#only to recast them later

[pharawee]

—This kiss will kill us.

—Then kill us. Kill me…

THE HIDDEN MOON · เดือนพราง · Coming 2024

[puhpandas]

getting into ben 10 is so sad bc I binge the entire OS and am like wow cant wait for more and then every other series doesnt have the things I liked about OS and even casual fans online say that 10yo Ben's character in OS is more compelling than all the others but theres barely any of him after OS

[battlestarbones]

just went to rewatch a bit from the expanse TV finale and I was like "why is Holden piloting the ship?? bitch can't fly for shit!!" BECAUSE I FORGOT THEY FUCKING KILLED ALEX MY BABYGIRL MY BELOVED

[sentientsnakeskin]

Everyone always gets on yellowjackets for being fucking weird with the number of  background characters and changing actresses and lacking depth for a lot of said background character and everything all the time but thats the point!!! That’s the point of it!!! All the surviving Yellowjackets are unreliable narrators!!! Most if not all of the surviving Yellowjackets have mental conditions and if they don’t they sure as hell have endless trauma. The flashbacks are being told by them, 25 years later, when they have spent all that time trying to hide and deny everything that happened and everything that occurred and all of it is messed up. They don’t want to remember it all, they don’t want to remember their dead teammates. Sometimes it’s impossible to tell which characters are flashing back to which segments. Sometimes characters are inexplicably absent. Sometimes some people remember more than others. Sometimes random characters appear who have been absent all this time. Like, Crystal appeared as a character out of the blue when Misty was feeling abandoned by Nat and was remembering her first best friend. Characters are recast because who can even remember what those girls looked like anymore. The consistent characters are the ones no one can forget. The first ones. Who is gonna forget Laura Lee? Jackie? Javi? No one. But who is gonna remember girl #3 that you killed and ate when you went insane in the wilderness? No one. Or maybe you don’t want to remember. Maybe by girl #3 you try and forget everything. You stifle all feelings and memories until you remember maybe she had brown hair, oh i think i remember her gathering herbs once, oh i think she had this hat she liked to wear, oh maybe she was around during this event or maybe she was already dead and gone and buried and eaten. Maybe maybe maybe. You don’t know. You never know. Because thats what trauma does it eats away at the brain until all you have left to tell your story is faulty memories and a heart full of grief. And i think it just got worse once Shauna burned her journals and left everything into pure memory. Even those were unreliable because Shauna was suffering from day one and it only got worse after Jackie. Nothing is gonna be consistent about a story told 25 years after the events by people so traumatized they can barely remember it themselves.

[matchapancaekes]

When discussing the content disparity between Wyll and the other Origin characters+Halsin, it’s not about “pitting” the characters against each other.

It’s highlighting what content and suggestions got green lit and what didn’t.

It’s the writers for Asterion and Dark Urge working closely together, and allowing for Asterion to have a completely unique experience with Dark Urge that other Origin characters, not just Wyll, do not have despite budget and time constraints.

In contrast, Wyll’s entire character was scrapped, shoddily rewritten, and recast incredibly close to launch. Despite fans reaching out to Larian, very few patches were made regarding his content and his dialogue/quest line continued to be underwhelming and, frankly, glitchy.

You can hug and kiss most romanced (and even non-romanced) characters in the epilogue.

In Wyll’s Blade of Avernus ending when you both go to Avernus with Karlach, there is no unique romance options, not even to hug or kiss him. Even when Wyll is not romanced, there is no option to hug him like the others.

At Pax East, they revealed that Wyll had a “big moment” that was scrapped and then did not elaborate. This was also in the midst of their announcement that they would not be adding new content to the game.

Wyll is the only Origin character that lacks a persuasion check or a “let Wyll make his choice” option at the climatic point of his character quest (breaking his pact or diving deeper into his pact with Mizora).

Wyll is also the only Origin character to lack a unique hairstyle not available to the Player. It’s a small detail, but it shows, especially with their one Black character, to not have a dedicated hairstyle for him.

And, most glaringly, Wyll does not have an overt sex scene. Now, as an ace person, Wyll having a sex scene isn’t super important to me. But, for those who enjoy that stuff and that the fact that he is the only one, yet again, is objectively unfair. I can skip it. But I can’t even do that because it’s not even there.

I’m not saying Larian should keep making Baldur’s Gate content if their “heart isn’t in it” or if it’s later revealed that they were getting a bad end of a deal. More power to them. They created a great game that gave a lot of people community and a sense of belonging.

But not for everyone. The disparity and lack of acknowledgment of their lead Black character should not be swept under the rug as they bow out.

[mikedfaist]

love our famous reader but i’m thinking a lot lately about reader who isn’t famous but still has proximity to the industry. maybe she’s his makeup artist or hair stylist for a film… very sweet to think about them getting closer over the course of filming

i'm sorry i switched povs, i have been awake since 5:30 am, i am only human

She would have worked as one of their makeup artists for West Side Story, and let me tell you, every morning he would prance onto set in the hopes he would be first in her chair. She was the one putting his tattoos on every morning – sometimes dirt, sometimes blood – and all of the boys knew he had a crush. They’d exchange looks with each other when her back was turned, and Mike would glare daggers at them telling them to shut up.

He’d always run to her when he needed any touchups, or just simply wanted to talk. They’d talk about Steven, and which movie of his was her favorite.

“ET, of course,” she beams. “Can’t think of a sardine without thinking of that movie.”

A morning would come when one of the boys sat complacent in her chair, turned to look at her through the mirror. “Hey, so, do you have a boyfriend?”

Mike freezes in his spot.

“Who’s asking?” She chimes.

“Just’a question.” All the boys are looking at Mike, who refuses to look up from his phone.

“Nope,” she replies with a pop. “Again, who’s asking?” She’s joking; she’s not expecting an answer. She’s too busy rubbing mousse through Ben Cook’s curls, and not paying quite enough attention to her surroundings, until one of the boys speak up.

“Mike.”

The trailer fills with boyish yells, and Mike literally wants to disintegrate into his chair. He wonders if they really need him on set today. They can film Cool without him, right? Is it too late to recast?

It’s a little while later when Mike needs touchups, that he finds his way to you in your trailer. You’re sitting on the sofa, knees pulled up to your chest as you read a book.

“Michael, hello,” you sit up, closing your page around your finger. “What’s up?”

“Just, uh…dirt is coming off.”

“Say less, darling.” You stand up, and Mike sits in his usual seat. He can’t even look you in the eye. He also can’t seem to ease the burning from his cheeks after hearing such a term of endearment from you. “How’s it going out there?”

“Good, yeah, I think.” He adjusts himself in the chair; his back is killing him. “Should be done on time today.”

“Perfect. I love to hear it. “She dabs her brush onto her palette. “What’cha got going on later?”

“Nothing, I don’t think. Might just go home and rest up for tomorrow.”

“What about Friday? I know you aren’t on the call sheet. That’s a Sharks day.”

“Might do something with the boys? I don’t think we’ve talked about it.���

“When are we hanging out?” His eyes meet yours in the reflection of the mirror, and you reply with a shrug. “The boys were acting like you maybe wanted to hang out, but I couldn’t hear over their rambunctiousness.”

“I…” His mouth was dry. He noticed you stopped applying the makeup and held the brush precariously in your hand. “I didn’t tell them to say that.”

“Oh, I’m sure you didn’t, but you didn’t answer my question.”

“You wanna hang out?”

“That’s what I’m asking.”

He’d nodding his head before he manages words out. “Okay…” He blinks, scanning around the room, looking for nothing in particular. “Uh, Friday? When will you be out of here?”

“Who knows. 5 or 6, maybe? We’re doing rehearsals for I Feel Pretty. I shouldn’t be any later than 6.”

“Wanna aim for 7?”

She smiles, running some mousse through his hair. “It’s a date.”

[invisible-pink-toast]

who's who in the zoo wilderness

like many yellowjackets fans i am Obsessed with the flashbacks in the pilot episode - but while many theories are about who pit girl is or who the antler queen is i also wanted to have a look at who each of the creepy cloaked cultee's might be under their masks...

Info

in the flashbacks we have nine characters -

pit girl (called "The Runner" in the script)

antler queen (called "The Shaman")

the one wearing beaver fur ("The Overseer")

the one wearing a skunk fur ("The Hunter")

the one in the pink hood ("The Butcher")

one wearing an owl

one wearing racoons

one wearing what appears to be a wolf

one wearing pants/leggings in a way that looks rabbit-like.

The antler queen is the name the fans have given the mysterious veiled figure - but the creators have been firm in saying that is an interpretation and not a fact. What we know about this figure is she's referred to as "The Shaman" and she's obviously a significant figure in the group - but not necessarily the queen/leader. I don't think this character is automatically the leader of the cult.

The definition of a shaman includes:

A member of certain traditional societies, especially of northern Asia and of North and South America, who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events.

The term shamanism comes from the Manchu-Tungus word šaman. The noun is formed from the verb ša- ‘to know’; thus, a shaman is literally “one who knows.” 

So of these nine, seven of them must be our seven known survivors:

just a note: aside from sammi hanratty (misty) none of the other actors were playing characters in this scene - those roles were filled by body doubles. so i'm not going to be too specific in comparing looks to try and match these characters to our known characters. There's also the fact that these scenes were written and filmed for the pilot before the show was greenlit and since then the story has changed somewhat (for example - van most likely originally dying from the wolf attack but that being rewritten because they loved what liv hewson did with the character and wanting them to continue). So I'll mostly be focusing on the characters we know were absolutely intended to be there: Shauna, Tai, Natalie (confirmed to survive in the pilot) as well as Travis and Lottie (confirmed to survive later in s1).

Theories/Predictions/Headcanons

Only one figure is 100% confirmed - the Overseer being Misty, as she is the only character seen to remove her fur mask at the end of the pilot episode.

The other that is basically confirmed is the identity of the Butcher being Shauna.

Not only was Shauna... literally the butcher in the past and the present ("Shauna, you're the best with the knife, so you'll handle the body. I mean cut it up." - Misty in 1x10) but when Shauna kills Adam she has flashbacks that include the Butcher bleeding the Runner's corpse.

Then there's the Runner, and given that she dies gruesomely she is not one of the survivors, but is one of the yellowjackets who survived past the end of s2.

Aside from her face, she is the character we see the most of physically (so i will mention her physical appearance in relation with who her character might be) - she has long dark hair and lighter/olive coloured skin.

based on this we know that pit girl is most likely either Gen or Mari (my vote is mari, and i wrote a meta on why). now that gen has been recast for s3 :( i'm thinking it's almost definitely mari.

that's 3/9 and where the clearest examples stop.

Owl

I think the animals were chosen with intention, both by the costume designer and within the story by the characters. whereas the other masks seem more for the sake of warmth (like the raccoon pelts sort of sewed together into a hood) this one feels a lot more symbolic. like can you even skin an owl while keeping the feathers??

I think this is a reference to Tai's connection with the "Other Tai" - the one who comes out in sleepwalking, and somehow knows the lay of the land (where the symbols are, where the other yellowjackets are) in a way that Tai doesn't understand. The imagery of having a character appear to literally have two faces just screams Tai to me.

From some very basic research it seems that owl can symbolically mean: wisdom, a guide in the dark, death, visions, etc.

While this could relate to Tai, it could also relate to Lottie.

While as the audience we know Lottie is schizophrenic and without her meds, the others have taken Lottie's visions as signs from the wilderness and treat her as the resident seer. While she's clearly trying to pull away from that role and the responsibility it entails by the end of s2 - the other yellowjackets already look to her as someone with the knowledge to guide them through the wilderness.

There's also the clothing. While most clothes seem to be passed around communally (a sweater Misty & Mari wear in s2 is the legwarmers on the owl and the mask on the skunk) there are some items that are reserved for specific characters (like Shauna wearing Jackie's butterfly shirt).

In the '96 timeline Tai wears a lot of patterned blue and purple clothes, some of which almost definitely become part of the outfit for this owl character.

There's also the vest - it could be an animal fur but it has some of similarities to Lottie's fluffy coat, especially one that's become dirtier while stranded without the cabin. This coat is only worn by Lottie. The raccoon character also wears a similar vest, so it could just be fur, but Lottie's coat resembles the owl character's vest more based on the colour, or the coat could have been split in two.

Overall I think the owl character is most likely Tai.

in doomcoming and in the hunt in the future the upper half of tai's face is covered and it makes sense to me that trend would continue in all her hunt outfits. there's also the repeated imagery of eyes within her story - the man with no eyes, her grandmother's eyes, sammy's doll on the altar missing an eye, so her outfit having a taxidermy owl with no eyes tracks.

Wolf

unfortunately not many clear images exist for this character. i'm not even sure if the pelt they're wearing is a wolf, it could also be a bear, but i'm going with wolf for now.

i think this is Travis. travis is the other hunter of the group and it makes sense that the characters furs might come from their own hunts/kills. symbolism wise travis does fit a wolf as well - loyalty, protection, strength. wolves are closely tied to the bonds of packs and family, making sense that travis would be the lone wolf as he's lost his father and brother out here.

tai and van are also associated with wolves - but i don't think either of them would want to wear one all the time, given that van was attacked by one and tai is haunted by them.

the wolf character also has some small details that fit for travis' character. their face is covered from the eyes down, something travis often does throughout season 2. the wolf, owl and skunk characters are also the only ones (that we can see) wearing fingerless gloves. given that the last time travis saw javi happy was him being gifted gloves by natalie, and that much of their clothes would have been destroyed in the fire (but not javi's, which were most likely still outside) i can see travis wearing javi's gloves.

The Hunter / Skunk

i think this is Natalie. before the season 2 finale i would've said this was 100%. now knowing that natalie is their new leader, there is the possibility that she is the antler queen character, which i will talk about later, but for me this character only makes sense as natalie.

nat's the hunter! even as a new leader, she's still the most capable and knowledgeable in hunting. travis is very much her second while she leads the hunting trips. it also makes sense that as the leader she would be the first one to check The Runner, to stand over the pit. both an 'honour' and a duty.

natalie's also been the one standing over the bodies so far. she's the one waiting outside with jackie's body at the start of 2x03, she's the one who takes jackie's remains and has a short memorial for her. she's the one who stays outside the longest, standing over travis with javi's body. obviously not definitive but does work with the skunk character.

as for the clothes - the hunter wears the iconic co-ed soccer shirt, pink converse, and for a mask the cloth is currently a sweater within the show.

the shirt begins the show as van's - but almost every character has worn it now (including tai, travis, akilah, etc.). the pink connverse have never been quite as clear, but it appears that might have originally been shauna's (a darker colour that most likely faded over the 19 months) and have been worn by at least lottie, gen & tai. the sweater that the mask is made of has been worn by misty, mari & mel. so none of that narrows anything down sdjflsakhfl;h

i think the skunk is quite a specific choice too. could be about seeing things in black & white, about keeping your distance, etc. there's not a lot about skunk symbolism but it mainly seems to involve confidence, courage and direction. these are interesting when paired with natalie, given that she fits some very well but struggles with others.

it's also implied in the original pilot script that this character is natalie.

while we do see the hunter pulling up the runner's body with the rope, the scene with natalie does not make it into the episode. it does suggest that when filming the pilot this character was thought of to be natalie though. of course, as the show progressed this may have changed.

still in 1x10 when it's decided that shauna will cut up adam's body, natalie is the one who volunteers to help her, while misty is the one who directs all of them, mirroring this scene with the butcher (shauna), overseer (misty) and hunter (natalie).

some say that the hunter is van - has a similar build and the general blankness/darkness that van has by the end of s2, as well as being the shirt's og owner. but van wasn't supposed to be there in the initial conception of this character. while it may have changed now, for me this character is natalie.

Raccoon & Rabbit

I'm honestly not sure who these two might be. One is most likely Van, given that we know she survives.

Early on there were theories that Jackie was the Rabbit, due to her association with rabbits, which makes sense, but now we know Jackie's dead. Then they were possibly Javi, but he's dead too. As for symbolism, I'm not sure who of the remaining Yellowjackets fits either of these characters.

I think the creators were purposefully ambiguous to leave themselves with options. If the audience doesn't know who is who, they have the opportunity to change the story slightly as the show progresses (like with Van surviving).

The Shaman / Antler Queen

while initially thought to be lottie, as she is set up as the leader in the wilderness, the season 2 finale revealed that natalie was the new leader. both of these characters could be the shaman, but i feel as though it makes more sense for natalie to be the hunter. even though there are moment that in retrospect hint that natalie becomes the leader (misty's devotion, natalie stating that she lacked a purpose after they were rescued, tai and shauna's conversation about nat being the reason they're alive), there are no clear references to natalie being the antler queen character in the story so far (although that could have been hidden on purpose for the reveal).

in the adult timeline the others are terrified of the antler queen in a way that's different from their reactions to the symbol from the wilderness. when they receive the postcards or realise the symbol is under travis' body they are disturbed, they have a distrust of the symbol and everything it reminds them of.

but their reactions to the shaman are different. she appears in shauna's flashbacks when she kills adam, in natalie's visions/hallucinations after she overdoses, and in lottie's visions/hallucinations after hearing natalie's experience and in her office with the fake therapist. each of them are utterly terrified when she appears.

i think who the shaman is depends on what her role truly is. as i've already said, the "antler queen" is a title made up by the fans.

Leader:

The Shaman does appear to be the leader of the group, sitting in the centre of the semi-circle, being elevated, everyone waiting for her go-ahead to begin the feast, and everyone waiting for her to leave first.

If The Shaman is the leader, then she is Natalie.

This is supported by the editing in the pilot episode - at the '96 party when Natalie gets high, she stands by the fire and sees Misty standing across from her. It then cuts to the Overseer bringing the Shaman the cooked feast.

Chief Mourner:

If the Shaman is the chief mourner, it would depend on who the Runner is. If she's gen, the Shaman would most likely be mel in this instance. if she's mari, the most likely mourner would be akilah. the shaman doesn't appear to have akilah's dark skin, but body doubles were used and her face is veiled. if akilah has already died, the mourner might be lottie or gen.

It would be interesting with the idea that the antler queen changes from person to person. That they're all still terrified of "her" when what she represents is you losing the one you love most, you being the one with the most grief.

This is supported by what's happened with the two acts of cannibalism so far in the series. Shauna is Jackie's chief mourner, she is the one to light her funeral pyre, she is the one to give the go ahead that they should eat Jackie's body ("She wants us to." - Shauna in 2x02). Travis is Javi's chief mourner, and he is also the one to give the go ahead to eat Javi's body, everyone rushing in for the 'meat' after Travis has put Javi's heart on the pan.

However the Shaman is never seen eating. Both Shauna and Travis have the first bite of their loved one, whereas the Shaman only nods for the feast to start. It's possible this is part of a ritual that evolved over time, but it's still puzzling.

Spiritual Advisor :

if the antler queen is some sort of spiritual advisor, then she's most likely lottie. this fits with what we've seen in the '96 timeline already, with lottie's wilderness connection and the reverence shown to her by other team mates. even though lottie abdicates her role of leader in the s2 finale and claims she 'can't hear' the wilderness anymore - it's clear this is because of the weight of the responsibility to keep them alive, as well as her grief and guilt over javi's death.

still, several of the others seem confused at lottie's decision, and only seem to be accepting natalie as the leader because lottie said so. if this is something that creates tension within the group, it makes sense that natalie might appoint lottie a role where they can still look to her.

natalie as the leader/hunter is the one brining in the kill, but lottie as a spiritual advisor/shaman is the one leading the ritual.

this is supported by how in the adult timeline when they are having another hunt, it's lottie that leads it, not natalie. though that may be because lottie was the one to initiate the hunt. lottie also still acts as a spiritual advisor, with the others coming to her for advice.

the other option for a spiritual advisor is Tai. Not necessarily tai though... but Other Tai.

Much about Other Tai still remains a mystery. Is she another personality, a response to the trauma and repression, some sort of possession from the wilderness? In the adult timeline Lottie says that Other Tai is a part of Taissa, but Other Tai's conversation with Van in the woods raises questions about this.

Van: How do you know where you're going? Other Tai: He shows me. Van: Who's "he?" Other Tai: The one with no eyes. Van: Is that who you always follow? Other Tai: Only when she lets me. Van: Okay there's a "she" too, am I "she?" Other Tai: [shakes head] Van: Then who is "she?" Other Tai: Taissa. Van: Then who are you? Other Tai: [gives Van a look before walking away]

Other Tai's ability to track the whereabouts of the other survivors (Javi, Natalie), her connection to the man with no eyes, and knowing where all of the symbols are imply something more supernatural then just "sleepwalking".

Other Tai is the one to participate in cannibalising Jackie, she's strongly implied to be the one who pushes Taissa to continue running for senate even after she told Simone she would drop out, and she is the one to behead their fucking dog and make an altar in their basement. The creators and actors have talked about Other Tai and explain that she has Tai's best interest in mind, but she is willing to do what Tai wouldn't do to get it. Other Tai has a connection to the wilderness and the supernatural, she desires power and can become violent. She could very well be The Shaman.

"I don't know how bad it's going to get this time, but you know how bad it can get." - Tai in 1x06

Group Hallucination:

It's been theorised that the Shaman / Antler Queen doesn't really exist at all.

With the show toeing the line between visions, hallucinations and grief-induced psychosis with multiple characters (including Lottie, Tai, Shauna, Natalie, Travis) it's possible that as the group spirals more and more out of control and into ritualistic cannibalism - a way that they attempt to cope is through this Shaman. A 'physical' manifestation of the Wilderness itself. Something that gives them permission to feast on the flesh of their teammates, but does not eat herself, because she's not really there.

We only see The Shaman during the feast scene, and in other's visions/hallucinations. We know there are seven known survivors, but during the pilot's flash forward scene we see eight. Only if The Shaman doesn't exist, it's our seven survivors and a hallucination sitting around the fire.

So in the end my main theories/predictions/headcanons stand as:

Mari as The Runner / Pit Girl

Misty as The Overseer / Beaver

Shauna as The Butcher / Pink Hood

Natalie as The Hunter / Skunk

Tai as the owl

Travis as the wolf

Lottie as The Shaman / Antler Queen

the one I am least sure of is The Shaman, she could still be Tai or a hallucination, and I look forward to finding out!

[carigm]

A BREAKDOWN OF THE POTENTIAL S5 EPISODE TITLES!!

Okay, so today entertainment journalist Jeff Sneider shared some alleged insider info about S5 of ST, mainly directors and titles of the first 6 episodes.

Here’s a screenshot

It’s important to keep in mind that this guy isn’t always the most reliable, and considering he also said he believes S5 could come out before the end of this year, let’s not take any of this too seriously. (Many cast members have mentioned they’re filming until December of this year so that’s literally impossible). The information about the possible directors I believe is correct, because it’s been circulating around from other sources too.

The episode titles I’m less convinced about because it’s also possible the Duffers could’ve put out fake episode titles in case they leaked. I remember for S2 all the episodes titles they announced were changed later on lol. But for the sake of fun, here’s an analysis of all of them:

1. The crawl (only confirmed title) is a very broad, open title. It personally makes me think of the UD and vines, or maybe even the idea of Vecna crawling back to life. Could also be an allusion to the military.

2. The Vanishing of ___ Wheeler is arguably the most insane one. The journalist said he wasn’t revealing the actual name of the person because it’s a spoiler ofc. My gut tells me it’s gonna be Holly, mainly because of the recast and her supposedly being involved in the hospital plot, which we have guessed takes place in episode 2. Could explain why she’s suddenly “more important” this season, especially if she’s used as a plot device of sorts. Could also tie into what Ted’s actor said in a podcast back in February about the first episodes being a rollercoaster of emotions, and that comment he made about Ted having a soft spot for Holly. It would be a perfect tie in for Karen to find out about the UD as well. The implications of naming the episode the same as the first episode, which is so intrinsically tied to Will, is very interesting. It’s also a new connection/tie between the Byers/Wheelers that I assume will bring the families closer together. I don’t think it’s about Mike because I doubt he’ll go missing in ep.2, or be dragged to the UD just like Will was. It would be an interesting concept but I doubt it. I also don’t think Nancy’s gonna go missing. Karen could be interesting but I doubt it as well. Ted would be an incredibly funny choice. Imagine he just goes missing while at the house 😭 Nonetheless, I think Holly is the clear choice here, and I do very much worry for her if she goes missing. Mainly because while Will survived this, I’m not sure they’ll do the same for Holly :(

It also ties into Vecna’s threat to Nancy against her and her family.

Here’s an interesting leak from the same anon that leaked the hospital stuff (which seems to be correct)

I think this could be the very same scene Holly goes missing.

3. Turbow Trap 😭 This one is utter nonsense. I have no idea what a Turbow is, so I assume it’s gonna be a code or nickname for something. Absolutely clueless here.

4. Sorcerer is incredibly interesting, and imo a clear allusion to Will. His D&D character being a cleric, basically a wizard. Could also be a reference to Vecna imo. Or both 😉

5. Shock Jock is clearly tied to the radio station plotline. Imo the title could be a reference to Steve, Jonathan, or even Murray (he fits that eccentric, somewhat annoying personality quite well) In case you guys don’t know a shock jock is like a very eccentric radio host.

6. Escape from Camazotz is another crazy title. He’s a figure from Mayan mythology who’s a bat spirit. That immediately makes me think of Eddie, but also Steve ofc. However, camazotz has a larger meaning that goes beyond “bat spirit”, it’s also a representation of death and night. So the title seems to be alluding to someone escaping from death or a perilous situation.

Even more interesting perhaps is that kamazotz is a name of a planet in A Wrinkle Time. It’s the planet where IT resides, the mind controlling antagonist of the narrative. So I guess in this comparison Kamazotz is the UD, and IT is Henry.

[lol-jackles]

Since you’re in casting, I’d love to pick your brain a little about selecting actors. I love that Jared is a constantly rising star, but in the most loving way possible, he really isn’t the best actor. 80% of the time when I’m watching him, it feels like I’m watching someone acting. He’s not the most natural Versus someone whose performance I get lost in. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to watch everything he does, and it kind of seems standard for cable network TV (for example, I feel the same ways about Nathan Fillion, David Boreanaz, Matthew Daddario - but it doesn’t make me like them any less). Honestly, the only network TV show they didn’t make me feel that was is Hannibal, and even that was only the leading actors.

I would have assumed that acting ability would be the most important part, but your page has made me realize it’s more than that, and let’s be honest, Vampire Diaries wouldn’t haven’t gotten that far if acting was the most important skill set needed. I’m guessing for the Jared’s and David’s their entire history counts most, but what about for someone just getting hired - the Jared getting the Gilmore Girl’s role or the David getting the Angel role. If they’re acting seems…stiff (wrong word?) what makes a casting director say, ‘you know what, let’s give it to them anyway.’

It’s just such a hard world to break into and I’m guessing there are auditions from people with a little more natural talent, so what makes that final decision?

(Asking as someone who is about to start the audition process)

I think what Jared (and Nathan, David, etc) has doing for him is he acts from his authentic truth. I'll expand on it later in this post. With that said, Jared is a character actor trapped in a leading man role, it's why he's not the "best actor" because people tend to believe that good character actors disappear into their roles by diminishing their screen presence, which you can't do when you're a leading man. You may be picking up on this conflicting issue. Think of Brad Pitt who works best as a supporting actor (X), and struggles a bit as a leading man so he has to throw out nuances and reply more on his raw charisma.

I haven't seen Gilmore Girls but I read Jared was the 2nd or 3rd Dean. Dean was recast because the OG Deans' chemistry with Rory wasn't up to snuff. So that answer your "final decision" question, which is chemistry. David Boreanaz had good chemistry with Sarah Michelle Geller. His chemistry Emily Deschanel in Bones was fine, bordering on good, but it was more fun/odd couple vibe whereas his interaction with Michelle had depth. Whenever Jared and Jensen tell their chemistry audition story in front of the producers, I'm pretty sure they're leaving out that Jared likely had chemistry auditions with other various Dean actors.

My advice on auditions is walk into that room like you’re going to solve their problem. 

Most casting directors talk about wanting auditioning actors to "make bold choices" because they believe it will get in touch with their authentic self and therefore, make them a captivating performer. My advice is adjust the text to your authentic emotion so that you're reacting to the events of the story from your internal truth. It doesn’t matter if the story is a sci-fi, comedy, or a period piece drama: if we don’t believe the actors, we won’t care what happens to them in the story. The audience is an incredible lie-detector: the average person has, for their entire life, been storing countless passive data on how normal people react to various situations, so you can’t fool them.  

My CD used to say that it's easier to tell the truth on camera than it is to lie because once you believe in yourself, then you're not acting anymore. I don't 100% agree with her but that seems to be what most CDs think.

The more confidently you use yourself as a canvas and let the context of the scene speak through your own emotional repertoire and point of view, the more compelling and interesting you are to watch. The most interesting or captivating actor is the one whose next movement, facial expression, or line reading is unpredictable. That's the difference between Jeff Bridges (unpredictable) and Beu Bridges (reliable).

[rtfics]

Seeing BJ2 the 3rd time.

LONG & FILLED WITH SPOILERS

SO much to think about, and my memory is shit.

I rapidly scribbled notes during the film. But when I got home and tried to read them:

So here's an overview. I'll post other details if I ever translate my notes.

First, the casting was perfection. I'd never seen Jenny Ortega, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci before, so for me they were the characters.

It was interesting that the film opens with the Warner Brothers Studio lot in black & white. Why B&W? It sort of sets the tone.

Donna Summer singing lines from "MacArthur's Park" was a foreshadowing. This film was made by a guy who was a teen in the 70s, and it's for others his age (he's only 2 years older than me). BJ2 is packed with 70s nostalgia that only those who were alive then would get.

This sequel was also made for die-hard fans of the original Beetlejuice. Burton took special care to give us the Winter River we love, but updated it to show the story and its characters aren't stuck in the past. The covered bridge is there, the church, cemetery, Miss Shannon's, and fire station are there, and so is the Maitland's building, but it's a coffee shop now.

Seeing Lydia as shell-shocked and pill-popping threw me, but the plot gave it sense (I'll go into detail in a separate post).

Rory, OMFG, I've known Rory. Anyone who's had anything to do with the entertainment/media biz, even peripherally, knows Rory. His "enabler" bullshit was so spot-on; faking that he's going to get Lydia off her dependency on drugs while keeping her hooked by making it seem that he's doing it because she's begging him. Classic user methodology. You just know he's the one who got her on "coping" pills in the first place; all the better to manipulate her. I loathed him immediately.

I adore what they did with Delia. It completely fucking made sense, and followed what's happened in the modern NYC Arts scene. I love how she and Lydia now get along, I mean, shit, Lydia's in her 50s and Delia's in her 70s, they're both middle-aged women, and, bless their hearts, the screenwriters and Burton made them act like grown women.

Astrid seemed older than 16 to me, but hey, I'm not around teenagers these days. I appreciated that she wasn't a brat. Her resentment and having her back up were appropriate for her family situation; a beloved father whose body was never found (I think); a mom always working or promoting because of Rory, doped on pills and famous for being a ghost-seeing nutjob, who can't see Astrid's father. That's a lot to deal with.

The way they handled Charles was perfect, especially his claymation demise. His afterlife body was comically gross, and an ingenious way of including Charles in the film without having to recast another actor, except for his voice. Charles being in the Netherworld provides a great thread to Delia's later death. His headstone being the shape of a shark's fin was a humorously grim touch.

The Sylvia Young Theatre School Choir sang at Charles' funeral, and their voices were beautiful.

Arthur Conti was fantastic as Jeremy (70s teens remember his grandfather, Scottish actor Tom Conti). His American accent was flawless. He was the perfect balance of cute and mature, and his niceness made his being evil all the worse; while Astrid says the incantation you can see him slightly out of focus behind her, smiling in a chilling way. I love that there isn't the slightest hint that he's a multiple murderer, and of his own parents! When he's about to get his passport stamped he shows absolutely no remorse toward Astrid, which makes his damnation all the sweeter.

Beetlejuice . . . . What can I say? Michael Keaton created Beetlejuice as we know him, and he fit right back in character as easily as drawing breath. His body language, his weird way of walking, his expressions, everything is just as you'd expect Beej to be. But then we get to see more! I can't express how happy I was to see Beej's origin story, which turned the throw-away line about having a pretty good time during the Black Death into something more substantial. Seeing Keaton as human Beej was a delight.

An important detail was that, even though Beej says his heart had long since withered, he fell for Delores. He says he was "bewitched." Perhaps not love, but lust certainly. It's quite clear that Delores was much higher in social station than Beetlejuice, so he must have thought he'd won the lottery with her choosing him. My god, his ego had no problem with his drunken ass being hauled to bed by his new wife, and his enthusiasm was huge. I love that they gave him the gut in his human form (Keaton doesn't have one).

Richard was the nice guy I hoped he would be. But it was telling that, when he says goodbye to Lydia at the ladder in the mausoleum, they don't hug. They don't even shake hands. It shows the truth of Lydia's previous statement to Astrid that she and Richard's relationship had ended long before his death.

Wolf is every 70s crime drama/movie distilled. Hammy, over the top, constantly spouting his Catch Phrase.

Why are there so many shrunken head guys? And why did Beej hire people who can't talk to answer his phones? It's loony and fits the Netherworld random logic. They're Beej's Minions.

I've seen a lot of people on tumblr, as well as professional movie critics, say there were "too many villains" and that the plot was "too hard to follow."

For those who agree with this, I recommend you never attempt to read anything by Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Edgar Allan Poe's detective stories, or Agatha Christie. Because your brains would fry.

Look, there are two villains. Just two.

Delores poisoned Beetlejuice, he killed her with an axe in revenge, in the Afterlife she reassembles and hunts him down, killing others in her wake, which sets Wolf Jackson and the Ghoul Squad after her, until she's defeated with a sandworm.

Rory has been manipulating Lydia, keeping her doped, gas-lighting her, until under the Truth Serum injected by Beej he spills the beans and Lydia rejects him, until he's eaten at the same time as Delores by the sandworm.

As for "Delores and Rory weren't given enough story," what more do you want? How Delores joined a soul-sucking cult? How Rory became a user, seeking out vulnerable, grieving women to exploit? We learn as much as we need to. Anything more would have stuffed the film with unnecessary crap.

The only shit I didn't care for was the baby.

The whole Counseling scene was a big gross-out, and I'm sure Tim Burton intended it that way. The original couldn't have been more gross than it was or it would have earned an R Rating, keeping out everyone under the age of 18 (21 in some states; this was the 80s). But now, Burton could be a lot more graphic. I was stunned that he had Lydia go through the "pregnancy," but it obviously didn't hurt her. For me Babyjuice has no point. It doesn't advance the plot, and its reappearance only drives home the weirdness of the ending.

What the ever fuck was the ending??

Especially Astrid giving birth to the Beetlebaby. It would suggest Beetlejuice is its father, which means he and Astrid had sex. Which we can be pretty sure they didn't . . ? In the counseling scene Beej refers to the baby as his "inner child." So its not his literal child? Even so, why would Astrid give birth to it the same way her mother did?

I've read all the theories about the ending, and at this point one's as good as the other. Perhaps that's the point: To keep us all guessing. Because I'm sure, all along, there's been a plan for Beetlejuice 3, IF this movie was a hit. If it wasn't, if it bombed (since 2010 all of Burton's films have bombed), the ending would lead to speculation forever, to people writing fucking dissertations about its symbology and metaphors, etc.

But if it was a hit, which it is, the seeds are there for a third and final film. But so fucking murky no one can guess what it'll be like.

The only part of the ending I liked was Beej shaking awake and saying, as he glances at Lydia, "I just had the weirdest dream." And Lydia looking over. Not terrified. Not screaming or leaping out of bed. Not seeing the indentation in the pillow and yelling in protest. Just staring.

Do I want a third film?

I love Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I love it more every time I watch it. I accept everything in it as canon, even the baby, resentfully.

But Burton might fuck up the last one. He might do things I never wanted to be canon. When a sequel is made of a hit film, the creators sometimes become self-conscious. BJ2 wasn't, because it'd been 36 years since the original. They had no idea whether this version would fly. Since it has, massively, I'm afraid the screenwriters and Burton may become too aware of the audience and try to cater to it. OR they'll go the opposite direction and try to come up with a plot they think fans would never imagine.

So I'm pretty much stuck in the same place I was before I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Wary, skeptical, and cynical.

[novelconcepts]

Do you ever just lay awake at night, turning over in your head the stark difference in delivery between Hewson's Van saying--steadily, unshakably--"it's just something that's happening to you...happening to us" and Cypress' Taissa saying--imploringly, whiningly--"this was not just my dream, this was our dream"?

Do you ever just turn it over and over, how often Tai tried to scare Van away, and how it only made Van set her feet more firmly? How Taissa's first love was this person who saw a problem fall into Taissa's lap, a problem that was quite literally trapped inside Taissa's body, and decided unflinchingly: No, that's an us problem now? How she refused point-blank to walk away even with blood in her mouth, how she flatly informed Tai "I'm never gonna be scared of you", and promptly turned a moment of pain into a declaration of love? And how this would etch itself into Taissa for the rest of her life? How she'd take these things that worked with Van--with the person Van was, with the bond they shared--and try so hard to run through an identical script with Simone?

Except Simone is her own person. A completely different kind of person. A person who hasn't been offered any of the context, any of the realities going on inside Taissa. So: naturally she doesn't respond the way Van did at eighteen--and will go on to do all over again in her forties. Naturally, she hears our dream as the excuse it is, not as a plea for connection. Naturally, she is scared away when Taissa pushes, and shouts, and begs. Because there isn't blood in her mouth, not yet, but there will be. And they have a son to worry about. And she isn't eighteen and a special kind of immortal, a special kind of romanticized. She's a grown woman with responsibilities, with priorities, with an understanding that you can't fix someone just because you love them. And Tai can't just perform a revival of the play she and Van had memorized twenty-five years later with a whole new performer in the works, and expect it to shake out the same.

Of course it doesn't work. But look at Taissa trying it. Look at Taissa trying to reframe her first love through a new lens. Trying to recast it. Trying to play it through again. Van taught her love was sticking out the blood, shaking off the pain, making a you problem into an us problem. Does it ever just eat at you, how tragic it is, watching Taissa try to shape her marriage around a woman who isn't even wearing a ring?

[chaifootsteps]

building on what other anon said about shippers saying Blitzo thinks all relationships are transactional and he can't fathom Stolas loving him

they're dead on, it's completely attempting to shift the blame. just like Viv trying to recast Blitz as the one who's hung up on sex, it's trying to make Blitz responsible for it being transactional

except that's not the case; Blitz improv-ed sleeping with Stolas to get out of there unscathed it wasn't his plan from the start. after the first time all he wanted was the book, he tried to avoid Stolas. the circus doesn't remotely prove what they claim it does

Stolas is the one who made the terms transactional and Blitz just responded in kind (the 'it's your night' text for one). only later did Viv give Blitz this 'I need to earn my way to earth' hangup that he never had before

but worse than this, worse than trying to let Stolas off the hook by implying Blitz would only respond to a transactional arrangement, is what they're saying about Blitz

because this statement boils down to 'it's OK to treat a traumatized person in an abusive transactional way if it's what they're used to and all they understand. they won't respond to love! (and if someone switches gears on them suddenly it's further evidence of how traumatized and broken they are if they don't immediately respond or trust them)'

which is BS? Striker complimented Blitz one time and his face lit up like the 4th of July. because it meant something to have someone not look down on him, to have someone recognize the effort going into his business.

same with his makeup with Fizz. he hugs Blitz and Blitz is just a gooey pile of happy tears

and he was outright dating Verosika. what was transactional there, fandom? is Blitz capable of dating someone or isn't he?

if Stolas had treated him right from the start he would have opened up little by little, but Stolas right off the bat communicated to Blitz that trusting him is a bad idea and that Blitz is his object and should act like it.

this kind of framing is so grim because besides the fact that instagram Stolas literally proves them wrong - Blitz was opening up to him bit by bit - it's such a grim response to someone with trauma. it's claiming it's fine to do something that reinforces exactly what they're afraid of - in Blitz's case, that they're an object only good for sex who will be discarded once their 'partner' gets bored - instead of treating them with patience and kindess and letting them open up on their own time because they know they're safe with you

sure Blitz would always doubt a little when someone drops the L word on him - but he'd doubt it a lot less and feel a lot safer to respond calmly if he trusted the person doing it.

it's just so backwards in every way - it puts the onus on Blitz for Stolas' lousy treatment of him and ignores all the times he does respond positively to being treated well

so much of this logic just also feels like cope that Blitz maybe just doesn't want Stolas and that's why he doesn't respond well, even outside of Stolas never giving him reason to

The Instagrams really are one of the most painful things about all of this...this painful, bittersweet sliver of what we could have had if Viv didn't get off to power imbalances. They showed that it really could have been as simple as Stolas treating Blitzo with respect and earning his trust.

Fiction might not have a hard, immediate effect on reality, but I genuinely believe this show's relationships and trauma is going to get someone hurt in real life.

[masterj]

i'm kinda new to the chuggington fandom. i used to own the episodes on dvd but idk where they went. anyway! I figured it'd be cool to hear the thoughts of someone invested in the show, to get a new perspective on it, so i myself could become more invested! do you have any thoughts you'd share to an amateur train appreciator??

OMGOSH 👀 👀 👀 👀 👀WELCOME ABOARD!!!!! 🚅🚄🚈🚃🚂🚂🚂😄😄😄

I've been into the show since 2011-2012 I think... pretty sure before Cars 2 came out- or maybe after... memory's a bit rough in that area. I was first exposed to the show by my younger cousin who watched it on Disney Junior, or at the time, Playhouse Disney, and also had the DVD Let's Ride The Rails, which I now own, playing in my auntie's van one morning on our way to school. I would later track down Disney Junior myself to find the show.

It was pretty much the main reason I've hung around Disney Junior. As a kid who loved trains because of already being a Thomas The Tank Engine fan, it just to captured my interest so quickly and I was hooked.

I'd say the characters and designs are mostly what I love about Chuggington. While there aren't really antagonists in the show they all have their own quirks and distinction from each other which balances it out well.

Wilson is both my favorite to draw and favorite overall. While I haven't gotten to making my own scripts for my planned fanseries yet, his ADHD personality is just pure spirit animal energy when I look at how he's characterized by the show and by myself. I also relate to him to an extent in some areas. He's practically my son lol

The episodes are mostly well written, and miles better than Thomas was at the time... (*COUGH* SHARON MILLER *COUGH*)

Chris McHale's music for the show some of the most unique I've ever heard and the fact we don't have more of the show's score available in high quality than we do is a crime.

Production slowly went to hell since Season 3 onwards, due to investors pulling out for unknown reasons, resulting in S3 being cut from 26 to 14 episodes, Season 4 being rushed and strictly formulated towards the advanced training agenda, (but the episodes were not by any means terrible) and S5, while better than S4, was entirely funded by TOMY resulting in only 10 episodes. After that, Ludorum Entertainment was on the verge of bankruptcy resulting in the show being on hiatus for five years until Herschend Entertainment purchased them, but things weren't that much better.

Season 6 or Tales From The Rails is sadly where Chuggington truly dropped in quality due to Herschend's low budget and their inexperience with the show. Many characters and locations were written off and a number of the voice actor recasts were not too great. Not to mention occasional mischaracterization (mostly Brewster), continuity errors and overall rather shifty writing quality. The merchandise also plummeted in quality and the pandemic caused several delays, and this whole disaster ultimately led to Season 7 being cancelled as of November last year... 😔

While Season 6 was a failed comeback and is NOT fit to be regarded as canon to the first 5 seasons, it still has a decent number of episodes that are good to okay enough at best, and I do plan on rewriting the misfires of season 6 at some point.

Despite all the hardship this show faced, production, performance, and reception-wise, Chuggington is still very much an enjoyable and mostly solid series. I commend both Ludorum and Herschend for not going down without a fair fight and I've very much grown to love the show just as much as Thomas.

To the point where Thomas content is not my top priority anymore and hasn't been for some time now, seeing as thousands of people do Thomas content already while Chuggington content is very scarce and slow going, even with more people finally appreciating and warming up to it, since there's far worse out there nowadays... media ain't what it used to be so good f---ing luck... 😑

With all the moping and mourning aside, thank you so much for joining us, you don't know how much it means to me to have another person hyperfixating on this underated and criminally disregarded series, but it's important to remember that you don't choose the hyperfixation. The hyperfixation chooses you >:3

I am an artist, editor and headcanon writer, and slowly pushing to write up my own fanseries which takes place after S5, and I even have my own roster of original characters and locations in progress, one OC I've already revealed, and another that was actually created by a Tumblr buddy of mine, @lomotunes2008.

So make sure you follow my art account, @masterjarthub - with notifications on, cuz I may pump out surprises over there!

But for until then, welcome to The Chugger Cult! 🚂🚄🚅🚈😄😄😎😎

Enjoy your stay. 😊

[des2dream]

Appreciation For MLP Generation 5🦄💗

By the time My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic ended, I pretty much expected there to be another generation by the next decade and it mainly helped with there being leaks of concept art from 2018. Originally, it was going to be a reboot of G4 with The Mane Six meeting each other all over again (and Twilight being an Earth Pony, Fluttershy being a Unicorn, Pinkie Pie being a Pegasus) similar to the second generation of Monster High and I'm so glad they didn't go that route. After 10 years, I didn't need to see these ponies become friends again after seeing them grow for NINE seasons! In 2021, I saw leaked images of the upcoming G5 movie (the one with Sunny, Izzy, and the iconic tennis ball) and I was immediately taken in by the art style. I was even more intrigued when I found out that an MLP fan artist (Imalou) was working on the movie too! As soon as My Little Pony: A New Generation arrived at Netflix, I had such a good time with it. It was a great introduction to G5's main characters, I enjoyed the story, and I loved all the songs. The animation was great too considering it was the first time MLP went fully CGI (unless if we count animation for commercials, the Hello, Pinkie Pie! mini series, or any other 2-3 minute animated shorts).

Nearly a year later, we had two series for G5 air around the same time. Make Your Mark aired on Netflix as 22-minute episodes taking place after the recent movie in the same CGI style. Tell Your Tale premiered on YouTube as 5-minute shorts that also take place after the events of the recent film and mixes with the timeline of the Netflix series in a unique 2D animated art syle. With these shows we were given new characters like Misty, Sparky the Dragon, Posey, and Opaline who is not only the series' antagonist, but an ALICORN as well! Yes, Miss Opaline Arcana is a menacing fire alicorn who aims to control Equestria's magic while Misty is working under her wings for the first half of the series until she joins the new Mane 5 as the sixth member to help take her down. We even get a handful of characters from the 2021 film to reappear in both series. As for our new Mane 6, I enjoyed them. Sunny Starscout now having restored Equestria's magic is encouraging to keep ponies together while also learning to control her new alicorn powers. Izzy Moonbow continues to be joyful, positive, and creative as she's so happy to have new friends by her side. Hitch Trailblazer still manages his job at being Maretime Bay's sheriff, but now he has new responsibilities to Sparky and his new Earth Pony magic that also gives him the ability to talk to animals. Princess Zipp Storm and Princess Pipp Petals have moved out of their palace in Zephyr Heights into Maretime Bay where Pipp has opened a new singing salon and Zipp is taking the role of a detective where she wants to know more about Equestria's new magic. As for Misty Brightdawn, she was such a delight through and through as she went from a villain's sidekick to a hero with such good character development.

Unfortunately, things weren't always peaceful in a G5 world. Fans weren't too kind with both series (and even the movie a little bit) especially since it took place in the same timeline/universe as G4. They weren't happy with the stories, they weren't happy with the recast (despite that being very expected), they weren't happy with the characters, and they weren't happy with the overall vibe G5 was going for. There weren't even that many toys being sold compared to G4's run. I do understand where they're coming from because there were some problems with G5 that I couldn't ignore. Some of those problems include the magic system, how Equestria fell after Twilight's reign, the return of Spike and the dragons, and Opaline's backstory. There's a recent villain named, Allura (a winged snow leopard) who was introduced near the end of G5's run and it's a shame because audiences were just given some of her backstory before the generation's cancellation. While Generation 5 had it's ups and downs, I found it pretty disrespectful that it got so much hate for "not living up to G4's standards" or people just not wanting to accept change and still cling onto G4. I know G5 wasn't perfect, but it's not fair that it got hit with so much distaste when MLP has had WORSE media back in the day (My Little Pony: Newborn Cuties says hi). Even though this generation lasted for a few years, I'm grateful that we had ANY media with these ponies and I wish they were given a proper sendoff rather than being cancelled. Thank you for everything, My Little Pony Generation 5! Hoof to heart!❤🦄❤

Artists: PONE177 (Rivin Octaver Brush), briannacherrygarcia, Amy Mebberson, Ink Key Studios, Imalou, & abbytabbys

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! I was wondering do you know why Loumand is so hated ? Was it like that for books readers too? I'm in the middle of the 1st book but i do like their fucked up dynamic on the show and if you ask me, i do think there is love between them.

It's funny because when I started following the fandom everyone was saying how vampires are poly and how we'll have to adapt to this fact now that i'm finally adapting my view, i keep reading ''Louis and Armand don't love each other'' etc.. people call us delusional... sometimes i feel like the only accepted poly is Lestat? I love all their dynamics,give me anything, i'm just here to see characters doing unhinged things that's what attracted me to the show,but sometimes i feel like people just want conventional stories despite what they are saying.

... well.

Okay, so, I'm not too hot on them either. I'll try to explain (and please do read until the end^^) Because while there's certainly love between them (and I have always maintained that!!) - there's also the "problem" that Armand initially becomes interested in Louis... because he is Lestat's. He engages Louis after Lestat has told him about Louis, tries to keep them (Louis and Claudia) save.

Armand... manipulates Louis, and canonically influences him to turn Madeleine, spell-binds him, lies to him, puts a "veil" onto him.

The show, very early on, hinted at the darker aspects of Loumand with the posters, and their reference to the movie "Gaslight".

Armand... Armand has baggage. And luckily(!) he falls for Louis. From his side it's definitely not a lie that he loves Louis. Louis... Louis is certainly infatuated. I do think he loves Armand. But... not like that. Both show and books make that quite clear, and their later canon time together is a very sedated safe time at Trinity Gate.

Armand later tells in his own book that in Paris:

"I must have Louis, that was my injunction. I knew no other."

He must have Louis.

Armand... is someone who does things as he sees fit, even if others disagree. Hunting the young vampires down, for example, even in modern times, wherever he is. Lestat is later very loathe to do that, but Armand keeps wherever he is "clean". The ever multiplying vampire population is for example why Louis goes to Armand at Trinity Gate for the first place - to be safe. But that just as a note.

So... I think it's... complicated. :)

It should go without saying(!) that you can enjoy them as you wish^^.

I think... I think a lot of people are very unprepared to watch a show like this (with characters like these), because we rarely get to see something like this! Like, all these relationships are toxic!! All of them are flawed. There is no good or bad vampire. They're all manipulative, toxic serial killers. They all abuse, and are abused. Yes, even Louis. :))

Fandoms... sometimes tend to be very polemic. This fandom has had the added complexity of the racial recasts, a setup as a tale and a show that has put its fingers into wounds... and then not only split the first season in half, but was also delayed by strikes. Some things... festered.

BUT. That should not stop you from enjoying what you enjoy?! I can only recommend curating your dash^^, and enjoy them.

It's a wild dynamic after all, and while I personally did not think they would go so dark for them I do see the appeal of diving into this dynamic :)

So - look for those who enjoy them as well, and... forget the rest?^^

[dyannawynnedayne]

Btw, for anyone who is into medieval history, I HIGHLY recommend this book:

"The word “medieval” conjures images of the “Dark Ages”—centuries of ignorance, superstition, stasis, savagery, and poor hygiene. But the myth of darkness obscures the truth; this was a remarkable period in human history. The Bright Ages recasts the European Middle Ages for what it was, capturing this 1,000-year era in all its complexity and fundamental humanity, bringing to light both its beauty and its horrors. 

The Bright Ages takes us through ten centuries and crisscrosses Europe and the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa, revisiting familiar people and events with new light cast upon them. We look with fresh eyes on the Fall of Rome, Charlemagne, the Vikings, the Crusades, and the Black Death, but also to the multi-religious experience of Iberia, the rise of Byzantium, and the genius of Hildegard and the power of queens. We begin under a blanket of golden stars constructed by an empress with Germanic, Roman, Spanish, Byzantine, and Christian bloodlines and end nearly 1,000 years later with the poet Dante—inspired by that same twinkling celestial canopy—writing an epic saga of heaven and hell that endures as a masterpiece of literature today.  

The Bright Ages reminds us just how permeable our manmade borders have always been and of what possible worlds the past has always made available to us. The Middle Ages may have been a world “lit only by fire” but it was one whose torches illuminated the magnificent rose windows of cathedrals, even as they stoked the pyres of accused heretics. "

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

It is an absolutely wonderful, humanistic depiction of the middle ages, spurred on by a wish to reframe our view of it as the 'dark ages'. I am about halfway through it and it has made me cry plenty because god, PEOPLE.

I first heard about it on the Medieval Podcast when Daniele Cybulskie interviewed the authors:

And have been slowly chipping away at it with my other books I'm reading.