her going.

That and the fact she’s (more or less) Scrooge’s daughter. Yeah she was made by F.O.W.L. but WHATEVER SHE’S REALLY A BLOOD PART OF THE FAMILY! At this point I was taken aback. Why does Webby NEED to have a blood relation to the family? Why can’t she just be a friend who became a part of the family? Isn’t that what DuckTales has been preaching for its entire run, you don’t have to be related by blood to be family and even if you ARE related by blood that doesn’t always mean you’re like family to someone else.

Some might consider this an easy cop out, a way for Webby to get what she always wants… but it’s so much more than that. Okay yes, Webby was sort of made from Scrooge’s DNA but that still doesn’t automatically make her a part of the family. They could easily reject her for not being “real.”  But everyone in the McDuck family loves her and that’s why she’s family, blood or not. Plus, the rest of the episode goes out of its way to show that damn near every good person the team has met is part of the family. So yes, Webby is now confirmed to be related by blood but that doesn’t undercut DuckTales’ message about family. Lena and Violet are part of the family, Gizmoduck, Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Launchpad, EVERYONE. As Webby tells May and June,

“Family are the people who stick by you. Fight for you. Blindly invade a sinister villain’s secret strong hold for you. Family would do anything to keep you safe and sacrifice everything to love you no matter who and what you are. Like Scrooge, like my granny, like you two.” That’s family and that’s DuckTales. Scrooge is willing to sacrifice it all, to give up adventuring… but FAMILY is the greatest adventure of all! It’s so powerful it breaks the most powerful magic contract of ALL TIME. BOOM, FAMILY! 

‘The Last Adventure’ was nothing short of an absolute masterpiece, the closest thing to a true 2017 DuckTales movie we’ll ever get. The action was big, damn near every character from the show made it in, and it capped off everything so beautifully. It’s stunning how many references and characters are squeezed in here but it never feels rushed or over bloated. All the references work, whether you know the deep cuts or not. My personal favorite was the revelation that Manny is no intern… he’s actually The Headless Manhorse of the Apocalypse AND HE LIVES AGAIN… voiced by Keith David. It’s such an elaborate Gargoyles reference but even if you don’t know that it’s hilarious to see this new side of Manny.

There’s too many moments to talk about. So many little bits that could deserve full articles on their own. Della using her leg like an axe, B.O.Y.D. being just a head, or Launchpad becoming Gizmoduck! If you’ve been reading all my DuckTales reviews you know how much I’ve loved the character of Lena and just seeing her there at the end as part of the family made me smile and warmed my heart. She went through so much and look where she is now, she has people who love her AND she’s a superhero. 

As the credits rolled and all the characters we’ve all grown to love soared past the screen for the final time, it hit me just how much I’m going to miss DuckTales. I’ve reviewed every single episode of the series and it has been an immense privledge. The level of care and creativity that went into every single aspect of the series did not go unnoticed. The people behind the scenes truly delivered something special, a series that will stand the test of time as not just a worthy entry into the Duck universe or just a Disney cartoon series, but as an absolutely wonderful show all on its own. It was incredibly funny, joyously warm, and knew how to hit you with some major life lessons. Lena’s story arc in particular will always stick with me and works as a gut wrenching portrayal of the effects of abuse. Her story was just an example of DuckTales as its strongest, when it was able to use it stories to hold up a mirror to our own lives and safely let us explore them. While also giving us a lot of laughs.

DuckTales has power; it’ll keep having power. Now that the show’s ended I have no doubt more people will check it out on Disney + and realize how special it was. How great it was. How even if it still had more stories to tell it still gave all it had. 

Thank you for everything, DuckTales. You’ll never be forgotten. 

DuckTales Quotes To Make Your Life Better

-“No, no maniacal laughter! We are not common villains.”

-“Come with me if you want DEW-live.”

-“Yes I was right! …. Oh no, I was right.”

-“I LIVE AGAIN… Again.”

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-“Please hold all startled utterances of disbelief for the end.”

The post DuckTales Season 3 Episode 22 Review: The Last Adventure! appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[bestworstcase]

anyways race to the spire is my favorite episode of season three but i think in terms of cassandra’s villain arc and the cass/zhan tiri manipulation dynamic, once a handmaiden is the strongest.

fictional portrayals of “master manipulators” / the chessmaster archetype often get two things wrong: 1) they depict successful manipulators as meticulous planners, and 2) have them emotionally fall apart if their plans fall through, often by becoming enraged and violent. the second is not unrealistic per se, but it does shove the character out of the “chessmaster” category and into the “garden variety emotional abuser” one for me. 

the first, however, i think speaks to a fundamental misunderstanding of the way skillful, chessmaster-level manipulation works. there is no plan, and there shouldn’t be a plan. people are much too complicated and unpredictable for any plan built around manipulation to reliably succeed; thus truly successful manipulators have a clearly defined goal, a solid understanding of human nature, and an exceptional ability to improvise. this is zhan tiri to a T, and once a handmaiden showcases this more than any other episode in season three.

let’s break it down.

it’s difficult to say whether zhan tiri intended for cass to find the mirror shard or not. it would have been good for her if cass never saw the missing piece of that memory, because then cass would have continued to trust her; on the other hand, zhan tiri spun the fallout of cass finding the mirror shard to her benefit so effortlessly that it’s conceivable she prepared for it ahead of time. in the end, i think i come down on the side of zhan tiri just didn’t care, because by now she knows cassandra so well that it honestly did not matter whether cass found the shard or not. +1 for zhan tiri. 

so here is our starting position. cass realizes that zhan tiri lied to her and manipulated the situation in gothel’s cottage, and she’s furious. she storms up to her throne room to confront zhan tiri about it. what happens?

not only is zhan tiri not bothered, she seems almost pleased that cassandra has finally figured it out. instead of explaining herself as cassandra initially demands (“Do you want to explain to me how this got here?!”) or trying to make up an excuse, she calmly waits for cassandra to finish ranting. her only interjection is actually to goad cass into following the evidence to its natural conclusion:

CASS: Back at Gothel’s, I thought Rapunzel was hiding the one memory that proved my mother loved me.

ZHAN TIRI: And...?

CASS: And you manipulated that memory, didn’t you?! You took this piece out. You tricked me into abandoning Rapunzel!

zhan tiri also physically waits for cassandra to approach her, implicitly positioning herself as the one with all the power in this scene. note her relaxed posture here, also:

then, instead of answering the accusation directly, zhan tiri calmly flips it around to be about cass instead and again positioning herself as an authority, someone who knows cass, and what’s good for cass, better than cassandra herself: “Perhaps. Or perhaps I merely pushed you to become what you were always meant to be.”

this reaction lays the foundation for everything else zhan tiri does in this episode. she shifts the fulcrum of the conversation such that everything rests on cassandra’s identity rather than zhan tiri’s manipulation. she also reveals her true identity to cass in a manner that implies they are fundamentally alike by visually linking them together.

in race to the spire, both cassandra and rapunzel directly touch zhan tiri without getting any “glimpses” like this, so we can conclude that everything here is something zhan tiri consciously showed to cassandra. things to note: 

1. the line between what is zhan tiri and what is cassandra in this vision is intentionally blurred. is the reaching hand at the beginning zhan tiri attempting to grasp the original ancient power, or is it cassandra claiming the moonstone and emerging from the sundrop’s shadow as the next piece of the sequence would seem to imply? 

2. zhan tiri is depicted as appearing from within cassandra herself, visually implying that cassandra’s inner nature is similar to zhan tiri. this connection is further emphasized by the similar style in which they’re both drawn, silhouetted with glowing white eyes. 

again, the purpose of this is to change the course of the conversation so that it centers around who cassandra is, rather than what zhan tiri has done, and zhan tiri’s argument here is that fundamentally, she and cassandra are The Same. 

cassandra is shocked, and it is at this point that zhan tiri starts to lay on the emotion; switching from tolerant amusement to chiding cassandra: 

ZHAN TIRI: Oh, quit pretending you’re horrified. We’re not so different, you and I. We were both cheated out of our destinies. In fact, we’re more like sisters than you and Rapunzel ever were! We even want the same thing, and we can get it, if you continue to let me help you.

in this little speech, zhan tiri: 1) dismisses cassandra’s fear, casting it as just another lie she’s telling herself that is stopping her from achieving her full potential, 2) leans hard into associating cassandra’s nature with her own, and 3) continues to position herself as not just cassandra’s ally but also her friend—a better friend than she had in rapunzel, even. on the face of it, this may seem a little silly. you may be wondering how zhan tiri could possibly have imagined this would be at all convincing to cassandra. 

but the thing is... zhan tiri clearly doesn’t expect this to be at all convincing to cassandra. her goal here isn’t for cassandra to suddenly be all, “you’re right, ancient evil demon who’s been stringing me along for months, we ARE the same.” it’s to provoke cassandra into having an identity crisis. 

and it works.

see, the thing is, as soon as cassandra found that mirror shard, it was game over for zhan tiri’s ability to lie to her effectively. the breach of trust was just too egregious. but rather than cling to her old strategies even though they’re no longer functional (as she might do if she were a ‘planning’ manipulator with the inflexibility that implies) or fly into a rage and attempt to force cass to do what she wants (as the possessed-cass theory anticipated), zhan tiri simply moves seamlessly into a different strategy. 

she knows cassandra. she’s spent months digging into her brain, learning her weaknesses, familiarizing herself with what makes cass tick. she knows exactly how fragile cassandra’s self-justifications are, she knows how insecure cassandra is, knows how difficult it is for cass to be vulnerable and trust people. and she also knows, because she cultivated it, exactly how volatile and dangerous cassandra’s temper is.

so this:

CASS: ...No. No, I’m nothing like you. Just because I’m pursuing my destiny doesn’t make me a bad person!

ZHAN TIRI: [laughing] Doesn’t it?

is cassandra playing directly into zhan tiri’s hands. this is the Ideal Outcome, from zhan tiri’s perspective, of this confrontation, and that is why when cassandra turns around and sprints out of the tower to have a panic attack in the woods, zhan tiri just laughs and calls after her: 

ZHAN TIRI: Run, Cassandra! But you can’t run from who you are!

simply watching the rest of the episode demonstrates precisely why zhan tiri provoked cassandra into having this identity crisis. not only did it divert cassandra’s focus away from zhan tiri’s actions (and motives), it also enabled zhan tiri to exploit her insecurity and volatility in order to get cassandra to snap, destroying corona, forcing an eventual confrontation with rapunzel, and getting zhan tiri one step closer to achieving her ultimate goals. 

now let’s skip forward to the the scene in the tent, which i’m just going to quote in full here: 

ZHAN TIRI: You didn’t really think your plan to make things right would work, did you? 

CASS: What are you doing here? 

ZHAN TIRI: I don’t understand. You could have just gone up to her and apologized, face-to-face.

CASS: I said, get away from me.

ZHAN TIRI: You’ve had more than a few opportunities, and even still you haven’t done it. Why is that? I think—

CASS: Because I’m scared she won’t forgive me!

ZHAN TIRI: You’re right to be scared. I’m guessing she hasn’t told you about Project Obsidian. A weapon that was designed to destroy you. Rapunzel just authorized it yesterday.

CASS: What?! No, I don’t believe you. She would never— 

ZHAN TIRI: You can ask her yourself if you don’t believe me. You might want something to defend yourself against her; this potion may be your only protection against the princess when she inevitably turns on you.

the brilliance of this is that nothing zhan tiri says here is untrue. she is one hundred percent correct in her assessment of cassandra’s actions in corona: pretending to be someone else while doing vague nice things in no way makes up for what she’s done, and she has been purposefully avoiding the riskier but correct course of action ie to plainly apologize and accept whatever comes. 

by playing evil therapist here, zhan tiri goads cassandra into articulating her exact fear that her actions are unforgivable. this is something that cassandra needed to express, instead of continuing to run away from her feelings. it’s a vital moment in her redemption arc, and like zhan tiri’s little speech in the tower it can seem silly or even outright counterproductive for her to push cassandra in this way. after all, she’s literally encouraging cass to go make up with rapunzel for real. 

but what she’s also doing here is drawing cassandra’s subconscious fear into the open and putting that at the forefront of cass’s mind. she is forcing cassandra not just to articulate this fear but to intently feel it, which is the key to everything that comes next. this is why, after cassandra admits that she’s scared, zhan tiri moves right into reinforcing that fear—again, by bringing up objective facts. project obsidian does exist, it was created with the intention of destroying cassandra, and rapunzel did indeed authorize it yesterday. cassandra doesn’t trust zhan tiri anymore, but the beauty of zhan tiri telling the truth now is that cassandra’s doubt becomes a weakness rather than a strength.

because she no longer trusts zhan tiri, cassandra immediately goes out to “prove” zhan tiri “wrong” by doing the opposite of what she appears to want cass to do: from cass’s perspective, it looks like zhan tiri is making up lies to get cass to give up on reconciling with rapunzel and go back to following zhan tiri’s plan, so the most logical thing to do is to try harder to reconcile with rapunzel instead (despite the tiny grain of doubt that convinces her to take the potion anyway, just in case). 

except project obsidian isn’t a lie, which means that cassandra is actually placing herself in an even more vulnerable position, by walking outside and approaching rapunzel so that they’re right next to each other when zhan tiri pulls the cloak away. and then, when the gun is fired, and cassandra finds herself encased in amber it creates this terrible moment for her of zhan tiri was right. and it’s that that makes cassandra snap. and that’s exactly what zhan tiri intended to happen, and that’s the outcome zhan tiri is working towards from the instant cassandra reveals that she found the mirror shard. 

(i think in the end this manipulative strategy wasn’t 100% successful, because zhan tiri’s Ideal Outcome in plus est seems to have been that cassandra really would buy what zhan tiri was selling re: she and zhan tiri being The Same, and that didn’t happen. but again, zhan tiri knows cassandra well enough to see her betrayal coming, and swiftly and easily changes her tactics when it happens.)

so, more than any other episode in season three, i think once a handmaiden shows us not only that zhan tiri is manipulating cass, but how she does so, and just how skilled she is at manipulation in general. it also very neatly avoids the two biggest pitfalls of writing manipulation in stories and in general is a masterclass on how to write it well. 

also here is a bonus picture of zhan tiri and her grapes

in conclusion i love gremlin baby and once a handmaiden isn’t about cassandra flip-flopping it’s about zhan tiri seamlessly switching from manipulation with lies to manipulation with facts and cassandra not being able to keep up with the change of tactics and thus falling victim to them again

[girlobsessed21]

Thoughts on The 100 7x01

Before I get into the episode, I felt the absence of Bellamy and Octavia, they are my favorites and a very core part of this show. I was worried about the lack of Bellamy in all the promotional material, but Jason explained in an article that he needed some time off and they gave that to him, but he still plays a vital role and we will see him again.  At the end of the day, we don’t know what happened, but the mystery around his disappearance into anomaly is quite intriguing.

For now, I’m holding out hope that he will return to my screen in full force, until proven wrong I’m going to be positive. Despite that, I enjoyed it. It wasn’t my favorite first episode, still a strong start spreading optimism for the rest of the season. Lots of surprises that made it worthwhile.

The anomaly colony

Hope wakes up with memory loss while Gabriel examines her tattoos. She runs away and finds a note to herself that says, ‘Trust Bellamy’. Bellamy, not Octavia, who she clearly knows, which seems like Hope wasn’t aware she would find Octavia in Sanctum.

Now, why would Hope want to trust Bellamy and stab Octavia? Perhaps she needed his help finding her in return for Diyoza? This seems like a logical conclusion given that ‘He’ has her mother. The Blakes certainly hold some key to the anomaly, everything points me in that direction.

I can’t say all that much about Hope, due to the amnesia she has no personality yet, but it’s clear she’s smart and capable.

Gabriel being an anomaly-dork. Gosh, I love him too bits. The acting in the scene where they try to figure out what happened to Octavia and Bellamy is a little cringy, but I turned a blind eye and focused on the dialogue.

I’m getting to the good stuff…

Roan coming back to haunt Echo is probably my favorite part of the episode, I’ve missed the king so damn much. He asks her who she is without Bellamy or her queen. I’m so glad they’re delving into the subject. If you read my previous blogs, you’ll know I asked this question many times. She’s such a bad ass spy, she needs a purpose and story apart from him. Nonetheless, I like Echo and I would love to see her gain some of her own identity and build her own life. Being distanced by time and space could really do that for her. Scroll down for the shipping part of this story…

The more important thing is that there are people who control the anomaly and know exactly who they are. Like Echo predicted because of the bad shots they were sent to capture and not kill them except for Hope. I assume it’s because she knows how the anomaly works. Who are they and what do they want? My guess, Bellamy and Octavia. Perhaps Clarke as well?

Loved the three of them entering together because a few second difference could mean months. That means Diyoza and Octavia could have been months, maybe even years, apart.

Rising from and burning to ashes in one afternoon

This new beautiful house with the dysfunctional family and Madi with Picasso is certainly heart-warming in a show that continues to push the bounds of darkness. How great is that little picnic in the yard? Now I’m curious, they drink to Abby, but have they forgotten Kane?

Also, good to see Raven and Clarke on better terms. They really spoiled her character in season 6 but it seems like she’s back on par. It’s clear that good things happen when they’re working towards the same goal, as family. That dynamic has been broken since season 2 and if there’s one lesson that can be learned from season 1 it’s that they’re outstanding on the same team. 

At first, I wondered why they weren’t questioning Octavia, Bellamy and Echo’s absence but then I realized they probably saved them a room like they did for Jordan and assumed they were exploring the anomaly. It’s still the same day as 6x13 since they were having lunch. Episode 6x13 ended at dawn and 7x01 starts at lunchtime.

I know Murphy did a lot of obscure things in season 6 but he’s not to blame for Abby’s death. Emori’s right, Russel killed her.

Why did Clarke choose the master suite, though? It seems a little out of character for her to do something so selfish.

On to other things, I must point out Indra’s line: “Someone needs to speak for the commander and I’m hungry.” She’s magnificent, hard and sharp, as always. Pair that with Miller being a dutiful, abiding shoulder and you have greatness.

Raven makes a comment about mothers and daughters and Clarke says she’s fine. Later, Madi also asks her to open up about it, and she still claims to be fine. When I heard this the first time, I was instantly worried because they heap one set of PTSD on top of the other and never deal with it. The woman just lost her mother, how the hell can she be fine. The answer: She can’t.

And I’m really glad they expanded on that to show how utterly necessary it is to deal with your grief and trauma. Sure, Clarke is a powerhouse of a woman, but she’s human and clearly hurt, she can’t compartmentalize and continue on like nothing has happened – I hope she finds a way to actually deal with it instead of following in Jasper’s footsteps. She was already suicidal, give the damn woman a break.

Is civility an ability?

Faith is a powerful and dangerous thing. Interesting topic. While I don’t completely believe that faith is dangerous, when it comes to the point of blindly following charlatan’s into harms way, yes it becomes dangerous. My biggest thoughts on this narrative is whether peace can indeed exist in a world where different factions exist with various beliefs and opinions. I’d like to quote John Lennon:

Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people living life in peace, you

Keyword being ‘Imagine’, this song is written about an unattainable Utopia which is still a reality several hundred years into the future.

“Too many people”

“Good thing ALIE’s not around.”

The humor is all around outstanding this episode even Clarke cracks a joke.

We’re introduced to a few new characters and not much too say about them since we didn’t see much of them. I like Nelson, he is firm in his stance, logical and pragmatic. Trey is just annoying with his faith in the divinity of the primes. The only thing I got from Nikki is that she’s compulsive and lethal while Hatch has this Southern charm and charisma. He reminds me of Sawyer from Lost.

Next, Jordan goes to check on Russel. I appreciate the way they build around the morality we saw withing Russel at the beginning of season 6. JR Bourne is a fantastic actor with the depth he plays into the grief and guilt of losing his family.

Also, the softness of Monty and Harper still shining through Jordan. I’m glad he’s not adjusted and simply trying to keep the peace. Not sure if that’ll change. Curious to know why they saw the anomaly in their visions…

I just need to add that Murphy sitting at a bar is perfect!! Another amazing episode for him and Emori. He questions himself with his own varied degrees of morality while Emori continues to grow by reading Kay Lee Prime’s journal. I guess the believers must be blind to continue following their orders, but hey, props to Raven for exploiting the opportunity and Murphy and Emori did an entertaining job with it. Emori has come such a long way and the ‘We are one’ line felt personal in the sense that she had also established herself as part of the family.

Losing my religion

Can you truly lose your religion? What is a fleimkeepa without a flame, what is Sanctum without the primes and what is Echo without Bellamy? Sometimes faith is stronger than truth. Bad thing, no! Because what is the truth really? Interesting subject to explore but I don’t have an answer on this. I’d rather focus on the fact that I’m glad we’ll get to explore these characters on new paths.

Clarke’s composure vanishes. Boy oh boy, Eliza’s acting. When you compare s6 and 7 to s1, it just shows you the value of experience. The way that switch flipped when Russel handed her Abby’s clothes and wedding band. I looked at the fighting and her explosive rage in detail and I cannot help but compliment her on that perfect portrayal of the result of passive aggression.

Now, I don’t understand how Sheidheda uploaded himself into Russel’s mind drive when it was made clear that two consciousness cannot exist in the same mind.  When Clarke killed Josephine in the mind-space, she came back to life within seconds. Will this be another Clarke/Josephine battle and are the other commanders still subdued?

If he is going to be one of the main villains of the season, I would like to get under his skin. I’m not interested in a one-dimensional pure evil villain. I’m hoping JR Bourne will make something remarkable of him.

Shipwreck

There’s a friendship blooming between Clarke and Gaia and I’m all for it. Could they be setting them up romantically? It’s a possibility and I’d take it as a consolation prize for Bellarke if it’s well-built. Focus on the well-built. If Clarke finds out that Bellamy is missing and goes through hell and beyond to save him, I will interpret that as Clarke still loves Bellamy. If they want me to fall in love with Claia, they should make me fall in love with Claia.

Although I’d always prefer Bellarke. From a storytelling or writing viewpoint, all loose ends should be tied with the conclusion. Bellarke is a complete loose shard. If romance is not their destiny, I hope they at least address the topic in full, because it has been building for seven years. If you haven’t read my post on Bellarke, please do so. I explain in the romantic elements of their story in detail.

As for Echo’s vision of Roan. He questions her devotion to Bellamy and says she will even betray the man she now claims to love. I interpreted that as him referring to Mount Weather as well as secrets she’s obviously hidden from Bellamy. For example, her real name.  This could go two ways in my opinion. One, they’re trying to set Echo apart from Bellamy, separating them by time and space to break them up or they are trying to teach her how to be her own person as well as the other half of their relationship.

I’m not quite invested in their relationship, and they would have to rip one bigass hare out of the hat to get my attention. Love their characters individually, but season 6 showed me Bellamy still loves Clarke. If Becho’s relationship was built to last, the writers would have written it that way. When you compare it to Murphy and Emori or Monty and Harper, it’s clearly questionable.

That’s it, let me know if I got something wrong, if you agree or disagree, love to hear your opinions.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Y/N Wayne and the Unruly Family (Batdad Headcanon)

Requested by Anonymous for “Batdad and fam find out about harry potter and the cursed child”

Warning: Minimal spoilers for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Papa! Papa!” Damian shrieks, running from somewhere in the manor.

Dick follows right after. “Not a drill, people! This is not a drill!”

You and Alfred look at them oddly, then share a confused glance. “Am I missing something?”

“Papa! Papa!” Damian yells again, not yet able to form sentences. You’ve only seen him this excited when he and Jason were planning to steal the Batmobile for a joyride (which you had to intervene in, of course).

Dick opens his mouth to tell you, but then Jason comes barrelling in.

“Oh my Goooooooooooooooooooood! It’s here! She did it again, people! AGAIN! AND IT”S COMING HERE!”

You wait ten seconds for Tim to come running in, screaming in delight, coffee stains all over his shirt from having spilled on himself. “AHhhhhhHHHHH!”

Alfred, of all people, loses patience, and gives a shrill whistle.

“...Master Y/N.”

“Thank you. Now, will someone tell me what is going on?”

And then Bruce comes jogging in, holding up seven pieces of paper. “Y/N? I need to talk to...you....”

“Tell me what’s happening!”

And as one, they answer. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is coming to Gotham.”

Being Bruce, he’ll never admit that he’s just as big a fan as his children, who, being them, are among the most vocal fans on social media. Within minutes of being informed that Bruce has somehow gotten Cursed Child to be performed in Gotham, they’re Tweeting and posting and blogging about it.

Apparently, because of the Wayne Foundation’s collaboration with Lumos, JK Rowling’s charity that works to end the institutionalization of children in orphanages and tries to place them in safe and supportive family environments, he’s convinced the team behind the production to do a charity performance, to which he and lots of other Gotham big-wigs are invited to (he also maneuvers it so that some of the orphan children get to see the show as well).

Dick posts a series of photos on social media. The first is a picture you took of him reading Goblet of Fire on the couch with a serious expression. The next is of Jason on his back on the same couch, reading Prisoner of Azkaban and kicking his feet in the air. The third is of Tim with headphones on, reading Chamber of Secrets. And the last one is of Damian, surrounded by the others in a snuggle pile while you read Sorcerer’s Stone aloud to them, Bruce smiling in the background. The caption is - “Mr. and Mr. Wayne of Wayne Manor were proud to say they were a perfectly Potterhead family, thank you very much.”

Jason is super excited and brags to Roy about it. Which leads to Ollie and Dinah complaining to Bruce at the Watchtower when they can’t get tickets.

Clark’s a huge fan of Harry Potter as well - a child who develops powers and then finds friends who stick with him through thick and thin? Come on! - and practically begs Lois to let them switch with Entertainment just for the weekend. She denies him. At first.

But then she remembers that her father, General Sam Lane, was of the “Harry Potter is Satanic” mindset, and she wants to get back at him. So she and Clark get to go, and she makes a point of Tweeting about it just to tick her father off.

Anyway, Damian wonders whether he should wear a suit or dress robes, and you tell him that you’ll wear whatever he decides so he won’t feel alone. Besides, Dick’s wearing dress robes, has already previewed his outfit on Instagram and gotten about a million likes on it.

Jason wears a leather jacket with the Golden Snitch bedazzled on the back - Roy made it for him as a joke and he secretly loves it.

Tim and Bruce wear suits, although Bruce wears Deathly Hallows cuff links and Tim wears a Hogwarts tie.

Everyone’s so excited -  even Alfred.

On the day leading up to Night One, Damian cannot focus on anything other than the play, and Dick and Jason are combing over the books for the minutiae, just in case. Tim is under forced bed rest so that he can stay awake through the play. Bruce has the League cover patrol for tonight and tomorrow.

At the cliffhanger end of Night One, no one can talk.

Cursed Child is a two-night event, and none of the boys want to talk about it until they’ve seen the whole thing. So basically Wayne Manor is silent all day, because it’s the only thing on everyone’s mind.

Damian and you wore suits the first night, so you wear dress robes on the second. Jason and Dick wear their Hogwarts robes, and even Tim gets in on the action by wearing a prop Time-Turner as his pocket watch, and poses for several photos pretending to use it.

Alfred wore a suit the first night and now wears a pair of Spectrespecs with his suit tonight. Bruce wears the Deathly Hallows cuff links again and now has added a tie patterned with lightning bolts.

There are mixed reviews after the play.

Dick thoroughly enjoyed it, his one question being why didn’t they let Albus and Scorpius just be together, to which Tim quickly responds that “there are platonic male friendships that happen to have homoerotic subtext, okay? Let it go!”

Jason and Tim were iffy on the time-travel plot, but mostly enjoyed it, although ironically they found Albus to be a bit annoying.

Damian is a diehard Ron/Hermione shipper (He, Jason, and Dick have had intense debates on this), and dislikes the portrayal of their relationship, however, he does like how they are a loving couple.

Anyway, it’s been very exciting. The whole thing triggers Damian to request another Harry Potter marathon.

Alfred breaks out the big fluffy blankets. There’s going to be a lot of sleeping over in the next few weeks as you go through the series.

[dabistits]

while reading your posts, i always feel that you’re really well rounded and good at character analysis and just articulating your feelings and opinions towards stories in general. it’s something that i’m trying to get better at, and something that i admire you for, so i was wondering if you had any pointers or tips regarding developing analysis skills? thank you!

first of all, thank you so much!!😭😭 i’m so glad you enjoy my stuff and it gives me a lot of joy to know that this, like, inspires people or w/e fkdkgkf

i’m putting everything below a cut bcs it’s long as fuck and kind of disorganized. i wrote some parts half-asleep, so they might be rambly or stating the obvious or whatever, but you know, pick and choose what’s helpful to you! this probably isn’t exhaustive (and i kinda focused in on the ‘character analysis’ part, bcs otherwise there’s… so much), and if anything’s unclear or if you want more elaboration on sth just let me know!

the basics:

write!! it doesn’t matter what you write, it can meta, fanfic, rp, whatever, but as long as you write about this character you’ll be forced to articulate your thoughts; by extension that means you’ll have to gather evidence and make a convincing case for your portrayal. even if you’re writing fic or rp i think you should have a strong reference of where your characterization is coming from - i used to rp at places that required applications, so that would force me to think about my character’s personality and put it into words. i think most people are helped by the actual process of writing itself also, so don’t let lack of confidence stop you if you’re someone who tends to do that: you might wind up happier with your ideas after having written something than before (and you can aaalways edit).

read!! read other people’s analyses, not necessarily just about the character you have in mind, but about other characters, other stories, other genres, etc. what kinds of things do they point out to support their argument? what patterns are they picking up on? do you agree/disagree? what’s a new thought they’ve introduced to you? what are things they do that you particularly like? can you replicate that idea/technique in your own reading? there are so many times when i’ve read another person’s analysis and made a note to be more aware of [a certain thing] in the future, so that’s what helps me change and build and incorporate new stuff into the way i think about stories.

try to keep an ongoing chronicle of your thoughts. this could 100% be a personal thing, but i actually started to think and absorb a lot more (especially about small things) after i started this blog. being here meant that not only was i keeping up with chapter releases bcs of other fans, but i was also regularly writing about my impressions. reading and discussing chapter by chapter forced me to read & process everything in smaller increments, which let me take in more details, and gave more time for my thoughts and feelings to develop. in contrast, when i binge-read, i actually miss a lot of details and a lot of finer points of the storyline because i’m just trying to get from one plot point to the next.

stick close to canon. this is definitely subjective, but since this is also partially about how i approach character interpretation, i’ll toss this in. i personally don’t stray too far from what’s shown to me in-text, and i revisit canon a lot to establish a “baseline” characterization rather than building off of my own headcanons. this has pros and cons: for example, i feel like i don’t overstate things compared to their canon importance, and i feel like i don’t get too carried away with embellishing character traits; however, it also holds me back from theorizing unless there’s a ton of evidence in front of me, and i can be overcautious when it comes to approaching narrative hints. sometimes i do talk about my headcanons, but even then i usually point out whether or not it’s substantiated, because i do think the line between headcanon and canon gets muddled a lot in fandom discussion.

think about a character’s role in the story. so, we know stories have plots, a start and an end, and messages and themes. all characters function within that framework, they advance us from point a to point b, the carry the moral of the story. i think these are aspects that are important to include in your character analysis; while sure, there’s already plenty to analyse about the LOV as self-contained characters, but they also seem more important, more interesting, and more complex when you take them into the context of the larger story (how and why their relationships are built, what they mean as a part of man vs society conflict, etc.). not only does it inform you about the character (what the author is trying to say through them, what direction the author might push them in), it can also tell you a lot about the overall structure and themes of the story itself.

authors include everything for a reason. when you’re creating something from scratch, you have to actively decide what you include. the way someone’s room looks doesn’t necessarily mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but the author decided to design their room that way based off something—most likely a character’s interests, tastes, and preferences. while mina’s dorm room looking a certain way might not mean she has an old-fashioned personality, it can maybe tell you that she has a more retro taste and aesthetic. this can apply to “big” things too, like one of tomura’s severed hands still surviving the chaos. hori chose to have it survive rather than be decayed like everything else, so of course the question is why?

… but they are imperfect. creators also do make choices out of plot convenience, because of their own biases, or sometimes they just forget (as hori has done before, such as twice duplicating himiko in the overhaul arc and then saying he doesn’t know her measurements for the mla arc). so it can sometimes also be assumed that a detail was included/excluded because of something on the creator’s end, rather than because of it necessarily being symbolic or important to the characters (e.g. a character not being able to make it to a fight might be because their skills are too useful and could resolve the plot too easily, not because them getting sidetracked is important in itself; a female character losing a fight she should have won could be an issue of the creator’s misogyny). so these are aspects you can keep in mind as well when you’re evaluating characterization!

tendencies i see people fall into:

don’t take everything characters say at face value. characters can and do lie. they can be sarcastic. they can be manipulative. they can be deluding themselves. they can even be mistaken! there’s a reason why they’re expressing themselves that way, and sometimes you can gain more by actually investigating that contradiction rather than just assuming they mean what they say.

allow characters to change! they will change in canon, so don’t be too beholden to their early characterization if you’re trying to analyze or write them from a later point in the timeline. again, this seems intuitive, but i see a lot of people who still appear to draw on tomura’s early character portrayal by making him irritable towards the LOV, but he’s much more recently allowed himself to be physically pushed around by some of them without really reacting in any way.

embrace subtlety. a lot of people in their fanfic just see one aspect of a character and blow it up to make it their only characterization. like, tomura is irritable, himiko is obsessed with blood, any villain can be written as a sadistic killer hellbent on annihilation, etc. while having a couple personality traits come through strongly can help the character have a unique personality and voice, too much will make them appear one-note. it’s just as important to recognize moments when characters are being calm and focused and articulate, as much as their most dramatic moments. for example, a lot of writers don’t seem to notice that tomura doesn’t snap at his allies, tends to answer their questions evenly, and never lashes out at them; that’s because these moments are very understated in the manga. hori doesn’t point a huge arrow at them, and he shouldn’t have to! it’s one of those very subtle ways to show a character’s growth. so, pay attention to those moments, and pay attention to what’s not being done as much as what is.

[doof-doofblog]

"He Didn't Do Anything!"

Monday 13th April 2020

Good evening folks! How has your week been? Hope everyone is keeping safe and trying to keep to the rules as much as possible, I know it's been difficult, I myself have been struggling being away from my loved ones. This horrible situation that's happening with the country now, there has to be an end to it, right? Hopefully the end will come soon if we all keep doing what we're doing! I apologise that this post is late, I was up early for work this morning and decided to have an early night last night, I only caught up on last night's episode now ... I'll do another post tomorrow for tonight's episode! I'm sure you've been missing your daily dose of EastEnders? I sure am! We're back with a new week, so lets jump right into it!

There's quite a fair bit to cram into this post ... let's start with Kush and Tommy. We knew there was going to be an upcoming storyline to do with Tommy while his Mum, Kat, is away. Kush is looking after the boys while Kat is aware dealing with some family business, we assume. So it looks as if Tommy isn't doing too well at school, his report isn't the best it could be. Something is obviously affecting the poor boy. When Kush caught him on the staircase and he said "I hate my life!" ... I just felt like saying "Awww poor Tommy!" ... but honestly, no little boy should have to feel that they hate their life. It's true the poor boy has had it hard, both his Mum and Dad are off the scene. Michael Moon was his father and he was murdered. Alfie, who brought him up, is now off the scene and now his Mum has disappeared. The poor boy must feel like he's been left abandoned. Okay, he still has his brother's and step-sister Cherry, but it's not really the same is it? No wonder his school work isn't doing well. But I did have a theory, I have a feeling that that poor kid is being bullied. What else could the story-line be? A young child Tommy's age and being bulled, it can be a huge story-line ... bullying takes place every day, as Tommy said himself, school is the same every day! How will Kush be able to support the young child? Surely he'll have to inform Jean and Mo, if Tommy doesn't want his Mum to know, Kush is going to have to get other members of the family involved so they'll be able to support the young boy. Only thing is, is this story going to continue for when Kat returns? Will this story-line bring back Kat, perhaps along with Stacey? I'm looking forward to seeing what it could be that is upsetting Tommy, plus i'm looking forward to seeing how Kush will cope with the information.

Can we just talk about how cute Jean is? Honestly, she one of my favourite characters, always has been! Gillian Wright is just fantastic at her portrayal as Jean Slater. It's so lovely to see Jean being all smiley and enjoying the fact she has beaten cancer and that her hair is now growing back! It's fantastic she's having the confidence to take it all in and walk proudly in her stride as her hair grows back! The little funeral wig party she had with Shirley and Mo was hilarious! I love the friendship between Shirley and Jean, from the very beginning, it's been a special one! Shirley has always been there for Jean whenever she has needed her, it's a friendship I love seeing on-screen! Does anyone else agree? And yea ... Shirley with long hair! Haha! Not sure what you guys think, but she should stick with the hair style she's got right now?!

Okay does anyone notice a bit if flirtation happening between Chantelle and Kheerat?! Do they have a history, or was it Jags she had a bit of history with?! Did she mention she knew Kheerat at college? But there have a few times there have been hints of flirtation between the two, don't you think? Chantelle is now working for the Panesar's, will things lead to another? Considering how Gray has been treating his wife like a punching bag the past few months, is Kheerat going to be the one that Chantelle finally tells? Is he the one who's going to save her from Gray? I feel there's a lot more still to come from these two, whether it be in a more romantic involvement or whether it's just purely friendship. What do you guys think? Do you agree that there may be something between them? Leave me a comment or message me, I'd love to hear your thoughts!  

I just want to mention the scenes we saw of Phil and Callum, wasn't it just amazing to see Phil accept Callum? How he said that Callum was right for Ben, it's something that really made my heart soar. It's amazing the long road Phil has taken over the years to accept his son's sexuality. But to even praise his son's boyfriend and to give him his blessing and making sure what he said wasn't homophobic, it speaks volumes for Phil's character! He's always been known as the hard man, but he has soft spot and his family means everything to him, regardless of their sexuality. But part of me, is thinking, how is Ben going to react knowing Callum has spoken to his Dad? When Phil realised that Ben's hearing may never come back and that it may be the new norm for Ben, it's something that's going to take its toll for everyone involved, especially Ben! But the scenes between Steve McFadden and Tony Clay were beautiful! I'm looking forward to seeing these two join forces to help Ben in his time of trauma.  

Ooooh, I didn't like the look of that Michaela when she first arrived as was watching Whitney from a distance! I knew she was going to try to manipulate her into telling her what happened to Leo. Thank God for Ruby and Gray, otherwise god knows what might've happened between Whitney and Michaela. Is what Whitney told Michaela going to be brought up against her in court? Might it have been something she shouldn't have done as it may make her trail worse. Could she be sent down for murder, will Michaela twist things and make Whitney be shown as a murder, when really it was all in self defence?! Who else is looking forward to seeing Whitney's story-line progress? Let's hope Gray will be able to help Whitney as the court will find her Not Guilty of murder!

Okay, so is Vinny trying to prove himself as a DJ to get a job at Ruby's? Well it seemed to work! However, we all knew his party was going to cause trouble ... a party never really ends well on EastEnders does it?! Lets be honest?! I found it good in the sense that it gave him a chance to prove himself and do something he enjoys, not having to work for his Mum ... who he really isn't happy with at the moment, which you can understand. Does anyone else think Vinny has a thing for Dotty? I do!! Dotty may be getting on with her own thing with Bobby and Peter, but little to her knowledge, from the sidelines, I believe Vinny will be watching and longing to be with her! That's what i'm guessing anyway! So we have to focus on a few couples who were at Vinny's party, firstly Iqra and Ash. I've heard rumours that apparently Ash is going to start showing a darker side to her character? Could that mean that she starts being controlling over Iqra? Could she start being abusive? Who knows? Ash didn't want to go Vinny's party to begin with, but Iqra kinda begged her to ... Ash kept bad-mouthing her Mum much to Iqra's disappointment, but she didn't seem to care. I feel there could be something dark about to happen within their relationship, whether Ash turns abusive or manipulative towards Iqra, remains to be seen.

The second couple who attended Vinny's party, even though they arrived late, were Keegan and Tiffany. Before we focus on how the episode ended, Tiffany and Keegan were again the main focus of the episode I felt. Keegan feeling down about not being able to get a loan, and Tiffany clearly showing signs of frustration, trying her best to support her husband but not really getting any support back in return. I feel for Tiffany at the moment, she's trying her best to support her husband but every time something happens, Keegan goes all cold with her and says she'll never understand, which is a bit unfair! However, tonight, they had a little bit of good news, even though it was short lived ... Keegan got his loan from Kheerat, much to Tiffany's help after speaking with Chantelle. But that soon rose Keegan's spirits and the young couple were enjoying life and looking towards a brighter future with Keegan's growing business, only for it all to be taken away again after Keegan was arrested for something he didn't do! During Vinny's party, the police were called and the mob that crowded the police cars, someone body threw a brick at their windscreen, which saw Keegan get the blame! Fans will know that Keegan hasn't had much luck when it comes with the police, for some reason, he seems to get confronted and searched and treated poorly by the cops, for which Keegan feels is because of his skin colour. Is this going to be something that pushes Keegan to the edge and will he decide to stand up for what he believes in? Will he be able to fight for his rights? I'm intrigued to what is going to happen with Keegan's story, is it going to be a continues circle of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being confronted by police, or will it eventually lead to him taking action after how he's treated?! What do you guys think of Keegan's story? How do you think it will conclude? I'm really looking forward to hearing all of your theories and thoughts, please feel free to ask me any questions you may like, I'd love to answer them!

Thank you guys for taking your time to read. I apologise once again for it being late, I'm looking forward to writing about tonight's episode, tomorrow! Enjoy the rest of your evening and I'll be back tomorrow! Look after yourself everyone, keep safe and we will get through this together! xXx

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, KAY! You’ve been accepted for the role of PORTIA. Admin Jen: Beneath the air of apathy that she projects, there is so much nuance and depth to Pandora, and you’ve captured that wonderfully, Kay! My favorite aspect of it was the contrast that you drew between the warmth of longing and the coldness of ambition. Both are carried in Pandora’s heart, both are crucial parts of her, but it’s unclear which one of them she would surrender herself to in the end -- and I absolutely lived for that conflict that you presented. All parts of your app came together to form a seamless vision of your portrayal, and it’s left us at the edge of our seats. We're so excited to see where you’ll take our beloved Portia! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Kay

Age | 25 rip

Preferred Pronouns | She/her/hers

Activity Level | I’m currently in my last semester and will be moving at the beginning of January. With that being said, I should be able to dedicate more time to DV this time around if accepted because I won’t be juggling a million papers since my semester ends on 12/5!

Timezone | EST (soon to be PST!)

Current/Past RP Accounts | This is my last RP account!

In Character

Character | Portia, Pandora Phan.

Pandora, origin: Greek, meaning “All-gift” Just as her namesake before her, Pandora will always be a gift to be given away.

Phan, origin: Vietnamese, meaning unknown

What drew you to this character? | Is it cliche to say the first line in her bio? Because the first line had me hooked right away. “The sense of wonderment that others had as children was lost on Pandora Phan.” She was never a girl that worried herself with fantasies, always looking at the reality of things and analyzing how and why things are. She didn’t concern herself with the fantasies and lies parents would tell their children, and instead wanted to know the truth, the bottom line of it all.

To me, Pandora comes off as a vase in a museum; pretty to look at, but dangerous to touch. People around her think she’s beautiful but they know not to get too close because it can only end badly. She’s the girl with a sharp brain but hides that behind a facade. Pandora is this girl who might come off as soft and pretty to some, but she’s really a girl with hard edges and a razor blade tongue. Every word that comes out of her mouth is very deliberate, calculated to maximize the impact they’ll have.

Even though she can be cold, there’s warmth in Pandora’s heart that is longing to be expressed. She longs for a real connection with the people around her, whether it be with a friend or enemy. Having a genuine connection is something she’s never quite managed to get the hang of. A lot of her relationships are surface level, but not much deeper. Pandora likes people who can keep up with and challenge her, whether it be with their wits or their humor. She longs for that connection and yet, hides it from those around her out of fear of being seen as too soft. so instead, she buries it deep within her and tries to forget about it.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

a. Mother, may I speak? Pandora spent her formative years having her voice fall on her parent’s deaf ears. So while she doesn’t speak unless she truly wants to, she makes her voice heard above all others. She’s someone that will use her voice to get what wants when she wants and she doesn’t care who she has to step on to be heard. And with that, comes enemies even within her own affiliation. Are there members that want to see her fail? What will she do to prevent that from happening? Who does she think she is?

b. Did the pressure weed you out? Odin is an ever-present figure in her life and it bothers her that she doesn’t know why. He’s one of the few people that can truly match her word for word, cut for cut and it makes her worry. She wants to know why he’s putting up a front of helping her when they’re on opposite sides. Will she listen to his words? Will she actually believe them? What steps will she take to make sure she doesn’t toe the line and fall into his trap? Who exactly does Odin think she is? I’d love to answer all of these!

c. Do you sleep anymore? Obviously, being a captain for the Montagues is sometimes she takes pride in. Pandora is someone whose work ethic is feared above all else; she’s known for being a cold and calculating woman in the gang. But she wants more. She spends her nights figuring out ways to claw her way to the top so she can be the one laughing at the end of the day. Just what, or who, is Pandora willing to risk on her way to the top? Will she survive long enough to be the queen that takes the king?

d. Will that get your attention, sweetie? In the same vein as the plot before this, Alexander and Henry are both people she’s willing to risk to rise to the top. She isn’t particularly proud of that, but with time things have changed. They all have a job to do and if that means she has to step on her closest friends, she’ll do it. Even still, this truth is enough to keep her up at night, wondering if she could pull the trigger when the time comes. Being able to explore those connections and see how their dynamics work would be so much fun!

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | As the Tralfamadorians say, so it goes.

In Depth

In-Character Interview: The following questions must be answered in-character, and in para form (quotations, actions written out if applicable, etc). There is no minimum or maximum limit for your response - simply answer as you would if you were playing the character.

What is your favorite place in Verona?  

Personal questions always rubbed Pandora the wrong way. Why people wanted to know such intimate things about others was lost on her. Some things were better left tucked away in the back of her heart. And yet, she found her lips parting before she realized what was happening. “Castelvecchio Bridge.” The faintest of smiles grace her lips as memories flood her mind. She remembers her childhood spent there, with legs dangling over the edge. She remembers her teen years, smoking too many cigarettes and drinking too much wine on a blanket by the water’s edge. She remembers her adulthood, escaping her parent’s meetings to catch a glimpse of the swans floating by. “There’s something beautiful about the water in the middle of a war, don’t you agree?”

What does your typical day look like?

“I wake up and I go to work.” A memory of blood strewn across a table flashes in her mind. How unfortunate that the last collection she went on ended with her getting dirty. That poor silk blouse is worthless to her now. But, she didn’t ascend to her position without getting some blood on her hands. She glances at the underside of her nails, checking for any residual blood she missed the first three times she had scrubbed them. “I enjoy the view from the office then I go home to my fiancé. I have a simple life, really.” She swallows the bile creeping up her throat. Pandora has tried everything in her power to make her life anything but simple. Her typical day is filled with cutting remarks and blades pressed to skin, with sweet nothings and knives pressed into others backs. The only view she enjoys is the sight of someone realizing just how dangerous she is.

What has been your biggest mistake thus far?

Mistakes were never something Pandora took pride in. Sure, she looked at them as lessons, something that taught her how to properly do something in case the situation ever rose again. But, she hated the process. She would berate herself in private for doing something so foolish, so dumb, so immature. Pandora Phan the Captain was anything but those things. On the other hand, Pandora Phan the Child was not. “When I was at university I fell for an artist. I ignored everyone’s advice and she broke my heart. How naive I was at that age.” She’s handing the interviewer a nugget of truth. A tiny kernel of the story without telling him the ending of it. A broken heart never did any girl any good, now did it?

What has been the most difficult task asked of you?

The word engagement burns her tongue and she has to fight to keep it down. She never signed up for the arrangement her parents made between the two families - she never had a choice in the first place. Their engagement had been just another business transaction in the grand scheme of things, a handful of signatures that sealed their shared power for the future. But playing the pretty fiancée was getting old. Their engagement was beginning to bore her and felt more like a sentence than an agreement. Sharp nails tap the desk between the two, fighting for seconds to come up with a reasonable answer. “Does this interview count?” Her head tilts to one side, the corners of her lips turning upwards as she spoke. “I have other things that require my attention instead of sitting here playing this silly game with you.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

Actual war was never something that interested her, but the benefits that came from it did. With every war came those who profited from it and Pandora was one of those. Because of their war, she was able to escape from a dull life to something more stimulating. She had a chance to be more than a little girl with chaos in her name. “The war went on for hundreds of years before me and will continue for hundreds of years after me.” It’s an answer devoid of any actual meaning, meant to distract the poor man sitting across from her. The interview might be required by her boss, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun with it. “Lions do not concern themselves with the opinions of their cubs, so my thoughts are nothing but wasted breath to my superiors.”  

Extras: If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here! This is OPTIONAL.

Right here is a mock blog for her, here is an insta edit for her (both the mockblog and insta edit are old ones featuring her FC change from long ago and I haven’t been able to make a new one), her tag on my blog, a pinterest board, and I am a sucker for headcanons so here is a mile-long list of them.

Drugs might not be one of her vices, but caffeine and cigarettes definitely are. More often than not she can be found with either a cup of coffee or a cigarette, or both, in her hands.

Pand is really good at card tricks. As a bored teenager, she learned various card tricks to fill her time with. Just picture a teen Pand running around Verona scamming people outside of bodegas because she knows how to slip a card between her fingers.

Her main weapon might be her words, but very few know about the pocket knife she carries on her at all times. It might be oldfashioned, but she prefers her weapon to cut in a similar way to her words.

She’s a sucker for poetry, with her favorites being Charles Bukowski and Pablo Neruda. The way that they form their poems and prose is something that she was always interested in replicating.

Panda is in love with learning languages. She’s fluent in French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and is learning German.

She has a degree in linguistics and classics!

She spent some time traveling as a form of rebellion but thanks to that, she found the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. After a trip to Munich to fill up on nothing besides beer and pretzels, she visited the castle on a whim and fell in love with it.

As someone who doesn’t speak often, she has a very expressive face. I picture her looking into the camera like Jim on The Office whenever something goes wrong.

She reads the New York Times every day and does the crossword in pen.

I didn’t make a playlist for her (again), but I listened to a lot of Citizen and Joji to really get a feel for her. ‘Slow Dancing In The Dark’ by Joji and ‘Roam The Room’ by Citizen are the two songs that really gave me Pandora vibes.

[tiniestjellifish]

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

This movie came out 16 years ago?? goodness, no matter. I only just got to it because I was a little girl when it first came out. This is going to be littered with many many hottakes. You don’t have to like them but they're gonna be there. 

Okay, so for starters, pick a lane. at least with the intro. they wanted to make it clear that anne hathaway was not like other girls (in the fashion industry) and a few minor comparisons of dress would be fine but to some degree it was beginning to look like a “me vs other girls” which whittled away at the value i was giving the scene. very minor issue I had. 

secondarily, the film never really gives a clear goal of what Anne, or her character’s name, andrea, wants. which could be argued is a part of the plot but i think it would be clearer to say what she wants out of this job as an assistant at RUNWAY. yes, she says in the beginning she wants this as a stepping stone so she can get any journalism job she wants going forward, but I’m talking about deeper into the movie. they make it very ambiguous as to whether or not she’s actually beginning to care about fashion or if she’s still just trying to get a bag (this can be a pun, thats up to you). and I’m coming down on this because its hard to say whether or not the plot is cohesive when other characters make comments on her not being how she used to and being too sucked into her job. and when she argues back this is what she needs to do, her argument can't necessarily be called out for falling flat if i don’t know her genuine intentions. 

because yes, she had become a workaholic and the movie makes what i think is an immaculate portrayal of someone in a job or industry that is very cut throat. even in the minor obligations or things that feel tacked out within your field, you never feel like you have a choice. and maybe there is a bit of illusion of choice, but ultimately it does effect whether or not you keep that job and if you can move up the ladder. they also brought up the wonderful point of how yes, meryl streep is a demanding boss but if she was a man no one would be saying anything. the same i feel can be applied to andrea, now it can still be debated it if the job is worth it and if she actually was hustling or getting lost in it all but i feel like every time they wanted to depict andrea as having done something wrong in her social life, it wasn't actually that awful. the missing the bf’s birthday was pretty bad, so i will acknowledge that one, but i think the bf didn't seem to be very communicative and I didn’t like that he waited till there was a problem to blow things up. and she came home late and wanted to talk about it and he just blew it off. later in the movie when she’s talking to him about her job and about him feeling neglected he’s like “what am I? 4?” yeah,,, you kinda are. I think I just don’t like him as a character, not very likeable and didn't like him in the beginning. I think he’s also someone who fits into only liking women who aren’t like other girls and I feel like if the change was something she really wanted in her life, getting invested in fashion, he wouldn't have supported her. and in the end (SPOILER) when she eventually leaves RUNWAY, and he’s okay with taking her back, I’m like okay?? was it just because she left or because she's following her passions.

Overall, the film does such a good job of having a balance of comedy but a bit of social commentary on the industry of fashion, its harmful grip it can have on women and their bodies, and just how being in a competitive field can trickle down and affect all of your life. and then its up to you if you think its worth it in the end. 

minuscule things before my rating:

- i hate her friends. they were so down for freebies from her glamorous job but then make fun of her for answering her boss when she calls?? alright, sure.

- christian thompson was just the right amount of sleazy. her having a bit to drink in paris and the hook up with him worried me though.

-nigel is awesome... that’s it.

Rating: 8/10. There were things I think were unclear or a little too grey even if it was the intent. so a bit of missing direction. but a good film nonetheless. 

(day 1 of using this blog to motivate me to get through my movie lists, and I think its fairly helpful).

[hegagergerk]

My reactions to The Last Jedi

I have mixed feelings about The Last Jedi. There are some aspects of it that I loved, but there was a lot that I really didn’t like. I’ve seen it twice, and each time I left the theater thinking, “Well. Huh. I don’t know what I feel.” I felt this uncertain about The Force Awakens, for comparison, but I left Rogue One knowing I liked it.

I also want it known that I am a fan of Rian Johnson and his work. I LOVE Brick, and Looper was pretty great. So I was pretty excited going into this film.

Perhaps, if this had been the first in a trilogy, I might be able to overlook the parts that I don’t like, as I did in The Force Awakens. But this is the second part - the meat of the story. And honestly, the whole thing felt gamey.

SPOILERS (and unpopular opinions) under the cut.

Pros:

It’s a beautifully shot, visually striking film. 

Adam Driver shirtless

Adam Driver, period. Love that boy

I love what they’ve done with Luke (the grumpy old hermit schtick), and I loved what little time we spent on Ach-To. The location was beautiful, I loved the Caretakers and the Porgs, and I loved Luke’s take on the Force and the Jedi.

Rey Random is the best answer to her backstory and the explanation I was hoping for. I loved the mirror cave sequence. It’s an even better touch that not only were they random people, but they were awful and neglectful. Ouch. Didn’t think they’d go that far.

I love that Rey and Kylo want to fuck each other. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I’m okay with Luke trying to murder Ben and then regretting it, even though I understand why many people are not. I actually really like the exploration of Luke’s character, and the digging into his personality flaws and weaknesses - namely, that he was prideful of his own legacy, which gave him several blind spots with regards to his nephew, and led to his biggest failure as a Jedi. It’s true - it is, initially, out of character, but I think this lapse in judgment was more horrifying to Luke himself for that very reason, and resolves for me, at least, why he would isolate himself like he does. 

I liked Luke’s death. I liked that it’s hinted that he was ready to go, anyway, and he got to go out heroically in the end.

I LOVED Luke and Leia’s reunion. Oh my god. The tears. I just. Can’t get over it. Especially knowing that Carrie Fisher wrote that scene? Fuck me

Cons:

It feels like 3 different films crammed together into 2 ½ hours. One of these films, I very much wanted to watch, but was never given enough of (Rey’s story). Another of these films, I wanted to want to watch, but found myself losing interest as time wore on (Finn’s story). The remaining one - I could have done without entirely, and I ended up resenting completely by the film’s finish (Poe’s story). 

Some of the humor worked, but a lot of it really didn’t - especially the gag about zapping dudes into walls at dramatic/semi-dramatic moments (Hux, Poe, and Finn). Granted, humor is pretty subjective, but for comparison, I either loved or had no issue with the humor in both The Force Awakens and Rogue One.

The preachy bits were REALLY. FUCKING. PREACHY. Like, dude, I agree with the points you’re making, but wow, I’d appreciate if you didn’t insult my intelligence by being so god damned ON THE NOSE about it. I thought this movie was about ~ambiguity~ And yes, I’m talking about the “don’t abuse animals”, “it’s a WAR MACHINE”, and “men don’t respect feminine women” thing. I felt like these moments were 4th-wall-breaking and did nothing to serve the story or the characters, not to mention being out of place in a Star Wars film (Star Wars is cheesy, but not THAT kind of cheesy).

Rey’s part of the story ends about 2/3 of the way in. After her battle with Kylo, she pretty much disappears from the narrative, only making a quick cameo at the end of the film. Seriously. The movie pretty much belongs to the male characters after she confronts Snoke. 

Rey never truly suffers any lasting consequences for her choices, whether emotionally or physically. Compare this to Luke’s defeat by Vader in Empire, which leaves him physically maimed and emotionally broken and betrayed. Rey is sad when she admits the truth of her parentage, yeah, and she’s not happy when Kylo usurps the First Order command, but even if this betrayal devastates her, we don’t get to see her break down under these revelations. It might be hard for Rey to acknowledge her shitty parents, but does verbalizing this hinder Rey in any way? Does it introduce an obstacle that seems impossible to overcome? Is it truly her lowest point? Ask the same questions of Kylo becoming the Supreme Leader, with regard to Rey’s feelings. Is this betrayal on the level of Anakin to Padme? Hell, even on the level of Obi Wan to Luke? Rey wrestles with Kylo over the lightsaber, nopes the fuck out, and then magically appears on the Falcon, hollering jovially about how swashbuckling and fun it is to be gunning down the First Order. In other words, she feels like she’s had an easy time of it. We really needed a scene where she shows some emotional wounds - whether when Kylo is passed out and she’s about to leave him, perhaps looking down at him with longing and sorrow, deliberating on why she should, but can’t, kill him - or whether at the end, sharing pain with Leia. But it’s like her failures don’t touch her or her story.

I’m a huge Reylo stan, but I’ve got to be honest - Kylo and Rey’s dynamic, while easily the most intriguing thing about the movie, ended up being severely underwhelming. Four conversations, and then she’s ready to go-to-bat for him? When they were touching hands in the hut, I literally was like, “Wait. Is that it? Did I blink and miss something?” They chopped Reylo down to the barest minimum of relationship progression, leaving out a lot of story-telling beats that would have bridged the gap between their antagonism and their intimacy. I felt cheated out of their story, and I really wanted to be on board with them, considering their shared loneliness and character comparison/contrast was something I was extremely excited about going into this film. I’ve read one-shot fanfics with more elegant development than this film.

I’m NOT a Snoke stan, nor was I terribly interested in his backstory or in coming up with random ass theories involving his backstory, but damn. Snoke’s abrupt dismissal from the narrative, despite being an awesome scene in isolation, feels cheap retroactively, and I can empathize with the fans who feel let down about his meaningless identity (especially when they were taunted by LF for giving enough of a shit to come up with theories about said character). The truth is that, since the sequel trilogy takes place within an established universe - and Star Wars, at that - we, the audience ARE owed a bare minimum amount of explanation for Snoke’s existence, his power, and his goals. Where was he 30 years ago, when Palpatine was in power? If you can’t at least give me something, my suspension of disbelief is shattered. And no, it’s not my fucking job, as a member of the audience, to fill in the blanks with regards to basic storytelling. At this point, why the hell couldn’t Snoke have been Darth Plageius? Or Palpatine reborn? Or whoever the fuck. If any further context had been given to him, it could only have added some meat to the story - its not like this information would have detracted from Kylo’s killing of him (if anything, it would have made that moment even more awesome). I mean, you had to hold my hand about “evil arms dealers” and “animal rights” and “she wasn’t interested in LOOKING like a hero”, but you can’t give me some damn context for Snoke? And no, I don’t give a fuck that Palpatine had no backstory in the original movies - right, we knew everything we needed to know about him, which was that he was a super powerful Force-wielder who took control of the galaxy. I wasn’t wondering, “Hmm, I wonder where that other super evil bad guy was 30 years ago while he was coming to power!” about Palpatine, because there was no frame of reference for that - and now, with the prequel trilogy, there’s definitely no need. But hey, for Snoke? Yes. Yes, that sort of information is relevant here. Even your most basic bitch casual fan left The Force Awakens wondering, “I wonder what that Snoke guy, who is most certainly older than 30 years of age, was doing three decades ago?”

Finn’s whole story was underwhelming, as much as I liked both he and Rose together. Nothing of consequence came of their story, whether by plot movement or emotional revelations - save that he decided, somewhat sloppily, to die for the Resistance (because he didn’t want to be an apathetic asshole like DJ, or whatever), only to have his choice undermined at the last minute. Nothing about his arc resonated with me. Perhaps because there just wasn’t enough time devoted to him? As much as I hate the whole “Finn is always sidelined uwuwuwu” discourse, I have to agree with them here. Furthermore, I feel like his prior-stormtrooper-ness is totally irrelevant to the portrayal of his character? It was bad enough in The Force Awakens that he didn’t seem affected by having to kill his fellow stormtroopers, and it has continued to be irrelevant in The Last Jedi. I was really hoping for some sort of moment where he and Rose connected over the deaths of Paige and his stormtrooper brethren, people killed while fighting in militaries, whether by choice or by force. This personal soul searching would have been much more poignant than the preachy babble (none with which I disagree, let it be noted) we got. I mean, the revelation that the Resistance and the First Order both get supplied from the same people who vacation on Canto Bight doesn’t really add anything - stakes, revelation, dimension - to the actual story. Like, do I suddenly not care about the Resistance getting blown out of the sky? Should I actually root for the First Order to wipe them out, so that the war will stop? Does this information seriously tempt Finn away from the whole stupid conflict? Does it change ANYTHING for ANYONE? (Hint: It doesn’t). 

I absolutely hate that Poe is being groomed to be Leia’s “good” son. Like, if I could kill something with fire in this movie, it would be this. I absolutely hate that Leia didn’t even spare her son and her brother a backwards glance at the end of the film, when they set off to flee through the caves. Perhaps this wouldn’t sting so much if Carrie were still alive and there was a chance of filming a reunion and reconciliation between mother and son, but that is not to be. 

I hate that Poe, who is NOT a main character, who was a perfectly killable side character in the previous movie, actually has the most dynamic arc in the whole film. Somehow, in a film that is supposed to be about a young woman, and in the midst of several intriguing female characters both old and new, it’s the most boring male character who gets the most agency and screentime. (I love that people were worried that Kylo would usurp Rey, but honesty…it was Poe).

Poe also has a higher kill count than Kylo Ren in terms of people who died because he was a Stupid Male, and yet Kylo Ren is the villain whose redemption is merely teased, as opposed to set into action? I mean, Poe was better at wiping out the whole resistance than the actual Supreme Leader, but nobody thinks he needs a redemption arc? oh, I guess he Learned From His Failures, so its all good.

Anytime someone said “spark”, I died a little inside.

“Hope is like the sun” - kill me now please

Leia spacewalking is an idea that I like on paper, but thought it was awkward in how it played out on screen.

Wow, so, Finn and Rey - two characters I was dying to have reunite - have NO actual dialogue exchanges. But we have enough time for Poe to say Hi to Rey but like Poe is the main character now don’t you know Like, what the fuck.

Okay, venting done.

[shinku-maji-blog]

So I returned home from work, to discover I now have 112 followers, marking this as my official first milestone as Rin. Returning to Tumblr has been a really huge challenge for me since last year during a time where I hit rock bottom & slowly had to rebuild myself. I got a job, a drivers license & am aiming for a new career goal now. I’ve made a lot of friends, & lost a few on the way. 

Finding a muse I could truly connect to was difficult, as I was popularly known on my previous Sakura & Tamamo blogs. Eventually, due to the recent Heaven’s Feel hype & me having loved Heaven’s Feel for a very long time, caved into making a Heaven’s Feel route Tohsaka Rin after realising most were UBW. Many UBW Rin’s I’ve met & I adore their portrayals & they always looked like they had fun. So, I chose the route I loved most & have not regretted it. I was pretty worried, that this blog would go nowhere. 

But thanks to a lot of people, sadly only some I know personally, but hey I have time to mingle! It’s stuck & I intend to be on this blog for years to come. So with that, I’d like to thank everyone for their support, whether were mutuals or not, whether we role-play or not, or if you just send in Anon’s or asks, it all means a lot to me! 

The first person I shall thank is of course my irl boyfriend @senexdemonte. & let me tell you, sometimes he can be a majorly jealous jerk. (Clearly I’m lovable, cough.) & I’ve definitely lost my temper with him plenty. But despite this, he is always there in my corner, if someone’s upset me, or if I’ve ever had Anon hate, he is always there to either support me. He always reassures me my writing skills are good, & although he’s not a huge role-player himself, he does accept my hobby which is nice. &, I think I would have been a lot more scared of returning if not for him. So I’m truly grateful that he’s always there to support me & of course I love him. He’s a great guy, & he definitely fits his muses personalities. (Cough.) Probably why he can role-play them so well, should probably concern me...no, no, it does concern me. xD But I think the world of him, just, if anyone hears a shouting for help Phantom, ignore him, I’m just throwing a book his way. ovo He’s actually, well one of two people who got me into Fate. The ironic thing? Years ago, years, years, yeaaaaars ago, I used Rin as a FC for an OC, & I never looked into where she was from, until I saw her again & was like ‘Whoa, it’s that chick in red I used years ago, never could find her name.’ & when I learnt, ironically, it was Rin who got me into Fate. So, it’s ironic it took me this long (like 3 years?) to make a Rin blog. The second mention, which I shall include two individuals in are @motherfuckingredsaber @hxlyswcrdedkxng. Mellu for always being a great friend, the edits she’s done for me & helping me find needed information within Fate as well. As stated on my blog, the Suzuka mun fc icons were all edited by her. So she’s always been a grand support for me be it ooc related or role-play related. Second is Aura, I have no idea which blog is their main one so lets go with Arthur lolol. Anyway! They’ve always been a great friend & a great listener, they never take what I say to heart when I’m ranting about something & they’ve always been very understanding. I’ve known both of them a very long time, & I probably wouldn’t have returned without their help as well. & I highly recommend checking out their blogs.

The third mention, which again shall include two individuals are @maluspuerum & @motherfuckingbrotheroftheyear. Knight & Zack are both amazing people, I’ve known Zack since way back in my role-playing time on Tumblr, & I’ve known Knight a reasonable amount of time. They’re both super fun to talk to, their blogs are always great for me to interact with & it’s so nice to share hc’s or just ruin Rin’s life. They’re very friendly & open to ideas, & I’ve always felt very welcomed around them. 

@mortalshinobi is my fourth mention, & a long time friend of mine ooc. Their art is pretty cool, & their blog is pretty creative imo & it’s cool to see AU existences. They’re always free to talk & plot, & discussing topics with them is always fun. They never get defensive, or angsty or rude, they’re super easy to talk to. Not saying anyone on the site is rude, just, their personality is super laxed & it’s very safe around them. They’re always eager to see my writing, & it really makes me happy they enjoy our role-plays. I also can’t believe I entered a ship I don’t even ship, and damn that’s happened with Rin/Shinji too & I’m questioning all of you on this list right now.

@crimsonsovereign, though we haven’t caught up much lately, you’re a really fun person to be around & you’ve definitely had my back when I’ve needed someone to rant or cry to. I also really love your writing!

@saberxfblue & @aurealmaster, I haven’t spoken to either of you for that long. But you’re both really cool people, a lot of fun to talk to & a lot of fun to role-play with. Shipping hell central & it’s not like I needed my heart or anything. Your writing is amazing, your blogs are awesome & I hope you have a really nice day!

@magnificentgoldenking & ah I don’t know which blog Sieg is on right now maybe @ulsterswardog? Oh I hope I tagged the right person. xD We don’t talk as much anymore, but I love you both a lot, hope you’re having a great week & your blogs are always amazing. ovo

@kazikili-voyvoda, we’ve talked a fair bit in private since becoming mutuals, & it’s always funny. I’m really enjoying our role-play, & I never thought Rin could get along so well with Vlad, & I’m constantly giggling at how they make jabs at one another. The ship is hilarious, like a ship in denial, & they’re just so amusing as Master/Servant. I definitely wonder if he’d be different around her if it were in Apoc instead of Fuyuki. You’re really great with your character, & I hope you’re growing on confidence because you rock! ovo

@kinglyduty, love your blog & we don’t often talk but literally one of the only Arturia’s I’d see Rin being potentially able to ship with. So, that’s pretty impressive. And I hope you’re having a nice week, we should talk more. ovo

@fatefulriders, spoken to you a fair bit, should really speak to you more ooc but I’m shy. Amazing blog, & a super nice person. But they do approve of Neo. >.> Jkjk, they’re awesome & really nice!

@rialoir, I need to speak to Centpai more, but amazingly nice Mun, amazing blog, amazing writing, & just they’re a precious bean.

@lancinghound, I knew I hadn’t tagged you!! I’m sorry!! Follow them, harass them, in a good way not that negative shit. They’re a cool person, & fun to RP with & we speak a fair bit on Discord. 

I wont tag/spam everyone who follows me, since it’s been a long day & that’s like 100 people & I honestly can’t do that neatly yet. v.v If I missed anyone I’m so sorry, I’m half asleep! I mentioned people I have spoken to heavily ooc, but I do truly appreciate everyone!! & I hope to continue being good enough to follow & maybe reach 200. ; w ; I’ve only had this blog since the first, so this is only my...eleventh day on this blog!? So I’m just, sooooooo thankful !!!! ; 2 ; 

I love you all babs, take care, stay safe, eat your veggies (don’t they’re gross, less you like veggies). For the next (hopefully) milestone I’ll hopefully know more people personally, & be less drowned in work so I can focus. But I reaaaally wanted to thank everyone, because honestly making this milestone on such a rough day was amazing.

[mattbrothersscriptwriter]

My Top 20 Films of 2019 - Part One

I’m back and prising open this tomb of a blog like I’m Lara bloody Croft, let’s do this thing.

2019 was a huge year for movies and thanks in part to my ever obsessive Letterboxd account, i chalked up 150 total 2019 movies seen, which is... too many. Thanks again in part to the rise of Netflix originals, broader theatrical releases and a handful of festival showings (Sundance London, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Frightfest etc), I saw as much as I could. STILL some I didn’t catch (Rocketman, Shazam... Cats...) but as always, for my full breakdown, jump over to my Letterboxd ranking here - https://letterboxd.com/matt_bro/list/films-of-the-year-2019/

20. The Death of Dick Long

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from this, partly because it’s from one half of the ‘Daniels’ duo, who made the equally expectation-defying Swiss Army Man and also because I saw it at Sundance London back when there was no poster, trailer and barely a logline. Some vague word of mouth from Sundance proper was about it. And that’s how I’d recommend seeing it - as blind as you can - as it’s many surprises are unlike anything I’ve really seen before.

It’s a triumph of carefully balanced tone and pitch perfect black humour. Essentially a Fargo-esque tale of two idiot hillbillys who get involved in the mysterious, titular death of their friend Dick Long (played in a cameo by director Daniel Scheinert), things slowly unravel as they realise that in reality, covering your tracks and getting away with a crime is, actually, pretty damn unlikely. The tension that mounts as hidden truths inevitably begin to come to light can rival any straight thriller and the humour always comes from a place of character. But the genius comes in the film’s ability to maintain said tone with a straight face once a very specific spoiler comes to light. It’s deliberately absurdist but you still find yourself swerving from laughing at it to being wholly invested at the sincere pathos and tragi-comedy on display. The film, for all it’s surreal trappings, never punches down at it’s characters, treating them as flawed and vulnerable as any of us, and the leads Michael Abbott Jr and Andre Hyland remain a wholly tragic and relatable pair - against all odds.

19. The Farewell

Lulu Wang’s immensely crowd pleasing indie sensation manages to be many things - a witty comedy, an ode to family, an examination of another culture’s traditions and a character study of the American-Asian experience. Like most really great movies, it’s universal appeal comes from it’s specificity - telling a unique story based in a human truth that taps into themes we can all relate to: alienation from one’s own family, feeling like you don’t belong, truth and honesty within our closest relationships and our own mortality. Or more specifically still; how we would want to face death should we be fortunate/unfortunate enough to know that is is coming.

Awkwafina really is a revelation here, showing off her dramatic chops with a heartfelt performance that utilises her strengths as a funny everywoman and as a tortured individual trying to understand not only her own relatives but herself as well. The whole cast are equally impressive, especially Chen Han and Aoi Mizuhara as the clueless couple getting married and of course, Zhao Shuzhen as Nai Nai - delivering a touching portrayal of a grandmotherly figure we can all recognise. Definitely one of the most moving films of the year for me, it’s a marvel that never succumbs to easy schmaltz or signposted resolutions.

18. Pain and Glory

I’m a big admirer of Pedro Almodovar’s body of work, having studied him since college but I’d be hard pressed to say I was a proper fan. I went into this off the back of it’s buzz and came out more profoundly moved than I first predicted. This very self reflective piece tackles a lot of Almodovar staples - Spain throughout the decades, the pain of love, film-making, mothers! - but is so strongly rooted in a career best Antonion Banderas, here playing a thinly veiled and somewhat fictionalised version of Almodovar himself.

Like The Farewell, it is deeply personal but incredibly universal, dealing with life long regrets and suppressed trauma and memory. Cruz the Muse is back in magnetic form and the tenderness in both the flashbacks and present day make for a surprisingly comforting watch about an awful lot of self-examination. It also cannot be understated how strong Banderas is here, possibly the most human I’ve ever seen the man known for playing gun toting mariachis, sword wielding masked heroes and... sword wielding, um... cats. It’s possibly his most mature and unflashy role in years but he reminds us why he’s such a consistent and evergreen movie star ten times over here.

17. Dolemite Is My Name

Eddie Murphy is back baby! This was hands down one of the most joyful and life affirming films this year, so much so that I’m gutted I didn’t see it in a packed cinema instead of on Netflix. Still, it’s a huge win for the streamer. Before now, it’s been easy enough to write off a ‘Netflix’ movie as one of three things - the modern equivalent of going ‘straight to video’, a blank check passion project for a headline grabbing filmmaker (Noah Baumbach, the Coen Brothers, Martin Scorsese) or a big blatant push for awards glory (Roma). But this breaks through and hits the sweet spot, being the sort of mid-budget biopic the studios used to put out, a comeback vehicle for one of our most missed stars and as a straight up killer piece of film making all round.

From the writers of Ed Wood and the director of Hustle and Flow, Murphy stars as Rudy Ray Moore, a true over-the-hill underdog who stubbornly chases his dreams of reaching stardom as a middle aged man, who refuses to be put down in the face of mass criticism and overwhelming odds. It’s an empowerment story about pursuing what you believe in and saying fuck you to the haters. It understands that the only judge you need to answer to is yourself. It’s a testament to the power of a minority voice, in finding the unstoppable force who will fight to be seen - not just by his peers but by society at large. 

I’m a sucker for films about a group of people stretched outside of their natural talents who strive to create something that wasn’t there before. Whether it’s Ed Wood or The Disaster Artist, Brigbsy Bear or Bowfinger - these movies never fail to strike a chord with me. I think championing a belief in yourself, often in the face of huge pessimism or swarms of naysayers, is so incredibly important and seeing these central figures who probably shouldn’t have succeeded, manage to do so, is so touching. The scene in the limo when they read the shitty reviews of their movie and all take a moment to arrive at the conclusion of ‘fuck them, we made a movie, it’s ours’ is an antidote to everybad review any creative endeavour may end up receiving. If it’s important to you, that’s all that matters but like all art, even if you reach one person and affect their life for the better, then it’s all been worth it.

Shining a light on the rise of Blaxploitation also helps to champion an era of outsider art that reflected the lives of millions and gave many more than chance to see themselves represented on screen as their OWN heroes and not just reductive stereotypes. Plus... Snipes is also back baby! Cripes it’s Snipes!

16. Monos

What a gargantuan feat this film is. Shooting in some of the most inhospitable locations ever seen, this tense, survivalist story of a band of young soldiers slowly imploding whilst they guard an American hostage is elemental and animalistic - a 21st century Lord of the Flies for sure.

Moises Arias is unrecognisable here as the eventual alpha Bigfoot. A former Disney star, he is most fondly remembered by me as the polar opposite Biaggio in one of my other favourite films of the decade, The Kings of Summer. The rest of the cast are fantastic too, from the captured Dr Watson (Julianne Nicholson) to the morally torn Rambo (Sofia Buenaventura). With some of the most breathtaking cinematography of the year to yet another stunning Mica Levi score, this feels like a lost Herzog masterpiece from the 70s. In other words, the kind of impossible thriller that you see all too rarely these days.

15. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Any new Tarantino is a cause for celebration, especially as he approaches his long-threatened ‘final’ 10th movie. I’m a massive western guy so I’d been loving his detour into the genre through both Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight but was definitely looking forward to his depiction of 1960s Hollywood. And Tarantino being Tarantino, the western influences manage to find their way into most, if not all, of his filmography.

OUATIH certainly ended up a divisive piece. Too much of an aimless character hangout for some, not enough dramatic bite for others. I was initially left a bit cold myself, knowing I’d enjoyed what I’d seen but wondering if it would go up or down in my estimations upon a second viewing. While that second viewing still hasn’t taken place yet, I tend to believe it will be even more favourable knowing where it’s all heading. I’m in the camp that loved where this film ended up and thought it stuck the landing wonderfully and in DiCaprio and Pitt, the film found a truly dynamic and compelling central friendship fuelled by two A-listers back on A-list form. The two veterans instantly deliver some of their best work in years (DiCaprio is 10x more alive here than he was in his Oscar winning turn in The Revenant) and 2019 would go on to be Pitt’s year, alongside Ad Astra. Margot Robbie is luminous in her limited screentime and while some were disappointed she wasn’t more of a major player, he Tate is arguably the lynchpin of the whole piece. Perhaps more as a symbol than a person, sure, but the scene where she gets to witness the joy her big screen clowning brings others (complete with tactfully judged real life Tate footage) is magic.

At first glance, this could seem like QT regressing somewhat but there are moments in here that stand out as some of his best work, from DiCaprio’s stroppy meltdown to Pitt’s visit to Spahn Ranch to the whole bloody climax. If it ends up being the odd duck of his filmography (Four Rooms aside) then it will end up all the more interesting and I am already captivated.

14. Stan & Ollie

Easily the most underrated film of the year in my eyes, I sort of understand most people’s dismissal of this charming biopic as grey pound fodder and even I admit that it falls into a sub-genre quickly approaching cliche: ageing Golden Age Hollywood movie stars have one last stab at fame and redemption by reviving a stage act in the UK - see also Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool and Judy. But this is so sweetly put together in every sense and manages to transcend the biopic trappings to create a more loving portrait of two old friends accepting that they love each other. It’s about male, platonic love and that in itself is rare enough.

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly are incredible as Laurel and Hardy respectively, both disappearing into the roles completely. Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda provide brilliant comic support as their two very mismatched wives. The decision to focus on the duo’s later years, rather than to speed chronologically through their early days and movie making prime (glimpsed in the opening flashback) means that the film is free to draw pathos from a life long lived. There are mere hints at the history between them; chasms of time that hold so much importance yet are left to us (and to the actors) to speculate about, to draw from and to imagine. The performances are so strong that you can feel the weight of their professional careers in a sideways glance or a barbed retort or an exasperated sigh. It’s so much more interesting and allows practically the whole film to feed off this feeling that their entire lives are about to reach an impasse that we’re about to witness. This is the emotional resolution to the story of Laurel and Hardy and it’s wonderful to know that this is how it went down in real life too - that two lifelong colleagues couldn’t see how much they meant to each other until it was all about to come to an end. 

Ultimately, it’s a story of loyalty and friendship in the face of a fast approaching curtain call. It’s bittersweet and truly sad, watching these two iconic titans perform to tiny crowds and hopelessly chase the dream of a comeback they both know, deep down, is long dead. It also contains two of the most tear-jerking scenes of the year: the very public bust up after one of their shows (”You loved Laurel and Hardy... but you never loved me”) and the ‘turn’ in the climax that wrong footed me so suddenly, despite it’s arguable foreshadowing, that I was almost immediately weeping. A truly touching British film of the highest calibre, it’s much more affecting that you might believe.

13. The Favourite

How does it feel like a million years since I saw this? Man, 2019 was long! Yorgos Lanthimos’ biggest hit yet, this is full of wild, punk energy and gives the period piece a real anarchic streak. Easily the best three hander in years, the ever evolving dynamic between Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone (hot off an Oscar win) and QUEEN Olivia Coleman (heading directly into an Oscar win) is a joy to watch. The dialogue is biting, the visuals sumptuous and the debauched attitude running through it makes it a wicked fun time. It’s influence is already being felt too - just check out that teaser trailer for the new Emma!

12. The Art of Self Defense

Unfairly shafted to VOD, I caught Riley Stern’s follow up to the ace Faults on the big screen whilst in Edinburgh, along with a fellow filmmaker and we had an absolute blast. Playing like a capital D dark comedy mash up of Fight Club and The Foot Fist Way if directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Jesse Eisenberg utilises his weedy, beta male persona into an effective portrayal of a guy sick of being shit on in life, who takes up karate lessons after a traumatic mugging and slowly descends into a cult-like world of aggressive toxic masculinity. 

It’s a fantastic satire of perceived manliness, with some of the funniest stuff I’ve seen all year instantly flipping into something completely shocking. It’s another great showcase for Imogen Poots, who seems to be most often caught playing students despite being in her 30s (looking at you, Black Christmas) but it’s Alessandro Nivola who utterly owns this movie as the intimidating dojo leader; a truly twisted creation that, in a just world, would be generating some serious awards buzz. Mark my words now that by the time the Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark lands later in 2020, we’ll suddenly all be talking about him.

11. Us

Another one that feels about three years old already, Jordan Peele’s Get Out follow up finds him with free reign to really get crazy (”you wanna get crazy?”) as he uses his blank check on another bitingly original horror social satire. Leaning a bit more heavily into both the straight up genre elements AND the often-times confusing social allegories, Us is a cabin in the woods slasher that evolves into a Twilight Zone ‘what-if’ scenario before going all out with it’s underlying metaphor.

The results can occasionally be mixed but the sheer ambition on display here is invigorating and it’s captivating to sit back and let a writer/director present something to you as unique and multifaceted as this. His love for horror fuels a tense plot that constantly looks to re-shuffle the stakes every twenty minutes, Lupita Nyong’o is mindbogglingly good as two very different versions of ‘one’ character and Elisabeth Moss is the supporting standout of choice, making 2019 her year with this alongside the brilliant Her Smell... (let’s not mention The Kitchen).

COMING UP - a Canadian stuntman, a wheel of knives, space baboons and every superhero ever

[renaramblesaboutcomics]

Wednesday Roundup 8.23.2017

Whooo weeks where I have more than one trade to review at once are always difficult and this week I got two massive ones for sure. We’re, maybe for the first time since I started the Roundups, fairly Marvel heavy this week so it’s going to be a game of determining whether or not that makes it a cakewalk for the Mouse’s favorite leaking sieve of potential movie rights. 

Or maybe, y’know, I just read a bunch of good comics and it’s not nearly as competitive as I make it out to be. You decide~ 

Marvel’s Deadpool, DC’s Detective Comics, Marvel’s Immortal Iron Fists, Image’s Lazarus: X + 66, Marvel’s X-Men Gold

Marvel’s Deadpool (2015-present) Vol. 8: ‘Til Death Do Us... Joshua Corin, Gerry Duggan, Christopher Hastings, Iban Coello, Salvador Espín, Scott Koblish

You know, if Marvel is attempting to use these endless crossover events as a way of pushing readers to only buying books in trade rather than subscribing individually, I will have to admit to their amazingly successful marketing campaign. Because no book has made me more relieved that I wait for the trade than this collection of Volume 8 of Deadpool (2015-present) which has the entire storyline of “’Til Death Do Us...” which only includes two issues of the actual titular Deadpool (2015-present) series. How can that possibly be? Well let’s find out together.

Story: So this is a massive event crossing all of the Deadpool titles. Because, as I’ve said before, there are a lot of them. Much like Wolverine or Spider-Man before him, Deadpool is being used to prop up so many books at once that it’s to the point of insecurity. Comics and their need to oversaturate a character.

In any regard, this particular storyline brings to a head the relationship between Wade and his wife, the Queen of Monster, Shiklah. Which, as Wade himself has joked about before, really had no chance of anything but imploding upon itself. In this case, it involves the invasion of monsters on New York City, a cross-world roadtrip with Wade and Peter, the Mercs for Money... existing until eventually helping manage the epic final battle, and the dissolution of Wade’s marriage in favor of a union between Shiklah and Dracula himself. 

It is a very bloated story, and considering I only regularly follow Deadpool and Spider-Man/Deadpool out of the crossover comics included, it’s easy to see how my investment in this entire crossover was a matter of waning in and out between the characters I care about the most and how much any of them had to do per couple of pages. I mean, Hit Monkey only really got to make out with a Goblin and I think that spells out exactly how divided the amount of stuff there was to do was. 

Even in that case, there were a lot of good moments, arguably the best being any time Gerry Dugan was at the helm and helping to mold the Deadpool I have come to love so much over the years. The story is slapstick and ridiculous, the characters wild and arguably dysfunctional, but even as it comes to an end that feels like it was the only way things could have ended, there is that sense of regret, sadness, and just pure depression that weaves its way into Wade’s stories when the mania dies down. And all of which is positively amazing in how much it does work beyond all reasonable expectations saying it shouldn’t. 

Art: Given this was a crossover event, there were many artists collaborating on this entire book and while the styles differed between issues, there is no denying that the layouts must have been fairly meticulous because the story flowed easily from book to book. There was never any feeling that despite style differences something didn’t belong in the story as a whole and it was a refreshing consistency to how it all came together. There were great monster designs, I was glad to have every issue separated by their cover art. It was seamless work and much appreciated as a whole. 

Characters & Dialogue: Oh boy. So, obviously only reading two of the books which were involved with this crossover, I can’t speak for most of these characters’ portrayals -- maybe Peter Parker and Aaron Stack, but those can be summed up as “modern Peter gives me aneurysms” and “everything with Aaron makes me miss Nextwave.” So I’m going to focus instead on Wade and Shiklah.

While there’s some variation between books, obviously, it is just amazing to me how after years of reading Deadpool, Wade’s voice and character has been really shaped by Gerry Duggan and his years long work with the character. Everything pays off and feels right, and you can see other writers shaping their own writing of the Merc with a Mouth to match. And I mean that in the absolute best way. There’s something inspired about having a character so known for ridiculousness and mania have such a strong and tragic underlying narrative beneath the layers. You can feel how bad Wade feels when his marriage to Shiklah comes apart and how much responsibility he feels for it, but also just how resigned he is to the fact that he messes up his own good things in life. And I love that pathos. 

Shiklah, while a supporting character, has been one that I’ve genuinely enjoyed since Gerry Duggan first brought her into the Deadpool comics through “The Gauntlet” and I love that her fish-out-of-water and normalcy in the name of Marvel’s creature feature and monstrous side of the universe made a strange amount of sense for why she and Wade worked for each other for the time that they did. And I like that this has been something building up for a long time now and that Shiklah’s reasoning and perspective is respected by the narrative and, to an extent, by Wade himself. 

I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of the Monster Queen but it is a good send off until we do see her again. 

DC’s Detective Comics (2016-present) #963 James Tynion IV, Christopher Sebela, Carmen Carnero, Arreola, Fitzpatrick

We’re getting back to what Steph’s doing out on her own and getting some semblance of what the Anarky plot is ultimately going to amount to. The real question I, and everyone else must now ask is, did that Anarky plot from pre-Rebirth Detective Comics have anything to do with this bc I don’t think anyone read it and if it is important or something we could be at just the start of a world of utter and total confusion. Lllllet’s find out.

Story: While this is the beginning of a new arc for ‘Tec, you could make the argument that the real beginning of this story was the one-off Spoiler-centric issue prior to the Zatanna/Azrael storyline we just wrapped up. We follow up from that story where Stephanie was attempting to put an end to the need for vigilante justice in Gotham by taking over cases meant for the Batfamily and completing them with little to no visual evidence of her involvement or credit given to anyone but the authorities. 

At the end of that issue, Anarky had approached her to join his own, similar cause. According to him. 

But the actual start of this issue was a flashback to Steph and Tim’s time together and romance. Which was not only a much better looking relationship than what they had in the preboot which was pretty uneven and full of some teenage shenanigans compounding Steph’s natural self-depreciation, but is also extremely necessary because ‘Tec absolutely dropped the ball in giving the start of the new series any time to establish these characters, show them training together, or grow their relationships before killing off people and breaking the team apart to the point where half the Belfry aren’t even children being trained anymore.

Not that we ever saw much training. 

In any case, I’ve made it known before how much I dislike the use of flashback to make up for previous development and establishment so this kind of puts the new arc on a bad starting foot, at least with me. Especially with how creepy Anarky is around Steph (STRANGER DANGER) and how creepy it is that Bruce is stalking them from a distance to try to figure out what they’re doing (STRANGERER DANGERER). But we’ll have to see. 

Art: While I have mentioned that the rotation of artists on the bimonthly books like Detective Comics and Wonder Woman has been something of a hinderance in other comics, I have to say I’m pretty impressed with the stable rotation of genuinely great art on ‘Tec every arc so far. Now, it’s not stylized the way I personally prefer, like when we get Marcio Takara’s turns to work on issues, and therefore can seem like a very good but standard house style for DC, but I really enjoy the consistency and appreciate how the female characters have reasonable body types and are not overly sexualized like has been part of the DC house style in the past. Steph’s actions and even her stance carries weight, and I increasingly like her new Spoiler costume each time I see it. 

So all in all, great consistent art once more.

Characters & Dialogue: Tynion is usually the strongest when it comes to characters, and I think the beginning flashback between Steph and Tim highlighted that more than anything else. He obviously has a lot of love and nostalgia for these characters and it’s clear to see that that leads directly into direct homages all the way to bringing back an obscure Robin villain like Anarky. And that stuff’s good because, like I mentioned before, I do feel like Tynion has at least learned to be critical of his nostalgia and is righting things that were objectively not so great in the previous canon, like the treatment of Stephanie off-and-on in the Robin (1993-2009) series. Which is very nice.

That being said, I’m still waiting to be completely sold on Steph’s character here. I don’t dislike the change up of having her rebel against Bruce’s ways of doing things early and trying to forge her own path. And I don’t dislike the direction of her being critical of the way superheroes have grown in the public eye as authority figures and thinks instead they should go back to operating within the shadows and without bombast (apparently this is contentious in the Steph fandom? but i digress). But I do dislike that Stephanie, since her reappearance, has all but been refused the right to have her own secret identity. Which is ridiculous. Her identity gets immediately outed -- mostly by herself -- to nearly everyone, from her very first interactions with Dick to unmasking herself willy nilly here in front of a character named Anarky who is all but wearing a golden Guy Fox mask that he then refuses to remove in front of her for most of the issue. 

Which brings us to Lonnie and the general creep factor I felt throughout this issue. Like. I don’t know. Hopefully the exact nature of their relationship will be built on later in the story, but to have him put her through the ringer and ‘test her’ only to then be so familiar with her as to brush her cheeks and put her mask on for her and use her civilian name. I don’t like. And being familiar with preboot Lonnie just adds to that. 

Bruce is... Well, he’s Bruce. 

Marvel’s Immortal Iron Fists (2017-present) #3 (of 6) Kaare Kyle Andrews, Afu Chan

The adventures of Danny and Pei continue and my heart is still trying to recover from the roller coaster it was given in this issue. So let’s just jump straight into it.

Story: Much like last time, the real show stopper in this issue is Pei and how simple yet still nuanced the portrayal of a young, immigrant girl’s struggles are in a middle school. 

Danny’s reluctance to teach the next generation of Iron Fist and his preferred concentration on superheroics and recovering the scrolls comes to a head in this issue as Pei finally unleashes after her attempts to fit in only cause her mentor to be frustrated and upset with her. Which is all kinds of terrible because Danny pretty obviously doesn’t realize that everything Pei is doing at the moment is being a normal girl growing into her own. 

Including the yelling and rebelling. 

What further frustrates the characters, and me as a reader, though is that while Danny is forbidding Pei from getting involved with the current fight for the scrolls and demons and whatnot, it’s not only forcing her to neglect her destiny but also ignoring the fact that even without her direct involvement, her friends and classmates are being hurt and effected already. It’s not only hurting Pei in that Danny’s not helping her embrace her new abilities, but it’s making her feel the burden of responsibility on herself and making her feel even more useless to her friends.

Of course, if they explained their problems we wouldn’t have a story to begin with.

Art: Like I said with the last issue, this art is just so adorable and, most importantly of all, so fitting for the story being told. It displays so much emotion and so much color without giving up solid sequential sequences when there is action to portray. And in that way I love it all the more. But of course, I’m a big sucker for style at the end of the day.

Having read quite a few of Marvel’s digital exclusives at this point, however, I do hesitate to not point out that this is laid out like a regular comic instead of really taking advantage of the new media’s abilities. Whether or not that would be fitting for the story that Andrews wants to tell is debatable, but it does fall into the concerns I have with DC Digital First comics which is that the “digital comic” aspect is not taken advantage of for the sake of future traditional prints of this comic. It’s a delicate balance and ultimately I’ll trust that this is just how the creative team wanted their story to be told.

Characters & Dialogue: Considering that this story is incredibly character based, ultimately most of my bases here was covered in the story section. Still I just want to emphasize that Pei’s arc has been incredibly interesting to watch, and I like that she doesn’t seem to reject any of the “cliques” in school in favor of others but seems genuinely dedicated to making friends with everyone, which is refreshing in storytelling since in a very Mean Girls-esque way it’s usually that the freaks & geeks are held up as the Real True Friends as opposed to the fakers. And the reason I find that relieving is because they’re all fakers. That’s just what middle school is. 

That being said, I will say that as much as I’m not always the biggest defender of Danny Rand as a character or a concept (usually the opposite tbh), I do think that even with the excuse that we’re mostly seeing thing’s from Pei’s perspective, I don’t see Danny as someone who would be this unreasonable and callous toward Pei when she really hasn’t actively gone against his wishes. Perhaps we’re just channeling a little too much of the dynamic from Jackie Chan Adventures for this story when Pei is not a Jade-like character who arguably earns her scolding from time to time. 

Image’s Lazarus: X + 66 (2017-present) #2 (of 6) Greg Rucka, Michael Lark, Mack Chater, Aaron Duran, Arcas, Wynne

I really had no idea what to expect when this miniseries first came out, but you can thoroughly count me in the department as down for this world building and just general enjoyability that is coming from further exploring the world of Lazarus. As much as I would love to soon return to the regular title, this has been a great way to have more heartstrings pulled.

Story: As I said, I didn’t know really what to expect with this book but I’m not understanding more that it’s something of an anthology of stories beyond the perspective of the Carlyle family, and honestly I really love that. 

I’ve mentioned many times before that I feel like Greg Rucka, like few writing peers of today, understands the importance of making a storyline feel complete within a single issue, and his work with this issue really feels like his signature. We follow the Morray family and specifically Joaquim, their Lazarus. From start to finish we don’t waste a single panel getting to learn the turmoil within the story, Joaquim’s tragedy, and the way his actions in protecting Forever in the main title is having severe consequences for the main conflict of this story.

And that conflict rather simply is how much of Joaquim’s humanity can he maintain as a Lazarus that is growing more and more robotic than man, and how much of that decision is in his own hands as he is a product of a system that has been losing its humanity more and more, not only for the Morrays but for all the major families of this dystopian future.

Art: While not as dynamic or fetching as the usual issue of Lazarus, the art for this issue is still outstanding. There’s a lot of... intensive anatomical study, we’ll say, but there was also not a whole lot of action. It was mostly a conversational and expositioning sort of issue which comes with its own complications -- how to make conversations feel alive and dramatic without a whole lot of actual action taking place. To which I must confess that the art did a fairly brilliant job of, as there was quite a lot of expressiveness and uniqueness in setting throughout. 

Characters & Dialogue: It’s difficult to completely parse out the characters here because there are so many and the only one we had a fully established relationship with through the regular series was Joaquim himself, who also had the honor of the most panel time and presence throughout the issue. But that isn’t to say that every moment seen of the Morray family, how they conduct their business, and what that all intended for Joaquim himself was not excellent and as well characterized as always. I genuinely appreciated the culture and the look into the family dynamics which are so similar and yet so different to the Carlyles. 

Rucka’s great with character and it truly shows when he has only an issue to pt everything on the line because he fully delivers almost every time. 

Marvel’s X-Men Gold (2017-present) Vol. 1: Back to the Basics Marc Guggenheim, Adrian Syaf, R.B. Silva, Martin

My renewed interest in the X-Men is getting costly and I completely blame Tom Taylor’s run on All-New Wolverine for getting me back in that groove to begin with because I was totally over my addiction before then. Now I’m here for the Guggenheim.

Story: When an opening arc to a story calls itself “Back to Basics” there’s a decent reason for your expectations to generally be that whatever people haven’t liked about the comics in the most recent Giant Change Up To Forever Break the Status Quo in Comics is going over like a lead balloon of sorts or that they finally wrestled a book out of Bendis’ hands. And there’s nothing in Volume 1 of X-Men Gold that really changes my mind in regard to that impression. 

Which might not be entirely fair. Kitty in particular has been pushed more and more to the forefront of the X-Men in recent years and as a result, they had to erase her curly hair and also force her to really grow up. In a way, Kitty -- who was once the youngest of the X-Men and the student to everyone -- has become the teacher, mentor, and leader to what remains of the Mutant Race. Who aren’t doubles of past versions of themselves. And who aren’t living out of their late dads’ apartments. And who aren’t being killed by yet another serial race murderer. 

X-Men Gold focuses on establishing the elder team to X-Men Blue’s younger mutants and gives us a team of fan favorites as a result. This first arc has them dealing with a very on-the-nose Ann Coulter analogue who has a No Spin Zone style show on Fact News (get it). She’s a race baiter attempting to stir up mutant prejudices again for ratings and also some sort of greater grudge I’m sure will come back later. It includes her hiring Mesmero to create a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to frame all mutantkind for their terroristic acts and encourage public calls for mass deportation of mutants. Get it.

Subtlety of a sledgehammer aside, I want to take this moment to point out that one of the Brotherhood’s new members is an alien lizard looking guy that no one’s familiar with. And from the time he appears until the time they learn gasp he’s an extraterrestrial and not a mutant at all, Kitty (and others but mostly Kitty) keep talking about his appearance and how he’s a creep or scary and I’m just like. Apparently the X-Men truly haven’t learned from their own prejudices. I mean, everyone was assuming this guy was a mutant but at the same time judging him based on his appearance? Like wasn’t this the whole point of having Nightcrawler, Beast, and Anole on the X-Men??? But whatever. 

The second half focuses on Remy discovering the newest incarnation of the Sentinels which are now conscious and learning nanites which take three issues to take out and are only dismantled by Rachel having a Walkabout of sorts talking to her old selves, her mother, and her father which encourages her enough that she psychically blasts every single nanite. To the detriment of her eyes apparently bc now all the Avengers and X-Men now reflect in them. I’m not entirely sure about that cliffhanger. 

Other than the little girl on the last page I thought for sure was Molly Hayes and could not figure out why she was in New York or where the rest of the Runaways were until I realized oh that’s probably just another kid and artists don’t know how to vary their style of drawing younger age groups bc lbr it’s not like it happens that often on most books.

Art: The art for both arcs was honestly really spectacular. There were strong, solid lineart with great use of colors, the characters all had varied designs, and explosions -- which are always important to X-Men stories, of course -- were fantastic and bombast. But it’s also that house style I like to mention so much so it’s also really hard to get into why it works or doesn’t work because it’s just the established good storytelling style that both of the Big Two are comfortable using on any book for good reason. 

Characters & Dialogue: Since X-books are always filled to the gills with characters I can’t go into every single character or voice, but I’ll focus on the two most central characters to these first arcs: Kitty and Rachel. I thought both were written extremely well and there was real gravity to their interactions, a feeling of the importance and enormity of their histories. Sometimes that feels absent in modern books, especially for Rachel who seems to be a character most writers approach with apprehension, but we got to actually do a deep dive on both of them. And as a result, that maturity the book refers to through other characters and through Kitty’s inner monologue feels genuine. 

One thing I have to stress, though: Marvel please stop pushing KittyxPioter. It worked back in the day once. It’s not really going to work again and it’s been too long and Kitty is 1000% right when she says she’s moved on. So have we. 

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if I had so many ridiculously good issues at once to pick from but fortunately we have only three issues for singles to pick from this week. And even though I legitimately enjoyed all of what I read this week, there is just something special about the way Immortal Iron Fists pulls at my heart strings. I’ve really come to adore Pei, her unique voice in comics, and especially the way it’s developing Danny’s potential in ways we’ve never seen before. Not to mention I’m just incredibly partial to all-ages comics which aren’t afraid to tackle very mature problems and themes while still speaking to a young audience’s tone.

Now between the two collected trades here, we’re stuck between an Weapon X and a X-Men which I’m not sure how it happened to me since I’m fairly sure I’ve not had to pick between two choices like that since I was in middle school. It’s kind of astounding. But, bang for my buck, I’m giving this one to X-Men Gold. It was a solid introductory arc and also had the benefit of not being a massive crossover with more characters than it knew how to properly work in. The irony of me saying that about the non-X-Men book here does not escape me.

And those are my picks of the week! That being said, I’m sure there’s lots to agree and disagree with me on in this Roundup. Be sure to let me know one way or the other. Also, do you think there are any books I missed picking up that would be good reads for me?

And now it’s also that time of the week everyone dreads but not nearly as much as I do. 

I am in a bit of a financial crunch for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being the medical bills I’m paying for my dog, Eve, who experienced a catastrophic dog fight and underwent surgery recently.

As such, I really would appreciate if you enjoy my content or are interested in helping me out, please check out either my Patreon or PayPal. Every bit helps and I couldn’t thank you enough for enjoying and supporting my content.

You could also support me by going to my main blog, @renaroo, where I’ll soon be listing prices and more for art and writing commissions.

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The Reddit MarvelStudios AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Clark Gregg, May 16, 2017 (click here to read all the questions)

A: (out of sequence, so no question): Well, this week I'm really missing Bill Paxton and Powers Boothe because we lost them and they were both such excellent guys.

A: Missed a few questions there. I'll try to answer some. I love the MCU and love watching the movies and I miss my friends in those casts. That said, I am really proud of where we've gone with Agents of SHIELD and I love this bunch of actors and writers (and crew) as much as any I've ever worked with.

Q What upcoming MCU property are you looking forward to the most? Tahiti is a magical place! A: Anything with Adam Warlock and that may have just been teased in GOTG2

Q Do you have any stories and/or favourite memories of working with the late Bill Paxton? Thanks! A: So many. Just the big grin he'd show up with every day and say, "Bud-dy..." Just a great guy and a wonderful actor/filmmaker with more stories than anyone I've ever met.

Q: What is your favourite MCU movie? A: Pretty damn psyched for Captain Marvel especially with the amazing Brie Larson

Q: Hi! Thank you so much for being SO awesome. In Avengers, when Coulson has been stabbed by Loki and gets to shoot him with the massive gun, he says "oh, that's what that does". What do you wish that gun had done? A: Gone off on its own a minute earlier.

Q: Hi! Thanks for doing this. What's your favorite hand? And if you could have any new hand for your character, what could it do? Thank you! A: The SHIELD attachment does not suck

Q: Hi Clark! Thanks for doing this AMA and everything you've done for the MCU. Love your portrayal of A.C. (Daisy needs to bring that back imo). Have you had any input or influence on the development of Coulson? A: I have some input but most of the great stuff on our show is straight from the writers.   Dream storyline involves saving the Defenders and the Avengers and the Guardians and the Royal Family and everyone in Legion when they get themselves in trouble with Thanos. In a musical episode by Lin Manuel Miranda. (Hamilton)

Q: u/70astralaxe wanted to ask you those question but he coudn't so I'll Phil in [sorry for the pun...]    Favourite Star Wars movie.    Favourite MCU movie.    Whether he had any "holy shit" moments during script-read/when filming a scene.    What he wants for the future of MCU/SHIELD.    If he is planning on doing non-MCU stuff anytime in the near future.    Favourite Ice-Cream Flavour.    Favourite Holiday Destination. A: I'll pick 2. Empire and that coconut something from Ben and jerry's

Q: Clark, it was great seeing you at Denver Comic Con last year. I was the one who told you I loved Choke as well as the intro you wrote for Avengers: Endless Wartime. My question though, do you have any projects coming up that you are writing/directing? Choke was 2008, and Trust me was 2013, so I was hoping we were due for something else soon. Thanks, love your work. A: Writing a film and a sci-fi pilot. Hope to make something next hiatus.

Q: When Joss called you up about Much Ado About Nothing, what was your reaction? Did you get any say in your role? Have you done any other Shakespeare? Thanks for doing this AMA today! A: I was terrified when Joss called, but excited because I had just had a dream I was doing some Shakespeare and it felt ordained. And I love Joss.

Q: Have you watched GOTG Vol. 2 yet? A: Yes. Laughed my ass off.

Q: Hello, What's your favourite MCU movie? Also, what does RDJ smell like? A: I'm a big fan of the Avengers and anything with Cap. Or Stark. Or Thor or the Guardians. Or Strange. Let's face it, I'm a Marvel slut. Robert smells like warm beaches and babies laughing and a freshly washed thong.

Q: What kind of changes in perspective on your character did you work on to bring the 3 different versions of Coulson to life this season? We've had Agent Coulson, Robo Coulson, and Mr. Coulson. What was the most fun about doing that? Also, minor question, do you happen to know what brand / model of glasses you were rocking in the Framework? (I tweeted @amandalynnriley, but alas no response). A: It was fun to have new takes on Phil. Amazing work by the writers. Especially geeking out teacher Phil with his soap. The glasses are called Barton Pereira (sp)

Q: What would like to do for a living if you weren't an actor, besides dominating in lip sync battles? A: Music something. probably not very well. But I loved being in a band. A lot.

Q: Hi Clark! Awesome for you to do this before the big season finale. How do you think your character has changed between now and the beginning of Iron Man 1? In other words, do you think your acting of Phil Coulson has changed that much in 9 years? A: Ah, jeez, I don't know. The character has been through a lot and gotten older, so maybe he's less innocent and a little darker, but I probably am too. I don't know about the acting. I try to forget that's what it is.

Q: Do you read your fanmail? If so, what's something cool a fan has sent you? A: I do. I get amazing stuff and try to answer it all. I've been sent crocheted blankets and lola pillows and maybe some underwear.

Q: Thank you for putting your all into Coulson. He's my favourite character in the entire Marvel universe. As for my question, how much of Clark has gone into the role? Specificially the frequent Star Wars references... is that your input or does it come purely from the writers? A: The writers and I love Star Wars and couldn't imagine Coulson wouldn't as well. There's a bunch of me and then some stiff that's verrrrry different from me.

Q: More serious question: One of the things I love about AoS is how men and women fight each other as equals. But I've wondered if that took the male actors a little getting used to, going all out punching and kicking female actors. Did you find that awkward at first? A: Definitely. Really did not like punching May or Daisy even though neither was a real punch.

Q: Hey Clark! Huge fan of your work in the MCU. My question. Did you know that when you died in the Avengers that you would be brought back for SHIELD? Thanks! A: I did not. Neither did they. #CoulsonLives gave them the idea. So thanks.

Q: What's the weirdest thing a fan ever asked you to do? A: Sign a boob. But it was a big boob so I wrote my full name and then Agent Coulson.

Q: With the amount of time Coulson has been spending in the field in AOS, it has become more and more unlikely that the Avengers wouldn't know that Phil is still alive. Do you personally think any of them know? A: I really wish I had a good answer for that, but I don't. Some day.

Q: Yo Clark! I'm sure you're gonna get a bunch of marvel questions and that's awesome. But I know you're a basketball fan so this is my first question. Who ya got winning the finals? And secondly: Any advice for someone who's dream is to work within marvel either on the tv side or movie side? A: Warriors look soooo good. To work for Marvel it helps to love comics and marvel and then just try to be really good at what you want to do there.

Q: Hey Clark! Read any good books lately? A: Yes. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Mirukami

Q: What was it like meeting Melissa Benoist for the dubsmash battle? And have you met any of the other CW heroes? A: I think she's amazing. Loved her in Whiplash. And the fact that she took part in that for charity made me love her even more.

Q: I've been marvel fan since my early childhood, having been born without half of my right hand, my parents and superheroes have always been the biggest source of inspiration. Even in my wildest dreams, i couldnt have predicted these last 10 years, what MCU has achieved and how popular these stories would become all around the world, in that way im living my childhood dream- to see it all done well on the silver screen. What is even crazier- I wouldnt have predicted that the Son of Coul, a shield agent from phase one movies, would start his own show- his own team. Over the years, Aos became , in my humble opinion, the best that superhero tv shows can offer right now, and most recently, even a better source of fun than some of the MCU movies. Past week, i have been buzzing, that we re getting another season. Mostly, i want to say THANK YOU, to everyone who helps to make this show what it is, a source of inspiration and fun to look forward to almost every week. Thank you Mr. Gregg, for breathing life into this awesome character, and also for motivating me in my own studies, and career. I just wanted to express my gratitude, and ask, recently, the Ghost Rider, LMD and Framework arcs have cemented the greatness of this show. When you got first approached to make a shield show, did you think it would end up as such a compelling characters, stories, effects and going for 5 seasons on a small screen? Did you have any doubts? Was there ever a moment when you got a script/shot a scene, where u said to yourself : "Wow, this is amazing" ? Thank you, wish you and the whole cast/crew all the best in making another successful season. A big fan, all they way from Slovakia A: This made my day. Thank you.

Q: What did you think of Iron Fist on Netflix? Do you think it deserves the criticism? What would you have done different if you were the showrunner? A: I love Iron Fist. Both seasons. (then...another reply) Oops. I meant Daredevil. Didn't sleep too well.

Q: Do you remember your time on The Shield well? Great performance. Any fun stories from the set? A: My friend David Mamet directed and the character was so uhinged I felt wrong afterwards. Also, Billy Gierhart who has directed the most eps of AoS was the cameraman on that ep.

Q: As a big fan of What Lies Beneath and Choke, can we expect to see you work behind the camera on Agents of SHIELD any time soon? A: I may direct an episode in season 5. if I don't pass out from exhaustion just thinking about it.

Q: Jed Whedon recently made his directing debut in SHIELD's episode Self Control, which is probably my favorite episode of the show now. What was it like having him direct? Do you think we can look forward to more episodes helmed by him? Great job this season by the way! Coulson's speech a few episodes ago rocked, Captain America would be proud A: jed was amazing and that may be my favorite too. He better direct some more or we'll drag him down to set and make him.

Q: Hey Clark! Thanks for coming by! In about a year we'll be coming up on Iron Man's 10th Anniversary, which means you'll have been playing Coulson for 10 years. How does that feel? And, if you could have Coulson appear in any Marvel-related property, what would it be? A: Wow. Ten years. I feel very lucky. I could have been stuck that long playing a character I didn't love in a world I didn't care about. #Grateful

Q: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has been renewed for a fifth season, but does not appear on ABC's Fall schedule. Obviously, it will start later, but we've been getting mixed signals. Do you know if Season 5 will be a full, 22 episode season or has it been shortened? A: Yes. Full season after the 8 eps of The Inhumans. Then we do our whole run. Could be cool that way.

Q: Can you tell us anything about today's AoS finale? A: Coulson will change.

Q: This is also a question from my girlfriend, who is at work and can't ask herself: Do you think Phil and May will have a happy ending? A: I won't touch that one.

Q: How would coulson react to meeting the defenders? A: He would geek out. But who knows, maybe they would too.

Q: Two questions: first, I'm currently binge watching the West Wing and I have to ask what it was like working with dialog written by Aaron Sorkin?  Second, are we ever going to see your wife, Jennifer Grey, on AoS? A: Aaron's dialogue is like no one else's. I did Sports Night, TWW and A Few Good Men on Broadway. So I'm lucky. He did a lot to put me on the map.

Q; Hi Clark! Thank you for doing this! I can’t wait for tonight’s finale. Can you take us through what it was like auditioning and successfully getting the role of Coulson? Did you ever imagine that the role would develop and expand like it has over time? A: Never auditioned. Got an offer to play a part that was two scenes in IM. Then they added more and more scenes. Cut to Phil nine years later about to walk into the season 4 finale where he will finally (REDACTED)

Q: Clark, you all have been doing such a great job over the last few years. Why do you think Agents of SHIELD has resonated with so many fans around the world? A: Because thanks to the cast, crew, the writers and Marvel the show keeps getting better all the time. That's very rare.

Last Words From Clark: Thanks so much of the great questions. Sorry I couldn't answer more of them. Acting in an independent film today so I have to run. Join me on the twitter for the S.4 finale tonight. Love you all.