#maybe I should relisten to it one day but

[the-tenth-arcanum]

99% of you guys won't care but. which of these verdi's operas should I listen to next. english titles so you can vote with your heart

[solarpunkani]

I was looking for a solarpunk music playlist more geared to an optimistic fight to get there and less peaceful ambiance (because I already have playlists like that). I found one I liked and recognised that profile pic anywhere! Awesome collaborate playlist :)

Thanks so much! I’m glad people are liking them!

It’s not just me though, its the whole community! Shout out to everyone who’s added to the collaborative playlists! They wouldn’t be nearly as good without you!

[waterfallofspace]

first time drawing The Boy Himself <3

(not snz, and not perfect, but I'm pretty proud of it so I'm putting it here! Didn't use references, though I did use the popular headcanons about what he looks like <3 not spoiler in my mind so I'm not gonna stick it behind a cut, but I did tag it <3)

[gureshinlover]

I blame (myself) for bringing back my obsession with wangxian. Why did i do this. Now i cant study and rewatch cql instead.

[t3tr0m1n0]

the sound of fight the good fight by the interruptors is kind of easy to intuit from its album cover alone, i think. the ska sound was taken really seriously considering this came out well after even the 3rd wave, but it also dipped into a more nondescript pop punk sound from time to time (like on gave you everything). i think the music was good. the use of keyboards (organ (hammond?) specifically) would appeal to me, i'd Think, but weirdly enough it didn't do all that much for my enjoyment. it helps them stand out among the ska-pop punk scene of the 21st century. the vox were also fairly standout, but they felt really early 2010s in a way i don't hear from most other ska. i think it was the l.a. in them. 7.8/10 not enough salt & spit

[misza-dva]

Oh man, long time no post anything… After releasing Space Prison - the game I was working on - something in my brain switched on, and I started drawing traditionally in my small sketchbook :) Also, one day after watching a silly series from Monster Factory about The Final Pam, I told myself:

‚I really missed my McElroy Boys.’

Maybe I should relisten to The Adventure Zone ??

I was crying and producing big, big tears - it was my third time listening to The Balance, and well - it was the most emotional for me 🫠 Such a beautiful story.

These are the sketches I drew while listening to this podcast - I wonder WHY I’ve only drawn one piece of illustration in the past?? So here’s my love for this podcast, in my small sketches :)))

[the---hermit]

The new books I got yesterday look so cool. The firat one has a sort of wooden texture to the cover since it's all about stories set in forests, while the second has a hudden picture under the black and white cover.

18|11|2023

Today was quite prosuctive, I planned to do more in the afternoon, but I then had a friend call me while having an existential crisis, so I dedicated some time to him to at least try to calm him down a bit. It' scary how all of us somehow feel lost at the same time with the same struggles and het we are convinced we are the only ones to have those fears and thoughts. I plan on ending my day crocheting and then maybe reading a bit if I have enough energies for it.

cozy hobbit autumn activities and productivity:

read first thing in the morning

worked on a couple of recorded lectures

started reading one of the books I have to study for my philosophy class (I think I am more or less half way into it, in one more reading session I should be done with my first read)

continued my tma relistening

crocheted

daily Irish practice on duolingo

today's self care:

took my meds

switched my study enviroiment a bit, doing some reading around the house instead of sitting at my desk

📖: Odyssey by Homer, D'Alembert's Dream by Diderot

[chemicallywrit]

Iiiiiiit’s Audio Drama Sunday! And I’m sick but I’m still writing this post because this week in audio drama absolutely slaps. Beware of some light spoilers ahead, let’s GO

🔥 oh man, @camlannpod landed this season finale beautifully. I’m so glad our crew triumphed and that the world is fuller than any of them thought and that the story can go on and change. I have to relisten, this is such a good show. If you haven’t listened to Camlann yet, now is the perfect time, go LISTEN.

🐷 @hellofromthehallowoods is dark but it only occasionally truly scares me. This episode, I was scared. WHAT is Shanks and WHAT is up with that freakin puppet and WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO? I feel the weight of these stories tangibly and I worry, just like our eyes in the skies, for the fate of the people I care about.

👽 One of the strengths of Among the Stars and Bones is its ability to put extremely normal people in absolutely harrowing situations, and in this episode, when it's your second harrowing situation in less than half a year, what are our heroes going to do but be like "Well Sure, This Might As Well Happen." Contrast that with the reactions of Captain Francis and Johann (played with deftness and skill by Oliver Smith and Jerron Bacat), who are experiencing the horrors for the first time and Not Doing Well and that's horror babe. I'm especially interested in Johann, what a fascinating character.

🙃 I started @worldgonewrongpod this week and it is everything I like. It's a) a fictional advice show in b) extraordinary circumstances that's c) very funny and sweet and d) hits like a brick in a sock. If that tweet by John Rogers ("every day i remember with gritted teeth that people lived perfectly fulfilling lives in during the fall of the roman empire," if I may paraphrase) was a show, it'd be this show. I love it.

✨ Call me Rion, because I'm here to take on things that aren't my responsibility and ask you to pLEASE support season two of @storiesfromylelmore. In maybe the cutest crowdfunding announcement I've ever heard, ItMe has called for our help and I don't have any freakin money, but if you do, you should consider giving it to Stories from Ylelmore!

🧛🏻‍♂️ In Hannah News, to borrow a phrase from fellow producer, friend, and all-around badass Tal, it's so much fun to listen to Re: Dracula without having to make it. I'm having a great time now that Drac is back. Won't you join us? Inn Between is also about to hit all our early access folks with a gut punch, get ready.

Hey! Certain entities that owe me money are not paying me in any kind of time, but nevertheless I have to pay bills. It's rude how the bills do not take that into account. In any case, if you like what I make or enjoyed this post, consider leaving me a tip!

[thats-not-okie-dokie]

WELCOME HOME MARCH 9TH UPDATE SPOILERS!

One thing I don't think people are talking about enough is Wally's phonecall and the song choice of "Toyland". I know what Eddie went through is certainly the meat of the update, and while I haven't picked it apart myself, I've read a TON of very interesting theories on it. And some of which I agree with, so for redundancy's sake, I won't dwell on it for long. Whatever happens next, I know our beloved mailman is not okay-

But this post isn't about him. I bring up the song choice of Toyland because I find the lyrics to be an interesting parallel to the puppets "waking up" to the real situation they're in, whatever horrors that may be. The fact that Wally's singing it, and that we know he's been the first and only puppet with full awareness and with the ability to contact the outside world, makes the song feel a little somber upon a relisten.

The song describes Toyland as "childhood's joy land", and "once you dwell within it, you are ever happy there". It reminds me of the world the puppets inhabit; made for children and a place of warmth and joy. Then, the song describes "once you pass its border, you may ne'er return again". I think this signifies how Wally woke up from the happy puppet world. It represents him self-actualising. He can't fall back under the illusion, because now he knows too much. It'd be impossible to go back.

The saddest parts to me are in the second verse. "When you've grown up, my dears, and are as old as I, you'll laugh and ponder on the years that rolls so swiftly by, my dears" It represents just how much time has passed since the shutdown of the Welcome Home show. It's been almost 50 years. The years are passing so fast to him because it's the same old every day, and he can't help but laugh along because there's not much else for him to do. And besides, we've seen what happens when Wally experiences negative emotion. He has trouble processing it.

Besides the song, I also find the line "It's so quiet during Homewarming" to be quite odd. Homewarming is their equivalent to Christmas, right? That's supposed to be a time of togetherness and cheer. Music, laughter and merriment. But he describes it as "quiet" because everyone's busy. That seems like an antithesis of what Homewarming should be. Why is it just him and Home for so long? Why is the neighbourhood divided during what should be the liveliest time of the year? This might be a factor as to how the neighbourhood's getting distorted away from its original teachings and character. Instead of a lively cast of puppets, it's become cold and quiet. Eerie. Wally saying he doesn't want to hang up the call makes me think he feels very lonely. He has friends, like Barnaby, but he's separated from them for long periods of time. I feel like the phone calls are him trying desperately to connect to someone before he's dragged away again.

I also find it odd how he's usually so busy if it's just him and Home. Just what is he always doing, if he's not with his friends? I know that the phonecall ends because he has his adventure with Barnaby, asking around the neighbourhood for what Homewarming truly means, but what about the previous times? He always seems to be in a rush. And what do we hear before he hangs up? The creaking of Home's door and windows. It's like his own home is isolating him.

That's all I have on Wally. Maybe I'm just repeating what people have been saying for a long time, I don't know. But thank you to anyone who sat down to read this! I appreciate it :)

[krukel]

After @seokoilua posted about the My Life, My Music interview (a while ago, this post is partially from my drafts!) I went to relisten to it. And in general it is a very fun interview with a lot of insightful moments about their creation process (Ne Bi Smel in particular) and the mixing process for example. Their voices in general are very soft (in tone, not volume) especially when talking to each other and the vibe is 🥰 I wanted to highlights some of my favourite moments because I want more people to know about them:

2:35 - They talk a bit about doing many concerts in a row and Kris says: "At one point in the summer we had four consecutive days of concerts and the fourth day was already the wors-" (gets cut of by Bojan). Knowing they have now done 7 concerts in 6 days during the nordic tour this is a little funny and a little sad to hear :(

3:59 - Not necessarily a moment but the first song (chosen by Bojan) is Ni Panike by Masayah and I think more people should go listen to Masayah so I'm including it >:)

14:30 - Ne Bi Smel was first called "burning room" and, quoting Bojan, "it couldn't have been more of an Ed Sheeran song." It sounds like the rest was not initially impressed: "and when I brought it to the rehearsal room the boys were like, yeah, hm, yeah no. and I think Jure just started banging on the drums and the guys took on the guitars and started playing some riff."

15:35 - The host asks a question about something they said somewhere else and Bojan and Kris argue a bit about who said that in the first place. It's very cute and my favourite moment is Bojan whispering at the end "I don't think so" because of course he needs to get last word in

21:34 - Hater!Kris returns because apparently he sends "not to appealing" songs to the groupchat?

Kris (about Jet Black Diamonds): The first time that we heard them it was their first single Retro Anorak, and I remember sending over the video to the guys in the group chat and I was like "oh, this is interesting," because usually I send some really… not too- Host: Obscure Kris: No no. Not too appealing Slovenian songs, because- Bojan: Yeah, Kris does that Kris: to be honest there's loads of them and I keep kinda getting them recommended somehow on Facebook or I dunno, it's like a positive feedback loop

Honestly the most surprising thing to me about this is that in the year of our lord 2022 Kris still used Facebook actively enough to stumble across things like that

23:56 - Kris talks about forming Buržoazija and how his guitar instructor recommended Jan: "Jan at that point was really like- I didn't really understand what he was about, he was like an introverted guy, really, also listening to a lot of metal and I was like "okaaay? I guess we'll try?" and then we started to practice and really got along."

25:45 - Luka (Apokalipsa's guitar player) and Martin already knew how to play and Bojan didn't and that's how they decided that he should sing. Also their first performance (also up on youtube, baby Bojči is very cute) was two (2!!) weeks after they started practising together

28:49 - About creating outside of Slovenia

Host: Is there something specific that you haven't yet done that you are desperately keen to do, or is this gonna gently evolve? Bojan: I dunno about the desperately want to do, I guess one thing we "truly desperately want to do" is go out of Slovenia to create. To try a new space. So go to a studio somewhere outside of our borders and see if the mindflow is different there. That is the only thing I can think of right now. Maybe Kris has- Kris: In addition to that, I really wanna see us tour anywhere, anywhere outside of Slovenia" Host: You are beginning to get to the audience already a little bit, […], you can find opportunities Kris: Yes, yes, we are, don't worry about it. We just don't want to talk to much about it yet Bojan: Let's say we're gonna have another interview next year and we're gonna have so much to talk about

This was before Hamburg where they created Carpe Diem and before London and honestly I'm glad they're getting to experience that Erasmus+/semester abroad experience because it's something they really wanted to do and they seem to be enjoying it a lot

[churchofthecomet]

thoughts about this week's episode (spoilers ahead)

from relistening to last episode: i like Mariana more and more as time goes on. i like that they explain cases to her and she has ideas or analyses of them. i like that she's understanding and competent and pretty sharp. this is truly an OC with no equivalent in the originals, but she works!!

from this episode:

companion/colleague/friend/flatmate!! so true John tell us more about this relationship

saw someone refer to John as a "cringefail podcaster boyfriend" and yeah... maybe I am beginning to like him more. i can see it!

"don't be silly! you're a handsome prince!" "i'm in tights." "hmm, [laughing] yes."

there will be fanart of the robot-and-prince scene by tomorrow i'm manifesting it please?

their costumes probably blended in perfectly with the overall production vibes of Solar Thunder

for the first time in this podcast, I could figure out the solution to the mystery before the 2/3rds mark. the whole con was an effort to get him out of the house for 9+ hours per day!

john's a coward for editing out the first half of the opera. should have been a 2 hour episode (1.5 hours opera, 0.5 hours podcast)

i assume that Sherlock is completely zoned into the opera

very very excited to hear that the opera is called Bohemia and stars one Irene Adler -- I have a feeling they'll be revisiting it soon

i adore Sherlock's fucking "talking to whatsherface at the opera intermission" voice (and John's "what... on Earth?")... and then 5 mins into the conversation he's back to normal

Sherlock and gun safety don't exactly mix, do they. "I'm a normal human being, I don't wander around with a gun!" "Well I do :)"

IT'S A THREE PARTER????? it's a three part story sldkfjdslkfjd FUCK SHIT THIS IS SO SAD

[osarina]

Carina imagine pm!reader with a twist.. aka being a spy from the special division along with ango

[it's very loosely inspired by the episode masquerade from a radio broadcast called dangerously yours that I relistened to the other day]

So, considering the purpose of her mission to gather information about the port mafia, getting close to Dazai Osamu himself should feel like everything is served to her on a silver platter. However, the more time they spend together and the conversations become more personal, the more she wonders if everything she does is just part of her mission, and if these moments with him are really just a ruse to gain information, because if that's really the case, then why does she now feel this dread about betraying him?......

but wait, the second twist? dazai probably knowing it from the very beginning, yet deciding to dwelve into this deeper 🫣

naurrrrr i'm so upset the shitty airplane wifi ate my last response to your ask ... let me try to rewrite o(〒﹏〒)o

tumblr user mioblobby you and i are soooo SAME wavelength because the dangerously yours audios have been all over my fyp lately ... there was one in particular that reminded me so much of beastzai and adareader but i cant rmr it off the top of my head - ill try to find it when i have stable wifi

BUT ANYWAY ... traitor pmreader oml .. it's not something ive ever actually considered because i always have her living, breathing and dying for the pm ... but i think it could work, with maybe the government getting to her while she's alone in kyoto, forcing her to give info in exchange for pardons or something ... they still meet at 16 and dazai :(( dazai is so enamored with her at first sight but he KNOWS something is up with her, but he lets himself be willfully blind because he's just a 16 yo boy and he's so unused to people wanting to be friends with him ... and reader's conflict over rlly truly starting to care for him but also knowing that she's going to/is betraying him ... oh they're so tragic ill weep

[misathinks]

reasons why I should win the spot of #1 Aaron fan 🤗

Omg literally where do I begin.

I can recite word for word majority of his videos (except maybe his first one), especially the rainy morning one. WORD FOR WORD.

Piggybacking off of that I can safely say I’ve listened to his playlist more than 30 times in the past few months without exaggeration

I currently have a count going for how long it’s been since his last audio. Right now we’re at 211 days 🤗 (loud screaming)

I always pick him in any poll he’s in because he deserves it honestly

Whenever I’m working I put the dragging your overworked boss to bed audio on just so I can listen to the portion where he’s typing bc it helps me focus!! (has this accidentally played out loud before? Yes! Hasn’t traumatized me enough to stop yet)

Honestly most of my popular posts are entirely about Aaron and most of the stuff I reblog is about him too

I know for a fact I could treat this man right bro PLEASE I CAN HANDLE ALLAT I PROMISE.

And ykw after this imma go relisten to his playlist again!! I love Aaron so much and this is my testament I WILL win this

@plaqying

[earlgreytea68]

EGT, have you seen the Nikki Sixx podcast with Pete from the MANIA days? At one point Pete describes being the band as his 3 brothers (annoyance, affectionate) and it made me wonder if they really still do FOB these days at least partially bc they're just friends and wanna hang, esp with Patrick and Joe's (and Andy's!) other gigs . Idk, it was just such a sweet sentiment that I forget sometimes with the shippy goggles.

Also, unrelatedly, loved your take on The Great Gatsby, I totally agree! Fitzgerald writes so, so gorgeously.

I have listened to that podcast, but not in ages! I should relisten. But yes, I definitely do think they still do Fall Out Boy because they like hanging out with each other, I really do. It makes me think about how Patrick talks about scoring being his day job and FOB being what he does for fun. It's fun for him. He hangs out with his friends. He loves it and I think that's the reason why he keeps asking them to make more music lol

Fitzgerald really is a gorgeous writer. Everything in the novel was so vivid. Maybe that's why it is so difficult to capture in another medium, which seems counter-intuitive, and yet.

Btw, as I was watching the musical, scored by Florence Welch, I was just thinking, ...god, Pete and Patrick really would love making a musical, it's all the rage right now, they should go for it. (I bet they're already in talks lol)

[autisticempathydaemon]

Hi! This is for your redacted match-up game because I love reading them (you put so much work and thought into them!!) and it seemed super fun ^v^ (if you have the time for it ofc. If you can't do this then it’s totally cool and you can just brush it away from your to do pile <3 also thank you if you do this one)

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why? It was hard to choose, buuuuttt I chose, “Greenlight” by Pitbull ft. Flo Rida, LunchMoney Lewis, because of the vibe and it’s a song that reminds me of summer 2016, which was such a fun summer for me (and it’s been in my head for the past day). No specific lyrics or verses I like since I don’t usually listen to songs because of the lyrics. Altho if they have beautiful lyrics (like Hozier songs) then more props to the song :)

What is your Enneagram type? Type 3w4. 

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why? I like to watch really long videos, but I’m not sure if they count as essays. I watch “BHultra” a lot. I watch a lot more commentary/essay videos that are 30-40 minutes long (mostly talking about childhood tv shows or fashion/fashion history).

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend. Didn’t have one, but I lied and said I “had an imaginary friend named Bob”, because I thought I was supposed to have one and thought the name Bob was funny.

What is your go-to way to fall asleep? Gotta have a heavier blanket somewhere on me, as well as sleeping on my stomach or on my side as well as with my stuffed animal. More often than not I have to fall asleep and listen to older youtube videos that I watched when I was a kid because I already know what happens and they are comfort vids.

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?) I like my name, but if I'd have to change it, I’d like the name Adelaide. It’s classic and sweet sounding. 

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why? One of my favorite audios is Milo’s “Healing Your Feisty Werewolf Boyfriend” because I love the parallel to the first time Sweetheart healed him, and the cuddling at the end is so cute!

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.) I’m not sure how much hype he has, but Ivan is kinda just meh. I’m not super into the yandere thing (even though I know Vega kinda led that whole ordeal) and the rest of his videos are alright, but, don’t really excite me a whole bunch to relisten to them. (Still haven’t listen to quite a few of the other characters, like Vega, Regulus, Anton, Brachium, but I’ll get there eventually).

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to. Gravity Falls. I’ve watched it wayyy too many times and can literally quote the majority of the episodes.

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend? I really would like to be friends with Huxley. He’s so chill and sweet. Absolutely can vibe with the dude. Also, maybe, Guy. He’s much more energetic and I don’t think I could match his pace all of the time without tiring quickly (i usually try to match people’s personalities when I’m with them), but I think he’d be super fun to go places with, as well as I would enjoy gossiping and talking about writing stuff with him.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.) If I’m tired I don’t normally talk a whole bunch, but I do start thinking about life and how short and long it is, and all the wonderful things and how much I’ve grown as a person. And if I start feeling anxious, then that’s when I realize that I am way past “kinda tired” and I should be going to sleep.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo. Don’t have a “go-to” gas station but I always get a blue raspberry slushie/icee

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment. “𝙥𝙤𝙫: 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟗-𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟐 :3 (Part 1)” on Youtube. Majority of those songs are dance songs and all those songs bring back good memories. I really like more hyper sounding music than slower songs.

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why? Hmm roleplay asmr is probably the biggest guilty pleasure I have, since I don’t talk about it with anyone. Also listening to Nickelback would probably be another big guilty pleasure, even though lots of people like it, listening to it is still “lol you listen to Nickelback?? really???”.

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are! INFP; 99% sure I have anxiety and OCD (haven’t actually gotten professionally diagnosed bcuz of reasons, cuz oof); Oldest kid; I really like to draw, read and write; I really like taking pictures of the sky and candid shots; I’m a very nostalgic person (altho my answers probably make that obvious); Can’t watch horror movies; Love cats; People think I’m always upset or angry cuz of my resting bitch face but I literally am not usually thinking of any mean response to whatever is happening, I’m just absorbing everything happening; Not a super big math/coding person (kudos to anyone that is great at that stuff, you’re absolutely awesome for that!); i guess sort of a pushover unless I really really care about something; anddddd i'm kinda the therapist friend.

Easy peasy- a therapist friend needs a partner who is least likely to need a therapist and/or is skilled enough at handling boundaries to know the proper place to seek therapy which is not with you. Hence, Camelopardalis!

Of course, those aren’t the only reasons. Type Threes are characterized by a desire to be loved and to be sure of that love, and Cam gives me the impression of an openly affectionate and communicative partner. He’s an introvert; you’re an introvert. You’re a nostalgic-kind of person; who better to share in that than an eons-old, immortal daemon? (Until told otherwise by God and/or Erik, the d(a)emons are heckin ancient to me.) Cam is also a great partner to pair if suffering from anxiety and compulsions, almost the most out of all the boys.

Life with Camelopardalis would be so sweet, so domestic, so full of the joy of sharing with him everyday human delights he might not take part in usually. For starters, you obviously get a cat. He objectively knew a cat would be cool, but with you, he learns to love cats. You also show him Gravity Falls which he doesn’t expect to like; he’s surprised by what a heartfelt show it is for being animated and based on such a silly concept. (He feels a lot for Mabel, as he should /lh) He loves your art but especially your photos of the sky. He puts them all over your shared house, and they stay up even after you’re gone.

Song:

Like the shadow that's by your side/ I'll be there/ For better or worse/ 'Til death do us part/ I'll love you with every beat of my heart/ I swear/ I'll give you everything I can/ I'll build your dreams with these two hands/ We'll hang some memories on the wall/ And when there's silver in your hair/ You won't have to ask if I still care/ 'Cause as time turns the page/ My love won't age at all

Though you like nostalgic songs that are more suited to dancing, I think Cam likes nostalgic songs that are more contemplative and slow. For you two, I settled on a song that’s more of a nostalgic, slow dance vibe, you know what I mean? I couldn’t resist for two reasons. One, the lyrics of devoted, lasting love suited him too well. Two, it delighted me and tickled me pink to imagine Cam listening to a nineties boy band.

Runner-ups:

Geordi is my favorite runner-up for you, because he’s another great partner for a Type Three, another boy who’s very openly loving and sweet. He’s also, if I remember correctly, canonically been to therapy already, so he’s less likely to need your services as a therapy friend. Morgan is a runner-up because I like this vibe in tandem with your anxiety; like, I think he’d be a calming, comforting presence to you. Also, you two should get a cat.

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[o-uncle-newt]

Cabin Pressure Advent, Day 1: Abu Dhabi

With thanks to @madenthusiasms for bringing the idea of doing a big Cabin Pressure advent relisten to my attention... I'm doing a big Cabin Pressure advent relisten!

No idea if I'll be doing one of these for all of them, but I listened to Abu Dhabi in its entirety (I sometimes just skip around for the "why do airplanes fly" bits) for the first time in a VERY long time, and I had enough thoughts that I did want to share them-

One of my first thoughts: it is still (or rather already!) very funny, but the rhythms are, as Stanley Meadows might say, slightly off- I can't quite decide if it’s JF still getting used to the rhythms of the show or the actors getting used to the rhythms of his writing, and it isn't exactly obtrusive or anything, but it doesn't quite feel there yet, though it does feel very very very close.

The characters don't feel quite lived in yet (which makes sense, they aren't!), and though JF is very good at doing the setup gradually, it definitely feels a bit more obtrusive than it does in later episodes, for obvious reasons. To me, I was surprised to realize that the main character who felt exactly right from the get go is Carolyn- Stephanie Cole got the rhythms straightaway and her dynamic with everyone else is instantly understood.

The other characters... I don't really know. Now that I reflect a few hours later, I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I think the nastiness:niceness quotient might not have been fully balanced yet. Carolyn was fine (with one slight exception I'll mention below) because we KNOW she's kind of nasty and she stays that way, unrepentantly, longer than the rest of them- Martin and Douglas yoyo back and forth between being bitter/petty and relatively collegial in a way that is funny but isn't AS funny as their more "love to hate each other" dynamic ends up being later, and doesn't feel as natural (Douglas saving Martin's bacon with the match-lighting was a wonderful plotting moment but from their acrimony the rest of the episode you'd think he'd be happy to let Martin drown). Arthur I think felt basically like authentic Arthur, just a bit undercooked.

On a related note, this is the only episode (as far as I can remember- maybe I’ll realize that there is another one on relisten) that shows Carolyn and Arthur at home together- which I think it was a wise move to get rid of. Carolyn's nastiness at work is funny, and while sometimes it applies to Arthur it's usually less than she'd direct toward Martin and Douglas, and the whole four-of-them dynamic helps temper it. It's a bit less funny when it's just the two of them at home- she's not AWFUL but I definitely had a moment or two where I was like "poor Arthur" which, really, should not be happening on this show lol.

Some other early installment weirdness:

Martin and Douglas seem equally good at Brians of Britain, with Arthur being the only dunce. Is this the last time that Martin is any good at a game on the show?!

Benedict Cumberbatch sounds positively funereal doing those credits... I did a double take to make sure it was him.

This is a broader one, but JF pointed this out in a Farewell Bear Fact- that the conflict is really between the characters rather than the characters against something external. You can tell from the pacing- the story arc in the episode is really the power struggle between Martin and Douglas, with the actual events (the diversion, the cat, etc) more being the grist for that mill. I like the approach of the later series better- "how do these people deal with this thing" rather than "what is a plot that allows us to see this one core character thing"- if only because it generally leads to better story pacing, but this is fun too. (I do have to say, I love how the episode is about the power struggle between Martin and Douglas, with Carolyn proving herself the alpha dog, but at the end of the day it's Arthur, the only person who doesn't care, who makes the final decision about the cat.)

On a different note- I'm wondering if there was a conscious parallel between Arthur volunteering to take the front seat in the car and both Martin and Douglas turning him down and, in Zurich Part 2, Arthur volunteering to sit in the back of the truck and being turned down by the two of them (plus Teresa)? Seems like a stretch, but still, it happened twice in a 27 episode show, so maybe it's something.

Anyway, let's see if I remember/want to continue this tomorrow, when Boston is on the agenda- an episode I probably haven't listened to in even longer than it's been since I listened to Abu Dhabi! (I'm... not the biggest fan of Boston or Cremona, but after that it'll be smooth sailing for a while.)

Abu Dhabi was a great episode to revisit- definitely in the lower 50% of my ranking, but more because there are so many even greater episodes coming later. I should add it to my rotation a bit more frequently.