#mostly bc i want to see other people’s reactions but also that whole scene is *chef’s kiss*

[getougender]

i know we’re not going to get it for a while but i cannot wait for yuuta’s re-entrance

[k4pp4-8]

Is there anything you wished the Show Ok. Ko Lets Be Heroes focused more on? Whether it be a character, relationship, arc, villain ect?

OH BOY THERE'S SO MUCH I WANTED TO SEE

1. FIRST OF ALL I REALLY wish they had more time to focus on the big reveal because I waited since season for them to talk about the whole POINT situation and when they finally DO reveal laserblast's identity it's completely rushed. This is such an emotional plot line for MULTIPLE characters yet we only see a fraction of it! LIKE PLEEAAAAASE I WANT TO SEE MORE OF HOW THIS AFFECTED CAROL!!! What she went through is so tragic, she lost her love, her dream, her friends, AND she had to raise the child of her dead lover alone. And yet she stayed strong through all of it and became the best mom ever. (Carol I love you plz marry me)

ALSO I WILL NEVER GET OVER THE FACT THAT WE DON'T SEE GAR'S REACTION TO THE REVEAL!! He literally blamed himself for laserblast's death, who was his teammate, his best friend's lover AND K.O's father. Just imagine how he felt like knowing K.O looked up to him as a father figure while thinking it's his fault K.O doesn't have a dad???

And also every other POINT member's lives were immensly affected by laserblast's death, like Rippy roo who dedicated years of her life trying to find a way to bring him back or Greyman trying to make a hero people could look up to or Foxtail still holding a grudge against Gar for what happened. I reaaally wanna know how they would react to knowing not only their friend is alive but he is also a successful villain.

2. Another thing I REALLY wanted to see was Rad and Dendy's relationship actually being explored! I used to think her "obsession" with Rad was nothing more than a gag but I saw that there was supposed to be an episode explaining that "she looked up to Rad because he's unashamed of who he is even though he comes from he considered as unusual family background." AND IT JUST MAKES SO MUCH SENSE!!!! I think that would've been an amazing way to explore both of their characters.

Also it's pretty ironic because Rad IS ashamed of who he is! Since day one he's been hiding things he loves and acting like a jerk to cover up his insecurities. I think Dendy telling him she looks up to him would've encouraged him to change the way he acts just like in the "Radical rescue" episode, when he tells K.O he doesn't want him to imitate his bad behavior.

3. Now we're getting to the REAL interesting part. BOXBOTS!!!! LISTEN I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THEM BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE IT SHORT AND UNDERSTABLE.

I REALLYYY wish we had more moments of vulnerabilty with them. Pretty much every single one of their scene is comedic and, while I do ADORE the comedy, I still wish they were taken more seriously. Like their whole situation is really tragic in many ways yet it's completely ignored. I know it's a mostly light hearted show but the boxbots are never given a genuine moment that felt like their feelings were taken seriously. It's probably just me who's wayyyy too attached to them but my favorite moments are when we get to see the more "human" side of them. Like when they act like an actual family, playing board games, having dinner together, hanging out, or bickering like siblings

I wish they explored how being robots affects them and the way everyone treats them. It's like robots are not considered like "real people" to some degree. We already know that in the okko universe being a certain species will change the way people perceive you and treat you (ie aliens and kappas) and it's shown to be a bad thing when it happens to Rad and Dendy, but when the bots are treated badly it's always seen as a joke and brushed bc you know , they're robots so who cares. There's like an implication that all robots are inherently bad because they're robots, K.O even said Mr.logic was "one of the good ones" implying he's just an exception (also it's crazy that he actually said that sentence and no one batted an eye)

And finally the ONE thing I really REEAALLYYY wanted to see more of is *drum rolls* LORD COWBOY DARRELL (who could've seen that coming)

LISTEN THERE WAS SOOOOOOOOO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE IT ACTUALLY MAKES ME CRAZY JUST THINKING ABOUT IT I WISH I WAS EXAGGERATING!!! Like for the first time we actually see boxman suffer the consequences of his actions, his kids FINALLY stand up to him after being treated like crap 24/7 and then he's forgiven in episode two??? And we don't even see how this affects the other bots!! Like Raymond and Shannon also loved boxman but they seemingly didn't hesitate to side with Darrell over him. I wish they explored how they chose their brother over their father who they were absolutely devoted to since birth.

I was actually disappointed to see Darrell forgive him SO easily and all the character development he could've had was thrown out the window in two seconds!!!! We actually get a glimpse of Darrell's potential but it's all forgotten as soon as Boxman becomes the boss again

I loved seeing Darrell actually fight back for once because he is one of the characters who gets mistreated the MOST by the whole cast. Half of his scenes are just him getting beat up and insulted, he's always treated like an idiot or a joke character so it was incredibly satisfying to see him actually stand up for himself and take charge. Like yeah he is goofy as hell and very immature and I love that about him! But when he became Lord Cowboy Darrell we actually got to see a whole new side of him. He was cunning and smart and resourceful and it KILLS me that we never got see that side of him again. I wish people aknowledged how competent and mature he can be instead of treating him like an actual child. I actually hate how infantilized he is sometimes

Anyway I could go on and on and on forever about the boxbots but that's just a few things i wish the show focused more on, there's probably more but I can't remember them rn

[cryptidofthekeys]

i

im

im about to say somethin

that will get my burned at the stake

but hey- hey spookies- spooky month fandom

...BOTH Father Gregor AND Lila are in the wrong but also somewhat in the right

and heres why

SM 6 SPOILERS UNDERNEATH- if ya haven't seen it go watch it!

Father Gregor did have a point in saying what he did about Lila being an irresponsible mother ..NOW WAIT- BEFORE Y'ALL THROW YOUR STONES- hear me out, Father Gregor was right to some degree, bc she doooess kinda let Skid just fuckin run around unattended a LOT- i mean I grew up with technically a helicopter parent so I can't speak much on the issue

---------------------------

but Lila has legit let his ass summon a demon and play with em, let them watch horror movies at a young age, and legit lets Skid like,, go outside by himself ESPECIALLY late at night like,, that's pretty irresponsible that she isn't watching over him just a bit more

now do I think Father Gregor had a right to say well some of what he did- like the whole 'you don't even know why he's here and all you can do is drink' alladat nonsense- no,, he doesn't?? KNOW? Lila personally?

-----------------

like fucking hell, she LEGIT just got attacked by a fucking cannibal (IF Spooky Month takes place right after Tender Treats exactly, the calendar does say November) and also can I just say that Bob was legit her last straw, girl got an actual alarm system but anyways- not to mention Bob was well technically someone Lila knew or she wouldn't have had a reaction like that

--------------------------------

Also Father Gregor not practicing what his ass preaches if he be preaching the b*ble- there are SEVERAL and I mean SEVERAL instances and phrases revolving around Judgment and to not judge unto others, like yeah he was just looking at what he seen but he doesn't know what she's been through

---------------------------------

now that doesn't EXCUSE her being irresponsible but like lmao I've seen a few people throw down about it (i think it was mostly playful not like ACTUALLY serious gkfldfksd don't worry) but Lila DID leave Skid over at his friend's house, which was the safe thing to do- so she could go out and drink for a while, there's nothing wrong with going out to drink even if ya gotta kid, just so long as your responsible

---------------------------

So, in conclusion, BOTH of them are in the right and wrong, Father Gregor just called the situation as he saw it which is NOT a good thing to do most of the time but also, he is right to some degree that Lila is a LITTLE BIT of an irresponsible mother letting her son just, be unattended while going out (more specifically at night- letting him watch horror movies at his age, etc but also Lila ISN'T a bad mother by no means

-------------------------

she does love Skid, she does care for him obviously- hell if she didn't she wouldn't have been out there all night looking for him to protect him from Bob and NONE of it if she didn't give a shit bout her kid- but whether the Lila Lovers like it or not- Father Gregor does have a point to a certain degree

-----------------------------------

also tho legit- the scene where Skid talks about not wanting to be a problem and that he doesn't want Lila to be sad and then Lila has a breakdown and hugs him close eviscerated me- and even seeing Susie being concerned when Pump seems to upset

and apparently uh it's only gonna be worse from here (someone said, which Idk if this bit is true) but someone said Pelo had said in a stream (he streams on twitch I know that much sorry) but someone said that Pelo said the next episode is gonna be even worse

-------------------------------------

.... but anyways lol thats just how I see the thing between Father Gregor and Lila- I'm not even that like,, attached to those characters- I'm attached to Bob, Dexter, and Frank so lmao

[decepti-thots]

do you wanna talk about your opinions re: Drift in fanfiction, maybe?

I think fanfic Drift is something of a game of fandom telephone tbh. There's a core that has been steadily whittled away by fanon repeating itself enough it seems shallow. The thing is that a lot of IDW1 canon has been subject to this directly, because it wasn't of much interest to folks writing fic while the MTMTE stuff was ongoing, tbh. When Dratchet became a focus in the LL run, stuff got reevaluated about Drift in shipping terms, rather than as character analysis, I think. And it became more abstract through that, and it encouraged Fanon Drift TM.

A lot of fanfic-Drift does not incorporate pre-MTMTE canon for him. This is understandable, because in its own right, that stuff is not very good tbh. But much of what we see now in fandom is... a clear reaction to fanon that sprung up independently, and so is trying to pose a counterpoint to things that only exist in fanon, and the whole thing becomes a mess of self-referential shit if you take it only on its own terms. Drift often only exists as a discussion of those issues in fandom, and where the writer falls on them right now, or when the fic was being written. (Much early Dratchet fic treats Drift as something of an afterthought and Ratchet as the obviously identifiable protagonist, lbr.) Fanfic-Drift is more a litmus test for fanon than a character in his own right, even when he's being written more strongly in canon, I think. He's a cipher. What fandom decided to make that cipher mean is interesting.

I have a whole post I could make about how people's ostensibly anti-regressive takes on 'was Drift a [metaphorical] sex worker, and if so what are our ideas about that' are still fundamentally bound up in anti-SWer ideas and fandom conversations more than canon, because it's all just a reaction to fanon fundamentally based in terrible ideas about what sex work is. (By which I mean I have one post idea I have repeatedly junked bc uh. Don't want to listen to people get shitty about sex work.) But at base level, a lot of fandom's idea of Drift is basically rooted in this idea of the 'theoretically sympathetic addict who has extenuating circumstances we need to articulate for him to be sympathetic, but who is still Abject bc of all that' which I think go so against what we see of him in pre-MTMTE media. Here are some things I think fanfic is bad at engaging with: Drift is an addict, and not the kind of addict a lot of fanfic wants to talk about. Drift is isolated in a way that is not easily explained by people being unfair to him. Drift has strong political opinions that inform both him joining and defecting from the Decepticons. If Drift was a sex worker, metaphorical or otherwise, that is clearly the least important thing in any shame he has.

But more important than those nuances, I think, is that Drift just isn't... allowed to be based on his canon stuff period? It feels honestly slightly irrelevant in the face of just. How much fanon Drift stops being based on extrapolating from his canon actions and starts being a character who exists purely to serve other characters. I think a really interesting take on him needs to do something with that sense he is someone who has deliberately buried what he wants to get what he wants. If you don't go a little meta with it, you get nowhere; and if you do you get something far more interesting than the 'ummmm sad SWer ig, ratchet kindly saves him' idea. See also: his most interesting canon relationship, and I say this as a dratchet shipper, is STILL Drift and Rodimus, because it dictates way more of WHAT THEY DO that Dratchet doesn't manage. Dratchet is great but canonically mostly exists as a culmination to a plot we are filling in behind the scenes; Rodimus and Drift exists as an ongoing discussion outside that. tbh.

tl;dr: sex worker drift would be great if anyone writing fic understood it has Zero to do with canon and approached it as such. it's not canon and people only think it's canon bc of bad opinions about what sex work is. either way i love drift. none of this is coherent sorry. we have discussed some of this before, and i have sharpened my opinions ig?

[mikesigninspection]

I wanted to tell yall my opinion on "who would Mike first come out to".

Okay so I suspect that it might be El, Nancy or Karen. The reason why I choose these 3 is bc I feel like anyone else would make that coming out scene feel "too warm" (for exp. if he came out to Joyce).

Now ofc I believe that Mike will come out to Will during the confession but I feel like we need more, colder one? I am not saying that I need Mike to be unaccepted by anyone (thought that would be interesting to watch cause then they would show both sides of coming out) I am saying that I feel like if he comes out to these characters specifically, the whole scene is gonna feel more sad ( the vibe of it). Like when they do that blue/dark sort of coloring to express that this scene is supposed to make audience more sad than happy. It's hard to explain.

Alright.

El

If MIke comes out to El, it would be on accident. It would probably happen in the middle of a fight where he would spill it out and El would be shocked. Tho, she wouldn't be very confused and surprised (at least from my point of view.) She probably caught up with Mike and Will's problems and she could see the reason for it but she is still not so sure or she is in denial. I just feel like she wouldn't be all that happy, she would prob. ask him to leave her to think abt this but would be very understanding at the end.

Nancy

Now this is a different story. This is where he would come out when he prepared himself. Why do I feel like Nancy is one of those people? Not just bc she is his sister so it would make sense but smt else. Something about how they see each other.

Now, we all know that siblings fight constantly. Well most of siblings. And it isn't because they hate each other or something, it's mostly just siblings thing.

Ofc, Mike and Nancy also fight like other siblings do. However, their relationship is not the best. They often don't talk with each other. Hell, they would rather get hit by a car than talk about their feelings with each other like Jonathan and Will do.

So why do I believe that Nancy would be a good option?

It is simple. I believe that Mike thinks that Nancy is pretty neutral abt stuff. Maybe he thinks that she won't even care? He probably believes that her reaction to this wouldn't impact him that much since they don't talk. But there is also a part of him that hopes that she will understand and so is probably scared.

I feel like they might try to act like Will and Jonathan which is why they will try to talk to each other. Who knows?

Karen

So we know how Karen wishes that her kids talk with her( like deep talks)? She has been waiting for that for a long time now. Mike coming out to her would be a thing that would fulfill her wish. And her reassurance would mean the world to him. It would make him braver and more emotionally stronger which will make Vecna's plan harder to proceed.

One thing that makes me believe in this theory is her talk with him in s1. If you are a straight viewer you may catch this message harder but if you are a queer person, you would notice.

Karen talking about how Mike doesn't have to hide anything from her, how he can tell her anything doesn't apply to Mike being upset abt Will going missing. It also doesn't apply to El bc she didn't know abt her yet.

Others know that Mike and Will's relationship is different from the others. However, not all of them think it has to do with romance. But Karen does. She can see the difference between how Mike acts with Will versus how he is with Lucas and Dustin.

Her speech in that episode means so much to queer community bc it represents a parent who is reassuring their closeted kid that no matter who they love, they are gonna stay and love their kid the same. And if they also have a hard time accepting it themselves, their parent is there to help them.

That is that.

[meowstix]

i finally wrote a Long Post on takao kinomiya

OHHHH BOY :3 so i have been thinking about him occasionally recently. and i've like, had a bit of a realization? this post will Mostly be abt g-rev but that's mainly bc that's kind of where his whole... Issues are gone into the most. it is also where we see a certain someone who makes me go "wow! no wonder takao is like that"

so, i think i've already talked to some extent about how a big part of takao's shift in character was because of him being thrown into fame at such a young age. and well that's still definitely true but another aspect i don't believe i've gone into is that this actually builds onto another aspect of his character and paints like.. a very particular and kind of unexpected image. this other aspect, to be specific, is his abandonment issues.

the fact that his grandfather is the closest thing he has to immediate family around is one of the first things we find out about him, and this fact will end up explaining... a LOT, though it's not noticeable for a good while. i think it's a bit present in v-force, or at the very least there's Something to be made of just how quickly he latched onto kane, but the beginning of g-rev is where it really becomes obvious.

firstly, there's his reaction to the team splitting up. i should note the dub kind of screwed up the scene where max and rei leave, the end in particular has the dub basically resolve tyson's doubts with max actually confirming that, yeah, they're still friends, meanwhile in the original version, takao's question of "we're still friends, right?" goes unanswered. that aside, another notable aspect to this can be seen later with takao lashing out at rei after their battle in the world tournament. not only does he feel like rei abandoned him, but rei has friends, he has people supporting him. (obviously takao... still has hiromi and kyojyu but that's a whole other can of worms that i don't really feel like getting into)

hitoshi's treatment of takao is.. also noteworthy, to say the least. this is the first time takao has seen him in so long, and hitoshi never really seems to give a shit about him. i mean, i think he's supposed to, in that unhelpfully vague mentor way, but he sure as hell never shows it. and it's like... as i mentioned, hitoshi in particular really makes you realize that yeah, no wonder takao is like this.

i look at all this and i realize, it's like... takao is actively falling back on his fame in g-rev to make up for this feeling of loneliness eating away at him. he just wants to be seen so, so badly. he just wants to feel loved.

[muchymozzarella]

I feel like I gotta mention I was a big fan of Mr Beast before and not so much now, but also like. I cannot pretend he doesn't help ppl because he absolutely does. Especially early on when he was simply spending money as fast as he could earn it by straight up giving it away. I found that charming if uninformed bc none of it was sustainable and yet it was genuine and did help ppl in the moment. He also allowed them to choose what they needed. Even now he often asks ppl what they need and provides it, which I think is good. The problem we run into is when his newer vids have such an obvious advertising angle for big companies. Oh you gave thousands of Brand Name Shoes away when many places have dumpsites full of shoes bc they don't actually need those shoes and a lot of them are bad quality, cool ok that sounds great (it does not) 👍🏾

Oh you're shilling for Tesla again sure ok whatever

I want to make it clear that I still appreciate he wants to help. Half the time he does very much help. He also informed ppl of the behind the scenes of stuff like what taxes and insurance goes into getting stuff like a new house and car and whatnot.

But philanthropy as a whole is kind of structurally harmful when it's done by rich ppl and companies that lobby against the social safety nets and structures that allow ppl to even afford to own a house. I don't know if MrBeast owns one of those companies, but he certainly collaborates with those types of companies and gives them good press to hide all the anti poor lobbying and other ethical issues

I must also say that according to him in his own interviews, his goal is just growth, which is probably Prime Capitalism and fills me with dread, just trying to one up himself over and over, when actual social welfare is not interested in infinite growth, but in sustainability. I don't know how these two goals will align if he purports to be philanthropic.

I can list down all the reasons MrBeast is Problematic but it will not change the people he helped, who I truly believe benefited from his help. But it will also not change the fact that he's become too big to be a good guy without the many, many caveats of "if you don't count his chocolate partner having a child labour lawsuit" or "if you don't count the many issues with the ghost kitchens his Beast Burgers operate out of" or "if you don't count that the Real Life Squid Game was just a clownishly bad idea that missed the point of the show entirely"

I also want to add that there's something I appreciate about him that I cannot fully agree with, but I can't say is wrong.

When he says he's "apolitical" outside of being LGBTQ+ positive, my first reaction is the usual cringe of people claiming to be apolitical, but then he follows it up with the fact that he believes there's no political boundary to charity and being poor, and quite frankly he's correct. In the USA both Democrat politicians and Republican politicians protect corporate interests, and there's functionally no political divide when it comes to class struggle.

He's directly worked with people who know the needs of those who are struggling. He works directly with people who actively volunteer or work for nonprofits that help poor people.

He may be a bit too centrist for some of y'all but I think he means well and is much more left than right.

I worry that he seems to aim to be a billionaire. I worry that he's further entrenching himself in that sort of crowd.

I liked the guy I used to see in his videos and the more he rubs elbows with crypto shills and billionaires and corporations the less I see of that guy.

I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I don't think Jimmy Donaldson is a bad guy. I just worry that, outside of his recent stand against transphobia, it doesn't seem like he's becoming a better guy than he was years ago. I could be wrong, but idk.

I also think his products mostly suck but that's not a personal failing lol that's just average YouTube product releases

[transrightsyamaguchi]

thoughts on volume 2 of real

i was going to liveblog it like i did with volume 1 but i. got so absorbed i ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. anyway (under a cut bc it's Long but it's mostly spoiler free):

i can See the nomiya-azumi-kiyoharu love triangle coming but i want azumi and kiyoharu to end up together so badly holy shit. especially now that i know just how long this slow burn has been burning. i love. straight people

MENTION OF THE WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL POINT SYSTEM!!! author did his research 👍

i changed my mind about takahashi i like what happened with his arc here. it might be because i went 3 weeks between reading the first and second volumes and had time to forget about his asshole behavior but man i felt for him. he's such a dick but you can't help but cry with him. out of all the characters you feel takahashi's anger/sadness/grief the most viscerally. and good lord is this boy going through the five stages of grief.

also re: takahashi i NEED to know how nomiya and kiyoharu react to seeing him again once he gets out of the hospital. we got a little sliver of nomiya reaction to finding out he's been hospitalized but i need the reunion scene. especially since takahashi's met kiyoharu before and even lost a game of basketball to him. that reunion will be so interesting. i don't even have predictions for how it would go but i think losing another game of basketball against kiyoharu would be good for takahashi in terms of character growth.

i cannot stress enough how masterfully done the scene transitions are here. the first volume too. i was wondering if that was a fluke but i think this guy just really likes Juxtaposition.

HI BABYGIRL!!! (said about an adult man who is the same age as me)

KIYOHARU BACKSTORY. god he's such a cute little guy. the eyelashes.

my heart was racing during the whole backstory sequence and THE VOLUME ENDS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. i hope we see him get diagnosed---i can't imagine why we wouldn't? other than brevity purposes at least.

the whole "i'll confess to her when i break 11 seconds" thing. i had to put down the book for a second and wait for my heart to go back to normal. do you mean to tell me that (gestures to the backstory) all THIS happened and then he just. sat on that crush for five. years. not just him but azumi too. oh they're perfect for each other.

also they NAMED THE CANCER. i don't know why i'm so excited that a writer has done the bare minimum amount of research on a medical condition a character has but. you know. usually i don't even get that (gestures vaguely to yukimiya kenyu). i wonder if it's too much to hope for for kiyoharu to have a rotationplasty. probably. we'll find out.

one negative thing for all this gushing: i hope this series passes the bechdel test at some point. azumi is a good character but she's very Not Like Other Girls. i'm inclined to blame some of this on the fact that this was written in 1999 but. come on man.

i keep feeling like this is a bit too good to be true if that makes any sense. like. togawa kiyoharu is a disabled character who is fully capable of kicking ass but is also well-rounded with flaws and personality, who isn't constantly angsting over being disabled, whose character arc does not surround his disability (what's set up of his arc so far is that he quit his team because he's more competitive than the other players and he's bad at cooperating. bit of a kageyama complex. he'd have fun in blue lock). and he's cute. no way they're just Giving us all that. there has to be some sort of catch. i'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

hopefully the other shoe doesn't drop in volume 3 otherwise i have to return the whole stack to the library at once and that will be even more embarrassing than checking them out was. i spent so long at that damn self-checkout stand trying to cram all 14 books into my bag.

[matan4il]

hi! this ask has a couple things so apologies in advance if this gets long lol

first, i wanted to ask about the coma buck theory. i've only recently watched the show, i've been in the fandom for about a month (mostly lurking and reblogging gifs lol). since day one i've noticed that 'buck will go into coma in 6b' seems to be something a lot of people believe, so if you know, where did that theory come from? i personally couldn't think of anything in the show that seemed to point to that, and and i also didn't find any posts discussing this in any detail, it seems like a collective headcanon more than anything to me. but i'm definitely very curious, so if this is something that you can see happening, could you please share your thoughts?

also this second part of this ask is just me getting excited bc i saw you mention the 309 kitchen scene in a recent ask and i've been dying to scream about it to someone lol. because oh my god, right??? idk how intentional that was or maybe the actors just happen to have good chemistry, idk anything but i just know that i had the weirdest cognitive dissonance moment while watching that scene. like just, the way buck steps towards eddie, my entire body sort of braced in excitement for a kiss, and like, that moment lasted for only about a quarter of a second but i actually had to pause because while watching that scene i'd literally forgotten that they're not actually together, and i was just like. wait. what happened. what? and just. aaaaaaahhh it was such a great scene and they're just so great and perfect together and like if the writers weren't planning on their chemistry they've written themselves into a corner bc they're just so perfect for each other, literally the family they've chosen, and just. aaah i love them sm😅

anyway, thanks a ton for reading my rambling, i really love your blog! hope you're having a good week <3

Hi Nonnie! No worries, I'm here to always try and help! *hugs*

So for the first part, I kind of explained my experience of seeing the coma!Buck theory taking shape in the fandom here.

As for the 309 kitchen scene, I love screaming about it, so yeeeeees, I'm glad we get to together! XD I personally am convinced that the 309 sexual tension was intentional. Why? Because the scene doesn't work without it. There's a joke they wanted to play, where they build our expectations towards some sort of an explosion between these two characters, but then instead of giving us that, they provide comic relief through letting a different kind of scene play out, a light-hearted one, comical in nature, that would make us smile (Buddifer playing video games together). But this only works if they REALLY build up the tension and if we REALLY ask ourselves whether there's going to be a blow up of some kind on our screens in a second. And while the scene plays around the idea that maybe Buddie will physically fight each other, we all know they were not. Buck had just apologized to Eddie again, he just showed how much he cares, and Eddie was visibly affected and moved by this, and their whole talk vibrates with how much they care about each other, I don't think anyone really believed they were gonna start punching each other. So if for the comic bit to work, the tension has to be real, and the aggressive/violent tension isn't, what made the comedy there work? The sexual tension. They HAD to turn to the implication of sexual tension, otherwise that whole thing falls flat. So yes, this is why I'm sure they did THAT intentionally. And your reaction, which you so perfectly described? It's not just yours. I went through it as well, and I'm sure we're not the only ones, because we were supposed to embrace for impact.

And I'm with you, I very much believe 911 has written itself into a corner. No one would ever work with either Buck or Eddie as well as the other one does. Eddie was originally supposed to be Maddie's Love Interest, but the second they changed course on that, they clearly built Eddie's introduction with Oliver and Ryan's chemistry in mind. They already saw enough of it to know that making us care about Eddie through Buck's eyes would work. So I'm also convinced if they wrote themselves into a corner, it's a corner of their own making, know what I mean?

Thank you so much for the kind words, and I'm so glad to know you enjoy my blog, I hope you continue to! Have a great day, lovely! As always, here's my ask tag. xoxox

[wander-wren]

lets get controversial! For the character bingo flamey beard man, Endeavor himself!

whoops

so i don’t like him. i think his redemption arc could’ve worked in another world, and i haven’t caught up on s6 yet so i don’t know exactly what he’s like at the moment, but…yeah no.

i don’t think i have to rehash all the todoroki kids’ childhoods and why that’s baaaad. we all know. i absolutely hate him for what he did to rei—talking about the mental hospital, specifically. the stuff that led to it, sure, but mostly the fact that he put her there not because she needed help (she did), but because she hurt his Precious Creation. and just leaves her there. for over a decade. no.

also, he says he wants to be a better dad and then never really does it. and look, if he was trying, he would be allowed to make mistakes. i would love to see that kind of messy complicated relationship. but i don’t, really? it feels very tell-y. everyone Says he’s trying and Says they’re starting to forgive him, but all i see is him texting shouto repeatedly and getting no response and being very angry about it (after he had to get his number from fuyumi, btw. nice boundary crossing and harassment, dude, very making amends of you. i wonder WHY your fifteen year old kid went no-contact).

i also don’t like how he acts with other people just like, in general. i’m not sure if i actually think he has a god complex but he definitely does not give off “listens to others” vibes. but he is a Good Hero, which is a very interesting. thing. to me. is duality the word?

so yeah tldr i’m not a fan but i do think dabi traumatizing his dad back is VERY funny. one time in a fic i had shouto murder him bc i thought it would be fun. i know there’s probably fics out there that give him an actually good redemption arc and that’s awesome but i do not want to read them.

god i do love shouto’s reaction to his making amends, though, even though i feel like it’s unearned. the scene where he fights the nomu and after it’s done shouto just…crouches down on the floor? idk what emotion he’s portraying but i Feel It. and the whole mess of “i hate him but he is the best person to teach me what i need to know.” and the growth of “you can train me but it’s on MY terms now.” hell yeah. while i’m on the subject i actually love all the todoroki kids’ reactions bc they’re all so different and they all make sense. i’m p sure i’m interpreting the “holds their family together” square wrong but i am. i am hugging all of the siblings + rei. and kicking endeavor into the street.

OH ONE MORE THING: i do think he’s a very interesting parallel to bakugou especially since he’s a top hero. he’s a much better hero than bakugou is, at least in the beginning, but he’s a far worse person with a worse redemption arc. i think he serves as a good warning for him. very cool

[seethesunny]

7, 19 + 45!

Get to know your fic writer

Hello Liz and thanks for these 🫶🏼

How do you choose which POV to write from?

I usually tend to have a vague idea, then I proceed to plan the rest of how the story goes, and according to how I want it to go, I'll pick the POV that suits it best! I've had to rewrite a whole section of fanfic because the POV that I went with first wasn't hitting as I wanted.

Or sometimes, if I want readers to see how the other character reacted to a certain scene, that's also when I'll check who should go first.

With most one-shots, though, I start with a character's POV and then fit the rest of the story within their perspective! Which you shouldn’t do if you want a neat and polished and coherent structure, but that's how I work lol

What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

Had to go check real quick (usually I don't bother to tag my stuff as much,) but excluding character and fandom tags, my most used tag is Alternative Universe - Canon Divergence 🧍🏽‍♀️

Which you know what!!! I should've seen it coming. I enjoy canon as much as anyone else, and I do stick with it, but being delusional and feeding into those aus (or even canon but with a slight tweak) is fun. So what.

That also bc I'm a Tess lives truther in this house <3

Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?

Both? Both are good?

I always do both! I've been told I make people have these reactions, sometimes at the same time, which is fine since my mission is readers having feels™️ over my writing.

Personally, I have more confidence in my angsty skills, so I relay on them mostly. Thus, I'm more prone to break hearts ❤️ sorry. I'm a softie with not so good comedy abilities 😅

[cherryblossomshadow]

#red said #also there are posts and tweets like THIS IS JUST FOR MCU FANS #like please go on demonstrating how you've adopted 'mcu fan' as a shorthand for 'person who likes films i don't' #or 'person who likes films that are popular' #because the defining features of mcu films are that they're high budget irony poisoned derivative works #targeted at a broad audience so aiming to be accessible and inoffensive #and it really seems. like 'accessible' is the part of that you object to #bc EEAAO is a highly original A24 indie film with a 14.5m budget which is NOTHING #it's made mostly with practical effects and sets #and most importantly it's beautifully painfully earnest. it's never trying to shy away or go Hey Look How Silly This Is 😏 #everything is driven by its earnest desire to talk about specific themes #i think the people comparing it negatively to mcu films are stuck on the fact that it's about a multiverse and it's got jokes #and colourful action scenes #but they miss that the referential jokes (like racacoonie) and setpieces aren't the point of the film (tags courtesy of OP)

#red said #ARGH!!!!! MEDIA LITERACY!!!!!!!! #so irony poisoned i watch a film very explicitly about the importance of absurdity in a painful and exhausting world #and point at it and say haha look how silly that is isn't that pathetic #YEAH IT'S TALKING ABOUT YOU MAN. YOU'RE EATING THE BAGEL. EMBRACE JOY. (more tags courtesy of OP)

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Despite this world that is constantly moving faster and rarely makes any sense one clear feeling cuts through all noise and it is that I want my loved ones to be okay (comment courtesy of @meams4u)

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And anyway: WHAT THE FUCK IS IMMATURE ABOUT THE MESSAGE “BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER”??? Kindness isn’t immature! It’s incredibly difficult! Kindness means having to look beyond your own comfort and needs (while not disregarding them) and seeing the humanity in others, and trying to understand what that person needs. If kindness was easy to understand and do, do you think the world would look the way it does?

Kindness if absolutely necessary for vulnerability to exist, and without vulnerability �� as EEAAO tells us — we slip into destruction of either the self or the people around us, or both. (comment courtesy of @stele3) .

how is "find joy" as a message that fundamentally different from "be kind" also a character literally gives a "be kind" speech at the emotional climax of the movie like forgive me for thinking what the movie is saying is what the movie is saying (comment courtesy of @2rat2touille)

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I mean yes be kind is PART of the message of the movie but it's part of a message that also includes allowing yourself to be authentically open and vulnerable and stop trying to be Sensible. Like that's why Waymond's admirable behaviour is framed in terms of stuff like googly eyes and dancing and play, and why Evelyn's act of reaching out is both 'have an emotional breakdown' and 'put on the googly eyes'

Like Waymond's strength of character is that he's kind and thoughtful, and that is part of him being comfortable with his own vulnerability and the vulnerability of others, which is also part of his relationship to joy which he explains in the SAME speech - "it's not naive" etc

and yeah tbh I'm oversimplifying by saying the message isn't "be kind" cause you're right that that is part of what the film is saying. but the film is also saying a lot of other things and this post is a frustrated reaction to people acting like because one part of one speech sounds like a message that's often simple and moralistic, the only thing the film has to offer is a shallow "be nice to each other" (literally multiple people are using the word 'shallow')

and that IS a fundamental misreading. especially because the other "written for children" claim is that it's silly. which as a choice makes perfect sense if you look at the whole of the film as conveying a coherent idea, rather than, as these people are doing, look at part of one speech at the climax of the film and say "well that's the extent of what this film is saying" (comment courtesy of OP)

Quotes:

The message of the film isn't even "be kind" as much as it's "be silly. fuck around. laugh it off. find joy in being ridiculous. fuck cynicism."

The message isn't "be kind" it's "find joy." literally it's so on the nose the character Evelyn is reaching for is Literally Called Joy.

I do not understand how multiple people seem to have decided the theme of the film was "be kind to one another" and not "engage authentically with the absurdity and joy of the world because nothing matters except what you make matter!!!!" Simone de Beauvoir did not die for this!!!!!!! kill both the sensible man and the nihilist and revel in the absurd!!!!!!!!!!

people seriously pretending EEAAO is overrated suddenly bc it swept awards? it swept awards largely because it is very very very good. I cried like someone who’s just had a religious revelation BOTH times I watched it bc it touched something raw and real and beautiful but it was also just very, very funny. everyone’s performance kills and the concept is creative and interesting and doesn’t distract from the emotional core. you guys are just contrarian.

[showyoumyfavoriteobsession]

WELL.

I just finished my first playthrough and like. holy shit. I'm still kind of reeling bc even though I think I got a "good ending" main story-wise (destroyed the elder brain and all the tadpoles), the companions' epilogues were not as positive!

I fucked up Gale's story at some point - I was trying to romance him, but I also didn't want him to take the crown for himself, and I think I must have picked an option that backed him up at some point thinking I could convince him later. When we got to the epilogue, we just got in an argument and he stormed off to go claim godhood for himself. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My (vague) understanding is that each companion has at least two endings? And I did quicksave during that conversation so I may go back and see what happens if I back him up - probably not the ending I was aiming for, but something different at least. I also never got his act 3 romance scene, but I'm not sure if that's because of this or because I started romancing him too late (I didn't get his act 1 scene at the party either).

*Quick edit since I just went back and loaded up that last save: there wasn't anything I could do in that conversation to change the outcome of Gale leaving. I think I must have started his stuff too late, so I couldn't get all the scenes, plus probably a few bad dialogue choices on the way. It's a shame, I really do like Gale and he has an interesting story, and that’s not the way I was hoping to end it (even if I wasn't romancing him).

I didn't actively do very much of Karlach's story (got her stabilized in act 2 and that was about it), but GOD her epilogue scene made me cry like a baby. Saying goodbye to the sun and the ocean... telling herself she did her best... 😭 I'm still feeling unwell about it.

I don't think I would have done anything different on this playthrough for Astarion (helped him kill Cazador and disrupt the ritual) but I did feel bad when he had to go scrambling away from the sunlight. I'm planning to romance him for an evil playthrough so I might just go full evil and let him complete the ritual then - we'll see.

But overall I really really loved this game! Absolutely one of the biggest, most captivating experiences I've had in a game. I understand why people are upset about the abruptness of the epilogue, but (at least for now) it really didn't bother me. I think if it were much longer, it would have felt like it was dragging, especially when you have a lot of emotional scenes one after the other - I think they erred on the correct side. The story felt so detailed and interwoven and compelling and still managed to be... manageable. Understandable and relatively easy to keep track of, despite being both sprawling and deep. The script and the acting elicited a huge amount of emotional reactions from me all the way through the game - this has taken me about a month, mostly playing a couple hours each evening, and I was still laughing at the dialogue and cringing at my bad rolls and invested in battles almost every time I booted up the game. That was a pretty cool feeling.

It's wild to me that every time I watch other people play this game, they're always finding things that I never found - there's just so. much. game. I expect any subsequent playthroughs will go a good bit faster; eventually I'll probably just watch parts that I'm curious about instead of playing through it over and over with slight changes, but I am curious to do at least one more playthrough with a very different approach to see how different the game becomes. I'm going to be thinking (and posting lol) about this for a while.

Oh! Randomly, I feel like I should mention that I played the whole game on the easiest mode and it was great. This is the first CRPG I've ever played, I have very little experience with turn-based combat or DnD, and I wanted to keep having fun! It was still plenty challenging - there were still a couple times that my whole team died, it's certainly not a story-only mode - but it ended up being perfect for my play style.

[psychelis-new]

Hey how are you?

Have you been to a paranormal place? I was just watching a medium (Kelsi Davies) on YT (her latest video). Man, I feel a pain in my right rib cage and also feel nauseated. I used to watch her back in 2021-2022 and I did not feel this way. It was calmer before. I think around 2022 was when I drop her because I started to feel nauseated and light headed whenever I watch her video. Is it normal to feel that way? Do you ever feel that way and why is it happening?

I also remember back when I was 15 y/o (2009) I have visited a historic building for my History assignment. We were in a huge group of people accompany by our History teacher and one of the relatives that used to sleep in that building (to protect historic building from vandalism). That building is a family house and was used by Japanese army for their base camp (they drive away the family out from that house by force). It is said that there was a battle between the japanese army and australian/british army. Until now you can see bullet holes on the walls of that house. These are what the relatives told us when we arrive at the scene. I remember I was nauseated and have this light headed feeling (like vertigo) but I think it was maybe because I was too excited to explore.

After the whole historical talk, my teacher ask if there were paranormal activities ever happen. And there was lot. This relative that guide us through the house stops at one room and told us, "this was where our ancestor hang the head of the beheaded and let the blood drop onto big vases. So the vases all haunted." She even saw a red eyes peeking through the bullet holes on a kitchen door. She even got chased by a walking stick at a middle of the night while residing in the house.

If you may, please share your paranormal experience and how you feel physically while at that place?

~🌻

Hi there :)

So for the way you feel in relation to the medium's videos, it could be that she triggers some "unconscious fear" inside of you. It's okay if you didn't feel this way before, we change, our minds change too, we grow aware of ouselves and so the way we perceive or think about things changes as well. You may also have experienced some kind of religious or spiritual unrelated event and therefore you unconsciously developed this kinda anxious reaction to her videos; or maybe... you grew more aware of other energies and hers/the ones she channels may feel a bit too heavy for you or uncomfortable. It's worth building up boundaries, if you want to keep watching her... do not let the things you watch "suck you up" so much (ofc, if the thing goes on, please do have a medical check anyway).

I used to watch paranormal videos too years ago, but I grew tired of them the moment I realized it was mostly for "the clicks". Online world, YT in particular, lives on how many clicks one gets (and how much they get payed bc of that) and the more you are able to make a sensational title/video, the more views you get... So I simply gave up and got on different roads to understand. I am in fact sure there's some truth, but probably YT videos aren't always the right way to find that out (ofc, this is not true for each youtuber, but yk... it's not easy to spot good ones). Also I realized I couldn't really watch horror movies anymore as they only made my anxiety worse (which they basically never did in the past)... I think the more you grow aware of the existance of something else but you cannot explain it to yourself clearly and properly (or even rationally, if you're used to think more than to feel), the more it triggers your unsafety (probably already traumatized in your past years by other situations/traumas). This is something that may be worth working on in order to heal (maybe also your other insecurities: feeling unsafe doesn't make you feel secure within yourself either and vice versa).

Similarly goes for (at least most of the) paranormal places. Okay, some of the things people tell tourists/kids may be true, but... beware of the fact that they live thanks to those tourists. Keep that into consideration as well. The fact that you felt overwhelmed could have been either your mind being wired by what the guide was telling y'all, the fact that you were actually visiting a paranormal place (and our minds may get biased on that thought alone) or... yes, maybe you felt something, some type of energy there. Your guts know better, but you need to try and stay grounded, come to a place with no expectation, as you would go to your usual supermarket, to really know. And that's hard sometimes, especially with such places.

I think paranormal is all around us, when we think about it. Some things happen without us being able to actually explain them reasonably. When you feel energies around you, or see something within the corner of your eye... that happens (at least it has happened to me, irl and also in some dreams). And at times it feels okay, other times it feels a bit uneasy. It depends on the type of energy around you, but also on yourself and how you feel (if you're already anxious for any other reason you may get an altered feeling: that's why it's important to try and stay grounded as much as we can -ofc, that's not always possible cause we're humans, but on paper, that's what we should try and do).

Ofc some places may be considered as home by some energies or entities (or something big may have happened there and therefore they cannot fully leave? I am guessing, I don't know for sure honestly), and therefore their energies can be felt more deeply there, I am not saying it's impossible or not true. I have never visited any place that could be considered a paranormal place so I am not sure of what I could feel there, but I have visited a WWII Polizeihaftlager that now serves as a museum, and honestly.... the energy there was crazy. Everything was so dang heavy, it felt like time didn't pass at all. Ofc, as said, I probably was biased by it all but... getting inside those rooms, I was gasping for air. One of my classmates started crying and almost threw up, I was holding her up but I felt like I was going to faint any other minute. In the open air inside the camp, things were a bit better despite still heavy. But being nauseated and feeling lightheaded are common reactions though, at least for what I know/experienced. The amount of energy you may feel and/or just the emotional reaction you unconsciously get by thinking what may have happened there, can totally cause that imo. TBH Medicine's students get similar feelings during the first autopsy or so (at least I was told so by some friends).

Hope this can help you btw :)

[ikilledamanforthisurl]

Minami Anonx7 If it helps Literally everyone I have known ever has brought up that I sound like a literal cartoon mobster henchman every time I call people boss so i've just embraced it now fully. Everyone is Boss To Me as I sling my guns goofily to Get Da Coppers. But I SEE…. i've been playing through the yakuza games chronologically I’m currently watching through y4 right now but id like to watch dead souls afterwards. It is extremely funny though the idea of watching them completely ramshackled out of order. Anyways. 1) I personally would love to play the minami centric side game also + I literally cannot imagine it’s anymore embarrassing a thing to want then me daydreamng abt the side game id like to make for my yakuza OC and 2) SOOOOOOO true I love it when Nishida and Minami are like sort of a awful duo together also I admire your like notes about M construction. I haven’t given it much thought yet on how it actually works but that’s mostly bc I have family who work in construction so I make myself laugh thinking Majima has no idea what the hell he’s doing LOL but anyways real…… Idk if you've ever read it but there’s an awesome fic on ao3 where it’s basically about how Nishida was also a prisoner of the hole and this like sort of implied idea or like at least smth I saw someone bring up before in conjunction idea that “Whilst Minami tries to emulate Majima Nishida actually IS like Majima in a way and the result of that has made him jaded/heavily desensitised” which i think adds a really interesting layer to the Relationship to think abt ep if it were canon. So this is why Desperately desperately I need a M construction side game I need something to focus on the majima family outside of him and honestly especially on Nishida…… tangent but there is so much interesting potential w him I want to see it explored !!!!!! Last note here but have u seen Minami's scene in RGG online before? I just found an English translation of it today and it had me very biting and chewing over A) Minami getting legitimately upset when his fake accent was mocked, not bc it was a slight against HIM but against MAJIMA and B) the sort of self deprecating mention he makes of what good is he if he’s not strong enough / good at smth before it immediately gets pushed aside by him and C) the implication that Minami is genuinely attached to Kamurocho/wants to protect it. If u havent i can try and find the post I saw abt it but. Much to think about

I HAVE SEEN THE RGGO STORY IT KILLS ME KILLS ME KILLS ME EVERY TIME. biting and chewing is a good way to describe it. have YOU seen the Nishida one? Minami shows up very briefly and i can practically already sense your reaction to his couple of lines (i grab and SHAKE him i shake him so much)

its so funny how hes so close to having any kind of depth and then he brushes it off immediately like "yeah this whole clan fuckup bothers me n has got me feelin insecure .lol lmao anyways". like as much as its kind of annoying as a fan of the character its also unfortunately realistic? EYE do that. you wouldnt catch me dead elaborating and having a nice rock-talk if my life was in the midst of being tableflipped. lol + lmao + anyways is the best you're gonna get

also, as a bonus tidbit before i go figure out how to format this idea for a tumblin post, this is half the setup for the Saejima teacher idea i was playing with ☝ because i already know RGG is NEVER going to put any meaningful spotlight on the Family members who've been essentially left to pick up their bootstraps with the big whoopsie of y7. sorry that i keep talking about it in code i dont wanna spoil nobody, in spite of not caring abt them myself i know others do 🙇‍♂️ i'm taking matters into my own hands and i am going to explore the IMPLICATIONS of the BIGGEST FAMILY POSSIBLY EVER going thru what it does. and i'm going to grab Minami by his non-existent shirt collar and i'm going to shake him around until he talks about how this affects him at least a little bit. i'll stop coding this in the Saejima Teacher plot post so you can decide if it matters 2 you or not and read up when i get to it btws

also your point about Nishida is spot on. you don't keep the kind of man who trembles at every conversation he has for that many years without breaking him down and making him (comparatively) jaded in such a stressful line of work. on top of that, Majima literally tests this man like its some sort of divine Greek-mythos punishment put unto him by the gods..... he's absolutely jaded underneath that shaky deadpan stare. Nishida may never outwardly resemble Majima, persona or the genuine self, but he absolutely rubs off on him and influences him heavily. this is the kinda relationship most Gokudo in the series seem to have with their bosses when they're worth a damn, Saejima was ready to walk to the ends of the earth for his patriarch due to the positive impact he had on him, and Majima likewise for his boss, though moreso in the opposite direction. not wholly..... Majima's priority of strength begets some kind of twisted respect towards Shimano. I wonder if he lacks that respect for Sagawa, who as far as I remember never physically overpowers or threatens Majima except for when he's already down and weakened in some form.......? getting off track. point is Oyajis are very very influential to their precious boys, their Family will reflect them (personality, how he runs the joint, etc) regardless if they want it to or not. Majimemegoro has some baller fics exploring all this and it's a large part of what influences me today.....

Speaking of, i would love the title of that fic you've mentioned... i'm a little picky of which fanfic i'll give the time of day but Nishida also having experience with Anagura is tantalising. like that's so tragic.... that's so evil...... i'm sitting here wondering to myself if he was a survivor or.. yknow........ because no one else, in canon, "made it out" of Anagura alive. or, more specifically, no victims make it out of Anagura. Majima was always the exception. either option makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it...... cause if he is another victim then the way Majima treats him is just.... and if he's not then is his constant dedication to him like a form of atonement....... oouuhhhrggg......... im going to hit the wall...........

also! i'd love to hear if you have any unique takes regarding M.Con considering your family...... when i say im pulling ideas out of my ass i mean it. you've got access to a unique perspective methinks. closest i got is other people's accounts and (shudders) ausgov roadworkers i see occasionally............

also also! when you get to dead souls please bitch to me the moment something goes awry i HATE-love dead souls.... the characterisation makes me stub my toe repeatedly in frustration. its not bad and i dont want to be the NO FUN ALLOWED twat but ugghghhghghrghrhgrhg the zombie setting is not handled in a way that engages me. thats all i'll say bc otherwise ill be here forever venting all my nitpicks that i SHOULD throw on twitter but wont bc i got hardcore DS dickrider mutuals who'll get sad in my mentions at best and maybe take it personally at worst

[mybrainproblems]

#idk this is all conjecture. but it’s interesting to think about#don’t take my word as gospel truth 🤷🏻#also. full disclosure. I have not yet watched the finale#I’m still in s14 on my first layer seasons watch!!

okay, so i've watched 15x20 nine ten times now and this is really a good summary for exactly why these rumors persist about the "extra" ad break and the episode being "short" (hell, i was even ready to throw in on the extra ad break rumor)

people have either never watched it bc they heard it was bad, or they haven't watched it in three years bc yes, the episode is just not up to par with other spn episodes, nvm finales. and since it's more fun repeat a fun conspiracy than fact check, it keeps going around. (which i also parroted! until i decided to get out a stopwatch and check for myself in dec 2022!) it was also a rumor that got a lot of play by a couple of popular blogs in late 2020/early 2021 and it gained a lot of traction then.

so yeah. it's worth investigating! which i did and have been digging into for a year now. i had hit the dead end of not being able to find a version of 15x20 where the ad breaks were intact. which brings me to...

an extremely lovely person reached out to me last night to let me know that they had 15x20 on their DVR with ad breaks intact and pulled the rough timing marks for me without me even asking bc they are an absolute angel!!!

transcription of the timing marks in the second image:

1. mins 10-13 after boys catch vamp mime (yep 10 whole minutes!) 2. mins 17-22 (incl cw promo) after kids run out/vamp lineup enters 3. mins 32-35 after dean's death 4. mins 40-45 (incl jared walker promo) after sam walks out of bunker 5. mins 57-60 after bridge waving :\

which means i was extremely wrong in my first reblog guessing where most of the ad breaks were as someone who hadn't watched live and... there are no extra ad breaks from what I can tell? (as someone who actually works on this, please chime in if these look off! i would love to hear from someone who actually knows!) at least to me, it looks like they're at about the time slots i would expect for a normal TV episode? breaks 1&2 feel like they're close but idk. my knowledge is mostly in TV market research, not ad sales/buying (side bar: i adore being proven wrong with Facts, if i am wrong pls tell me!!)

what i think makes it feel like the episode is under 42min or that there might have been extra ad breaks (which i would totally have believed) is that not even midway through the 60min time block it runs into narrative concrete with dean's impalement. and then you have an entire second half of the ep where nothing happens and it is So. Slow. it's basically a single scene (dean's death) and then dean and bobby's short convo, followed by a couple of aimless montages with OG carry on and a cover of carry on back-to-back.

it is a WEIRD fucking episode. especially from a writer who is, at worst, competent. (i say this as a dabbfan & with love in my heart)

i have a post i just made with a list of major timing marks if anyone wants to take a look. (once i knew where to look they were SO obvious)

also bc it might contextualize my pov: i'm in the camp of "no major changes that weren't related to covid regulations were made between shutdown and starting filming again." i genuinely believe that the finale was screwed long before the reaction to 15x18. walker was the CW's follow-on show and they were looking for general audiences for that show, not destiel shippers. it's a really boring explanation, but i think it's the most likely. at a guess, last minute cuts were smaller adjustments and (my unprovable theory) waiting to see if they could get another song licensed for the montage.

ok so like. thinking about the fact that there was an extra commercial break in the finale

In 2021 I used to work for [major US cable company] on a team that manually scheduled all of the ads that aired on their network every single day. While the exact shit that airs gets put in there the day before by a team of approx 10 human beings (insane), the tv show schedule & the breaks themselves are SET IN STONE. It takes a really specific, heavy-hitting request from a network and a LOT of people & moving parts to make an extra commercial break happen. That shit is built into the system way in advance!!!!!

I wish I had thought to ask my coworkers if they remembered anything happening then. Things were ofc moving around a lot because of the election coverage, BUT that was in the news networks, not on the fucking CW. Do we think that request was made last minute??? how long did they plan to have that extra break in there?????? were they cutting that episode up until the last minute after the networks saw the reaction to 15x18??????? we will probably never know but it is gonna bug me forever