#picard was being unfair here

[dat4l0re]

[thegeminisage]

it's time for a star trek update: finale edition. wednesday we watched ds9's "in the hands of the prophets" and tng's "descent part i."

in the hands of the prophets (ds9):

ok first of all it's fucking wack how relevant this shit still is like more than 20 yeasrs later. miss politician literally just pulled a r*n des*ntis trying to rile up her base about religious panic to get votes that she lacked

secondly they BOMBED a SCHOOL??? actually it works as a nice reminder of how the bajorans made their pleasure known under cardassian rule...for awhile there, federation was no different

LOVED o'brien being willing to beat a guy senseless for making his wife sad. good for him.

DID NOT LIKE kira and sisko fighting...........i liked that kira had that wake-up call at the end but i feel like ds9 has been a little unclear on whether or not she was a true believer til now, and i was a little surprised she thought the curriculum needed changin at first - then i was like well yeah i guess she was really upset when kai opaka died but then at the end she was like guess i'm not as much of a believer as i'd like to be! so a little hazy. but that might be a me problem

i liked that sisko took the time to sit down w jake and be like. people have a right to religion. lest this episode seem one-sided or unfair. it was a nice touch

the assassin being obriens little shadow was SUCH a nice touch but once they let you in on the joke she's like always suspiciously in the back and it kept cracking us up

the flirting scene was really good also. "on your toes o'brien" he read the room and headed immediately for the exit and good for him i love him sm. probably my favorite part of the entire ep i laughed really hard

overall felt like a weird choice for a finale, but not necessarily a BAD episode, just one of their weaker ones. i would have picked duet for sure but i guess it just doesn't involve as many characters, let alone Sisko, The Main Character

though side bar ther ehas been a disappointing lack of sisko-centric content in s1...........all he really got was the pilot and the plot with jake sneaking out to teach nog to read. fingers crossed for more of him in s2

descent part i (tng):

DATA....................................

the reason i was banned from reading the summary of this ep prior to watching was that it spoiled literally all 3 major plot twists 1. data gets an emotion 2. the borg 3. lore

i felt geordi was a little dismissive of data having an emotion here ("how would you know it's really anger") but i liked that deanna treated him really niceys. i thought his brainwashing at the end was a little scary but ULTIMATEL not his fault!!! somebody save my boy

i looooove seeing the borg again. even though these guys aren't the real borg i love the borg in any form <3

shoutout to hugh and that time picard DIDN'T experiment on a sentient being like a lab rat! and then this whole episode he was like damn i should have experimented on his ass. never change ig.

back to geordi, i think he should have helped data with the experiment. i don't know that it could have changed anything but it might have given them a clue...like yeah data is taking his life into his hands or whatever but geordi surely has a phaser. like he could say END PROGRAM at any time. furthermore, surely he culd ask data to step out and then tell the computer to PRETEND it was putting data's life in danger without actually doing it? it's wack that the holodeck can and nearly has killed people by the way. unethical horrific technology.

oh and i almost forgot how cool was it that the REAL LIFE STEPHEN HAWKING was in this episode, playing himself...and gambling :') i bet he was so stoked that was literally so fucking cool. i hope he had a great time

TONIGHT: tng's "descent part ii" and ds9's "the homecoming."

[curator-on-ao3]

Inspired by our conversation over at AO3 - Would you consider doing a fic for the "Do you ever hear yourself?" prompt with Hugh, Beverly, and Elnor? XD

Most definitely! Thank you for this great prompt, @northstarfan. 💕 I’ve enjoyed learning your thoughts on these three, as well as sharing my own. (Y’all know we love them, right?)

For those who prefer to read on AO3:

For those who prefer to read here:

Here and There

There are visits in person and by holo, conversations deep into the night — Hugh and Beverly, working to untangle an aspect of xB physiology, a chosen hive mind of two dedicated to healing and hope.

In some ways, this makes sense to Elnor. The xBs on the Artifact aren’t a Qowat Milat-style lost cause, but they can be a difficult puzzle and puzzles are part of Romulan society, too.

But listening to hours of consultations, Hugh and Beverly turning a particular problem around and around, potential solutions bandied, actions considered and rejected … it makes Elnor’s legs twitch.

One night, the talk is of an xB named Twelve-Paul who has developed an allergic reaction to vestigial implants. The implants can’t be removed without imperiling Twelve-Paul’s life. Beverly suggests treating the allergy, not risking worsening or further exposure. Hugh has concerns that Twelve-Paul will refuse medication, but Hugh pledges to ask, to include Twelve-Paul in the decision because that’s an important step for xBs, to be trusted to make their own choices, their value as individuals more important than an immediate or nebulous right or wrong.

And Elnor’s twitchy legs cant’t take it anymore, he paces, Artifact deck plating underfoot, Hugh and the holo of Beverly watching, and the holo smiles Beverly’s gentle smile of understanding, of knowing what it’s like to bottle up thoughts and feelings and not yet have learned how to express them without movement. Her dancing, his pacing.

“Elnor,” through the holo, Beverly’s gaze follows him, “what is it?”

He stops. “Do you ever hear yourself? Either of you. Both of you. Do you hear how you search for a truth for others, then bring them that truth once it’s become your truth? Truth is not for you to decide. Truth is not a gift you give. Truth is a constant to be found.”

Perhaps Elnor is being unfair, expecting Hugh and Beverly to understand Absolute Candor.

Perhaps not.

“Truth isn’t constant, Elnor.” The holo of Beverly flickers. “You know that.”

He knows that?

Hugh speaks softly, a name they all know, a name that means different things to each of the three of them: “Picard.”

Picard.

Picard was like a father to Elnor.

Picard abandoned Elnor, breaking promises — whether a promise is prison or a promise is a present — leaving Elnor to watch the night sky and wonder.

Picard came back, an old man somehow even older, the young-old man who left Elnor behind becoming an old-old man imploring Elnor to leave with him.

Picard.

One man.

A shifting truth.

Hugh must sense the cleaving of Elnor’s senses, mind unraveling only to knit anew — a new truth — because Hugh’s arms encircle Elnor, safety, kindness, love. And Beverly joins the hug, holo arms cold but still there, still there.

———

Send me an ask with character(s) and a prompt and I’ll do my best to give your people a hug. ❤️

✨ All prompted Picard ficlets are also available on AO3 as Decidedly Motley Stories. ✨

[biblioflyer]

Raffi & JL before the fall, The Raffi Controversy, Picard s1e3 Rewatch.

Who was Raffi before she became the messy person we meet fourteen years after Mars? One flashback isn’t much, but it may be richer in detail than one might expect at first glance. Of course this is also a story that is still being written and those caveats definitely apply.

This is part of a series of essays reevaluating Star Trek Picard and interrogating the widely held fandom criticism that Picard made the Federation into a Dystopia.

It is worth recalling that season three is apparently exploring Raffi’s backstory to some degree or another and a more fuller picture of the character and her place within the narrative and the setting is coming into view.

The Raffi we see immediately after Mars seems extremely impressive. She correctly anticipated every objection Starfleet Command would raise to a renewed effort to evacuate Romulan space. She seems like a very effective aide de camp to Picard. As nicknames go, I wasn’t super fond of J.L., but the familiarity hints at a strong working relationship and that Picard allows Raffi a degree of latitude that perhaps other subordinates haven’t had.

Why might that be? My theory is that Picard’s secret hobby is adopting strays. That is to say, he’s the sort of classical command officer who is defined by his ability to spot talent in rough crewmen who are struggling to apply their gifts in Starfleet and for Starfleet to recognize those gifts. 

This archetypal character loves to rehabilitate troubled officers less through force of unrelenting discipline, but by recognizing that some people need to not just be told what the rules are and be punished for breaking but instead need to understand them and believe in the rules (and themselves.) See also Commander William Adama and Kara Thrace, or Honor Harrington and….everyone she encounters (don’t @ me about David Weber, I’m well aware he and his body of work are.....a bit complicated, I just think the character of Honor embodies this archetype well.)

This is precisely the situation that defines Seven and Shaw’s relationship in Season 3. Seven knows the rules but doesn’t value them, Shaw understands the rules but is so submissive to authority that it makes him incredibly reluctant to act outside his mandate or follow his conscience.

While the timeline of Raffi’s life is vague, when she is questioning Picard about the outcome of the meeting with Starfleet Command and anticipating his success, she presents as oriented, intelligent, and driven. Season three provides a bit more context as well for the circumstances in which she found herself in Starfleet, but I am on the fence as to whether including it here represents “cheating” and if it makes judging season one on its own merits unfair.

To allude to season three without spoiling it, it's implied that Raffi has always possessed an inner darkness inclined towards quickly becoming irritated with small minds who can’t see what she sees and Starfleet seems to have been an opportunity to either start over or put her skills towards a higher purpose.

Her breaking point, at least in this scene, seems to be Picard’s resignation and the collapse of the Romulan relief effort. She quickly becomes angry and turns on Picard, infuriated by the hubris of him believing he was indispensable. She lashes out, citing a future for him comfortably retiring to Chateau Picard and writing his memoirs and compares it to her own future, which she immediately assumes to be bleak.

One might be justified in assuming that Raffi has not had the best of luck with commanding officers, whereas Picard had the finesse to coax her talents out of her while tolerating or disarming her more difficult traits. Alternately, Raffi is a person adrift without a clear purpose to focus her energies upon.

As I've alluded to a few times, I've known and loved a few Raffis. Getting through the outer defenses is challenging. Riding the maelstrom even tougher. They are more deserving of patience and compassion than they know, but they'd be a whole lot easier to appreciate if they could know it.

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝙸𝙽 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂 ➥ The Architect ( INTJ )

Jean-Luc Picard is a person with the Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging personality traits. He is a thoughtful tactician that loves perfecting the details of life, applying creativity and rationality to everything he do. His inner world is often a private, complex one. It can be lonely at the top, seen as his personality type is one of the rarest, and he knows it all too well. Picard can be both the boldest of dreamers and the bitterest of pessimists. Believing that, through willpower and intelligence, he can achieve even the most challenging of goals.

Strengths :

᪥ Rational – Picard prides himself on his minds. To him, nearly any situation can become an opportunity to expand his knowledge and hone his rational thinking skills. Thanks to this mindset, Jean-Luc can devise inventive solutions to even the most arduous of problems.

᪥ Curious – Jean-Luc is open to new ideas as long as those ideas are rational and evidence-based, that is. Sceptical by nature, he is especially drawn to offbeat or contrarian points of view. He is open to changing his own opinions when proven them wrong.

᪥ Informed – Few people are as devoted as Picard to forming rational, evidence-based opinions. Rather than hunches or half-baked assumptions, he bases his conclusions on research and analysis.

᪥ Independent – To Picard, conformity is synonymous with mediocrity. Creative and self-motivated, Jean- Luc strives to do things his own way. He can imagine few things more frustrating than allowing rules or conventions to stand in the way .

Weaknesses :

᪥ Dismissive of Emotions – Picard, is rationality king. But emotional context often matters more to him than he cares to admit. He can get impatient with anyone who seems to value feelings more than facts. Unfortunately, ignoring emotion is his bias.

᪥ Overly Critical – Jean-Luc tends to have a great deal of self-control, particularly when it comes to thoughts and feelings. When people in his life fail to match his level of restraint, Picard can become scathingly critical. But this criticism is often unfair, based on arbitrary standards rather than a full understanding of human nature.

᪥ Combative – Picard hate blindly following anything without understanding why. This includes restrictions and the authority figures who impose him. He can get caught up in arguing about useless rules and regulations, but sometimes these battles are distractions from more important matters.

᪥ Romantically Clueless – Jean-Luc relentless rationality can lead him to be frustrated by romance. Especially in the early stages any relationship, he may struggle to understand what’s going on and how to behave. And if his relationships fall apart for reasons he don’t understand, he can become cynical about matters of the heart, even questioning the importance of love and connection.

Conclusion :

Armed with powerful intellects and strategic minds, Architects (INTJs) can outmanoeuvre obstacles that seem unbeatable to most. But their strengths, when misunderstood, can turn into weaknesses – and keep them from reaching their full potential.

Those misunderstandings end here. What you have read so far is just an introduction – we have a great deal more to tell you about the Architect personality type.

In reading through this personality profile, you probably hit a tipping point. You went from trademark Architect scepticism to “Huh…” to “Wait, what?” You may even be a little uncomfortable, because you’re not used to being understood, even by the people closest to you.

Chances are you’ve accepted this as part of who you are and maybe even grown proud of it. But embracing that disconnect isn’t a requirement for Architects. It’s a misused defence mechanism, leading you down a lonely, inefficient path. Gaining insight into yourself and others is so much more rewarding – and effective.

[jspark3000]

Culture breakdown.

There’s a philosophical principle in South Korea called Hongik-Ingan (홍익인간), the devotion to benefit all of humanity. It’s a good thing, but it also has some very dark implications.

Basically, many Koreans are told that if their life doesn’t measure up to a surplus benefit, they might as well take their own lives. In other words, always contribute and never consume—or die.

The upside is that Koreans (and easterners in general) have a remarkable work ethic. We work crazy hard. But the downside is that if any of us encounter failure, disaster, or even imperfection, we immediately fall into an abyss of worthlessness.

I’m convinced this is one of the reasons why South Korea has the tenth highest suicide rate in the world.

The westernized philosophy of American Exceptionalism is not a lot different than 홍익인간. You see it in hustle-porn podcasts and bootstraps literature: “Believe it, dream it, achieve it, ”—but with the hidden clause, “And if you can’t, it’s all your fault. Why can’t you just ...?” The eastern judgment is based on how others see you, but the western judgment is based on how you see you. It’s the same problem wrapped in different coats.

The overarching message: If you fail, you’re somehow no good. If you can’t beat this, it’s your problem. If you haven’t succeeded, it’s on you. Bigger, faster, more, or you are literally smaller, slower, less.

So when it comes to mental health, racial trauma, chronic illness, problems in the larger system—all of these are considered “excuses.”

Both the east and west are brutally unforgiving to those in uncontrollable circumstances. “Maybe you’re depressed because you’re not trying hard enough. You’re homeless because you didn’t do your homework in high school. You got abused because you were asking for it. You’re always sick because you don’t have faith. That wasn’t racism, you just weren’t acting right.”

These shaming statements revolve on the same terrible axis: that when life is bad, you are bad, and that you attracted the terror to yourself. We believe this because it fits a logical worldview. But it is not a rational one.

Here’s what I know. Your goodness absolutely does not hinge on what happens to you. There is no 1:1 ratio of your value and your life, of your effort versus outcome, no matter how someone got here. And no one ever became successful by themselves; no one is a self-made person. So it is also true that no one has ever totally failed themselves.

If it were all on you: every rainstorm would be your fault, every disaster would be your doing, winning the lottery makes you a saint, and being Jeff Bezos makes you god. Which, of course, is straight up lunacy.

Sometimes the environment or system or leaders or our own bodies were hostile, and so we never stood a chance. Unfortunately our world is not always kind to those “lesser” because we see it as their fault, therefore they’re not given an opportunity, which only reinforces a vicious cycle. You and I simply do not get better by being told, “Hey it’s entirely your fault, so good luck.”

Yes, I believe in both personal responsibility and interdependent community. We must make wise choices. I’m proud of much of my culture and how strong we are. But our choices can be limited by the mechanisms that surround us. We can always choose, but the world often determines how far we move.

All our philosophies may have many strengths, but they are built on a lie: that somehow it’s all up to you. The truth? It never was. At times the world around you has failed you. And sometimes you need help, and you won’t be able to contribute for a time because you need others to support you. And it’s okay to ask for that.

It must not be shameful to ask for charity. Any culture that makes this shameful is in itself a shameful culture that must be dismantled. You and I need help. We need each other. We need the gift of grace, a God-given help outside ourselves. We need to be okay to fail. And that does not make you less. The best of us emerges when we find where we need help.

My hope is that my daughter knows: your worth never hinges on your work. Sometimes life is just hard. It is unfair. It is ruthless. You will need help. That does not make you less. In fact, to ask for help makes you more. It makes you yourself.

Or as esteemed theologian Captain Jean Luc Picard says, "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."

— J.S.

[katsidhe]

could you share the descriptions of the answers? I'm bad at answering these quizzes cause I always get like 3 answers that fit but in different circumstances so I like seeing all of the descriptions

Yeah sure! I too wish uquiz gave an option to see all the result descriptions... alas. 

anyway here’s a wall of text, go nuts. 

DEAN-CODED DEAN GIRL

You might just be the hero of a YA fantasy novel or an action movie, because you have Big Protag Energy. You’re self-centered and extremely giving at the same time: you expect and demand absolute loyalty, just as you provide the same. Your love can move mountains, but if you’re not careful that same love can be suffocating or controlling. You’re volatile: you’ll cut a bitch and you don’t care who knows it. You’ll kick their ass. You’ll kick their dog’s ass. You’ll kick your own ass. You have a one-liner for every occasion. Your friends like you but would describe you as “a lot.” You’re magnetic: your charisma and sheer bull-headedness mean you stand out in every room. You’re polarizing, and you know it, but that doesn’t bother you: you know you’re right, and even when you’re wrong, you’re at least entertaining. You’re very “do as I say, not as I do:” you’re a bit of a hypocrite, but, like, in a fun way.  

Holotypes include: Dean Winchester (Supernatural), Thomas Jefferson (Hamilton), Sirius Black (Harry Potter), Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek: Voyager), Katara (ATLA), Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

DEAN-CODED SAM GIRL

You are a charmer and a people-pleaser. You’re charismatic to a fault, when you want to be: whether consciously or not, you have a razor-keen sense of how others see you, and you mold yourself to expectations. You can either talk circles around most people, or you come across as so fundamentally honest that you gain everyone’s trust without trying. Your affable persona is built on a rock-solid sense of purpose. You have a steadfast, deadset fixation on your goals, which you know in your heart to be worth any cost and any sacrifice. Armed with iron conviction, you’re a rebel with a cause. Is it paranoia if they really are all out to get you? When you inevitably win, the whole world will know your name. Your strong sense of self will carry you through any hardship. Your friends look up to you, but they don’t always “get” you. 

Holotypes include: Lucifer (Supernatural), Eponine (Les Mis), Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Prince Zuko (ATLA), Samwise Gamgee (LOTR), Karkat Vantas (Homestuck)

DEAN-CODED CAS GIRL 

Like all Dean-coded people, you are charming and affable, and you talk a big game. You might be the class clown or a popular athlete, or otherwise one of them cool kids, but underlying that public persona is a certain quiet idealism. You keep your strong convictions close to your heart, even when far from home or beset by strife. You’re fiercely loyal and you crave being around people, but you can see when your friends need space, and you can get along okay on your own. You’re not afraid to change your opinions if new information comes to light. Strangers find you easy to get along with: you tend to go along with the group, and you’re a team player no matter what needs to get done. Your chill-to-pull ratio is sky-high.

Holotypes include: Ahsoka (Star Wars), Meg (Supernatural), Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson), Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter), Boromir (LOTR), Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)

SAM-CODED DEAN GIRL

You come across as level headed, but you’re never more than an inch from going off the rails. Your highest values are love and personal loyalty, but you’re pragmatic about it, and you try very hard not to put unfair expectations on other people, with varying degrees of success. You spend a lot of time dealing with expectations; it’s something you either grapple with, or lean into to use to your own ends. You value your own sense of identity, but that identity can get subsumed by your loyalties. You can easily get pulled in or suborned by strong personalities. You keep secrets, both from yourself and from others. Who you want to be is at odds with how you see yourself. People meeting you for the first time might say you’re aloof. You have lots of strong opinions, but you usually keep them to yourself… unless provoked. Careful; you bite. 

Holotypes include: Mary Winchester (Supernatural), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Aragorn (LOTR), Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars), Julian Bashir (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games) 

SAM-CODED SAM GIRL

Gifted kid (diagnosis). You were and maybe still are an outsider, and because of that you’ve had to learn to be self-sufficient and confident in your own abilities. You’re a fiercely independent overachiever, and you’ve fought hard for every inch. Somewhere inside you is a hot, long simmering rage born from the injustice of the world, but it’s buried very deep. You’d be more than content to be alone for long periods of time. You have sometimes crippling perfectionism: if you aren’t succeeding, it’s your fault for not trying hard enough. You’ll pick every kind of intellectual fight and throw yourself into playing devil’s advocate just to improve your understanding: you see the gray areas in everything. You’re aggressively big-picture. You want to, no, you MUST change the universe, but you don’t need to take credit for it. Your few friends might describe you as callous, but you know you’re just being realistic: you’ve got a harsh, clear-eyed sense of the world. No pain, no gain, and really, if you do the math, no single individual is all that important in the grand scheme of things.  

Holotypes include: Kevin Tran (Supernatural), Jean Valjean (Les Miserables), Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars), Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter), Frodo Baggins (LOTR), Dirk Strider (Homestuck), Luke Castellan (Percy Jackson)

SAM-CODED CAS GIRL

You have a strong sense of how the world ought to be, but you have no overriding vision or big master plan: you take life day by day to fix the little things you can. You have very few close relationships, but those you have you treasure dearly. You support your few friends unconditionally, but you tend to be emotionally distant with acquaintances. You may be a bit of a pushover. You often find yourself put in the position of mediator. You loathe conflict, so you avoid it unless absolutely necessary--but once you’re truly angry, you’ll stop at nothing to see justice done. You’re a diplomat and an advocate: you are deeply idealistic, but you’re nevertheless strongly grounded in a pragmatic sense of achieving what you can. Philosophy is action, action is philosophy; you like meditation and self-improvement and have probably done at least one juice cleanse. Both friends and strangers describe you as quietly dependable. If you can’t see the trauma, the trauma can’t see you! That’s just science!

Holotypes include: Sam Winchester (Supernatural), BJ Hunnicut (M*A*S*H), Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Aang (ATLA), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson)

CAS-CODED DEAN GIRL

Much of your identity is tied up in a set of core beliefs - to the point where those beliefs might be strong enough to override your identity. You’re not beholden to any outside system. If you’re comfortable serving a larger common goal, it’s because you believe in it wholeheartedly. You’re action-oriented: you act first, and think later, or possibly never. You judge your friends solely based on what they do, and you tend to hold people accountable for any unforeseen consequences of their choices. You have strong personal loyalties. You’re not at the center of your social circle, but your friends trust you implicitly and the leader of your group tends to confide in you. You don’t seek power, but you’re also not afraid of taking charge, and you may find power thrust upon you. If you do find yourself in a position of leadership, you struggle with going too far or taking your friends in an unexpected direction. Whether you’re fighting in a war or making yourself a sandwich, you go hard in the motherfuckin’ paint.

Holotypes include: Castiel (Supernatural), Javert (Les Miserables), Captain Rex (Star Wars), Kanaya Maryam (Homestuck), Worf (Star Trek), Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)

CAS-CODED SAM GIRL

I mean this in the nicest possible way, but you’re a bit weird. You are spacey or odd or otherwise out of step with how people think you should act, but that’s fine. It doesn’t matter what they think, because if you’re sure of one thing, it’s that you should never mold your unique identity to other people’s expectations. You live internally: you’re all about grand, world-changing concepts, whether they be philosophical, artistic, or mathematical. You are grounded in the reality that you are one person and one viewpoint among many others, but that doesn’t stop you from writing your nine-hundred page thesis on the topic you’re passionate about. You can justify just about anything by the virtue of your personal convictions arising almost entirely from within yourself. Your identity can get swept up in your big ideas. You’re easier to sway with logic than with emotion, but you don’t feel the need to confine yourself with such terms: you operate on both vibes and flowcharts. You move through the world with the assurance that you are the master of your own fate, and you are unburdened by worrying about the opinions of others. You won’t let yourself feel pinned down by one social group; you float in and out comfortably, depending on how you’re feeling. Friends and strangers describe you as “spooky.”

Holotypes include: Azazel (Supernatural), Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Aaron Burr (Hamilton), Princess Azula (ATLA), Yoda (Star Wars), Jadzia Dax (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

CAS-CODED CAS GIRL

You are chaotic and excitable. You’re swayed by the drive to explore: the greatest good is to understand the universe and your place in it. You’ve got big ideas, and you’re drawn to new experiences, but you don’t necessarily understand what’s going on. You might be a part of a bigger social machine, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be defined on its terms: you’ll self-actualize if it kills you. You identify new objects by licking them. You can see the strings of the world; what will you choose? You’ll take the reins and see where they take you. You say you’re following your own path. Your friends say you don’t know what you’re doing. Pragmatism? Never heard of her. A dream is a vision is a reality; ideas are the world writ large. You might be a prophet or a visionary. With your head in the clouds, you’re sometimes divorced from both reality and consequences. You’re usually on the outside looking in, and you don’t want to be. People think they understand you, but they definitely don’t. Your friends and enemies describe you as impulsive and mysterious. 

Holotypes include: Raphael (Supernatural), Uncle Iroh (ATLA), Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter), Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars), Gandalf (LOTR)

[okaygalrhirhi]

Ok I have more thoughts about Star Trek that nobody asked for .....

First of all, I think it’s unfair to compare the captains because Kirk is the exception/prodigy and Picard as we see him is already 22 years into being a captain. None of the captains are truly comparable because their circumstances are all so different. And they’re each interesting characters for different reasons. So I think the ranking order of each fan really just depends on which combination appeals to them and less about the actual “captaincy skills.”

Which brings me to Janeway. I love her. Even though most people don’t.

Here’s specifically why I think Janeway is so interesting as a captain and character and also why the writing of Voyager failed her. For starters, Janeway wasn’t some starfleet prodigy who won awards while at the academy. She was a science officer who rose through the ranks and earned a captaincy. She was then given a pretty basic mission to go find a Maquis ship in the Badlands. Pretty average stuff for the average Starfleet captain. She’s never shown to be a powerful force of Starfleet command material like Kirk or Picard, both of whom gained massive attention and praise during their time at the academy and made captain before 33 (Picard at 28). She’s truly your average Starfleet captain. Which is partly why many fans compare her to Starfleet’s poster boys and are dissatisfied.

Within her first day as captain she was catapulted across the galaxy, through no fault of her own, where she had no contact with Starfleet and was forced to make incredibly difficult decisions that none of the other captains she’s pitted against ever had to make in circumstances none of the others ever had to be in. This is where things could have been really good.

The writers of Voyager should have played up the “wtf this is my first command and I’m stranded in the Delta quadrant” aspect. Given audiences more insight into Janeway as a person. Let’s be honest, everyone in Voyager is lacking in backstory and full characterization..... except 7 and the Doctor. Secondary characters in TNG are more fleshed out the the stars of Voyager. They had an opportunity to do something really cool with Voyager by having them stranded and away from Starfleet with a lot of average Starfleet officers who have little to no experience in their positions. Yet, they never really dig deep into the concept they had. Voyager was the show they barely remembered to write.

[thegeminisage]

OKAY it's tng update time. i forgot to do it yesterday so today i'm doing four eps. sunday we did "evolution" and "the ensigns of command" and yesterday we caught "the survivors" and "who watches the watchers"

evolution: this one had a slow start and i didn't much care for the guest character of the week but once it got going i actually had fun rooting for him to fail. you SHOOT the nanites? jail for dr whoever! jail for 1000 years!!

wesley was not really annoying in this episode! i was so prepared for the worst when it was like oh wesley's SCHOOL EXPERIMENT has GONE WRONG but it was fine actually!! he was like. normal

i was soooo glad to see beverly crusher again. a season of pulaski really makes her shine in comparison. PLUS she didn't talk about being a woman like the WHOLE time. i mean she kind of did but it was fine except when she got nosey about wesley's dating life lol i mean the woman has been away from her son for a year. also idr whoever was like man not cool beverly for leaving UNFAIR. she got fired. it wasn't her fault. idk if i've ever defended her before. feels weird.

FASCINATED with guinans backstory. when she started talking about her son i was like oh q is her son! of course! no, idiot. a real luke-and-clary moment. iykyk. tho technically q can make himself look like whatever and adoptive still counts. it's fine. they have something going on but idk what

the ensigns of command: this one was SOOOOO good what a breath of fucking fresh air

i LOVED data in this! i loved that he got to do stuff and be important and fail and nobody was mean to him and in the end he succeeded. AND got a love interest. wonderful. treat him really niceys. also that meme about the book being shorter if [character] had a gun. that's data. good for him

also i KNOW he knows how kissing works i didn't forget he fucked tasha yar

this episode was surprisingly funny. you get gradually more and more frustrated with the leader until data dead ass pulls a fucking phaser on him. you get more and more frustrated with the sheliak and it's like kind of funny that they keep hanging up on picard, but then picard rules lawyers them and hangs up on THEM and does the fucking white glove inspection while he metaphorically lets the phone ring off the hook. the longer he took to answer the funnier it got, i was genuinely cracking up. idr what post it was that i said i had yet to see picard's spine and so he was utterly unlikable but i saw it in the episode where data went on trial and i saw it here in a much funnier way. he simply had enough it was fantastic

data and the music!!! he was so sad when picard had to leave and i was very pleasantly surprised when picard took the time to not only listen to the recording later but compliment data on it and encourage his creative side. it's so much nicer than anyone was to data in the first two seasons 🥺

the survivors: this one was...okay. not great but definitely watchable. the mystery definitely kept me hooked bc i wanted to know what was going on, but it would have been much better if we'd had the tools to solve it, the way picard did, instead of the answer just being "this guy is just magic." i did like that his wife turned out to not even be real because that's fucking nuts but like. for what purpose. like we were yelling theories like oh her tea is poisoned! the music box is cursed! and meanwhile it's like no he's just magic. there was no trail of clues to follow at all.

poor deanna in this episode lol. points off for having her naked under that blanket. for what purpose do you need to undress her to treat her...y'all don't do that to riker. that said the psychic torture via music box was kind of metal actually like obviously horrible but i like that she CAN be incapacitated

also, wtf was that at the end where he was like yeah i killed every member of that entire species even the ones who are lightyears away because my magic is that powerful. and picard was just like. alright well we don't have laws that can try you so go back to your planet with your fake wife ig. bye!

YOU LITERALLY DO HAVE LAWS. THEY WERE GOING TO BRING KODOS IN TO FACE JUSTICE YOU LITERALLY DO HAVE LAWS FOR PEOPLE WHO COMMIT GENOCIDE. it's fine. i'm normal.

who watches the watchers: our rule for s3 is that we're watching all of them until we hit three duds in a row. this one was DEFINITELY a dud

first of all, the breaking of the prime directive was ridiculously sloppy here. SECONDLY, it is ALWAYS a bad idea to have some culture mistake anybody for god. it wouldn't have mattered if every one of those aliens had been white and picard had not been white it STILL would have been racist but it's even MORE racist because they're worshipping AND KNEELING BEFORE a white guy with a british accent. it's particularly insulting too that these are supposed to be "proto-vulcans"

also, if they really were proto-vulcans they would NOT have been rational as presented they would have been off the fucking wall insane with bloodlust. do none of us remember anything about canon. god.

the fantasy racefaking. THEY LOOKED SO BAD LOL

our main side guy was quite annoying and basically just looking for an excuse to kill deanna? should have let him die tbh

anyway it was a stinker. the longer the fake worship dragged on the worse it became.

that being said, s3 has largely been a blast so far. tbh i talked a big game but part of me didn't believe u guys when you said it got better. but it literally did?! and thank god bc i don't know how much more i could have taken lol

[celestialholz]

A Good Day To Die

Hello, dear Qcard squad - happy slightly belated Tapestry Day! <3 I’m SO SORRY this is a little late, though for once it’s absolutely not my fault! I’m visiting some family up in northern England, and there’s been a hell of a storm that’s outed several power lines locally - they’ve only just reconnected this morning, so I’m finally able to pop this up as my laptop now has some charge! I shall be reblogging all your lovely contributions with commentary tags today too. <3

Let me tell you a quick story before the actual one though, friends, of a girl on a Saturday afternoon playthrough of TNG for the first time, about six years ago now; already a huge fan obviously because we’re in series six, already very much in love with Q and the indomitable captain, but I’d wondered here and there: why was Jean-Luc so special? Sure, he was clever and wonderfully diplomatic, even a bit nuanced, and a nice change of pace from Kirk, who I also loved - but where did this spark come from? Why was he a rebel sometimes, when he seemed to play so much by the book most of the time?

... And then we get to this. A fascinating premise right from the word go of an immediately deceased/critically injured Picard, going into the fascination of a void space, a god cloaked in white with his usual wondrous enigma, and what’s always been to me the single finest piece of character exploration in the whole of the Trek canon. It’s intelligent, deeply amusing, philosophical, psychological, fascinating... we watch this man fall apart and rebuild and learn his lessons, and all the while we have this gorgeous chemistry, this blatant and beautiful homosexual coding, between our two stars, with Q’s ambiguous motives and goddamn, I was enchanted. 

... Honestly, it’s my favourite fucking TV hour of all time, and it’s my pleasure to finally celebrate its anniversary properly. My great thanks to @q-card​ for taking my idea and running wild with it, you marvellous being you. <333

I’d planned to make something much grander and mad for this accordingly, but... well, you know how it is. Very long week, depression... eurgh. So instead, please accept something a fair bit shorter but no less lovely: a parable of ancient Egyptian culture, a delicious dose of angst and love, and the promise of forever from a man who really can’t understand the meaning of the word, but wants nothing more than to offer it anyway. Set during STP, and I for one think this would be a lovely way to end it all...

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

It’s fitting, Jean-Luc, he thinks serenely as he disengages the autopilot with a pang of adrenaline, a silent resignation, stoicism etched into his weathered features. Everything has its time, dear man, and you’ve had more than most.

There’s no real other method of death he’d have been content with, if he’s being honest with himself. It’s explosions, fireworks, heat, when he’s too old for any of it physically, when he’s exhausted mentally, but can still lay claim to the most youthful and adventurous spirits, the very soul of a captain; it’s plunging into a supernova at sub-warp to take out the rejuvenated Borg fleet in the resultant fire, beings he abhors so profoundly, is still so very haunted by all these years later, still has nightmares of his time amongst their number.

The protests of his newfound crew echo through his mind, the panic of five minutes prior naturally fresh; a simple plan, ultimately, forged days after he’d discovered their real enemy. Emergency transport, patterns already established, ready for the simple verbal command of a destination within reach; his friends enveloped, incapable of escape without the certainty of scattering to atoms, horror absolute.

“Admiral, you can’t be fucking serious - ”

“This cannot be how our quest ends! I will never forgive you!”

“... No, no, I know that look - JL, you can’t , you bastard - !”

“They took you once, Captain; we’ve won, dammit! There is no need to prove it further!”

He shivers with their regrets, jaw setting in defiance of his actions - it isn’t about proving anything, and he’d imagined Seven of all people would know that good and well. It’s about setting the universe to rights, ensuring continued prosperity from a species who deserve simply to be left in peace, who had been through more than enough to last them multiple lifetimes... to perhaps finally repaying a fraction of the debt he owed to the dead, the assimilated, of Wolf 359. It will never absolve him; nothing ever could.

But he can ensure it never has to happen again - not to him, not to another living soul in this quadrant. This is their last stand, and he will eradicate them. He isn’t a threat, of course - why would he be, in his tiny vessel?

Resistance is not, and never has been, futile, he acknowledges coldly, teeth beared in disgust. You wanted me to lead you, didn’t you? Allow me to make it so.

“Warning: recommend immediate retreat. Heat shields at thirty-one percent integrity; collision course with Elphoric Supernova in three minutes, thirty seconds.”

“Computer,” he announces frostily, “cease warnings.”

“With respect, my dearest admiral, perhaps you’d do well to pay attention.”

His mechanical heart skips several beats in the same moment, frenzy racing up his spine in anger, anticipation, anguish -

He hasn’t seen the speaker in four years, but he’ll turn up for the last three and a half minutes?

The flash claims his vision, the signature ping resounds, and the air falls immediately silent as he stares at eyes that read eternity and burn solely for him.

“Would you mind explaining what the hell you’re doing?”

He takes a full ten seconds of his remaining few minutes to simply absorb his husband’s presence, the faint lines that crease his forehead, the unspoken despair and the silent love and the carvings of exhaustion, and it’s as though something snaps once more back into place in his soul; as though he’s finally returned home after a solid millennia of travelling, embraced instantly by recalled warmth and comfort and precious, precious familiarity.

... Perhaps he ought to be less furious.

“... War’s over then, I take it?” His voice cracks through the stagnant bridge, and for the briefest of moments, he forgets entirely that he’s voluntarily crashing to his own destruction.

Q’s gaze flickers, stricken, and he regards his spouse with disbelief, crouching before him.

“Hardly the moment.” He curls fingers around shaking ones, squeezes tightly. “Honestly, I leave you alone for five minutes -”

“Four years,” Picard intones, hollow, charcoal eyes ablaze. “Four, dammit.”

Q winces, digs finely manicured nails gently into aged skin with sorrow. “Bit difficult to keep track when the universe is falling apart, though I thought my dearly espoused was rather above the ultimate display of tragic hubris.”

“This isn’t arrogance,” Picard snaps in response, suddenly furious.

The god raises a brow, turns from him for a moment to consult the cosmos; he analyses the situation quietly, eyes falling shut before they wrench open in horror.

“... Oh,” he realises aloud, returning a pitying gaze to his husband. “Well, I was planning to take you for dinner, celebrate our reunion, but... it had to the Borg, of course. It was going to be magnificent, you know. All candles, oysters, Risan teal whiskey - imagine you’ve grown a little weary of the family vintage by now -”

Picard’s internal chronometer, borne of years of starship clockwork efficiency, ticks over to ninety seconds, and he’s kissing him with desperation, with the misery of parting, the anxiety of war, the coldness of a universe where no one else can ever quite understand -

It’s brief because it has to be, given the circumstances, but it’s no less intense for it, shot through on both sides with passion and need and loss and reestablished harmony; they break eventually, slipping back to rest foreheads together, and Q is breathless with pain as he whispers.

“My universe has already shattered once, Jean-Luc.”

Picard blinks against the tears that threaten, the anguish that engulfs him at the very thought.

“It’s the Borg, Q,” he explains simply, voice woven with apology.

“... And it doesn’t count for anything that I could click them to dust, I imagine, stop them threatening anyone ever again?”

He smiles warmly, bitterness rich - not at an entity who has been trying to save his people, he could never be angry at that. He’s trying to do the same, isn’t he? Always has. 

No, life is merely unfair, and it has to end eventually. 

“‘Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it,’” he quotes gently, and a rasp of a sob trips from Q’s tongue.

“Stupid, noble, self-sacrificing idiot,” he breathes, thumb running over the wedding ring unconsciously. “The shen ring, Jean-Luc; you’ve always admired the ancients. The symbol of eternal protection.”

A single tear slips down his cheek, a stammered exhale follows, and he locks eyes to his in true dread. “Please, darling - tell me we can still go for dinner.”

Everything in creation drowns in silence, even as the console roars at him that he’s thirty seconds from death; nothing matters but his words, his long-spoken promise - that his husband absolutely comprehends them.

“I’d be offended we didn’t, frankly,” he whispers. “Haven’t seen you in years, we’re rather overdue a catch-up.”

He kisses his brow tenderly, physically feels the permanence of the relief that bursts through the god; he has to make sure, nevertheless.

“Perhaps tomorrow, we could watch the meteor shower on Tansid VI.” He softly pulls Q’s thumb back to the wedding ring, to the tangibility of what it offers, the vow it proclaims, and runs his own preciously across it. “Croissants. Champagne. Different region, different grapes - I’m not quite bored of that one yet.”

“And the day after?” Q’s voice cracks, brittle as sand.

“Oh, moons of Tanothry Prime, I imagine. Driver’s choice. Though I’d quite enjoy a trip to the Magellanic Clouds, perhaps in a few centuries.”

Another sob, profound this time, raises, stuttered, from his immortal spouse.

“I reserve the right to make it hurt less.”

“Oh, please do, my love. My Thoth.”

Q stifles a laugh, so wondrously enamoured. “The Egyptian god of the dead, of magic and wisdom.”

“‘As for Thoth, he crosses the sky in my presence; I pass safely.’“

“Yes, you do,” the deity vows, adoration warming the severity of his features. “Nothing will ever have to hurt you again, darling.”

It’s a strange experience, dying without fear. He’d been so certain, so determined, but so very afraid.

“Ten seconds to impact,” the computer chimes, emotionless.

“I have a dog,” Picard tells his husband, eyes falling closed. “You wouldn’t much like his name.”

Q smiles tightly, clings to him.

“I do hope it isn’t mine,” he replies dryly, and the human chuckles as the ship ignites around them.

“Oh, it’s so much worse.” He beams tenderly at him, braces for impact. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Yeah,” Q breathes, caressing his ring, and together they burn.

[biblioflyer]

Jumbled thoughts about Picard s3e1

The short version without spoilers? I liked it. I'm not surprised I like it. That just means Picard is 3 for 3 in really solid first episodes. This is a show that's always been good at sprinting but can it finish the marathon without being winded and slightly confusing?

Spoiler free commentary:

They're getting the band back together!

Riker & Picard's dynamic is arguably more solid than it ever was in TNG. There's a genuine warmth and congeniality to it that rarely got explored in TNG.

Raffi's character growth from seasons 1 & 2 is preserved and expanded on. Narratively the character also seems to be playing a role that is a better fit for her personality and talents.

The mystery to unravel doesn't seem like its going to be as arcane and at risk of requiring a convoluted resolution.

Yay starship porn! But also....ehhhhhh starship porn. (I don't love one of the new designs for extremely arbitrary and very nerdy reasons. Your mileage is free to vary without my judgment and I'm hoping I'll warm up to it.)

Spoilers after the jump.

This is where the spoilers start.

Bev kicks ass?

I find it to be a rather interesting choice to make one of the main characters to be a key element in the central mystery. Making it Beverly of all people just adds another interesting twist. At first I was put off by her lethal efficiency in dealing with the boarders but I really appreciated how Riker pointed out how out of character this was for her when he was examining the aftermath.

Casual XB-ism

I'm uncomfortable with Captain Shaw's casual prejudice towards Seven of Nine. A certain amount of anti-Borg sentiment would be understandable in a less utopian setting and while its not entirely out of character for people in the Federation to hold prejudices, those prejudices are generally the direct result of some sort of trauma. Which is not great, but its not entirely realistic to expect people to be entirely free of bitterness over horrible experiences and it is better, relatively speaking, than simply being prejudiced because of a bunch of ancient conspiracy theories and undeserved smugness over one's culture or genetic lineage. Although it is still not objectively good, just better than more irrational forms of prejudice.

To throw out a few examples of what I'm talking about, Kirk hated Klingons because on multiple times he was a firsthand witness to Klingon atrocities and a Klingon murdered his son because he was Kirk's son - pointedly though, he was able to realize by the end of the Khitomer affair that his prejudice may be something he may never get over but it was also something that could get a lot of people killed if people like him were the only ones directing Federation policy. O'Brien hated Cardassians because of his traumatic experiences during the Cardassian war. Sisko was hostile to Picard at first because his wife died at Wolf 359. Notably he also was able to recognize that he was being unfair in blaming Picard for the crimes of Locutus.

By contrast, Admiral Satie hated Romulans in a more general sense and was willing to ruin people's lives trying to root out spies.

All of those Admirals who are hidebound obstacles for the crew to rebel against, and sometimes are villains outright, must come from somewhere. So it does seem like somehow Captain Shaws slip through the cracks, in spite of Starfleet's best intentions, and wind up becoming symbols of authority that is too remote and out of touch to be of use.

That having been said, there is an opportunity here that I hope will be seized to give Shaw a legitimate reason to be standoffish with Picard and to dislike former Borg. Maybe he was part of the flotilla that fought the Borg in First Contact. Heck, maybe he was a fresh Ensign that Picard forgot who was on the Enterprise during the events of First Contact and witnessed Picard's spiral into Captain Ahab territory. Maybe he lost a parent at Wolf 359.

I just hope that he's not prejudicial because of generalized dislike of the Borg, because that's one of my arbitrary lines where I think it is possible that humanity could reform itself: to let go of arbitrary, generalized prejudice and collective punishment of liberated individuals for the crimes of a hegemonic collective.

Shaw didn't do everything wrong.

Okay I have to admit it was hilarious and just plain good world building for someone to behave like they're part of a command structure with defined responsibilities and reporting structures, and not running off to showboat based on the whims of two people who absolutely no authority or standing, besides their status as heroes.

Raffi is where she should be.

One of the issues I plan to address with a rewatch is the generalized sense among many fans that Raffi should not have been cleared for duty after Season One based on how she behaved in Season Two. That may or may not be unfair, depending on just how effectively you think you can stress test someone who already knows most of Starfleet's tricks for psychologically screening people for their mental fitness to serve.

Season three addresses this by having Raffi serve in Starfleet Intelligence as a field operative with what seems to be a wide reservation to work inside of it. This seems to be a much more appropriate place for her based on her personality and skills. Also I am entertaining the possibility that her handler is not who we all probably think it is and that the comment about Raffi being a warrior is a Red Herring. It would be interesting to see it wind up being Moriarty of all beings, newly emancipated after the lifting of the Synth ban and free to roam wherever the processing power exists to support him, and unable to resist a good mystery.

Arbitrary gripes

The mystery son trope. Don't get me wrong, I'm curious about his parentage and conception. I'm sure we're meant to assume he's Picard's (somehow) but I think it would be neat if he were actually Jack Crusher's son and Bev just decided to have another child with her late husband using preserved DNA and somehow managed to keep it secret from the rest of the crew. Maybe his growth was artificially accelerated?

Machine gun phasers. Why? No, its rhetorical. I know why, not having a suppressive fire option for energy weapons means that everyone and their uncle would be using bullets instead like it was The Expanse, but a part of me loves the moderately kinder, somewhat gentler Old West style exchange of fire one shot at a time.

[duhragonball]

Oh, Shit,I Just Remembered Pete Wisdom.

I started looking into Warren Ellis a little more, to see what he accusations against him were, exactly.   So much has come out about so many people that it’s hard to keep it all straight, but I’ve been a comics fan since 1993, and Ellis has been in the industry for about as long, I think, so I wanted to know more.  

The quick version, from what I can tell, is that Ellis would offer to mentor fans who wanted to break into the comics industry, and with the women, he would start to segue that relationship into something more physical.   It would get to the point where he’d want to have sex with them, and they felt like they couldn’t refuse him, since he could torpedo their careers before they could get off the ground.   A few women must have spoken out about it, leading others to do the same, and eventually it started to become clear that there was a lot of similarities in their stories.   

As I was thinking about this, it suddenly dawned on me that I first heard of Ellis from his work on Marvel Comics’ Excalibur, where he introduced Kitty Pryde’s love interest, Pete Wisdom.    And then a bunch of stuff started to make a lot more sense in hindsight.  

The X-Men franchise is overrated trash, but probably the wankiest, most usless, most overrated part of the X-Men mythos is the spin-off series Excalibur, which was basically a splinter group of X-Men operating in Great Britain.   Fans loved this book, I think because it featured popular characters like Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler, and the book (mostly) managed to steer clear of the mega-crossovers that dominated the rest of the franchise in the 80′s and 90′s.  When I finally sat down to read my X-Men collection in 2015 and 2018, I did so confident that I wouldn’t need to bother with Excalibur, because it rarely had anything to do with the main books.   The message Marvel sent me with this book was that it doesn’t matter and it never did.

Anyway, around 1995 or so, Warren Ellis took over as the writer, and he introduced a new character named Pete Wisdom, who quickly became romantically involved with Kitty Pryde.   This was somewhat controversial for a few reasons:

1) When Kitty was introduced in 1980, she was stated to be only 13 years old.    “Thirteen-and-a-half”, to be precise.    They actually threw in the fraction, just to make her seem even more like a little kid, if that was possible.    Comic book time moves slower than real time, but it wasn’t entirely clear to anyone how old Kitty was by the time she relocated to England and met Pete.   Later stories by other writers would attempt to set Kitty’s age as being 16 or 18, which makes Kitty’s relationship with Pete a continuity error at best. 

2) In spite of Kitty being very young, people had been shipping her with Colossus for years, and it annoyed them that there was yet another obstacle for their extremely problematic-but-much-desired relationship.   

3) People accused Pete Wisdom of being a Mary Sue, since he seemed to just pop in out of nowhere and work himself into the team, win the heart of the most popular female character, and he’s supposed to be this super cool secret agent type.  The implication here was that Ellis only invented Pete as a self-insert OC for the purpose of getting it on with Kitty Pryde.  

I think there were two schools of thought on how Kitty was supposed to be portrayed in comics.   The first was that Chris Claremont had insisted on keeping her eternally 16 or whatever, this plucky kid prodigy who was always too young to get into these kinds of relationships.    Ellis’s supporters felt that this was too restrictive, and it was foolish of Claremont to think that other writers would be beholden to his wishes, especially after he left Marvel Comics in 1991.  Ellis seemed to be allowing Kitty to grow and mature as a character, and it didn’t matter if it messed around with “comic book time”, since no one knows how that works exactly anyway. 

For my part, I always thought Pete Wisdom was a fucking tool of a character.    He was yet another government spook riding on the popularity of “The X-Files”.    Plus, the conventional wisdom among comics nerds in the 90′s was that U.K. writers were better somehow, just because they liked to write snarky dialogue and deconstruct the superhero genre.   Pete Wisdom was a mutant, and he joined the Excalibur team, but he wasn’t gonna wear any poncy tights, innit?   No, he went into action with a suit and tie, smoking cigarettes and constantly drinking shots, because that’s more bloody realistic, mate.   Ellis gave him an eyepatch in 2001, because of course he did.

The point I want to make here is that Ellis came up with this big idea in the 90′s, and fans ate it up because they were X-Men fans and had no taste.   You have to understand that in the 90′s, the big overused cliche was giant guns.   The second biggest cliche was nostalgia references to the 1960′s.   So when someone trotted out “Fox Mulder, but he’s sarcastic and British”, people actually thought it was kind of fresh by comparison.  Surely this bold new concept could only take Kitty Pryde into amazing new directions...

But no, Excalibur got cancelled in 1998, and they moved Kitty back to the X-Men.  Did they even break up Pryde and Wisdom on panel?  I have no idea.   All I know is I read a bunch of her post-Excalibur appearances and she barely mentions the guy, probably because a lot of people in Marvel probably wanted to forget the time she got aged up just enough to sleep with a skeevy-looking older man.  

Looking back on it, I always sort of assumed that Ellis only did the Pete/Kitty thing because he was just looking for something interesting to do with the characters, and he wasn’t going to let tradition or continuity stand in the way.   But in 2020, the whole thing starts to feel more autobiographical, since this resembles the sort of thing he was doing with young women through his online community.   Ellis’ “apology” states that he didn’t notice the power imbalance when he was involved with these women.   “I have never considered myself famous or powerful.”   I find this insulting to my intelligence, since I used to see fans worship every stroke of his pen like he was some kind of genius.   News would come out that Warren Ellis would be taking over the writing duties of a book, and fans would say “Good, they finally fixed it.” They just trusted him to do right by whatever project he was given.    So I can only imagine how overwhelmed they might have felt when they signed up for his mailing list fan club thing and he would offer to help some of them become professional writers.  

So maybe the critics had Pete Wisdom figured out from the beginning.   Whether Ellis realized it or not, Pete was his power fantasy, an older guy just impressive enough to get the attention of a (very) young woman and take her under his wing.   And he teaches her how to drink whiskey and smoke and how to know all this black ops horseshit, and-- well whaddya know?-- they’re having the sex.   

And to a point, maybe that’s human nature.   I always wanted to be a writer because I liked the feeling of power it offered.   Imagine being the guy who could put words in Captain Picard’s mouth, or decide exactly what kind of music Superman likes.  And yeah, if I could make a name for myself in that kind of field, maybe the ladies would start to notice me, and then I’d be doing pretty well for myself.  

The thing is, I eventually learned that writing for comics is a real bullshit thing to get into.   You can’t just submit scripts, and there’s no set of steps to follow.   I remember reading stories of writers breaking into the comics industry, and they were all different, usually involving some improbable meeting with someone who was already there.  A comics writer I respect once wrote that it takes some creativity to figure out how to break in, and if you can’t find your own way, then maybe you’re not creative enough to be in the business in the first place.  

And that’s how these women got pulled into Ellis’s nonsense, I assume.    They had similar aspirations to my own, and at first he seemed to be offering them a lifeline, but then it led to something they hadn’t bargained for, and what could they do?   If they refused to have sex with him, they might have to start from scratch.   

Which sort of confirms my suspicions that writing for comics is just a bullshit job, because maybe it’s only hard to get into because of all the gatekeeping that goes on.    Why bother accepting submissions and hiring based on merit, when a handful of writers can just vouch for friends or fans willing to do anything they ask?   All I know is it’s relatively straightforward to get a job in chemistry.   I got a degree in chemistry, and then I sent out some applications, went to some interviews and they offered me a job.    Maybe if Marvel worked the same way, guys like Warren Ellis wouldn’t have the sort of unfair influence they have over their fans. 

[ploppythespaceship]

My Hopes for Picard Season 2

Have some rambly writing while I practice social distancing! Under the cut are my ideas of things I would like to see in the second season of Star Trek: Picard.

More of Laris and Zhaban.

These were two excellent characters that felt somewhat underused -- Zhaban in particular, as Laris got most of the important scenes and dialogue. Their backstory is only really given in the comics, and I’d love to see it explored properly in an actual episode. Either let them join the crew, or give an episode actually devoted to them. Perhaps some former Tal Shiar connections hunt them down, and the La Sirena crew must protect them? I don’t know, but there’s a lot of potential there.

Consequences for Picard’s android body.

Putting Picard’s consciousness into the android body was rather predictable, and seemed a deus ex machina ending for him to simply escape his terminal condition scot-free. He’s essentially the same as he was, and nothing has changed. I would love to see season 2 actually give us drawbacks for this decision. Maybe his android body has some quirks he wasn’t expect. Maybe he breaks down, or someone can hack his programming. Just allow for this major decision to be a defining point of his character going forward, not a snap fix where everything is magically the same.

More xBs.

The xBs were built up as such a good plot point, a group of people to support and rally behind, but then hardly got to do anything. I’d love to see more xBs in season 2, get to know more of them personally, experience their struggles re-integrating into society, and watch characters like Picard and Seven step in to directly help them adjust.

Justice for Hugh.

Hugh’s death was by far the most hated plot point of the season (at least with everyone I’ve spoken to). To bring back this character, make him into someone so warm and wise and instantly lovable, only to kill him off in such a shocking yet underwhelming way -- it’s deeply unfair and honestly harmed the story more than it helped. I’m not saying they should just snap their fingers and bring him back -- they did it with Culber in Discovery season 2, and imho it didn’t work at all -- but if there is a way to organically bring him back and weave him into the story once more, I welcome it. If that’s not possible, then let his presence and death hold greater weight so that he can be given greater meaning at least retroactively.

Consequences for Agnes.

Agnes’s murder of Bruce Maddox was rather brushed aside in the finale, and I don’t think that’s something to be forgotten so easily. I feel the characters should be much less reluctant to trust her, and she should be reluctant to trust herself. I hope to see her explored further in season 2, rather than simply brushing the whole thing aside.

Less Data.

Don’t get me wrong -- I love Data. He’s one of my all time favorite Star Trek characters. But he took over this season, and not always in a good way. The focus was often on him and his legacy, at the expense of other characters both past and present. He was shoehorned into the finale in the strangest way, and personally, his second death scene had absolutely no weight because of that. Brent Spiner says he’s done with the part, and I hope it sticks this time, because as much as I will miss him, Data’s time is done. Let him rest. (I also never want to hear Blue Skies ever again. We’ve done it to death now. Literally.)

More returning characters (and storylines).

While I don’t want past characters taking up all the screentime, I would like to see more coming back. Season 1 felt odd at times when Picard really should have called on old friends like Geordi, Worf, or Beverly for help, and instead he called on new characters the audience had never seen before. There’s a wealth of past characters to bring here -- the most obvious choices being the rest of TNG’s cast. But there’s also Voyager’s cast, which would work well with Seven of Nine. And we can’t forget Deep Space Nine’s cast! There’s much potential to bring back old characters in new ways, and while the thought does make me nervous, for the most part I respect the decisions made for returning characters and generally trust them with the rest.

More development for Narek.

Boy band Romulan here was tragically underdeveloped, only really becoming interesting in the finale when he began playing more of a wild card role. It’s clear there’s much more potential with his character than what they’ve seen, and I’d love to see him continue that unpredictable role with unsure allegiances. Perhaps even a redemption arc? I’m not sure exactly what I want from him, really. Just more than what we’ve been given so far.

More development for Soji.

I don’t think Soji is a bad character. I just think she was sadly underwritten. I can tell you all about what she is, but not who she is. What are her interests? Her motivations? What drives her as a person? I frankly have no idea. The writers have made the mistake of thinking that giving her a mystery is the same as giving her a personality. That needs to be fixed. While it’s easy to pin some of the blame on Isa Briones, I don’t think she’s really a bad actress. She just has so little to work with.

More Elnor.

No character in the series is as tragically sidelined as Elnor. After his introduction episode, he essentially tags along for the rest of the plot, watching as the other characters do everything. You could write him out of the series entirely with very little effort. And it makes me sad because he’s a great character! I want to see him take part in driving the plot next season, and focus further on him as a character.

More Seven of Nine.

Seven was absolutely fantastic in season 1. It was implied that she’s joining La Sirena’s crew, and I’d love her to be a main character next season. There’s clearly much more to her story to explore, including her guilt at now being a killer. And as I said above, I’d like to see Voyager characters return. Imagine seeing Seven opposite Janeway! Or Tuvok! Or the Doctor! It’d be so good.

More holograms, and hologram rights issues.

Rios’s holo-squad grew on me a lot as the series progressed, and I’d like to see even more holograms aside from them. This season focused so heavily on android rights, while largely ignoring the same issues in holograms despite the obvious parallels. Voyager started a trajectory of discussing whether holograms were sentient, primarily with the Doctor, and this series is poised to continue that same issue. You could even bring back those very characters, and let the Doctor, Zimmerman, and Barclay chime in on the issue. It’s a plot point ripe for the picking.

Less serialization.

Full serialization is not a bad thing. There are many shows that pull it off near flawlessly. But I don’t think it’s necessarily the right choice for Star Trek. Letting episodes stand on their own to focus on more individualized plots allows for a greater wealth of storytelling and puts the focus primarily on the characters. This season felt a bit unbalanced at times as it tried to tie all the characters and sideplots together into one, but a more episodic approach would largely negate these issues. There should absolutely be a flow between episodes, and perhaps even a build to a grander finale, but overall I think a slightly more segmented style of storytelling would ultimately be the better one.

More Federation nuance.

One of my biggest gripes with season 1 was its portrayal of the Federation. While I do like taking a harder look at the Federation’s mistakes, especially from such a beloved StarFleet officer like Picard, the show did take a pretty sharp turn from showing the Federation as a perfect utopia to showing them as selfish cowards who put fear before compassion. But it’s a complex organization with complex issues. Picard’s conversation with Clancy implied that there were valid political reasons to withdraw from Romulus, even if it wasn’t necessarily the humanitarian thing to do. I would love to see it explored further, without falling so heavily on one side or the other. The Federation is ultimately trying to be a force for good, but it’s certainly a flawed organization that can cause harm if it isn’t careful. Different characters may have very different views of it, and different levels of what nonsense they are willing to tolerate from it. It’s certainly a hard line to balance in storytelling, but it can be done -- Deep Space Nine did it damn near flawlessly. Be more like Deep Space Nine, Picard.

And that’s all I’ve got for now!

If you actually made it all the way down here, thanks for reading <3

[schmergo]

Henry IV part 1 at the Folger Shakespeare Library: Informal Review

Shakespeare’s history plays often get an unfair reputation for being dry and dull. Something about the Roman numerals in the titles scares audiences off, I guess. But the Folger Shakespeare Theatre’s new production of Henry IV Part 1 is sleek, energetic, and action-packed. The 2 hours and 45 minutes (with intermission) flew by and I often found myself on the edge of my seat.

Director Rosa Joshi’s production creates a distinctive world for the rebels, royals, and ruffians who populate this play: half-futuristic, half-medieval inspired. King Henry and his court bear some resemblance to Captain Picard and his crew with simple monochromatic suits decorated with a stylized “IV” insignia, matching the giant neon symbol that looms over the set. The commoners of Eastcheap look one part ‘Burning Man’ festival, one part Renaissance festival, and knights wear camouflage pants while carrying real swords. It sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it does, and it all comes together to show how timeless this play is.

The wonderfully effective set, designed by Sara Ryung Clement, is an industrial looking network of scaffolding, ppes, ladders, and a catwalk. At the center of it all sits a looming throne that easily converts to a table for the tavern scenes (complete with a hiding space)! Actors use every inch of this jungle gym set to its full potential, most effectively in the battle scenes of the final act. Even set transitions serve as character moments (for example, Worcester aggressively shoves the throne offstage with almost clawlike hands).

The play’s aesthetic was strongest in its simplicity, though the sound design, filled with loud club music and air horn sounds, could get a little excessive. Joshi’s character-driven approach to the play, along with the Folger’s intimate space, served the text better than other bombastic productions of history plays that I’ve seen recently.

As the careworn king, Peter Crook had me hanging on his every word. Crook’s commanding performance was the most masterful portrayal of Henry I’ve seen yet. It’s rare to see such a confident, sophisticated delivery of Shakespeare’s verse, especially since the title role of this play is often overshadowed by other characters. A much younger and less-experienced actor, Tyler Fauntleroy nonetheless held his own as hot-tempered soldier Hotspur. Despite being easily angered and impulsive, Fauntleroy’s Hotspur comes across as quite likeable, with passionate energy and strong stage presence. He and his wife (Maribel Martinez) share a playful, intense union of two equally stubborn and strong-willed people—not veering into violent misogyny as I sometimes see.

I was less impressed by Avery Whitted’s portrayal of Prince Hal. On paper, he does everything right. He’s clearly a talented and well-trained actor with strong physical acting skills, an expressive face, and a good sense of timing. But when he opens his mouth to speak Shakespeare’s text, it just falls flat. He seems to be holding back a little, perhaps intimidated by the responsibility. (Looking at his bio in the program, I saw that this was his first professional Shakespeare play.) I kept waiting for him to ‘imitate the sun’ and show a true virtuosity of performance late in the show, but it never happened.

In a scene in which Hal faces his father for the first time, usually an electrifying scene, I found myself watching Crook instead of listening to a single thing Hal said, and the scene never built to an emotional climax. Whitted did build a great rapport with Edward Gero’s Falstaff, and his best work occurred in the very awesome and prolonged final sword fight between Hotspur and Hal. My heart was in my throat, and I KNOW what happens there.

Gero’s Falstaff has been front and center in all of the ads and promotional materials for the show. After all, he’s a world-class Shakespearean actor and a DC area treasure, and Falstaff is one of Shakespeare’s greatest roles. I found his Falstaff a wonderfully nuanced performance by a master Shakespearean… but is it a sin if I say I wished he let Falstaff be just a little sillier?

He is totally believable as the corpulent old con artist, clearly embodying every shade of his character, and the entire theatre went dead quiet in the outstanding scene in which Falstaff, in the middle of play-acting with Hal, begs his young friend not to banish him from his company. His reactions are well-timed, his expressions are arch, his earthy delivery is enjoyable, but I just didn’t laugh as much as I often do with this character. I wonder if this will still be true further into the run, since at this early performance, I noticed him slightly misspeaking a few lines. (I doubt most people in the audience would notice, but after directing this show last year, I know most of Falstaff’s lines pretty well.)

Another local favorite, Naomi Jacobson, is a standout as the scheming Worcester, here represented as a female character. With sharp red shoes and severe silver hair, she reminds me of the ‘strutting Teresa May’ meme come to life. Although she’s obviously manipulative and self-serving, I’ve never felt so sympathetically inclined toward Worcester before. She often seemed to vibrate with the injustice of the King’s treatment of her.

In general, I thought the play was most powerful in its dramatic moments and could have leaned just a little more into the comedy. It seemed slightly afraid to get too silly (except for one or two uproarious moments—my personal favorite bit being when one of Falstaff’s minions stuck his arm inside his shirt and pretended it had been cut off after the ‘robbery scene’). But for all that, it gave a warmth and urgency to the play that I’ve seen missing from bigger productions. It also incorporated choreographed stomping, clapping, and hip-hop/step movement into battle scenes in a way that actually worked to convey the noise of battle without becoming distracting, unlike some plays I’ve seen. And the ending? Well, let's just say Bri and I both went 'Oooooooh' just before the final blackout.

Henry IV is truly a play with something for everyone, and this production was directed with a clear love for the material. I recommend catching this show before it closes on October 13! Discounted tickets are available on TodayTix.com, and you can call the Folger box office for discounted tickets for young theatregoers!

[gdelgiproducer]

What’s been your favorite staged version of JCS? (Non-concert)

First, a list of the staged (non-concert) versions of JCS I’ve seen: two high school productions (about which you’ll hear nothing in this post; it’s unfair to judge them in competition with pros), the closing performance of the 2000 Broadway revival, two performances of the national tour that followed said revival (one of which featured Carl Anderson as Judas and Barry Dennen – Pilate on the original album, Broadway, and in the 1973 film – as Herod), and four performances of a national tour initially billed as Ted Neeley’s “farewell” engagement in the role of Jesus. In total, discounting the number of performances of each, five productions, only three of which we will consider here.

The 2000 Broadway revival had basically all the problems of the video of the same production: I’m sure Gale Edwards is a fine director of other shows, but she missed the boat with this particular iteration of JCS. (Not having seen her original production at the Lyceum Theatre in 1996, which unfortunately never left that venue and was reportedly far better than the one that went wide, I can only comment on this version.) Her direction and the production design that accompanied it were full of the kinds of blatant, offensively obvious attempts at symbolism and subtlety that appeal only to pseudo-intellectual theater kids. In real life, there’s no such thing as obvious good vs. obvious evil (things just ain’t black and white, people), and any attempt to portray this concept on stage or in a film usually results in a hokey “comic book” product, which is kind of what the 2000 production was. 

The first thing Edwards did was draw her line in the sand. “These are the good guys, and these are the bad guys.” The overall production design played into this ‘line in the sand’ feel as well, being so plain in its intentions as to almost beat you over the head with them. There may have been some good concepts mixed in, but for a show that runs on moral ambiguity, they were very poorly executed and did damage to the piece. Some examples:

Annas and Caiaphas were devoutly “evil,” seemingly designed to inspire fear.  It’s easy to see good as so very good, and bad as so very bad; to want to have the evil in a nice little box. But it’s not that simple. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard (and now you know where my Star Trek loyalties lie, curse you!) once said, “…villains who twirl their mustaches are easy to spot. Those that clothe themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged.”  Evil isn’t always a clear and recognizable stereotype. Evil could be lurking inside anyone, maybe even in you, and you would never know. People aren’t inherently evil. Like good, it’s a role they grow and live into. And since history is basically a story of the developments and actions of humans over the ages, maybe it’s a mistake to view the characters who’ve played their parts in it so one-dimensionally. It doesn’t dismiss the evil they did, but it does allow one to understand that this potential to be good or to be evil is in everyone, and that it’s not always as simple as just doing the right thing.

Judas was an almost thoroughly unlikable prick (though Tony Vincent played him a tiny bit more sympathetically than Jerome Pradon in the video); in beating Jesus over the head with his cynicism and curt remarks, any sense of a fully three dimensional person was lost, leaving us with a total, utter dickhead. If the audience is to truly feel for Judas, and appreciate his fall, it’s imperative for them to see his positive relationship with Jesus. More importantly, it has to be readily apparent. It shouldn’t be the audience’s responsibility to assume as much. I never once saw any love, or even a hint of friendship, between Jesus and Judas in the 2000 production. Judas’ interactions with Jesus were a constant barrage of either completely in-your-face aggression, or more restrained (but still fully palpable) aggression. No hint of a conflict in him, or at least none the audience could see, and what use is a conflict or emotion if the audience isn’t privy to it?

And when not telegraphing an ultra-specific view of the story’s events, everything else about the design would’ve left a first-time viewer befogged. Young me liked the industrial, post-apocalyptic, pseudo-Gotham City atmosphere of the set. Older me still likes it (though I am firm in my opinion it works best on stage), but realizes what a mess the rest of it was. We’ve got Jesus and the apostles straight out of Rent, Roman guards that looked (with the choice of riot gear) like an army of Darth Vader clones with nightsticks substituting for light sabers, priests that practically stepped off the screen from The Matrix, a Pilate in generic neo-Nazi regalia, a Herod with showgirls and chorus boys that seemed to have visited from a flash-and-trash third-rate Vegas spectacular, a Temple full of ethnic stereotypes and a mish-mosh of dime-store criminals, and a creepy mob with a striking resemblance to The Addams Family that only popped up in the show’s darker moments. Lots of interesting ideas which might work (operative word being “might”) decently in productions of their own, all tossed in to spice up a rather bland soup. The solution to having a bunch of conflicting ideas is not to throw all of them at the wall at once; you look for a pattern to present itself, and follow it. If no pattern emerges from the ideas you have, it’s a sign you should start over.

You can see what my basic issue was: where other productions at least explored motivation, examining possibilities and presenting conflicting viewpoints for consideration, the 2000 production (when not utterly confused in its storytelling thanks to conflicting design) blatantly stated what it thought the motivation was without any room for interpretation – this is who they are, what they did, why they did it, so switch off your brain and accept what we put in front of you. Which, to me, is the total opposite of what JCS is about; it didn’t get famous for espousing that view, but for going totally against the grain of that.

The national tour at least had Carl and Barry to recommend for it the first time around, but for all the mistakes it corrected about the 2000 revival (swapping out the shady market in the Temple for a scene where stockbrokers worshiped the almighty dollar, with an electronic ticker broadcasting then-topical references to Enron, ImClone, and Viagra, among others, was a fun twist, and, for me, Barry Dennen gave the definitive performance of Herod), it introduced some confusing new ones as well:

For one, Carl – and, later, his replacement, Lawrence Clayton – looked twice the age of the other actors onstage. Granted, Christ was only 33 when this happened, but next to both Carl and Clayton, Eric Kunze (I thankfully never caught his predecessor) looked almost like a teenager. When Ted and Carl did the show in the Nineties and both were in their fifties, they were past the correct ages for their characters, but it worked – in addition to their being terrific performers and friends in real life whose chemistry was reflected onstage – because they were around the same age, so it wasn’t so glaring. Without that dynamic, the way Jesus and Judas looked together just seemed weird, and it didn’t help anyone accept their relationship.

Speaking of looking weird together, the performer playing Caiaphas – who was bald, and so unfortunately resembled a member of the Blue Man Group thanks to the color of lighting frequently focused on the priests – was enormously big and tall, while the actor in the role of Annas was extremely short. Basically, Big Guy, Little Guy in action. Every time I saw them onstage, I had to stifle the urge to laugh out loud. I’ve written a great deal about how Caiaphas and Annas are not (supposed to be) the show’s villains, but that’s still not the reaction I should have to them.

The relentlessness of pace was ridiculous. It was so fast that the show, which started at 1:40 PM, was down by 3:30 PM – and that included a 20-minute intermission. What time does that leave for any moments to be taken at all? A scene barely even ended before the next began. At the end of the Temple scene, Jesus threw all the lepers out, rolled over, and there was Mary singing the “Everything’s Alright” reprise already. How about a second to breathe for Mary to get there? Nope. How about giving Judas and Jesus two seconds’ break in the betrayal scene at Gethsemane? The guards were already grabbing Christ the minute he was kissed. I was so absolutely exhausted towards the end of the show that I was tempted to holler at the stage to please slow down for a minute. The pace didn’t allow for any moment in the show to be completed, if it was ever begun; it was just too fast to really take advantage of subtle touches and moments the actors could’ve had, and as a result, I think they were unable to build even a general emotional connection, because one certainly didn’t come across.

The cast was uniformly talented singing-wise, with excellent ranges and very accomplished voices. (In fact, the second time around, the woman understudying Mary, Darlesia Cearcy, walked away with the whole show in my opinion, and I am incredibly glad to have seen her career take off since then.) But, in addition to some being more concerned with singing the notes on the page just because they were there than imbuing them with emotion and motivation, the cast was undercut by the choices that production made with the music. For one, there’s a huge difference between singing “words and notes” and singing “lyrics and phrases.” When you have a phrase like “Ah, gentlemen, you know why we are here / We’ve not much time, and quite a problem here…” you sing the sentence, and if sometimes a word needs to be spoken, you do that. You don’t make sure you hit every single note by treating each like a “money note” (which you hit and hold as long as you can to make sure everyone hears it), dragging out the tempo to hang on to each note as long as you can. Generally, the actors were so busy making sure every note was sung – and worse, sung like a money note – that they missed the point of singing a phrase, and how to use one to their advantage. Caiaphas and Pilate were particularly egregious offenders. (I’ve never understood some of these conductors who are so concerned that every note written has to be sung. The result suffers from it.) 

And then there’s Ted’s production. Of the three, it’s the one I liked the most, but that’s not saying much when it was better by default. 

The production design was stripped-down, the set basically limited to a bridge, some steps, a stage deck with some levels, and a couple of drops (and a noose) that were “flown in.” The costumes were simple, the sound was very well-balanced, and the lighting was the icing on the cake. Combined, the story they told was clear.

The music sounded very full, considering the pit consisted of a five-piece band relying in part on orchestral samples.

Ted, for being of advanced age, was in terrific form vocally, if his acting fell back a little much on huge, obvious, emotive gestures and choices. (I love him and all, but his attempts at acting were kind of like a “Mr. Jesus” pageant, striking all the appropriate Renaissance poses. The film, through editing and close-ups, allows him a subtlety he just ain’t got onstage.)

And there were some beautiful stage pictures; for example, there was a drop with an image of a coin with Caesar’s head on it in the Temple scene, and it fell on the crowd when Jesus cleared out the riff-raff. In the leper sequence that followed, the chorus’ heads popped out of holes in the cloth, under which they undulated, pulsing to the beat, and rather than being treated as a literal mob scene, the sequence had a very dream-like effect, a mass of lost souls reaching out to Christ. It was rather like a Blake painting, with a creepy vibe in a different manner from the typical “physically overwhelm him” approach. He didn’t interact with them, didn’t even turn to look at them, until finally he whipped around with a banishing thrust of his arm, hollering “Heal yourselves!” Sometimes it was over-acted with annoying character voices (remember, I saw this four times), but when it wasn’t, the effect was chilling.

My main beef with the show was, oddly enough, on a similar line to my beef with Gale Edwards’ production: it drew lines in the sand. But in this case, it drew them with respect to Jesus’ divinity. 

As written, JCS deals with Jesus as if he were only a man, and not the Son of God. The show never suggests that Jesus isn’t divine, but neither does it reinforce the view that he is. Portrayed in detail in JCS is the mostly-unexplored human side: ecstasy and depression, trial and error, success and regret. He agonizes over his fate, is often unsure of his divinity, and rails at God. Not so in this production. Aside from “The Temple” and “Gethsemane,” there was never any room for doubt that Jesus was the mystical, magic man portrayed in the Gospels.

At the top of the show, after a fight between his followers and the Romans during the overture (a popular staging choice I’m not a real fan of, but you’ve got to do something during that moment in a fully staged version, and I understand why it’s an easy choice to make for exposition purposes), Jesus made his majestic entrance, spotlit in robes that looked whiter than Clorox bleach could produce, and raised a man from the dead. Well, where’s the room for Judas to doubt? Clearly “this talk of God is true,” we just saw it! If this guy is actually capable of performing miracles, and more than that specializes in necromancy, good luck telling him that fame has gone to his head at the expense of the message and he’s losing sight of the consequences! Try explaining to anyone that that person is “just a man”!

If that weren’t enough, Jesus went on to have a constant connection with God throughout the show, speaking to a spotlight that focused only on him and often served to distract him from anything else happening onstage, and at the end, during “John 19:41,” his body separated from the cross, which fell back into the stage, and he ascended to heaven. 

Now, though the former was admittedly played to excess (some reviewers unkindly compared Neeley to a homeless man with Bluetooth), there are arguments to be made in favor of both of these choices: a Jesus who constantly seeks a connection with God that isn’t reciprocated, searching for guidance or at least a friggin’ clue, is great foreshadowing for his eruption – and acceptance – in “Gethsemane.” As for the ascension, depending on how it’s staged, there’s room for argument that it could be interpreted more metaphorically than literally, as the moment when Jesus’ spirit is born, as Carl Anderson once put it (meaning, to me, that his message is given life and strength when his body fails him). But this production didn’t have that level of shading and layers to it, and coupled with the resurrection at the start, it defeated the rest of the story.

None of ‘em’s perfect, and I don’t think I could create the perfect one. Thus, concert.

[randomnessunicorn-imagine]

S/O declare their love to Picard, Data, Geordie and Deanna writing a poem to them and then they recite it in front of the entire Enterprise crew with no shame, S/O confess to them that they have always been their muse and they feel very awkward now. >w>

{Thank you a lot for your amazing ask.

Take example from them and send StarTrek asks !!!! }

✒️ JEAN-LUC PICARD ✒️

Everyone knows he is a hopelessgreat romantic and he just loves every kind of romantic gesture.

Well, you and Picard are goodfriends, you two often talk about books and dramatic works. We could say youare literature buddies and you have your own literature club in your quartersbut your relationship has never gone further than it and you two were only bookfriends.

You are completely in love with theCaptain -but who would not be in love with this man- and you are tired ofhiding your feelings. You know you are hopeless and he would never feel thesame warm and deep love you feel for him…

However, you want him to know thetruth because you are tired of lying to yourself and it’s killing you inside,you have to release your feelings and maybe then you will feel better…

Well, your heart will be broken–your hopes are low- but, at least, you won’t torment yourself anymore.

Since you know he is a superromantic man, he loves Shakespeare and dramas and so you decided to write alove poetry for him. Here, you declare the burning feelings of love you havefor him.

He could expect everything but apoem… A poem for him!

Picard knows you are a poet and sometimesyou also write short stories and songs but you have never written something forhim before.

You write words only he canunderstand because your poem is not so direct, in fact, you use metaphors andrhymes that are related to him and he realizes it. He can’t believe you’retalking about him in your poem.

Every verse you say makes his heartbeating faster and his mind burning. He just can’t stop looking at you whileyou recite your poem in front of everyone. Your glance is tender and you lookin his direction. Your eyes are saying lot of things, they are saying “I loveyou” just like the words of your poem.

It’s like you and Picard are theonly one here, this big room is empty and you and Picard are alone. Your voice cradleshim and he feels so warmed and glad, he smiles and so you understand thatmaybe… Maybe you are not so hopeless because he loves you the same way you lovehim.

At the end of your poetry, everyoneapplauses you and then Picard invites you in his quarters to talk about yourpoetry because he truly needs to discuss about it. He wants you to be moredirect about your feelings, he understood the poem was for him but he needs youto tell him the truth.

Then, he has to thank you for yoursweet words and he will put all his effort to write a proper poetry of reply, becauseyou deserve it even if his poem won’t be so beautiful (it’s actually verybeautiful but he’s just too modest) but he won’t read it in front of everyone.Maybe he would be embarrassed to read it aloud to you but he will try, he just wantto keep this moment private and intimate.

✒️ DATA ✒️

You two are poem-buddies because youlove this art a lot.

Data has a lot to learn about poetrybut not about the technique and the metric because he composes perfect poetrieswith perfect metric but he has some problem with the human side of poetry.Because a good poetry should convey to the audience feelings and sensations.

Since he is unable to feel any kindof feeling, he is not so sure if his poems can give emotions to people since hedoes not feel them. It is a paradox but he keeps trying and studying this artbecause it is another way to get closer to the human race and so realize hisdream.

Data considers you as his “teacher”because you are a great poet, you have also published some books of poetriesand so you are the right person who can help and advise him about this subject.

You feel very honoured even if youare embarrassed and you don’t think you can teach to an android something hedoes not already know because Data is an android and so he’s supposed to knoweverything.

Well, his lack of feelings makes thejob very hard and you understand he needs help but you are glad you can spend sometime with him. With time, you even develop a serious crush on him and everymoment you live with him is golden.

You are already sad because you knowhe would never share your love feelings since he is unable of it. It’s not hisfault but it’s still unfair. Life is unfair and you want to hide yourself andforget about it. Just erase your love feelings because they are useless sincekeeping them make you suffer the pains of hell.

You start writing and writing yoursorrow because it is the only way you have to vent. Because writing make you alwaysfeel better, it is like a therapy and it works every time. It actually worksbecause you write a poetry and this is really good.

You write about the feelings of loveyou feel for Data, you feel sad because you know your love is not meant to be,you are hopeless and melancholic for something that will never happen. Atleast, you have written a great poem thanks to your sadness, it can be aconsolation, more or less.

You just can’t ignore and hide yourfeelings for too long because it is not healthy and you need to break themfree. Even if Data will never love you but, at least, you won’t live with theregret of not having tell him the truth and so you decide to do the craziestthing you could do: reading your poetry to him. Literally declare your feelingswith no shame because you have nothing to hide and you are sick and tired ofsuffering alone and silently.

You read your poem in front of him and otherofficers and nobody could expect it was a love poetry.

Actually, everyone understands itexcept of Data who did not imagine it was for him. Well, then he realizedbecause the thing is too obvious and your words are direct to him without filter.You just want Data to understand because you knew he had problems with feelingsand so you had to be clear and concise.

At the end of the performance evenif everybody found your poetry very beautiful, you run away because you are tooembarrassed, you are going to explode.

Data does not understand why you arecrying because you have been good but then he connects the points and heunderstands you just feel sad because of him… Well, it’s quite obvious.

He may not feel feelings but he isgood to analyse the circumstance and he perfectly understands what happened toyou and he searches for you because he can’t leave you alone crying. He wouldfeel guilty if he would actually feel something.

When Data finds you, you are veryembarrassed but he seems calm and he starts talking to you. He says that heunderstood your poetry was dedicated to him. He also said it was very beautifuland well written, you have also recited it masterfully. He also feels honouredyou have written it for him but he would lie if he would say he could returnyour feelings even if he truly would desire to do it.

At his words, when he says –atleast, he tries to say- that he would like to be able to love you, you justcan’t believe his words. Yes, this was a mere theory but he has not rejectedyou. Somehow, he has accepted your feelings and he is glad -yes, still in his own way.

Actually, Data asks you if you wantto try to have a romantic relationship with him even if he can’t give you thelove you deserve but the two of you can try and find a way to make it works.You know, he is very determined and understanding and so he will analyse andtry any way to make it right.

Other than that, Data does notforget about your lovely poetry and he wants to write a poetry for you as well.Even if it won’t be so emotional but hey, it’s still a wonderful gift from thegentle android and you are happier than a kid at Christmas.

✒️ GEORDIE LA FORGE ✒️

He is not a poet but he is yourbiggest fan because you always make him read your poems and he finds them sobeautiful.

Really, he thinks you should havebecome a writer or something and he wonders why a talented person like you ishere. Well, he would have not met you if you were somewhere else and so he isglad you share your art with him. Even if he does not understand that much buthe likes spending his time with you and you love his company as well.

You have a big crush on Geordie andhe has a big crush on you but the two of you have not found the right time andway to declare your feelings. It is so hard and you just want it to be perfectand romantic.

Geordie is not very sure and hedoubts you could feel something for him, so you are not the only one to be alittle confused and unable to find the right words to explicate your wonderfulfeeling.

Sometimes, he has even tried towrite a poem for you, even if it was for fun but you just made him wonder if hecould be able to compose a poem. He often helps his friend Data because theandroid is a poet and so Geordie thought he could try and maybe find somepretty verses to dedicate to you but for now he has not found anything and he isstill waiting for his muse.

There are so many interesting eventson the Enterprise that regard music, art and literature and the crew of theEnterprise other than being officers and cadets are also artists, singers,writers and actors. This is the human side of the Enterprise you adore,everyone here is so creative and you just love participating at these events.You often recite your poetries in front of the people and you have a greatidea.

You decided to declare your lovefeelings for Geordie using your favourite form of art, poetry. Because this isthe only way you know to open up your heart.

Geordie does not expect your performanceand it is a big surprise for him. He is used to watch your performances but youusually tell him but this time he is unprepared, this is a big surprise. Thiswill be a bigger surprise when he will realize what kind of poetry you wrote.

He is completely impressed and, atfirst, he does not understand that poetry is for him. But then, when you keepobserving him and your verses become clearer and more direct, well… Heexplodes! This is too good to be true. His smile becomes big and smooth, hefeels very flattered and glad.

He really can’t contain himself, hisapplauses are super loud, he screams how wonderful you are and his embarrassmentruns away. He feels like a stupid because he has doubted you could feel thesame but he is happy because you have just said you love him in the mostromantic way possible. He could not do better than what you did, he is soimpressed and happy.

As always, he says some sarcastic jokesand the two of you laugh, then he has to thank you for this big show.

Now he has to write a poetry foryou, he has to return the gesture and maybe it will be funny, he is not a poetbut he can try. So the next time you will be the impressed one.

✒️ DEANNA TROI ✒️

You and Deanna are best friends andshe finds your passion for poetry enchanting.

She loves being the audience of yourlittle shows because you are very shy and unable to speak in front of the crowd.

You express your true self withpoetry since you are unable to explicate yourself properly but speaking usingpoem is easier for you and you can say those things you would be unable toexplicate in a normal conversation.

At first, you were only one of the numerouspatients of Deanna because you had some anxious and social problems and youwere very afraid and so you talked with her every week.

It was obvious you have developed acrush on her since she is so sweet and gentle, she is perfect and she is theonly one who understands you and don’t pressure you. Your soul is free andDeanna makes your days brighter.

Deanna is aware of your feelings butshe does not say anything because she does not want to cause you painespecially during your meetings. They have to be professional and so she can’ttreat you as her friend, you understand it and so you can deal with it but notfor too long.

At a certain point, your feelingsbecome so strong and deep and you can’t keep everything inside. You can’ttolerate this agony anymore and you have to tell her the truth even if it isdifficult because you are still afraid and you don’t want to be rejected orhumiliated even if she would never hurt you, Deanna is kind and she would neverbe angry with you.

You do the thing you love the most:writing poems. You write a poem for Deanna even if it’s not the first time youdo it because she is your muse and she inspires you a lot. She is the reason youfeel good now and you are healing. She is your heroine and you want to declarethe grand love you feel for her. There is no better way for declaring yourfeelings than using a poetry and Deanna is a romantic girl, so she willappreciate.

Even if she won’t accept your love,she deserves it, you have to get rid of this stress, and so you decide torecite your poetry in front of everyone.

Deanna is impressed, she could notimagine you have the courage to speak in front of all these people, you made alot of progress and she is proud of you.

Your poetry makes her heartexploding and she can perceive all your emotions you put in your poem. Shefeels your same feelings and she is going to cry like a little girl.

In your poetry, you thank her forthe help she gave you, which she was your saviour and she listened to you whennobody else did and that she was always here even when she had no reason to listen to your complains. Or even when you visited her quarters during the night because you werenervous, she was there to listen to your vents and cries and she has neverjudged you but she has always smiled and welcomed you in her arms. She wasalways here and she will always be.

Deanna has no words to define herjoy because you are so sweet and she feels so honoured you dedicated to hersuch wonderful verses and she can’t stop thanking you. This is the greatestgift you could donate to her and she is glad you have overcome your fear, youhave been able to speak here to all these people.

This is a double win for both andshe is glad if you accept her invitation to have dinner together.