#pitch embodies trauma

[fanarchoslashivist]

Taking Pitch Black away from the Pitch Black fans until they start loving him for his actual character and not whatever sadboy fandom personality they give him.

He happily murdered people. That is a significant part of his lore. He murdered people. MiM, Emily Jane, Sandy, and Bunnymund are not the last survivors of their people for no reason. Begging people to love tragic villain characters for their tragic villainy.

On my knees begging people for actual villain Pitch content.

[dangermousie]

Top Dozen cdramas - 2024

This can obviously change but nothing truly exciting looks to air for the rest of the year so that's unlikely. My Top Dozen for the year are likely be set in stone.

It's a very idiosyncratic list which has two mini dramas, three moderns (!!! for me that's insane) and a lot of vibes dramas.

12 Hard to Find - all vibes all the times. A tragic romance that feels like a Gothic fairytale, this is what minidramas could be.

11 Love In the Desert - out of all the dramas on this list, this is the one that screams most "a good time." It's a romance and visual feast and webnovel madness and sexy good time and it made me cry.

10 Fortune Writer - a mini that is so smart and meta and fun about narratives and fate and villainy and fighting the story itself. So clever.

9 Derailment - a puzzle and a love story, telling most anything about it would be a spoiler but this story about a rich girl from 2025 who seemingly wakes up in a parallel universe in 2023 in body of a poor doppelganger, and the young man who was in love with the original has everything including addressing what it must feel to people to have a transmigrator possess a loved one.

8 Tender Light - the ending was just - it's the reason it's not n1. But the rest of this drama about an abused wife and an idealistic young man refusing to bow to societal pressure was just exquisite. It addresses morality and loneliness and complicity and sacrifice. Just incredible. Poetry in motion.

7 Will Love In Spring - a modern romance cdrama? In my list? Is the world ending? But seriously, this is such a gorgeous, realistic yet intense exploration of love and loss and trauma. It made me utterly reevaluate Li Xian to boot.

6 Snowfall - this is such a fever dream of a mood piece of a vampire romance, with seriously BDSM and gay vibes, as well as utterly incredible canon age gap ride or die OTP with Ouyang Nana bothering to act for the first time in her life and Vengo Gao embodying a gentleman vampire to perfection. Li Muge remains one of my favorite directors for a reason.

5 Heroes - the story of three very different men all consigned to the dustheap of history by changing times (the best swordsman in the era of guns, a former imperial guard of a regime about to be overthrown, a constable obedient to obsolete code who studied for imperial exams which got abolished) as the Qing dynasty is about to fall, this has fights, humor, three (!) separate love stories, philosophy and utter and complete heartbreak. The performances, the ideas, the filming and the writing all combine to make a bleak masterpiece with a 99% death rate (I am not kidding, only tertiaries make it out.) If I were in charge, it would get all the awards.

4 The Legend of Shen Li - the one truly mainstream idol costume hit on the list. It's an adult, passionate xianxia that reunites Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin as deities and battle powerhouses in a love story that is so full of yearning and passion and intensity I feel like peeking through my fingers. This is everything xianxia romance tries to be and almost never is. This just might be my favorite xianxia of all time, tbh.

3 Eternal Brotherhood - a dark horse whose existence I didn't even know about before it aired. Visually stunning despite its tiny budget, this narrative about three sworn brothers in a kingdom and world in crisis, is pitch perfect in its humor, its intensity, its tragedy and its themes (also THREE!!!! amazing love stories despite not being a romance-centric show.) The battles, the friendships, the traumas, the darkness at the heart of it all!

2 Fangs of Fortune - the sole drama that can rival JoL2 for me (only caveat is it's still airing), this is visually the most jaw dropping drama I've ever seen, but it's also high fantasy the way it should be - making me feel so immersed that stopping feels like coming up from a deep dive or waking up from a hypervivid dream. It has impeccable performances (many from actors who I don't normally even like), and its plot and relationships and themes - fate and sacrifice and choice and found family bonds and trauma and so many other things - make it feel as if it was made just for me.

1 Joy of Life 2 - THE drama of 2024 for me. It's somehow better than the incredible first installment. It's funny, it's heartbreaking, it has insane performances, a narrative that hits all my personally favorite themes (a person trying to remain human in an inhuman world, righteousness not being weak), a large cast of fascinating characters who feel like they live in front of me (there are no throwaway roles in this), my favorite ship of the year (though it's not even a ship-centric show) and above all, Zhang Ruoyun's live wire of a performance as Fan Xian, arguably my favorite cdrama character of all time. It should not work yet it does. Brilliantly.

[obriengf]

hiya! can yous do Mitch & 6 please ?

thanks 🩷

send me a prompt for some oblivious love blurbs ✩ Notes: weirdly obsessed with his shoulders right now

MISCOMMUNICATION

Mitch Rapp was difficult to understand; signals were crossed and mixed to the point where a blur was left behind, emotions swinging left and right as they failed to settle, and looks that were longing one second before harnessing avoidance the next. You didn't know whether he was coming or going and it pulled so much harder at your heart than you ever anticipated it would. You didn't think that falling for such a man would leave you awake at night, constant thoughts running through your mind about the things he said or did - trying to analyse their meanings, trying to find even a slither of hope that there was something worthwhile there. He made butterflies flutter, but he could also make them sink. Coldness stemming from his neutral gaze had the capacity to suddenly warm and light up the space you surrounded yourself in. He would soothe any stresses you had with his undivided attention, or leave you so utterly alone to lick at your wounds in silence. Mitch Rapp was an enigma, which both hurt and healed you. And for some reason, you loved him for it. For all of it.

You were trained to be robotic; every move was calculated to an exact second, every thought confident and assured before being acted upon. Mistakes weren't just frowned upon, they were inexcusable, and a single minuscule hair out of place was enough to brand one as atrociously disreputable in the eyes of the Central Intelligence Agency. But it wasn't until you were behind closed doors and the thrill of your mission was over, that you managed to exhale out the craziness and finally be human again. The past few days had been difficult - Portugal had worn you down, and the fresh scar draped from the edge of your ribs to the crease of your hip had only just started to heal. The skin was still raw as it sported a flushed shade of pink, but the suture that had taken years to properly perfect was holding together nicely. You had difficulty moving about, and usually, it wouldn't bother you as the mission was over, but right now you'd do anything in this moment to escape your hotel room. With squinted eyes, you cringed from the raising pitch of your partner's voice - the tone booming as it chastised you. The 'blame-game' was one that you never won, and even though you tried, you couldn't even cheat your way into the winning circle. You were underneath a spotlight and you hated it, despite only the two of you occupying the temporary living space. Mitch had started, and he hadn't planned on stopping until his point got across. "Are you out of your fucking mind!?" He yelled, the small space you sat within only amplifying the delivery even more. This Mitch was the one that you often saw clouded by cold tones and closed-off personalities. It's the one that made you walk on eggshells and question everything you had said or done priorly that day. It's the one that told you what you should have done, and not praised what you had done right. This Mitch was the one that you had first met when he had been a recruit, and all of that trauma that led him to you was still buried so deep inside his tortured heart and mind. You could never tell if he was being protective of himself, or of you. He is different to the Mitch that you saw a few days ago, however. This one was scared, frozen in place as he watched a knife aim for your stomach but instead drag down your side. His eyes had grown wide with worry as you collapsed in a small puddle of your blood, and his touch was delicate and gentle as it cupped at your cheeks and told you that everything will be okay. This Mitch scooped you into his arms and took you somewhere safe, with his own hands trembling in fear. He embodied warmth and care, and for a second you swore you saw his baby-brown eyes glaze with nervous tears. You were hastily brought back to your hotel room as you heard Mitch groan loudly, his rant continuing as he overlooked how you momentarily spaced out. Your focus flicked up to him as his hands tugged roughly at his growing locks, brows furrowed and voice raspy from the exertion, "You need to be more careful! What the hell was going through your damn head!? Everything was going according to plan and you had to go rogue? Are you fucking serious?! You could've died! " "Then why didn't you just leave me there if I'm such a damn liability then, Mitch?" You were tired. He had let you rest since the mission had been completed, successfully, but in true Mitch Rapp fashion, he still had to tell you what you had done wrong. He grunted at your comment, nostrils flaring as he seemed to briefly consider whether to continue lashing out. You watched as his left hand balled into a fist, veins protruding up the back of his hand and over his wrist, as he channelled his emotions into the tension of his curled hand. The man eventually released the hold after his knuckles grew white, only to point a stern finger in your direction, "I never leave people behind. I especially would never leave you behind, don't you ever say that."

Your head shook as your tongue clicked, perplexed over his conflicting temperaments, "I don't understand what you want from me!" Your own voice rose, surprising Mitch as much as it did you as you both jumped ever so slightly. The room fell quiet for the first time since he barged through your door. The shrill of your voices had died and was instead replaced with heavy breaths and a staring contest between two sets of sad and confused eyes.

Mitch tilted his head in bewilderment, an ask for you to elaborate before you continued with an exasperated sigh, "It's always Good -Cop Bad-Cop with you. One minute, you can be the sweetest man I've ever met who would do anything to make me laugh, or smile. And then, other times y-you're just a whole different person, like all of your walls are suddenly back up and you have a fucking grudge against the world like a goddamn moody teenager!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He was taken aback, voice leaving breathless as he took a tentative step closer to you. Not that he could pretend - Mitch knew that the hot-cold treatment was cruel, but he couldn't help it. Emotion to Mitch Rapp usually held a capacity for pure anger and revenge, but being with you allowed him to open up to many more possibilities. It terrified him, and he had been in such a slump for so long that he didn't know what to do. But he did need you, he needed his light.

"Just tell me what's going on, Mitch! Because it's so fucking hard to read you sometimes and it makes me want to tear my hair out and scream -"

"I LOVE YOU!" His voice echoed once more, the sentiment ringing through the enclosed space. Whisky-coloured hues glazed as his heart became exposed, laying out raw for you to see. Your expression harnessed shock and the lack of response made his laugh hollow and brittle. Mitch shook his head, focusing now on the scruffed toes of his shoes, "I'm in love with you. I thought you knew - "

"No, I didn't." You managed to say with whispered words, observing how the usually confident man in front of you now sank and closed in on himself. He was shutting down, drained from your fight and from the roller-coaster of the past few days. He already thought he was going to lose you when he felt the fresh warmth of your blood run through his fingers only a mere few days ago, but now, he might've just lost you as a staple in his life for good.

Silence had returned, yet it rang the loudest of anything else within that room that night. You had always expected that you'd fall for Mitch Rapp - how could you not? He had his moments of hilarity, amusing you when things got a bit dim or when mischievousness wove itself into his boredom. He held passion proudly like a medal when his interests were at play, showing just how he can truly immerse himself into hobbies or things that he liked. He was tough, both mentally and physically, and it was admirable to see how he would always stand up after being knocked down. He was also sweet when he wanted to be - even when he was raising his voice, purely exposing his protectiveness. Plus, he definitely wasn't bad to look at either.

What you didn't expect, however, was for him to have fallen for you, too.

"I hadn't even thought of loving anybody after Katrina died." His voice broke the barrier, eyes still peering down. Mitch drew a breath, his exhale shaky as he tried to gather himself, "I mean, I always seem to lose the people I love, and she was the last straw." The man cleared his throat as his hand ran back through his already teased hair, his stress evident, and he suddenly peered up at you, "Until a pain in my ass was elected my partner, and became so incredibly annoying that I began to find it endearing. Before I knew it, I was dreaming of life after all of this agent bullshit, married with kids, the whole white-picket-fence ordeal. And we were so damn happy."

A sweet smile shone his way through quivering lips and matching teary eyes. You held out your hand, desperate to have his hold ground you as Mitch's fingers slid between yours and he squeezed with complete adoration.

He licked his lips, "I'm sorry for yelling. I was just scared that I'd lose you, like I did the others. Because if anything happened to you, sweetheart, I swear - "

"You'd burn down the world?" You interjected a small chuckle from Mitch solidifying your correct choice of words.

"You have no idea just what I'd do for you." His other hand reached out to push back the small strands crowding your forehead, calloused fingertips never feeling so soft against your skin before. "I thought it'd be easier to shut you out, if I'm being honest... If I didn't love you, then it wouldn't hurt. But let's be fucking real, that's just impossible."

Pieces fell into place with perfect precision the moment your arms secured around his neck, your nose pushed into his shoulder, and his grip securing tightly around your waist. This moment was one filled with clarity and understanding, a mutual passion that cleared the air and prompted harmonising beats of hearts against two flushed chests.

"I bet it'd be even more impossible, since I love you, too." Your voice muffled against the worn cotton of his shirt, but Mitch heard you. His shoulders sunk in comfort, arms tightening even more, and the light of his life growing brighter with each and every passing second.

[bairdthereader]

Charlie Spring, An Appreciation: Part 3, Cool

Charles Francis Spring is epically cool, and no, I won't be taking questions. Yes, Nick is undeniably awesome, and he's popular, and he's the rugby king, but Charlie is by no means outclassed here. It's even stated (by some of the rugby lads, no less) in the first comic that Charlie is generally liked wherever he goes and fits in with everyone. So let's take a stroll through the many ways Charlie embodies cool--all, it must be noted, while being his authentic self.

We'll go for the obvious first: our guy plays the drums, which has been synonymous with coolness basically since time began. And Nick agrees, so there's no point denying it. [Side note: I really wish we got to see more of Charlie playing for fun in the show. Other than when he's trying to teach Nick to play and preparing for the spring concert, we only see him play when he's upset about something. And only once in S2, which is criminal. Can't wait for that festival gig in S3.]

If musical talent isn't enough, we've got Charlie's academic prowess. Sure, this could class him as a "nerd," but really, I think we all know this just means he's all-around brilliant. Not to mention that he's maintained his high academic standards (with the exception of that history coursework, and who could blame him) throughout some really challenging life experiences. I mean, look at Nick's I-know-the-answer-to-this-question-because-my-super-smart-boyfriend-helped-me-revise face. That's all you need to know.

It's well established that Charlie is a "super fast" runner, so he also has physical accomplishments we can add to the list. But let's talk about rugby, because as we all know, this is not something that comes naturally or easily to Charlie. And yet. He attacks it, learns it, and ultimately succeeds. Will he ever be a rugby king? No, but the fact that he manages to go from a complete novice to a competent, productive part of the team reveals yet another facet of his determination and tenacity. And I challenge anyone who doubts Charlie to watch this little moment (with Flor's pitch-perfect "Heart" playing in the background) and still think this boy can't do anything he sets his mind to.

Charlie may not be the rugby king, but he is indisputably the Mario Kart king. Honestly not sure why anyone bothers challenging him anymore. That throne cannot be toppled. 👑

Charlie has a lot more self confidence than I think he's usually given credit for. He has periods of doubt, of course, but who doesn't? I love seeing these moments where his confidence is on display, whether they're big, consequential moments or quiet ones, because it shows that his past trauma hasn't completely overruled his sense of self. He knows his worth, and his strength, even if he occasionally forgets. Charlie is as strong as they come.

Let us not overlook the fact that Charlie Spring is a huge, unapologetic (and very successful) flirt. And, I'd venture to argue, a little bit more of a smooth operator than even Nick. Even though he occasionally second-guesses himself, these flirty shenanigans reveal that Charlie has a core of confidence both in Nick's reciprocation of Charlie's feelings, but also in himself and his own desirability.

But really, all we needed to see to know Charlie is cool is this: epic jumper collection, ripped black skinny jeans, raglans, Nick's hoodies, plaids...

And this:

Your honor, I rest my case.

[contemplatingoutlander]

Biden goes positive. Can voters handle it?

Jennifer Rubin discusses Biden's new positive ad. If the question is, "Can voters handle" Biden's positive ad, the answer is, it's about time the Democrats told the story of Biden's successes to counteract the relentless disinformation about Biden coming from the right.

But even more important than that, Rubin brings home the fact that neofascists and demagogues NEED people to believe that their nation is falling apart and ONLY the Dear Leader can fix it. That's why it is particularly important to counteract Trump's and the GOP's dystopian disinformation about America under Biden.

Here are some excerpts from Rubin's column.

Biden’s ad, “Fought Back,” reminds us how bad things were under his predecessor, touts Biden’s economic accomplishments and accuses Republicans (while displaying Trump’s picture) of running America down. A list of bipartisan accomplishments, such as the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Chips bill, refutes the notion that the United States is paralyzed or incapable of solving its problems. [...] This message embodies Biden’s endemic optimism: “We just have to remember who we are. We’re the United States of America. And there’s nothing — nothing beyond our capacity — if we do it together.” Moreover, it rebukes Trump’s negativity, in effect saying: Refusing to credit the improvements in the economy is tantamount to slamming Americans and discrediting their hard work. (The ad shows Biden delivering one of his favorite lines: “It’s never, ever been a good bet to bet against America.”) [...] Biden stands ready to explain how his agenda — “Bidenomics” — brought us from fears of a pandemic recession to recovery. With unemployment and inflation in decline and wages rising, the public finally might be more amenable to hearing an uplifting message. Biden would be foolish not to take credit for gains achieved as a result of smart policy and bipartisan legislative wins. However, Biden’s ad does something more than present an economic argument. He’s asking a larger question: Do we really want to go back to the trauma of the Trump years? He is betting that voters, even if they are uncertain about the future, don’t want to wallow in anger, fear and pessimism. He offers not only a choice between two policies but also two different visions, which are miles apart in tone. [...] Historians tell us that fascism arises in a mood of “cultural pessimism” that fosters a demand to entirely remake government and casts the authoritarian strongman as a messianic-like figure who can arrest decline. Without cultural, economic and political ruin and ensuing panic, there is no crisis to quell. By contrast, if a democracy is producing real gains and people see improvement, voters will be less inclined to throw the entire system overboard to follow the cult leader. No wonder hyperbole, fearmongering and hysteria are part and parcel of the MAGA message. [...] For Trump, the present is always bleak; hence, we have to go back to the past to make America great again — and rely on him to fix things. Biden, therefore, has the task of not simply correcting the economic record but also of diffusing — perhaps mocking — Trump’s excessive negativity. Things are bad for Trump, but they need not be bad for the rest of us. We’ll be just fine if we keep our heads about us, look at the facts and trust in ourselves. That’s not a bad pitch for Biden or, for that matter, any democracy trying to ward off a hysterical demagogue. [color/emphasis added]

[thealexchen]

Who have given the top 5 or more (or at least some of your favs of each game you played) best voice acting performances in the life is strange franchise in your opinion?

Oh, this is fun! This is my top 5 ranking, where 1 is the best:

5. Han Soto as Gabe Chen: I think Han's performance is really underrated, but he brought a very believable warmth and gentleness to Gabe that balanced his humor and would've made his character shallow without it. Han's actual voice has a steady cadence to it that you really hear in his performance in Alex's nightmare, where he both guides Alex through her past traumas but also refuses to let her give up. It's this mix of sternness and empathy that sells the delivery of "You were eleven years old!" and reminding Alex she doesn't need to be defined by her trauma. Also irl, Han is basically Gabe in streams and it's so wholesome.

4. Rhianna DeVries as BtS Chloe Price: I was as nervous as everyone else when I heard Ashly wouldn't be returning as Chloe in Before the Storm, but by the end of the game I fully believed Rhianna as a younger Chloe. Rhianna as a person [they use they/them now] is delightful-- if you've listened to any of their interviews, they have such an easygoing and fun sense of humor that's impossible not to like, and they bring a lot of that to Chloe. Part of it is the writing and directing too, but seeing a much dorkier 16-year-old Chloe was so charming because of Rhianna's performance. I still think about lines like "RIGHT IN THE DICK," "but also how well they voice Chloe's more vulnerable moments, like talking quietly to Rachel in her room in "Hell is Empty." I can also tell how much playing Chloe, a queer character, means to them, so I'm glad they got the opportunity to share Chloe's character with Ashly.

3. Hannah Telle as Max Caulfield: Hannah will always be Max to me and I cannot imagine anyone else playing her. What makes Max an interesting case is her character is very understated for a protagonist role in a narrative-driven game. In the original at least, her only big dramatic scene is when she shouts, "This is my storm. I caused this, I caused all of this!" Because Max in the first game is more of a blank slate protagonist, her personality is deliberately more muted compared to Chloe's, Kate's, Victoria's, Nathan's, etc. spikes of emotion and ability to perform more dramatically. Because of that, Hannah voicing all the mundane moments is what makes her performance as a whole so memorable. Overall, she has such a wonderfully sweet, gentle voice that makes it so enjoyable listen to all of Max's hours of inner monologuing, and I love that Hannah's natural voice simply is Max. That being said, I also love Max's more expressive moments in DE, like her wisecracking jokes and when Safi speaks as her, you can hear a distinct difference in Hannah's tone, pitch, and cadence to mimic Olivia Abiassi. I love Hannah's performance for its subtleties over the signature scenes.

2. Erika Mori as Alex Chen: Back in 2021 I wrote an entire post about how much I loved Erika's performance as a first time VA and mocap actress. She embodied Alex-- vocally, physically, and facially-- so fully and so well. I think her standout moments are the nightmare sequence, but these huge emotional moments pay off because Erika also put in the work to capture Alex's little moments too: her playfulness, her humor, her heart, her flirtatiousness, her awkwardness, and her vulnerability.

1, Ashly Burch as LiS1 Chloe Price: Ashly so deserves the big career she's been able to achieve after LiS1, because this is still one of her standout roles. Chloe is deliberately very unlikable in LiS1: she's sharp and quick to anger and unyielding and immature, but DN still presents her as the girl worth saving, and Ashly captures that side of her flawlessly with her equal parts confidence and charisma. Of course, Ashly's standout scene is when she finds Rachel's body in the junkyard and drawn from Ashly's own personal experience with loss-- her cries are gutting. But I also (similar to Rhianna) love when she captures Chloe's humor and dopiness, like "Or did you just rewind because I tried to steal the chair? Shit, I'm confused"; "And then you rewind and I steal the key, and... uh..."; ". She also has to voice Chloe in multiple timelines: she nails younger Chloe without sounding too cartoonishly kiddie, and you can really hear her weariness in the alternate timeline when she's disabled. Max may be the protagonist of Life is Strange with the most lines, but Chloe is the real beating heart of the game, and Ashly embodied that role perfectly.

Thank you for asking! For all my gripes with the production of the games, I've always adored the casts. No matter how polished the games get, they're niche enough to still have that indie feel to them, and the actors don't have that unapproachable celebrity veil over them. Watching their streams has always felt like watching a big supportive friend group than just a cast (with Katy Bentz as the ringleader, of course). I highly recommend checking out the group streams if you haven't already!

[ncisfranchise-source]

Even the "NCIS" origin story for Austin Stowell has a Cracker Jack opening.

The impossibly rugged actor, 39, had tried to clear his mind after his February audition for "NCIS: Origins," the prequel series to the CBS police procedural (premiering Monday, 9 EDT/PDT, after the 22nd season opener of the OG series). After all, these were high stakes seeking the coveted role of young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, famously embodied by Mark Harmon for 19 TV glory-filled seasons. Gibbs is the guy in the "NCIS" universe, even after the iconic character retired to fly-fishing in Alaska when Harmon stepped aside in 2021.

So Stowell went off the grid, skiing with Charlie Jennings, his best friend and agent. It was robust bliss, until Stowell received a miracle message on the reception-patchy mountaintop saying Harmon, an "Origins" executive producer and narrator, wanted to talk.

"Mark wanted to speak to me, and you can guess what about," says Stowell, who went ski-hill rogue. "We had to get down the mountain and get reliable service ASAP. We race down that hill, take off our gear, jump into the Jeep, and fly down the highway to get reliable service. And we do. Mark calls. We literally pull off the highway."

Harmon signaled that Stowell would very likely get the role of his younger "NCIS" self in CBS' "Origins."

"Mark was very complimentary. He said, 'It's been you from the second you walked in the room," Stowell says. "And he asked me, 'Are you ready for this?'"

Austin Stowell said after 'Star Wars' casting disappointment: 'Onward!'

Oh, he's ready. Stowell has been prepping for takeoff since earning a guest role in 2010 on "NCIS: Los Angeles" and playing a big-hearted swim champion in two "A Dolphin Tale" movies alongside KrisKristofferson. ("He was an amazing man, talk about a real-life superhero," Stowell says. The music legend died lastmonth at age 88).

Stowell even had a serious run at a major "Star Wars" movie role with J.J. Abrams. He was flown to London's Pinewood Studios and donned the "Star Wars" costume and makeup for a day. But the role went to another actor. "Of course. it's devastating," Stowell says. "This is a wonderful job, but the process is tough. But I always have said the same thing when I don't get a job: 'Onward.'"

Austin Stowell was hard to reach after 'NCIS: Origins' audition: 'So Gibbs'

After his memorable audition, "Origins" executive producers Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North faced familiar reception issues when they called to officially offer Stowell the role. "He was out in a cabin in the middle of the woods with no internet and almost missed our call," North says. "I got off the phone and said, 'That's so Gibbs.'"

Says Stowell: "One phone call that changes your life. And two phone calls that I nearly missed. But the Hollywood gods were looking out for me."

Monreal says his physical likeness to Harmon was important. But "Origins" places Gibbs in 1991 as a green Naval Investigative Service officer at California's Camp Pendleton, where the former Marine sniper deals with the murder of his wife and daughter. That required a presence that Stowell, who can turn on full Gibbs with one soulful-eyed look, inhabited.

In "Origins," Gibbs is far from the ultra-competent special agent in command. He's an unsteady newbie dealing with his trauma after failing his psychological evaluations. It was this raw premise, based on "NCIS" lore, that made Harmon's son Sean, who had played the young Gibbs in "NCIS" flashbacks, pitch "Origins." (He's now an executive producer.)

Young Gibbs has immediate "Origins" supporters, including Special Agent Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) and his eventual mentor Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid), whose power mustache is a scene stealer. "He's electric," Stowell says. "I already joke with him that we are going to see Franks' mustaches at Halloween parties."

Stowell dived into research, reading 1980 U.S. Marine manuals to understand the life and taking long runs with a weighted-down backpack. He stepped up the rifle training he learned in 2018's Chris Hemsworth-led Afghanistan war film "12 Strong" to look silently confident with Gibbs' rifle. Stowell still binge-watches "NCIS" episodes to pick up small mannerisms.

"I want to embody his essence. There are Gibbs-isms," Stowell says. "There is a head nod and he has this stare."

That stare, and Harmon's intense blue eyes, are so pivotal that Stowell wears blue contact lenses over his naturally green eyes. Seeing the world that way changes his perspective: "They make me feel different," he says. "They're such a powerful tool."

Harmon appears near a campfire in the "Origins" opening. The camera zooms up close on his stare, which morphs into Stowell's haunted look.

"It's not the passing of the throne; Mark Harmon has the throne," Stowell says. "If it's the passing of the torch, he lit the torch. It's my job to show how this kid becomes that guy that people admire so much. But I get to play one of the world's greatest heroes. And that's pretty rock and roll."

[cancerian-woman]

i think a lot of people say legacies had a lot of potential but tbh it was never going to be good. i dont think hope existing was ever a good idea so her leading a show and having elena and buffy traits is an odd mix and was already a bad sign. the poc supporting characters not having basic development until seasons 3/4? um. landon highkey being the (boring) protagonist because they do admit that Hope shouldn’t be leading a show and want the outsider trope. he’s closer to the elena archetype too. the plot being non-existent and the friendship theme ? is quite honestly perplexing because what friendships

buffy worked because there were actual philosophical concepts behind the conflict and decisions buffy made. they teach it at the university level! buffy also wouldnt have survived without her friends. they embody different aspects that buffy slowly develops on her coming of age journey. how could a writer team who supposedly loved buffy miss all these points and that it doesn’t work for hope and the poc cast they both didn’t care for but wanted so they could be a walmart scooby gang?

And HARRY POTTER where? Why was it pitched as HP omg they could not write as well as a woman writing for 8-12 year olds which is sad

ranting about legacies this morning lmaoooo this is so incoherent

Bestie, idk if you seen this tweet from Julie. The show was never going to be good knowing that this was her inspo in mind. Not only was this insensitive and ignorant to the families and victims. Children shouldn’t have to be the hero in places that supposed to be educating them. Teachers and staff don’t come to work to die? Like lady, this is NOT the situation to blend realism and fiction. Then Josie was still shoot at when someone did break into the school—listen. Anyway!

TO couldn’t even figure out how to mix Hope someone who’s a fluke in the supernatural world but here anyway! so legacies struggling with the concept wasn’t at all surprising especially how Plecverse writers did it.

To me Hope is an LGS version of an Elena/Buffy/Bonnie mix in characterization while never properly servicing her either which is fucked up she’s supposed to be the leading lady. I understand, the amount of trauma she faced at a young age which is why she’s so protective to Landon (and her friends to an extent) but try to expand on her life? So many seasons of Hope and I don’t know what she’d want to do for a career. While Elena’s writing got worst overtime you at least knew her ambitions. Hope’s motives were only for Landon. I think one of those writers created and self-inserted into him (if I’m wrong somebody say it..)

Not to say Barolena has no issues because the residual anti-blackness was loud. I do think, Julie wanted an all white (I know Kaylee is half Japanese) girl trio and legacies was finally the time to debut that. Hence, why Hope was shown to be older than the twins at first. Then changed to be younger to fit in their group. But, with that change suddenly Hope is being bullied by them and never allowed to do something is just…. Lmao LISTEN?

JP never planned on expanding on the POC in her show simply because we were “supposed” to be grateful she included them in the first place. Which was another downfall. How do you have multiple actors of color and no one has a leading storyline? She just wanted to lessen those racist claims but made it worse. Why did it take you 3 shows to get a darkskin woman in the franchise too as a series regular? I remember some fans calling her out on Twitter, for having Matt Davis racist ass in front of all her POC actors on promo posters.

Buffy managed to include her friends and keep Buffy as a central focus to the show and its problems. I think they just slapped DRR’s face on every promo just to get people to watch initially because it never seemed like “her” show until Danielle was older by season 4. I assumed Danielle being younger and the LGCS actors being old enough to been in TVD/TO it was easier to write for them w/out it being too much? If that makes sense.

I know Hope was supposed to have a bigger storyline with Maya and they backed out of that completely to give other characters room to shine. By that they meant the twins 🤣.

This was long as hell but to sum it up idk why people esp white fans who double as Bonnie antis love dragging and arguing her unimportance when so many character even the white women are treated the same way with minor differences. If it’s an issue and makes Bonnie super unlikable than I’m sorry wouldn’t Hope be just that? Wouldn’t freya? Davina be those things too? Even the twins-

Thank you 💜

[smokeybrandreviews]

King of the Monsters

Godzilla Minus One is a goddamn masterpiece. It is the hype. If you have the opportunity to see it, definitely make that happen in the biggest screen possible. I saw it in XD and it was just a regular ass experience f*cking amazing. Bro, Godzilla Minus One has no right to be as good as it is. No hyperbole, as a film, it's arguably the best one I've seen all year. Like, it gives Oppenheimer a run for its money in terms of quality film making. The performances are all strong as f*ck, the direction is some of the best I've seen in years, the writing is pitch perfect, and the cinematography was breathtaking. You fully understand how massive Goji is when it does what it do. The mind-boggling scale really comes across more so in the film. than any of the Monsterverse joints, But that sound design is what does it for me. Whoever mixed this film knew exactly what the f*ck they were doing because that Main Theme hit hard as f*ck! You hear that familiar, yet, wholly original take, three times in this film and, every time, it's a gut punch.

Godzilla films are at their best when you have an emotional anchor. That's why the Monsterverse films have all sucked past the Bryan Cranston bits of the 2014 flick. No one cares about Millie Bobby Brown or that weird jungle kid who's friends with Kong. They're props for the monster fights, which is a stark contrast between how we, in the US, see Goji and how the Japanese see it. For them, and this film really drives that home, Godzilla is a force of nature. He is the embodiment of a cultural trauma that has scarred their people for damn near a century. We, as Americans, cannot even begin to broach something as unimaginable as falling victim to an atomic bomb, so we can't make films which resonate like that. To us, Godzilla is just a cool ass monster, like Frankenstein or King Kong, and we approach the character like that. We, culturally, do not understand how to make a "good" Godzilla film but the Japanese sure the f*ck do. They've done that a few times back in 1954, again with Shin, and now with Minus. You care about these characters. You want them to live. I can't say that about any US Godzilla media, outside of Bryan Cranston's character who f*cking dies in 2014.

To summarize, the hype is real. Godzilla Minus One is a goddamn masterpieces. See that sh*t on the biggest screen possible, with the best sound system available. Legitimately the best theater experience I've had all year. It' a solid f*cking movie, outside of Goji, himself, and is a strong character piece in it's own right. I have, as a Godzilla fan, we have been eating this Holiday season. Minus One is everything you have hear, the Monarch show has been brilliant, and, we got the trailer for another dumb, neon drenched, Monsterverse Goji flick. Or rather, Kong feat. Goji flick. I really, really, enjoyed Minus One. It's easily top three Godzilla content for me. I'd put it right after the 1954 original and a solid 2B with Shin being 2A. I would not be surprised in Minus One ended up taking home the Best Picture Award at the Japanese Academy Film Prize, just like Shin before it. Minus One really is just as great a film.

[dangermousie]

I think what strikes me so much about the scene between them after she finds out he’s the supposedly-dead Crown Prince is twofold: how quiet and how gentle the scene is and how quiet and gentle the two of them are. There is none of the “how could you not tell me?” “argh you found out!” These two are honestly just nice people - magic powers, fancy clothes, and what not, the quality that strikes me the most about them is their decency but also thoughtfulness. In a way Shi Ying is a living embodiment of rejection of everything Xuelu the Awful relies on as self-justification for her her gross cruel solipsism - he’s had a horrible childhood trauma, way worse than Xuelu’s and somehow he has managed not to use it as a justification to become a bastard.

They are so darling!

I may have emitted high-pitched noises.

He really needed to hear that from someone - that it’s good he’s alive, that he’s not liked for his blood or for position or what he can do (hi there creepy mentor!) but just for being who he is instead of what he is.

[kakusu-shipping]

Anon back again to harp on my multi-decades love for Luca Blight. Buckle up and hear me out. I'm talking about a character-driven irresistible force paradox.

When you have someone who endures trauma so impactful that their way of 'dealing' with it is to simply decide to burn the entire world down at any cost, what happens when he meets the opposite side of the same coin?

Luca has no remorse, no grand and righteous 'I will destroy this world and rebuild it anew because I'm special' manifesto. No - he just wants to watch the world burn because he hates it. Plus there's speculation that he had an unhealthy symbiotic relationship with the True Beast Rune that may or may not have been magnifying his rage and bloodlust, but that's a whole separate topic entirely.

So what happens when you take someone so volatile and doggedly set on his goals and put them in the path of another character who's just as bullish and focused as he is, but their entire life's purpose is the opposite?

Someone who cares about the world just because they love it. Someone who is *determined* to befriend him instead of destroy him, who spreads sunshine and rainbows. Someone who shows no fear in the face of him and is all stubborn smiles and wholesome gumption? Lovebombing instead of hatebombing because, "didn't your mother ever teach you any better?! Fine then, I'll just do it myself!" (Oof, that'd go over well.)

I'm going somewhere with this, I swear.

Luca is violent and cruel, but he has his values. He has great pride for Highland. He's shown to hold certain qualities in high regard (competence, passion, bravery - "I don't care about breeding. A sword doesn't need a fine lineage, it just needs to be sharp.") In short, much of what he holds in regard are qualities he ascribes by personally, and the things he hates run opposite (cowardice, indecisiveness, incompetence).

What happens when he comes face to face with someone who embodies the *traits* he respects but exercises them in the opposite way he does?

By the way, I'm not talking about your classic, "he's a terrible villain and I can fix him~" scenario, but instead introducing a foil who's just as stubbornly focused and intense about their wholesome love for sunshine and happiness.

I think he'd be frustrated, conflicted, and ultimately torn because it flies in the face of his worldview. At the same time he'd likely find himself harboring some sort of begrudging respect for this individual (while simultaneously conflicted and pissed off).

We talk about Luca for being the crazy 'mad prince' of Highland so what happens if he's in the crosshairs of someone just as 'crazy' as him but in a wholesome and positive way? He'd be annoyed as fuck while also probably winding up enjoying himself in a backward sort of fashion because this individual embodies many of the same qualities he esteems.

And most of all, there's the potential for inner turmoil where he'd have to process how to feel about someone who cares unconditionally in a way that strongly parallels maternal affection. He can't bring himself to kill Jillia because she *looks* like his mother. But what if someone *treated* him in a way reminiscent of a parent's unconditional love? Someone who has the same brave, reckless lack of self-preservation Luca does, bold enough to scold him the shit out of him for tracking mud across the fancy carpet yet in the same breath steamroll him over with sunshine and positivity and rainbows?

I posit that he'd be a mess over it. He'd hate it and at the same time enjoy it. And then hate it even more *because* he enjoys it.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. I thought about this way too much.

I've read this novel of a Luca X Reader pitch so many times anon I hope you're aware I never answered it because I had nothing to add, but I loved every word of it and reading it over and over. You're so correct.

Today seems like a good day to post it was we Finally have Suikoden remake news. So here's to you, your immovable object vs unstoppable force dynamic, and to the potential new fans these remakes may bring who may themselves see the glory of Luca Blight as we do

[xirae]

This is a daaaaaaaark interpretation and I will easily take criticism on this, but Kerosene by CC sort of evolves when you know what was going on, the dark atmosphere and pitched percussive vocal effects really embody the sort of disconnect and trauma going on. “I’ll protect you from all the things I’ve seen” from Alice just really fucking hits

Interesting convo for art that has some form of abuse at its center, like maybe another better known example is The Shining. It makes me feels strange sort of catharsis and comfort but I feel like the more typical reaction is to throw it all in the trash.

[smokeybrand]

King of the Monsters

Godzilla Minus One is a goddamn masterpiece. It is the hype. If you have the opportunity to see it, definitely make that happen in the biggest screen possible. I saw it in XD and it was just a regular ass experience f*cking amazing. Bro, Godzilla Minus One has no right to be as good as it is. No hyperbole, as a film, it's arguably the best one I've seen all year. Like, it gives Oppenheimer a run for its money in terms of quality film making. The performances are all strong as f*ck, the direction is some of the best I've seen in years, the writing is pitch perfect, and the cinematography was breathtaking. You fully understand how massive Goji is when it does what it do. The mind-boggling scale really comes across more so in the film. than any of the Monsterverse joints, But that sound design is what does it for me. Whoever mixed this film knew exactly what the f*ck they were doing because that Main Theme hit hard as f*ck! You hear that familiar, yet, wholly original take, three times in this film and, every time, it's a gut punch.

Godzilla films are at their best when you have an emotional anchor. That's why the Monsterverse films have all sucked past the Bryan Cranston bits of the 2014 flick. No one cares about Millie Bobby Brown or that weird jungle kid who's friends with Kong. They're props for the monster fights, which is a stark contrast between how we, in the US, see Goji and how the Japanese see it. For them, and this film really drives that home, Godzilla is a force of nature. He is the embodiment of a cultural trauma that has scarred their people for damn near a century. We, as Americans, cannot even begin to broach something as unimaginable as falling victim to an atomic bomb, so we can't make films which resonate like that. To us, Godzilla is just a cool ass monster, like Frankenstein or King Kong, and we approach the character like that. We, culturally, do not understand how to make a "good" Godzilla film but the Japanese sure the f*ck do. They've done that a few times back in 1954, again with Shin, and now with Minus. You care about these characters. You want them to live. I can't say that about any US Godzilla media, outside of Bryan Cranston's character who f*cking dies in 2014.

To summarize, the hype is real. Godzilla Minus One is a goddamn masterpieces. See that sh*t on the biggest screen possible, with the best sound system available. Legitimately the best theater experience I've had all year. It' a solid f*cking movie, outside of Goji, himself, and is a strong character piece in it's own right. I have, as a Godzilla fan, we have been eating this Holiday season. Minus One is everything you have hear, the Monarch show has been brilliant, and, we got the trailer for another dumb, neon drenched, Monsterverse Goji flick. Or rather, Kong feat. Goji flick. I really, really, enjoyed Minus One. It's easily top three Godzilla content for me. I'd put it right after the 1954 original and a solid 2B with Shin being 2A. I would not be surprised in Minus One ended up taking home the Best Picture Award at the Japanese Academy Film Prize, just like Shin before it. Minus One really is just as great a film.

[dorissssli]

“Uprooted” (2020-22), 804 dead trees and steel, 300 x 65 x 50 meter5s. Installation view at Sharjah Biennial 15, Kalba Ice Factory, Sharjah Art FOUNDATION, 2023.

“Untitled” Installation for the 8th International Istanbul Biennial, 2003

“Shibboleth’’ 2007. Concrete and metal, 548 feet long. Installation at Turbine Hall in Tate Modern, London.

Doris Salcedo is recognized for her sculptures and installations that incorporate everyday objects such as tables and garments. Her artistic style frequently begins with historical events, concentrating on how important political decisions affect individuals’ daily mental and emotional experiences of an individual. Salcedo skilfully transmits burdens and conflicts with a precise and economical method.

Salcedo famously cracked the floor of the Turbine Hall at London’s Tate Modern, creating an explosive effect.

Salcedo placed over 1,500 chairs between two buildings in Istanbul to address the displacement caused by the war.

In the artwork “Uprooted,” the theme of migration is further explored through the transformation of hundreds of dead trees into the recognizable shape of a house, gradually merging its precisely constructed walls and pitched roof into a thicket. Furthermore, in “Uprooted”, Salcedo also explores transformation and loss. The installation, featuring lifeless, colourless trees, symbolizes the disintegration of our environmental bond. Visitors can circle the exhibit but cannot enter due to impenetrable wood tangles and the uninviting entrance.

“I am a Third World artist.’ No matter in which works, Salcedo arises “from that perspective—from the perspective of the victim, from the perspective of the defeated.” In the installation, Salcedo is the original witness or survivor of traumas. Salcedo engages with survivors of trauma, loss, and violence as well as with audiences. Even if a piece focuses on one person’s trauma, Salcedo is more interested in the intricate interplay between sharing internal experiences and addressing external viewers than in maintaining the purity of self-expression. Salcedo creates spaces where loss is invoked as an embodied experience. Unlike some of her peers addressing political violence in Colombia, she steers clear of depicting victims’ faces or bodies and avoids specifying the reasons behind the trauma and loss. Salcedo’s works and ideas inspire me and let me reflect on my creative paintings. I always focus more on the integrity of subjective expression and detailed depictions of the word on the subject’s face to present the emotion from the inside. I started to think about it from inside to outside as trauma, not as an internal state, but as a transformative experience that affects the world as significantly as it does bodies. It encourages me to create a physical space, for instance, an installation, to extend trauma in an area and invite the audience to a different perspective. 

[biosoulintegrationcenter]

What Is Spiritual Integration? The Three Pillars Of Fast And Effective T...

Today we're going to talk about The Three Keys To Integrate Your Spiritual Essence Into Your Physical Body So You Can Share Your Gifts On The Planet And Live Your Purpose There’s a few things you need to understand to quickly and efficiently integrate body and soul. Click the link to the video I’ve made on the topic: https://youtu.be/4LDKkmtSXSw Or keep reading to get the Cliff’s Notes… First some context... Coming here is kind of a shocker. We’re blind in a sense. We don’t remember what it was like to be spirit. It’s like we’re stumbling around in a pitch black room, and after we run into the furniture enough times we start to get an impression of how things are laid out. Likewise after stumbling through the hurts and traumas and joys and successes of life enough, we start to get a sense of who we really are and why we’re here. It’s possible to speed that process up and smooth it out. First, it’s good to know how we get dis-integrated. That starts the second we show up in the womb as we feel into the way everyone around us is separated and fragmented in themselves. Since we rely on them for our survival we adopt the same way of being. Second, we need to understand that life is constantly nudging us toward our evolution. Everything we encounter is life trying to get us to feel the parts of ourselves we’ve pushed away. Third, embodying the parts of ourselves we’ve pushed away is key to integrating our spiritual essence into our physical bodies so we can share our soul’s gifts through these bodies and onto this physical plane. The dis-integration process I mentioned in step number one happened before we could think, when we were relating directly to the energetic backoffice of those around us. So we can't think our way into spiritual integration we can only feel our way through. In this video I go over these concepts and show you some simple techniques for embodying the feelings that arise as a result of… life. Click the link to watch now: https://youtu.be/4LDKkmtSXSw I look forward to helping you express more life, Jay “Spiritual Integration Helper” Uecker

[templephoenix]

A thread of stuff I remember from Brian Ruckley's IDW2 retrospective panel from TFNation this weekend, in no particular order:

• Brian scoured the TFwiki for all the female TFs that he could use; he was very clear on presenting them as a normal part of TF society from the start, no weird 'explanations' needed

• He planned out the main story beats he wanted to hit in his head, but didn't make extensive notes or anything

• If it hadn't been truncated, the Exarchon plotline would have - pending Hasbro approval - dealt with the Quintessons and their region of space, cut off from the rest of the universe. They wouldn't have been involved with Cybertron's origins

• He praised the work of all the artists but in particular Anna Malkova, who he considered the best thing to come out of IDW2 and particularly impressive for moving from artwork to comic storytelling

• Flamewar was an obvious favourite, one of many characters without much existing fiction which allowed for more freedom

• One of the main themes of the series was trauma, embodied in characters like Cyclonus and his ghosts

• Geomotus and others showed that neurodivergence exists in Cybertronians; he wanted to show that there was a variety of ways in which characters could see the world

• The Technobots annual was condensed down from a full story arc which would have featured the Terrorcons; the Technos were chosen as Brian's favourite combiner team

• He didn't want loads of combiners running around too soon, hence the Enigma being thrown into the sea; it would have resurfaced eventually

• He considered one of his biggest weaknesses to be that he didn't make individual issues read as well on their own rather than 'in the trade'; he hoped that he had gotten better at it as the series went on

• Favourite TF character types included female transformers and teleporters; he wanted Skywarp to be a trickster-type figure

• As the series went on Starscream would have remained neither a true Decepticon nor in any way an Autobot, trusted by no one and yet charming/threatening/maneuvering them into keeping him around

• A continuing theme would be the gap between how Cybertronians see themselves and how other species view them; organic planets would consider these giant robots terrifying

• He doesn't consider himself good at big shock reveals and doesn't like bait-and-switches, so tried not to do either during the series

• Despite the long-form storytelling aspect of the book, his personal favourite issues were the one-shots that divided each story arc, like Wheeljack on the moon

• The senate attack that kicked off the war in earnest was originally meant to come earlier in the series

• He didn't originally know that the continuity was being rebooted when he was asked to pitch for a TF comic; there was a lot of back-and-forth at the start as Hasbro kept adding requests

• The series would have gotten to humans eventually, although Brian wanted the TFs to encounter them already in space rather than on Earth

• He enjoys writing comics more than novels, and would happily do only the former if given the chance

• He needed a science-related TF to be the initial murder victim; he sent a shortlist of names to be approved and they chose Brainstorm

• Hasbro did not want too many original characters created for the series; the ones he invented were all done so because they were integral to the narrative

• Once they were told about the license being lost, Brian made a conscious decision not to kill a bunch of characters off before the end; he thinks that it would be too cynical, and that deaths have to serve a contextual and narrative purpose to be meaningful. He also recognises that every character is someone's favourite, and now they can imagine the adventures they might have in the future

All in all, a really interesting and honest panel! Thanks to Brian and all the artists for my favourite TF continuity ever; RIP IDW2