#plus I had to erase so much especially on Chris. that’s why he looks like he’s high

[isame-allen]

Argghhhhh the sillies

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - Happiness Is

This is possibly my favorite episode of season two. Yet, it is also the point the where the series starts to fall off a cliff. Only that’s not something that you would realize upon a first watch; just in hindsight and only with some basic knowledge of the behind the scenes drama that led to this and the fall out with the fandom that followed afterwards. 

Summary:  Rapunzel begins to feel homesick for Corona when she finds an old letter written by her father in one of the many lanterns sent from her previous birthdays. In attempts to uplift her spirits, Rapunzel explores the island and comes across a magical idol that brings instant happiness to whomever possesses it. Rapunzel begins to hallucinate her family and friends back in Corona and soon shares the idol with the rest of the group. However, everyone starts to become obsessive over the idol, desperately wanting it for themselves. Rapunzel tricks everyone into giving her the idol, but when the Lorbs try to help Rapunzel, they fall under the idol's control and soon begin to terrorize the village.

Let’s Start with the First Elephant in the Room; Frederic 

So throughout the episode Rapunzel is struggling with being homesick. Which is fair enough, that’s an understable reaction to being on the road for months by now. However, to showcase this Rapunzel keeps seeing hallucinations of her father. There are some other characters too, but her dad is the first person she sees and the only one in Corona with speaking lines. He’s the one to tempt her with the idol. 

Did we just forget that Frederic is her abuser? 

Look, even if you accept his apology in Secret of the Sundrop and believe he has learned his lesson, that doesn’t just erase the pain he caused her. Her thoughts about her father should be more realistically complex then this. Now add in how she makes a such a clean break from her other abuser, Gothel, but still holds him on a pedestal shows a disturbing bias on the part of the writers. 

Also where’s this love for Arianna? You know the only real mother on the show? The show that’s aimed at little girls? The one parent who hasn’t flat out abused the main character yet? 

Seriously, Chris, what the fuck? 

This is a Missed Opportunity 

So part of the reason why I like this episode is that we get insights into each of the characters and their desires. As such this is one of the few episodes where the group actual feels like a group friends. However, Cass’s vision is wasted here. 

So at first glance this seems to aline with what we know of the character thus far. She loves her dad and wishes to impress him. That’s only if you take season one into account, though. Later episodes will contradict this goal. If you wanted to set up praise and validation in general as Cassandra’s motives, then here is where that should have happened. 

Show her getting a medal, have cheering crowds surround her, have her be a hero, or something. You can’t claim her relationship with her parents as the driving force of behind her later actions if you don’t actually involve one of those parents as part of the resolution to her arc. 

Either she lacking attention from her dad or she’s jealous of Rapunzel. You can’t have it be both because those two things don’t intersect. Rapunzel is not and never was a threat to her relationship with her father. 

So Umm...I Don’t Think This Plot Point Has the Impact That the Writers Think It Does 

So this hilarious, and it is intended to be funny, but it’s not for the reasons that the show gives. 

The idea is that this is some shocking revelation. That Rapunzel would never do this under normal circumstances and it’s a hint that the idol is corrupting her. 

Only the rest of the series doesn’t aline with that at all. This is just the real Rapunzel behaving as the she normally would but without the usual veneer of excuses. 

It’s funny because it’s the show calling out Rapunzel hypocrisy for what it is plainly, not because it’s out of character. 

But funny only gets you so far. The show is perfectly happy to play up Rapunzel’s awfulness for laughs, but then conventily ignore it when it comes time for the characters themselves to call her out on it so that she can grow and learn.       

The show runs under the sitcom idea that comedy excuses all sins; which then backfires horribly when it tries to be serious and mature. 

You can’t joke that the king threw a random person in a stockade for little reason and then expect us to still like him when he persecutes a child. Same applies here. 

The sitcom set up only works when there is minimal at stake and all parties involved are equally awful in their own ways. 

Then Why Not Just Go Home?

Once again, there’s nothing at stake in season two. Rapunzel has no real reason to be on this trip. Nothing is stopping her from just going home if that’s what she wants. The idol only makes her happy because it shows her want she wants, but she could actually have what she wants as soon as the next ship arrives. So what’s the issue here? 

This is why you need external conflict in order to make internal conflicts work. There’s has to be something preventing the main character from achieving her goal or otherwise she just comes across as a dumbass. 

And Now Here Comes the Second Elephant; Varian 

I have several things to talk about here, and none of them actually concern the scene itself but the creator’s treatment of the character and the show’s fan base.

For you see, Chris did a very, very stupid thing.  

He wrote the character driving the plot out of the show. The character who also happens to be the most popular person in the series. Only to then use said character’s VA and this one cameo as promotion for this whole season. 

Needless to say, fans were disappointed.   

However, the Tangled fandom is exceedingly polite; more so than most. The lack of Varian was met mostly with confusion, and maybe a few off handed jokes, rather than anger. When opportunity arose people naturally had questions concerning the character.     

And that’s when Chris put his foot in mouth. 

This Tumblr post details how Chris got kicked off the Tangled The Series Discord by bullying a bunch of Varian fans while on there. 

https://starxapple.tumblr.com/post/617852117763391488/zhantiri-uuugh-fine-since-people-are-getting

I shan’t get into it fully, but for those who discovered the show after season two had aired, this caused a massive backlash from the fandom. 

A good chunk of the fandom just walked away, and rightly so. The few that stuck around despite these remarks found themselves harassed by certain sections of the fandom who saw Chris’s bullying as permission to pursue the same behavior. However, most importantly, the ratings plummeted. 

Season one hovered around the the 1 million mark, give or take a five point difference. The first part of season two dropped to half of that, and after this episode and the hiatus it sunk even lower, down to the mid-thirties. That’s over 20,000 people who just jumped ship over this. That’s not a normal decline. 

No matter what your personal feelings are of the character of Varian or how he was handled in the show, that’s still a massive PR fassico that cost the series big time. 

To add to this mountain of bullshit, there was also a massive walk out of crew members after season one had finished production. Most of them women. They even desperately threw out ‘we’re hiring’ calls to cover this. Which given that’s it’s Disney and that nepotism is usually how one gains employment in the entertainment industry, something unusual must have happened behind the scenes. Especially if most of the people who left were women. 

We’ll probably never know what really happened. People don't usually talk about behind the scenes stuff like that due to contracts and the aforementioned nepotism. However, all clues point to Varian.   

Something changed at the last minute concerning his story. Chris himself had confirmed as much when discussing the note and the Brotherhood. We also gotten other hints that content was edited out at the last minute. Plus the writing becomes more shoddy as the series goes along, showing how slapped dashed everything is together.  

Then there’s the rumors. 

I must stress to you that this is only a rumor. As pointed out earlier, most animators aren’t in a position to talk freely about what goes on behind the scenes. Do NOT harass them over it or make things awkward by asking them to clarify this. However it’s been suggested that the female crew warned Chris that removing Varian from season two and re-writing his story, along with making Cass the villain, would be a bad idea before they left and Chris didn’t listen. Much to his folly. 

Chris is no longer a Disney employee and has yet to move on to any other projects. He says he left, but I more suspect that Disney just didn't renew his contract and no one has picked him up since. I take no joy in the idea that someone may have lost their job, but if true, then Chris has little to blame but himself. 

So What Did Change?

We don't know anything for sure. We know from discussions about the note that there was a proposed Brotherhood plot that involved Varian that was then cut. There was also talks about a Cass and Varian team up in season three. 

This was then changed to the Saporian take over, which is foreshadowed in this scene. However even that got edited down and under the flimsiest of excuses. 

One of the writers, Ricky, suggested that they thought cutting back to Corona would be too confusing for the audience; which is a load of bull. I mean how poorly do you think of your audience’s comprehension skills that they wouldn’t understand a change of scene or a flashback? Yet you fully expect them to pick up on your lazy foreshadowing involving the mirror? So much so that you sent them on a quest to find it between seasons two and three.

Then there’s this gem from Chris. 

Ok ignoring the fact that you so totally could have featured both Gothel and Varian, seeing as they serve two different functions in the story and mean different things to Rapunzel.... What guilt?!!! 

Rapunzel doesn’t ever act guilty over anything involving her treatment of Varian. 

That’s when you realize Chris isn’t talking about her feeling guilty about Varian’s predicament. He’s saying that Rapunzel feels guilty of leaving her father behind with this ‘dangerous’ criminal. Which is a big fuck you to everyone. 

That’s why Frederic is the center focus of Rapunzel’s hallucinations. Why she’s more concerned for his safety over Varian’s trauma. Chris really be out here trying to use the abused 14/15 year old orphan as a scapegoat for the grown ass dictator who ruined countless lives. Because he thinks a grown woman should feel guilty for leaving her abusive father behind and pursuing her life’s dream.

Dude, I try not to assume the worst of people just cause they write fictional characters that I dislike, but Chris really makes things hard not to when he treats his self insert this way. 

Oh but we’re not done yet. 

When Varian Fans Complain About the Lack of Varian; We’re Complaining About the Lack of a Coherent Plot. 

Certain sections of the fandom, bolstered by Chris’s BS, try to act like simply being a Varian fan is grounds for dismissal of any criticism of the show and it’s writing. As if having personal preference for something makes you automatically ‘entitled’ or some such bull. Yet doing so ignores the fundamental complaint that they are making. 

We’re not whining about our favorite character not getting enough screen time. No one would have complained about his lack of presence in season two if they had properly resolved his story in season three and had Chris not been a dick to the fans. But it becomes evidently clear as the series goes along that removing Varian left a major hole in the plot. One that makes the entire story and the rest of characters suffer as well. 

Think season two is boring? That’s cause they cut out their main villain at the last minute and failed to replace him with anything. 

Upset that Hookfoot was brought along for zero reason?  He’s the replacement character for Varian who no doubt was going to appear in season two originally. 

Wish there was more on the Brotherhood and the Dark Kingdom?  Their story impact was greatly reduced when Varian was written out.

Are you a Eugene fan and mad about how the Dark Prince plot went nowhere?  That’s cause the original Brotherhood/Dark Kingdom plot was dropped when Varian was.

Dislike how Cassandra’s character was ruined with her villain arc?  She was originally meant to be possessed but was changed last minute to be a Varian rip-off in the hopes that she would gain some of his popularity.   

Wish Zhan Tiri, Demantius, and the Disciples actually went somewhere and that ZT had coherent plan?   That plot were changed last minute to make Zhan Tiri a scapegoat for Cassandra now that her story was changed to replace Varian.

And of course let’s not ignore the character who suffers the most from lack of Varian.... Rapunzel. 

Chris’s defense for leaving Varian out of S2 is that it’s “Rapunzel’s Story” and that Varian was only ever a plot device meant to push her along on her quest.  Which means that Rapunzel no longer has anyone pushing her along on her quest!!!

All characters are plot devices. If they aren’t there to serve a story function then they need to be cut. Even Rapunzel herself serves a plot function. She’s meant to be the protagonist of a coming of age story. Which means she needs both an external conflict to face and an emotional arc where she grows as a person. Varian is the plot device that serves both of those functions but he’s now been removed and is no longer allowed to serve his original purpose. 

Chris reached into the machine while it was running and pulled out one of the main gears and acted like he always meant to do that. He legit sat there and pretended that everything was running smoothly even as smoke poured out and warring alarms blared. He then tried to shove bubble gum in its place hoping no one would notice as everything fell apart around him. 

Cause he’s the thing; no idea is without merit. It’s all about presentation. Removing Varian from season three still could have worked, but it required A.) replacing him with another foe and B.) making sure his arc still got a proper conclusion. 

I’ll talk more about Varian’s half-arsed redemption when we get to it; but for now let's focus on the more immediate problem. No one thought to give season two an actual overarching conflict in light of Varian’s absence. 

That’s a fundamental oversight that pretty much signals that season two was re-written at the last minute. You have an overarching plot in an action adventure show but no main adversary? I refuse to believe that everyone involved was too stupid to do that on purpose; but if they were rushed and lacked a crew because they walked out due to last minute story changes....yeah that’d I buy. 

Because there’s more than enough options to go around; Lady Caine, The Baron and Styalan, Hector and/or Adria, Zhan Tiri’s Disciples ect. were all options. So was keeping the rocks a threat, or have Cass start her villian arc earlier; with proper motivation this time. They could have even come up with someone entirely new. 

You had over four years to plan this shit out; why is it not more well put together?! 

How Come Rapunzel Can Easily Admit Fault to Pascal But Not Anyone Else? 

Pascal should have sat perched on Varian’s and Eugene’s shoulders giving Rapunzel ‘I’m done with this’ looks all throughout season three. It’s apparently the only thing that she responds to. 

Why is the untalkative camelanion the only one allowed to call out the main character’s BS without going villain? 

Conclusion

That’s all there really is to talk about in this story. The actual episode itself is good. It’s the behind the scenes crap that bubbles underneath its surface that needed to be discussed. That way when going forward with the marathon you’ll better see what I’m talking about when I explain how future episode suffered from the lack of planning and foresight. 

[anotherbeingsworld]

Once Upon A Miracle

To: Dani // @lovealexhunt​ as I was your gifter for the choices potluck hosted by @homeformyheart​ 💖

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Olivia Hadley)

Warning: None, just... fluff!

A/N: Hii, I am back with a new fic and this is a fluff! I know, I haven’t been writing a while and I am soo sorry; things been rough and I hope this is good enough. I have a few to post hopefully before the year ends! But, this one is for my good friend Dani, she is a fighter and she will fight too! Ily and happy holidays Dani!! I hope I did Olivia justice! 💙💙💙💙 Happy holidays everyone , I hope all of you have an amazing one ! - Alya! 

MY MASTERLIST 

Holidays. Every year was a surprise for her, as the holidays were filled with miracles and it’s a mark for a new beginning. A new beginning to start over, yet… the hospital was filled with patients instead.  She was a believer on miracles, and there is going to be a miracle happening at the hospital today. 

She stood by the nurse station along with some nurses, as a 9-year-old boy displayed a sad expression on his face upon the presence of all the machines surrounding him. Olivia walked his way with his chart in her hand.

‘Hi Chris, how are you today?’ Her voice soft as the boy’s fears slowly rolled down.

‘I’m… scared. Do you know where my mommy is?’ His voice is still shaky despite the nerves has been controlled.

She smiled at him, an encouraging smile; the one where it could make your worries fly away in a certain amount of time.

As she was about to reply, a couple was spotted speeding into the room with a worried expression on their faces, which transitioned into a relief seeing their son in good condition.

Olivia took a few steps back giving the family their space, as the hugs were exchanged giving her a mental note to call her parents as it was one of the times where she didn’t celebrate the holidays with her family.

After a while, the father breaks away from the hug making his way to Olivia.

“Hi, Mr. Wheeler. My name is Dr. Olivia Hadley and I have your son’s result…” Her voice is soft, as the mother pulls the boy into a hug earning a smile from herself.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Hadley, do you know what is wrong with Chris? We got a call from the hospital from his daycare and we hope it won’t be serious…”. Olivia knows that tone of voice all too well, as he was trying to disguise the fear with a calming demeanor.

“His results states that Chris has a fever along with the flu which is not serious at all. We will get his prescriptions ready but…we have to monitor Chris for the night to make sure nothing is serious for now.” She states earning a relief looked once again followed by a wide smile from Mr. Wheeler who looks much calmer than before.

“Is our boy going to be okay Dr. Hadley? It’s almost the holidays and it’s one of his favorite time of the year and we hope we could bring him home soon to his brothers and sisters at home…’ Her voice is soft, a glimmer of hope can be seen in her eyes hoping this nightmare would be over soon.

“I can’t promise anything Mr.s Wheeler, but I know we will do everything we can to get Chris better.”

…

…

…

She nods to the family while leaving the room to let the family reunite. The charts were placed at the nurses station , as she bumps into Bryce who somehow has a huge smile on his face upon her presence.

“Bryce, what a wonderful surprise.” She smiled at the sudden appearance who happens to be her boyfriend which is rare to see on the pediatrics floor.

“Well, I wanna see my girlfriend after a long 24-hour shift.” He placed a kiss on her cheek, as they walked together on the halls as their pages are silent for now.

They stopped in front of a familiar place which somehow their favorite place besides the on-call room. The NICU is  on the peds ward. Both of them stood behind the glass, as they observed the nurses handling the babies inside with care. There were small coos can be heard, as there were a few babies are asleep, and there are some who are wide awake.

“I see a new-comer!…” Liv exclaimed excitedly as Bryce’s eyes fall onto the view in front of them.

“Isaac Rivers.” He states after reading the chart from behind the glass.

Olivia’s eyes widen at an idea, as she pulled Bryce with her leading them both into the NICU which was met by one of Olivia’s closest colleagues, Miranda.

“Olivia hi! How can I help ya today?”

She gestures to the babies, with a wide smile along with her puppy-eyes to Miranda which she instantly understands the look on her face.

“Alright Liv, since the staff was short today; we need some extra hands today.” A smile appeared on her face, as both Bryce and Olivia went inside to help.

They get themselves sanitized before they handled the babies. The NICU was one of her favorite places in the hospital, it’s the start of growth where a human was brought into the world. And, she doesn’t want a kid to be alone especially during the holidays.

They shuffled places, as Olivia observes the little girl inside one of the cribs. She took a look on her chart, as a small smile appeared at the name that was written on the chart.

Olivia Renelle Johnson. 24th December 2020.

She took a seat, as she observed little Olivia who is cooing in her crib. Small coos can be heard somehow made her mesmerized by her little existence. So many moments have passed, as she found herself hooked to Olivia once again, after checking the other babies around her.

She was entranced at the moment that she didn’t realize a figure was standing behind her.

“Now I understand why you are hooked with her...” Bryce lets out a small laugh as he places his arms on her shoulders.

“She is an Olivia as well.” Her words came out as soft as silk, as the baby coos softly once more with a small smile appeared on her face.

“Well, all of the Olivia’s I known has left a mark in my life and I think this one did the same to you Liv.” His eyes fall onto baby Olivia as he scoots forward to take a closer look, as his thumb was captured by baby Olivia herself in the crib.

…

…

…

Liv excuses herself to meet with Miranda who is smiling at them both.

“What’s with the look Miranda?” She eyes her earning a nudge from her friend.

“The three of you looked like a family, and it’s such a calming sight. You are a natural Liv.” She states as both of their gazes fall onto Bryce who was still playing with baby Olivia.

“He is such a natural too, I honestly never expected that.” A smile was formed on her lips, everyday she learned something new about Bryce and, it has been an enjoyable process.

“So, when is your shift will end Liv?”

“Our shifts are done actually, we wanted to check in these cuties before going back… plus, with the holidays; I knew you might need some extra hands.”

Miranda shook her head while a smile lingers on her face,

“You know you deserve a break from this hospital once in a while right?”

“I know, I guess this is some part of me that can’t be erased know and I am happy with it.”

“Whatever you say Liv.”

Both of them stood in silence before she decided to bring up the question.

“Have the parents taken baby Olivia back yet since it’s almost been 24 hours since her birth?” Olivia asked earning a sad look from Miranda who shook her head sadly.

“Baby Olivia unfortunately were found pre-mature, as the mother has to go through an early c-section because of it.”

She felt her heart breaking slowly,

“Do you think she’ll make it?” Her voice filled with uncertainty which is replied with Miranda’s encouraging smile.

“She is a fighter, just like you Liv. We will monitor her for the night and who knows; maybe a miracle will happen. It’s the holidays after all.” She winks at her, making her calm down a little but can’t help by the pang of sadness inside her.

…

…

A sad expression falls onto Olivia’s features, somehow a part of her was already been flooded by sadness. It hurts her to see this sight, a child with no parents.

She makes her way back to Bryce, as she took a seat beside him. He notices the sadness on her face and asked.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Is Olivia okay?” He gestures to the baby Olivia who is sleeping soundly in her crib.

Liv nodded but a part of her feels down, somehow sadness has washed into her system.  

“There was complications during her birth. Miranda told me, they have to keep an eye on baby Olivia for the night.” The words felt heavy, as it escapes her lips earning as his smile falters a bit, his eyes fall onto baby Olivia who is sound asleep with a pang of sadness can be seen in his eyes.

Bryce nods, understanding as he pulled Liv into a hug and placed a kiss on top of her head. As they continue their task of accompanying baby Olivia for the night, with the addition of instrumental Christmas music playing in the background.

…

…

…

It was midnight and its officially Christmas as they sat in the NICU with one another with permission from Miranda; they are allowed to accompany baby Olivia and the other babies who haven’t been returned to their parents yet.

The room was dimmed as the occupying babies were sleeping softly with Olivia and Bryce to make their first Christmas less lonely.

After a while, Bryce brought back two cups of hot cocoa from the nearby office in an attempt to keep them both awake.

“So, what do you think about the holidays in the hospital?” Bryce asked as he has his arm around her after setting down the cup of hot cocoa down.

Olivia starts to think, as somehow it was a new tradition for her to celebrate the holidays anywhere other than her home.

“It’s been exciting and very very new.”

“But…?”

“But, the company is very much enjoyable.” She smiles at him, earning a wide smile from the man himself.

“Good answer.” He placed a kiss on her forehead, followed by small movement from baby Olivia herself.

…

…

…

As it hit the 24 hour mark, both Olivia and Bryce had wide smiles upon their faces as baby Olivia survives the night.

“She did it Bryce, she survives!” Olivia exclaimed quietly as they hugged once more, it was a long night but… it is worth it.

“It’s the season of miracles, and baby Olivia here is one of them.” His voice is slow, as his gaze falls upon the crib.

Olivia nods, a smile is not leaving her face as they stood there. Miracles indeed could happen during this time of the year, and it was indeed the best Christmas ever.

THE END.

Tags:  @bitchloveskcbaseball , @storyofmychoices , @mvalentine , @princess-geek , @lahellacute ,  @this-person-is-busy , @annekebbphotography , @mrsbhandari , @dcbbw , @choicessa , ,@fantasyoverreality98 , @baltersome , @ofpixelsandscribbles , @thundergom  @starrystarrytrouble,  @kelseaaa  ,@bratzlahela , @choicesficwriterscreations  , @lalizah , @drethanramslay , @aveeiro , @eleanorbloom , @openheartfanfics , @brycesgirl  ,  @freckles-spangledvampire , @agentnolastname , @robintora​ (comment if you want to be tagged or removed 💜💜)

[salvatoreschool]

Julie Plec Tells Us How Hope's Finale Twist Will Affect Legacies in Season 2

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Legacies. Read at your own risk!]

Legacies did the unthinkable in its Season 1 finale, and now we're not sure whether Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is dead or alive or hovering somewhere in between!

The finale saw the Salvatore School under attack from Triad Industries, and the confrontation eventually left Josie (Kaylee Bryant) in mortal peril. After she jumped in front of a bullet made from Malivore mud intended for Lizzie (Jenny Boyd), the poison slowly started to eat away at her. Only Hope's blood managed to save her, but we're wondering whether or not that will end up being a great thing considering she found a magical device in Alaric's office that could eventually release a pretty huge baddie — more on that later.

As for Hope, after facing off against this week's monster (a headless horseman, of all things), Ryan Clarke (Nick Fink) got the best of Hope and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) and threw the final artifact into the Malivore pit, raising his father from banishment. Knowing she couldn't allow the monster-eating golem to return to Earth and use Landon's body as a meat suit, Hope killed Landon (temporarily, obvi) and threw herself into the pit along with Landon's brother. As the tribrid of the three species that created it, Hope realized she was the only thing that could destroy it, finally giving her loophole existence a purpose. Girl, you are too noble for your own good.

So, is that the end for Hope, especially now that no one even remembers her? And what does her "death" mean for everyone else but especially Rafael (Peyton Smith), who might now have to remain a wolf forever? TV Guide spoke to showrunner Julie Plec about this huge finale and where we go from here when Season 2 picks back up.

So Hope is officially erased, but are all traces of her really gone? Or can we hope to stumble across some clue to remembering her and getting her back in Season 2?

Julie Plec: There is hope, and there is an actual pitch for that, so your brain is in the right place, creatively.

Is Malivore dead now or did she just prevent him from rising?

Plec: That is the question, I think, that we're left with at the end of the season, which is — technically if she had destroyed him, would she be destroyed in the process? Maybe not. So the fact that no one remembers her might mean that there's still a blackness out there that is keeping her captive. And since we've already seen a glimpse of how s---ty that is, I hope that's not the case.

Can we expect to see a Hope-shaped hole in the lives of everyone left in Season 2?

Plec: That's exactly what we can expect to see. What's fun about it, and sad about it, is we'll be able to realize just how much impact Hope had in these people's lives without them even realizing what they're missing. And just understanding that they all feel individually like there's something that doesn't feel right and that they're struggling with this feeling of not being complete somehow. It just feels like such a universal experience, especially for teenagers. I'm looking forward to having each of those characters act out on that feeling.

If feels like Raf is the one most affected by her loss, since he's kind of stuck as a perma-wolf?

Plec: Yeah, Raf is screwed. Raf is a perma-wolf. Look, when Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) on The Originals was turned into a wolf all that time, that really did a number on her, and Raf is a new werewolf, who is still a teenager. So to be stuck in your most primal and feral state for God knows how long, if he's ever even able to get out of there, that will be catastrophic.

Landon did learn that he was intended to be a "meat suit" for Malivore to let him procreate, but does he even remember that? And if not, is that still a looming threat in Season 2?

Plec: I think that's a good question. What, if anything, of his experience and all the information that he learned about Malivore will he remember? Even more so, what does it all mean now that Malivore doesn't appear to be functional anymore? So Landon is going to have a lot of questions moving forward, and a Hope-sized hole in his heart, as you've said.

I love the chemistry between Hope and Landon! Every time they're on-screen together, you just can't help but go, "Awww!"

Plec: Thank you! It's so pure; I think that's why I love it so much. It just feels really innocent and honest and pure in a way that you don't get a lot in relationships in movies and television. So I think that's why I really like it.

Will Triad Industries play a role moving forward, considering most of their staff was just killed or consumed by Malivore?

Plec: We may have seen the last of Triad for now in that I think M.G. (Quincy Fouse) made it very clear with his mother what role he expects her to not play in his life moving forward. I certainly don't think the organization is going anywhere, so they will be out there lingering in the shadows and maybe our heroes will cross paths with them another time.

The twins seem to have found the Ascendant, which The Vampire Diaries fans will recognize as the key to a prison world. How worried should we be about a visit from evil Uncle Kai (Chris Wood) if they start messing with that?

Plec: I think when a key that would open the lock that is keeping evil Uncle Kai imprisoned shows up on your screen you should always be afraid ... and also super, super psyched — which, by the way, is not me saying that Chris Wood has agreed to come back because I have not gotten any answers out of him yet, but I would love nothing more.

Will we be seeing more of Penelope in Season 2?

Plec: Penelope was a very successful character for us, and we always love the villain that ultimately finds a way to redeem her wicked, selfish, evil ways over the course of the season and leave us all crying and wanting more. Certainly my hope is that she remains in our universe and she, in spite of being in Belgium with her family, may make an appearance again. I can't make any promises, but I certainly would love to see her.

Can we also hope for the return of Clarke? Because I was really digging the revival of the whole supernatural brothers thing!

Plec: There's going to be a hole in the marketplace right now for supernatural brothers. We have not necessarily seen the last of Clarke. Certainly wherever Hope is, it seems to be that he is there as well. It depends on where that is and what that looks like and if we want to tell that story.

So if we want Hope back, we might have to get Clarke?

Plec: Exactly. Two for the price of one.

Are you looking to introduce a new big bad for Season 2 or are you hoping to stay invested in this Malivore storyline?

Plec: We are going to take a page out of Harry Potter and hope that Malivore can be an ongoing threat, much like Voldemort was able to be over the course of all the books. That is the goal and we will see how long we are able to do that.

And are you planning to keep the monster-of-the-week format or lean into more serialized storytelling.

Plec: I think our emotional and character stories will always be deeply serialized like The Vampire Diaries, but the structure of the monster of the week or a monster that can span a couple weeks has been a lot of fun for us, and we've really enjoyed it. So we'll definitely be continuing down that road.

Are there any plans to return to monsters we've seen and spared before like that gorgon who was getting flirty with M.G.?

Plec: There's absolutely opportunity for any of the monsters that we've seen before to come back again. I know my personal favorite is the necromancer. We've got some competition... people who loved the dryad, the gorgon — if we can figure out a way to make snakes cost less in visual effects, [it] has a better shot at coming back when technology can catch up to what we want to achieve. That was a "learn the hard way" kind of character.

Alaric's (Matthew Davis) position at the school has been left up in the air, so what can you say about the impact of potentially removing him as headmaster if that's how the council votes?

Plec: I think that for a man whose last decade-plus of his life has been committed wholly to his daughters and this school, if he wakes up one morning and is no longer the headmaster, that's going to be a big dramatic shift for him and I'd wonder how he would make it through that.

[flightfoot]

2/2 Poseidon outright apologised to Percy for giving him heroes fate. Not all gods were oblivious to how much heroes suffer. Not every god gave them quests for trivial matters, Their existance is necessary, since gods can't do some things, but not everyone averted their eyes from it. Do you think Apollo will realise, that he was one of the worse gods in that regard, and not everybody thought the way he did? That some of the Olympians faced the reality head on, and he was just fooling himself?

It’s true that not all the Olympians averted their eyes from it. Poseidon, Hermes, and most of all, his own twin, Artemis, all seemed to fully realize how tough being a demigod is and how much mortal lives are worth. Artemis willingly took the weight of the world from Annabeth, a girl she’d never met before, knowing it was a trap, so that she could save her! She TRIED to refuse giving the Earth over to Percy, believing that the weight would kill him. And she properly expressed her thanks at them rescuing her, absolutely REFUSING to allow Percy and Thalia be incinerated! I imagine that as horrified as she is at all the pain and suffering Apollo and his friends have been through, she’s glad that he’s AT LEAST now acknowledging to himself, and to everyone else, how much mortals are worth.

I dunno about Apollo being one of the WORST Olympians on that front. He’s worse than Poseidon, Hermes, and Artemis, certainly. But I’d say he’s better than Ares, Aphrodite, and Dionysus (especially as Bacchus). Ares is just kinda a jerk, and can be pretty scary to hang out with. This one sentence in The Last Olympian, where Ares is greeting Clarisse, makes me wonder…

She looked pretty overwhelmed. All she could do was nod and blink, like she was afraid he’d start hitting her, but eventually she began to smile. (343)

I do wonder if he’s yelled and hit her in the past. He seems to really want his children to EARN his help. Also, there was that time he cursed Percy in Titan’s Curse, just because he was still pissy about Percy beating him, fair and square.

Aphrodite just doesn’t seem to care for individual people much. She helped Percy out in Titan’s Curse, but that seemed to be because she loved watching his love story. She was fine with leaving Artemis to rot, and she really wanted to make Percy’s love life more “interesting”. It’s kinda hinted that she’s behind the love triangle that develops between Percy, Annabeth, and Rachel. She also was hinted to be behind the whole love triangle Annabeth was in, with Luke and Percy (that one was always weird). She really just seems to regard mortals -and probably immortals too, given Apollo’s track record - as interesting stories. She accidentally slips up and says as much to Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper in Mark of Athena.

“Well, I can’t take credit for all your troubles,” the goddess said. “But I do love twists and turns in a love story. Oh, all of you are such excellent stories - I mean, girls. You do me proud!” (234)

I think she’s actually the worst one at not treating demigods like actual people. Heck, I dunno if she treats ANYONE like an actual person, except for maybe Ares. 

Dionysus is a massive jerk, but he does help demigods occasionally when he doesn’t have to, like when he drove Dr. Thorn’s minions mad in Titan’s Curse, cures Chris in the Battle of the Labyrinth, and asks after the welfare of his remaining demigod son, Pollux. That being said, that’s AFTER he’s been Camp director for several years at least, and has had to interact with them on a daily basis. He still likes to PRETEND he doesn’t care, at least. And if Bacchus is anything to go by, before being forced into close proximity with demigods for extended periods of time, he really didn’t regard them as people worth helping. Which is especially bad for him, since he WAS a demigod! He should know better!

Athena seems to know and care about the plight of demigods, and she’s especially protective of her own children. 

Can’t judge Demeter, she doesn’t really have characterization beyond “cereal”.

Hestia loves and cares about everyone. She doesn’t really do much directly, though.

Hera is pretty pragmatic about demigods. She helps out Percy and Annabeth in Battle of the Labyrinth because she knows they’ll be needed, not because she cars about them on any personal level, and she wanted to abandon Nico. She lets Percy wander around aimlessly for months while being pursued by gorgons before she FINALLY decides to lead him to Camp Jupiter. The only demigod she cares about on any personal level seems to be Jason, and even that’s REALLY messed up, since she seems to consider him to be her property. No surprise with Hera, though, she’s kinda known for being a jerk, ESPECIALLY to everyone even tangentially related to her husband’s affairs.

Hephaestus just seems kinda awkward around demigods. He does the sort of casual-threatening thing that the gods tend to do, but he’s nice enough, and he doesn’t take offense very easily. He actually seems to have a fairly similar level caring that Apollo does, where he at least TRIES to keep an eye on all his children. He’s just more awkward with people than Apollo is. A LOT more awkward. Honestly, I think he might be on the autism spectrum. It would certainly fit with his social awkwardness and need to stim. Anyways, I guess he might not necessarily not acknowledge mortals’ value, he just doesn’t know how to interact with them in general.

Hades… I think he recognizes mortals’ worth. He certainly cares for his kids. But he’s not above threatening them with annihilation if he’s ESPECIALLY pissed. And he’s a pretty big jerk to Percy, though that might be more him just wanting to vent his frustration with his siblings at someone.

Then there’s Zeus, who seems to be the main one keeping the gods from helping more often. Heck, he didn’t want Apollo helping Percy and co. to rescue Artemis, even though that WAS godly business. He attempts to annihilate the Di Angelo family, and everyone in that hotel with them. He COULD’VE just made Bianca and Nico immortal to stop them from reaching sixteen, but noooooo. He chose the MURDER option. He keeps on threatening to knock Percy out of the sky for flying, even though Poseidon doesn’t threaten anything similar with Thalia. Zeus is also the one who closed Olympus, reasoning that:

“Gods were to be respected. Our children were to be seen and not visited.” (TLH 331).

Plus, he acknowledged Jason as his son, and told him how proud he was of him, but was then ready to blast him to pieces minutes later for DARING to question him, as politely as possible. No other godly parents have been shown to be so touchy, so quick to turn on the dime from respecting and acknowledging their children, to being ready to kill them. 

So basically, some of the Olympians truly seemed to understand demigod’s plight and try to help, not avert their eyes. But a lot of them were way worse than Apollo. At least Apollo loves and cares for his children, tries to protect them, and doesn’t make them jump through hoops in order to earn a smidgen of love an approval. As for Apollo realizing that… I think he’ll realize why Artemis acts like she does, why she was SO insistent on rewarding Thalia and Percy, not blasting them, why she takes in strays so often. Apollo’s doing the same thing now.

Honestly, I think that TOA isn’t JUST a redemption story for Apollo - I think he’s being used as a proxy for the gods in general, to test whether THEY can change, and are worthy of surviving. He’s the best candidate I think, since he’s neither the best nor the worst of them, in acknowledging mortals’ worth. Plus, Hermes states in The Last Olympian that 

“maybe for awhile things will get better. But we gods have never been good at keeping oaths. You were born because of a broken promise, eh? Eventually we’ll become forgetful. We always do.” (358).

Except that Apollo doesn’t. He never forgets the people he cares about. He might not be the best at keeping oaths, but when it’s a promise he actually cares about on a deep personal level, and not simply one borne of frustration, he certainly tries his utmost to keep them. He will NEVER forget the promise he made to Jason. I honestly don’t think that even getting amnesia would erase it, kinda like amnesia wasn’t enough to erase Percy’s memories of Annabeth completely. He’s the best candidate for ensuring that the gods don’t slip back into their old ways. I’m kinda hoping that final prophecy, the one that contains the line “the fall of the sun; the final verse” is going to have some choice in it that relies on Apollo’s character growth being the determining factor in whether the gods have a happy ending.

[belladonnaandulriched]

the artist | chapter nine

My fingers quivered and quaked from the nervous tension but I was in fact able to dial Stone's number. I brought the phone up to my ear.

“Hey, golden age of Hollywood,” he greeted me in a jovial tone. Even though it had been a couple of days, it was nice to hear his voice again. It was especially nice to hear his voice over the phone as he sounded much happier and not as exhausted as he did that evening when I met him and Dave.

“Hey, Stone, can I ask you a favor?” I started in a soft voice.

“Sure—why are you whispering, though?”

“It's a secret,” I assured him.

“Okay,” he lowered his voice to that of a low husky whisper.

“I want you to—not sell Joey flowers if he asks for them.”

“Why?”

My mind raced for the right answer. I was already in too deep. If there was another thing the pandemic taught me, it was the power of a lie.

“He's allergic to a few species,” I replied.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I forget which ones he said, but yeah—he's pretty allergic. Like painfully so. You know—it's the pollen out here. It's radically different from that in upstate New York.”

“Oh, I bet it is. I never would've thought of that, if I'm honest. But, it sounds strange given how Dave and I have planted the seeds and made them come alive and whatnot. We try to make it so the pollen won't be so territorial, if you will…” He cleared his throat. “...but I guess if Chris can be allergic to a certain chrysanthemum we’ve bred, then I s’pose anything’s possible with our gardening. I kinda like Joey, too, he sounds like a cool guy...” And then I heard a soft beep on his end.

“Oh, wait, hang tight, Holly. I'm getting another call. Can I hit you back in a few minutes?”

“Absolutely,” I told him as I felt my throat close up. He switched lines, which in turn left me in total silence.

“What have I done,” I muttered to myself. But I wanted to see where we would go from there. I wanted to see what Stone would do and I wanted to see what Joey would do. I nibbled on my bottom lip and tried to calm my nerves but it was almost useless.

The line crackled back on.

“Holly? You still there?”

“Yeah, I never left.”

“That was in fact Joey—he wants to send you some new pencils.”

I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

“He told me he tried calling you but the line was busy. He called me because Lars said about me being an art guy myself.”

“Oh, you are?”

“Yeah. I’m not nearly as big on it as him, but I'm definitely there, though. But yeah, Joey said he'll send you something nice and perfect for any new pieces of art because he wants you to have it. He saw a box of graphites and he thought of you. His words, not mine.” My heart skipped a couple of beats and I could feel the butterflies whirring up inside of my stomach.

This was just one thing.

Not even a couple of hours later, while I was at my computer and doing some doodles to acquaint myself with character movement, Chris called me.

“Holly—I'm at the Blick store right now. I found some ink pens and I was thinking of you doing some pen and ink kinda stuff.”

“Like, black ink or colored?”

“Black. Like you could start there and then work your way towards color. You know, help you experiment and stuff.”

“You just want me to draw you in black ink,” I teased him with an accompanying snicker.

He let out a huff of a sigh.

“Okay, fine, you caught me.”

I giggled at that.

And then once I hung up the phone, Joey called me.

“Hey, hi—did Stone tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“About the—the thing I wanna give ya, the graphites.”

“Yeah, he did.”

“Yes! Well, let me just say, I—” He cleared his throat. “—I hope you like them. I gotta tell ya, Hahlls—I did what I did to get 'em for you.”

I parted my lips but no sound came out at that.

I thought about what I had told Stone to do for me and I wondered if Joey knew at all. Or perhaps he was just being sweet and I opened a stupid loophole behind his back. Either way, I had no other choice but to ruminate on what I did for a bit. I saved the drawing and closed the laptop, and lay down on my bed for a moment and gazed up at the ceiling.

Maybe I just jumped the gun. Joey wanted to do something kind for me, much like how Chris wanted to do something kind for me. I also thought about hitting back Will with the prospect of heading on back up there so as to share my aesthetic eye as he described it.

I definitely jumped the gun, especially when there was a knock on the front door and the sound of it jarred me out of my daydream.

“I'll get it!” my dad called out. I froze in place. I pictured either Joey, Chris, or Will there at the front step and I knew I would have to come clean with my parents right then. I pursed my lips together as I heard the door swing open in the next room.

I closed my eyes and held my breath.

“Holly?” my dad called out. I opened my eyes and found myself face to face with the cottage cheese overhead.

“Holly, something came for you!”

I let out a low whistle and rolled off of the bed. I padded into the next room to find him holding a brand new metallic box of graphite pencils in hand. Nice graphite pencils, the kind that rich people before the pandemic could buy without a moment's hesitation. And the kit that came with a pair of erasers, a pure white one and a kneaded one, plus a pencil sharpener, even though I had no shortage on those.

He scraped to get them, I just knew it, especially once I remembered how he spent on that lemonade for me. I regretted sending Stone that request.

“Who's it from?” asked my mom.

“No idea. I heard the knock on the door and then I looked out and these were laying on our doormat.”

She entered the room from the kitchen and showed me a smile.

“Aw, sounds like Holly's got a secret admirer,” she remarked. “They were kind enough to get her the real deal.”

“Yeah, they—they were,” I added in a soft voice. He handed me the box with a lopsided smile, much like Joey's smile and with the same warmth as Chris. I held the tin before me and stroked the top of the lid with the pad of my thumb. I expected the same to happen with Chris within time; but in the meantime, all I could do was head back to my room to try out the pencils for myself.

But at the same time, I wondered if this was the beginning of something else, aside from Chris. He would be the one to send me flowers and shower me with gifts, whereas Joey did it whenever he could and also because he wanted to do it. He wanted me to have it, as Stone said. He did it because he wanted to. He did it because he liked me.

And Chris was the same way.

I started to wonder about Lars, too, like if he had any aces up his sleeve that he wanted to show off to me. I could only make an uneducated guess about that before I headed back up to the gallery to assist him and Will in the speakeasy. If I had to make a call for either him or Chris to pick me up whenever he could, then I would have to. I had no other way, anyway, just how I was sure Joey had no other way with the little money he scrounged from his pocket.

[feministbynature]

I don’t really post on here, but I just found myself inspired after watching “Plus one” so here are my thoughts on the ep...

Who would have thought hell would freeze over and I would find myself giving Chris Carter credit and literally wanting to thank him for not completely screwing up an episode and finally giving us something that he has been dangling as bait above our heads for literally decades?!? ATTHS!!!! That should be the title of the episode because let’s face it that’s the main thing that I am taking away from this episode 😂 but that’s just me, one track mind and also no tolerance for Chris Carter’s “did they didn’t they” bullshit. Philes have withstood it for ages and I’m glad the game of torture is finally over. Apparently this is going to turn into a love letter ode to Chris Carter because right from the get go it felt like a proper xfile, I got that reminiscent chill way deep in my bloodstream when the doppelgänger appeared, nothing like things that go bump in the night with loud music in the background to raise my Adrenalin level to a high. The first dialogue between far fetched theory Mulder and rational medical doctor Scully  as they battle it out cerebral style is how we like our x files! Or at least how I like mine. It also continues Mulder’s theme of claiming the x-files as “theirs” as states in the last episode “This”. These cases are collectively Mulder and scullys bread and butter, and as much as Scully puts up a fight in trying to discredit Mulders whacky enthusiasm over the idea of doppelgängers Scully is intrigued enough to jump into a car with him hit the I95 south to get to the bottom of this phenomenon wether they are mental illness or else... and Mulder is gracious enough to extend her the first go at discrediting him by allowing her to conduct Arkie’s first interrogation at the jail. Bringing Karin Konoval back is yet another mark in Chris Carter’s favor, her fabulous acting abilities as both male and female deranged and mentally ill just blew my mind!  The whole theme of the episode evil minds evil forces borderline mental illnesses was just the thing that Xfiles has been known for and allowed for the frameworks in which Mulder and scullys mind work to kick into high gear ringing true to my ears. And now let’s talk foreplay! Cause there was so much of that interweaved with comedic splatters that I had to rub my eyes in disbelief that Chris Carter actually possesses these abilities (and why has he not used them more frequently?? They are equally as supportive of the show as the angsty ones if u ask me).- Asking for a couple of rooms and not just one assisted to get these two where we wanted them, together in each other’s arms, and it also ties in with the bureaus policy of agents sharing a room. the scold on scullys face as she tells Mulder she is glad to hear all he wants is some shut eye could be seen as an older prudish version of Scully minus the eye roll and skip in her step. But in the aftermath of the episode it reads to me like a married couple that the man is feeling frisky and the woman is just not feeling it that night so she sternly puts him in his place. Let’s face it right now Scully is leaning towards her medical theories to try and make sense of this case and the subject matter is hitting her, she sees more in Judy than meets the eye, and so I kind of understand this scene and appreciate it. Especially since we get the eyebrow foreplay when Mulder asks if that bed is nice and comfy as he comes through their adjoining rooms making it clear that he is still frisky and would rather be in that bed with Scully rather than chasing the case as needed. That actually says a lot about Mulder, sex with Scully is better than weird ass theories (I wouldn’t argue with that). I kind of got catapulted back to “rain king” when Mulder denied blatantly that he stared at Scully while someone pointed out the sheer attraction to him. And here we have Judy clearly seeing the connection between our two agents from just being in the same room with them for a few minutes. And also her twin brother who asks Mulder if he is “tapping” that tasty red head. Everyone sees it and at least they are not denying it even though they aren’t yet addressing the elephant in the room. I found it quite interesting that Special agent Dana Scully as well as Doctor Dana Scully who has fought men with guns and other social deviants and has conducted multiple surgeries and autopsied dead bodies in the past would get so flustered while dealing with a psych patient and her own mortality and aging. I think this was a critical comment about how society brands women as useless and nothing more than their labels, a woman who hits her 40’s is apparently less worthy bcs her womb is no longer functioning.   The fact that she can turn to Mulder for the cold harsh truth when it comes to insecurities shows just how Dana Scully has progressed from the woman who’s catch phrase was “I’m fine Mulder”. She no longer feels the need to hide from this man, she trusts him in more ways than one. And how endearing is it to hear him say “u have still got it going on”. The man speaks the truth! (Bless). And I don’t know if Chris Carter had “tony Orlando and dawns” song in mind when he wrote knock three times but that completely fits in with the solicitation of one Fox Mulder who tells Scully he is just a door away if she should ever want to get it on 😂 and let’s face it, it’s hard to resist the upper arm and torso muscly built of Mulder in that tank top 👅 Knock three times: Hey girl what ya doin' down thereDancin' alone every night while I live right above youI can hear your music playin'I can feel your body swayin'One floor below me you don't even know meI love youOh my darlingKnock three times on the ceiling if you want meTwice on the pipe if the answer is noOh my sweetnessMeans you'll meet me in the hallwayTwice on the pipe means you ain't gonna showIf you look out your window tonightPull in the string with the note that's attached to my heartRead how many times I saw youHow in my silence I adored youOnly in my dreams did that wall between us come apartOh my darlingKnock three times on the ceiling if you want meTwice on the pipe if the answer is noOh my sweetnessMeans you'll meet me in the hallwayTwice on the pipe means you ain't gonna showI can hear your music playin'I can feel your body swayin'One floor below me you don't even know meI love youOh my darlingKnock three times on the ceiling if you want meTwice on the pipe if the answer is noOh my sweetnessMeans you'll meet me in the hallwayTwice on the pipe means you ain't gonna show Continuing with the progression in scullys character I love the fact that she can come into Mulders room and just ask to be held, it’s a little reminiscent of the bed scene in I want to believe where Mulder offers to take the burden, curse god so that Scully can have a break and sleep peacefully. At that given point in time Scully might be cursing god for the pain that is in human mortality and having the ultimate stop be at heavens door so to speak. Mulder undressing in freak out mode and scullys naked shoulder bobbing from above the sheets is the moment that the fandom will forever be screaming about because we finally got a literal confirmation that our duo are doing it!!! (Enter mental freak out and jumping up and down with ecstatic overtones). And there we have it, the afterglow of sex apparently agrees with Scully as she has become the calm and rational no longer haunted by the ghosts that seeped in to her psyche beforehand. And apparently sex with Scully agrees immensely with Mulder as well who movements before his freak out smiled at himself in the mirror. He’s always been so harsh with himself so it was a touching moment. And that last scene, if you mute it and watch scullys facial expression as she shoots off Mulders invitation of a second round of bed wrestling u can see that she is flirting and contemplating it even as she is saying no. I would put more emphasis on the part where she is shooting him down if it ended with just that, but hey, I just call it a knee jerk reaction which was erased momentarily cause let’s face it Scully will now forever be drawn to that damn afterglow of sex with Mulder!!! And now that I have all of the positives out of the way, it’s inevitable to put aside the truly bad dialogue that was held between Mulder and Scully in bed. Had it been anywhere else I would have shrugged it off but Chris Carter, dude, the spooning was probably hurting your retinas and so u thought u would try to distract us with words that were just plain and simple garbage! (Lucky for us we can hit the mute button and just relish in the intimacy and the love that is Mulder holding Scully close). Here is the 💩 that Chris had to inject (I mean how can u get your characters so spot on in all of the other scenes and then fuck up the scene with the best potential??? This is the mystery of CC himself one which we might never really understand)- insinuating Scully thinks Mulder wants children and with a younger woman! 🤦🏼‍♀️ I mean sheesh! He has stuck by Scully for so long and looks at her like a love sick puppy!!! This whole Scully doubting Mulder when it comes to their personal ship is something that will never ring true to me. - Also the stupid question asked by Scully - are we going to spend time together (when they are retired) - as if the x files is the only thing that keeps them together. Has Chris forgotten he wrote a whole damn movie where Mulder and Scully were living in the same house, sharing a bed and not working at the FBI? I know Scully is talking after retirement but seriously man when would Mulder never be part of scullys life? - What’s stopping u from having another kid??? Like are u fucking kidding me dude?? Mulder knows what Scully went through to actually get pregnant (or try to get pregnant) that is not a line he would ever throw her way! And Scully saying she wouldn’t have anyone to have a kid with even if she wanted to? 😡😡😡 I would like to throw “per manum” in Chris Carter’s face and smash his nose with it! Mulder will never say no to scullys request of fathering her child no matter how uncomfortable it might be for him (which at this point I don’t even think this element even exists between them anymore). - Sorry not even Scully saying “we will think of something” as an answer to Mulders question what will we do if we  lose our jobs, which ultimately leads to sex can salvage this scene!!!  I want to see the original script of this scene because it seems that dialogue was cut form it, it kind of is all over the place near the end which is such a chris Carter move, leave the social criticism dialogue in, super glue it with some sort of Shippy elusive declaration and try to get away with it knowing fully well it’s less than perfect. But he gave us the sex, and as a PHILE I have over the years gotten accustomed to blurring the parts and selectively choosing the strong points of the episodes so I am choosing to focus on the physical closeness on this one rather than the flaky words. Ending with a few comments that I had that don’t fit into any long argument 🤷‍♀️ - let’s face it Scully can even make the words “gestalt gestven syndrome” sound like foreplay and totally sexy (and is anyone else wondering how many takes of that they had to shoot because Gillian just kept messing it up? I’m counting on seeing this scene in the blooper reel 😂- The mature  version of Scully, skeptic as she might be is willing to subscribe to the notion better safe than sorry while popping the bread pills- It was nice to see the actual scene on the road where the bear story happened 🐻🐻🐻- Chris Carter with his sexist dick/sword collection scene at the diner 🤢 - And seriously who has that amount of ammunition in his home???? 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

[minchen0897]

Family

Hey there! It’s Batfam week and i decided to try and participate. (I am not sure if i can write something to every prompt, but i wanted to try - and will do again next year so maybe i get better). Again, i tried. This is for Prompt 1: Family  -  Gen, 1321 words TW: well, there is some not so friendly talk in the beginning. So i guess if you are sensitive to that, you have been warned. 

“Urgh...i can’t believe it! My family is so annoying, and now that woman gives us an essay on family!” Damian overheard Chris saying while they left the classroom. Chris was one of his classmates and fit the definition of ‘snotty, spoiled brat’ perfectly. He also wasn’t done lamenting his misery to everyone in his near vicinity. “Mom just yesterday wanted to know why i was buying another knife. Like, duh - i am collecting them! Obviously! Also it is better to have a weapon on yourself in this city” - well, Damian could sort of understand his point in that, but one look at his classmate was enough to determine that he would not stand a chance in a fight against even a newbie henchman. “And Dad is always asking me these weird questions. I think he suspects i am gay. Which i am obviously not. And when we’re eating in a restaurant they are always so embarrassing! I wish they were dead, i swear.”

Chris rambled on and on, but Damian had heard enough, and it left him frowning. Though not only the nonsense Chris spewed, but also the problem that he had no idea how to fill even one page on the topic of family yet. There was simply no way to exactly describe his family dynamics without endangering their nightlife identity, and the one they maintained when there were cameras near was just not so interesting. Plus, thanks to media, people already knew a lot about the ‘spotlight’ family. Walking to the car with which Pennyworth was waiting for him, Damian pondered further on the issue at hand. The teacher had said the topic had to be family. There had been no word about describing the dynamics of his own family. He could also answer a question, something like ‘what does family mean’ or ‘what is family’ - a more theoretical approach to the topic, maybe. His mind made up, he greeted Pennyworth and they drove home.

 The next day, a saturday, Damian got to work on the essay. He had thought it would be easy - the more theoretical approach. Yet here he was, sitting at the kitchen table, an empty document in front of him and thoughts in his mind that could not be written on paper since he could not even grasp them fully. And he hated it. Pennyworth currently was the only one accompanying him, reading a book - The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis apparently - while drinking a cup of tea.

“There seems to be a problem, hindering you to write your essay. Can i be of any help, Master Damian?”, the british butler asked suddenly, pulling Damian out of thoughts he had not realised he needed to be pulled out of. The youngest Wayne scoffed. “No, i don’t require help.” “Very well then.” Excluding the rhythmic ticking of the clock at the wall and the returning sound of flipping book pages, silence returned to the room.

In the end - roughly thirty minutes later - Damian packed his things and headed back into his room, a heavy frown attached to his forehead.

He was not getting anything done just staring at the blank page, that was obvious. Yet he was determined to finish this task, and today nonetheless. Preferably before 10 pm; he was required on patrol.

Without a start there was no finish.

And so he began to type.

 What is family?

 Immediately he deleted the sentence. A minute later he typed it again, sighing passive aggressively.

 Humans are known to live in larger groups ever since evolution allowed it; one can say that family association are as old as humankind itself. Over the course of several thousands of years, more than one definition of family, often differing from one individual to another, was made. These definitions are not only reserved for humans. Animals, too, can have a similar concept to ‘family’. One of the first things coming to mind regarding that probably would be a pack of wolves; but it does not always have to be a bigger ‘family’. Swans are known to choose a partner for a lifetime, and crows tend to visit their parents even after leaving the nest for the final time.

 Damian spent the next three minutes thinking about a way to not stray further from the topic of the human definition of family.

 As the given examples above show, there are different ways and sizes to see ‘family’.

 Probably not his best transition.

 For some people family might mean only the closest relatives; for some family might mean including the second cousin of their grandmother’s uncle.

 Maybe he was exaggerating a bit, but there probably was someone out there who counted them as family.

 For some people the concept might mean only relatives through blood, for others the bloodline does not matter at all. Instead they focus on a bond formed through shared moments. It has been written before that ‘friends are the family you choose’, so for some their friends might be more of a family than their actual relatives. Adopted children also count as family, as a matter of fact.

 He thought of Grayson - and subsequently also of the rest of his brothers and sister(s).

 How one sees family might change in time, given certain circumstances apply or situations differ from before.

As a member of a family that is mostly composed of adopted people, i can say with certainty that it is not different from other families, as far as i heard reports about the life of those other families. Arguments take place nearly every day. Team ups against siblings too.

 At this point Damian had long since decided to never show this essay anyone. He would bribe his teacher to not speak to anyone about it.

 Tragedies strike an adopted family as hard as those who are considered ‘normal’ families. Why there is a need to differ between certain kinds of family has yet to be explained, just as much as why there appear to be several kinds of family.

 Damian was not content with his essay. Not at all. He felt like there were things missing, like he couldn’t write exactly what he was thinking.

 Family is a net of special bonds shared between several people. It does not matter who these people are, if they are relatives, if they share special characteristics, or how many people share it, as long as it is shared by more than just one person.

Family can grow.

Views on family can change.

Adopted family members are still family members, even though it might take a while for everyone to ‘warm up to each other’.

 He was never letting anyone see this. Especially not his brothers. He would never hear the end of it. Thinking about it, Cassandra and Stephanie would also never see this. He would print exactly one exemplar of the document to give to the teacher, and then erase every trace might left.

 As shown in human evolution, family is necessary to survive. It can be a source of comfort, though there also are cases in which family relationships have shown to be toxic and dangerous to the health of certain members.

In conclusion, Family is a complicated concept to which everyone sooner or later forms an opinion that can differ greatly from person to person.

 It was no masterpiece, and Damian still was not content with it, but he deduced that his teacher would find it suitable work.

Looking at his alarm clock Damian quickly got to work on removing every trace of this essay. It was already 9 pm, and he needed to prepare for patrol. Before he stepped into the cave he pushed every confusing thought about the concept he just spent several hours thinking about into the farthest corner of his mind.

The focus on his job as Robin took over, and the nightlife began.

[bewitchthequeen]

Our Problems With Teen Wolf

Note: My friend, @knightedtime, and I made this a while back and I decided to release it because the world should know our feelings XD Or something meaningful like that. So here we go.

I have nothing against the actors. I have nothing against the writers. This are just my complaints. Any hostility will be exploited.

Feel free to add your own if you’d like! Just include a line break.

Jackson Whittemore. He came off as a huge asshole even when they tried to make him sympathetic and I was indifferent to him “dying” temporarily. 

No reasons for Lydia acting shallow, vapid and pretending to be dumb while she was with Jackson. It was never addressed. Never talked about why she did that and everyone just acts like it didn’t happen. Okay.

Lydia doesn’t seem to have friends. You can claim the Pack are her friends but ??? They don’t hang out much. Like hang out like normal people their age. So I think Danny was her only real friend because he showed concern and shit and talked to her outside of mystery problem stuff. 

Theo Raeken being a Peter Hale rip off. Cause that’s what he is. And trusting him about anything is bullshit. He fucked that up. Maybe had he been developed more I’d be more understanding. Nothing against Cody Christian but Theo is just another evil dude with pretty face. At least Peter had some sort of depth.

Stydia last season

Most Stydia fans

Stydia in general

Stydia being shoved down my throat.

Season 5 in general

Kira’s “ending”. It was bullshit. There was some open ended shit so her story being over was bullshit. BULLSHIT. BULLLLSHIT. and I hope Arden Cho is doing great things after that utter bullshittery.

The loss and lack of Danny. I fucking loved him and he was just gone. Another actor mistreated on this asshole show. Well, I hope Keahu Kahuanui is doing greater things than this.

Last season is about Stiles. At least 6a. I’m sorry but in NO way should the last season of the show being about the sidekick. I don’t give a shit what or who he is. STILES SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN GOAL OF 6A. I don’t give a shit about what Stiles fans and Stydia fans have to say about it. 

Scott and Stiles’ friendship is continuously on a downward spiral. Stiles has always been the dominating personality in the relationship. Check out all of season one if you don’t believe me. Scott just recently started coming into his own with being an alpha, a leader. I feel like Stiles doesn’t like that. Aside from this, I also feel like Stiles expects certain privileges with being Scott’s “best friend” but their relationship has corroded and they can’t really be “best friends” if Scott no longer trusts Stiles. And I don’t believe he does, regardless of what Jeff says.

The unrealistic relationships. Stydia. Stalia. Mainly. Because it’s kind of relationships that they just kind of pulled out of their asses and were like “meh”. Adelaide and Gage left and Stiles just needed someone. 

No explanation for what happened to Derek. Literally. I know that Tyler H. said he wasn’t coming back but the show never explained where Derek went. Yet another character that we’re suppose to just forget about.

Scott’s development from season 3 to season 5. Where is it? I mean, yes, he was kind of an asshole in season 2 when it came to Derek making more werewolves. Then it went stagnant.

The fandom/fanbase. The most vocal (I don’t want to say majority) are the Stydia people. The most vocal of the Stydia people seem to be bullying the actors and I AIN’T ABOUT THAT. Listen up, you little parasites, your show is ending due to you bitching all the time. Had it not been for that, might have gotten some more.

The shipping wars

Layden. Another rushed relationship that I don’t have the capacity to care about. Plus the “homage” to Scallison is just -.- exhausting.

Theo Raeken comes back for season 6, erasing the last thing Kira did on the show. Thanks.

Rehashing old relationship. Same as 19, but it really urked me so let’s put it up here twice.

Theo Raeken in general

Lydia and Jackson ever being a thing. It was a toxic relationship. They were both kind of hateable. Some people are just too toxic to be together. Maybe had Colton Hayes stayed the could have worked on that, but Colton deserves better so he can go ahead and do what he’s doing.

Stydia in General because it’s really cliche if you look at it. That whole popular girl gets won over by the nerd/geek is so worn out. Usually, I’m all for an underdog story, but Stiles isn’t an underdog. He’s kind of an asshole. He kind of treats everyone like garbage (even Lydia in some instances) and the two of them are usually at odds. Honestly, Stydia happening (to me) isn’t out of love, but out of Lydia paying homage to her dead best friend because Allison was the one who told Lydia to give him a chance. Make of that what you will.

Scott moving too quick. I mean… His relationships go from like 5 to 100 in a matter of episodes. It’s a bit concerning even though he’s a sweet boy. It makes me concerned for him. 

WTF HAPPENED TO LAHEY (I know he’s with Chris but wtf? No updates on him). Not even mentioned again. He doesn’t exist.

The last season being focused on Stiles when they knew beforehand that Dylan O’ Brien was going to be busy and it really should be focusing on the Titular Character given that it’s last season. (On here twice cause it’s BULLSHIT).

The way that Jeff Davis treats his actors. I’m looking at Danny’s actor and Kira’s.

Peter Hale never got a redemption arc until season 6, but Theo basically got his immediately. Theo’s redemption is bullshit at that. Using fear as a redemption tool is never successful. Scared Straight doesn’t work for murderers. If it doesn’t work for sex offenders, it’s not going to work for Theo. Sorry, not sorry.

The fact Peter is probably going to get screwed over again. Wouldn’t surprise me.

The fact that Brett and Liam would have been more believable than Layden and Brett and Liam borderline hating each other. Maybe it’s chemistry, maybe it’s the fact that Layden was so rushed. The world may never know.

There’s not any main queer relationships. I dare you to name your top three in season 6 without repeating any characters. I fucking dare you.

They bring in a Bi character and he’s not used much. *cough*BrettTalbot*cough*

I can’t be excited for season 6 because of the past seasons (mainly 5) being at least somewhat disappointing

The fact that they claimed there wasn’t room for Kira and yet they casted a bunch of people for season 6 who were new.

Not that I ship it, but They baited Sterek a lot outside of the show for views.

Scott trusts Theo more than he trusts Stiles. So much for best friends, am I right?

Stiles kinda being an ass to Scott after Scott died and expecting Scott to be everywhere at once, resulting in that one gif where Stiles attacked Scott very fucking violently. Scott is a werewolf, not a superhero.

The show focuses more on Stiles’ Trauma more than anyone else’s. Scott and Lydia dealing with the loss of Allison, a part of an episode of them crying and the occasional mention. Why did Lydia act dumb? What went on with Scott since he didn’t have a dad? How has them being what they are affected them mentally? What about Malia’s trauma? These things are merely touched upon everyone once in a while. Stiles’ trauma is probably enough to write a thesis paper on.

Having no real reason other than Allison’s death for Isaac leaving (even that relationship was WAY too fast and wasn’t love based, like, at all)

Allison and Isaac’s relationship to begin with. There’s so much with this relationship that just grates me.

Allison tried to justify torturing people who had nothing to do with her mom’s death. Like I understand, but that also made it seem like they were going to set her up as a villain in later seasons, which for her not to go that route made it pretty damn disappointing and pissed me off. (Especially when she seemingly expected Derek to be cool with her. Fun Fact: Once you start disliking someone with a passion, everything that person does pisses you off so I can’t fault Derek here).

Gerard being alive. Just… That bitch.

The fact Scott is barely ever “single” and thus making him pretty fucking unrelateable. In highschool, I only date two people, some of my friends never dated, and some of my friends dated their s.o. freshman year or earlier to senior year. Plus, we never really seen him mourn Allison much so that could be a reason.

Kira’s story arc season 5 because that was weak to the point I barely remember wtf she was doing. Basically, made her character less memorable other being “that one girl Scott dated that wasn’t Allison”

The fact that Allison died at all, when really, they could have just let her actress leave and It’s like if you look at most people who are written off the show, the majority of Females who do DIE. 

Stalia vs. Stydia. Stiles should work on his personality a bit before he should be in a relationship but whatever

Wtf happened to Lydia’s dad?

Wtf happened to Scott’s dad?

The show just gets more unrealistic and unrelatable. These kids basically have no breaks in between problems .-. In continuation to this, I’m adding the fact that this shit always happens to these kids and while it’s a tv show and everything, it’s rly unrealistic that everything happens to them.

There’s a rumor that Scott’s going to kick the bucket for the last season and I don’t like it.

Malia getting hate for dating Stiles. 

Lydia’s sudden feelings for Stiles (Fandom would claim differently, but She looks really annoyed when he talks and their “humor” sounds somewhere between “I fucking hate you” and demeaning).

Void!Stiles not being addressed much (or the results of that rather). 

Just now delving into more of Lydia’s abilities :l and they’re still pretty fucking shoddy.

Stydia getting so much fanservice. For example, the whole Stiles holding Lydia’s hand when it reasonably should have been Scott, considering they’re closer as “friends” and he can take away pain.

The Wendigo thing. Just… What the fuck man. Don’t introduce new creatures if you aren’t going to delve. Seriously.

How everything always happens in Beacon Hills (I understand the whole Nemeton drawing people there but still :l minus when they went to Mexico which can barely be counted :l)

The fact that the show treated Kira’s departure like a joke with the hashtag, but when it comes to Stiles’ Jeep, they take it seriously. You value you a character over a car. Congrats, assholes.

There’s no actual way that Stydia would work out considering the who “Try being less scared” line Stiles told Lydia while working on his Jeep (which is just one instance. This is NOT banter. This is NOT an old married couple).

Stiles is becoming more of an asshole with the more paranoid he gets which is why he shouldn’t be involved with this shit in the first place.

The whole ‘Some of us are human’ line. Like sorry, asshole. I like you most of the time, but still.  

Tbh the way Stiles used to treat Lahey. Like, motherfucker he was abused and Stiles doesn’t acknowledge that and tells him he “milking” that. Lahey has trauma, you have mommy issues. Stop valuing your trauma over everyone else’s. Your trauma is pathetic compared to most other people’s.

The way that the fandom treats Parrish when it comes to Lydia.  She’s 18 guys and not even supposed to be in high school anymore, considering she could graduate early if she wanted. When you’re 18 you can date anyone older than you without people blinking an eye. 

Kate ending up being a werejaguar where she was scratched by werewolf Peter Hale. Just the whole “the bite effects how you feel” or whatever. No. You get bit my a werewolf, you should become a werewolf. Whatever, man. I’m tired of applying logic to this show…

JD disregards his actors feelings

Fandom being Hypocrites when it comes to Posey doing something wrong, when Dylan O’Brien’s done some bad shit too. LEAVE POSEY ALONE.

We didn’t get a funeral for Allison. (But we got one for Crazy Kate -.-)

The show is more about ships than anything else. What is a story line?

The fact Allison’s mom was a bitch and Allison’s “hallucinations” show her as a bitch but she went off the deep end because of her bitchy mom was dead.

They promote Stiles so much that most people think he’s the lead main character. Before I started watching this show, I seriously thought Stiles was the main character. Imagine my surprise when Scott was the werewolf.

All their female characters are kind of shit :l or in the process of going to shit… Or they’re dead... Or gone. My feelings for Malia fluctuate, they reduced Lydia to a crying, moping mess who was willing to risk Scott’s life for Stiles Stfuckboylinski, Erica is dead, Cora is/was female Derek, Allison is dead, Kira will be remembered as “Kitsune girl who dated Scott” because their lack of using her, Hayden… wait… who is Hayden again?, Let’s not touch Krazy Kate, who’s Braedan again? Wait, where did Marin go? Oh, fuck!

Can’t say much for their male characters either at this point.

The fact that they kinda ended Kira’s story with a cliffhanger. 

How Lydia was cool with Peter and went to him for help after the whole possession and “you” thing that happened. “Yeah, I know that you were like haunting me or whatever and literally made me feel like I was losing my mind which you never really tried to make up for, but I totally and completely trust you”

Why the fuck was it necessary to kill Erica? Is that the only way this show knows how to get rid of characters?

The fact that they probably brought theo back to make Matheo a thing. He fucking shot her. If I was Malia, I’d sooner rip his head off.

People defending Stydia with “It’s only fanservice if you don’t agree with it”. No, it’s fanservice because you bitched for it and the writers want to pacify you and hope you shut up. “The Stydia moments every season is only a thing if you ship it”. Nope, it’s fanservice. Holland Roden even admitted that season 6a was fanservice. (I say all of 6a because it was Stiles centered and seemed more like fan fiction than an actual tv show).

For how old everyone was, I’m kind of shocked that Allison and Lydia were still friends after Lydia made out with Scott… Unless she never found out about that? I don’t know man.

Allison neglecting her and Lydia’s friendship and only paying attention to get help from her resulting in what happened with Peter, but no one addresses that. Which, to me, makes Allison not the best bestie.

People sending Malia and Parrish’s actors death threats over Stydia. Are you guys serious? This is why the show is garbage and this is why it’s ending and views are dropping. Kudos to Shelley Hennig and Ryan Kelley for putting up with that shit.

The fact that none of the female cast have storylines that are front and center. They all seem to be in the background more than anything. The women of this show are more like props (excluding Allison and Melissa).

Stydia fanbase freaking out over anything bad that happens to Dylan or Holland. I’m pretty sure that whole freak out of her getting pushed is enough to explain my feelings towards this.

Then antiStydia people making hashtags telling Holland to kill herself :l That’s not fair guys. It’s not Holland’s fault there’s a bunch of oversized babies shoving their ship down your throat.

The actors getting any kind of threats over a FUCKING FICTITIOUS TV SHOW! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! YOU’RE DOING THIS TO A REAL PERSON OVER A FAKE FUCKING TV SHOW. YOU PEOPLE NEED TO BE ON SO MANY FUCKING DRUGS TO THINK THAT’S AT ALL ACCEPTABLE. A FAKE RELATIONSHIP SHOULDN’T BE THE CENTER OF YOUR LIVES. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST LEAVE THIS POOR PEOPLE ALONE YOU DEMENTED ASSHOLES. GO TO YOU FUCKING FAN FICTION AND JUST FUCKING STOP. JUST FUCKING STOP PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP.

JD giving the stydia fandom what they want when they don’t deserve it and they’re just a bunch of a brats.

The fandom shipping the actors together when they are real people with lives. This is just a general pet peeve of mind. Stop shipping living, breathing functional people unless you’re shipping them with their significant other. Don’t get caught up in other people’s life and start living yours.

The fact that apparently JD hinted Stiles was Bi and never did anything with it? :l He’s the straightest person ever. Seriously, I have never seen anyone straighter than Stiles Stilinski. 

The Panic Attack kiss .-. I don’t wanna say it was OOC but it was a lot less Lydia like than everything else and the begin of Lydia acting less like herself like people do when they’re in an abusive relationship! (That was also the kind of panic attack that requires space too.)(Yeah -.- but oooo stydia)

The fact that the fandom was anti Malia (partially because she punched him once) but was totally cool shipping Sterek despite the fact that Derek p much assaults Stiles whenever Stiles steps out of line

Stiles also kinda treats Derek badly and Really? I don’t see why anyone would consider them to be ‘Friends’.

Lacrosse is somehow popular.  Don’t know how, but Beacon Hills seems about the same size as Fresno is and really? I don’t know how lacrosse got so popular when beacon hills has a football team and that’s the so called american sport.

Fandom is woo girl power one minute, then bitching about Malia and Kira (Lydia less than those two) as individual parts.

The fact that everyone’s character development is all over the place, basically all the time

Basically all the female characters getting slut shamed

People thinking that Stiles deserves Lydia, like she’s some sort of prize to be won. Lydia is a fucking person. Fucking chauvinists. 

Tbh the people who get the least amount of hate are more abusive? (examples?)(Jackson, Derek (though Derek’s “hate” is more the fandom sexualizing him?)) (I’ve seen them call Scott abusive and I’m like okay HOW.)

Ima just say this now, which prob ties to a lot of the actor stuff earlier, but the way the fandom treats Tyler Posey specifically like… I really just… :l (It’s frankly disgusting how they treat him.)(It really is :c) So much love in my heart for that boy. I just want to fucking hug him and make him feel better. 

The fact that they’re putting Parrish in a Freezer during season 6 when he could help.

Ik that Lydia wouldn’t do this because Lydia and Allison were “best friends” but tbh Lydia has more romantic and even more friendship chemistry with Scott than she does with Stiles (Yeah. I noticed that.)

[lunaneko14]

I have to get this off my chest:

People need to stop defending DC for its faults or ignoring them.

I’m seeing WAY too many DC fanboys/girls try to defend what we have of the DCEU in a near blind, sheep-like way. I know MCU has its flaws, difference is the fans (at least the ones I know and follow) all seem to know that while almost every DC fan I know seems to capitalize off of every single flaw and hold DC movies to such a high pedestal when they really don’t deserve to be. Here are some of the things I keep seeing:

“BvS is a great movie and critics are just stupid people who don’t get how deep it is”

No. No its not. There is literally no excuse for some of the choices made in BvS. While Man of Steel’s only unredeemable flaw is Superman’s high collateral damage, BvS has WAY more terrible qualities. There is no way to defend BvS’s Lex or Lex Jr because even if he was an original villain, his motives, plans and personality makes no sense and his dialogue is atrocious. There is no way to defend Batman killing so much yet hating Superman for the same fucking thing and you can reference all the comics you want where he kills, the main Batman morality points to him not killing and even then, why the fuck would he stop at Lex who did the most damage and not the goons?????? And why does a movie called Batman Vs Superman have only 15 minutes of actual fighting vs 2-3 hours of the movie?????

“DC movies are made for comic fans”

That’s not a big enough demographic tho.......comics haven’t been that popular in decades we’re not talking about manga here which is ACTUALLY popular in its home country. Any studio would be committing financial suicide to only appeal to comic enthusiasts, not one studio is gonna pander to comic book fans and expect to get back the 200 million dollars it put into the movie. This is common knowledge. If you’re gonna make money you have to also pander to people who never read a comic in their lives and just wanna see Summer blockbusters and good stories.  

“Marvel fanboys just hate DCEU because its dark and real”

If that were the case then FOX’s X-Men films would flop so thats not it. You know what is? It’s the fact that DCEU isn’t taking their dark tone anywhere plot, character or storytelling-wise. Dark Knight had all of these plus it was dark. Being dark isn’t the main reason why people like the Chris Nolan films so why is it on the forefront on every argument DC and their fans have?

“Disney is paying off critics”

This is by far the dumbest single comment. People forget that Disney has its share of failures too. Most recently Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur was never regarded as good or even groundbreaking with critics, and then there’s that experimental period between 1999-2009 where most Disney movies were outright flops or critically panned. If Disney sought it fit to pay off critics to hate DC films they would’ve done it to pump up their own movies long ago especially off the heels of the Disney Renaissance. Competitive movies like Shrek, Ice Age and Happy Feet would’ve been mysteriously “panned by critics” and guess what? They weren’t. 

“Marvel fanboys are just dumb dipshits who like the same bullshit Marvel throws at them”

Ok but how is that bad or worse than what DC is doing? We need to be real about this, DC isn’t even coming out with good movies anymore. Like what would you rather have?: A dish that you like and is tasty every time even though its the same as last night or something that’s barely edible? I get that its a valid critique but only throw stones when you’re outside the glass house. 

“BVS made more than Winter Soldier so its good”

One thing that irks me is how DC fans love to pick and choose which Marvel movies to compare DCEU to even though they don’t make any sense.......like why would you compare WS to BvS when they have little to nothing in common? Plus there are way too many factors (such as inflation, movie plots, superhero star power etc) that makes this argument total bullshit. You don’t just pick out which Marvel movie made less than BvS/Suicide Squad and then wave those numbers around like that’s a huge accomplishment and proof that DC is better. Compare them to what they were really meant to compete with: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy and look at THOSE numbers. From the trailers to the characters and plots BvS and Suicide Squad are very close to Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy, so much so that even Honest Trailers pointed out how close BvS and Civil War are and there’s no use in denying Suicide Squad/Guardians of the Galaxy’s similarities and both DC movies failed at even matching either MCU film. 

“Marvel fanboys never talk about how MCU white washes”

Oh we do. Doctor Strange wouldn’t have had such a huge controversy had Marvel fans just sucked it up and it did dull a lot of its potential box office numbers, while the reason for the choice is understandable, there’s no reason MCU couldn’t just cast a famous Chinese actress or Jackie Chan as “the ancient one” if China meant so much to them. Plus I have barely heard any DC fans talk about how Cyborg’s solo was cancelled or pushed back to 2020 and Wonder Woman’s black mom was erased even though she was the one that trained Wonder Woman to fight. Idk but I think erasing or downgrading characters of color is just as bad as whitewashing. 

“MCU is sexist because they refuse to release Black Widow movie while DC is progressive for giving Wonder Woman a solo right away”

Ok but..........like I said, why is DC erasing WOC from the main cast and when are they gonna stop trotting Harley Quinn around like she’s a feminist icon and Joker as some tortured sex symbol? Why is Cyborg all of a sudden an add on to Flash’s movie? So you can stop trying to claim DCEU is more progressive than MCU because it has just as many problems even though they’re different.

Now what I need DC to stop doing:

1. Stop doing this shit:

Harley and Ivy are NOT “heroes”, they’re not characters little girls should look up to. They are hardcore villains who deserve the same treatment as Joker or Riddler. 

2. Stop doing this shit

Joker is not some hot emo sex symbol for Hot Topic fangirls to aspire to fall for or accept. He is a nut job serial killer who has no problem killing anyone and anything that he sees fit whether its in his way or not.

3. Stop doing this shit

Harley and Joker is NOT a healthy relationship so stop trying to make it out to be. I know I said comics don’t matter but Harley isn’t from a comic

She’s from a tv show millions of people grew up with 

I mean just look at what her creator said about her:

“I don’t think of Mad Love as a victim’s tale but a cautionary one, about what happens when someone loves recklessly, obsessively and for too long”

So why is DC constantly pushing images like this:

and nothing like this:

This is by far the most troubling thing I have with DCEU and not only that but the current marketing of Harley in general. 

I know and am well aware of MCU’s flaws (I’ve listed them before) but I’m tired of the DC side of things being constantly ignored. And don’t bother commenting on this post because I don’t care, I honestly don’t so any effort would be wasted. 

[driveneed17-blog]

Julie Plec Tells Us How Hope's Finale Twist Will Affect Legacies in Season 2

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Legacies. Read at your own risk!]

Legacies did the unthinkable in its Season 1 finale, and now we're not sure whether Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is dead or alive or hovering somewhere in between!

The finale saw the Salvatore School under attack from Triad Industries, and the confrontation eventually left Josie (Kaylee Bryant) in mortal peril. After she jumped in front of a bullet made from Malivore mud intended for Lizzie (Jenny Boyd), the poison slowly started to eat away at her. Only Hope's blood managed to save her, but we're wondering whether or not that will end up being a great thing considering she found a magical device in Alaric's office that could eventually release a pretty huge baddie — more on that later.

As for Hope, after facing off against this week's monster (a headless horseman, of all things), Ryan Clarke (Nick Fink) got the best of Hope and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) and threw the final artifact into the Malivore pit, raising his father from banishment. Knowing she couldn't allow the monster-eating golem to return to Earth and use Landon's body as a meat suit, Hope killed Landon (temporarily, obvi) and threw herself into the pit along with Landon's brother. As the tribrid of the three species that created it, Hope realized she was the only thing that could destroy it, finally giving her loophole existence a purpose. Girl, you are too noble for your own good.

Discover your new favorite show: Watch This Now!

So, is that the end for Hope, especially now that no one even remembers her? And what does her "death" mean for everyone else but especially Rafael (Peyton Smith), who might now have to remain a wolf forever? TV Guide spoke to showrunner Julie Plec about this huge finale and where we go from here when Season 2 picks back up.

Danielle Rose Russell, LegaciesPhoto: Jace Downs, Jace Downs/The CW

So Hope is officially erased, but are all traces of her really gone? Or can we hope to stumble across some clue to remembering her and getting her back in Season 2? Julie Plec: There is hope, and there is an actual pitch for that, so your brain is in the right place, creatively.

Is Malivore dead now or did she just prevent him from rising? Plec: That is the question, I think, that we're left with at the end of the season, which is — technically if she had destroyed him, would she be destroyed in the process? Maybe not. So the fact that no one remembers her might mean that there's still a blackness out there that is keeping her captive. And since we've already seen a glimpse of how s---ty that is, I hope that's not the case.

Can we expect to see a Hope-shaped hole in the lives of everyone left in Season 2? Plec: That's exactly what we can expect to see. What's fun about it, and sad about it, is we'll be able to realize just how much impact Hope had in these people's lives without them even realizing what they're missing. And just understanding that they all feel individually like there's something that doesn't feel right and that they're struggling with this feeling of not being complete somehow. It just feels like such a universal experience, especially for teenagers. I'm looking forward to having each of those characters act out on that feeling.

If feels like Raf is the one most affected by her loss, since he's kind of stuck as a perma-wolf? Plec: Yeah, Raf is screwed. Raf is a perma-wolf. Look, when Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) on The Originals was turned into a wolf all that time, that really did a number on her, and Raf is a new werewolf, who is still a teenager. So to be stuck in your most primal and feral state for God knows how long, if he's ever even able to get out of there, that will be catastrophic.

Kaylee Bryant, LegaciesPhoto: Jace Downs, Jace Downs/The CW

Legacies' Danielle Rose Russell Explains How Wearing That Klaroline Dress Brought Back Hope's Klaus Issues

Landon did learn that he was intended to be a "meat suit" for Malivore to let him procreate, but does he even remember that? And if not, is that still a looming threat in Season 2? Plec: I think that's a good question. What, if anything, of his experience and all the information that he learned about Malivore will he remember? Even more so, what does it all mean now that Malivore doesn't appear to be functional anymore? So Landon is going to have a lot of questions moving forward, and a Hope-sized hole in his heart, as you've said.

I love the chemistry between Hope and Landon! Every time they're on-screen together, you just can't help but go, "Awww!" Plec: Thank you! It's so pure; I think that's why I love it so much. It just feels really innocent and honest and pure in a way that you don't get a lot in relationships in movies and television. So I think that's why I really like it.

Will Triad Industries play a role moving forward, considering most of their staff was just killed or consumed by Malivore? Plec: We may have seen the last of Triad for now in that I think M.G. (Quincy Fouse) made it very clear with his mother what role he expects her to not play in his life moving forward. I certainly don't think the organization is going anywhere, so they will be out there lingering in the shadows and maybe our heroes will cross paths with them another time.

The twins seem to have found the Ascendant, which The Vampire Diaries fans will recognize as the key to a prison world. How worried should we be about a visit from evil Uncle Kai (Chris Wood) if they start messing with that? Plec: I think when a key that would open the lock that is keeping evil Uncle Kai imprisoned shows up on your screen you should always be afraid ... and also super, super psyched — which, by the way, is not me saying that Chris Wood has agreed to come back because I have not gotten any answers out of him yet, but I would love nothing more.

Jenny Boyd, LegaciesPhoto: Jace Downs, Jace Downs/The CW

Paul Wesley Reunites With Matt Davis to Direct Legacies in Exclusive Photos

Will we be seeing more of Penelope in Season 2? Plec: Penelope was a very successful character for us, and we always love the villain that ultimately finds a way to redeem her wicked, selfish, evil ways over the course of the season and leave us all crying and wanting more. Certainly my hope is that she remains in our universe and she, in spite of being in Belgium with her family, may make an appearance again. I can't make any promises, but I certainly would love to see her.

Can we also hope for the return of Clarke? Because I was really digging the revival of the whole supernatural brothers thing! Plec: There's going to be a hole in the marketplace right now for supernatural brothers. We have not necessarily seen the last of Clarke. Certainly wherever Hope is, it seems to be that he is there as well. It depends on where that is and what that looks like and if we want to tell that story.

So if we want Hope back, we might have to get Clarke? Plec: Exactly. Two for the price of one.

Are you looking to introduce a new big bad for Season 2 or are you hoping to stay invested in this Malivore storyline? Plec: We are going to take a page out of Harry Potter and hope that Malivore can be an ongoing threat, much like Voldemort was able to be over the course of all the books. That is the goal and we will see how long we are able to do that.

A Genie on Legacies Gave Us Delena Babies and Brought Klaus Back to Life (Kind Of)

Ben Geurens, LegaciesPhoto: Jace Downs, Jace Downs/The CW

And are you planning to keep the monster-of-the-week format or lean into more serialized storytelling. Plec: I think our emotional and character stories will always be deeply serialized like The Vampire Diaries, but the structure of the monster of the week or a monster that can span a couple weeks has been a lot of fun for us, and we've really enjoyed it. So we'll definitely be continuing down that road.

Are there any plans to return to monsters we've seen and spared before like that gorgon who was getting flirty with M.G.? Plec: There's absolutely opportunity for any of the monsters that we've seen before to come back again. I know my personal favorite is the necromancer. We've got some competition... people who loved the dryad, the gorgon — if we can figure out a way to make snakes cost less in visual effects, [it] has a better shot at coming back when technology can catch up to what we want to achieve. That was a "learn the hard way" kind of character.

Alaric's (Matthew Davis) position at the school has been left up in the air, so what can you say about the impact of potentially removing him as headmaster if that's how the council votes?Plec: I think that for a man whose last decade-plus of his life has been committed wholly to his daughters and this school, if he wakes up one morning and is no longer the headmaster, that's going to be a big dramatic shift for him and I'd wonder how he would make it through that.

Season 1 of Legacies will be streaming on Netflix starting Friday, April 5.

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of CBS Corporation.)

PHOTOS: Legacies Miss Mystic Falls First Look Photos

Danielle Rose Russell and Jedidiah Goodacre, LegaciesPhoto: Quantrell Colbert, Quantrell Colbert/The CW Source: https://www.tvguide.com/news/legacies-season-1-finale-julie-plec-interview-hope-dead-chris-wood/?rss=breakingnews

[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

Bad officiating, stupid offside and Pekka Rinne haters (Puck Daddy Countdown)

  (In which Ryan Lambert takes a look at some of the biggest issues and stories in the NHL, and counts them down.)

7 – The Rinne Haters!!!

I read and heard a lot of stuff prior to this series about “well Rinne’s bound for a letdown. His save percentage has dropped in each round.” It’s true.

But here’s the thing: .976 against Chicago. Then .932 against St. Louis. And .925 against Anaheim.

If you think him going .636 in one game in which he faced 11 damn shots is indicative of the wheels coming off, I have a catfish to sell you and a rink to throw it in.

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At this point it will be difficult to not-have that save percentage for the series fall from .925, unless he pitches a couple shutouts, but Rinne has basically had three bad games in this postseason (Game 2 at St. Louis, Game 2 at Anaheim, and Game 1 in Pittsburgh). He’s still .934 overall.

And look at the goals. A 5-on-3 Evgeni Malkin bomb through a screen, a Conor Sheary shot he had no chance to stop thanks to a defensive breakdown, a bouncer off his defenseman’s knee, and a decent-but-not-great effort from Jake Guentzel after he’d spent the previous 37 minutes filling out a crossword puzzle.

I’m not willing to say he’s turned back into a pumpkin juuuuust yet.

6 – Gimme shelter

Let me tell you where the Predators really and truly lost Game 1.

Late in the first period, one shift after the Penguins scored their opening goal, there was a TV timeout after Nashville successfully killed off that 5-on-3 power play James Neal caused by being a big ol’ idiot (more on that in a second).

Coming out of that PK situation, in which Peter Laviolette was forced to deploy his two big pairings, he was similarly forced to put his third pair over the boards. Yannick Weber and Matt Irwin are perfectly capable third-pairing guys. Better than most. But when you have last change and you’re in the defensive side of the neutral zone, this is perhaps not a good idea.

To counter the Weber/Irwin pairing — which went out behind the mixed line of Mike Fisher between James Neal (instead of Filip Forsberg) and Pontus Aberg for additional shelter — Mike Sullivan, using the full benefit of the last change, put the Crosby line over the boards. It wasn’t the Preds’ bottom pairing’s first shift of the game, but they’d played less than two minutes at that point.

Here’s what happened next: Fisher wins the draw and Nashville ices it immediately, pushing them even closer to their own net. Crosby wins that draw and the puck stays in the Pens’ offensive zone for another 19 seconds before Chris Kunitz finds Conor Sheary with a whopper of a no-look pass off a secondary from Crosby thanks to a Weber turnover.

All of a sudden it’s 2-0 and all the wind is out of Nashville’s sails, if they had any at that point anyway. After that shift, the Weber/Irwin pairing had played half its two or so minutes against the Crosby line, conceding only one shot, but that shot being a beauty into 24 square feet of wide open net.

Point being: By all means shelter your bottom pairing on the road, but under no circumstances can you afford to put them out for a draw anywhere close to your own net.

Those two hadn’t played in almost six minutes, but if you’re so concerned about them getting clubbed by Crosby or Malkin’s lines, you’re weighing the risk of that happening versus Ellis/Josi — having just played two-plus minutes of the previous five — getting the puck off that Fisher neutral-zone faceoff win and doing something more useful with it, like gaining the red line before you throw down to Pittsburgh’s end boards.

Maybe there’s no good answer there, but I’m not sure letting Sullivan hard-match a player like Crosby against Matt Irwin was the best Laviolette could have come up with.

5 – The process

The good news is that everyone, to a man, in the Pens room seemed appalled by the fact that they went 37 minutes without a shot and still somehow won the game. It’s better than the alternative result, to be sure, and Sullivan is too smart to be like, “Well hey we found a way to win.” A good coach has to take the W but then also scream at his elite team to never ever let that happen again.

But here’s the thing: Nashville should change nothing. As mentioned above, the odds that Rinne coughs up four on 11 again seem fairly small. And so too do the odds that Pittsburgh is once again held to 12 shots.

With that in mind, the way Game 1 played out — with the Penguins getting shelled but winning anyway — is about how I expected things to go. Nashville has the horses and the authoritarian forecheck to keep Pittsburgh from breaking out effectively in most cases (okay, maybe not the third or fourth Pittsburgh goals) and Pittsburgh has the skill to make that not matter.

Obviously with the first Nashville goal having been disallowed things changed a lot and quickly, but the Predators protecting a lead rather than trailing for the majority of the game makes things go very differently.

Either way, should be a long series. And fun.

4 – Officiating

Listen, I don’t really have a dog in this fight. If the Preds win, PK Subban gets a Cup and Shea Weber is sad. If the Pens win, Sidney Crosby finally surpasses Jonathan Toews among the game’s all-time greats (ha ha ha), and maybe Evgeni Malkin moves into the top 100 players of all time. These are all good results to me, a cool and smart hockey person.

But I gotta tell ya: The Preds got b-o-n-e-d boned by the officials in Game 1. The offside review, what are ya gonna do, right? The league foolishly and stubbornly insists on enforcing the letter of the law and not the spirit of it. Fair enough.

The interference call Calle Jarnkrok is total BS. Now, James Neal is an idiot for that crosscheck on Trevor Daley that made it a 5-on-3, and that’s one you have to call. So the Preds are down two men on the road, immediately. Then Crosby gets away with a pick play on that 5-on-3 that was an easy, easy, easy interference call on its face, let alone given the fact that these were NHL refs who are always eager to issue makeup calls at the drop of a hat.

Of course, Nashville got the next three power plays, all of them perfectly legitimate, before PK Subban put the puck over the glass to stall the Preds’ comeback.

But the called-off goal and the 5-on-3 turned the game irrevocably in the Penguins’ favor. Yeah Nashville erased a three-goal deficit, but if you’re gonna basically spot the Pittsburgh Penguins a two-goal lead through the officiating, that sucks.

And here is where I say that if the Preds didn’t want to lose, they wouldn’t have given up three goals in the first period. Bad strategy to do that. But things did not go their way in the first 20 minutes as far as the refs were concerned.

I’m an advocate of a very loose interpretation of the rulebook in these situations. Call the obvious stuff (like the Neal crosscheck) but if it’s a borderline play, let it go. Ideally, Cup Final games should be played at 5-on-5 as much as humanly possible.

3 – The Predators power play?

Heading into the Cup Final, the Preds’ power play was 2 for its previous 26. They went 2-for-3 in Game 1.

Now, I had some concerns watching it, especially when the first power play unit was on the ice. Basically everything had to run through Roman Josi, which is fine if you want your No. 4 defenseman who’s really good at distributing the puck to go through all that for you. But Josi was perhaps a little too trigger-happy. The puck was coming to him about five feet out from the top of the circle and he was just stepping into every single one.

On their second power play unit, Ryan Ellis effectively plays the same role.

The Penguins basically did not let Nashville get into high-danger territory on the power play. Or rather, Nashville largely settled for lower-danger shots; they attempted six on the power play, but only one from a high-danger area (and it went in).

They largely did this against Anaheim as well. Which I think is why they had so little power play success against the Ducks. Yeah when shots from just above the circles go in, that looks pretty good. That’s how Ellis opened Nashville’s account on Monday. But these are low-percentage shots.

They attempted 51 in nearly 41 minutes of power play time against the Ducks. Josi and Ellis took nearly half of them combined. And of those 51 attempts, only eight — EIGHT! — were from high-danger areas. They scored one goal on those.

You might be able to get away with that in the Western Conference Finals. But this is for the Cup. And things need to change.

2 – Offside reviews and don’t we all love them so much

What better way to kick off a highly anticipated, should-be-really-fun Stanley Cup Final than having a lengthy offside review that overturns a goal because a guy maybe had his skate blade off the ice a half-inch?

That’s Classic NHL, Baby!™

The really annoying thing about this particular offside review was, of course, that Filip Forsberg cllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarly also had control of the puck and is therefore allowed to be anywhere on the ice he pleases. But hey, Gary Bettman says the offside review is…

1 – Working as intended

Which is why everyone hates this stupid league and not even self-identifying Hockey Fans watch the Cup Final unless their team is in it.

These people, man. I don’t know what goes through their heads.

(Not ranked this week: Arresting a nice guy only.

The Pittsburgh police charging the catfish man with three crimes, two of which are clearly lame overcharge offenses given out by particularly petty, weak-livered crybaby cops who are also idiot losers. Any kindhearted lawyer would represent this guy pro bono, and any competent judge would throw the charges sight unseen.

This is a waste of the taxpayers’ money and the court’s time. If all they want to do is deter further fish-throwing, I get it. But all this is gonna get dropped down to a quick fine and it’s stupid.

Free the Catfish One.)

—

Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

(All statistics via Corsica unless otherwise noted.)

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[salvatoreschool]

Julie Plec Tells Us How Hope's Finale Twist Will Affect Legacies in Season 2

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Legacies. Read at your own risk!]

Legacies did the unthinkable in its Season 1 finale, and now we're not sure whether Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) is dead or alive or hovering somewhere in between!

The finale saw the Salvatore School under attack from Triad Industries, and the confrontation eventually left Josie (Kaylee Bryant) in mortal peril. After she jumped in front of a bullet made from Malivore mud intended for Lizzie (Jenny Boyd), the poison slowly started to eat away at her. Only Hope's blood managed to save her, but we're wondering whether or not that will end up being a great thing considering she found a magical device in Alaric's office that could eventually release a pretty huge baddie — more on that later.

As for Hope, after facing off against this week's monster (a headless horseman, of all things), Ryan Clarke (Nick Fink) got the best of Hope and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) and threw the final artifact into the Malivore pit, raising his father from banishment. Knowing she couldn't allow the monster-eating golem to return to Earth and use Landon's body as a meat suit, Hope killed Landon (temporarily, obvi) and threw herself into the pit along with Landon's brother. As the tribrid of the three species that created it, Hope realized she was the only thing that could destroy it, finally giving her loophole existence a purpose. Girl, you are too noble for your own good.

So, is that the end for Hope, especially now that no one even remembers her? And what does her "death" mean for everyone else but especially Rafael (Peyton Smith), who might now have to remain a wolf forever? TV Guide spoke to showrunner Julie Plec about this huge finale and where we go from here when Season 2 picks back up.

So Hope is officially erased, but are all traces of her really gone? Or can we hope to stumble across some clue to remembering her and getting her back in Season 2?

Julie Plec: There is hope, and there is an actual pitch for that, so your brain is in the right place, creatively.

Is Malivore dead now or did she just prevent him from rising?

Plec: That is the question, I think, that we're left with at the end of the season, which is — technically if she had destroyed him, would she be destroyed in the process? Maybe not. So the fact that no one remembers her might mean that there's still a blackness out there that is keeping her captive. And since we've already seen a glimpse of how s---ty that is, I hope that's not the case.

Can we expect to see a Hope-shaped hole in the lives of everyone left in Season 2?

Plec: That's exactly what we can expect to see. What's fun about it, and sad about it, is we'll be able to realize just how much impact Hope had in these people's lives without them even realizing what they're missing. And just understanding that they all feel individually like there's something that doesn't feel right and that they're struggling with this feeling of not being complete somehow. It just feels like such a universal experience, especially for teenagers. I'm looking forward to having each of those characters act out on that feeling.

If feels like Raf is the one most affected by her loss, since he's kind of stuck as a perma-wolf?

Plec: Yeah, Raf is screwed. Raf is a perma-wolf. Look, when Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) on The Originals was turned into a wolf all that time, that really did a number on her, and Raf is a new werewolf, who is still a teenager. So to be stuck in your most primal and feral state for God knows how long, if he's ever even able to get out of there, that will be catastrophic.

Landon did learn that he was intended to be a "meat suit" for Malivore to let him procreate, but does he even remember that? And if not, is that still a looming threat in Season 2?

Plec: I think that's a good question. What, if anything, of his experience and all the information that he learned about Malivore will he remember? Even more so, what does it all mean now that Malivore doesn't appear to be functional anymore? So Landon is going to have a lot of questions moving forward, and a Hope-sized hole in his heart, as you've said.

I love the chemistry between Hope and Landon! Every time they're on-screen together, you just can't help but go, "Awww!"

Plec: Thank you! It's so pure; I think that's why I love it so much. It just feels really innocent and honest and pure in a way that you don't get a lot in relationships in movies and television. So I think that's why I really like it.

Will Triad Industries play a role moving forward, considering most of their staff was just killed or consumed by Malivore?

Plec: We may have seen the last of Triad for now in that I think M.G. (Quincy Fouse) made it very clear with his mother what role he expects her to not play in his life moving forward. I certainly don't think the organization is going anywhere, so they will be out there lingering in the shadows and maybe our heroes will cross paths with them another time.

The twins seem to have found the Ascendant, which The Vampire Diaries fans will recognize as the key to a prison world. How worried should we be about a visit from evil Uncle Kai (Chris Wood) if they start messing with that?

Plec: I think when a key that would open the lock that is keeping evil Uncle Kai imprisoned shows up on your screen you should always be afraid ... and also super, super psyched — which, by the way, is not me saying that Chris Wood has agreed to come back because I have not gotten any answers out of him yet, but I would love nothing more.

Will we be seeing more of Penelope in Season 2?

Plec: Penelope was a very successful character for us, and we always love the villain that ultimately finds a way to redeem her wicked, selfish, evil ways over the course of the season and leave us all crying and wanting more. Certainly my hope is that she remains in our universe and she, in spite of being in Belgium with her family, may make an appearance again. I can't make any promises, but I certainly would love to see her.

Can we also hope for the return of Clarke? Because I was really digging the revival of the whole supernatural brothers thing!

Plec: There's going to be a hole in the marketplace right now for supernatural brothers. We have not necessarily seen the last of Clarke. Certainly wherever Hope is, it seems to be that he is there as well. It depends on where that is and what that looks like and if we want to tell that story.

So if we want Hope back, we might have to get Clarke?

Plec: Exactly. Two for the price of one.

Are you looking to introduce a new big bad for Season 2 or are you hoping to stay invested in this Malivore storyline?

Plec: We are going to take a page out of Harry Potter and hope that Malivore can be an ongoing threat, much like Voldemort was able to be over the course of all the books. That is the goal and we will see how long we are able to do that.

And are you planning to keep the monster-of-the-week format or lean into more serialized storytelling.

Plec: I think our emotional and character stories will always be deeply serialized like The Vampire Diaries, but the structure of the monster of the week or a monster that can span a couple weeks has been a lot of fun for us, and we've really enjoyed it. So we'll definitely be continuing down that road.

Are there any plans to return to monsters we've seen and spared before like that gorgon who was getting flirty with M.G.?

Plec: There's absolutely opportunity for any of the monsters that we've seen before to come back again. I know my personal favorite is the necromancer. We've got some competition... people who loved the dryad, the gorgon — if we can figure out a way to make snakes cost less in visual effects, [it] has a better shot at coming back when technology can catch up to what we want to achieve. That was a "learn the hard way" kind of character.

Alaric's (Matthew Davis) position at the school has been left up in the air, so what can you say about the impact of potentially removing him as headmaster if that's how the council votes?

Plec: I think that for a man whose last decade-plus of his life has been committed wholly to his daughters and this school, if he wakes up one morning and is no longer the headmaster, that's going to be a big dramatic shift for him and I'd wonder how he would make it through that.