#mal had no character this season and it pissed me off so much

[highraccoon]

Love to see someone in the S&B fandom who is critical of Darkling and Nikolai (some white boys get too much love imo 😒). How do you feel about s2 of S&B?

ooh. so. to preface this, i will say that i do actually really love all the books in the grishaverse series (even though kos and row are... something else.) and that includes the original trilogy. my favorite characters from the original trilogy are Mal, Genya, Alina, David, Oncat and Misha.

so you can see where this is going.

season 2 was filled with a lot of creative writing choices and interesting character arcs. but just because something is both of those doesn't make it necessarily good. and it wasn't. i wanted to like season 2 so much but there's only so much i could take. i think around episode 4 i had just lost all hope for it. i finished the season and wished i hadn't.

all i can say is i'm glad the series isn't canon and that the books are. cause season 2 was such a disservice to the fans and the series.

[dominickeating-source]

Cult Times Issue #90 (2003)

Mal Content

As armoury office, Malcolm Reed is all that stands between the Human race and war! Well, kind of. Dominic Keating explains why he's so pleased with the lieutenant's progress on board Enterprise so far. HEADING INTO Enterprise nearly two years ago, Dominic Keating sat down with executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga and expressed to them his concerns about playing Lt Malcolm Reed.

His greatest fear was that the ship's weapons and tactical expert would come across as "just this talking English head above the console on the bridge." If that were the extent of the part, however, Keating would learn to deal with it. "For the money, I'd do it," Keating says with a laugh. "But I did say, 'If you feel like writing something for me, I reckon that I can do it'. And you know what? They went away and did it. I've had some really fantastic episodes that I didn't expect to get, quite frankly. That's been terrific. I think I'm in a very luxurious position here. I'm not the main thrust of the show, so I get a lot of time off. But they know that they can wheel me out and give me some really good stuff to do whenever they feel they want that flavour in the show. 'And they're doing it enough for my liking. Speaking personally, I'm very thankful that I'm not Scott [Bakula, Archer], Jolene [Blalock, T'Pol] and Connor [Trinneer, Trip] because they're just in it every week. When we're shooting the show that's what they do; they're at work. They're there when I'm there and they're there when I'm not there. We're doing an episode now that's a big Archer episode. I'm going to do my day today and I think I've got one other scene that we'll shoot sometime at the end of next week, and that's it.

Right now, I'm in my backyard watering my plants and talking to you on my phone. It's beautiful outside. The sky is blue and the surf's up. It's a good life. What can I say?" Reed is steadily emerging as the show's enigma. He's got the most potential to be at odds with himself, much less the other characters on the ship. "I was talking with Brannon about that the other day, and he's quite happy that Reed is not a two-dimensional figure," the actor says. "Reed can be the charming guy, the really nice guy, and the dark guy, and he's been all those things already. They've engineered him in such a way that he still has a long way to go. I'm really pleased about that, I have to say.

The two episodes I've liked best so far are 'Shuttlepod One' and 'Minefield.' Those are the ones that come to mind. I thought 'Minefield' was a particularly good show for him. Wrapped up in his official capacity, I think you really saw a living and breathing human being and a man that has a sense of honour and duty and is fine with death. He's not just an automaton and a stiff upper lip Brit. I've said this in the past and it's still true, but they're also using him as a man of action, which was something else that I hadn't anticipated.

This season we had 'Marauders,' and we have some other stuff coming up this season in which I'm the 'drop-to-one-knee' guy. I did a huge stunt sequence recently, on a big action day, and I really like all of that. We've also seen Malcolm be fallible. I'm the guy who lost the communicator in 'The Communicator.' Nice episode for me, that. That scene in the jail with Archer, sharing a last private moment, was really telling to me. I wasn't particularly happy with the way it actually got shot, but that moment when he turns to the captain and says that he's not afraid, meaning that he's not afraid to die, was a really tender moment between the guys. "I also liked being so pissed off in 'Singularity.' That was a very interesting episode, wasn't it? Malcolm sort of invented the red alert system in that one. I'll never live that down. The red lights are on all the time now people are calling it 'Reed alert'. That has a nice ring to it. But everybody got a little annoying in 'Singularity,' and I quite liked that. I've heard from some of the fans that that episode pushed the envelope a little more than they're used to seeing on Star Trek. I'd quite like to see some more of that, getting a little risky.

I think that [the producers'] issue is they have a hardcore audience that knows what they like and they're used to seeing what they know they like. As much as you want to push forward and stretch the fabric of the show a little, you also don't want to piss these people off. But I think there's room, for instance, for one of the crewmates to become a bit of a wanker and not be completely likeable. And I think Malcolm would be a prime candidate for that. "Actually, the episode we're shooting right now is called 'The Crossing.' It's going to be rather fun, I have to say. I believe it's been revamped from prior Star Trek lore [dating back to 'The Cloud Minders' from the original series].

We get possessed, if you will, by these ethereal non-corporeal beings that have now found it necessary to find some hosts in which to house their spirits because, in their present form, they're dying out. They happen across the crew of the Enterprise and decide that we would make good genetic hosts, as it were. So we all get somewhat possessed by these of ethereal beings, and not all of us are thoroughly likeable. And the one that gets hold of me is quite the dandy, I have to say. It's been really fun playing Reed as this alien being for the first time, housed in a Human body. I had a lovely scene with Jolene the other night in which this being, dressed in clothes and housed as Malcolm, goes to her quarters. It was my second attempt to get the Vulcan into bed. "I came out of that scene the other night with Jolene thinking, 'God, I love acting'," Keating continues. "When there's a real juicy scene and it's got an attitude and it's not just perfunctory exposition about where we're at and how our hull plating is, I really like it. I like being stretched in that way. I would never complain if they just wrote a lot more of that for me.

In the meantime, as I say, I'm very happy with what they are doing for me and I enjoy the fact that I don't have to be there 16 hours a day, five days a week like Scott and Jolene and sometimes Connor. On and off set we're all really good friends, and I have to say this is a dream job with a dream cast and a dream crew. It's just a thoroughly well-oiled production. The people behind it are very accommodating. They'll always try to fit scheduling around some doctor's appointment you've got to make. So, what a fantastic family, I have to say. I will miss it sorely in five years' time. I know I will." Enterprise might very well be around five years down the road. It's performing respectably in the ratings. It's neither a huge hit at this point, nor a drag on UPN's Wednesday night schedule.

But its modest success, coupled with the utterly disappointing critical and box office reactions to Star Trek: Nemesis, the latest and presumably last Star Trek: The Next Generation feature, seem to suggest that the Trek flame is dimming a bit. "Unfortunately, Nemesis didn't do well," Keating acknowledges. "I haven't seen it yet. It's a shame I talked to Rick about it the other night, actually. I can tell he's crestfallen a little. And there was some worry around the [Enterprise] set recently, when all these articles started coming out on the coat-tails of Nemesis, about our plummeting ratings and blah, blah, blah, blah. I just had a long talk with Brannon about it, and he explained it very succinctly to me. He said that things have changed in the 15 years since The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager started airing. There are just a lot more choices out there now for people. TV is not the same animal that it was 15 years ago. You've got satellite dishes and 200 cable channels that very specifically cater to people's tastes. You're not going to pick up a passing audience like you might have 10 years ago, just because there was nothing else on. It doesn't happen anymore.

Given that, I think we're doing pretty well. We hold a steady five or so [each week in the ratings]. "We're in our second year, and by all accounts Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager had the same kinds of dips in the second year. So I'm not too fussed about it. From what I gather, from what I get at the conventions I go to, the fans who watch the show regularly love it. It's very popular with them. They like the characters. And, dare I say it, they certainly like me, unless they're all faking it massively. They paid to get into these conventions, so I sure hope they like me. And friends of mine who've followed my career, as it were, back in England and here in America, who necessarily wouldn't be Trek fans or even bother to watch this kind of show all that much, they adore it.

So there were a couple of weeks where I thought, 'God, are we going to get picked up? Is UPN going to exist?' But I'm over all of that now. I think we're safe." Production on Enterprise's second season will conclude in a matter of weeks, thus Keating is already thinking about plans for his off-season. "I am going to Australia to do a big, five-city convention tour," he reports. "I'm greatly looking forward to it, I must say. And that's about it, unless Steven Spielberg rings me up and says he has to have me in his new movie. Otherwise, that's it. I'm going to take five weeks off and go to Australia." Keating laughs when asked if there's anything else going on that fans should know about before he hangs up the phone. "No," he says in conclusion. "I think I've done my spiel! You've been a good sport about listening to me while I multitask. I'm just doing so many things. I've got to go to work in an hour, so I've been doing all these chores around the house. So you've helped me do my bit and I hope I've given you what you need.

Source: www.dominickeating.com

[xoangel-dust]

Another Total Drama Controversy Meme

Favorite Character: Duncan-I cannot hate him, he’s been a favorite of mine since 2008. I find him to be a very interesting character

Despised Character: Mal- I could say a lot of things but he’s legitimately the worst total drama villain EVER! They had to purposely nerf AND dumb down the other contestants just to make his cartoony ass “work”.

Favorite Season: World Tour- it had my favorite character being Alejandro and it was a musical season! In all seriousness is was a brilliantly written season(not without flaws) but it was so entertaining down to the very last episode.

Despised Season: All Stars- I could write an essay about why I hate this season but it’s pretty much ingrained in the fandom about how bad it is. From major character derailments to a terrible villain.

Most Overrated Character: Zoey- I liked her a bit in TDROTI but All stars just ruined her by making her oblivious to Mal’s OBVIOUS BS “villainy”. She also became the writers pet if anything. She’s not that bad just not all that.

Most Underrated Character: Dawn- (this is speaking in terms of the in universe show because she had a bit of a fandom prior to the season dropping) her run on the show was cut too short and she deserved more screen time.

Favorite Couple: Duncney- this one has had a special place in my heart since 2008, I love them so much. I know the view of them is way different now but idc it’s my all time favorite total drama paring (next to Aleheather).

Despised Couple: Mkulia- I find them overrated (and the fans are a bit rabid if they see you disliking it or shipping Julia with Wayne…). I don’t hate it but I just don’t care about it plus I dislike both of them(though “like” MK slightly more than Julia).

Favorite Song: We Built Gwen’s Face- I’ve known this song by heart since it came out. Even the small parts. Easily top 3 TDWT songs.

Despised Song: Fight for the gold- I hate Gwuncan.

Favorite Episode: Awwwwww Drumheller! It’s the Aleheather and this is how we will end it episode so damn good from start to finish.

Despised Episode: Circling the Drain(total drama island 2024 season two spoilers!) The elimination in this episode pissed me off on the sane level as Courtney and Leshawna’s in season one.

[meyhew]

you haven't watched sab2 yet have you? im dying to read what you think about it all cause you're one of the apparently very few people I share the same opinion about the books with and SIGH aint it tough out there for people w good taste these days 😩

well. um. i watched 6 episodes before the season was released and then i put off watching the last two bc i simply didn't want to. i enjoyed like the first... three? i had my qualms about them but i could put those aside for the most part and enjoy the stuff that i did like. then the further i got into it the more i just Deeply Hated everything that was happening. wesper arc? weird and unsettling for Me personally. helnik? basically nonexistent except for in matthias' fantasies. kanej? nothing happens but the vibes slayed. i was annoyed with how they used baghra in s1 and downright pissed about what they did to her in s2. and don't even get me started on darkles... i just know book darkling would kill show darkling out of spite and i'd cheer him on. book darkling is so cold and conniving and it's so annoying to see how much they've watered him down and humanized him to appeal to a certain demographic. malina tho... im so so so so so deeply angry about malina.

the entire thematic core of the grisha trilogy is that unrestrained power is Bad and that alina has never really wanted it for herself—she gets lost in her head for a while when she's overwhelmed by the euphoria of having multiple amplifiers but when she realizes that the cost of having unchecked power is sacrificing mal... well then she doesn't want to pay it. she literally brings him back from the dead because she can't cope with the grief of spending her life without him. her power literally explodes out of her because her body cannot contain all of it. she goes to live off the grid because she doesn't care for a life of power and politics anymore, never truly did. and the show erases ALL of that. this season shits all over the thesis statement of tgt and does such an unbelievable disservice to mal and alina's individual characters as well as their dynamic together. the two of them parting ways is tragic because it throws away the most crucial takeaway from the story: love, however ordinary, is all that matters. if love can ever be ordinary. taking that away from alina in favor of a political marriage and a crown is so disheartening because she has never wanted that.

"They wanted a Grisha queen. Mal wanted a commoner queen. And what did I want? Peace for Ravka. A chance to sleep easy in my bed without fear. An end to the guilt and dread that I woke to every morning. There were old wants too, to be loved for who I was, not what I could do, to lie in a meadow with a boy’s arms around me and watch the wind move the clouds."

[waldensblog]

Shadow and Bone Season 2 thoughts

So I just finished watching Shadow and Bone season 2, and I have a lot of thoughts to unpack. It probably goes without saying, but there are spoilers below the read more line for the show. Overall, I really enjoyed this season, and there were things I liked, and some I didn’t. 

The Darkling

My BABY. For me he stole every second of every scene he was in, because I am still harbouring a ridiculous crush on this man. I loved seeing him rescue the Grisha in cages, pointing out that this happened before, and he’s disappointed it’s happening again, but isn’t surprised. He’s tried different tactics and now he’s decided he’ll have to become King/Emperor to stop the wars, stop the mass loss of life that’s been happening for centuries, and try to establish a peace - a Pax Darkling. Unfortunately, I don’t think we had a single season 1 Grisha on his side, so all his troops/allies were new, relatively undeveloped characters. I don’t take issue with David switching sides - that was kind of foreshadowed in season 1 with the regret on his face when fusing the stag’s bones to Alina and the Darkling, but no Feydor (what even happened to him?)? No other named Grisha? Really? Not one? And don’t get me started on his relationship with his mother. Is he a good, pure, soul? No. But his mother very much pissed me off. She pretty well kills herself in front of him, and uses her last act to cut off his hand. He tries to stop it, but he is held back, and she effectively blames him for it. He’s cradling her and saying sorry, crying. Dear lord. He looks at Alina with so much pride throughout the season most of the time, and in the end, his last thoughts are of those moments of peace and happiness he found with her (before it all got FUCKED). His last wish is for her to burn the body so his bones can’t be used. Alina doesn’t even realize how alike she is to him, and I hope to GOD he comes back, even if I know the writers probably won’t. Ben did a fantastic job, and whatever happens in season 3, I won’t forget it. My favourite character of this show. I applaud Ben so much for his excellent performance. 

The Darkling x Alina I ugly cried. I can’t believe I got becoming part 2′ed again. No seriously how many times must I be subjected to my ship ending in this very specific manner? A lovers to enemies arc ending with her stabbing him with a sword. Why has this happened to me three times? Okay now in all seriousness. I still love them. I did feel like Ben was kind of carrying this ship by himself at times, though, because I guess the writers didn’t want Alina acknowledging feelings for anyone but Mal this season - the closest we got to Alina confronting her feelings was that conversation with Baghra. I loved the Darkling being still in love with Alina, “My Alina”, “My little saint”, had one moment of peace BESTILL MY HEART. I loved this, but also, I am disappointed that Alina couldn’t shed one tear for him when he died. I blame that one on the writers. I am obsessed with Alina’s ending, when she used the Shadow cut and smiled like that. Oh, Honey. HONEY I don’t know what happened but that was a Darklina treat for me (after they first ripped my heart out, I will accept my consolation prize thanks). Alina has so much in common with Aleksander this season and doesn’t see it all and he’s so right about so much and I just... AHHH. I’m secretly hoping we get a season 3 that brings him back, perhaps they can take a cue from Buffy season 3 or do a possessed Nikolai thing. #BringBackTheDarkling #DarklingSeason3. Do it.

Nikolai, Tolya and Tamar

I loved the introduction of Nikolai and the other pirates privateers. They immediately added an interesting element to the show that I loved seeing, and I enjoyed seeing Nikolai join the Crows/Alina alliance. It was also interesting that he turns out to be the prince, who winds up king. A wild ride. Despite my immediate stanning of them, I would have liked if they were a bit further developed. Don’t get me wrong, I thought they were fleshed out okay, but when Nikolai’s friend died near the end of the show, I was like “who is this guy?” because I’m pretty sure I just met him. He may have been a long-time friend of Nikolai’s, but I didn’t see any of that friendship. I liked seeing Tolya and Tamar fit into the cast as well, with Tamar becoming a close ally of Alina’s and almost her Ivan, and Tolya becoming a sort of honorary crow. Nikolai initially refusing to learn Mal’s name was iconic. An immediate legend. 

Nikolai x Alina I feel like these two had a lot of potential presented this season to be a good romantic pairing, definitely healthier than Darklina (which is still my #1 ship for this show), but it didn’t get fully developed. They spent some time together, but mostly there was wandering off and the occasional conversation/flirting. It felt pretty one-sided, which even got acknowledged near the end, where Nikolai’s friend refers to it as a “fake engagement with real feelings”. I’d have liked if they spent a bit more time developing this. Maybe season 3, if a season 3 there will be. And with that Nikolai shadow mirror ending, I have hopes - not likely to happen, but hopes that we may get a possession plotline. Yes.PLEASE. 

Mal x Alina Still not feeling it, sorry not sorry. No offense to Archie at all, because this one is a writer’s problem I think. Mal is just... sorry but he’s so boring. He’s whitebread, an absolute lego block with zero personality. What was his character in season 1? A tracker obsessed with Alina. Season 2? A tracker obsessed with Alina. “You are my nation” my guy please have any sense of politics or personality. I always felt like they were better as a platonic brother-sister kind of relationship. I liked when they broke up because he didn’t “feel that pull” anymore because at least now Mal may actually develop into a character and not a plot device. Whatever the reverse of a Mary Sue is, that’s Mal in this show to me. Literally, he’s the firebird, his purpose is to be an amplifier to let Alina take down the fold. And now he’s done that. I dislike that he apparently just gets to be captain of a pirate ship now though, because the dude has never served a day in his life as a sailor. He hasn’t earned that captaincy. I also really dislike that the writers had Alina only acknowledge feelings for Mal this season, because if I’m honest, those feelings felt forced - kind of like she was mistaking the pull of the firebird amplifier for romantic feelings. I’m going to assume that’s the case for now, and hope the writers stop trying to force this on us, even if the source material does (as they have clearly gone in a new direction from the books, one can dream!)

The Crows I still love the Crows, or specifically, Jesper, Inej and Kaz. Jesper is a bi disaster, and I loved finding out he’s a Durast, and seeing that evolution in his character. I am so here for it. Super thrilled that Inej is finally free of her indenture, and I enjoyed learning some more of Kaz’s backstory and finding out why he is the way he is. I find them all pretty morally grey - to different degrees of course. Wylan was interesting, but I didn’t get attached to him or Wesper, that plot line is just fine to me. I like Nina alright, and she fits in well with the rest of them (every group needs their respective heartrender after all!), but if I’m honest... I just don’t care much for Helnik or Mathias overall. Him and Nina were pretty disconnected from everyone else in season 1, so I was kinda meh about them to start, and while Nina fit in well with the others, Mathias just hungout in jail all season. He seems nice enough (points for refusing to fight canines), but I just don’t... really care about his storyline. I did enjoy seeing the Crows have a whole revenge plotline and then jump back into the fray as Alina’s allies - evidently they care a bit about what happens in Ravka, they easily could have just said “whatever” but I guess it’s a “I’m one of the idiots who lives in this world” bits. 

Overall Impressions I enjoyed the season, but to be honest, some of it felt a bit odd in terms of balance. Some parts and relationships felt either rushed or not developed enough, and other times I was like “boy it’s been a while since we’ve seen the Darkling” and I’d realize I was like 30 minutes into the episode and he hadn’t shown up yet. I think maybe because they were adapting 2 books at the same time and adding the Crows storyline, it was perhaps a bit rushed/jam-packed. I also found it really odd pacing to have the Darkling die in the first 10 minutes of the final episode, leaving like... 45 minutes to go to wrap up everything else that season. Just pacing wise, it seems odd. Also, the only ship that really won this season was Wesper, huh? 

[when-wax-wings-melt]

OKAY. finished sab2 you can rant to me now tell me all your thoughts bc im still stewing

OKAY. OKAY.

overall opinion is that the crows should not have been in sab at all. it should have been solely Alina and her story. maybe a cameo of inej or Nina at MOST but certainly the crows should not have been involved.

because they WERE, they spent the whole season trying to find something for them to do, and settled on.???? ruining their characters. LMAOOO . first of all, they made it very much about romance which was strange, but mostly they fast tracked relationships and gave characters dynamics that were not true to their characters. the whole point of wesper is that wylan is near scandalized but then warms up to jespers jokes and all that. but they?? hooked up??? previously??? like what the fuck.

also severe erase of inej trauma! why does kaz get a full flashback backstory and inej doesn't? taking away tante heleen (particularly by someone else's hand) was a shit move since a woman being in charge of the brothel was super important!! pekka is supposed to be a reasonably irrational hatred of kaz (in that it's a grudge he specifically holds, and inej hates him by proxy) he's not supposed to OWN INEJ. also, when everyone else was having the hallucinations, why did everyone else get to imagine family and then inej got kaz's stupid ass?? where's her fucking brother???

also the Jesper and aditi hallucination was super expositiony and did his backstory dirty. I don't like that kaz got the only flashbacks it's kind of rude.

all in all, the crows overshadowed the shadow and bone cast w a kind of weak plot. it felt like major fan service. it also felt like they didn't know how to properly develop relationships and had to use everything from soc and ck instead of actually slowburning properly (kanej fucking SPEEDRAN, not to mention wesper)

onto the actual sab plotline

I detested mals character this season. he felt like a second choice, and they really erased the core of his conflict with Alina so the conflict they did have felt very manufactured and out of nowhere. the contrast of him fitting in anywhere and her always out of place was supposed to affect their relationship as well as her relationship w the darkling and it felt too rushed.

Nikolai I was also disappointed in. the point of him turning into the monster was that Alina loses everyone all the time, and it's more proof that the darklings words about her immortality and power means something. she has to witness him become a monster and turn to the darkling; now impossible, because unless they're launching immediately into kos (wonky idea) the darkling is fucking dead.

also WHY did they kill David off. for literally what reason. also they did zoya dirty and also they did not give genya as horrifying scars as she probably should have had but that's a separate issue. also tolya?? for no reason he was really outgoing suddenly.

putting both books 2&3 together WITH the crows was a bad move in my opinion, it made everything too rushed and felt like we didn't get nearly as much out of it as we could've. I liked some parts of it such as baghra and stuff but overall I was. I was pretty pissed by what they did LMAOO

[oretsev]

hi helloo, i'd just written a novel in ur askbox about s&b and then tumblr crashed and it was all lost :') maybe for the better because it was a total mess of thoughts lmao so let me try to summarise my feelings a bit (im sorry this turned out REALLY long)

i HATE that they speedran s&s and r&r in the most bullshit way possible. the entire amplifier hunt was basically removed, at least journey-wise - they just. find the sea whip in that one cave and then they go to morozova's workshop and thats it?? wheres the shu han quest. where the fuck is the ACTUAL spinning wheel. and why is alina not hounding everyone to find the firebird??? she's supposed to be obsessively seeking it now, why does she barely seem to care? also where's the actual ending to siege and storm. WHERE is my darkling & alina fight. wheres her being saved by mal... where's her white hair !!!! idk that scene was my favourite and once i knew we were getting a tv show i really wanted to see this on screen :((

all the characters and relationships they cut... harshaw, misha, ONCAT, tamar&nadia (because lbr they basically weren't there), honestly i even missed sergei and stigg (who i'd barely even remembered before), nadia and adrik as siblings even. they just cut all these people and their journeys with alina for what, a fetch quest for a magic sword?

also, where's the apparat and the soldat sol? we hear people call alina 'sankta', sure, but the entire religious part of ruin and rising is just. completely sidelined. which is really weird because it's so important!! tolya and tamar's faith is basically nonexistent and i don't like it at all

the whole firebird reveal was soooo boring. like i'm sorry but that scene in the book? absolutely perfect. but in the show... it's just a story! baghra just tells mal and thats it! honestly this entire season was so much telling and not showing too, soooo much exposition and it just really didnt work

now then. ive put this off long enough but. the fucking ending. dude... i don't even know where to begin. how do you fuck up the rewrite of your book so badly that the entire moral of your book is just. completely lost?? literally the entire trilogy is built on the "what is infinite? the universe and the greed of men" quote. you CANNOT disregard that in this way. the point of the entire story is that alina's greed is punished! she loses her powers and she loses mal (sort of). the fold is destroyed by her power but not by her, because she never should have had that much power! now... she loses nothing. she has her power, she has three amplifiers, she brought mal back with merzost (which is still. insane to me like i legit laughed out loud when that happened) and now she's general of the second army and also soon probably queen of ravka??? she doesnt lose ANYTHING to her greed.

and with the ending too... where the hell are they going to take this next? because theyre sure as hell not following the kos duology storyline, what with alina now being nikolai's general instead of zoya (which im also. really pissed off about because zoya's story is SO important and theyve just. shoved her to the side)

i also have some thoughts about the crows and how theyve been handled of course i just don't feel as passionately about them (also because they shouldnt have been in this show in the first place but thats just my opinion <3) but i do wonder how theyre gonna start the soc spinoff when theyve basically done so much of the crooked kingdom plot already? and inej is literally already sailing and finding slavers like... i have no idea how theyre going to dothis spinoff and make everyone happy

very small last points but im so mad that they did the "an ordinary life full of ordinary things" line and then decided to. include nikolai? what the actual fuck? and then they didnt even GIVE malina their ordinary life... sorry im so so angry about this ending

i'm sure ive got more to say but this is already wayy too long and i don't wanna bother u anymore but ive just been mad for 3 days straight and really needed to get this off my chest <3 im really disappointed that theyve managed to screw up my favourite book series of all time so i'm just going to reread r&r and forget this season exists :D hope u have a nice day and thank u for reading this dump slfksdj

RIP but ty for venting!!! i totally get everything you’re saying. all of this comes down to the writers smashing basically all of the books into one season for NO reason. all of the things that make the trilogy & duology interesting & compelling & complex are gone bc there’s no time to show them. it’s constantly going GO GO GO with the plot, & for what?? nothing got added to these characters this season, i didn’t feel any impact during any of the big reveals, i didn’t get any emotional payoff from these characters’ journeys.

& why change the ending the way they do? eric’s already said that a season 3 would go back & touch on s&s things they didn’t address. so this ending is meant to draw out alina & mal’s stories, but why do it this way? why backtrack like that? you could certainly draw out the trilogy without speed-running the original ending like this, but that doesn’t fit whatever weird narrative he has for the crows ig.

[heliads]

LISA! i'm so sorry is taking me so long to come here, things have been crazy this year but i had to tell you I'M GOING TO THE ERAS TOUR

i'm so happy!!!! i couldn't believe i got the tickets, it was so chaotic. but she's finally coming to brazil and i'll be able to go and it'll be like 2 weeks before my birthday so it's the best gift ever!!

i hope you're having a nice summer vacation!! get some rest and have fun, i'm sending a lot of love <3

about shadow and bone, i agree, season 2 was so disappointing. the cast is everything i dreamed about, i love them so much, but everything else... i still can't believed they combined s&s and r&r and somehow managed to erase half of alina's story. i think it's so disrespectful with the fans and even with jessie mei li, we lost a lot of character depth and all of her internal battle, i was pissed

and there's some things that were just so ???

i mean, nikolai is this incredible privateer and tolya and tamar are great and they have so much sea experience, but still they decided to go walking with alina, mal and 3 other guys into that little cavern to try and kill something called the sea whip, a million years mythological monster. it doesnt make any sense.

all of genya's arc was messed up, i was so mad that they kept the king during all of vasily's dinner but they had to kill him there so she wouldn't be able to do the "i'm not ruined, i'm ruination" moment. and yes, she confronted the queen, but it's SUCH a moment in the book when she gathers up confidence to confront the man who abused her for years and we were robbed. also, they gave her like, two scars

the darkling looked like he was dying the whole season, if alina didn't kill him, he would've died of pneumonia in two weeks lol

and they did the crows so dirty, if we do get the spin off i wonder how the hell they're going to justify inej's return. she has absolutely no reason to join the heist, she's already free and in a ship living her best life

and yes, mal as sturmhond was traumatizing. and so was the little hint at tolya and inej possibly being a couple. i wanted to cry.

but sujaya was so pretty and her little wink when zoya is talking to alina made me faint so that was great. paddy as nikolai had me in a chokehold the entire time and honestly, every single actor is so good in that show

OMG ERAS TOUR!!! tell me EVERYTHING when you go, the video clips i've seen of her past performances look INCREDIBLE. does this mean you get to see sabrina carpenter too??

and yes, all of your shadow and bone thoughts are so correct. i mean it KILLS me because the show should be so good! their casting was incredible and the costumes are fantastic and the cgi is good and the locations are great... and the source material worked just fine... but no, they butchered everything. there was no reason to do that! i know shows are getting canceled left and right so they felt like they had to streamline it so they could get to everything but girl... WHY

it was so great to hear from you!! hoping you're doing well too xoxo

[daylightaftertherain]

finished s&b season 2, random thoughts below (spoilers obviously)

THE CROWS but esp wylan bc he's my son and I love him

not the biggest fan of how they ended up combining the two series together, the crows definitely deserve much more than this, and also I kind of hate how they're just pulling things out of both six of crows and crooked kingdom randomly with no regard for how the scenes reflected the characters' arcs

kaz and jordie though? TRAUMATIZING

idk why they included jesper's mom in there either, it was fun seeing him using his powers but the books do SO much better at realistically handling him overcoming his feelings of guilt and fear over an extended period of time with support from people he loves, rather than him suddenly gaining clarity because of a poison trip hallucination

also the last ep handled everything weirdly imo, like inej already hunting down slavers when that makes no sense for what her arc was in the books, and right after the "how will you have me" scene too (still iconic though)

wesper should've gotten their slowburn, but I will still happily replay their scenes until I feel something because I'm still a sucker for wesper being couply even if their relationship was super rushed

thank god for kit and jack doing the "just girls" scene during promo because the show's effectively eliminated any chance of that <3

ICE COURT ICE COURT ICE COURT ICE COURT >:D

JURDA PAREM

really really hope they handle wylan and van eck properly if we get a third season

overall I just think the writers either didn't fully understand the crows' personalities and stories and picked whatever was most popular within the book's fandom, which, yeah, you have to do some fan service, but this has zero regard for what people who've read the books actually wanted, and while I did enjoy watching, I really would've preferred their stories getting handled with care (even if it meant less screentime)

also can we stop with the whole pulling shit out of our asses that have nothing to do with adapting the books faithfully and don't even contribute to the plot of the show thank you

enough about the crows ahjsgjkhfdhf let's move on to shadow and bone

still despise alina with either mal or the darkling, I'm sorry but they both do not deserve her and she had better chemistry with nikolai in five minutes than those two ever did

tolya and tamar were some of my favorites unsurprisingly, they're iconic and I would do anything for them (and tamar getting her sapphic love story oh my god)

I also loved alina's interactions with the crew and basically anyone who wasn't mal or the darkling, she's thriving this season and I'm glad she's becoming her own person

nikolai was so well portrayed, really hope he gets his king of scars arc and we get to see more of him, but I think they should've kept in the bit where he was basically a volcra for a while (probabaly got cut because of budget or smth but it added so much to his character)

why would they kill off david (I'm half-holding onto the show/movie logic of not seeing the body yet but STILL) it's way too early in the overall plot of the book series, and I can't enjoy the show when they pull things from different points in the timeline without any reasoning behind it, it's just lazy and stupid. also genya did not deserve this much suffering in one season istfg

I skipped most of the darkling's scenes because that man pisses me off so much, but ben barnes did a good job at adding depth to him after baghra's death

speaking of baghra she's an a+ character, no notes

that's it I guess? def forgot some thoughts that I might add later, but yeah this season was fun and I had a good time, there's just some huge issues with how they adapted the books to the show, and their handling of all of the characters

[guiltyofbitchcraft]

Whoop okay I watched season 2 of Shadow and Bone and ughhhhhh I have a lot of feelings. I am mostly pissed off tbh. I totally get that they rushed so much because they were concerned about Netflix canceling them. I get that! But the pacing was not even close to the only issue I had with it.

Before I continue I do want to clarify that I was not like miserable the entire time I was watching it. I enjoyed a lot of parts and I was invested! The actors did a phenomenal job the way I knew they would and the effects looked great. It was really fun and enjoyable at parts! I just wish the whole show could've been like that.

Yes, I am one of the people pissed about the ending. I get them changing it so that they could still have those two characters around moving forward but it really felt like it was a disservice to the characters, their journeys, and the point of their journeys in the books. I get not everyone likes the ending, hell not everyone likes the og trilogy. That's fine! I'm not one of those people but everyone's going to have their own opinions. But considering this show is supposed to be adapting the first trilogy first, I think it should be pretty damn important for it to pay attention to what the characters' motivation and journeys are and how they influence the plot/are influenced by the plot. I know I'm being slightly vague, I'm sorry I don't have the spoons right now to go into full details but anyways I just think Mal and Alina deserved better.

Also the changes to the story didn't just affect Mal and Alina's plot. The crows got their timeline rearranged, and while we knew that from the first season, it just bugged me even more this season. I loved the crows' content, however, knowing how these things play out in the books and that they were not only spedrun but removed from their original context just kinda bums me out! That means that if the show isn't canceled (or if that rumored Six of Crows spinoff gets greenlit) we won't get to see those scenes or plot points in their full glory!

The King of Scars plots are also clearly going to change if the show moves forward (I'm so mad about David). I really hope they slow down their pace for that because I don't know how they're going to do the ice court job and king of scars at the same time (mainly idk how they're going to juggle Nina).

Anyways I just feel so disappointed. I know this is an adaptation and I was by no means expecting a play-for-play recreation of the books. But I was hoping for more, that the changes would be thought through and that the characters' plots would be more respected. If there's a season 3 or a spin-off show I'll still probably watch it just out of curiosity and my love for the books but my expectations are so low now. This season had some highlights, but the ending just kinda painted it all in a different light to me. It really bummed me out.

[i-have-ink-for-blood]

SPOILERS FOR SHADOW AND BONE SEASON 2

why the shadow and bone season 2 pisses me off

1. most of all i’m angry at how they changed inej. she was less outspoken about her beliefs in my opinion. she also didn’t deal with any of her trauma. most of all she doesn’t become an independent kickass captain. she works for mal ?? also what was that between tolya and inej? like whatttt

2. connected to one. the general disrespect for the crows characters/their arcs. they made kaz so rash and make so many bad decisions. where was his cleverness ?? there wasn’t enough scheming. i saw someone else say this but nina was so 2d ?? also what happened to the kanej or wesper slow burns ?? to wylan learning from kaz and becoming a criminal ?? to jesper and his father and his growth to accepting himself.

3. killing david off early ?? umm. no. also i’m always one to support a morally gray woman but what the fuck are they doing to alina’s character?? i liked that she could go off and be happy ? and we could focus on the triumvirate of david, genya, and zoya ?? but instead they kill off david and she instead starts using merzost/shadow and becomes power hungry ? like her and mals new ending ruins so many characters plot lines

that was alot. there’s so much more but i’m kinda pissed and i’m not going to continue right now. i might add more later

i understand it’s just a series. they’re fictional characters. but they gutted these beloved characters because they thought it would sell better. and yeah i’m pretty upset about it. it would’ve been a fun watch if i had no knowledge of the series but i just can’t

[citrusacidic]

YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR LATEST POST DAVE’S DEVELOPMENT PLEASE ELABORATE ON THAT!! :0

THANK U SO MUCH FOR ASKING ME ABOUT HIM im so happy to share

The reason why i like Dave so much as an antagonist is because he’s not similar to any other main antagonist we’ve ever had on TD in terms of motivation to win the million. I just find the reasons he did what he did to be really interesting.

In terms of development he started of as a protagonist, one of the good guys, a major part of his character for the first majority of TDPI was that he was the ONLY normal character. Everyone else to him was crazy and too weird to function well on this show. He’s almost the underdog in the sense that, because he’s outnumbered by everyone elses favor, you want HIM to win. As the season progresses his infatuation with Sky gets like,, borderline weird. They both obviously like each other and when Dave asked Sky out and she said that she liked him, he refused to listen to anything else she said and acted really delusional and irrational about it. He assumed that that was her accepting his feelings and them officially dating when that wasnt the case at all, and he wouldnt let her elaborate on her reasons anyways.

At some point in the season its very obvious he doesnt care about the game or the money, and he only really cares about sky (another character working in the same vein and line of thinking as that being, yknow, sierra) in the episode where hes voted off he campaigns for himself to be kicked off??? because he felt bad or smth????? idk its crazy.

This is the part in his development that i really like though, is when he and jasmine come back as helpers. For the most part Daves fine, mostly being mopey dopey because of sky until she lies about them dating or something. Until Chris shows him and Jasmine the videos of Shawns confessionals and Skys audition. Dave takes that audition tape as a hard stop rejection (like the other actual hard stop rejections weren’t?) and gets fuckin PISSED. When he and jasmine are given the opportunity to stop shawn and sky from winning and win themselves, Daves motive are like,, really unique to me?

Every other antagonist in TD has had the motive that they wanted the million dollars for themself, because THEY wanted to use it. Heather, alejandro, scott, lightning, jo, mal, FUCK i mean SCARLETT? same god damn season??? They all wanted to win the million to use for themselves. DAVE, however, wanted the million dollars because he wanted to burn it in front of Sky because he was mad that she rejected him. Which btw, is the most incel behavior ever seen on this show. At the point in the finale where he is trying to actually win the million, his biggest goals are to either WIN the million dollars to BURN in front of sky, or fucking KILL sky trying to. Which is intense as FUCK and SO interesting and awful, its my favorite.

thats my analysis of Dave *bows* hope u all find it as interesting as i do

[mangora]

Ask ship game: camzoke, chref, uhhhhh alemike?

Camzoke:

What made you ship it?: I feel like all three of them really helped each other grow and just had a wholesome relationship in ROTI, it was really cute!

Favorite thing about the ship?: I think all three of them contributed to each other’s arcs in a circular way and made each other more confident, plus Cameron and Zoey explicitly don’t really have friends in canon and it’s implied Mike has social issues as well due to his disorder so I think that first major bond between the three of them would really push them into liking each other. They’re also just such dorks I love when partners are just absolute goofs t

Unpopular opinion on the ship: not on the ship but on the relationship in general platonic and romantic, really annoys me when people treat Mike and Zoey like Cameron’s parents. He’s their age and he’s a genius and won a season by himself like he doesn’t need them to take care of him especially after his S4 arc

Chref:

What made you ship it?: Their interactions in Action were really reminiscent of a couple I think and the fact they were so devastated about potentially losing each other just really strengthened not just their bond but both of them as characters, it’s actually one of the only things I liked in that season it was so humanizing for them and I feel like we never got that again

Favorite thing about the ship?: I feel like they’re both good influences on each other and I liked seeing them communicate and mature because of each other. Also I just love when two fucked up characters find each other and become like silly partners in crime and are the only ones who get each other

Unpopular opinion on the ship: Don’t like when Chef is shown as holding back Chris from doing dumb shit because they canonically do the dumb shit together like 90% of the time. Chef ran around dressed up as a serial killer for the lolz and threw knives at kids he’s not that responsible /pos

Alemike:

What made you ship it?: I have a whole other post on this from like idk a month ago but I also love the trope of flirty character x character who is trying not to fall for them and failing, and that’s…literally them. Mike would definitely treat him like he does Scott for a while and avoid him bc he thinks he’s insane but Alejandro would be very persistent and also he’s charming and I think specifically after Mal comes back, if Mike were able to front they’d have a sort of unspoken bond over Alejandro knowing his secret

Favorite thing about the ship?: Pretty much what I said above but also I think Alejandro could help Mike be more honest with his own feelings. I love Zoke a lot it’s one of my favorite ships ever but in canon especially in All Stars I feel like it’s almost too fluffy and neither of them would be adjusted enough to disagree with each other or express their non-lovey feelings, so I think Alejandro would work well for that. Not in the way where Mike would like read him to filth but in the way where he’d be less afraid to be vulnerable if that makes sense

Unpopular opinion on the ship?: not necessarily about the ship but I’m tired of babying Mike, Mike would say fuck he would tell Alejandro to fuck off at first this boy has never agreed with himself in his life and he would have a whole crisis and be pissed at himself for liking Alejandro because morals etc etc and I think that’s honestly funnier

[pair-annoyed]

Anime I Watched in Quarantine

With some of the restrictions being lifted, I wanted to make a sort of master post to see just how much I’ve watched in my time off. Plus, I wanted to share something more lighthearted with everyone.

All of these anime will be rated on a 1-10 scale, 10 meaning masterpiece, 1 meaning complete garbage. I’ll also share what I liked/didn’t like about each show. This list will go in chronological order, and will encompass all anime from 3/13 - 6/13. Multiple Seasons will be grouped together. 

1. Beastars - 8/10 

I dig how human and down-to-earth Beastars is. The pacing was a nice and the animation was unexpectedly great! It’s driving force is its characters and their interactions. Felt a little slow at times, and Juno annoys me, but that’s okay. I’ll be watching season 2.

2. Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun - 8/10 

Oh my god! This visuals for this were absolutely wonderful! It did feel a little cliche at times, I won’t lie. But, I still loved all of these characters and the nice balance between creepy and comedy. 

3. Ao No Exorcist - 6/10 

I posted about this one after I finished it. The ending really pissed me off. I feel like if I had watched this when I was 13, I would’ve given it a higher score. Compared to some of the other shounen I’ve watched, this felt a bit basic. That doesn’t mean I still didn’t like it. Still have to get around to watching season 2...

4.  Kaichou wa Maid-sama! 6.5/10

Shoujo usually isn’t my cup of tea. Maid-sama was a nice way to ease into the cliches of shoujo. Misaki is a great protagonist and the ending Maid-sama was so satisfying. I’m only giving it a low score because of its slow pacing and lack of certain character development. 

5.  Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou  - 7/10

I’m a big Violet Evergarden fan to begin with, so of course I liked this movie. It did not resonate with me as much as the series itself, but I still enjoyed it. Kyoto animation is never disappointing in their visuals and sound design 

6.  Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! - 8/10 

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren - 6.5/10 

Chuunibyou was a breath of fresh air for me. It was so different from all other romance anime I had seen at the time. It for sure has a slice of life vibe to it, but it was still so good! It reminded me of being in middle school and my “chuunibyou” phase. The second season was not as enjoyable as the first. I guess I just had higher expectations for Rikka and Yuuta. 

7. Dr. Stone - 7/10

Dr. Stone is honestly such a perfect shounen for me. I’m a science nerd, and with taking AP Chem this year it was kind of nice to sorta apply my knowledge. This show also has some of the best reaction images ever. The tone, however, is a little inconsistent which made it hard to keep watching. I do love the relationship between Senku and his Dad, that whole sub-plot was so endearing.

8. Oshiete! Galko-chan - 6/10

This one only gets a low score because its so short and the op takes up like half an episode. This show had been in the back of my mind for a while. I decided to watch it after seeing a video essay discussing it. Its masterful subversion of tropes and stereotypes was refreshing. The message of this show is so positive, and everyone can benefit from watching something like this.  

9. Mairimashita Iruma-kun  - 5/10 

The second half of Mairimashita Iruma-kun was so much better. I’m not completely sure why I didn’t like this as much as I should have. Overall, its a really average show. The comedy (and musical numbers???) give this show and charismatic and chaotic vibe. I’m someone who focuses primarily on character-character interactions, and this show definitely had it. It isn’t monogatari levels of dialogue but it’s still nice. For the studio’s low budget, they were able to make a really bright and colorful show. I’ll be watching season 2.  

10. Byousoku 5 Centimeter - 8/10

Very. VERY. Pretty!! This one was another one that didn’t completely resonate with me emotionally. I still loved the story and the way it was told. Its not like Your Name or Tenki no Ko, it’s realistic and grounded.

11. Mob Psycho 100 - 8/10

Mob Psycho 100 II - 9/10 

Style alone made Mob Psycho 100 so impressive. By the second half of each season I was emotional invested in Mob and his whole journey. Season 2 is receiving a higher score because it was able to make me cry. That’s something I NEVER expected. I’m mad I didn’t watch this sooner. It is a great balance of action, comedy, and heart. 

12. Noragami Aragoto - 8/10 

Not sure why I put off Norogami’s second season for so long. I absolutely loved it. The focus on Bishimon was a nice change of pace and it was great to see Yukine develop more as a character and begin to loose his arrogance. Kazuma was my favorite character in all of this. His ability to affect the people around him was presented nicely. I was emotionally invested the whole way through, and I’ll probably pick up the manga. 

13. Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji - 3/10

Ah yes. My least favorite thing on planet earth. This is a wonderful example of Shoujo at its worst. Their relationship was incredibly toxic, and the characters themselves were poorly developed and generic. The whole time all I could think was that I was watching normalized Stockholm Syndrome. Our MC deserves so much better. 

14. Youjo Senki - 6/10

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting to like Youjo Senki as much as I did. I’m not usually one for iesekai. The action was great, but the use of CGI bogged down scenes. I do NOT really like the protagonist that much because she came across as apathetic. Towards the end, I started to like her more. This was also my first military/warfare-focused anime. If either a movie or second season is made, I will probably not watch it. 

15. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica - 6.5/10

I wanted to like Madoka Magica more than I did. I really did. The style was compelling and the story was interesting. Especially in the beginning, a lot of the death and sad stuff didn’t feel all that sad. The last 4 episodes are a solid 8/10, I love time shenanigans. The emotions and character development really shined through in the end. Madoka is such an inherently kind-hearted person, I love her so much! 

16. Yakusoku no Neverland - 8.5/10 

I was expecting Yakusoku no Neverland to be more graphic, but I’m kind of glad it didn’t go that route. Like Madoka, the last four episodes had me really invested. However, the character development was not as rushed. It’s a smart show and welcomed change of pace. Emma is my favorite character and you bet I’ll be watching season 2. The more I think about this show, the more I appreciate it. 

17. Mo Dao Zu Shi - 9/10

Mo Dao Zu Shi 2nd Season - 8/10 

I know that is is technically a donghua, but I’m counting it as an anime because its on MAL. Amazing visuals and an incredibly layered story.  Censorship makes it difficult to fully appreciate this work and its original novel. Even though I was confused for the first 2 episodes, Mo Dao Zu Shi did a great job of developing the time period and character relationships. The second season wasn’t as satisfying as the first but still great! I don’t think I’ll be watching the live action anytime soon, but I believe that a 3rd season is confirmed for 2020.

18. Banana Fish - 8.5/10

I knew nothing about Banana Fish going into it. Although I didn’t cry at the ending, it definitely made me feel some type of way. Kind of... numb. Banana Fish is painfully realistic. So much so that I had to take a break after episode 15 because I felt sick to my stomach. I also praise Banana Fish for it’s healthy, non-fetishized relationship representation. Eiji and Ash have such a complex but healthy relationship. I hope Banana Fish is able to pave the way for better representation in media. 

19. Promare - 5/10 

Why do people praise Promare so much? I hated how predictable it was. The whole movie felt like a 2 hour animation flex for Trigger. The only character in this movie that didn’t manage to piss me off it some way was Lio. The only other thing I’ve seen by studio Trigger is Kill la Kill, so compared to that, this felt like such a step down. :( I was disappointed. 

20. Given - 6/10

Given made me both sad and made me want to start a band. Overall the animation is nothing special, I do like the reactions that some of the characters had. Especially that “It’s Mutual” gif set. I couldn’t get over how much Ritsuka looks like Kageyama. My only complaint was how rushed Mafuyu and Ritsuka’s relationship felt. More time should have been dedicated to Mafuyu dealing with and moving past the loss in his life. All that said, I’m still watching the movie.

21. Enen no Shouboutai - 5/10 

Generic Shounen, bad ending, great animation. Need I say more? I did not watch Soul Eater (made by same creator), but this was enjoyable. Really cool fights, not so cool character development. A lot of the explanations towards the end felt like complete bull shit. Same energy as using fancy sounding science words to explain things. 

22. Hataraku Maou-Sama - 5.5/10

This is another show I felt I would’ve liked more if I watched it when I was younger. The iesekai trope is so beaten down that classics like this don’t really carry as much weight as they originally did. A 24 episode season with more Slice of Life episodes would’ve benefited this series greatly.

23. BNA - 7/10

BNA, in my opinion, was so much better than Promare. Like Hataraku Maou-sama, BNA would’ve benefited from a longer season with more Slice of Life Episodes. Trigger’s newer animation is beautiful and I really hope BNA gets renewed for a second season. The ending was cliche as hell, but still really enjoyed this show!

24. Devilman: Crybaby - 7/10 

A.K.A. The one show I’ve got to watch when I know I’m alone. The use of multiple languages besides Japanese in the sub was a unique take. The animation was also a little jarring at first, but I came to love it. The themes in this are not the most positive. The end left me feeling numb, but also appreciative. Ryo pissed me off as soon as he tried to kill that cat, so it was hard to sympathize with him in the very end. It is a really good show, but also sickening, Watch at your own discretion.  

[jess-rewatches-prodigalson]

Alma Mater (S2, E3)

My time-stamped thoughts for this episode. As always I reference Malcolm’s mental health. A lot. So if that’s going to be a trigger for you, don’t keep reading. 

SPOILERS AHEAD:

0:20 - There’s no way Martin is actually going to escape Claremont until AT LEAST the season finale.

0:55 - Anyone else annoyed that Ainsley isn’t in Martin’s fantasy? I mean - it’s completely in character but it still pisses me off. 

1:49 - I’m sorry - what? How will pouring Malcolm a drink help this fictional situation?

2:00 - Malcolm ruining Martin’s fantasy dream is honestly such a mood. 

2:10 - “That little kill joy.” haha 

2:21 - Malcolm has a stationary bike. Of course he does. But why does he listen to the personal trainer lady (who I assume was a recording programmed on the bike)? Malcolm doesn’t seem like he needs praise or motivation to exercise. He probably does it the way I do - mindlessly as a habit. A habit built from the knowledge that if I skip a morning workout I will feel more unsettled and anxious than usual before lunch....and don’t even get me started on how quickly my depressive thoughts escalate. 

2:24 - ....I’m still convinced/hoping that this is a false memory Martin has planted in Malcolm. I’m all for Malcolm whump and Malcolm trauma...but the thought of Gil, the team, and Jessica finding out that Malcolm committed a crime terrifies me. I don’t want him to go to jail. I don’t want Gil and the team to turn their back on him. I don’t want Jessica to blame herself (more than usual).

2:39 - I love that the “Malcolm pretty much only feeds himself liquorice and lollipops” is still canon this season.

2:42 - OMG. That is not a helpful affirmation. Like maybe for anyone? If you’re traumatized/depressed/anxious “consider the past and you shall know the future” is not comforting or inspiring. It’s the opposite.

2:48 - I’m loving how confidently Malcolm has been shutting down Martin’s manipulation. #soproud

2:52 - Anyone else super upset that Martin is the person with whom Malcolm discusses his mental health the most honestly? 

3:12 - Check out the way Mr. David looks at Martin here. Does Mr. David already know about Endicott? Or is he just like, “Bitch, spit it out so I don’t have to keep guessing your current family drama.”?

3:17 - “Let’s have another session today.” .....Does Martin really think he’s Malcolm’s new therapist? DOES MALCOLM THINK THAT? IS THAT WHY HE ISN’T SEEING GABRIELLE? HAS MARTIN MANIPULATED HIM INTO THINKING THAT HE DOESN’T NEED GABRIELLE?!?

3:22 - hahahaha OMG. Mr.David is so done with Martin’s theatrics.

3:32 - Ok so two things:

Martin’s insight on Malcolm’s mental health/coping mechanisms is disturbingly on point. Almost like he’s an attentive, caring, father (which he isn’t). 

How long was Gil outside Malcolm’s door before he knocked? Do you think he overheard Malcolm’s side of the conversation? I kind of hope he did. But only if it means I get to see Gil asking Malcolm about it.

3:50 - “Put me on speaker.” I’m torn. Part of me is so proud of Malcolm for denying Martin’s need for attention....but part of me is living for a Martin/Gil showdown where they fight over Malcolm in front of Malcolm.

3:54 - Ok. So Gil was a jerk last episode but I forgive him. Gil just showed up at Malcolm’s apartment to tell him about a case instead of calling Malcolm. Gil knew Malcolm would be upset. Gil knew that Malcolm needed to hear this in person. <3 My heart is full. <3 

4:12 - Concerned!Gil is everything. Look at how much he cares about Malcolm and what this case will inevitably bring up for Malcolm. You can almost see how badly Gil doesn’t want Malcolm on this case. 

4:13 - “What if I said I need you?” Damn. Gil knows. He knows that Malcolm desperately doesn’t want to ever disappoint Gil. Gil is Malcolm’s hero and, when Malcolm is thinking straight, he’d do anything for Gil. 

4:17 - <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Gil looks so sad when he notices Malcolm’s hand shaking. Can a heart simultaneously break and heal? 

4:23 - Oh yeah. Gil definitely wanted Brumback dead for what he did to Malcolm. He doesn’t even try giving Malcolm the “you’re being insensitive” look. 

4:42 - Wow. That school is nicer than my university. 

4:47 - Do you think Gil’s been to the school before? To visit and/or pick up Malcolm? ....I really want to believe he did. Gil looks like he’s leading Malcolm through campus. Gil looks like he’s familiar with the campus. Surely that means he visited Malcolm there. Right?

5:17 - So...was the “office under water” thing officially a prank? It’s brutal. Forget the murder, Brumback would’ve expelled kids for that prank. 

5:27 - I love how Dani looks at Gil for clarification here. She’s like, “Malcolm is upset, ranting, and making no sense. I’m not going to set him off further by asking more questions. But I need to know what the hell he’s going on about.”

5:40 - Soooo is JT texting Dani? Or is Tally? I really hope it’s Tally. I hope Dani’s texts are all reading something along the lines of “He won’t stop pacing and panicking. If he doesn’t calm down I’m going to slap him.”

5:43 - I love the look of disbelief that Gil shoots Dani when her phone goes off. haha

5:52 - hahaha Gil so heard Edrisa the first time. He was just giving her a chance to conform to professional social standards. 

6:03 - hahahaha OMG. Edrisa is a treasure.

6:56 - awww Malcolm, baby. :( This boy has so much trauma. I love it. 

7:07 - I’m assuming Malcolm’s ‘high school’ was grades 10-12 (not 8-12 which is common in the area of Canada where I grew up) so that means Tom Payne is currently being passed off as a 15-16 year old. It kinda works. But ngl - I spent most of this scene thinking “could they not hire a kid because of COVID?” 

7:12 - I’m not actually mad that Tom Payne was allowed to play high school Malcolm though. His performance in this scene is really moving. “Be someone new.” :( <3

7:45 - Sooooo Malcolm changed his name before he was legally an adult. If it’s his legal last name (we see “Bright” on pill bottles in S1 so it’s his legal name now at least) Jessica had to have signed the paperwork. Damn. I wish I was there to see that process regardless of when it became his legal last name.

7:49 - Baby Malcolm looks so comforted by Martin’s acceptance of his new name and new school. It breaks my heart. 

8:00 - Wait. There was a teacher who liked Malcolm at this school? The son a serial killer? AND the teacher recognizes Malcolm 15 years later?!? Nah. I don’t buy it. I love Malcolm but I feel like the teachers would’ve avoided developing any sort of relationship with Malcolm even if they didn’t have a problem with him. 

8:05 - Hold up. This school is so fancy. Are you telling me they don’t have outdoor security cameras? Surely those would’ve told you who the suspects for the desk thing were at least. 

8:15 - awwww poor Malcolm looks shattered here. :( 

8:31 - “Easy. Let’s keep an open mind.”  That is pure Dad!Gil energy and I’m here for it. 

8:39 - Of course. Of course Jessica is involved in the rich school. 

8:51 - I’m on Gil and Malcolm’s side here. Jessica is putting her reputation over Malcolm’s mental health. Shame on her. No no. I will not stand for this - and neither will Gil. Damn. Look at how pissed he is on Malcolm’s behalf. <3 So sweet. 

9:06 - “Pop-pop’s aquatic center”!?!? Soooo is Pop-pop Jessica’s grandfather or Malcolm’s? Either way give me more information about the extended family. Are they dead? Did they disown them after the Surgeon business? I WANT ANSWERS FEDAK. 

9:15 - I swear. Malcolm is the best son/brother ever. The sacrifices he makes for his Mom/sister are unreal. Also - how much do you want to bet that Malcolm was thinking about the Endicott murder coming out when Jessica said, “how soon until they connect that back to me?”. Malcolm looks so sad here. 

9:23 - Nah. I don’t like Delaney. Even on the first watch I was put off by him. Something about him just creeps me out. He’s showing a weird amount of affection for Malcolm 15 years after Malcolm finished school. IDK maybe I was just upset that someone was trying to mimic Gil’s relationship with Malcolm? 

9:27 - oooooooohhhhh Mom and Dad are fighting. hahaha Malcolm looks so uncomfortable. Gil looks livid. Is Gil pissed because Jessica dumped him or because she totally just neglected Malcolm’s well-being for her own? Probably both. Either way, it’s endlessly entertaining. 

9:53 - I’m on Gil’s side here. She dumped him (like a f**ing moron) because she “doesn’t want to hurt him” and because she’s “broken” and “cursed”. Yet - she manipulates her way into cases. Making her business Gil’s. Gil should be pissed - she broke his heart. Again. Like he’s literally been choosing to hang out with Malcolm, Jessica’s (let’s face it) broken son, for more than 20 years. Jessica’s crazy if she thinks that she’s going to get Gil killed or hurt just because she’s a Whitly. Malcolm’s technically a Whitly - Gil hasn’t died yet. 

10:15 - “Not usually.” Dang. That was icy.

10:50 - Yo this is one messed up bible study. Take it from someone who has attended many young adult/teenage bible studies. This is crazy. Usually it’s: read the bible for 5-10 minutes as a group, discuss how you interpreted it for 15-20 mins, pray as a group for 5 mins, then like an hour of tea/coffee, cookies, board games, and general chatting about normal stuff like romance, school, and personal drama. 

11:44 - “Poor Tally.” hahaha I’m willing to bet that Tally is texting Dani - not JT. I just can’t imagine a panicking, first-time father, texting his little sister with accurate medical details about his wife’s pre-labour experience. He’s probably way too panicked to remember the medical jargon that is “foley ballon”.

12:00 - I’ve watched this scene about 30 times. I’m in love with it. Tom Payne’s performance is haunting and I’m a sucker for emotional whump. I love how Dani is concerned about Malcolm but respectful enough to pry until he shuts down. I love Malcolm’s little speech about the hand tremor (even though it doesn’t make sense because baby Malcolm’s hand was shaking when Shannon interrogated him - but that’s a whole different can of worms I’m not going to rant about).

 12:39 - Does anyone else think it’s weird that there’s a bolt on the closet door? Why isn’t there a lock in the door handle like every other interior school door? I mean, I guess it’s because they can be unlocked from the inside and Nicky would’ve needed a key....but still. The things I forgive for the sake of plot. 

13:25 - Damn. Brumback was a real jerk. “I know what you really are.” Do you know how painful that would be for Malcolm to hear? Regardless of what he almost did to Nicky? Everywhere Malcolm goes people accuse him of being just like his father. Is it surprising that in a moment of weakness, with teenage hormones, Malcolm snapped and said, “Eff it. They think I’m a murderer anyways.”

13:26 - OMG. How bad were the kids at this school?!?! Brumback expelled so many kids. Holy hell. Also - Brumback is wearing a wedding ring. Did he get divorced before he died? Did his wife pass away before him? Why was his family not part of this investigation at all?

13:31 - Brumback writing “Malcolm Whitly” instead of Malcolm Bright is....ouch. I just. My heart breaks for Malcolm.

13:37 - OMG. Traumatized people going through PTSD flashbacks should not be unattended next to a pool of water. Honestly - I thought our boy was going to drown. Which the whumper in me would’ve loved but also I don’t think it was right for the plot on this one. 

14:38 - Martin is such a liar. He definitely thinks he’s God’s gift to the Earth. 

15:02 - Martin knows a lot about the security zones. Something tells me this isn’t the first time he’s contemplated escaping. 

15:04 - Oh shit. Daryl has an imaginary cell mate. I know that’s a serious mental illness and I shouldn’t laugh but OMG. The moment Martin realizes that Daryl is delusional is priceless. hahahaha

15:25 - How much to do want to bet Mr. David has a red key card? Martin’s grin confirms it. 

15:40 - Wow. The classrooms in this high school are really big. I would’ve thought this fancy private school would have smaller class sizes.

15:49 - YES. OMG. Malcolm walking into that classroom soaking wet is golden. *chef’s kiss* Look at Gil’s face - it’s a mixture of concern and disbelief. He’s soooo worried about Malcolm right now. <3 

16:07 - It’s a good thing Malcolm’s rich because that phone is never going to be useful again. 

16:20 - ahhahahaha OMG. WTF. Gil’s little twinkle-finger wave is hilarious. 

16:38 - This whole scene Gil is just staring at Malcolm with so much concern. It warms my cold, dead heart. <3

16:46 - Do you think Malcolm looked for his name in the book? Is it the same book? Do you think Brumback expelled enough kids that this is a new black book?

17:08 - Ok. So I immediately don’t like Louisa. That level of confidence and self-absorption is very unattractive. 

17:25 - Louisa volunteers in the library. That’s how she got access to the poison. 

17:35 - “Dude. You’re dripping.” “Yeah. Water does that.” Can Malcolm be this sassy every episode?!? I’m living for it. 

17:57 - “Boys right? Oof” haha I love Malcolm talking to teenagers. I want it in every episode. ALSO - the jock’s story about the two girls - I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how that an expulsion level offence unless the kid is leaving something out of the story. 

18:31 - Of course they talked about this before they came there. DELANEY WARNED THEM. But mostly to keep his little cheating ring hush hush. 

18:55 - And just like that we’ve been blessed with Malcolm in casual clothes. Wish I could’ve seen Gil question Malcolm’s swim though. 

19:26 - OMG. Edrisa is such a cute little nerd. <3 Protect her at all costs. 

20:00 - Gil and Jessica arguing is amazing. I’m loving it and hating it. Because I want them to live happily ever after in a fairytale world but I do enjoy the drama. 

20:06 - hahaha look at how Jessica just pushes Gil to the side and plows on to Malcolm. This woman is fierce.

20:11 - Yes. Yes Malcolm. Tell Mom she has unrealistic and insensitive expectations of you.

 20:18 - What kind of school is this?!? The board of trustee members are buddy buddy with the students?!? 

20:22 - “They’re all from impeccable families.” “So was I” Mic drop. Watch Malcolm drop the truth bombs. This is maybe the best line in this episode. 

20:30 - “And just like you - none of them is capable of murder.” .....well this sentence is going to come back and bite Jessica in the butt later this season. 

20:44 - The fact that these kids think Edrisa is a freshman is actually hilarious to me. 

20:50 - OMG. “Welcome to boarding school. Bitch.” I was ready for Louisa to die right here. She just punched Edrisa and then called her a bitch. No no no. Edrisa is a quirky treasure and we must protect her. 

21:00 - Damn. I wish we got to see the team’s reaction when they found out one of their teenage suspects assaulted their favourite M.E.

21:10 - Why is it soooo attractive when Malcolm wears casual shirts under a suit jacket? 

21:53 - “My vote is for Louisa. The girl’s got a heavy fist.” hahaha I love Edrisa. SO SO much. 

22:05 - Soooo is Jessica some sort of consultant now? They used her to interview cult extractors and now rich, teenage murder suspect. Is she the “rich person investigator” now?

22:11 - Does Louisa know that Malcolm is Jessica’s son?

23:04 - Louisa is a bad liar. 

24:15 - Delaney should be ashamed. He told Nicky who Malcolm’s dad was. He is the reason that Malcolm got locked in a closet for 3 days. He is the reason Malcolm is claustrophobic. This man should have his teaching license seized and be charged with child abuse. What he did was absolutely despicable. 

24:35 - “My mom’s sending a car.” It’s nice that Malcolm doesn’t always refer to Jessica as “mother”

25:00 - This is heartbreaking. I hope Nicky got expelled. If he didn’t - Malcolm experience a bigger injustice than we were lead to believe. Look at Nicky walking away from Malcolm. That kid has no remorse. I don’t blame Malcolm for seeking revenge. Malcolm keeps getting burned by people. Something had to give eventually.

25:30 - The biggest crime this episode committed is that we only saw Malcolm getting comfort from DELANEY. Honestly. Where was my papa Gil moment?!? Or a Dani+Malcolm moment?!?

25:51 - I doubt Delaney tried to stand up for Malcolm. He probably encouraged the expulsion. 

26:05 - “Please.” Yikes. This has been torturing Malcolm for years. Who sold him out? Who ruined his last chance at a happy childhood? Who allowed him to be traumatized further? Who gave him the hand tremor (assuming we’re ignoring the S1 canon). 

26:38 - What. A. Getaway. This school is full of crazy rich kids.

26:55 - “This time”?!? Doesn’t Martin always root for the killer?

27:05 - I love everything about this interaction between Martin and Malcolm. I love how upset Malcolm is. I love how Malcolm calls out Martin for being a bad dad. I love that Martin just sits there and takes it. Martin even looks a little sad. It makes me wonder - did Martin know about Delaney’s cheating ring? Did Martin manipulate Delaney into thinking Malcolm was a threat and convince him to get Malcolm expelled? I can see Martin doing it. If for no other reason than to tarnish the “Milton legacy” at Remington. 

28:04 - UGH. I want to see how Malcolm got out of that closet SO BAD. Who found him? How close to death was he? PLEASE TELL ME IT WAS GIL. Why didn’t Jessica investigate when Malcolm didn’t show up at the Hamptons as planned? 

28:13 - “How you wish that were true.” Ouch. Martin is a real asshole. He knows just how to destabilize Malcolm’s confidence. 

28:56 - Even now, Martin is trying to manipulate Malcolm. Their relationship is so dysfunctional, beautiful, heartbreaking, and complex. I could watch them interact forever. 

29:31 - Look at that little head shake from Mr. David. Martin’s cell is not soundproof. Mr. David heard everything. Mr. David always hears everything. Mr. David knows about Endicott. Istg. 

30:12 - Delaney is a scumbag. He might not be a serial killer but he’s another male, adult asshole who gained Malcolm’s trust and then stabbed him in the back. 

30:37 - OK. So I know, I’ve been hypothesizing that Mr. David is an ally to Martin’s crazy schemes, or that he worked for Endicott, or that Martin is going to try to kill Mr. David. BUT YO. IF MR. DAVID DIES I WILL THROW HANDS. HE’S SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER. 

31:40 - This is a weirdly fancy room for video games. Also I miss JT. He should be here. I wish he was here. He would’ve been so good in this episode. Can you imagine his facial expressions and comments when he finds out little tidbits about Malcolm’s teenage past?! It would’ve been comedic GOLD. Couldn’t Tally give birth during a less interesting episode?!?! 

32:15 - I’m convinced that Malcolm isn’t actually upset that Delaney’s crime is running the cheating ring. I think Malcolm’s upset because he just realized the only positive male role model (aside from Gil) that he had as a teenager was a manipulative liar who betrayed him. Malcolm just realized that this dude never cared about him and he’s crushed.

32:27 - Wait. Does Delaney make the kids pay him for the answers? Because that actually makes sense. 

33:08 - This whole scene where Molly runs out of the back room and Dani says, “who are you running from?” is really cringey to me. 

33:19 - Oh great. Now the guy who betrayed Malcolm is touching the back of Malcolm’s neck. JUST LIKE GIL DOES. Well....something tells me that’s going to taint how comforting Malcolm find’s that gesture coming from Gil for a while. Malcolm just isn’t allowed to be happy. Even for a moment. It’s a shame. I also love it. 

33:40 - Awww...poor Malcolm is claustrophobic and he gets locked in the vault with a dying man. Look how desperate he is to get out of there - to save Delaney and to save himself more mental distress. 

33:53 - Look at Malcolm panicking here. He tries to hide his panic as concern for Delaney but he’s clearly freaking out about being trapped in a smallish space. 

34:25 - Yep. Malcolm didn’t think he could trust Daryl because Daryl is delusional. SO Martin threatens to murder Daryl and then metaphorically stabs the dude in the back. This is perfectly in character. 

35:25 - Damn. Louisa is seriously mentally ill. She has zero empathy. 

35:57 - Malcolm projecting his mental issues on the killer du jour is always simultaneously cringey and amazing to me. 

36:26 - I’m not going to lie. Daryl screaming “He’s a Judas” as he was dragged away was hilarious. 

37:04 - Holy shit. This took a turn. I’ll be honest - I don’t blame Malcolm for almost killing Nicky. But it does scare me. 

38:35 - That story must have been haunting Malcolm for 15 years. I bet you he’s never told anyone not even Gabrielle. He’s had nightmares about it. Because he knows he’s capable of murder. Just like Martin. That terrifies Malcolm more than anything in the world. 

39:12 - sooooo Delaney just heard that whole confession. Delaney lives. Something tells me this is going to be a problem for Malcolm when Endicott’s murder is investigated later in the season.

39:35 - “Are you insane?” “Maybe.” That���s it. That’s the show. 

40:00 - Two questions: 1) Where is Dani? 2) Why does Gil not know where Malcolm is right now?

40:22 - Look Fedak screwed us over. We didn’t get to see Gil find Malcolm half-dead on the floor of that library vault. BUT this scene almost makes up for it. 

40:24 - Malcolm wrapped in a blanket is so so cute. I just want to hug him. I want Gil to hug him. Ugh. <3 

40:28 - I love that you can tell that Malcolm and Gil have had this sort of discussion about Malcolm’s sense of self-preservation numerous times in the past. Gil looks sooooo pissed. And concerned. 

40:35 - Malcolm’s imitation of Gil makes me so so so so happy. I just. Ugh. It’s adorable. Look at how exasperated it makes Gil. Look at Dani’s reaction to it. This might be the greatest “found family”. scenes this show has given us to date. 

40:55 - “All in a day’s work.” Oh yeah. Gil is super concerned about Malcolm’s mental state. Gil is Worried. I want to see more of it. 

40:57 - I love that Dani just can’t wait anymore. She’s so precious. Look at how excited she is about JT’s baby. <3 I’m in love. She’s so soft here - it’s beautiful and rare for this show to let the audience see this side of Dani. 

41:00 - GIL’S REACTION. <3 OMG. I LOVE HIM. HE LOOKS SO HAPPY. I HOPE JT AND TALLY DUB HIM THE BABY’S UNOFFICIAL GRANDFATHER. 

41:02 - MALCOLM’S FACE. <3 <3 <3 IS THIS THE FIRST TIME HE’S EVER SEEN A BABY? HE’S SO ENAMORED WITH THIS CHILD ALREADY. LOOK AT HOW MUCH MALCOLM ALREADY LOVES JT’S KID. <3 <3 IT’S SO SOFT. I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH. 

41:22 - I can’t decide about this scene. On one hand - I think it’s really mature of Malcolm to apologize to Martin. It’s a courtesy that Martin doesn’t deserve. ON THE OTHER HAND - I wonder if Malcolm is only apologizing to throw Martin off balance. I wonder if this is Malcolm’s attempt to manipulate Martin for once. Either way - I love it. 

42:25 - Martin always gets the last word. He always worms his way into Malcolm’s brain and screws with Malcolm’s sense of self. I hate it. But I also find it so captivating. 

43:05 - Sooooo is Martin committing the murder next episode? Or is he just manipulating someone else to commit a murder? Either way - I’m excited. 

If you read this far - I’m flattered. I also think you’re a little crazy. But thanks for hanging out. 

[teen-comics]

A RETROSPECTIVE ON YOUNG JUSTICE: or me trying to fix what aint broke.

First of all, I want to preface this by saying I know this is a "Marvel Comics" account, its literally in my name, and young justice is neither marvel or a comic. but it is the only DC property I really care about and if I posted this to my main it wouldn't be seen by anyone so forgive me

I also originally wrote this in long text message form to a friend (sorry @flashgame) who has only seen up to half way through season 2, so I haven't included anything about large plot points in seasons 2 and 3. Thats not really what this is about tho so I think my points still stand. These are also just my garbage opinions, I love this show I am just venting and you may disagree, you will probably disagree but I sometimes just have to get stuff like this out my system and thats what's this blog is for. I will go back to making memes about decades old X-men comics after this I promise.

With that out of the way here's my rant :)

For me, young justice’s biggest asset, the ensemble cast is also its biggest flaw. don't get me wrong, incorporating many characters (including obscure ones) into the team gave the show great character dynamics, the freedom to do what they wanted with less popular characters and great fan service for everyone. Buuuut it’s also completely inconsistent with who gets the spotlight and it’s plagued with the problems of just having too many characters. Some characters get huge storylines, massive amounts of screen time, often more than they ever got in the comics and that’s great! it seriously is, young justice is the best adaptation of characters like Kalder, M’gann and Artemis etc it’s literally the most time in the spotlight they ever get. but it’s like the writers just can’t help themselves when adding extra characters! it starts out in season 1 and gets exponentially worse by season two.

What you may notice by season 2 is that, with the new characters introduced, some have been given more air time than others. it definitely starts in season 1. Season 1 is a damn perfect study into how to introduce and build characters, having them each have storylines and later, relationships with each other. the show begins by showing us it’s not sticking to the normal way of doing an ensemble kids show, with the main team meeting in the first ep or two and then remaining the same until maybe one other character is added or a whole lot in a second season as a “new class” (Think X-men evolution adding the new mutants in season 2). Instead M'gann isn’t added till like ep 3 and artemis isn added till like ep 5/6?? i can’t remember trust me it’s quite late for a main team character to be introduced in a first season. that’s probably the first warning sign, even the original team takes a while to form but things are still ok, even the inclusion of Zatanna works kinda because she has the storyline with her dad. but Rocket? yeah...rockets a weird inclusion

she’s added in the last two episodes of the first season and then by season 2? she’s left again and is in the justice league. she gets two episodes!!! two! to be in The Team! like that’s weird and telling of what happens next. the show sticks to a varely normal schedule of adding new members, similarly to X-Men evolution, and like evo those new characters aren’t focused on that much. but evo handelled it better. when it comes to new characters it’s obvious that some are getting much more screen time than others, and some are just more compelling too. the time jump really screws stuff up, adding new characters in (and removing others like Rocket) in the five years off screen means they have to do a good job making us like them because we’re not introduced to them in an organic way.

take Mal and Bumblebee, technically we see them in season 1 but they’re basically cameo/easter egg roles. by season 2 they’ve joined the team and they don’t really get a lot to do after that either. it’s weird and because of the time skip we don’t see them joining, we don’t see bumblebee getting her suit (yeah we can infer it’s from The Atom but really they skip a lot) you might argue that this is necessary for a lot of characters, people like bumblebee, batgirl or even wonder girl have these backstory that don’t really fit in so they're just skipped over to make room for the easily included story’s like blue beetles and impulses

but we still feel like we’re missing something. talking of some of the characters let’s actually look at who got added right? In season 2 its starts to become obvious characters are coming to the front and other are in the background. beast boy is well set up in season 1, he’s well incorporated into the story of a main team character and even tho he’s not integral to the plot of season 2 he works great. same goes for blue beetle and impulse, they’re both great new characters with interesting personalities, backstorys and they do plot relevant things. lagoon boy is also an inclusion that seams necessary, he’s obviously there to be part of the love triangle thing but he’s also useful to randomly get captured and be an annoying character to piss of other members of the team. everyone else tho? it’s really hard justifying them being there. Batgirl, Tim, Wondergirl, Bumblebee and Mal just...don’t do anything. yeah they get thrown a bone once or twice but really it feels like the roles they fill could be filled by other already established people? or they could have been side characters outside of the team. they feel shoe horned in and they don’t get any time to grow. instead storylines focus on the original team, (which is kind of inevitable) and season 1 side characters like Red Arrow, and, of course the previously mentioned new characters that actually work with the story.

i can definitely see why some of these characters were added, Mal and Karen were set up in season 1 so i assume the writers always planned for them to be in season 2. the time skip (let’s be honest) is pretty much entirely there to facilitate Dick becoming nightwing and so of course both Jason, and then Tim (probably because jason comes with too much baggage) had to be included. Batgirl also seasons like a solid choice because she’s from that era of batman and it might seam strange not to include her. and wonder girl continues the “The Teams is made of sidekicks” thing. but come onnnn. Tim and Barbara could have been side characters who we see in one episode (maybe one with Dick dealing with being replaced as Robin or something) and the same can be said about Mal and Bumblebee (wonder girl can be cut tbh)

you can also argue that yeah, maybe the plan was to flesh these characters out in season 3 but it got cancelled. but the season 3 we got adds even more useless characters and actually pushes the good characters from this season into the background. even if changes were made in between the cancellation of the original season 3 and the one we got, i stiiilll think they’d have added the useless characters (this is a bit harsh but season 3 does add a lot of new characters) and not focused on the ones they already had because we saw it in season 1 with Zatanna and Rocket. it’s like the writers get bored easily with characters or something? like they just can’t stop themselves adding new toys to play with. I love this show so much, but after a now third rewatch i still believe the same thing i thought the first time i watched this, I love all the characters, i love all the references but god there are so many characters and so many references