#please do not spoil if later episodes provide any more context for this I am still mid-first watch

[scratching92]

Okay I'm having more thoughts about Andor episode 7.

During this episode Mon Mothma makes reference in a conversation with an old friend that she's been attending Separatist Coalition meetings. Was Mon Mothma a Separatist? Palpatine's entire rise to power was precipitated upon the Separatist Crisis and the resulting Clone Wars, but from the way it sounds, it doesn't seem like the Separatist Coalition was an illegal organization so much as an organization to be infiltrated and monitored.

I'm fascinated by this. I've always been intrigued by Separatist ideology in Star Wars and curious about its roots and development (beyond Dooku's speeches). Maybe there were separate (ha!) schools of Separatist thought, and Dooku's was merely the largest and most influential. I'm curious if we'll get more on this in the rest of the episodes (especially since we already have the... weirdness of the Separatist-ship-that's-actually-a-Republic-ship in Cassian's backstory in the first three episodes).

[green-blooded]

So, the TNG episode Sarek. If you haven’t seen it, there are some content warnings for terminal illness and dementia, because that’s what the episode is about. And it’s real sad, and I feel like a lot of people discount it when talking about Sarek as a character, so here goes.

First, a very brief summary.

The episode starts with Picard and Riker going to greet Sarek, who is completing one last mission before retirement. He’s been working on a treaty with the Legarans for 93 years, and he’s the only one they’ll talk to. He’s accompanied by his current wife Perrin (also Human), a Human chief of staff, and a Vulcan personal assistant named Sakkath. 

Unbeknownst to the Enterprise crew and Sarek himself at this point, the three people with Sarek all know that he has Bendii syndrome, which causes him to be unable to control his emotions. The symptoms have been slowly getting worse over the years, and the stress of this particular mission aggravates it to the point that Sakkath can’t help him. A bunch of stuff happens (which I’ll be talking about later) and Dr. Crusher and Troi figure out what’s wrong with him, and Picard has to confront him about the problem. They determine that they only way to complete the diplomatic mission is for Sarek and Picard to mind meld for a couple of hours, so Sarek will have the emotional control to complete the treaty negotiation. The negotiation is successful and Sakkath assures Picard that he’ll be able to help Sarek keep his emotions under control until they get to Vulcan. The disease is not reversible, so it will only get worse with time.

There are a few parts of this which I think are key to understanding Sarek at all times of his life, and that’s really my motivation in making this post. I think some of his actions make more sense if you understand where he’s coming from.

First of all, Sarek loves Mozart.

Sarek loves Mozart, and this is well known enough that Picard et al. have planned a Mozart concert for his visit. Not a Vulcan composer, a Human one. He’a also remarried at some point after Amanda’s death, and chose to marry another Human woman. His chief of staff is also a Human. Perrin states that he’s taken an interest in Picard’s career, yet another Human.

Sarek does not appear to consider Humans inferior to Vulcans. Maybe Sybok would like us (and Spock) to THINK he does, but that’s just not reflected in any of his actions. 

On a side note, the scene where he is moved to tears by the Mozart concert is one of the scenes that has stayed with me since I was a child. Not because it’s Sarek showing emotion--I didn’t know who he was the first time I saw this episode--but because it’s so rare for a man to show that kind of emotion on television. It’s really interesting how jarring it is to the viewer because he’s a dignified older man while also being jarring to the characters because he’s a Vulcan, and specifically he’s Sarek.

Maybe that’s why I have a different view of Sarek than people who didn’t start with TNG, because this is the scene I have always associated most with this character. Like, the way a TOS fan feels watching Pike in Discovery knowing what direction his life takes? This is how I feel about Sarek, too. This well-respected Vulcan ambassador who isn’t supposed to feel emotions, moved to tears by beautiful music... then rushed out of the concert because the others are trying to shield him from realizing that his health is failing. Just heartbreaking. And when Picard brings it up later in the episode, Sarek’s reaction is even more heartbreaking.

PICARD: But you needed his help at the concert. Or is there possibly some other logical explanation for what happened that night? SAREK: What happened? PICARD: I saw you crying. SAREK: I do not cry. PICARD: I was there I saw the tears. SAREK: You exaggerate, Captain. I recall only one tear. PICARD: So you were emotionally affected by the music. SAREK: That is not possible! PICARD: You still haven't answered my question, Sarek. Is it logical for a Vulcan to cry? SAREK: It was late. I was fatigued. Nothing more. The Legarans trust only me. They will not meet with any other member of the Federation. I must be allowed to complete my mission! There are no other logical solutions!

And this is the part where I say that if you haven’t seen the episode recently (or ever), please, please watch it. Nothing I could say would really spoil the episode. The performances are so good, and there’s no way to express that with only the dialogue. Sarek is trying so hard throughout this confrontation to control his emotions, and you can see him deteriorating. You can see how sick he is. It’s so much worse for him than the illness he was suffering in Journey to Babel. This illness strips him of his control, which has always defined him. Look at his face when he finally admits to “one tear.”

This is the point where Picard keeps pushing him until he... basically has a breakdown.

PICARD: No other logical solutions? But Ambassador, there are always other solutions. You have said so yourself many times. SAREK: What I meant was that... PICARD: Sarek of Vulcan would never be afraid of looking straight at something he did not want to see. SAREK: I warn you! Your efforts to discredit me will not succeed! PICARD: Sarek of Vulcan never confused what he wanted with the truth. SAREK: I will not be spoken to in this manner! PICARD: Do I hear anger in your voice? SAREK: It would be illogical for a Vulcan to show anger! It would be illogical! Illogical! Illogical! Illogical!

I think it’s important to note that moment Sarek really starts to lose his temper completely is when Picard says that he never “confused what he wanted with the truth.”

This cuts to the heart of who Sarek is. He has always denied himself things that he wanted (as we’ll see later in the episode) in favor of what he believed was the truth, what was best for everyone.

But then he realizes that he’s become angry about this very reality, and he just breaks and it’s so sad. You can see tears in his eyes.

After this, it’s clear he can’t handle the negotiations, so Perrin begs Picard for help, and Picard goes to Sarek with her suggestion that they mind meld. The whole conversation is great, but I’m going to bold the parts that are most important to this discussion.

SAREK: A mind-meld? Between the two of us? Do you realize the dangers involved in what you are proposing, Captain? PICARD: Yes, I do, Ambassador. But I also realize the potential benefits. SAREK: We would be linked telepathically, sharing our thoughts, becoming in essence one mind. PICARD: Which, for a few hours, should provide the emotional control you need. In that time, you can meet with the Legarans and conclude the treaty. SAREK: It is a generous offer. But I must warn you that while I would gain your stability, you would experience the fierce onslaught of emotions unleashed by my condition. Vulcan emotions are extremely intense. We have learned to suppress them. No human would be able to control them. They would overwhelm you. The mind-meld can be a terrible intimacy. I cannot allow it. PICARD: I'm aware of the risks. But it is the only logical solution. SAREK: Your courage honors me, Captain.

Again, the text really doesn’t do justice to Mark Lenard’s performance. It’s so good. The way he catches himself becoming emotional and stumbles over words is so spot on and affecting.

Anyway, here’s his face when he says “The mind-meld can be a terrible intimacy.”

Which I highlight not only because it’s a beautiful line, but also it gives me a chance to remind you that Sarek never mind-melded with Spock.

And I think that says a lot on its own, but in the context of what Sarek is saying here, it’s really enlightening about some of his behavior. According to Sarek, Vulcans have such powerful emotions that a Human COULD NOT HANDLE THEM. So, what does that say for his half-Human son? 

I don’t know, maybe all those times he pushed Spock to be more Vulcan and to maintain more control over his emotions had something to do with his concern about his VULCAN emotions harming him, not because he didn’t like the Human part of Spock. I’m not saying he did it the right way, but I think it makes it a lot more clear why he was so hard on Spock about certain things.

Then we get to the real intense part of the episode, where Picard has to take on Sarek’s emotions so he can complete the treaty. While Picard has pretty good control for a Human, we see what Sarek is actually going through that he hasn’t been expressing.

There’s a lot, so I’m going to break it down.

PICARD (as Sarek): No! It is wrong. It is wrong! A lifetime of discipline washed away, and in its place bedlam. Bedlam! I am so old. There is nothing left but dry bones and dead friends. Tired, oh so tired.

We see here, again, discipline is how he defines himself, and having it taken away is the worse possible thing for him, and the transition to talking about his age and his dead friends isn’t coincidence. Remember, he is close with Humans, and he’s over two-hundred years old, which is old even for a Vulcan. It’s not only Amanda he’s had to watch grow old and die while he kept going, but probably ever Human friend he’s had.

PICARD (as Sarek): No! This weakness disgusts me! I hate it! Where is my logic? I am betrayed by desires. I want to feel. I want to feel everything. But I am a Vulcan. I must feel nothing. Give me back my control. CRUSHER: Jean-Luc! PICARD (as Sarek): Perrin. Amanda. I wanted to give you so much more. I wanted to show you such tenderness. But that is not our way. Spock, Amanda, did you know? Perrin, can you know how much I love you? I do love you!

He sees his desire to feel as a weakness, and views being a Vulcan as “feeling nothing” even though we know that’s not actually true of Vulcans. He’s even said himself that Vulcans have powerful emotions that they’ve learned to suppress. Judging by every Vulcan we’ve ever seen on the show, and Sakkath in this very episode, Vulcans still feel their emotions and have to regularly maintain their suppression through meditation, etc. Meditation which Sarek has been unable to do for weeks, as mentioned early in the episode, while Sarek is deep in denial about his condition.

And then of course the part about Perrin, Amanda, and Spock. If Sarek never felt anything, how could he have wanted to show them tenderness? How could he have loved them this whole time? That’s where he’s always struggling. He sees being Vulcan and being unfeeling as the same thing, yet he never achieves that. He feels deeply while also needing to maintain the appearance of total lack of emotion. As he said when Picard first mentioned that he suspected Sarek of having Bendii Syndrome “I have been accused of many things in my life, never an excess of emotion.”

Lastly, even in this state, even with Picard unable to keep his emotions under control, notice that he can’t manage to direct anything AT Spock. Everything he says is to Perrin and Amanda. He says Spock’s name, but then says “Amanda, did you know?” Which can’t directly apply to Spock... Spock is still alive. He’s not able to say anything about Spock until the disease has progressed much further in the episode Unification, Part 1. There is the popular line about Spock disappearing into the mountains, but the last part of what he says often gets left out.

SAREK: No. I never knew what Spock was doing. When he was a boy, he would disappear for days into the mountains. I asked him where he had gone, what he had done, he refused to tell me. I insisted that he tell me. He would not. I forbade him to go. He ignored me. I punished him. He endured it, silently. But always he returned to the mountains. One might as well ask the river not to run. (lies down again) But secretly I admired him, the proud core of him that would not yield. PICARD: Sarek, we're a part of each other. I know that he has caused you pain but I also know that you love him. SAREK: Tell him, Picard.

So, if you didn’t know Sarek admires and loves his son, now you know! 

And, now the last part of Picard during the mind-meld:

CRUSHER: I'm here, Jean-Luc. I'm not going anywhere. PICARD: It's quite difficult. The anguish of the man, the despair pouring out of him, all those feelings, the regrets. I can't stop them. (He falls, sobbing, into her arms) PICARD: I can't stop them. I can't. I can't. CRUSHER: Don't even try.

The way Picard describes Sarek’s feelings here is so important to me. Anguish, despair, regret. All of which are so intense that Picard sobs through this whole scene, something that is so far from how he usually behaves that it really drives home how intense these feelings are for Sarek all the time.

These feelings are not new. As Perrin said, the symptoms have been creeping up for a while, and after the mind-meld, Sarek says:

RIKER: And the Ambassador? SAREK: I am myself again. It has been a long time.

There’s no happy ending to this. No miraculous cure or surgery that fixes it. Sarek will become more ill and tormented by all the emotions he never allowed himself to feel when he was younger. There are still deep divisions between himself and Spock to the point that Perrin is angry at Spock for how he treats his father, but Sarek doesn’t seem to share that anger. Probably because he knows all of the mistakes he made with Spock. That’s part of why he has so many regrets, after all.

Basically, my point is this. I think it’s easy to look at Sarek as a Spock fan and see all of his faults. But he’s actually a really complex character who cared about his son a lot, and just didn���t always know what was best for him. He’s definitely not as unfeeling and uncaring as he can seem. It’s just an uncomfortable fact that parents aren’t perfect and can do harm no matter how much they love their children. Which is one of those themes that comes up a lot in Star Trek, but I think this iteration of it is extremely well done and moving through all of the various series and movies.

There aren’t any easy answers and barely any resolution. The relationship between Sarek and Spock never stops being tense and difficult. It’s just how things are with family sometimes, even when you care about each other.

[huntypastellance]

hi its me @keithkog on twitter and since you so conveniently forget to mention all the times i’ve apologized and when i deleted the video or any of my explanation, let me tell you about it. there was no excuse for me to post videos without the parent’s consent. that i agree with. it was stupid and wrong, and i genuinely regret that. once i realized my mistake, i deleted the videos. there is NO EXCUSE FOR THAT. but the “sexual assault” thing was unprompted. i never talked about that with her (1/)

and i also never said anything about it. obviously she doesn’t know what that means, since as an anti i still dont think “sexual assault” is a correct term for sheith, its more statutory rape if you’re going to put it into that category w the age of consent. but of course she wouldn’t understand that, and i only laughed in the video bc i was taken aback by her knowledge of that word. regardless, i didn’t press the issue further because you’re right, i have no right to talk about that with a (2/)

a child im babysitting. so i just left it at that. look, i understand if you’re upset by it because you’re a shaladin but you’re making me seem like some huge monster. voltron is literally made for kids their age, and the term “force” was a joke. we’ve watched it together before, and they only protested bc they’re stubborn but they actually rlly enjoyed it after i showed them more. the point i was making about them being mature was in response to someone saying “she’s only 9 she shouldn’t be(3/)

watching voltron” which i disagreed with because both of the girls are mature for their age and can understand it. the only reason they thought it was confusing was bc when we watched episode 1 we were making cookies and they werent paying attention the whole time. i would appreciate if you would take down your posts or at least remove some things because in no way did i force them to talk about sex or bring it up in the first place. thank you.

ps, you have no proof that i fed anyone lines about sexual assault and i promise you i DID NOT. the kid’s parents let them watch a lot of older shows and they have older sibblings and thats how they know about it im guessing. i was surprised to but please don’t accuse me of feeding them lines about sexual assault because thats absolutely disgusting and you have no proof of that

do you exist purely to ignore people’s apologies? Bc my friend the one y'all keep talking about from Twitter, yeah she’s apologized multiple times so could y'all maybe just leave her alone? Bc she had literally 0 intentions for what happened to happen and the fact you all ignore her constant apologies here y'all are being petty and I’m honestly sick of it. Grow the FUCK up y'all she’s a minor too CHRIST. You think it’s ok to harass a minor? Bc if so y'all are even worse than my abuser lmao :/ 

Okay, I’m going to answer this seriously & without the whole “We, the Great & Glorious Lord Pastel Lance” schtick even though I don’t think you actually deserve it. I’m just trying to prove my point here.

> If you were so shocked that a 9 year old said the phrase “sexual assault”, why did you POST IT ONLINE AS A VIDEO TWEET?

>Oh boohoo, you took it down. What, do you want a gold star for that? Well newsflash asshole, if you had bothered to read through my post, you’d know that someone archived your entire tweet thread before you took down the videos. So now there are PERMANENT screenshots of the kids’ faces that were put online WITHOUT PARENTAL PERMISSION because of YOU, you illiterate jackass.

> Why would you EVER laugh at a child, who you’ve claimed to know & babysat for YEARS, having ANY knowledge of what sexual assault is?

> Nice try deflecting dumbass, I’m a Klance shipper AND a Sheith shipper, not just some gross shallie.

> Again, you don’t MAKE kids like the stuff you like. My brothers don’t like Ben 10 after the first 5 minutes of showing them it, (& without me trying to convince them by telling them that gets “really good” later & spoiling shit for them), so I switch the channel to Paw Patrol or search up a Youtube about Minecraft for them instead. I don’t MAKE them continue to marathon Ben 10 with me. You are a shit babysitter.

> Why do you keep suddenly being surprised when people get mad at your own freaking words when you are the one leaving out information & context? 

> It’s still really creepy that you keep saying that the kids are “mature for their age”. That’s literally fucking pedo logic right there, I don’t care about the fucking context, that’s a skeevy thing to say about kids.

> Seriously, what the fuck is stopping you from using the phrase “they’re old enough to watch Voltron, see the TV rating for it?” That is literally so much less creepier.

> You can’t just fucking ASSUME that the kids learned the phrase “sexual assault” from watching TV shows for older kids! That is something you NEED to tell the parents about!

> And you’re not even worried about those older siblings casually talking about sexual assault in front of their baby siblings? At all? Bitch, there are some things that SHOULDN’T be talked about in front of kids!!

> Well, you’re right in that I don’t have actual proof. But given how you & your friends constantly lie & refuse to provide any proof, I don’t give a shit. At this rate, a freaking ANON comment is more trustworthy than your own words.

> Her apologies don’t mean SHIT because as I’ve pointed out before: they’re not real apologies. There was no notion to make amends, to promise to not do the same thing again, etc. Her apologies are HOLLOW. And, frankly, so are your’s. Especially with your friends commenting below about the “nasty shallies” forcing you to apologize. You didn’t “TECHNICALLY” do something wrong, you ACTUALLY did something wrong & fucking illegal, jackass!

> I don’t give a shit if she or you are minors. That doesn’t fucking excuse your behavior. You both can still be arrested or legally punished for this kind of crap.

> When you say shit like that, that I, some random asshole on the Internet documenting your own freaking words, am WORSE than your abuser…..

that just proves to me that you’ve never actually been abused before.

That you don’t give a shit about real abuse & don’t know what it’s like.

No abuse victim would ever make such a flippant comparison to their trauma like that.

You’re the one who’s sick here, not me.

Disclaimer: This response is entirely the opinion of Lord Pastel Lance & NOT of anyone else. Just me. If you have problems with it, criticize me, not other people.

[wendiuh]

Hey hey hey question! 😄 I've been wanting to start the fate series for awhile, and there was one I had watched some time ago, but I've realized there is multiple series? I've noticed you like it so I was hoping you could help me figure out where to start, what order to go in...? Thanks in advance dearie!

You have no idea how happy i was to see this ask omg girl I’m in Fate hell. This will get lengthy, so beware haha. If you have any other questions, feel free to come to me! If it becomes too much reading (I think it’s like 1.5k words oops) just scroll to the bottom for the summary XD. I’ll put my essay explanation under the cut:

If you’re completely new to Fate, then allow me to explain how the story is set up structure-wise. It is split into 3 separate routes that start off from the same point. Each route has a set heroine/love interest and explore different aspects of the story and characters. These routes are viewed in the order of Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven’s Feel. Fate focuses on the character Saber, UBW focuses on Tohsaka Rin, and HF focuses on Matou Sakura.

Now the first thing all faithful Fate watchers would say is to read the original visual novel. I, however, did not start with this, but it is easy to see why people recommend this first. The Nasuverse (the world of Fate and other related series, named after creater Kinoko Nasu) is a very, very detailed world that has so many aspects to it. Reading the original story will definitely provide the most helpful context. I am currently reading the VN now to get a better understanding of the universe, and it is pretty enjoyable, but can get pretty slow.

Fair warning, though. The original VN is an adult game, meaning it is somewhat gory and deals with adult themes (aka sex). There was a re-release of it without any sex scenes called Realta Nua. I wont provide any links on this post on how get the VN, but there’s definitely YouTube videos out there to help.

If sitting through 80+ hours of reading isn’t your thing, and I don’t blame you if it isn’t, then we must turn to the animes. That’s where things get complicated.

There are 3 currently accessible animes out there set in the Fate/sn universe. There’s the orginal anime from 2006 that “covers” the 1st route, Fate, and was made by Studio Deen. I’m going to refer to this as Deen/stay night. I put the word “covers” in quotes because many Fate fans view this adaptation as a disgrace. I didn’t watch it, but many say it tries too hard to cover the story of the visual novel and somewhat combines the routes. Basically, it tried to adapt all of the visual novel but under the cover of the route Fate. However, it does seem to serve as an okay introduction to the Fate universe in general since it is the first anime adaptation out there.

In terms of release date, next comes the famous adaptation of Fate/zero by ufotable. This is a prequel follows the events prior to the beginning of Fate/stay night, and is hands down a phenomenal series in general. Many view FZ as a classic and a wonderful story, but it does have a few spoilers in terms of some big revelations that happen in the Stay Night routes. If you want to watch an amazing series and you’re okay with some spoilers for the main series, start here. As for me, I didn’t start here because I wanted to save it for last because of how many people that praised it.

Finally comes the UBW anime (the series by ufotable. Not the movie!). Commonly known as Unlimited Budget Works for its beautiful animation, this series focuses on the VN’s second route. This was released after FZ, so I do think ufotable made this series thinking fans already watched the prequel. However, I did start with this series first. Though there were some confusing points, I was able to understand most of the anime and it was pretty good. It took a second watch for me to fully understand the plot, but that’s kind of how a lot of animes work. You never enjoy the full scope of the series until you rewatch it. Both this series and FZ got at least 3 times better when I rewatched it, and that is saying a lot considering how much I liked them the first time through.

So, which one do you start with and what order to watch it in? For the sake of chronology, watch Deen/stay night, then FZ, then UBW. If you want to skip Deen/stay night (which is okay to do), then it is up to you what you want to watch first.

In my opinion, watch UBW first, then FZ. This saves the more serious and dark series for last, which will make the transition to the tone of the upcoming Heaven’s Feel adaptation movies more smooth.

But I think either way you watch the series will still get you a good amount of exposure to the Nasuverse. It’s complicated to start, but once you’re in, it gets better. Heck, even if you don’t fully get immersed into the universe, the 2 ufotable animes are still stellar and carry heavy messages as well as are pretty much eye candy thanks to that animation quality.

But what about all those other things with “Fate/” stamped onto it?

There are a couple of other major Fate installments out there, but they are NOT taking place in the Stay night universe. They are AUs that overall expand the lore of the Nasuverse (and also give the creators some more money lol). These include:

Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA - A magical girl AU that is extremely different from Fate/sn. I think one should watch this after they finish the Stay Night series, but don’t feel forced to watch it, for it is completely non-canon.

Fate/apocrypha - This anime is currently airing as of my writing of this post. It follows a parallel universe “what if” situation. If this one certain event in history happened differently, then the events of Stay Night turn into this. This deals with completely different characters and set up. I only watched a few episodes of this anime and found it is probably most enjoyable to those familiar with the Nasuverse.

Fate/extra - Another parallel universe series coming out. Just like Apocrypha, this deals with new characters in general.

Fate/hollow ataraxia - A sequel Visual Novel to the original Stay Night story. Same characters and world, but 6 months later. It is another adult VN game, so it’s pretty much half-lore expansion and half-fanservice. 

Fate/prototype - This is a 1-episode OVA of Kinoko Nasu’s first envision of the series. There are some minor differences lore-wise, and the characters are mainly the same, save for a few design differences and gender swaps.

Carnival Phantasm - Ever watch those “crack” videos on YouTube? Like “Fairy Tail Crack” or “Boku no Hero Academia Crack”? These videos take an anime and make jokes out of its content and have many, many memes. Well, Carnival Phantasm is exactly that. It combines many series of the Nasuverse (mainly the Fate/stay night series and Nasu’s other work, Tsukihime) and makes it into a joyful, cute, hilarious, and downright amazing anime. It is filled with inside jokes of the universe and has some spoilers, so save this anime for last. I did skip the Tsukihime skits simply because I didn’t get the jokes, but there’s a montage of all the Fate skits on YouTube here. This series is the source of many, many fandom memes. You don’t have to watch it, but it is so funny.

Fate/Grand Order - A 1-episode OVA that adapts the first storyline of the famous mobile game with the same name. It is another parallel universe of some sort. New characters with some familiar faces of the Stay Night universe. The game is currently released in Japan and North America on the iTunes and Google Play store. It may be a waifu and husbando collector, but it is so addicting…

To conclude, there really isn’t a right answer that I can give you. But here’s my suggestion (aka the way I watched the anime):

1. Watch the Unlimited Blade Works anime by ufotable.

2. Watch Fate/zero.

3. If you want to rewatch then watch the first season of the UBW anime again, then watch FZ again, then watch the second season of UBW. Totally optional, but a fun way to watch the 2 series imo.

4. If you are okay with spoilers for Heaven’s Feel, watch Carnival Phantasm for the Fate sketches. By spoilers I mean there are some jokes from that series that rooted from Heaven’s Feel, but you may only catch them if you squint. It never explicitly spoils the story.

5. Watch the Heaven’s Feel movies. Only 1 out of the 3 is currently out/coming out internationally in theaters, so I guess just try to watch the first 1 if it is available to you at this point?

Feel free to start the visual novel if you want. In regards to the other series I mentioned, they are optional as well.

If you watch UBW and FZ and feel that there are a lot of unanswered questions, then expect Heaven’s Feel to address those issues. Remember that even though the 3 routes are all different stories, they are written in a way that you don’t get the whole picture until you have completed all three routes (too bad the Fate route anime is completely butchered and unreliable plot-wise. But I think you can manage without it. It’s more of an introduction to the story than anything else.)

Hope you understood what I was saying! Again, please message me if you have any questions or just want to talk about the series with me! I am in absolute hell with this universe so don’t hesitate to talk to me!