#on this season in my rewatch right now and it's really fascinating how the vibes of this series just feel so different | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jade-marie · 4 years ago

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I don't understand the sudden optimism for Brio atm, just because he fingered her doesn't mean everything is ok again. I see some people talking about them getting together again, like do they seriously think that is the showrunners plan? I highly doubt that,they never cared much for this pairing,they only show some Brio action now to get people back on board, but I know already that they will get disappointed in the end.

Yeah... it’s a tough one and I’ve been struggling to get my head round it to be honest, especially because I was obsessed with them up until like 3.04 ish but now I’m like 🥴🤢

I just feel like everything I enjoyed about their dynamic has well and truly left the building, I’m not even feeling the chemistry anymore tbh (and no it’s not because I dislike the show, I’ve been rewatching on FaceTime while my friend watches and s1/2 chemistry was fire) it literally feels like they’re uncomfortable in each other’s presence and I get such weird vibes from their current interactions.

I don’t think anything significant will come out of it because I don’t think the writers see him as anything more than bathroom sex. He’s Beth’s metaphorical roll in the dirt and then she’s gonna go back to her neat and tidy little life, playing criminal on the side because #girlpower.

As for other people’s reactions to brio it seems to branch off into so many different avenues:

Beth vs Rio preference

Ok so I’ve noticed a massive difference in how people receive brio interactions based on which character they prefer. S1, I loved them both and I just wanted them to partner up in every sense of the word. S2 i was leaning more towards Rio and S3 onwards I was firmly in his corner. For that reason I literally do not want anything to happen between them because I think he deserves better than someone who shot him and left him to die, someone who continually tries to kill him and fuck him over. Seeing them together genuinely makes my skin crawl 🤣

People who favour Beth (even if they don’t admit it) seem to just be screeching about Beth getting some, but there’s zero acknowledgement of all the shit which is still going unaddressed. That whole spiel grosses me out and I’m not gonna go into it much more.

What do they want from brio?

I feel like different people have different expectations of what they wanted the outcome of this “relationship” to be. Some people just want it to be an endless cycle of making up and breaking up, some people wanted them to end up in a more traditional relationship, other people wanted it to be a crash and burn which felt really good on the way down.

Personally, I wanted to see some real development both in their characters and their dynamic, where they naturally progressed away from playing games and fucking each other over to actually working together. Effectively, I wanted them to have a partnership, in every sense of the word. Obviously that’s not going to happen because that wasn’t where the writers decided to go with it and I think it’s a fucking waste but hey ho.

People who wanted that make up/break up situation probably enjoy what’s happening right now and good for them.

Shipper goggles

This is the big one for me. I have never seen shipper goggles operating on such an extreme level as I do with Brio. It’s gotten to the point where, across every platform, people just seem to romanticise every interaction happening between Beth and Rio, regardless of the context. If anything, they completely ignore the context of what’s happening in order to make the scene romantic. I’ve noticed it a lot more this season with the pool scene, the wire, everything that happened at his grandma‘s house.

I constantly see people talk about how hot the strip search and pool scene were but like — 🤯 Those scenes aren’t meant to be hot. They’re not meant to be romantic. It almost feels like people desperately want to hold onto this ship and perhaps acknowledging the context of these interactions makes that more difficult. But that’s another reason why I get so pissed off at these scenes being written in a way that can be interpreted as hot, there are certain situations where there shouldn’t be any room for interpretation. I’m gonna stop talking about that though because if not, I’m gonna get pissed off again lol.

Anyhoo, everywhere I look I’m just seeing shipper goggles out in full force and it’s fascinating (bordering on infuriating) because I genuinely feel like we’re watching two completely different shows. I’m curious though, like do people genuinely believe that Beth gives a fuck about Rio, let alone that she’s in love with him? Because I can’t tell if people actually believe this stuff or if it’s some sort of denial… the whole thing is fucking wild and I will never understand it 🤣

Either way, it’s probably going to be a pretty rough landing when Bans and Krebs do their usual dance, bait the audience with brio and then snatch it away. Wouldn’t be shocked at Death endgame and Rio in prison for the finale tbh.

#asks #anon #good girls nbc #rio good girls #beth boland #brio #nbc good girls #rio x beth

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bourbon-ontherocks · 4 years ago

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(Previously, on Season 4 (re)watch...)

Hey you know what? 4.13 is actually a cool episode to rewatch! Diane and Phoebe content, what else could I ask for?

Misogynist secret service guy is SO pining after Dave, I'd watch a spinoff of that, honestly...

Beth being like, "hey, if I'm on city council I'll have real leverage over a local gang leader" sounds like the most illogical thing she's ever said, but hey, it's Good Girls, so... Also why is Beth soaking in the hot tub in a sweater?? (that thing can't count as a bathing suit, come on)

BETH WE'RE THIRTY SECONDS IN THE EPISODE AND YOU'VE ALREADY SAID THAT YOU'RE A MOM, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU????

I love how Annie and Ruby are like, "brousin AND homeboy want to fuck you now" and Beth is in total denial about it

Oh my GOD, Nick having a flirty phone call with Beth in front of Rio and the ensuing dick contest is absolutely delicious!!! Rio being all smug like "I'd give her what she needs, hmmm", pahahaha, these roosters oh my gosh

I am absolutely feral over the fact that Beth has now been compared to a basket ball and a hamburger. This is simultaneously gross and hilarious

Ugh, I hate how needy Annie is! I mean, I understand that she's got anxiety after the kidnapping, but couldn't she go sleep at Beth's or something? I'm glad Kevin turned her down though

Rio making himself at home everywhere he goes is absolutely hilarious. Imagine him entering the starbucks in the morning and having his way with the expresso machine without asking anyone

I love how Annie is literally SNAPPING at Rio after he kidnapped her, like she’s literally defying him to hurt her again and I love it

DIANE!!!!!!!! I just love this character so so much, I think she has become my favourite. Spin-off when??

Before watching this episode, I had seen gifsets of Diane coming for all the former strippers, and I genuinely thought this was taken from some random movie Noureen had played in, but this is so much better, although I don't see why any of those girls would come back to the stripping business given that they all seem to have found pretty cool new jobs

I need more of this Dave x his oblivious wife dynamic

WHY IS STAN TEAMING UP WITH DEAN HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE BFF WITH RIO WTF??!! Also I love how these MRA/skincare guys are so sectarian and narcissistic that they're instantly ganging up on Stan when he says he's not interested in their gig, while he's the one who's bringing all the evidence to the table. Also Dean totally has an uncool-kid-who's-suddenly-made-friends-with-the-cool-kids vibe

This parenting conversation about bedtime is extremely weird (and also very passive-agressive and not at all about parenting lol)

Ugh, Annie trying to disgust Angela from Kevin is just gross. I'm glad she saw right through it though

I'm sorry but who brings their BABY to a stripclub??? Pretty sure that even the strippers have better options

Annie's "auditions are on Tuesday" to the bigot moms is an underrated line

I really really love how the blondie leader of the moms' association or whatever is literally a clone of Beth. Bigot!Beth. But they are the same and it fascinates me in how it reflects Beth's double-sided mask. Bigot!Beth is sneaky, entitled, all about outrage, and it's just so Beth... This episode could be about multiple personnalities disorder and I'd buy it.

Is the corkboard included in the hotel room price, or did Phoebe travel with it? Either way that's ridiculous

There are way too many gardening metaphors/references in this show, somebody has a problem. But I just love broke/single!Dave showing up and his dynamic with Phoebe.

Wait wait wait. Did Nick actually send Bigot!Beth and her crew after Beth to yank her metaphorical ponytail and incite her to run for city council??? Gee, how much hold has this guy??

I don’t know why, but i just LOVE the bit with the jewelry store manager, I feel like the actor has put so many thoughts on his character’s backstory just for those thirty seconds lol

Excuse me, the LENGHT OF RETRACTABLE DOG LEASH???? Is that what they talk about on city council permanences???

The suggestion that Stan does pole dancing with a fireman helmet on is actually one of the best things this show's ever come up with

WHO LET THIS WEIRD CULT LEADER INTERACT WITH CHILDREN????? AND HE ENCOURAGES THEM TO HIT EACH OTHER???

GO AWAY YOU LITTLE MANIPULATIVE CREATURE YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO FORCE YOUR SKINCARE SHIT ON MY STANIMAL FUCK OFF!!!!!

Oooooh, I didn’t notice on my first watch that Beth has Phoebe and Dave's corkboard now!! Is that the show's way of saying that she made a deal with them to take Nick down? (I've been on tumblr so I know the answer to that) Now I really understand better why she drops the fake smile as soon as she turns away from Nick

Once again I'm here for this super immature dick contest between Rio and Nick over Beth. They are all stupid hormonal pre-teens and I love that for them.

Bonus 1: Real question here, what is behind this door? There’s materially no room for a fire escape/stairs between that door and Annie’s kitchen, I plead a decor misshap

Bonus 2: What else did you expect? At this point my Google image search history would give a heart attack to my NSA guy...

Bonus 3: This episode’s card. I was this close to actually check the “Beth and Nick make out” box because this is already foreplay lol. And Ruby couldn’t shed a tear this episode?? Even a small one?? I mean, I’m glad she was rather happy this ep, but will I ever make a bingo?

#nbc good girls #gg (re)watch #I think I liked this episode overall?#the Diane and Phoebe content played a huge part #as did Dave x his (ex)wife misadventures #and the brousin rooster fight #this is so in-tune with the fic I'm writing I'm just so happy #also I really love Bigot!Beth #and the mirror she presents on pre-robbery Beth I guess?

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misterbitches · 4 years ago

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i had the misfortune of finally watching/getting through what happened in whatever episode where he gets raped so im gonna talk about it and tag it cos that's what a bitch fuckin feels like, got it? i do what i want aint no limit bad ass bitch aint never been timid. woopsie realized i got the nicknames confused oh well lmao

it's just logistically and plot wise like there's literal plot holes in this and i'm taking the production and set-up into account along with the actual content and development. im an ARTIST OKAY im jk i mean i am and i am pretentious and terrible but look. i didnt get that degree and im not in a house worth of debt for nothing ok. it's called writing on tumblr about my grievances of shows that dont matter and do not respect me as a fat black american woman either so it is my fault yet here i am.

anyway it was worse than i imagined and their talk after (with chengren) was even worse. that's what i mean about making the lines their own (the actors) bc teng teng sounded like a straight up motherfucking moron and im like

bECAUSE IT'S HIM EVEN THO IM LIKE WHAT THE FUCK DID U JUST SAY U STUPID BITCH? but then it's like awwww and they also care about his wellbeing obviously??? but no? but it's like ok still teng teng said it even if it's stupid because he is a character and charles puts that forth. the people that fail the most to do that are xing si's family but that's not the actors fault because it's the literal material. you're like wait what but you just said...?

so i know they have no script editors i guess i think i find this season ACTUALLY fascinating because of just how egregious it is. i also went back and watched history: obsessed which i thought i liked because of their chemistry even though god the production....but i tried rewatching it and i was like wow this is worse than i remembered and the production issues were even worse because some of the music was SO LOUD AND BAD HOLY FUCK and their whole rship isssssss a sight to behold lmao

so man i guess it really is the power of anson/charles. which is good cos we love to see it...sort of but also a lot.

i honestly....because i've been able to pay attn more to the aftermath of the rape going back and putting it into more context and focusing (just barely lmao) is hm even worse. the inconsistencies are insane. it's not even just about the act but the writers have zero idea where they are going because they have no interest in exploring it. but the way in which it happens is like fascinating. yong jie literally thinks he owns xing si and it doesn't matter if he was kissing him or not or asked for a kiss on the lips (which dude what the fuck? i'll get to that) because he was plied with "extremely strong drinks" and his mom knew about it....which girl congrats you're an accomplice to the rape of your son by your other son?

but first of all...the kissing thing. in what fucking world would he (xing si) want that unless he thought he (yong jie) was someone else. i can't say their attraction is evident because we are being lead by this team to think so; they create this false sense of sensuality already so to me that signifies that they never intended for them to have a bond as brothers. it just feels cheap and fucking lazy (which it is.) even if he did, which doesn't make sense considering the context THEY CONSTRUCTED, it wouldn't matter because he was so fucking drunk which.... at that point nothing is fun, you feel sick, who wants sex like that? does he not have whiskey dick? did they have a condom? was it not painful for him considering? even if this was something to easily get over like was the dick good? it couldn't have been. and then, on top of that, there's the fact that you can change your mind or whatever but also that people do get aroused in these situations bc it is human nature (that's if they can literally get aroused which if the drinks were allegedly sooooo strong that nigga would be out so....again like even practically here it doesnt add up. have these people ever been drunk? if not, write what you know girl. cos sometimes it's like i think some of u r trying to be cool when u dont have 2 b lmao)

so yong jie coming on to him previously may be seen as like push-and-pull but here's the thing. right after it happens (the rape and it's rape so call it that you'll be okay) xing si gets up and goes home and is terrified and upset. he acts like what we have seen or even felt after a violation. he's scared, clutching his bag, it's like...you know...decently coming off as truly distressing (the actor isn't bad at all and i like that he's dark. i just massively hate this for him but hey at least he can show some chops.) like honestly man that fucking sucks and hurts to see. if we've been there we feel it. or part of it is realizing belatedly what happened. a lot of times that drop in your stomach is the worst.

but somehow for some reason, to which i cannot understand, the three of them begin to talk as if xing si pressured him? which maybe i missed something and that is possible—dont feel like going back to look—but that also made no sense. like what kind of false memory is this? why would he think he wasn't willing? and if he thought yong jie wasn't and that he pressured him how does he remember like...anything about the sex?!?!??!? besides waking up and being with him. like i guess he felt yong jie's MASSIVE DONG imprint but ??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!!!!

god then the logic of the top/bottom thing is like i said i wasnt going to get into it but it's actually really funny. this whole thing was hilarious. honestly because I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. he could have totally raped him in that way but how did you get to this CONCLUSION FROM THAT??????? BY YOUR LOGIC THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS? IF HE IS THE BOTTOM AND PENETRATION IS THE ONLY FORM OF TRUE CONSUMMATION AND RAPE BECAUSE APPARENTLY, BASED ON ANATOMY, IF YOU HAVE A DICK IN UR BUTT UR A GIRL THEN HOW. DOES. THIS. MAKE. SENSE. AND THEN

AND THEN

this whole stupid conversation happens so we get to the conclusion that xing si violated him ok cool but that means that something is wrong. that is the CONCLUSION WE CAME TO A SECOND AGO?

also the other rapist is a villain and muren isn't in love with him so, once again, you're breaking the rules of your own world about acceptability which is why most of this is absolutely mind bogggglinG that iit's fuckign comical. like i actually when i can stomach it start laughing or my jaw is slack because it's so insulting as a viewer because there is like 0 logical followthrough.

because whatshisface barges in, kisses him in front of his friends without permission, then says whether you were willing or not which is hm. at that point how u gonna change that around but let's not bother with logic here. i am simply here to point out how this makes no sense according to the rules they set up even outside of the basic rule of life which is hm dont rape people maybe.

so now we know xing si was raped, they believe he was raped, he himself believes he was raped, and whatshisface literally says he doesn't care even if he was willing (he wasn't) so he admits to rape. i don't believe in the police and i hate them (BL industry needs the cops but dont get me down that road) but no one...thought to go?

because according to history 4 logic nothing matters so im sure if he went to the police you could handwave the homophobia since there's no actual context for anything besides their whimsy. but they dont want to do that because they aren't interested in an arc of growth; redemption isn't possible unless he is removed from the family but again no work on thinking this through or thinking about the victim's feelings. because gay sex? who fucking knows. supposedly progressive taiwanese writers of gay shit (like how supposedly progressive the world is. as in it is not and this behavior is the norm and bl perpetuates that) can't think of transformative justice?

and then they gave bad advice so we wont acknowledge that because teng teng doing anything wrong/stupid is frequent but hurts me and also that storyline is not real so i pretend they are not there outside of this post

so all of this is just straihgt up clownery now because it's fucking absurd like logically, practically, human-wise. the kissing thing is inconsequential but it was such a lazy cheap way out lmao cos they really wanted it to seem consensual but that's not how it works. on top of that their attraction makes no sense because whatshisface is just there. he is just there. he's nothing and no one so the sentiments are even more empty and on top of that he doesnt listen to a single request fucking obviously because the basis of their relationship is fucking rape so fucking listening and respecting his partner is not on his list of fucking priorities. he's literally so fucking annoying even without being a rapist it's like someone please beat his ass.

and then after all of that you want us to feel bad? with your horrible writing, poorly misplaced music, stupid costumes (those fucking SHOES THEY ARE HIDEOUS, AND MOST OF THIER CLOTHES DO NOT FIT IT'S LIKE WHY), questionable fucking editing. we're supposed to wnat them together? this sounds literally fucking crazy but bear with me lmao even with the rape they could at least have SOMETHING i mean like i cant believe im fucking saaying this. but like in addicted heroin which is fuckin tragic and awful at least there's a MODICUM of interest but honestly that show s a fucknig drag. idk they lookd good together? here we have 0. nothing. and it doesnt motivate. watching obsessed again i can see why i liked it in the beginning bc they have good chemistry but the acting and production adn like everything about it plus the rape-y vibes it's just too much. you need to pick one thing so if you're going to be a shit writer at least supplement it with something. this thing is nothing.

and even more nonsensical and what boggles my mind frankly out of all this is the mother's involvement and the father's final response. there are NO consequences? theyre all happy?

ok so lets go through this:

1. 2 boys grow up 2gether, one of the boys is fucking psycho, the mother knows but does nothing??????????????

2. one of the sons moves out so his father doesn't get a hint that's he's fucking gay. ok fine. he has 2 best friends, a job, an apt. he is fine.

3. aforementioned brother is obsessed with him for SOME REASON besides being crazy?

3.5 no one has done anything during him growing up to help him not be crazy?

4. mom says to husband who is their father also just in case we forget "im afraid he will lose his humanity"

4.5 again, do nothing. 0. just like oh man hes crazy. guess that's just our son ;)

4. who cares. plies him with alcohol purposefully to rape him. not even dubious (even though dubious is fucked and not okay or is just not. fucking real. these shows are contextless when they want to be or even movies or whatever so it's like largely not up to the task to understand complexity in human rships and then oversimplifies it constantly because that's what we do IRL. but people have fucking feelings you know and we realize when things don't feel good or right to us either very quickly after or having to process it. and once you're eyes are opened you may feel as something was fucking ripped away from you. for the modc couple this would be a very logical conclusion for the high schooler the thirty year old dated but again logic or feelings are up to their whimsy. no one cares bc everything can be counted as dubious so honestly it's a fucking stupid fucking topic like again why are we litigating what is and isnt consent when you could just like idk. read cues? consent? wait? not be a freak? like we all know what is proper human shit so even if we are watching this uncritically which u cant bc it's glaring and stupid it's just even more dumb) so it was honestly a rape plot like he literally planned it soooooooooo??!?!

5. aftermath of rape the victim is like literally fucking bereft and confused. and a rape victim. like that's what they are insinuating and what also he is to be clear.

6. boy tells him "idc if i raped u i luv u lmao"

7. mom ENCOURAGED THE BOY to get him drunk because her other son was too nice? she encouraged her adult son to rape her adult step-son (but her real son because she repeatedly says you are my son and the dad does too THEY GREW UP TOGETHER WHEN THE KID WAS IN AN IMPRESSIONABLE STATE) so THIS ALSO MAKES EVEN LESS MOTHERFUCKING SENSE

8. everyone finds out about his rape and he isnt mortified he's just concerned about himself being gay to his dad?????? except it's not really about his gayness bc now it's about his sudden love for his rapist brother? which? hm ok. understandable the dad is like wow i do not think i like this

9. dad knows all of it is fucked up, everyone does, knows the mother fucked up, knows he fucked up. doesnt like it because he is normal. so we know this is terrible? ok great so—

10. father says "i can't accept this...but i'm willing to give you my blessing" ok see here's the thing. when you write you have to think about the things you are putting on the page and what you have written previously. this quite literally made no sense how the fuck are you going to not accept them but give them your blessing? does this crew know what the fuck words are? i'm assuming they went to some sort of school to obtain jobs here bc there cannot be natural talent or experience. maybe most of them are rich. fuck i do not know but this also makes no sense. just the literal logic of it it's like fucking insane the whiplash.

10.5 apparently this father is also shitty. everyone here sucks and they are basically begging me to think xing si is a fucking idiot so i dont even want to look at him if he is an object he doesnt matter so now i want to kick him. thanks a lot you made the victim get absolutely fucking nothing

they KEEP PUSHING the brother thing it is so insane and it's liek GUYS WE GET IT WE UNDERSTAND THEYRE "RELATED" BUT NOT RELATED SO IT'S OK HE WAS "RAPED" BUT NOT RAPED but you're GOING BACK ON YOUR OWN RULES!!!!!!!!!! WE GET THAT THEY ARE BROTHERS!!! WE'RE OVER IT NOW BUT WHAT IS THIS WHEN WE ALREADY ESTABLISHED SOMETHING? I AM CONFUSION? they flip flop between my son, my brother my actual brother, and cannot fucking distinguish between love for your father and love for your romantic partner? so to me what i see is that the father wants to fuck the son. that's the conclusion i am garnering now considering nothing matters and his love for his "brother" is the same as his love for his dad lmao. they couldnt even do that in a way that made sense. like damn anybody can get anything. these ppl who are doing this have to be fucking rich and/or have connections.

also this guy sounds literally like a textbook abuser like he says constantly "im the best choice" is a rapist is awful holds capital (oh hees "saving" smh ur trapping her!!!!! RETIRE!!!!) also wears terrible shoes so i am like ur alllllllllLLLLL FUCKING CRAZY ur all literally crazy and then they are trying to set rules and boundaries in their fucking house like WHY ARE THEY LIVING TOGETHER EVEN? even tho oh my god they know he raped him and for some reason they are both allowing to live in the house but they dont want them to have sex??!?!?!??!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! i get that this is their house but this is like at this point these ppl are writing anything and now whatshisface is acting like a 2 yr old again and we are supposed to find this cute? like it makes 0 sense why do u fucking care u literally encouraged ur son to rape him so they cant have consensual sex under your nose now and have to wait four years? this is coming from the son who couldnt wait until someone was sober enough to realize hes fucking psychotic and should be killed also the fact that they act like being 20 means u have no fucking brain like this kid is in med school supposedly how do we know like hes a liar and an idiot so. also wait do they mean undergrad? how are you in med school at 20? is he a genius? girl i dont care lmao i guess i missed that but it's not like it matters so whatever

even if we ignore the stupidity of the literal acts, the grossness of the content, the absolute inability to write coherently or even remotely in a way where we would even want to see them together which is like....u set it up at the beginning so he punches "the love his life's best friend" also holy fuck im sorry remember when he punches muren because xing si got too drunk. so i'm guessing whatshisface is that good of a bartender that he makes super strong drinks and gets xing si drunk but his alcohol is magical therefore it doesn't make him sick. his alcohol is the type that gets you drunk but somehow doesnt get to your liver even though that's how we get drunk but dont ask guys he's only in med school and a bartender so i think he knows best (seriously have the main writers had a day of fun in their lives? have they ever been drunk? are they toddlers? drunk babies could probably do better tho.) i get that he was also jealous but if this kid is SOOOOOO genius (he understands social cues lmao he has the cpacity to project onto his victim so im like miss me with the not understanding shit. go to a fucking therapist like seriously did no one care abt this kid? his mother thinks he's like almost a goddamn murderer. how is she not dead? how are they all not dead? how do any of them know how to drive with this type of brain?) then he would understand that they are very clearly friends since he watched them part in a very platonic way and since he apparently knows what love is cos he thinks....he can....make someone fall in love with him bc he loves them? again, i wouldnt know hes 20 and taiwanese and im 29 and black from AMERICA so im WESTERN* so you know. different life experiences i guess XD

even if we do mental gymnastics to get it to a place where they "had sex" and he didnt rape him there's 0 ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ties to the literal story they wrote and the rules they set up. i'm going ot assume they dont know wtf theyre doing and i know for a fact we all care more about their dumb show than they do but it's actually startling how piss poor this is it's like idek what to compare it to. the continuity is awful awful awful they needed a script supervisor majorly and they are making bank and are going to make fucking bank fof this shit. and itll just continue like that until IRL material changes and that's facilitated by these very same groups they choose to profit off of and exploit by propelling it into the mainstream and litigating homosexuality through capitalism. and i'm being specific with homosexuality. i dont want a GL market like at all and i know why we wouldnt have it either and that has everything to do with the nature of BL, capitalism, coercion, and the fanbase being young girls and women. i don't think in this day and age we can safely say all the fans are straight; i'm sure a majority but many women or people on the gender spectrum and sexuality spectrum also consume it. frankly, it's possible the women who write it could be or something too. i dont rly believe any1 is str8 lmao but im just saying it's not out of the realm of possibility. but it isnt about that at all. that's why we wont see "good" female characters (like well written) often that's why we won't see trans women or kathoeys or fat people or black asians in it. a lot of it is is a choice we participate in whatever. but holy fuck dude u could at least respect the audience's fucking intelligence. i'm talking about everything i think that is encapsulated in the project but it's even more jarring and worse because it's so insanely inconsistent and poorly done. like how we jump from one conclusion to another is wild to me. even their first "night together" and he wakes up im like girl....u no ur ass felt it. this nigga broke into his house and was like "im gonna have u" like it's getting weird

just make xing si suffer offscreen not us the stupidity is staggering, mind blowing, hilarious.

how wong kar wai, a straight man from HK (or at least married to a woman), or barry jenkins, a striahgt black man, write/do stories well about people they wouldnt knw about their experiences directly is....well thinking like using their brains and like knowing all types of people? the man who co-wrote moonlight is a hOMOSEXUAL, leslie cheung was fucking gay or queer (and he committed suicide and that's important also RIP homie) both are hailed as queer cinema like WKW wanted to do something else and invested time into it, changed the way he played around with structure, moved away from his crime oriented stuff. he THOUGHT about it and this film is about their reality. it's a harsh film, idk how i feel about it (but my fav movies of his are the crime ones or the messy ones where it's clear he didnt write a script lmao fallen angels is one of my fav movies its' abt assassins kinda) but i know it means something. and he didnt like what HK had previously wasnt enough. it is not the only cinema that should be shown since it's such a stark reality and depressing but it is a real depiction so we can have all sorts of stuff. no this isnt WKW level or moonlight level but i know for a fact these people think they are doing something because artists always do i say this as one and someone who is equally as useless. you're making a statement.

i also hate the westerner component of peoples analyses. first of all dont do cultural relativism. we can critique and respect. but second of all how are we going to keep saying "dont put western ideals on this" when that is what is happening anyway because that's part and parcel for soft power and capitalism. how about taiwan's history with the KMT? what about the regimes young people fought about? aided by US imperialism which permeates through society and affects material conditions, views, democracy, identity and that goes into culture and media. hm? what about that? is that reality too fucking western for people? that we are doing the same thing again now? is that okay to talk about or is that only on your time?

then there's the argument that this is just entertainment. yea no shit but the thing is if we r gonna talk about marginalized groups and watch bc of marginalized groups and then be expected to identify then i dont see why i cant put this in context. even if it wasnt fucking serious we'd still judge it. but it's so pompous and again like i wouldnt say EYE think it's art but it is "art" in the literal sense and no self respecting artist would ever go "man this means nothing." of course im not sure if they do respect themselves so hey but u cant just go oh man it's entertainment when it literally rests on the fact that HOMOS are MARGINALIZED. it literally rests on the fact that WOMEN ARE OBJECTS. you either want progress or you dont. i dont understand being so demanding but not beign specific in the demands and not trying to use your brain. if you dont want to use your brain don't. but if you are looking , engaging, and keep making these arguments or telling ppl it doesnt matter whilst complaining about how much others care is hypocritical at best, willfully obtuse at worst. both bad. :)

(also all this + another thing; it is insulting to have this like wedding happen based off of this stupid relationship when people fought so hard and had to push it. now they can use the material conditions to their advantage but it's so ridiculous. also because there is difficulty still in getting married in taiwan i'm honestly like....the boldness of the writers...)

#history 4 #history 4: close to you #*dont call me western ever #a thot

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snowdropsandtigers · 4 years ago

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Post-Season One Rewatch Miscellany

Okay I think details are already fading even though I finished in three days, so let’s try to get some thoughts down.

- Vic’s initial coping mechanism is art. After that scares her father, and with her meeting with Manx looming ahead, that’s when she chooses to cope via drinking to forget. Later on, it’s similar; she’s helpless to do anything when she thinks her only way to fight is gone, so she turns to drinking and stops trying to make her family relationships okay. She doesn’t cope well with being helpless, and the drastically worse situation she’s in when Manx becomes aware of her existence pushes her into the things she was trying to avoid. It’s also something she can do with Craig, who she always valued, but earlier thought of as too busy with weed for her. He’s her only real, unconditional support at the time, as she’s become more isolated due to her family crumbling and her boyfriend inadvertently pushing her away.

- On that note; normally I get at least a little unhappy when you have a story in which the main girl doesn’t want someone who’s pining for her and then realizes he’s great, and on my initial watch it did surprise me a little. This time around I still feel a little pang over Drew, mostly over how it foreshadows what she’ll lose later, but I really do like how there’s no judgment in any of it. There’s nothing to say she needed to choose differently at the start, or that she should be judged based on her ability to select a man. She just wanted to be with someone who was there for her at the right time, who she valued, and who wouldn’t abandon her the way everyone else had one way or another. Also, he was a genuinely nice guy who never gave her a hard time over his feelings. I felt for him all right during my first watch, but now I really like him in much the same way as I really like Lou.

- It’s just so awful to watch Vic’s hopes and dreams crumble throughout the season. She tried so hard for everyone that in the end she couldn’t see herself following up on that for her own sake. Of course she didn’t feel like she could go to art school, given the responsibility she felt she had already failed in to protect people, and the baby that was all she had left of her best friend. She didn’t feel like the same person who wanted to go, and she’d feel like the person she was trying to escape becoming—a disappointment to her loved ones (Craig in not saving him), and pregnant before she could find a life of her own. All of that would build up over the years until by next season, unable to find and save kids from Christmasland for years, she feels she’s just as ruined and hopeless as Charlie says she is.

- Relatedly, as on my first watch, I continue to appreciate the irony in how much Charlie ruins and damages what he claims to love and want to protect. He destroyed families and stole children’s futures, and we watch him traumatize Vic long before he decides he’s going to hurt her. We watch him watch her suffering over Maggie and it doesn’t get through to him whatsoever, anymore than Jolene could get through when she actually tried. We watch an episode where Bing, who he hires to hurt people, abducts and sexually assaults her while Charlie discusses her purity with a guy who, even with his own misogyny, seems more clearheaded in his lack of a madonna/whore complex. (Sure, he didn’t ask for that to happen, but that’s the kind of thing he did encourage Bing to do, and he even validates it later. It’s a natural consequence of his words and actions.) Given everything in the season, it looks like Vic would have been well on her way to escaping Haverhill like she wanted, without having ever tasted alcohol or weed first, if not for his effect on her life. It may not be a certainty, and of course none of that made her a bad person like he said, but he did definitely push her in that direction at an important turning point in her life. I haven’t gotten that far into the book, but I keep remembering the line “what Charlie Manx couldn’t do, she did to herself.” (Or something almost exactly that.) This holds true for the show, and it’s also so true of the man himself. We see that with him and Jolene too, with her desperately wanting to believe in him, him being unable to give her a reason to, and the way he doubled down on it by trying to kill her right after. We’ll see more of that in season two. There are immensely sympathetic reasons for him to be messed up and do the wrong thing , just as with Vic,* but we can also see how his opportunities to have the things he wanted become lost, as with her. I love how he and Vic are narrative foils in this story about both how suffering can inform you and limit your choices—taking into account that limits which “only” exist in your head are still very real—and how your choices are your own. It’s very satisfying to me. A good pair of foils is just…neat.

- Speaking of! Vic has so many foils. Her father, her mother, as a parent. Her own son as the victim Charlie does successfully (if temporarily) take away, where he failed with her. Maggie, as the girl who was hunting Charlie before Vic wanted to, and the girl who wants to try for a normal life just when Vic is newly determined and desperate to hunt him with her. Jolene, who got to meet him before he showed himself as who he chose to be and had to do the hunting on her own. Bing, who we meet as someone who shares her desire to escape his current life circumstances. And Millie. The other daddy’s girl. All throughout the season we watch Vic lose faith in her father, and I couldn’t help thinking, when the calls from Christmasland started, of how Millie would go through the same thing next season. They barely interact and they don’t have a relationship, but I am absolutely fascinated by the fact that Millie goes down a similar path, that her own connection to her mother got her calling on Vic for help and gave Vic help in return, and that she must be feeling some things about how her father let her walk into the world alone, but also what she did led to his death. Not wholly unlike how at the same time, Vic is still disillusioned with her own father and watches him be murdered before she can offer him forgiveness or the hope of reconciliation. That is a wonderful mess of feeling and potential narrative fodder.

- When I heard this wasn’t getting renewed, I tried to look on the bright side. At least it wouldn’t get awful, which it still had the potential to do, and it could remain a story I loved. But damn, I rarely vibe with a show the way I do with this one; not even with shows I love do I tend to feel as on the same wavelength as I felt with NOS4A2. So many other things have gotten renewed that are less good, that don’t try to do as much with their characters, or that I just plain don’t care about as much. Whether or not things would’ve gone badly in the end, this show deserved the chance to keep trying. It’s hard to explain, but as a whole it felt unique, unlike much of the television I’ve seen over the years. The show it reminds me the most of is Buffy; mainly in their protagonists, which is the thing I love best about both shows, but also the blend of the personal and the supernatural, the grounding of the supernatural in real life. (After making this observation on my own when watching the first time, I discovered that Vic’s original creator, Joe Hill, said he thought of her as a Buffy in a different time of her life. I love finding connections between my favorite stories, but finding that it was also a connection the writer was making, and the influence is there, was very pleasing.) But it’s very much its own thing. I would’ve loved to see more of it. In the unlikely event that someone has gotten this far and not seen it because it was cancelled, or left it unfinished for the same reason—I’ve seen a couple say that over the last six months or so—I’d encourage you to not let that be a factor! It’s very complete as it is, and rewarding in how it unites characters with themes. I could’ve done with so much more of it.

*I truly appreciate how sympathetic this show is with everyone. Everyone. Every major character is framed as someone to feel empathy for at one point or another, and this is true for most, if not all, of the minor characters too, if I remember this right. We’re asked to carry that empathy when we look at them, when we look at the story as a whole. This show is so stressful and yet so kind, so empathetic. In my opinion, it is so stressful in part because it’s kind and empathetic, because you feel so much for the people who are suffering. I could feel that, and that’s part of my love for it.

#nos4a2 #text post #text #I just love it so much #😭#meta #my meta #I guess #this isn’t supposed to be some formal thing. It’s just my personal blog about my feelings and thoughts that you can read because I want to #BTVS #buffy summers #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy #not very present but she does show up and that connection does matter to me #I really hope this shows up well because as if this week I have no laptop and had to post it on my phone

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nagenthiri · 4 years ago

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Fave’s on Netflix!!

Listing out my fave series/Movies on Netflix from 2020 to 2021; Binge watched it so many times. Stay home, stay safe!!!

Friends

(Classic, “How you doin?”)

Gilmore Girls

(another classic, love the mother daughter duo)

Work it

(Movie, high school dance battle)

One day at a time

(It covers situations that most of us are facing right now, LGBTQ, feminism, Racial discrimination & etc)

Glow up

(Each episode has a exciting makeup makeover)

The Bold Type

(one of my fave series to watch this year, loved the content; how women live in a society and being bold of their decisions)

To all the boys 1,2,3

(Love LJ & PK)

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

(It’s more of a horror/witchcraft stories, devils but also interesting if only you’re into the genre)

Revolutionary Love

(Kdrama, A very cute and comedy one to watch)

Love Alarm

(Kdrama, haha obviously into song kang but also it was a different approach of love story)

Start up

(Kdrama, watch it cause of my fave YouTuber, also got really into it but then slowly got bored of the story line)

The princess switch

(movie, My favourite movie to watch anytime on repeat love love love Vanessa so much)

Radio Romance

(Kdrama, A lovely cute romance between the star & rookie)

Emily In Paris

(movie, This was a best interpretation of how Paris’s & the people there would be like if you don’t speak their language, also love Emily’s ootd throughout the movie)

The Kissing Booth

(Movie, high school Teen love, for us Asians maybe it’s not relatable but it was a love hate situation)

Never have I ever

( OMG, Devi’s character was really mind blowing I mean like she gets in so much of trouble as a teen that is crazy!! All of them were so cute and the story was really adaptable to the current high schoolers)

13 Reasons why

(I was so into the season 1 that I even bought the book but season 2 didn’t really hype me up to watch it, I’m not sure why I can’t or don’t want to watch it but it’s just so disturbing to me)

Erkenci Kus

(Turkish drama, Omg I’m really happy that I came accross this on tiktok or else I would have missed this amazing love,comedy drama) Disclaimer: this series is not a Netflix series, it’s on YouTube!! Just wanted to add it here cause I loved it so much!!

She was pretty

(Kdrama, A very cute & interesting storyline which you won’t get bored of, rewatched it like twice or thrice)

Good Witch

(one of my fave, the whole series will give you positive and good vibes)

My shy boss

(Kdrama, most interesting storyline, such a funny one to watch)

Team Kaylie

(binge watch it and rewatched it many times and not bored at all, comedy show reminds me of 2000s disney dramas)

Hello My twenties

(Kdrama, a very interesting bond between this roommates and the suspense that will create a urge to keep watching)

Family reunion

(My fave, love the story/content. However, there were so many important messages that was included in most of the scenes, history’s on blacks how they’re being treated & etc)

Alexa & Katie

(It was really heart touching & Love the relationship of this two girls how they are always there for each other in difficult times)

The worst witch

(The most funniest one of all, this girl always like always gets in trouble for everything but she’s also a problem solver)

Must be love

(Filipino Movie, interesting love story between two best friends)

Ashley Garcia Genius in love

(Comedy,science love story. Interesting content of series)

Free rein

(one of my fave, it’s a country side horse riding story. Really loved how the story’s romance was mainly about A girl and her horse the relationship they have between them is fascinating)

The house arrest of us

(Filipino series, comedy, was really funny cause during this lockdown everyone is stuck’ed at home so as this couples and their family’s, the whole story was how they would get along during lockdown)

Just sharing my fave series/ movies and a bit descriptively explaining my understanding or perspective of above, Netflix really made me past my time during this lockdown “2020” & now!!

#SoundCloud

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nonsensegnomes · 4 years ago

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thanks for tagging me @tiarnanafainne!! (i’m actually also looking at 32 words for field on my bookshelf right now, but i’ve never properly started it for similar reasons. being kinda-but-not-really able to read irish is so :/)

putting the actual answers below the cut for not-being-annoying reasons :)

favorite color: always love a purple! also like that one post says, i’m the only person who knows the good shades of green red, but when it’s good it’s GOOD

currently reading: i’ve actually been on a roll w/ my backlog of books recently so i can actually answer this, thank god! the most recent ones have been east of eden (altho i’ve kinda stalled out bc you have to be in a certain mood to read steinbeck’s 8 paragraphs on californian agriculture before you can get into a new chapter, imo) & the good man jesus and the scoundrel christ by philip pullman, mainly bc i really liked his essay about it in daemon voices (so far what he had to say about his writing intentions was unfortunately way more interesting than what he wrote, which is basically a retelling of the new testament :/ but re-reading bits of that essay book i really CANNOT recommend it enough, it taught me a lot about close reading way back when!)

also paradise lost, but not really, bc it’s to mine quotes for horrible little spn edit reasons >:) oh, and the dcwt sequel i guess lol.

last song: deuteronomy 2:10 bc it’s on my cas playlist 😑🚬 altho the last thing i actually listened to was the bluff city messy business arc, which might have my favourite eps of the series so far? bluff just has SUCH summer vibes to me, and the combination of keith kinda playing the villain (?!!) & that theme tune had me sooo invested

last movie: rewatched pride (2014) the other day and let me say the montage at the end over “there is power in a union” STILL hits

last series: mythic quest!! it’s really very good, almost all the strengths of sunny with far less of its weaknesses (although still pretty Capital-L Liberal in places) + i don’t think i’ve seen anything quite like the poppy&ian relationship on a workplace comedy before, and i am FASCINATED.

also re-watched “the legend of tennessee moltisanti” yesterday (the sopranos), despite still needing to finish s4, bc i wanted to put that dream sequence back in my eyeballs & i got sucked in :)

also our spn rw is currently at 4.21 (we skip around, so we’ve already seen select eps from s4-10 + all of s11-15, and we’re currently watching all of s1-5; listen the system may be weird but it WORKS) and i am really happy that eventually sam got to see that panic room burn <3

sweet, savory, or spicy: sour!!!

craving: dried apricots from this market near me, i ate them religiously at the start of the lockdown but now they don’t stock them anymore :(

tea or coffee: i’m irish so i practically breathe tea

currently working on: ooh so about 12 dozen projects lmao! like everybody else i recently got really inspired to dip my toe into spn fic for Some Mysterious Reason asdjehdwdhefewj, which may never see the light of day but if it does i’ll link it lol. there’s one set pre-series about dean & tv (esp scooby doo) bc to boldly go opened my eyes about him being daphne-coded, and i think it’s fun when his gender is set to: weird! there’s also a cas&jack-centric one that’s s14 canon divergent bc “jack in the box” filled me with an INCONSOLABLE rage (although not for the reasons you might think? except for mary. definitely still mad about mary.)

apart from that, i’ve got a quote compilation edit thing for cas that i should be finished with in a couple of days!! + i’m still working on that samsam & hadrian supercut, but i couldn’t listen to any more winter in hieron during covid 😔 so i might break it down by season and do aih & marielda first? also working on an original short story for myself so we’ll see how that goes! jesus that really is too many things 🙃 We Shall See ig

hate tagging people with a passion, but if some mutuals want to do it? ABSOLUTELY no pressure tho <3 @queerangelic, @ishtarstripdying, @gaylittlejack, @doorwaystodoubt, @casgender, @8daysuntiltheapocalypseiguess (bc of the dean-is-daphne inspo lmao)

#ask games #personal #actually listing out everything i'm doing at the moment is nice i feel Accomplished #literally thank god it's summer now i can actually READ #also once AGAIN i am hoping the tagging works #will never figure out what kind of eldritch rituals you need to perform to unlock the basic features of this website

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fairy-writes · 4 years ago

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FairyTailWzard’s New Annual tradition!

2020’s Top 10 List Part One!

So here’s a list that no one asked for of the top 10 anime series I watched this year. I wanted to put this in no particular order but I figured I might as well. I’ll also be doing my top 10 fanfics from this year and my top 10 books I read this year so stay tuned for parts 2 and 3!

10.) RWBY

Uuuggghhh I really didn’t wanna put this on here… but I really didn’t watch much this year so I had to I guess :(((

I’m really not liking this right now… if my blog wasn’t sort of popular because of my rwby oneshots I’d consider just dropping the anime all together….

(I’m seriously debating on whether to watch the new season or not)

Honestly, the only thing bringing me back is my unhealthy love for Ozpin, Torchwick, and Ironwood.

Honestly, I’d give this show about a 3 or 4/10…

I used to love it so much but I think the quality of writing is going down and the show is trying to be too many things at once that I’m just losing interest.

9.) My Hero Academia

Why is this so low you may ask? Well, cause I think my main hype coming from this is the manga.

Yes I love the show, the animation studio is freaking amazing and the quality of animation never ceases to amaze me. But I love the manga a bit more.

This will probably jump up in rating around season 5 or 6 but for right now I’ll leave it in the 9th spot :)

8.) Sirius the Jaeger

Oh my GOSH, I want a second season so bad. One of my favorite OC’s I’ve ever made was for this anime (it’s Idris Tana btw) and I actually commissioned artwork for her recently and it’s SO PRETTY.

Anyway getting off-topic, the animation of this show and again with the dark and grittiness of it is what drew me in.

Actually, my late grandma and also my great aunt tagged me in a Facebook post with the trailer when it first came out cause they saw vampires and thought I would like it and that's what got me into this show in the first place.

So thank you grandma and auntie!

But I absolutely adore the soundtrack, the mix of orchestral pieces mixed with the more electro-kinda-vibes is my life (seriously go listen to “The Beginning of the Hunting” it changed my life, as an orchestra and cello geek it made my heart so happy)

7.) Tokyo Ghoul season 1-3

Ok, I’m currently reading the manga after I’ve seen the anime and lemme tell you I wish they didn’t censor the anime so much.

I can’t even find an uncensored version anymore and it makes me so upset.

The darkness and goriness of the manga is what appealed to me in the first place (yes I get weird looks for it, no I will not change my mind)

Kaneki is my CHILD and he CANNOT do any wrong. I don’t care who you are I love him

6.) Ajin: Demi-Human

Uuuggghhh to be honest the anime is kinda meh but my love for the manga is so great I am legally obligated to put this here.

Don’t get me wrong, the animation and soundtrack for this show is phenomenal and I think they got Satou down pat.

But they did dumb down and cut out a lot of interesting scenes. Scenes like how Satou takes down some of his opponents (which I can see why... many American viewers would most likely get offended by it… you manga readers know what scene i mean)

Nagai Kei turns into a bit of a whiny character instead of the smart but exasperated teenager I know and love in the manga is the anime version of Kei going to bite off his own fingers in order to climb a wall into a military base?? Definitely not. Would manga-Kei do that? Well, he already did… so... yes..,

Nakano Kou is still kind of funny but he is so much more fascinating in the manga (his backstory breaks my heart).

5.) Bungou Stray Dogs

Another new one that I was actually recommended by my friend @bright-like-the-sun-00 :) I ended up watching it originally in dub but then went back and rewatched it in sub because I love my children so much.

Chuuya is my bean and I love my OC that I created Charlie Dickens :)

(if you guys could go read her story I’d be eternally grateful).

Anyway!

This show has a fantastic cast in both Japanese and English and the music score is one of my favorites. The characters are so wonderfully hilarious and interesting and fhajxbqbaka I love this show okay??

4.) Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

I actually put this off for YEARS because my oldest step-brother kept saying I should watch it. At this point, I was refusing out of spite cause I’m petty like that. But I finally started watching and-

HOLY-

GUYS

I have never gotten so attached to a character (cough cough Giyuu) so quickly.

I have been listening to Gurenge and Kamado Tanjiro no Uta on repeat for literal weeks now and I still grin like an idiot when listening to them. I also have a potential OC/crossover coming out soon sooooo…. stay tuned??

I also broke my sister cause I showed her a post that said national donut day and had a picture of Rengoku on it… I didn’t understand it until she explained it to me and now I cackle every time I think about it.

3.) Jujutsu Kaisen

@plusultranerd got me into this blame her for the future spamming of your dashboards

GUYS GOJO SATORU IS MY LIFE NO QUESTIONS ASKED

He could literally murder me and I’d thank him. He is the prettiest anime character I have EVER SEEN and I love him so much.

Anyway anime. The show got my attention from the get-go. Itadori is such a fun main character and Megumi is me cause you know dogs.

I think I saw an ad for it and since I have Crunchyroll I figured why not and fell in love with it

AND THE ENDING SONG

BEST ENDING EVER YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND

I put it on sometimes so me and my sister just start jamming out to it and we get the stupidest looks and it is amazing

2.) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Another anime that I will rewatch over and over again until literally the end of time. Also, another series that I’ve already read/or am reading the manga.

Alphonse Eric is my cinnamon roll you can pry him from my cold dead hands.

I have cold hands and no heart by holy heck my BOY

I actually am buying the special edition hardback manga covers that are coming out and I LOVE THEM

THEY ARE SO PRETTY

Am I talking about the characters or the manga?

My answer is yes

Anyway, all of the characters in this are so wonderfully complex and have motivations and i fall in love with 99% of the characters (except for Shou Tucker, I even like Father actually)

1.) Death Parade

This has got to be one of my top favorite anime of ALL TIME.

I rewatched it early this year and this is one of the very few anime that will get me to cry and this makes me cry every freaking time.

The music is stunning, the animation is magnificent.

For being based on an animated short film, this has such potential for a second season and such a complex storyline was packed into 12 episodes.

I will forever recommend this anime to literally anyone who is looking for something new to watch.

I’m also noticing I have a thing for white-haired male anime characters with really pretty eyes….. Kaneki… Gojo… Decim...

Honorable mentions!

Darker than Black

I didn’t rewatch the whole thing this year but this anime is literally my life. Hei is such a bean and I love him.

Hunter x Hunter

Another anime i didn't rewatch completely but still adore :) I heard they’re continuing it and I’m excited for the dark continent arc!

Dororo

Technically i watched this late 2019 but whatever; I do what I want. The animation was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the gritty darkness of it. Mio will forever be my favorite character; you cannot change my mind. Some parts I did find a bit boring but overall I’d rate this a solid 6/10!

The Devil is a Part-Timer!

I rewatched parts of it and not the whole thing, I also have the first two volumes of the light novels and I forget how funny it is until I actually watch it. It has me laughing every time and never fails to put a smile on my face :)

#jujutsu kaisen #death parade #the devil is a part timer #demon slayer #dororo #hunter x hunter #darker than black #tokyo ghoul #fullmetal alchemist #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #bungou stray dogs #ajin demi human #my hero academia #rwby #sirius the jaeger

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singingaboutwishingx · 5 years ago

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my Thoughts and Opinions on mad men

this is quite disorganized and very long. contains spoilers for all seven seasons after the cut.

-though i think don was a good character, he was such a shitty person!!! cheating on every partner he ever had? bad! being an asshole to everyone and getting away with it because he’s handsome? also bad!

-but also like... just to put it out there, jon hamm can do literally anything he wants to me. good lord, that man is attractive.

-there was literally a point where i hated every character except peggy, betty, and sal

-speaking of sal, HE DESERVED BETTER. i genuinely almost cried when the fire alarm went off. he was so happy for like three seconds and then SOME MOTHERFUCKER lit something on fire (i don’t remember exactly what happened).

-FUCK lee garner, jr.

-i ended up having such complicated feelings about betty. on one hand, she was cheated on and emotionally abused and gaslit, so i can absolutely understand why she became harder as the seasons went on. on the other hand, she didn’t treat her children so well and idk how i feel about that. i do feel so, so bad for her regardless.

-bert cooper was honestly such a baddie, though. he got heated sometimes during important plot points, but his general “i’m old, i don’t give a shit” vibes were excellent (i also watched this whole show in less than two months, though, so please forgive me if i miss details)

-like when harry crane was too afraid to say the wrong thing about bert’s red rothko and bert was just like “bitch shut up about my painting, no one cares”

-and his “the best things in life are free” after he died was so good. i was personally offended that they took his name out of the opening credits afterward

-peggy. my sweet girl. arguably the best character. this girl’s transformation made me so damn proud. the iconic scene where she walked through mccann with the octopus painting and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth was just everything.

-i really didn’t like stan at first, but he grew on me. mostly i’m just a hopeless romantic, so i was very, very happy when he and peggy ended up together.

-i didn’t hate abe, but i was VERY relieved when they broke up

-poor, poor michael ginsberg. i hope that man gets some help. that’s really all i have to say.

-pete campbell falling down the stairs made me laugh for like an hour because he just sucks so much. he did NOT deserve trudy. also vincent kartheiser is DAMN lucky he has good hair, because shaving his hairline is a serious gamble.

-pete is such a shitbag. i’m so sorry. i just dislike him so much. i remember watching the second season and thinking if he and peggy ended up together, matthew weiner was going to be the recipient of a very angry letter lmao

-did he have *some* growth? kind of. does that mean trudy made the right decision to go with him to kansas? mmmmm probably not.

-joan definitely grew on me. i did not like her at first, but her character arc was so damn satisfying. holloway harris productions? freaking incredible. her son is cute, she’s her own boss, and she doesn’t end up with someone controlling. we stan.

-i really hope her lesbian roommate from the first season found a girlfriend. that poor girl pined for years, and hopefully she ended up with a girl that loved her

-i feel so bad for lane pryce. that man did not deserve what he thought he did. was it bad to steal from the company? of course. he did not need to kill himself, though. i was fr so upset. the man knocked out pete campbell, which clearly makes him the best.

-the sheer giddiness that flooded my body when lane fired them all from the og sterling cooper was incredible. it was a great, great decision.

-pete campbell can go to hell

-every time glen bishop appeared onscreen i was afraid. i just thought “oh my god, this bitch gonna grow up and become a serial killer.”

-watching sally grow up was so great. she was still so bratty up until henry told her that betty had cancer, but the second she knew, she was ready to be there for her family. she did also say some rather iconic things. i love kiernan shipka haha

-they got the cutest freaking babies to be on this show. especially tammy because her little cheeks were just so chubby and i loved herrrrrrr

-it really didn’t end the way i thought it would, but it makes sense. the hug between don and leonard was EXCELLENT

-i know this is so specific, but every once in a while there would be a shot that was just perfect. like the one at the end of season five where joan and sterling/cooper/campbell/draper were all standing facing the window on their second floor of the time life building— that was beautiful. sterling and cooper, the older generation, on one side, campbell and draper, the future, on the other, and joan in between them. truly, she was what held every single thing in that office together and i cannot get over how freaking incredible that shot is

-i didn’t really love betty and henry. every marriage has problems, but betty and both of her husbands had serious problems.

-speaking of marital problems, megan and don were a disaster. i was so confused when he proposed after having sex three (3) times and going on zero (0) dates????? donald what the fuck

-i loved ken cosgrove’s tap dancing, i didn’t love ken cosgrove. i do feel bad for what he went through w the jaguar account (and also in general), but he was kind of a bitch in the earlier seasons

-i did not care for harry crane or paul kinsey. sorry bout it

-i hope kitty romano finds someone who can love her the way they’re supposed to. i do think sal loved kitty platonically, though. honestly though it would have been excellent if kitty was a lesbian and they were just married to avoid questions. i mean, obviously they weren’t, but i would have LOVED to see that storyline

-megan was a very interesting character. she was just so childish. she was very sweet (mostly) and i think don kind of fucked her over emotionally (like definitely in every way except financially, but like... i have a feeling that she’ll never be the same because of him)

-also marie calvet straight-up taking all of don’s living room furniture was so funny

-i do not like roger sterling either. he cheated on both mona and jane!! sure, maybe he didn’t love them, but what gives, dude? we don’t stan.

-also he did blackface, which is a big yikes from me. yeah, it was the sixties, but also fuck that shit.

-another thing about don is that this man’s libido is just fucking WILD. i mean, he has no goddamn shame.

-fucking his secretary? did it at least twice, married one of them. his child’s teacher? great! he’ll be over soon! his neighbor’s wife? all good until sally catches them. his quasi-niece is maybe 22? he’d hit that!

-seriously, he just doesn’t care at all and it’s fascinating.

-when ida blankenship died it was like... but you did this... for what? watching them roll her fuckin body out of the office covered in the afghan during a meeting was actually quite funny though

-every so often my brain will just go “sterling cooper draper pryce cutler gleason and chaough.” that’s not a thought. sorry lol

-also they fucking took it off of netflix so now i can’t rewatch it! mean as hell, netflix, mean as hell.

-in conclusion: fuck peter dyckman campbell.

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ambitionsource · 4 years ago

Text

S2 Rewatch - Maggie’s Take [ 206 ]

now we’re talking folks. now we’re gettin into the juice

Favorite scene

This is an episode that has a lot of like... super strong standout scenes amidst an otherwise quick pace, so it’s tough to decide. The RL scene in the teacher’s lounge and their exchange that establishes their “I don’t have to do anything” motif are both strong contenders, as is the De La Minkus scene in Eric’s office and Farkle’s apology to Riley. However, I’m gonna have to go with Lucas’s imaginary meltdown monologue. I just... the culture of that... how he lists all of the people who are important to him without realizing it (Dasher, Isa, Jack, Riley), the tension and drama of it, the sharpness of the delivery, Lucas literally admitting “desire” for Riley, all of his turbulent emotion in 2A being condensed down into one 90-second explosion of vulnerability... just... so good. I want. To see it.

Favorite performance

Lots of good contenders this episode, and I have a soft spot for the undeniable iconic quality of “Defying Gravity” in any context, but I think the winner has to be “Agnes.” I love that song so much, and it fit so perfectly while highlighting just how low Farkle had gotten yet in a blasé, insidious way. Like the moment where he “shoots” his reflection in a window, but breezes past it before we can even really process it, and then how he leaves the stage blankly and the ghost light clicks off to end the episode -- symbolic, as technically ghost lights are meant to remain on at all times (as their purpose is to provide light when you first enter a dark auditorium).

Favorite character (within context of the episode)

Farkle is the winner for me this episode. He’s so... off his game, a flat comparison to the specter of his former self, and that’s such an interesting interplay in my opinion. Also, I love him in his awful frumpy cardigan not giving a shit anymore. He has a myriad of standout scenes, like his apology to Riley, him attempting to talk to Maya, the scene with Isa in Eric’s office. He delivers succinct lines that really pack a punch, like his offhand final remark to Jack that nothing ever changes, or his explanation as to why Lucas will die if he tries to escape, or his punctuation mark on the philosophy discussion wishing that all of his present company, his not-friends, get into heaven (notably excluding himself). He has my favorite performance in “Agnes,” he’s on the crux of the biggest arc in the first half of the season... and he deserves it, after we made him literally face-plant into the stage and get a bloody nose in the first five minutes of the episode. Sorry, little rich boy. You’ll recover...

Favorite line(s)

“Look, you’re doing exactly what Burgess told you to do, keeping your head low and falling into line, and right now, that’s all you can do. But this too shall pass. You know, one day, we’re going to look back on how stressed we were about all of this stuff, and it’s gonna be hilarious because we’ll realize that none of it really mattered. What mattered was that we got through it, and we got through it together.” –Asher Garcia

“Here’s the read. [ to Maya ] You’re hogging the spotlight. [ to Lucas ] You’re in the way. [ to Zay ] You’re so focused on the dancing, you’re off key. [ to Riley ] You’re a pushover, now quite literally. [ to Isa ] And you picked this song, which I’m surmising has something to do with whatever internal baggage you’ve got going on right now, but it’s whiny and abrasive and yet still too difficult for Lucas. So we’re gonna fail! Buh-bye.” –Farkle Minkus

“Can we do a song where we just… stand still?” –Lucas James Friar

“Oh, me? I’m getting out of here. This is useless, I hate this energy, and I have places and people I would much rather be with right now. So peace out, drop outs. I’m gone.” –Zay Babineaux

“We were good.” –Riley Matthews, about her and Lucas James Friar

“[ The stage isn’t ] meant to be defiled either, but y’all do that every week when you basically pee on it to claim your territory.” –Lucas James Friar

“Oh, sure. Totally. The queen of the techies wants to befriend the free-falling Icarus of the performers, someone she so strongly dislikes she once referred to him as “the spoiled produce of people.” Or, alternatively, described interacting with him like “stepping on a LEGO brick without shoes.”” –Farkle Minkus

An underrated moment

There are a lot of good ones this episode! Lucas climbing around the fake trees to find a place to perch, Riley resting her head on Zay at the end and him patting her head affectionately, Charlie and Zay’s flirty conversation about french fries, Lucas shielding Riley with his whole body from Isadora’s pillow offense, the ridiculous romantic tension between RL in the teacher’s lounge, Maya yoinking Jack’s coffee right out of his hands when he rescues them. But I think my favorite always and forever will be when Riley finds the little love note Dylan left behind for Asher (which we see him then writing a new one in 209 without Asher noticing). It just, as it says in the episode, encapsulates that there’s still love and joy and comfort in the world even when things feel so hard. And it’s also impressive that DA can leave such an impression even when they’re not really in the episode -- a testament to how important they’ll grow over the rest of the season!

First impression vs your reread impression

I was right when writing my 205 reread reax that 206 does move fast! Because of the condensed cast and bottle-episode quality, there’s an incredibly fluid and efficient vibe to the whole thing. I tend to write this episode off in terms of content due to the episodes that follow it that are so heavy and chock full of major moments, but then I reread and I remember why this episode ranked so high for both Esther and I when working on the season. It’s a good episode. It’s engaging, it’s fascinating exploring that group of characters, it has so many small gems of moments... it’s good. I feel confident saying that. Now we’ll see how the sluggers hold up coming around the bend...

#s2 reread #s3 countdown #rr: by maggie #rr: 206

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takaraphoenix · 5 years ago

Note

Buffy dir the ask Game

Aaah! *^* Thanks for asking, I had hoped that may come up! xD

Answers under the cut though, because this turned into... literally 3k words worth of fangirl rambling. That’s what happens when you make me talk about the things I love the most. *ducks head*

Top 5 favourite characters: Spike, Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Rupert Giles

Other characters you like: let’s make that five more then! Daniel Osbourne, Andrew Wells, Cordelia Chase, Anya Jenkins, Drusilla

Least favourite characters:Dawn Summers by a landslide

Otps: Spike/Buffy, Tara/Being Alive, Willow/Tara, Xander/Cordelia, Xander/Anya, Giles/Joyce (I always wanted Giles to become Buffy’s dad, officially and legally ;-;), Cordelia/Buffy, Giles/Spike, Oz/Andrew (LISTEN, I love Oz, I hate that he left and only came back once to see his girlfriend his now a lesbian. I wanted him to return for good and I wanted Andrew to be explicitely gay and not just Word Of God gay)

Notps: Xander/Dawn - like, her crush on him was cute and all, but that season 8 really had to make THAT canon was… not necessary… Also Giles/Buffy is really the only Hard No ship I’ve encountered in this fandom, otherwise even when I don’t vibe with a ship, it’s more a shrug and keep scrolling

Favourite friendships: THE GOLDEN TRIO. Xander-Willow-Buffy. I love them

Favourite family:The friends we found along the way. Seriously, the Scooby-gang absolutely counts as a family. Joyce and Giles are the parents, Xander and Willow (who supposedly have parents but we never meet them and they don’t seem to care much) are as much a part of this family as Buffy ;^;

Favourite episodes: HAH! The one show where I can actually name them, without having to cross-check what the episodes are called and what happens where! xD

Once More With Feeling: clearly. IT’S A MUSICAL EPISODE. And it is so good. The singing is so good. I immediately bought the soundtrack and I listened to it on a loop for months. Then the content! The Spuffy is so good, the Buffy angst, everyone gets an adorable moment and then that ending that kills me

Tabula Rasa: I love this episode. It is so whacky but again also with angst, because that Willow/Tara is murderous

The Body: I mean, in a masochistic kind of way do I love this episode. It is… it is so heartbreaking. I’ve seen it like twelve times now and I still cry every single time. How vulnerable Buffy is, the Tara-Buffy friendship, Anya has one of my favorite moments when she confronts what death means. This episode is an absolute sucker-punch

Favourite season/book/movie: Season 6, hands down. Other TV shows always try to one-up it - so they fought demons in season 1, how about they fight SATAN HIMSELF in season 3? The escalation is very rapid in most supernatural shows nowadays. That Buffy took a step back and spent essentially a whole season on character development and friendships and human issues? Also two of my favorite episodes happen in this season, so that makes it all the more special to me!

Favourite quotes:Okay, so, full disclosure I love the musical episode but I listened to Rest in Peace THE MOST. And the lines “I died so many years ago, you can make me feel like it isn’t so” just completely wrecks me. Like, there’s a whole lot of memorable quips in this show and the line “I’m the thing that monsters have nightmares about” is ALSO absolutely outstanding

Best musical moment: When Buffy says “I think I was in heaven”, just the way her voice breaks, the reaction on everybody’s face? This silly musical just outed her biggest secret, the thing that’s going to hurt everyone around her with guilt and the thing that’s wrecking her life. That moment is so good

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: William Pratt. Getting explicit flashbacks to flesh out Spike’s past, to meet the man he used to be and see what he was like. Also genuinely every any flashback about the Fanged Four. This is something I KEEP yelling about in all the supernatural genre shows - if you have centuries old characters then USE THAT. Show me their past! Seriously the wasted potential of flashbacks around Magnus Bane on Shadowhunters is downright insulting. But Buffy? Every time it explored more, showed me more, I fangirled so hard. Also genuinely when Buffy slept with Satsu in season 8 - like, I know there were no grand romantic feelings but Buffy Summers had sex with a woman and… c’mon, Buffy’s not 100% straight, she just isn’t, I stand by bi!Buffy

When it really disappointed you:When some greedy asshat decided to do a comic reboot and retcon Willow into being Out And Proud in high school and be Gay All Along. Fuck. You. Like, yeah, sure, obviously am I all for out and proud teenage rep! But not at the cost of erasing existing rep! Not when it’s a retcon that actively erases an “I took longer to realize my feelings and be true to myself” lesbian, because those exist and are valid and deserve to be seen too and by retconning her into being out in high school, instead of having boyfriends in high school and only coming to terms when she is in college and actually MEETS her first lesbian to realize that this could be her truth, by doing that, you’re effectively sending the message that only Gold Star Lesbians are valid and genuinely fuck you for doing this. Also, from what I’ve heard that comic reboot effectively erased Drusilla’s insanity and victimhood to have her be an evil mastermind villain and… no… that’s not the character anymore then; a huge point of Drusilla was that she was a victim, most specifically Angel’s victim, that he broke her completely so we can see the bad and depth of Angelus’ worst days, it’s important for the plot even if it makes you uncomfortable to see a woman be a victim, in her case her victimhood and her insanity are literally what make her her. You just created a new character. There is some really wrong SJW bullshit going on in there and it’s dumb. If you wanna tell new stories, do that. But don’t take this existing beautiful story and slaughter it for your own whims what the fuck, I genuinely loathe that this comic exists and I’m glad that the TV show thing is going to be a spin-off sequel and not an actual reboot because don’t fucking reboot Buffy

Saddest moment: Joyce’s death, definitely. But also when Giles decides to leave, that breaks my heart every time

Most well done character death:ALSO Joyce’s death

Favourite guest star: I… really don’t know, like I don’t know who’d count as just guest, when looking at the cast list most the ones I would have said are technically recurring characters and then it’s also not really asking for the character but the actor, huh? Retrospectively probably Wentworth Miller, because he has become an actor I like a lot so seeing smol!Wentworth in Buffy is adorable

Favourite cast member: James Marsters. If tumblr existed back when Buffy first aired, all my Dominic Sherwood obsession could be fully translated onto him. He was one of my three first actor obsessions and he still remains that, to this day

Character you wish was still alive: ANYA. There was no need to kill Anya off in the finale, I wish season 8 could have had that happy, good Xander/Anya content… ;-;

One thing you hope really happens: I am so excited and afraid of the sequel spin-off. That could be so great (or a disaster and that’s the part that frightens me), but what REALLY needs to happen is that Sarah Michelle Gellar guest stars. Of course not as a regular, it is supposed to be about a new slayer. But I need them to then also acknowledge what has been before. Maybe others could guest star too, cameo occasionally (though it would be hilarious if Andrew was a regular and like a… guide to the new kid). Ideally, I would get to see every Scooby at least once in this spin-off but what really needs to happen is that Buffy Summers appears in it

Most shocking twist: When they killed off Buffy… and there was another season. Like. This was pre “everybody dies and is frequently brought back from the dead, death doesn’t stick” TV era (actually, it is the mother of that trope, really), so that was… really a shocker.

When did you start watching/reading?: Ironically, during my least favorite season. Season 4. The initiative was the most bland and obnoxious plotline, Riley/Buffy is a ship I really don’t dig and I was a teen so American college was Weird And Confusing and also uninteresting. However, I had been DYING to watch that show for three years and been deemed too young to watch it so it was really exciting that my mom finally allowed me and also I WAS right on time for the lesbian coming out and that still to this day blows my mind because Willow and Tara were the first lesbians I got to see on TV and it still means the world to me. I then got caught up on reruns, watching the first three seasons, but even on rewatchs, plot-wise season 4 is the weakest for me

Best animal/creature: Miss Kitty Fantastico, by default? xD I think she is the only animal in the whole series… and she just kind of… disappeared too ôÔ°°°

Favourite location: THE LIBRARY I LOVE THE LIBRARY SO MUCH

Trope you wish they would stop using: Mmmh… I… I mean, when rewatching this as an adult, I gotta admit the early Angel/Buffy is very uncomfortable. Back when I was Buffy’s age and younger I thought it was the coolest thing that this vampire loved this teenage girl, but as an adult I have come to re-evaluate all the 16/17 year old girl getting together with a 100+ year old vampire because that most definitely is a very concerning age-gap and… not necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always also hold love for them because I loved them back when I first watched it too and I think they have a fascinating and epic tragic romance, but… media’s gotta stop pushing the idea that centuries old immortals find high school kids romantically and sexually attractive; it’s not a good look

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Clearly sell me on the canon romance, if you look at my list of OTPs where nearly all of them are canon. Also THIS IS PROPER FOUND FAMILY YO. I’m so tired of shows pretending to be “the team is a family” and then it’s all just deceite and distrust and miscommunication and tragic. AND where this show 100% outdoes… literally everything else I have ever read and watched is the mental health. Buffy died and came back from the dead and instead of just shrugging it off and doing business as usual, we spent a whole season on her depression and dealing with the aftermath of it. Same goes for Willow and her grief over Tara and her addiction. Bad things happen to the characters and it’s not just used as a cheap ploy for more drama, they have ramifications and are being dealt with.

Funniest moments: When Tabula Rasa made everyone assume new identities and everyone thought Giles was Anya’s sugar daddy and Spike’s actual father? Also the time that Giles kept himself a pet-Spike in his home because no one trusted Spike yet (reasonably so). And honestly, countless more - this is one of the funniest shows I ever watched, the quips and one-liners are absolute killers.

Couple you would like to see: Huh. Can I go really vague and say that I would like to see a wlw couple with at least one lesbian in the spin-off sequel? Like, obviously do I hope that this new iterations brings more rep to the table - LGBT as well as POC because if I have to admit one flaw in my favorite show then that it’s very 90s white - but even among that, I really hope there will be at least one lesbian character, who gets to have an on-screen romance

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: As mentioned above, I hope Sarah Michelle Gellar and others join the cast at the very least as guest stars.

Admittedly, I also would murder to see Dominic Sherwood play a vampire on this new show.

Those two would be the ones I’d love to see join the cast. However, I kind of got lost in an entire fan-cast here, so have my pitch for what I’d love the spin-off’s cast to look like. I have no idea what age-range it’s going to be though. Probably teenagers again, but I kind of hope early to mid twenties.

My dream cast, which isn’t going to happen because she already has a lead role in a TV show so she’s too busy, but I’d LOVE to see China Anne McClain as the new slayer.

And, okay I admit this is Marvel based type-casting, but I’d LOVE to see Lyrica Okano as the witch friend (the group needs a witch friend).

Sarah Jeffery for the Cordelia-type role. The bitchy cheerleader - but she’s actualy a closeted lesbian who joins the team when she accepts her own identity and befriends the group.

It’s probably also type casting to make David Castro play another brooding vampire, but listen he’s about the same age as China and he would give off good Angel vibes to her Slayer?

Jane Lynch as the Watcher. But not a soft dad like Giles, more the grumpy, annoyed mom who now has all those irritating children running after her even though she is just trying to teach her charge how to be a Slayer.

Favourite outfit: EVIL DOPPELGÄNGER WILLOW’S VAMPIRE DOMINATRIX OUTFIT *^*

Favourite item: I love the dumb axe. Like, I think it looks WAY too modern to be this ancient tool, but dang it’s pretty

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: my phone-case, all seasons on DVD, the soundtrack of the musical episode on CD, I probably still got my old bedsheets somewhere. I do wish I had more merch, in a different time I probably would have spent all my money on Buffy figures, but those weren’t available way back when and now that I have access to the internet’s treasure-hunting-sites, I… have learned to… mostly… manage my money better than mindlessly buy merch (though if Funko Pop finishes that… Rock Candy series with all the main characters, I will definitely buy those. As it stands, there’s only Willow and Buffy available right now…)

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I would definitely not be a slayer. Maybe a witch??

Most boring plotline: The initiative. Seriously. I’m HARD anti military and this bullshit of college soldiers policing the supernatural world was… boring and weird. Got even weirder when it turned into Frankenstein at the end

Most laughably bad moment: ooof that puppet episodes had quite some intentionally cringey moments

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: ALL OF THEM. NOT A SINGLE NOT GOOD FLASHBACK THERE. GIVE ME ALL OF THE PAST

Most layered character: Spike. Fight me on that. Seriously, his past as a human, as a vampire, his present, his will to gain a soul, his dynamics with all the Scoobies, I love him. To be fair, Buffy is also the most layered character though

Most one dimensional character:huuuh… Dawn? I mean, seriously she is just every teen angst trope crammed into one, with zero tolerance for what the only slightly older adults may be going through, they even made her shoplift for attention, I swear she could have only been more of a cringey teen trope if she also Cut For Attention… -___- Like. She… She got slightly better with time, but out of all these multi-facetted characters, she is definitely the flattest

Scariest moment: Puppets creep me out so the puppet episode was definitely scary for me. Also the Silence I mean damn that was an amazing episode but it was creepy as fuck

Grossest moment: mh… I can’t think of one, really. I’m unsure if there were any really gross moments

Best looking male: Spike!

Best looking female: Doppelgänger Willow. Don’t judge me. Also Evil Willow. Okay you can judge me a little

Who you’re crushing on (if any): Never really had a crush on any of the characters

Favourite cast moment: That was… pre-internet times, we didn’t get immediately swamped by posts and videos and photos of the cast, there was very little access to these things so I was never really exposed to that

Favourite transportation: THE RV. I loved when they were on the run for half an episode and just all lived in an RV together :D”““

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): I really don’t know

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you:It’s a very well-rounded series and I was never actually left with major questions

Best promo: The best promo it had was running in our living room so I could carefully sneak a peek when going to bed and thus want to watch the show :D”

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: When Willow/Tara happened. I didn’t even know that I’m a lesbian back then. I was like 10 back then. This was literally the first time I saw two women be together. Back then I didn’t know what about it amazed me so much. Cue in 12 year old Phoe slowly realizing “oooh I’m a lesbian that’s why the lesbians spoke to me”. But yeah, being the first show to show me lesbians exist, that was when I fell in love and then I got to watch the whole show and it is just such a perfect show that it was impossible not to love it

IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS

#Buffy the Vampire Slayer #In-Depth Fandom Ask Game #send me asks #Anonymous

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undeadmanbun · 6 years ago

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Hi @nanyallen13 ! Thanks so much for the asks and blog compliments and sorry for the delay in replying. To make it easier to reply in one post I’ve screenshot the asks and anyone reading will need to go from bottom to top (they’re numbered).

I’m so glad you got in touch, it’s really great to get other opinions and takes because the nature of our ship and theories (and people’s knee-jerk reactions to them) means we’re often in our own corner of fandom, so non-jonsa opinions and input is great to hear. I hope all the jonsa meta people see this, they’ll be please to hear you enjoy their posts. And your English is amazing btw!

We never, ever ask that anyone ships it, all we really are out here doing is saying to folks “look, look at this foreshadowing, look at this evidence! we’re not crazy like you say we are!” and mostly we get crickets or yelled at, so it’s really nice to hear from a "neutral” that you think it could happen. Ok, this might be a bit messy because I’m out of practice, but to answer your questions...

What did I think of Dany before season 7?

I agree with what you said, but I began to take issue with her a little ahead of season 7, maybe season 5. I was still thrilled when she left for Westeros in season 6 because this is what we’d been waiting for all this time, but season 7 really sealed the deal for her arc taking a darker trajectory. I didn’t have especially strong opinions on Dany after season 1, I actually found her non-Westerosi arc kind of uninteresting for a long while and cheered on her “badass” moments, but, in hindsight, I think that’s because on first/second/third viewing I hadn’t realised where this was going.

I think I started to question some of her actions in season 5, when she burns the guy using the dragons, when her dragons are out of control and burn the child, when the teacher tells her it’s not a black and white situation (I’m writing this quickly, haven’t gone back to check names etc) but didn’t think too much about it until she was on the doorstep of characters I care for. That’s when it really hit home. Suddenly she was a threat to the characters I love. I wasn’t convinced of her being a full blown antagonist for a long while, but I’m more and more convinced she is as time goes on. A recent rewatch solidified this for me because when you go back in looking for it it’s kind of obvious (season one is FULL of foreshadowing, it’s amazing).

And you’re right. Perfect hero Dany is absolutely not an interesting character, she’s bland, unrealistic. But beautiful, dangerous, complex, flawed villain origin story Dany? Well, she’s a different matter. Dangerous and unpredictable “dark!dany” is a far more interesting character, and one that will go down in the history of female characters. We’re getting to see how a Cersei comes to be, and that’s fascinating stuff.

The stans have sadly created some power fantasy projection of the character wherein they want her to not only get everything in the story, but to be everything all at once to them, and she simply cannot do/be that, she’ll be human, she’ll be flawed, she’ll fail, she’ll die (and I agree, definitely not in childbirth, which is a dreadful ending for her, she deserves much better).

What did I think of J*nerys before Jonsa/Season 7?

Hmmm, let’s just say nothing good lol. I started to take issue with Dany around season 5 and I also had finished reading the books around the same time so I expected the ship to sail in some form. It was the obvious ship, too obvious in my opinion. It seemed like the dreadful, predictable male hero + female hero ship that I expected from a lesser series. So I expected it, but my hope was that the likely Chekhov’s gun of all these sycophantic men surrounding her that want to serve and love her (which is terrible, tedious storytelling unless there’s a twist) would go off, and that it would be a Jon-shaped pistol hanging on the wall.

When season 6 happened I was blindsided. I never, ever expected to be here now loudly shipping Jon with his “sister” Sansa (bear in mind I shipped nothing in this show really, but was aware of Brienne and Jaime being a slow burn, it’s hard to miss). I obviously had a clue they could reunite because season 5 had Sansa escaping Ramsay and she knows where Jon is. But when they reunited I assumed it would be platonic and it just didn’t have the sister brother platonic vibe it should have had. Suddenly Jonsa was doing all these tropes and by episode 10 of season 6 I’d jumped on board as a fully fledged jonsa shipper, and then down the theory/book/show evidence rabbit hole I went for another 2.5 years (jesus fjfdjfhkdjf). So by the time season 7 came around I was convinced of another endgame that wasn’t J*nerys.

On the topic of season 7, I totally agree with you regarding Political Jon, and my hope is obviously that it’s true, but if it isn’t, well, I will be very frustrated with Jon (because I love that dumbass). Fortunately there’s a lot pointing towards it so I’m hopeful. If he’s legitimately in love then it’s just a truly awful love story and an insult to “the north remembers” narrative (and to Jon’s character).

As you said, it seems like it is very intentional on the part of the show runners that all of these things are happening at once. They’re not mutually exclusive theories, but they are incredibly complimentary. You have to believe that a lot of people are crazy to be able to rule this “theory dissent” out, and I just don’t believe we are as “delusional” as we’re accused of being.

So, in summary, I never expected a) dark!dany or b) jonsa, but much analysis later I’m convinced of both, there’s just too much evidence for these theories for me not to expect them in some form. Maybe me and everyone else here will look like clowns in a few weeks, but I’m quietly optimistic. And absolutely nothing in the promo season has convinced me otherwise, only 22 days to go!

#dark!dany #jonsa #anti-daenerys #just in case #it's not really anti

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once-upon-a-ouat · 7 years ago

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OUAT Rewatch 1x16 “Heart of Darkness”

This episode got dark just as the title promised and I loved that. Just as Regina said, “Everyone has a dark side”. Even our beloved fairytale heroes. OUAT explores human nature rather thoroughly and always leaves me fascinated with the results.

Snow was such a badass in this episode. I loved that bloodthirsty side of her but I’m glad that she got back to how she was. It was still interesting to see what she would turn into without love in her heart. It also gave us some insight into the person that Regina has become although she didn’t have her love erased from her heart. I loved Snow’s resourcefulness in this episode. It’s already been established that she’s resourceful (she managed to survive on her own) but here it was a bit different. Combined with the hatred that was now the only thing left in her heart, her creativity got a dark side to it that was actually pretty frightening. The writers used the opportunity to show just how much Regina’s actions had hurt Snow and that the thing that was preventing her from returning the favor was the love that normally filled her heart. But with that love gone, she gave into the pain and the desire for revenge. I loved how she agreed to go with Grumpy because she was hoping Rumple could help her in her quest for vengeance. The interaction with the dwarfs at the beginning of the episode only strengthened the one in the end and the storyline in general. It was awesome to see her apologize to her friends and to see them be willing to risk everything to help her once again.

David in the Enchanted Forest was awesome to watch (to differ from his Storybrooke counterpart but I’ll get to that later). I loved that despite the fact that he set out to find Snow, he still had his own story going on and that interfered with his reunion with his love (btw, Red’s appearance was awesome albeit brief). Now, kissing a woman that doesn’t even remember you was not the best idea as he probably came to realize. And neither was taking an arrow although it was very romantic. I loved that he saw Snow's dark side but still didn't give up on her. You know that's a contrast to Storybrooke David so I won't delve deeper into it.

Rumple was awesome. He was very comical but an evil genius as always. I love how he gave Snow a potion to rid her of her love in order to get her hair to bottle said love because he was certain her love would be restored. I have to admit that the first time I watched this episode I thought "There's no way he'll succeed" and then it worked and he got love in a bottle and I was like "HOLY FUCK!". It was terrifying but also so fucking impressive.

Poor Mary Margaret! She had so much going on in the past episodes and now this. It's admirable she managed to keep it together for so long. Although she kinda had a meltdown during her questioning but it's totally understandable. The "I was talking to you" tho. Emma did not see that coming. The knife in the heating vent and David's distrust totally finished her. It was heartbreaking to see her so defeated in that last scene with Emma. It's understandable why she decided to escape (1. Why the hell are there no surveillance cameras in that Sheriff Station? 2. How did Regina plant the key under the freaking mattress?) but it was still upsetting because she said she trusted Emma and yet, her actions didn't show it.

Emma was so adorable in this episode. I loved how hard she was trying to prove Mary Margaret’s innocence, but also knew she had to move the case forward because otherwise Regina would fire her and then Mary Margaret would be in even more trouble. That scene between the two of them in the end of the episode was so awesome. Emma was just as upset as Mary Margaret about the current turn of events and I feel like she was losing her own faith in herself and that’s why she asked Mary Margaret to believe in her. Knowing that her friend had faith in her and counted on her would give her the needed strength to go forward and prove her innocence. I loved that she ended up going to Gold even though earlier in the episode she was trying to convince Mary Margaret not to trust him. “I approve of your results” was a great line in my opinion. It showed that Emma was ready to cross lines in order to protect the people she loves and we can also see that in the later seasons too. I loved her interactions with Henry, and the part with the skeleton keys was cool but I understand why she still doesn’t believe in the Curse. Skeleton keys are not necessarily magical although that particular set looked like something that came out of a book about fairytales. And now Emma is onto Regina. The conflict is getting messier and messier and I’m loving it.

I absolutely loved Regina in this episode. She was very self-aware here which we haven’t really seen from her before. She was always insisting that she wasn’t evil and wasn’t trying to ruin people’s lives, but here she really owned up to who she was. I loved the self-irony in “Evil doesn’t always look evil. Sometimes it’s staring right at us and we don’t even realize it.”. Smooth move, Regina. And I absolutely loved her scene with Mary Margaret. She looked so sympathetic and sounded so genuine. And, in fact, she was. There wasn’t even one lie in what she said. I loved how she compared herself with Mary Margaret. It was extremely funny because we know how much she hates her. I also loved how the writers keep reminding us about Regina’s motivation and build the suspense as to what happened. At this point we’ve had her mention her lost love five times and it makes us wonder how that happened.

David. Oh my God, David! Why? I’m so done with him. I can’t wait for the Curse to break so that he can stop being such an idiot (and I don’t really want the Curse broken; season one had a vibe to it that none of the next seasons could quite recapture). It was cute that he wanted to help Mary Margaret but then it all went to hell. I’m having a problem here with how the whole thing happened. Didn’t you fucking notice that in those memories Mary Margaret had long hair and was wearing... I don’t know, a fucking cloak? I think that was so unnecessary and the writers only included it to create drama. And they still haven’t explained why the fuck David suddenly started blacking out again.

Henry and August’s interaction was interesting. We got some more clues as to who August is and learned why he’s in Storybrooke, but just like before it simply raised more questions. I loved the air of mystery that the writers managed to create around August and we have a few more episodes to go before we finally learn who he is. It just creates even more suspense and the levels of that are already insane. On a side note, I loved the little moment between Henry and Ruby. Especially since she didn’t trust him in 1x04.

Gold was interesting to watch but I’m not very certain what he’s doing because, like I mentioned in my previous review, I really don’t remember how the main story developed. I know the general direction in which it went but I can’t recall details so I’m a bit lost here and therefore can’t really say much about him in this episode. Maybe after watching the next episodes I’ll be able to piece it together and will discuss his course of actions in one of the upcoming reviews.

Favorite scene: David and Snow’s True Love’s kiss. That scene was so amazing. I cried because of how sweet their reunion was. David managed to restore the love in her heart. How romantic is that? It was really moving. But of course they had to ruin the moment. Now though it’s Snow’s turn to find David. I think it was kinda dumb of George’s people to just leave her in the woods though. It was obvious that David cared very much about her which meant that George could use her to cause him pain. If they were a little smarter, they would’ve taken her with them. But the scene was cool anyway.

Least favorite scene: David asking Mary Margaret if she killed Kathryn. I honestly don’t know what he expected from that conversation. Even if she had killed her, she surely wouldn’t have told him. That was so idiotic of him. What I loved from that scene was that Mary Margaret told him to get lost. It was hard as hell for her but she still stood up for herself and I respect her for that. The contrast between that scene and the one above though. It served very well to show us once again how much exactly the Curse is screwing them over.

Favorite line: “I always believe evil isn’t born. It’s made.” - Regina to David

There were so many great lines in this episode and I had such a hard time choosing only one, but ultimately I decided on this one. It resonates with my beliefs and I loved it since the first time I heard it.

Least favorite line: “Words, words, words. That’s what love is.” - Snow to David

Okay, I needed a least favorite line and this sounded disrespectful towards love so that’s why it’s here.

I loved this episode. It built quite well on the foundation that the last episode established. I loved the development in most of the relationships featured throughout it. Ginnifer Goodwin portrayed Snow's change of heart very well. Also, soundtrack. The episode was very intriguing and I can't wait to see what tricks the characters will pull out of their sleeves next time.

#ouat rewatch #once upon a time #ouat #season 1 #1x16 #heart of darkness #operation end

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spaceorphan18 · 7 years ago

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Glee Season 1 Wrap Up (Part 2)

Alright - let’s do this and see if I can actually manage to be concise, lol. So, I wrote up a ranking - now I’m kinda looking at arcs as a whole. It’d be too hard to rank those, so I’m just talking a little about each.

Front 13 v Back 9

It’s no secret that I prefer the Back 9 episodes over the first batch. The Front 13 focuses so heavily on the two love quadrangles - at the expense of pretty much everything else, that I get bored really easily. And - dare I say - the Front 13 might actually be my least favorite part of the show. Yes, that’s right, I’d rather watch Season 3 again (lol).

The Front 13 does have things going for it - it’s very funny (on it’s first run - subsequent viewings don’t always help). It’s tightly written. The stories make sense (well as much as a fake baby makes sense). And it’s good, solid television. I can see why people fell in love with it. But - as you may have noticed in my rankings, I have a hard time being bored, and now that I’ve seen the show a million times, I get bored too easily.

I will say - having some distance from watching the episodes, and doing it at a weekly pace, helps me enjoy it more. The episodes feel fresher, and as much as I whine, I still had fun with the rewatch of the F13.

Meanwhile, the Back 9 just comes alive. The show gets a bit crackier, the focus shifts more to the kids, and the pace speeds up. But you know what else I noticed? As the show develops the characters a bit more, I feel like there’s a bit more emotion running through the Back 9. I know we joke about Glee being one big cartoon, but the F13′s humor was often darker humor related to stereotypes. By the B9 - the characters get to be fleshed out more, and become more like real people - and I dig that more than the dark sitcom-ish vibe of the F13.

Kind of as aside, not really sure where to add this, one thing I find interesting about season 1 is that it seems to be this show that’s simultaneously trapped in the 80s, while still being relevant on current events - and very much being a product of the 2010s. That aspect of it makes it a bit unique and nostalgic at the same time, and it’s a super fascinating way to look at the show.

Will as a Problem of the Narrative

Look, we all know Will is a problem -- the ‘I Hate You Will’ meme is prevalent within fandom. You would think that the first season would make him a bit more sympathetic since he is the original main character. I mean kinda - but he’s still frustratingly selfish, nearsighted about everyone else around him, and, well, just not that great.

But after doing some thinking, I came to the realization -- this is an issue with American television in general -- adult characters are not allowed growth. Think about it. In high school shows, the kids grow up, learn, and change. But when we watch adults, more specifically adults in sitcoms, - the writers hit the reset button. Did the characters of Friends really change all that much in the ten years they were on the show? Or Modern Family? Or The Big Bang Theory? I mean - there will be slight changes, but nothing major. (Some writers do - both The Office and Parks and Rec show growth in their characters, but I also think those are better sitcoms for it.)

Anyway - my point is that Will falls victim to the fact that for the sake of conflict, he doesn’t really get any kind of character growth that sticks, and that what makes his character so hard to watch - even in season one.

In addition, instead of framing Will as a teacher who loves teaching, they frame him as a performer who never made it out of Ohio, and is frustrated with never having gotten out of the place he grew up. And while there’s some reality in that -- I’m still side-eyeing the show any time they give him accolades for being a great teacher.

Also, there’s the whole ‘Be a Man’ thing that Will gets saddled with. But...more on that later.

To no one’s surprise - Will being front and center most of the time amplifies all these issues leading to me not really caring much about the story and hence boredom.

Will/Emma/Ken/Terri & Finn/Rachel/Puck/Quinn -- a Redundant Love Story for The Ages

It’s basically the same story only time displaced - with a chance for the high school kids not to make the same mistakes as the adults. The adults being a cautionary tale. Funny, I think the kids, at some points, are more mature about what’s going on in their relationships than the adults.

Outside the satirical nature of it - I find it all kind of tedious to sit through, tbh, and as I said before, what makes the F13 kind of hard at times. I realize I’m supposed to care about these relationships. Guess what - I don’t.

However -- Glee and it’s parallels. Damn. There’s, like, an entire thesis paper waiting to be written about these Quadrangles and how Glee masterfully pulls off writing the same story twice at the same time.

Also worth noting, the two Quadrangles both embody two of the main themes of season one: 1. Be a Man and 2. It’s Okay to Be a Loser (or the HS Hierarchy Stuff)

I don’t know why the show needs to prove so hard what being a real ‘man’ is - especially when the real men of the show don’t usually have to deal with this stupid trope, but I find myself rolling my eyes every time it gets brought up. And the focus isn’t a favorite of mine -- unfortunately, another point against the F13.

Meanwhile - I was never really interested in the whole HS Hierarchy stuff, and what it is to be cool. Geez, now I’m being redundant as I continue to say that the themes brought up in the F13 just don’t interest me at all. Good thing there was all this music to keep me distracted...

Ken and Terri & Puck and Quinn - Mean Girls

Ryan Murphy has this weird obsession with awful popular people. I don’t know why. I don’t think it’s as interesting as he does - but I’m guessing he had some deep issues with these people in high school because this trope is used outside of Glee and in abundance.

Something I think is interesting though - going back to my point about Will. Ken and Terri don’t get to be more than the stereotypes that they are. And because they’re probably (possibly) the most annoying characters on the show - the writers had enough sense to drop them after after the F13. But I do think it’s interesting, also, that Ken and Terri are the real ‘losers’ of the show -- and they’re the ones who were popular in high school. The point is made pretty loudly, but I never hear people talk about it much.

Meanwhile, Puck and Quinn are pretty much on the road to being Ken and Terri - but the show, probably knowing these characters needed to stick around, got the growth and development that Ken and Terri didn’t, and even in season 1, seeds of - they’re not going to turn out to be as ‘loser-ish’.

I don’t really care all that much about Puck or Quinn, but I will say they were pretty unwatchable (for me) in the F13, and they became much better characters in the B9. Though, helping this is the fact that neither gets a whole lot to do. But they soften both of them to make the more likable - and it works, I don’t mind them so much in the B9.

Emma - The Non-Main Character

I love Emma - and it’s weird to me that she isn’t more of a main character (I mean she is in season 1, but that fades quickly). It’s great that they have female character, good at her career, but struggling a bit in her personal life, and who has a mental health issue to deal with but is still seen as desirable. I also love the fact that she has issues with sex. There’s a lot of great things with Emma. I’m just sorry she’s tied to Will for the entire show, because she’s smart and likable and one of the few really ‘good’ characters on the show. I’m sad that she doesn’t get to do much outside of being accessory in Will’s story. It’ll change a little in season 2, but not much. :(

I don’t really have much to say about Wemma. It starts out as a standard will-they, won’t-they but it doesn’t pull my attention much. I will say that the final moment of Sectionals, however, is a beautiful moment -- and the Glee, when it wants to, has the ability to pull off some fantastic romantic moments.

Sue Sylvester - Comedy Villain in a Realistic World

It’s no surprise that when you have a very talented and funny Jane Lynch on your show, you’re going to do what you can to give her a fair amount of material. I get that. And I give season 1 credit -- Sue might be one of the funniest characters on the show in season 1. She worked as the villain and as a counter to Will, as well as allowing the show to have a mouthpiece for things they felt the main characters couldn’t say. It worked. She worked. Jane Lynch worked.

My issues with Sue are more with later seasons, when they run out of things to do with her, and make a fourth-wall breaking farce, but I’ll save that rant for later.

I will say - I do enjoy her humanizing interactions with her sister and with Becky, and it’s a shame the show didn’t latch on to that more often. Because Sue got hit with the reset button harder than any other character.

Finn & Finchel

Finn is pretty much tied to Will in every season, but season 1 is in much abundance. Fortunately, Finn fares better than Will does. Finn needing a father figure, and direction, is more sensical than Will using Finn as a way to relive his youth, while treating Finn simultaneously as a best friend and son. I don’t think I like Finn all that much, but Cory Menteith is incredibly endearing -- and makes me care a bit more than I actually would. Finn is, perhaps, the most rounded character to begin with - and shows more competence as a leader than Will ever does. It’s funny, to me, for as much as these two are paralleled, Finn getting to grow and have an actual arc makes him much more interesting.

Finn also has the benefit of having a more complete world around him -- his story isn’t stuck in the Quadrangle, his stories outside of it (mostly with his Mom and Kurt, but also the more fleshed out story with Rachel) make it much more interesting.

So yeah. Go season 1 Finn!

Also - they were definitely setting up Finn to grow through this series long arc of hating being in a small town to being okay that that is his lot in his life. (And it is sad we didn’t get to see that play fully out.) Because unlike Will -- who kind of hates that he’s never moved on, Finn seems to come full circle rather nicely.

So Finchel. Believe it or not, I think Finchel is quite endearing in season 1. And -- dare I say -- I like it more in the F13 than the B9. I’ll always prefer Finchel as a story about two high schoolers who learn from each other in HS, but move away from each other later in life, and that Finn and Rachel, ultimately, don’t have a whole lot in common, but there moments in early s1 are sweet, and there’s a bit of chemistry there that I don’t see later on in the show.

I can even pinpoint when I start to really not care about Finchel -- in Hello, between the introduction of Jesse St. James and making Finn kind of a douche (or paralleling him a little too close to Will). But in the meantime, I can honestly say that Finchel was one of the more enjoyable parts of season 1. Weird huh.

Rachel Berry - Before They Were Stars

Another aspect of season 1 that I liked? Rachel Berry. Before the show started handing her things on a platter because she /was/ Rachel Berry -- Rachel was a character you could root for. No, she wasn’t the most likable character on the show, but she struggled, and we saw that she worked hard to get things. She was also uncompromising in her desires - something not often shown as a) positive or b) in women.

Also helping her out is that she gets to have a story arc outside (or maybe beyond is a better word) the Quadrangle. She has developed relationships with pretty much everyone on the show and that helps her be a well rounded character.

As an aside -- it’s interesting to me, for as much as everyone is paralleled with everyone else on the show, I don’t see a whole lot of parallels between Rachel and Emma. There are some, both of them wanting someone they feel they can’t have, both of them wanting things too much, and both feeling like outsiders. But I feel like those are generalizations of two vastly different characters. Interesting.

Mercedes, Artie, and Tina - The Back Up Singers

It’s funny to me -- that when the show was first airing, Mercedes, Artie, and Tina (and Kurt - but more on him in a minute) were used a lot in ads. These actors did a lot of press, etc, etc. And the whole notion of the show being for kids who didn’t fit in was a big angle for marketing. So, it’s interesting that the F13 barely features any of them. But I do think they are much more interesting than the Parallel Quadrangles. Each of these characters has a unique set of characteristics - and yeah, a lot of it stemmed from stereotypes, which were fleshed out more in the B9. But I appreciate these characters even being around - because if they weren’t there, the show would be (IMO) pretty bland.

Interestingly, in the B9, each of these three do get their fair share of screentime and development. Unfortunately, they don’t make it out from the ranks of the B-list characters (idk - there might be some irony there). But they’re good characters, Mercedes especially, and I do enjoy them more than a lot of what’s going on with the A-plot. I’m just sorry they never really got out of the shadow of the rest of the other characters.

Kurt Hummel - Scene Stealer

Obviously, Kurt’s story in season 1 is my favorite story arc. I’m sure anyone who has been to my blog could have guessed that in about two seconds. And elsewhere is fully documented why. His relationship with being different, and how that ripples in his personal life - with family and friends - and how he deals with that is a fantastically told story, not to mention one having a ton of heart and care. I love Kurt, and season 1 Kurt gets to have such wonderful development, and it’s only the first portion of a much larger story of a really fantastic character.

But here’s my thing about Kurt. He wasn’t a part of the original story. And because of that, a lot like Rachel, having his own story and his own development - he’s not locked into being apart of a boring and/or tired story (re: Quadrangle). He somewhat exists outside the main narrative (though obviously has his ties within) and I think that really helps his character stand out in season 1. But I also think it’s interesting that this character, who in the first incarnation was much of a stereotype, got to break free first, and is one of the best written characters on the show.

He’s also so damn entertaining. Giving the character life in the background is an art - but I should gush about Chris Colfer’s acting later.

But in all honesty - I probably wouldn’t have kept watching this show without Kurt. His story (like to so many others) reminds me of my own in a lot of ways. And I think he was resonant with so many people in a way that a lot of the other things going on in season one weren’t. He helped give the show depth and emotion, and helped it grow beyond the cartoonish dark comedy of early season 1. There are a lot of things I enjoy about season 1, but I love Kurt’s story, and I probably wouldn’t be sitting here still talking about it if it weren’t for Kurt.

Brittana and other Background Stories

One of the things stemming out of being bored with the main plot lines is that one has a tendency to gravitate towards what’s going on in the background. Most shows - it’s not much. Glee -- has a plethora of stuff going on. Kurt gets a lot of the credit (rightfully so), but there’s a ton of interesting things happening.

Brittany and Santana don’t get enough credit for their early season 1 stuff. They have virtually nothing to do - but they’ll nail one-liners and/or do fascinating stuff sitting there in the background. One reason they became such prevalent characters, and they start to become those starting with the B9, is because they’re doing things that people take notice of.

Santana’s still too mean in season 1 for me, though layering over the fact that she’s a closested lesbian makes for a more interesting story upon rewatch, and Brittany really isn’t much of a character as she is a walking one-liner machine, but both characters make themselves visible in a huge cast - and I have to give them a lot of credit for that.

Meanwhile at the other end of things are Mike and Matt. Interestingly, I think Mike does seem to have more of a personality, and more of a presence, as well as a great acting ability, that helped him come out from the shadows a bit -- whereas Matt completely faded into the background to the point that I often forgot he was there. It’s no surprise to me that Mike became a bigger character while Matt left before season 2.

Guest Starring - Broadway Role Call

I can’t say that I’m really that attached to any of the guest stars on the show - but something I give Glee credit for in season one is grabbing guest stars who have ties in with Broadway. And I think that’s a pretty cool route to go. I may have not liked their characters all that much, but at least they can sing, and I can enjoy that. :)

Except Molly Shannon. I still don’t get that.

Jukebox Musical

So, obviously, music plays a huge part of this show. I’ve talked other place about how music is used differently in the F13 vs the B9 (check out TDB’s Music of S1 special!) so I won’t get into that here.

Season 1 probably has the lowest amount of songs from it on my play list - there’s just a lot of pop music I don’t really enjoy, and Will rapping, and just stuff I’m not really into. Not to mention a lot of the music is Rachel, Finn, and Finn and Rachel heavy (which isn’t a sound I’m really into).

But I think one thing season 1 does right is how it uses it’s music. And it’s interesting to see all the creative ways they try to be realistic about how they use music on the show. Not to mention, each of the episodes didn’t have the mandated 5-7 songs, which left time for both the music and the story to breath.

And then starting in the B9 - they began to get more creative in how they integrated music within the story.

On a Macro Level

Season 1 is probably the most consistent the show ever is written, and possibly, has the best straight up comedy. But the extreme focus on paralleling Quadrangles, the ‘Be a Man’ trope, and the whole ‘loser’ main themes kinda bore me (personally).

Kurt’s story, all the b-characters, background moments, and music I’m here for, in the F13, and I can kinda leave all the rest. The B9, though, gets us into the style of the rest of the series, and I’m here for that.

#tdb rewatch #omg this is so long.....

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thebluejay1994 · 5 years ago

Audio

~Song of the Week~

Baby I've been holding back now my whole life I've decided to move on now Gonna leave all my worries behind...

I've spent a good chunk of this year discovering shows I missed out on from the 90s, and Ally McBeal is one of them. SUCH a quirky show, that has so much soul through the music provided by Vonda Shepard~ 💙

Retrospective Note 2020: Seriously. It’s no joke how obsessed I got over this show. Particularly Season 1. I was so heartbroken to be done with the first season, I rewatched it again to keep from jumping into Season 2 so soon knowing there were only 4 seasons left to watch. I know. Any other person would have just kept watching but... IT’S SUCH A GOOD SHOWWW I don’t want it to end. As I type this, we’re pacing our way through Season 2.

But yeah anyways. I love this show. Is it the late 90s soft aesthetics? The fascinating and often strange court cases? The bizarre office shenanigans? THE MUSIC (oh God the music is so good in this). John Cage?! There are so many things I adore about this show.

For those who don’t know, Ally McBeal takes place in Boston, and is about a young twenty-something lawyer whom after experiencing sexual harassment from one of her coworkers, leaves that law firm, and almost immediately after quitting, runs into one of her old classmates from law school. His name is Richard Fish, and he just started his own firm with John Cage, and hires Ally right on the spot! Things seem to be getting better, until she runs into someone she once loved who just so happens to be working at this very firm as well. No, they weren’t just lovers. They’ve known each other since they were children. They were together for so long, even up to when they started going to law school. That was until Ally made law review, and Billy didn’t. He decided to go off to Michigan, and after much argue and debate, Ally decided to stay in Boston. From there, they parted ways.

And that’s what kicks the show off! The rest of the episode is Ally conflicting with working alongside Billy (who’s also married I might add), as seeing him reopens her feelings for him. On top of that, she’s also dealing with the aforementioned sexual harassment case. Episodes further build on that conflict between Ally and Billy, with themes of each episode being based on court cases that deal with issues that were taboo at the time (with some that are still taboo to this day), like polygamy, or sex work. It’s fascinating to hear the writer’s perspectives on said issues, looking at what’s changed, and what hasn’t. It’s strange, but I think the biggest reason why I love this show, is well, in a way, it was therapeutic for me. It’s been nearly 10 years since I left high school. I haven’t done very much with my life thus far. I never went to college (although I tried... twice). I’ve accomplished a few things, but mostly just found myself looking back, regretting what I didn’t do. That’s literally how I spent this whole decade after 2012, my graduation year. On top of that, there’s one relationship that I look back on that hurts still for some reason. Well, I shouldn’t say for some reason. I know why. The way I handled that relationship, I find myself still regretting. They seem to be doing wonderfully now, and we still reach out to each other every now and again to see how we’re doing, but I still can’t help but feel I should apologize for the way things went all those years ago. It’s ridiculous I know, and I don’t think I could ever say those things to them. It’s been too long now. All that is to say, I have loads of internalized regret that I don’t know what to do with. Until I found this show.

Seeing Ally work through the same things I’ve been struggling with has helped me cope with things I really didn’t know how to work through. It gave me something to think about on my walks. It gave me rational thoughts to chew on whenever I found myself diving back into regretful territory. Lately, I’ve felt more alive, more productive, and haven’t dwelled too much into the past. And hearing Vonda’s songs that tell me it’s okay to cry about the pains of the past (which I forgot how to do), and that it’s okay to feel these things... it led me to really vibe with the songs she sings that are about moving on, and living again. Even outside of past regrets, it’s helped me grow a backbone a little, and not let the lies of toxic people get to me as much. It helped me finally leave my job, and find something new. Heck, I almost considered getting into law (that might have been a bit much, but hey, gotta give me credit for wanting to do something scary and new). Who knew this quirky 90s show would impact me this much? I’ve found myself living in the now for the first time since high school, all thanks to Ally McBeal.

I’ve still much to learn, and I’ve still much to do. I’ve got myself together. Now I'm ready to live.

#SongsOfTheWeek2019 #Vonda Shepard

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