#season 9 was so lacking for it to have been so significant and insane

[incesthemes]

it is utterly miserable for a mediocre show to have a really good plot or make god tier parallels or connections because you're like well this show isn't good and the writing is flimsy and there are so many holes and bland storylines, but they paralleled the season finale to an earlier season finale and then made the weight of that decision foundational to the next season so now my every waking thought is consumed by it

[idio-cies]

Jatp- Perfect Harmony Dissection

Holy Moly this show has taken me by surprise in the best possible way.

I forgot how good Kenny Ortega is... and omg the dynamics in this show are just *chefs kiss* anyway that’s for another post

All of these songs left an impression with me, but Perfect Harmony just got the cogs working in my brain so I wanted to dissect it because I can’t stop thinking about it.

This will be long but I hope people will bear with me.

I found out that Madison and Charlie wrote this one together for the show, so that’s cool. So, even if this is Julie’s fantasy/daydream, it objectively also has “Luke’s” input as well, considering Madison and Charlie were writing with the characters in mind.

The lead up to this song is Julie realising she is falling for Luke, and has Luke on the brain, so she slips up with calling Nick, Luke yadayada significant to say her crush has changed as well blah blah blah.

I first thought it was strange that they are all in black? They weren’t performing for anyone other than for merit. However Black is of course associated with death, mystery etc, but in this context ,with them being “fancy” it deems them as more elegant than anything. I like using this site for colour reference. Please make of it what you will, but I’m sticking with classy and mysterious with this performance.

Then I noticed how Julie and Nick are the centre of attention, plus Nick and Julie seem to improvise? They aren’t doing as the others are. Whether they are meant to or not. I think this is meant to draw parallels, with Nick sliding on the floor and Luke tumbling, then also the lift, how here it’s short and sweet, yet with Julie and Luke there are two and the second is drawn out and more meaningful etc.

I think she must be dancing normally in reality throughout this, but I’ll come back to that later.

So let’s get into this song.

“Step into my world”- I find this interesting because Luke is the one stepping over into hers, but also this is like some “in-between” that they're in;  significant of the Limbo that the guys are currently stuck in and also the fact that Julie is the bridge. The world is probably metaphorical for music as Luke helps re-establish it in Julie and is also the guy where music is his whole world, as he lets all of his emotions out and connects with people. It’s a running theme being called up again. However, you cannot deny the possible connotation of Julie potentially stepping over with them. It’s also ironic as Luke “steps” into Julie’s world “I’m sorry we came into your life” - Luke, ep 1, and literally steps over here.

“Bittersweet love story about a girl”- undeniable. Their story is bittersweet. Impossible to be together; yet have a connection that runs so deep.

But now we see the scenery, and it’s all monochrome and the candles just scream romance, but also to me, of serenity.

I mean even the dancefloor reflects to make it look as if they are dancing on water or in an in between world. The reason why I point out monochrome gives the intention of “black and white” there is a lack of complexity, it is clear about how true their bond is, and to them it isn’t complex. Also I can’t help but think of yin and yang which can also be included here as they balance each other out. Julie yin, Luke yang. This is ironic considering Julie is always symbolised with light and Luke the contrast with a dark and being, you know, dead.

I also came across a gifset of the parallels to dirty dancing that Perfect Harmony dance had, and again, the colours are flipped with the pair which is just... interesting in this instance.

“Shook me to the core  “Voice like an angel, never heard before”- pretty simple, Luke has always been amazed with Julie’s talent, plus a metaphor commonly attached to Julie, being called an angel. He is also calling her unique. Passage of touch.

But then we get the touch. So I think this whole hand passage thing is reflected in the time they tried to hold hands, then the last time and they could then touch. In this instance though it’s like Julie is the one being resurrected. Again, this could be another metaphor of his hand in helping her find her music again, but you cannot overlook the other implications.

So here is where they dance. I am no dance expert, but dance does have it’s own language that I think everyone can interpret, but I will try my best to explain. I also think “harmony” can be a way to express dance partners as well.

“Here in front of me”- I do think this is in reference being able to touch them, but the drawing up to her hands is so interesting because of the eye contact and draw. It’s more intimate.

Then they go into something similar to what the routine is meant to be in reality, but instead they make it like a pulse on the line “they’re shining so much brighter”

I point out a pulse because it’s “living” and it just juxtaposes with who Julie is talking about; the guys.

A twirl and lift on “than I have ever seen”- This is Julie talking about the guys. Ray calls them angels and then at the end of season they literally freaking glow so... (also pronoun change to collective when Julie starts singing)

“Life can be so mean”- ep 8, after Luke told him their demise would be one of three ways, Julie was going to be hurt all over again. Julie and Flynn had an understanding that the world was being cruel when they were discussing it. Also I just feel their dance here is like they are interpreting a rough ride/rollercoaster. They swing arms then tuck and twist.

“But when he goes, I know he doesn’t leave”- Luke will be in her heart, like she found with her Mum. She did let them go, and she understands she will have to do that, but they will live on in her heart.

Also hand over heart, as she “falls” into him and he doesn’t let her fall. That’s just cute.

“The truth is finally breaking through”- either their feelings or just what will be revealed to us. Though they are parted and Luke does the spinning on the ground so I expect a pitfall somewhere along the way (probs Caleb)

But he rolls right back to her

“Two worlds collide when I’m with you”- Well, the fact that they are the living and the dead.. so. Plus in-between. Don’t know how to interpret the dance here, I just like the swishy steps

“A voice is rising so, so high”- how Julie comes out of her shell. Also can’t help but link to the angel motif. Plus, Julie is lifted up, she is the catalyst, she is rising up in fame really. Luke is one of the people who helps her soar as well.

“We come to life, when we’re in perfect harmony”- Julie always being told she looks “alive again” when she’s doing music again.  Music and playing with Julie is what makes Luke and the guys feel alive. I gotta say, Charlie and Madison do exhibit some good harmonising.

The lift that happened is like the improv that Nick and Julie do, but then Luke and Julie here make eye contact as she comes down again, but goes back to similar to the dance she is meant to be doing. Until she reaches up on the line “We say we’re friends”, he also helps lift them up.

“We play pretend”. I mean, they kinda do. Luke tries to pass off his feelings with the guys, but that boy is WHIPPED.

“You’re more to me”- right off the bat, I like it. Arms out and a hug. YES. Also just look at that bliss on her face, bless her.

“We create” well yes they create “the perfect harmony”

The cut off is abrupt as Julie snaps back to reality. Then she looks in the mirror and realises Luke isn’t there and that she must’ve gone insane. This is what gets me. I think this is the moment that she realises that her feelings for Luke are deeper than she realised and I think she truly thought that they may have been dancing together in the end.

Is this just an extremely vivid daydream, because she had one of these when she mentally performed “I got the Music” and she must’ve done something during that time as she took someone’s drumsticks during her little renaissance. So what happened in real life? Did she just dance around a little, humming a bop? I just... I imagine that this is just a very lucid daydream, which is fair enough, relatable, but it just interacts so much with real life rather than actually just being all in her head. I just find it interesting.

The full version has some lines that I also want to point out. In the second verse there are these lines:

”You set me free”- Luke sings this line which can mean that she will set his soul free- she is a part of his “unfinished business”

“You and me together is more than chemistry”- Julie sings this line. We know that chemistry was pointed out by Alex and Reggie to Luke, and I believe Flynn also says about them being an appealing pair when performing. But they are more than chemistry. I mean they do work well together and they care about each other deeply, but I also can’t help but think of the “signs” her mother was giving her, and believing that the guys were sent to her.

“Love me as I am, I’ll hold your music here inside of my hands”- This is sung by both of them. They already do this, but holding their music in each other’s hand is interesting. I guess this is saying about trust and that they will do it together. I also think this relates to being able to finally hold hands. It’s like the saying “Whatever’s mine is yours”. They share pain, they share lyrics, their passion for music etc.

Then in the bridge we have the lines “I feel your rhythm in my heart”- I have a feeling that they are in sync with each other, they can immediately click and tune in with a melody. It’s also ironic as Luke doesn’t have a heart.

“You are my brightest burning star”- Luke sings this line. It makes sense. As I have said previously, Julie is this beacon of light, Luke clearly is in awe of her and inspires him. He also straight up calls her a star in ep 9 as well

“I never knew a love so real”- oh man, the irony. Their connection is pure and true, it’s just so annoying that he’s a ghost

“We’re heaven on earth, melody and words”- again with the metaphor of the middle ground where I suppose Julie sits. I understand the idiom and the bliss that they feel, and the connection they have and share with people. It’s just interesting as at the moment earth is currently Luke and the guys’ afterlife.

Anyway, that has been my dissection of Perfect Harmony. Thanks for reading if you’ve gotten this far 😅

PS. the lack of visual aids is because Tumblr hates me, I apologise

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek Villains Who Actually Had a Point

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This article contains spoilers for various parts of the Star Trek franchise.

Last fall, airing just a few weeks apart, both Star Trek and Star Wars debuted season premieres of new streaming TV episodes in which the heroes of each show had to fight a giant, legless worm-monster. In Star Trek: Discovery’s “That Hope Is You Part 1,” it was the deadly Tranceworm, while The Mandalorian’s “Chapter 9: The Marshall” had the murderous Krayt Dragon. The differences between the Final Frontier and the Faraway Galaxy could not have been made clearer by these dueling beasts: in Mando, the plot involved killing the monster by blowing up its guts from the inside, while in Disco, Book taught Michael Burnham how to make friends with it.

The Trek universe deals with the concept of evil a little differently than many of its famous genre competitors. There is no Lex Luthor of the Federation. Palpatine doesn’t haunt the planet Vulcan. The Klingons have no concept of “the devil.” (At least in The Original Series.) This isn’t to say Trek doesn’t have some very memorable Big Bads, it’s just that most of the time those villains tend to have some kind of sympathetic backstory. Even in the J.J. Abrams films! 

So, with that in mind, here’s a look at seven Star Trek villains who maybe weren’t all bad, and kind of, even in a twisted way, had a point…

Harry Mudd

In Star Trek: The Original Series, Harry Mudd was presented as a straight-up con-man, a dude who seemed to be okay with profiting from prostitution (in “Mudd’s Women”) and was also down with marooning the entire crew of the Enterprise on a random planet (in “I, Mudd”). He’s not a good person. Not even close. But, he does make a pretty could case against Starfleet’s lack of planning. In the Discovery episode “Choose Your Pain,” Mudd accuses Starfleet of starting the war with the Klingons, and, as a result, putting the larger population of the galaxy at risk. “I sure as hell understand why the Klingons pushed back,” Mudd tells Ash Tyler. “Starfleet arrogance. Have you ever bothered to look out of your spaceships down at the little guys below? If you had, you’d realize that there’s a lot more of us down there than there are you up here, and we’re sick and tired of getting caught in your crossfire.”

Seska

At a glance, Seska seems pretty irredeemable. She joins the idealistic Maquis but is secretly a Cardassian spy. Once in the Delta Quadrant, she tries to screw Voyager as much as possible, mostly by hooking up with the Kazon. That said, Seska is also someone caught up in hopelessly sexist, male-dominated power structures and does what she has to do to gain freedom and power. The Cardassian military isn’t exactly enlightened nor kind, so the fact that Seska was recruited into the Obsidian Order in the first place certainly explains her deceptive conditioning. You could argue that Seska could have become a better person once she had Captain Janeway as an ally, but, the truth is, she was still a spy caught behind enemy lines, but suddenly without a government to report back to. So, Seska did what she had to do to survive, even lying to Chakotay about having his child. The thing is, again, outside of Starfleet, Seska is at the mercy of the sexist machinations of the Kazon, so again, she’s kind of using all the tools at her disposal to gain freedom. Had Voyager not gone to the Delta Quadrant, and Seska’s villainy may have been more clear-cut. But, once the reason for her espionage becomes moot, her situation gets more desperate, and, on some level, more understandable. 

Charlie Evans

In The Original Series, Kirk loves telling humans with god-like powers where to shove it. In “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” he phasers Gary Mitchell and buries him under a rock. But, in “Charlie X,” when teenager Charlie Evans also gets psionic powers, Kirk does a less-than-a-great job of being a good role model. For most of the episode, Kirk tries to avoid become Charlies’ surrogate parent, and when he does try, it results in an embarrassing overly macho wrestling match featuring those famous pink tights.

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Charlie was a deeply troubled human being, and there was no justification for him harassing the crew and Janice Rand in specific. But, angry, kids like Charlie have to be helped before it gets to this point. Kirk mostly tried to dodge the adult responsibility of teaching Charlie the ropes, and only when some friendly aliens arrived, did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. But, don’t get it twisted, those aliens are basically just social workers, doing the hard work Starfleet is incapable of.

The Borg Queen

Because the origin of the Borg Queen has dubious canonical origins, all we were told in Voyager is that she was assimilated as a child, just like Seven of Nine. As Hugh and Jean-Luc discuss in the Picard episode “The Impossible Box,” basically, everyone assimilated by the Borg, is, on some level, a victim. The Queen was never presented this way in either First Contact or Voyager, but, at one point, writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens had pitched a story for Enterprise which would have featured Alice Krige as a Starfleet medical technician who made contact with the Borg.

Because both Alice Krige and Susanna Thompson played the Borg Queen, it’s possible the backstories of each Queen is different and that maybe they aren’t the same character. Either way, assuming the Borg Queen retains some level of autonomy relative to other drones (likely?) then she’s pretty much making the best of a bad situation. In fact, at the point at which you concede the Borg are unstoppable, the Queen’s desire to let Picard retain some degree of his independence as Locutus could scan as a kind of mercy. The Borg Queen actually thinks she and the Borg are making things simpler for everyone. And with both Data and Picard, she tried to make that transition easier and, in her own perverse way, fun too.

Ossyra

Yes, we saw Ossyra feed her nephew to a Trance worm, and we also saw her try to kill literally everyone on the USS Discovery, including Michael Burnham. However, in the middle of all of that, Ossyra did try to actively make peace between the Emerald Chain and the Federation. And, most tellingly, it was her idea. Ossyra also pointed out one of the most hypocritical things about the United Federation of Planets: the fact that Starfleet and its government rely on capitalism without actively acknowledging it. Essentially, Ossyra was saying that the ideals of the Federation are great, but the Federation has all kinds of dirty little secrets it doesn’t want to talk about. In her meeting with Admiral Vance, pretty much everything she said about the Federation was true—and her treaty proposal was fair. 

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The only snag: she wouldn’t turn herself over as a war criminal. Considering the fact that the Federation made Mirror Georgiou into a Section 31 agent, despite her war crimes in another universe, this also seems hypocritical.  Why not just do the same thing with Ossyra? Tell everyone she’s going to prison for war crimes, but make her a Section 31 agent instead? Missed opportunity! 

Khan

Khan was genetically engineered by wacko-a-doodle scientists at the end of the 21st Century. At some point on Earth, he became a “prince” with “power over millions.” But, as Kirk notes in “Space Seed,” there were “no massacres” under Khan’s rule, and described him as the “best of the tyrants.” Kirk’s take on Khan in “Space Seed” is basically that Khan was an ethical megalomaniac. Most of what we see in “Space Seed” backs this up. Khan doesn’t actually want to kill the crew, and stops short of doing it when he thinks he can coerce them instead. His only focus is to gain freedom for himself and his exiled fellow-Augments. In the Kelvin Universe timeline, Khan’s motivations are similar. Into Darkness shows us a version of Khan who, again, is only cooperating with Section 31 because he wants freedom for his people. Sure, he’ll crush some skulls and crash some starships to get to that point, but in his dueling origin stories, Khan is, in both cases interested in freedom for his people, who, are by any definition, totally persecuted by the Federation.

Khan is still a criminal in any century. But, we only really think of him as a villain because he goes insane in between the “Space Seed” and The Wrath of Khan. The Khan of The Wrath is not the same person we met in “Space Seed.” As he tells Chekov, “Admiral Kirk never bothered to check on our progress.” Had Kirk sent a Starfleet ship to drop in on Khan and his “family” every once in awhile this whole thing could have been avoided. In the prime timeline, Khan goes nuts because Ceti Alpha VI explodes and nobody cares. In the Kelvin timeline, Admiral Marcus blackmails him. Considering that Khan is Star Trek’s most famous villain, it’s fascinating that there are a million different ways you can imagine him never getting as bad as he became. In “Space Seed,” he and Kirk basically part as friends. 

Q

In “Encounter at Farpoint,” Q accuses humanity of being “a savage child race.” And walks Jean-Luc Picard through the various atrocities committed by humanity, through the 21st Century. Picard kind of shrugs his shoulders and says, “we are what we are and we’re doing the best that we can.” When we talk about the philosophy of Star Trek, we tend to give more weight to Picard’s argument: the idea that by the 24th century, humanity has become much better, in general than it is now. But, the other side of the argument; that there’s a history of unspeakable violence and cruelty baked into the existence of humanity, is given less weight. We don’t really listen to Q when he’s putting humanity on trial, because we can’t see his point of view.

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But, because Q wasn’t a one-off character, and because he said “the trial never ends” in the TNG finale, he’s actually not really a villain at all. Q exists post-morality, as we can imagine it. His notions of ethics are far more complex (or less complex) than we can perceive. Q is one of those great Star Trek characters who is actually beyond reproach simply because we have no frame of reference for his experiences or point of view. In Voyager, we also learned that even among other members of the Q Continuum, Q was kinder, with a more humanitarian approach to what he might call “lesser” lifeforms. If Q is villainous, it’s because of our definitions of villainy. Of every Star Trek antagonist, Q is the best one, for the simple fact that he’s not a a villain at all. 

Which Star Trek villains do you think had a point? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Star Trek Villains Who Actually Had a Point appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[nellie-elizabeth]

Doctor Who: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror (12x04)

This episode reminded me, in a good way, of that Van Gogh episode from the Matt Smith days. Let's dive in!

Cons:

I should say that while I did find this portrayal of Tesla to be endearing, I was a little disappointed about some of the stuff we didn't get to see. First of all, I'm not trying to insult the actor who played Tesla, because he did a fantastic job... but the actual Tesla was a babe, and they didn't really play up his natural attractiveness here. Also... I'm not an expert, but I do know that Tesla fell in love with his pet bird at one point in his life. The dude was eccentric to say the least, and I feel like this episode limited the more bonkers elements to the aliens, instead of turning a closer look on Tesla himself. Maybe it worked out better this way... I was just a little wistful for what we might have gotten.

I talked before about how not every companion is going to have something to do in every episode... that only makes sense, when working with a slightly larger cast. But Graham really hasn't had a lot of material to sink his teeth into recently, has he? I was definitely noticing that this week.

I also hope that this season contains some episodes that are not so... Earth-bound. The two-part opener and then this episode featured stories that took place through time, but remained on Planet Earth, with real historical figures. And then last week's episode took place on Earth as well, albeit with a significant twist. I recall last season feeling a little more limited in scope as well. Maybe there's an interesting reason why the Doctor is feeling less inclined to wander far and wide. If that's the case, I'm intrigued - I just want some wacky adventures on made up planets with silly aliens soon, please.

Pros:

So despite wishing that more had been done with Tesla, I did really, really enjoy this actor's performance, and the amount of pathos that was given to the character. He was a good man with a genuine passion for science and progress, who wanted to give the world gifts that would change humanity forever. I loved the way the Doctor talked about modern technologies and how Tesla had come up with proto-versions for a lot of things. That was genuinely educational, and in a way that I bet kids would enjoy and find informative. I, of course, know who Nikola Tesla is. But the fact that Yaz didn't, and that Graham had heard the name but couldn't name any specifics, felt realistic to me, as I'm sure many others only have a passing knowledge of this man.

I also liked the inclusion of Dorothy, Tesla's assistant. This was a part that seemed superfluous in some ways, but actually added a lot of texture to the story. She is Tesla's "companion," in the same way that Ryan, Yaz, and Graham are the Doctor's companions. She had a lust for knowledge, and Tesla was able to give that to her, even though it came with risks, and a lack of stability for her life.

The bad guys of this episode are twofold - you've got Thomas Edison, who is contrasted to Tesla because Edison steals other people's ideas and is driven by capitalism, while Tesla toils under noble poverty and contains true genius. And then there's the alien hive-mind, who basically have the same mortal sin as Edison - they are borrowing (read: stealing) from other cultures in order to gain power, and don't bother trying anything for themselves. This was a surprisingly harsh take on Edison, which I did not at all mind - if Tesla's portrayal was watered down, I still appreciated the attempt to rehabilitate his reputation by... giving him a reputation. Everyone's heard of Edison. That bastard doesn't need any help.

Yaz was my favorite companion of the week, and there was plenty of good morsels for the Doctor/Yaz crowd out there, from the Doctor relying on Yaz to help save the day, to her worrying about her safety when they got separated. I think it's awesome that Yaz was able to be so helpful, and had a good report going with Tesla.

What else is there to say? I appreciated the bizarre aliens, the fun action, the way the Doctor got to be a few steps ahead of everyone else like the bad-ass that she truly is... I loved the bizarre mix of real historical figures with insane alien incursions. It was all very Doctor Who-ish, and I had a lot of fun the whole way through.

9/10

[entergamingxp]

Celebrating Blackness in Gaming’s Past, Present, and Future

June 9, 2020 2:30 PM EST

During times like this, it’s especially important to highlight and celebrate black heroes, casts, and developers themselves in video games.

With what’s been happening in the past and especially in light of current events, it’s important to reflect on the video games that have centered or been inclusive of black characters, as well as games led by black developers. Representation has been an ongoing conversation in video games (and other forms of media), and the desire for new stories told from the perspectives of diverse voices and backgrounds has only continued to grow.

In recent years, more games have been releasing that highlight black characters or have been created by black developers. A large chunk of those games are created by independent developers, who have far more creative freedom to craft the kinds of characters they would like to see in games. Even rarer are games led and published by black developers, with many of these narratives still being told by white creators.

But compared with the amount of white protagonists (and all or mostly white casts) that we often see in video games, there’s still so much work to be done. As we’ve been seeing in the past week, plenty of black creatives have been given the long-due spotlight to showcase their talents as opportunities from companies are finally opening up. I truly hope this will lead seeing more blackness reflected in both the games that we play and their internal development talent.

That said, there have been notable black characters and stories told through video games that are worth highlighting. Below, here are some of the most prominent games of the past several years that either star a black character, have a significant (as in mostly) black cast, or were made by black developers.

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Many fans were enraptured by the first season of The Walking Dead, which introduced two lead black characters: Lee Everett and Clementine. Their relationship and overall story arc–backed by some seriously powerful writing–gave birth to one of the greatest narratives in gaming I have ever witnessed. After Lee’s death, seeing Clementine grow far too fast as she fights for survival while reconciling her perceived role in her father figure’s death is moving and harrowing. Most of all, Telltale’s The Walking Dead creates a sense of constant urgency and dread that completely sucks in the player and doesn’t let go until the very end.

Mafia III

Set in 1968 New Orleans, Mafia III follows the exploits of Lincoln Clay, a war veteran who aims to build a new criminal organization while seeking revenge on the Italian mob. The game holds an extremely uncompromising gaze at systematic racism while allowing for the black protagonist to empower himself and take back power from those who would strive to oppress him. The characters are compelling, and the setting and story of Mafia III offers a rare gaming experience that interweaves the experience of actual blackness in its narrative.

Chromatose

Chromatose is an upcoming indie title by a black lead developer going by the moniker Akabaka. A visual novel and JRPG blend influenced by Persona 3, it follows the protagonist as he awakens in a strange nightmare after a fall that should have ended his life. Amnesiac strangers are also trapped in this world for their own unique reasons. The haunting visuals filled with strong color contrast convey a tale filled with danger at every turn. Between a captivating and diverse cast, excellent monster designs, and a fast-paced battle system, Chromatose seems to be shaping up to be a gem of an indie game.

Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2 takes place in a fictionalized version of the San Francisco Bay Area and stars Marcus Holloway, a hacker who works with the hacking group DedSec to take down the city’s advanced surveillance system known as ctOS. Having the black hacker Marcus taking the lead role in this game adds a unique perspective on the plot that deals with fighting back in a system designed to strip away power and silence its citizens. Seeing him fight tirelessly and slowly gain traction against the city government is incredibly empowering and strengthens the overall narrative even more.

Murder By Numbers

For fans of the excellent Ace Attorney series comes an indie game with a similar approach to storytelling, over-the-top characters, and investigative gameplay. Murder By Numbers takes place in 1996 Los Angeles and stars Honor Mizrahi, an actress on a hit TV detective show. Unfortunately, her boss winds up dead just moments after he fires her and she finds herself forced to investigate his murder in order to secure her own innocence. Putting aside the harsh reality of black women being kicked out of their own careers, the game does well in emulating the fun and often ridiculous style of Ace Attorney while establishing its own charm. Much of that charm is attributed to Honor herself, who’s plucky, determined, and resourceful, as well as her interactions with her robot sidekick SCOUT. Murder By Numbers is a fun and lighthearted foray complimented by Picross-style puzzles that’s worth checking out.

Apex Legends

Seemingly (but officially unconfirmed) in response to the Overwatch controversy surrounding its lack of playable black women, the free-to-play Battle Royale game launched with two black women characters: Anita Williams and Ajay Che. Not only that, but these two were and still are front and center in the marketing of Apex Legends, which is very notable. While the game is light on lore (as games in this genre tend to be), both of them have very separate upbringings, personalities, and combat proficiencies. From what we know of them, they have well-fleshed-out motivations for why they fight. And I really love the touch that Ajay is a healer, an archetype you don’t tend to see associated with black women characters.

She Dreams Elsewhere

This indie title is a true rarity in that the entire party is black and stars a black woman protagonist. She Dreams Elsewhere is a surrealist adventure RPG where you traverse protagonist Thalia’s dreamscape along with her friends. She must come to grips with and confront her mental health conditions, and escape from a never-ending coma. One part Undertale, one part Persona, it’s a game made beautiful through its retro simplicity and haunting soundtrack that combines black music such as R&B, funk, and jazz. Not only do we have that level of diversity and culture, but the characters themselves–especially Thalia–are fleshed out and fully-developed. When pitted against the well-designed monsters using abilities grounded in reality, She Dreams Elsewhere truly ups the surrealism surrounding its setting and atmosphere.

EQQO

EQQO is a unique title, in terms of both its passive storytelling and gameplay, as well as the fact that it’s inspired by Ethiopian mythology. This game is the tale of a mother as she weaves a great story of her son born blind yet full of life and love. The puzzle-based exploration and gameplay is presented as a mythological legend slowly unfolding as the mother, playing as the narrator, tells it. Gorgeous orchestrated music complements the visuals in a harmony that gives even more depth to the narrative. Seeing this level of care and detail with a mythology that is rarely represented in gaming gives me hope that the future will bring more games like this one being created and given proper attention.

Cyberpunk 2077

It’s exceedingly rare to find a triple A title’s universe created by a black person, and yet the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 is just that exception. Mike Pondsmith is best known for his work for the publisher R. Talsorian Games, where he developed a majority of the company’s roleplaying game lines. His most recent project is the collaboration between himself and CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077, which takes place in his own Cyberpunk RPG universe. Pondsmith’s involvement in the video game’s development mostly focuses on the game world aspect and mechanics as well as his general input, such as shooting a bulletproof backpack to test just how a bullet would react with it; for implementing in the game properly, of course.

Streets of Rage 4

The triumphant return of the wildly popular 2D side scrolling beat-em-up franchise, Streets of Rage 4 stars a cast almost entirely of black/POC fighters including newcomer Cherry Hunter. Wood Oak City falls under the control of a new crime syndicate led by Mr. X’s children, the Y Twins, who are planning on brainwashing the city with the use of hypnotic music. The plot, while simple, is a great excuse to beat up some mooks and the character designs, animation, and music are phenomenal. Also that’s not to mention that Cherry, Floyd Iraia, and Cherry’s father Adam Hunter are featured very prominently on the cover and the general advertising. It’s great to see a beat-em-up starring so many cool black characters.

Earthnight

A love letter to classic fast-paced 2D platformers (think Sonic the Hedgehog), Earthnight uses the genre to tell a tale of a bleak dragon apocalypse where humans have been exiled to space, forced to live in orbit above the planet. Protagonists Sydney and Stanley team up one day and decide to skydive back to Earth, taking out as many dragons as they can along the way. The 2D animations are breathtaking; everything from the ripples in their clothing, to the fluidity of their general movements, to the colorful and insane monsters that can take up nearly the entire screen are stunning. It’s clear there was a lot of love and effort put into this game. I also need to mention how much I love Sydney’s design and the way she’s front and center in the trailers. How can you beat a game that lets you fight dragons because a little girl and a dude had enough?

Broken Age

Broken Age released back in 2014 and 2015 as two separate acts by Double Fine and starred protagonists Vella Tartine and Shay Volta (played by Masasa Moyo and Elijah Wood, respectively). While initially their narratives are completely separate from each other, as the story unfolds you realize how intertwined they really are. What makes the storytelling so satisfying is that because the protagonists are kept separate for so long, their individual character arcs can develop in a satisfying way without interfering in the overall story. Vella, the young black girl, in particular had a very strong and compelling story worth experiencing. In Broken Age, seeing her deal with traumatic events as she fought back against a seemingly unavoidable force of destruction made for an excellent real-life comparison to black struggle.

Here are some honorable mentions of other games featuring black/POC characters that, though they didn’t make my list, are worth checking out:

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Half-Life: Alyx

Afterparty

Treachery in Beatdown City

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Beyond Good and Evil

Remember Me

If you’re looking for more black indie talent, check out this Twitter thread as well as this one. For a huge directory of black game developers and their projects, check out the Black Game Developers website and consider supporting them.

And finally if you’re a Black, Asian, and/or Ethnic minority, Code Coven is offering scholarships for their Intro to Game Making Course, which will be open until June 10, 2020.

Are there any games or developers you know of that deserve a mention? Feel free to sound off in the comments!

June 9, 2020 2:30 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/06/celebrating-blackness-in-gamings-past-present-and-future/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celebrating-blackness-in-gamings-past-present-and-future

[ramajmedia]

Grey's Anatomy: 10 Of The Worst Things Meredith Has Ever Done

Meredith Grey has been through more than her fair share of trauma throughout Grey's Anatomy's fifteen seasons. From losing her mother, her sister, her husband, and so many others, it's understandable that having to endure such hardship would change Meredith for the worst.

Meredith is, of course, the main focus of the series and has been from the beginning, but with everything that's happened and all that she's been through, has she really changed that much? Characters like Alex Karev have gone through significant evolution and impressive character development, but Meredith still seems very much like she did at the beginning of Grey's Anatomy.

Meredith Grey has been through some horrible things but she's also done some horrible things herself. Let's take a look at 10 of the worst.

10 THE BOMB INCIDENT

Throughout the series, Meredith has struggled with troubling mental health issues such as suicidal tendencies. This was primarily relevant in the early seasons, and Meredith has come a long way since then, but some of her risky moves just can't be forgotten.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: Every Season Finale, Ranked

It's The End Of The World and As We Know It were two episodes that followed the storyline of a patient arriving at Seattle Grace with a bomb in his body. The two episodes were some of the highest-rated in Grey's history and were certainly an unforgettable thrill ride. As great as the episodes were, though, Meredith grabbed the bomb and showed no attempt at self-preservation, which is just insane.

9 CHOOSING DEREK

Meredith and Derek's romance is still one of the most beloved on TV and it garnered a massive fanbase. People loved these two, but when you look past Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey's magic chemistry, the way Derek treated Meredith sometimes was pretty problematic.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: The 5 Best Cliffhangers (& 5 of the Worse)

There were countless red flags in the early stages of their relationship that Meredith probably should have picked up on. Derek's behavior is by no means her fault, but she should have known her worth and got out of that relationship. Maybe choosing Finn the veterinarian wouldn't have been such a bad choice after all...

8 HER RELATIONSHIP WITH GEORGE

Meredith's friendship with George was questionable, to say the least. Their dynamic could have been cute and healthy, but the writers insisted on pushing the tired, cliche storyline in which George was madly in love with Meredith. If this had just gone on for a few episodes, that would have been fine.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: The 10 Best Love Triangles, Ranked

But George's crush on Meredith soon led her to use him after one of her many break-ups with Derek, and that was simply selfish.

7 HER REJECTION OF LEXIE

Lexie Grey was introduced late in Grey's Anatomy's third season, and would later die tragically in a plane crash at the end of season 8. This means that Meredith and Lexie had around five seasons together, and some sisterly bonding should have taken place.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Meredith Grey Quotes We Can All Relate To

But Meredith rejected Lexie immediately and shut her out for several seasons. The storyline was just a shame, especially Meredith had just started to get close to Lexie right before she died.

6 SHUTTING OUT DEREK'S FAMILY

Meredith has a real issue with shutting people out. Considering her difficult early life, that's obviously justified, but Meredith takes it to the extreme far too often. Not only did she shut out Lexie, Richard, several of her friends, and Derek at times, but she also shut out the Shepherd family at the worst possible time.

Derek's sudden death was absolutely heart-wrenching and arguably the worst thing Meredith has gone through on the show. But that doesn't mean she shouldn't have informed Derek's family when he was put on life support.

5 ASKING TO BE SHOT

Out of the many slightly suicidal risks Meredith has taken, begging a mentally ill man to shoot her instead of Derek has to be one of the worst. Meredith would do anything to protect the people she loves, of course, but that doesn't mean she has to throw herself under the bus for them.

Not to mention, Meredith was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time, so she was willing to give up her life and her potential child's life for Derek.

4 SYMPATHIZING WITH A MURDERER

When Meredith sympathized and attempted to help a murderer, both Cristina and Derek became furious with her. The patient was admitted to Seattle Grace with head trauma and Derek - along with several others - wanted to make sure the man lived so that he would rightfully spend the rest of his life in jail.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Hilarious Memes Only True Fans Will Understand

But Meredith just wanted to put the guy out of his misery and trying to help a murderer was just not a smart move on her part.

3 LOSING TOUCH WITH CRISTINA

This is not something that is completely Meredith's fault. Obviously, the show could not keep Cristina on the show after Sandra Oh departed, but they did attempt to have Meredith and Alex maintain contact with her...at least, for a short while.

RELATED: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Times the Show Broke Our Hearts

The end of the Meredith and Cristina friendship was one of the most heartbreaking moments on the show, the fact that the two "twisted sisters" have ultimately drifted apart makes matters even sadder.

2 SABOTAGING HERSELF

Meredith's issues with loving herself and accepting herself have been present since the very beginning of Grey's, and honestly, not much has changed, fifteen seasons later. Meredith has covered some ground and made a bit of progress with her issues, but they still rear their heads from time to time.

It seems that Meredith still wastes no time sabotaging herself when things are looking good. She has sabotaged career opportunities, relationships, and happiness countless times.

1 HER ROMANCE WITH NATHAN

It's a general consensus among the Grey's Anatomy fanbase that the show probably should have given Meredith more time to grieve Derek's passing before having her move on to new relationships. In the Grey's universe, a year had passed since Derek's death, but in real life, it had only been a few weeks.

Forcing romances with random guys was a bad move on Grey's part, and Meredith's whirlwind romance with Nathan Riggs is no exception. The two lacked chemistry, and the entire storyline made everyone look bad.

NEXT: Grey's Anatomy: 10 Storylines That Have Aged Poorly

source https://screenrant.com/greys-anatomy-10-worst-things-meredith-ever-done/

[migleefulmoments]

my new fav thing about Abby is her desperate attempt to shame us for "contributing to Darren's oppression" by not believing her insane conspiracy theories. like damn Abby, I think that's actually YOUR fault since you fail to provide us with evidence more compelling than "he referenced star trek instead of star wars so you know his decade long relationship is a sham". gimme something I can use!!! then I'll be happy to stop oppressing him.

Oh my God YES.  Every time she shares Abby’s Big List of ccProof followed by “but the Stans will never see/hear/listen/believe ____” I think to myself “well do a better job of proving this cuz this is a big ole’ nothing burger deluxe” 

I like your take- it’s Abby’s fault that Darren is oppressed because her arguments suck. That’s a problem since she went to school to become a lawyer- making a case and persuading a jury should be a slam dunk and she’s had 4 years to make a compelling argument. 

Nobody here wants a gay/bi/pan actor pushed into a closet against his will for a decade while his forsaken lover/husband/boyfriend sits quietly at home, slowly scrolling Instagram, his crocodile tears falling softy onto his iPhone X as he pines away and looks for good “diss” posts he can secretly aim at Mia. Nobody wants that. But two award-winning actors had good chemistry on screen while playing characters they were hired to play as they read lines written for them isn’t compelling “proof” they are a couple. Other bad evidence: they have so much in common when you mean they both liked Harry Potter and Star Wars when they were kids, they both starred on Glee, or they were the two most intelligent people on set because couples fall in love for lots of reasons but being the smartest in the room isn’t always one of them.  If you want to use Abby’s logic- Chris never went to college and Darren went to the University of Michigan...why would Darren belittle himself with someone who never went to college? It’s an argument as stupid as claiming that Darren wouldn’t love MIa because she isn’t working 9-5 in an office.     

Lest you missed the most recent Abby’s Big List of ccProof

ajw720 answered:

Hi anon, I think a lot of people think like you. I am the complete opposite. They had obvious chemistry and an easy friendship. They have myriads of things in common. They were easily the two most intelligent people on set. They spent more time together filming than with anyone else.  And overnight they went from being friends to completely ignoring each other?  and these changes that occurred over season 3 and solidified by season 4 coincided with the PBB moving to LA and W morphing into the public plus one.

And if you do look at the limited interactions they had post season 3, that chemistry is very much alive, You see it in the BTS from the skating riot, the break up, New York, and Bash. You see it in interviews- look at E/llen when D said C was the life of the party.  Look at how they mirror each others actions.  Look at C’s SM, he posted D headless multiple times.  And it is absolutely him, people are fooling themselves thinking it is not.

They were told they could not interact in public to shut down the significant rumors they were a couple. D literally cannot look at C without giving everything away. Look at T/revor L/ive.  And C is more guarded but not much better.  D is the ONE person that he fully lets his guard down with.  

What has happened post G/lee has been criminal. But their complete lack of interaction to me is screaming that there is something wrong, that something is being hidden. If not, it is marketable for the actors who played K/laine to continue to interact.  It would have been meaningful and significant for them to take a photo together at S/pirit Day 2018.  Yet they didn’t.  Even if they hated each other, they could put their differences aside for ONE PHOTO to inspire LGBT+ youth.

Then mix in the copious amount of clues. You cannot dismiss C/hris Col-Fur, probably the most rebellious action D has EVER taken,  A joke he started ON C’s Birthday that continued for 2 months and was repeated twice in San Fran.  And C is literally the captain. he just posted the black hole, something thought to be UNPHOTAGRAPHABLE that after years they finally were able to snap a photo.  Read his books, D is EVERYWHERE.  He is embodied in so many characters and their story is all over the pages.  He literally named not one but TWO evil characters after PBB.   And F/roggy’s story is D’s (and we can only hope the ending as rewarding).

To me their complete lack of interaction states one thing and one thing only. They are protecting the ting that is the most precious to them. Their relationship.  And this will continue until D is free.  Depriving the world of a beautiful love and depriving so many of a truly inspiring and strong same sex couple that could undoubtedly knock down some barriers that exist in this discriminatory and hateful world we continue to live in.

Depriving the world of a beautiful love, Oh my God, Darren’s love isn’t on display for the world.  It’s his.  

[koganphrancis]

Camless Episode 5

All The Writers Of This Show Are Shit

We had us a brand new writer this week and all we got was the same old same old: OOC, Retconing, and Repeats of Old Story Beats.

I’ll attempt a recap, but this episode really sucked the will out of me.

(gif credit: gallavichlovies)

I’m not going to do my usual character by character recap because frankly some really awful shit went down this week that I’m just going to refer to and not go into in depth.  Plus, so much of the episode was tedious repeats of shit the writer had JUST TRIED to say.  

We had both Debbie and Ian go knocking on the wrong doors for advice. We had two endless Lip scenes where all that was happening was he was running and riding a motorcycle.  Maybe next week he can paint a fence and we can all watch as the paint dries. Liam is sexually molested (off screen, but still) by another child who had been sexually molested. Carl and Frank both get slapped around in sexually-adjacent situations just as the show is once again trying to drive home what’s unacceptable for men to do to women-hey, Shameless, that goes for what’s unacceptable for women to do to men, women to do to other women, and men to do to other men as well.  They tried to make “going Fiona” a thing-twice.   There were at least four scenes where Frank tried to get an erection. There were endless retcons (more on those to come).  

My notes are all over the place and the show’s such a shit pile I can’t even begin to make a smooth narrative out of them, so here’s a list of my observations, saving the Ian shit for last.

Debbie had a running thread through a big part of the episode where she’s literally bored to the point of falling asleep listening to Alex-that is exactly how I feel about their relationship/the Debbie thinks she might be gay storyline.  Also, if anyone cares, Debs has completely dropped her equal rights/equal pay fight.  She doesn’t even seem to go to work anymore. Later, Debbie goes to visit the lesbians in Fiona’s building (rather than, I don’t know, talking to Vee about her experiences with Svetlana, since that seems maybe more in line with feelings Debbie is experiencing?) and the scene was clearly written in lieu of Shameless ever showing sex scenes anymore.  

The blond lesbian, Mel, exposes herself to Debbie in the doorway of her apartment (but sadly for the Netflix fans, her back is to the camera), without establishing if Debbie is not a minor, and then she kisses her in a sloppy slo-mo saliva string sharing close up.  Debbie is supposedly stunned stupid by this, but the whole “you like what you like and you don’t have to justify your sexual orientation to anyone” message falls flat.  Debbie has ALWAYS been starved for attention, and she misreads any attention she gets from anyone of any sex.  Since Matty she’s always equated someone trying to be interested in her as being interested in her sexually.  And that kiss wasn’t sexual at all-it too was a form of molestation-it wasn’t asked for or consented to.  This show is shit.  

Carl meets a young woman at a West Point mixer, the daughter of the scary military officer who is throwing the party.  Hello, we’ve done this already with Dom and her scary cop dad.  Yawn.  Carl films them not having sex after she passes out drunk so he can prove he didn’t molest/rape her, should it ever come in question.  At first the young woman is mad (and jumps on him and starts slapping him around, just like Katey Sagal will do in a scene with Frank), but then later she returns Carl’s phone and says she saw he didn’t film them having sex, but there is a recording on there of him having sex with someone else.  He says that’s Kassidi, his ex, but fails to let Kelly (the new chick) know she’s dead and he’s an accessory to her murder.  And how fucking creepy is it that Carl’s kept sex with his dead ex on his phone?  Is that something he’s still watching?  Does he get off to it?  This show is shit.

Kev and Vee get stuck with Frank in a few scenes, foreshadowing the boring seasons to come, should the show get renewed (why are they still sitting on announcing that, btw?).  There’s a subplot for Kev where he’s going to speak at a women’s rally in his new-found position of Vagina Safe consultant, but he wisely bows out when he hears the real hell women face on a regular basis.  Why this show is trying to be socially conscious this late in the game I’ll never know.  Especially since they’ll keep pulling their bullshit and defend it with “it’s Shameless!” like they’ve always done in the past.  This show is shit.

There’s the weekly Fiona/Bored disagreements-this time they’re about little things like music preferences and whether or not Fiona should care about her brother going to prison for up to two decades.  Bored winds up singing along to a song to Fiona at the end-it should’ve been Gus Pfender’s Fuck You, Fiona and they could’ve had a cute discussion about Gus being Fi’s ex-husband.  This show is shit.

Now Ian.  Sigh.  Nothing makes sense.  Everything’s either a lie or a retcon and we the audience still don’t know which.  At breakfast he’s telling the family his plea options, and when Liam questions temporary insanity, Ian rattles off, “Bipolar, off my meds.”  So is Ian saying that’s just the definition of the defense he could use, or is he saying “I was off my meds”????  WHY won’t the show give us any answers?  There were two significant scenes in Season 8 where he staunchly said he was taking his meds and that he (rightly) was entitled to feel emotions and be angry at times.  Are we supposed to think that right about then is when he stopped taking them and then Gay Jesus happened?  But if that was the case, why did he stop taking his meds, and now how long has he been off them-or did he start taking them again and now they’re working after being off them for all the GJ stuff PLUS when he was in jail for 9 months?  IF he was off his meds for any amount of time but especially a long amount of time (pretty sure an argument could be made he’d been off them since leaving Mickey/Monica dying/stalking boring Terror, blowing that old couple for money), why did his manic phase seem so different than when he was back from the army?  Can the show try to explain anything?  

Ian and Fiona and Geneva all go to the lawyer’s office-why?  There IS such a thing as client-attorney privilege and the lawyer, at least, would ask them to wait outside once the screaming began if not sooner.  But oh well.  Ian finally says, “Does anyone want to hear what my lawyer has to say?”  Me at home: YES!!!  Lawyer starts to talk, “I know this judge-he’s under...” Geneva starts yelling again and what gets lost in her bullshit is that later on, the judge is not a he?  

Outside Fi asks Ian, “Are all lesbians that dramatic?”  I asked last week, I’m asking again: Is Geneva a lesbian?  Is this just another retcon?  Her initial interactions with Ian seemed like she was crushing on him, that she wanted him, and there’s been nothing about her being a lesbian in canon.  I know it’s not important, but the lack of attention to detail on this show contributes mightily to its shittiness.

Suddenly Ian has a question, and he can think of only one place to get an answer (even though Liam was able to Google “what is cocktail attire?” and get an answer in seconds.  Ian should’ve asked him to look up his question as well).  

Ian goes to the Milkovich house and it’s so fucking OOC I don’t even want to think about it.  For whatever reason, Ian politely says, “Hi, Mr. Milkovich,” when Terry answers the door-why would he even bother?  Terry’s not big on manners, for one thing, and for another, the last time Ian saw Terry he was flipping him off as he was being carted back to prison.  Don’t think Terry’s going to be warmed over by a polite greeting.  Anyway, Ian asks him about being in the pen, and Terry says there’s ass and mouth rapings that Ian would probably enjoy, shitty food, and beat downs from the guards.  Ian asks if Terry was mouth raped (I think he specified that, I didn’t put it in my notes) and Terry indignantly says that Milkoviches don’t “bottom”.  Ian says, “Was Mickey adopted?” and I can’t tell if he was trying to piss Terry off or if he was genuinely curious, but as a joke it didn’t work-Ian knows (or the old Ian did, anyway) better than anyone that Mickey was absolutely nothing like Terry, in any way, not just in sexual preferences.  Another OOC comment to just make the viewer weep thinking about the old days.  Also, having Terry know, let alone USE, the term bottom was also OOC in the extreme.  He might as well have said, “All Milkoviches are cishet.”  It would’ve been just as believable.  

But back to the scene.  Ian says, “Rapings, food, guards-I can handle that shit.  I just need to know...” Terry interrupts him.  “Anyone can handle that shit.  (Again, me at home: Really?)  It’s the boredom that’ll kill ya...Start reading books, lifting weights...”  (Mickey already told him that about juvie AND prison-how dense is Ian that he never got it?)  “But you’re in the same place, with the same assholes, doing the same shit, every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every god damn year.  If I was you I’d pack my shit and run.”  

Ian’s face while he’s running down all the segments of time seems to look like Terry’s getting through to him.  And Terry telling him to take off is actually the best advice Ian winds up getting-in the long run Terry seems to care about keeping Ian out of prison more than his own family.  Terry easily could’ve slammed the door in Ian’s face and ignored him.  Does that mean I forgive Terry at all for everything he did to Mickey, Mandy, and Ian-not to mention his other sons and Svetlana?  FUCK NO.  But how telling is it that this show is now so bad that a villainous piece of shit like Terry is the one character we are listening to and agreeing with?  

One last thing about Terry-he just got out, but he knows Mickey’s in Mexico?  How?  I’m hoping this is a set up for Ian being able to find Mickey next week (or at the end of the season if we have to wait that fucking long), but this show doesn’t do continuity anymore, so I’m sure there’s no logical explanation for Terry knowing that fact.  

Fi goes to the Gallagher house looking for Ian and finds an empty box of hair dye, and a towel stained with hair dye, and that Ian’s drawers are empty.  I also noticed that his pillow was gone-did he pack that up too?  If so, I’m hoping it’s because he and Mickey shared it and he wanted to keep some part of Mick with him always, but we know this show ain’t about that anymore.  Anyway, Fi goes and tells Lip she thinks Ian skipped bail and they have to go find him.  Lip says no, Ian’s an adult.  This conversation also just took place with Debbie-or takes place right after, the show was so boring I couldn’t keep the repeated scenes straight if you put a gun to my head.  

WHY are the siblings so uncaring about Ian going to prison-or getting caught as a fugitive and spending even more time there?  WHY is everyone so stupid about whether prison is “bad” or not, especially for their apple cheeked, puppy-eyed brother who is dealing with mental illness?  Who may or may not be off his meds at any given time?  Ian couldn’t even handle VISITING Mickey in prison, why does he suddenly think he could do a stretch of multiple years if not decades?  All those years stealing cable and watching bootleg DVDs, did none of the Gallaghers ever watch Oz?  In a prior season it was established that Lip has read so much he was able to determine a Louis Vuitton purse was authentic by the stitching and the lettering-he’s never read about prisons and how they affect young men that are in them for a period of time?  “Hardened criminal” is a phrase he’s never come across?  Lip doesn’t realize how hard Ian’s future as a convicted felon will be when he gets out?  Trying to find a job (especially one with medical benefits), a place to live, all that stuff?  This show is shit.

There’s a meaningless shot of Ian at the train station (we don’t even get to know where he was planning to run to-as if we didn’t know-show us he’s at least headed south, you bastards!) and then there’s a scene where Lip comes home in the dark to find Ian at the kitchen table eating ice cream right out of the Edy’s carton.  (They don’t show us the flavor-it looked like it might be chocolate chip?  I didn’t see any chunks of cookie dough or anything.  Again, this is only important because everything else is so boring that actually knowing what kind of ice cream Ian likes would be interesting in comparison.)  

I guess the ice cream is sort of a metaphor?  Ian’s last sweet taste of freedom?  Or maybe I’m reading too much into it and they just came up with something for the brothers to share and it couldn’t be beer-because of Lip, not because of Ian’s meds because god knows they never cared about that, plus we STILL don’t know if he’s just magically back on them-if he is, how is he paying for them?  Anyway, after Lip’s earlier attitude about Ian being an “adult” and not caring all that much about him ever, he doesn’t deserve ice cream!  Here’s a snippet of their dialogue: 

Lip: So you didn’t run. Ian: Oh no-I ran.  I just...ran back.  (well, at least that’s in character since he ran away to the army and came back, and ran away with Monica and came back, and the fucking Mexican border, but I’m not happy about that fact)

They start listing the things Ian will miss if he’s gone for the next ten years.  Debbie may be married to a woman (I would think her being divorced is more likely, but whatever, I won’t be around to watch it either, I’m gone as soon as Ian’s back with Mickey), Carl will be a war criminal, Liam will be the father of a ten year old, Frank, dead.  Ian asks Lip, “You?”  “Still in AA, if I haven’t drunk myself to death.”  Ian says, “Do me a favor?  Don’t.”  IAN CARES MORE ABOUT LIP THAN LIP CARES ABOUT IAN.  Always has, always will.  “Lip deserves to get out of the ghetto.”  But Lip’s fine with Ian going off to prison because of the whole Gay Jesus thing that he never even began to try to understand or help Ian find a way out of.  This show is shit.

Next there’s a scene of Ian in a suit, dressed for court and talking to his Bible that’s on his bed (still no pillow-weird).  He’s asking Shim to talk to him one last time, maybe give him a hint what he should do.  His voice is soft and pleading and he’s almost in tears and all I can think is he needs Mickey to talk things out with.  Lip comes to the door and says something like they’re all downstairs, it’s time or whatever.  Ian gives the Bible one last look and seems to do a little wink-did he hear something from Shim?  Would it kill this show to let us in on some things?  This show is shit.

His plea hearing was so factually inaccurate it hurt.  His lawyer doesn’t say anything, and when asked what he pleads Ian launches into his entire defense.  And the judge lets him.  OMGJ.  

Again I’m pretty sure I’m witnessing a retcon when Ian says “A young man was being forced against his will into a van to be taken to a conversion camp.”  Um, as I recall (and I won’t rewatch the episodes to get all the exact details, they were too stupid), a young runaway came to the Church of Gay Jesus and claimed his parents were trying to make him get conversion therapy and they were giving him drugs so he couldn’t get erections because they didn’t like the fact that he was gay, but when Ian talked to the dad he said the kid ran away on his own because he suffered from mental illness, was off his meds, and was living on the street and prostituting himself.  As I recall the dad/parents didn’t say anything about conversion, they just wanted him home.  Maybe the dad sought help from the guys in the van because there was no other way to get the kid home-none of this has been established for the court, if nothing else!  This show is shit.

Ian gives a speech in a voice like wimpy Jeremiah trying to convince everyone Jerome was the bad one and it was just lame.  He claims his family loved him unconditionally-since when?  They only gave him crap about being with Mickey, or ignored him.  And then when he became “like Monica” there were definitely conditions on loving him-mainly that he be on his meds.  Right up to this episode they were all going around saying it’s time to let him go-they didn’t love him enough to want to keep him at the house and try to help him!  

Anyway, he then states in open court he was off his meds and in a manic state when he torched the van.  Then he looks back at Fiona and starts to give a tiny smile right before the credits.  Was he lying to get a lighter sentence and he’s smiling because he got away with it?  Or does he look to her like that because he knows she’ll be proud of him for finally telling the truth even if it disappoints/ruins the GJ movement (that is so implausible as a concept it makes my head ache)?  

By next week the show will be in another writer’s hands and I’ll never get the answer to that question either, I bet.  IF this means the-fucking finally-end to the GJ storyline, I’ll have to be happy enough with that. 

In conclusion let me say that once again the only “great” thing about the episode was ZERO mention of Terror!  

But the rest of the show was shit. 

[genderonthescreen-blog]

Queer Representation: How Can We Get The Gays to Watch Our Movie?

The Vito Russo Test is the queer equivalent to the Bechdel Test (which tests the representation of women in films). It was created by GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and is used to test the representation of LGBTQ+ people in film. The way a film passes the test is if there is an “identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender” character who isn’t defined by their sexuality and/or gender identity, and who is significant to the plot. Despite the fact this test is quite easy to pass, most films do not. Out of the 109 films released by major studios in 2017 only 14 had LGBTQ+ characters in them (that’s 12.8%). Gay men are the most represented out of those 14 films (64% or 9 out of the 14 films feature a gay man that pass the test) while trans people are the least represented in 2017 (zero out of the 14 films featured transgender characters). These numbers are insanely low, and shows that there is a clear problem with the representation of LGBTQ+ people in films.

But, even in the movies that feature LGBTQ+ characters, how well are they being represented, really? Films like Call Me By Your Name (2017), Carol (2015), Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013), and Brokeback Mountain (2005) have all been praised as iconic queer movies with great representation, but how great is this representation? Right off the bat you can see that all of these characters are white. Not a huge surprise when it comes to Hollywood, considering how bad they are at representing people of color, but, still, not all queer people are white, obviously—Marsha P. Johnson, anybody? How about happy endings? Shouldn’t queer people be allowed to see a relationship like their own end happily? Well, it seems not. In Call Me By Your Name, they break up; in Blue Is The Warmest Color, they break up; in Brokeback Mountain, they break up and one of them dies (the good-olde “bury your gays” trope https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/06/30/queerbaiting-bury-your-gays-tv_a_23005000/ )! Carol seems to be the only one that has a semi-happy ending. Although, Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett) do breakup at one point, at the end of the film it is implied that they get back together. An implication is a we can get apparently. Oversexualization is also an issue. All of these movies have semi-graphic sex scenes in them, with Blue Is The Warmest Color’s sex scenes are borderline pornography—and definitely from the male gaze. Now, sex isn’t the problem here, if a director wants to show two characters getting it on, they very well should be allowed to do so! The problem is that the only kind of movies that are popular and feature queer people at the forefront are romantic dramas (usually tragic) that are very heavy on the sexual discovery. This would be fine if there were just as many goofy LGBTQ+ romantic comedies or action movies with queer leads as there are LGBTQ+ romantic tragedies.

Now, that’s not to say things aren’t getting better! With the release and success of Love, Simon in 2018, a romantic comedy about a teenage boy coming out as gay, things are, hopefully, starting to look up. However, there has recently been a new disturbing trend when it come to LGBTQ+ representation in films. A film will announce that there is an “openly gay” character in their movie before the film is released. Thus, attracting a large queer audience that is sorely disappointed when they realize “openly gay” actually means “not openly gay at all.” Take Beauty and the Beast (2017) for example. Before the release of Beauty and the Beast, Dir. Bill Condon announced that there was going to be an “exclusively gay moment” (WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?) in the film involving LeFou (Josh Gad), Gaston’s groveling sidekick. Fans were obviously excited! But, when the movie came out, what we got was very a stereotypical depiction of a gay man (who is supposed to be crushing on Gaston?), and one moment (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadujj45Y90 blink and you’ll miss it) where LeFou accidentally starts dancing with another man and… that’s it—wow, how groundbreaking.

While there is at least a small moment in Beauty and the Beast, other films that use this tactic to get a more diverse audience don’t even bother following through. Before the release of the much anticipated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan announced that Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) is pansexual. This revelation prompted fans to go crazy, but when the movie came out there was nothing, besides some semi-flirty lines and an “implied” romantic relationship with a droid (okay…), explicit in the film that showed Lando’s pansexuality. Some people (https://lwlies.com/articles/queerbaiting-solo-lando-calrissian/ ) are calling this trend, a new from of queerbaiting, and going by the definition (“the practice of hinting at, but then not actually depicting, a same-sex romantic relationship between characters in a work of fiction, mainly in film or television” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queerbaiting ) I’m have to agree. Except, this kind of queerbaiting is almost worse because the “hinting” starts before the film comes out. Therefore filmmakers are literally using a the possibility of a potentially queer character as bait to get more LGBTQ+ moviegoers into their theaters.

There are other, less nefarious, examples of this kind of queerbaiting. Tessa Thompson, who plays Valkyrie in Thor Ragnarok (2017), made a post on twitter before the film came out about how her character is bisexual and how she wanted that to come through on the big screen. However, she was quick to add that Valkyrie’s sexuality is never explicitly shown in Thor Ragnarok (https://www.avclub.com/thor-ragnarok-ultimately-cut-the-one-scene-that-confir-1820047758 check out this article). It’s clear that Thompson wan’t trying to get more LGBTQ+ people to see Thor Ragnarok, she was just trying to spread the word about her character’s sexuality—Valkyrie is canonically bisexual in the comic books.The character of Albus Dumbledore, the grandfatherly headmaster of Hogwarts from the Harry Potter film and book series, could also be another example of this kind of queerbaiting. However, unlike all of the other examples, Dumbledore’s sexuality was revealed by author JK Rowling after the release of the last Harry Potter book in 2007 (https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3755544&page=1 check out this article from that year talking about it). Dumbledore’s sexuality was never explicit in the Harry Potter books or movies, but recently Rowling has started another film series that takes place in the Potter universe (but during the 1920s) called Fantastic Beasts. Before the release of the second installment, it was announced that Jude Law would be playing a young Dumbledore in that next film (Fantastic Beasts and the Crimes of Grindelwald), and people began to ask if Dumbledore’s sexuality is going to be addressed in these films. Not much was said by Rowling, but before the movie was released Dir. David Yates said Dumbledore’s sexuality is not “explicitly” shown in the film. Fans were obviously upset be this—myself included. However, after seeing the movie, I feel like it’s safe to say only a person in serious denial would claim that Dumbledore is straight after watching The Crimes of Grindelwald. There isn’t anything “explicit” in the movie (Dumbledore doesn’t say “I’m gay” or kisses a man) but the relationship between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, the antagonist of the series and Dumbledore’s ex-lover, is shown or alluded to in in more ways than one—not explicitly telling the audience about his sexuality is in character for Dumbledore, who has always been secretive. As a fan of Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts films, I hope in future installments Dumbledore’s sexuality will be more explored—and it should, especially since the main antagonist is his ex-boyfriend!

Queer representation is important. The constant censoring of LGBTQ+ people and relationships in media needs to end. It’s often said that this kind of censorship is to protects kids from exposure to “inappropriate” content. News flash, there are kids out there who are queer! (Because queer people have always been queer.) I remember when I was a kid how big of an impact seeing queer characters and couples in film and TV were for me. Seeing characters like Tara (Amber Benson) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer made me feel like I wasn’t alone and that there wasn’t anything wrong with me. Even though queer representation in film is still lacking it’s getting better, and it’s getting even better on TV shows! The Legend of Korra, and Steven Universe are two kids shows that feature LGBTQ+ couples. Sense 8, Orange is the New Black, Queer Eye and Black Mirror (specifically season 3’s episode San Junipero) are all Netflix original series that have great LGBTQ+ representation and/or are LGBTQ+ centric—trans characters played by actual trans actors? YES! Things are looking up and I have high hopes for the future when it comes to queer representation.

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Check out these cool sources!

https://lwlies.com/articles/queerbaiting-solo-lando-calrissian/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/01/disney-launches-first-exclusively-gay-moment-beauty-beast/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/05/17/lando-calrissian-pansexual-solo-star-wars-reaction/620566002/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/movies/jude-law-dumbledore-gay.html

https://www.thedailybeast.com/glaad-report-hollywood-is-failing-lgbt-characters-in-its-movies

https://books.google.com/books?id=AoQrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143&dq=the+vito+russo+test&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj25Yj_oaDfAhXwx1kKHZODBU0Q6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=the%20vito%20russo%20test&f=false

https://www.glaad.org/sri/2018/vitorusso

https://www.glaad.org/sri/2018/overview

How about this cooler bibliography!

https://books.google.com/books?id=UWtECwAAQBAJ&pg=PT203&dq=queerbaiting&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJ6M3zzprfAhWu11kKHT6ZAcwQuwUIMTAB#v=onepage&q=queerbaiting&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=f6YwSZlsyJMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=lgbt+film&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjprcyuz5rfAhXSq1kKHbkGAzgQuwUILTAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=jI_IHFUidlwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=lgbt+film&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjprcyuz5rfAhXSq1kKHbkGAzgQuwUIUTAH#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=ROhSbOQIzmYC&pg=PA31&dq=the+hays+code&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6tc3zzJrfAhXIqFkKHaOoAUQQuwUITDAG#v=onepage&q=the%20hays%20code&f=false

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/we-need-to-talk-about-lgbt-representation-apparently_us_5a3d4dede4b06cd2bd03da68

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0HsPIquRmc

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/05/22/lgbt-representation-in-hollywood-has-somehow-got-even-worse/

Photo credits go to Netflix.

[rationalsanskar]

How to Achieve Mindfulness Without Having to Actually Meditate

In 1977, Roald Dahl published a lesser-known collection of short stories called The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six . The titular tale is about a beleaguered British billionaire who finds peace (and eventually, fantastical powers) by learning to calm his brain with a variety of techniques. One such method involves focusing intensely on a single image in the brain for a long period of time.

In the book, Sugar manages to picture an orange for more than 10 minutes. I can remember putting my dog-eared copy down and trying my best to do the same. When that failed after eight or nine hopeless seconds, I thought of apples, blueberries, pears. No luck. Each time, memories from earlier in the week or stresses about the upcoming one managed to invade my brain and tear me from the moment.

Fast-forward a couple decades, and whenever I try to sit down tomeditate — yoga mat, dimly lit room, relaxing music, a scented candle or two — I still think of this failed fourth-grade experiment. Formal attempts at proper, popular meditation often end prematurely for me, with my mind whirring like the wheel of death on an old Dell desktop. I think about interviews I have to schedule, flights I have to book, contact lenses I have to order. Eventually, I call it, thinking Damn, didn’t work. After these “failures” I’m less likely to attempt meditation again; ironically, I now associate the practice with stress.

This isn’t uncommon. According to a 2016 study, only 12% of American adults practice meditation, a number that nonetheless represents a 50% increase from earlier in the decade. That uptick has coincided with an ever-growing wellness industry that includes functional exercise, apps and products that encourage embracing the present, from mat Pilates to Calm to the Wave meditation system.

But that number’s still low, and the difficulty surrounding the practice is a prevailing reason why. In order to achieve mindfulness — the practice of paying attention to one’s thoughts and sensations in a particular moment — people assume they need to first create a perfect environment. Noise at a minimum, pleasant scents and legs crossed, with enlightenment just a few deep breaths out of reach. This line of thinking, though, ascribes too much importance to the activity. It’s self-defeating, like punching a pillow in anger while trying to fall asleep. Traditional meditation may indeed work well for many, but if it doesn’t do it for you, there are other ways to achieve mindfulness.

Think of activities in your life that erase hours from the clock. The ones you look forward to, or perhaps the ones you don’t think much about at all. They come, they go, but by the end of it all you feel measurably more relaxed. These activities can be considered “backdoors” to mindfulness. They’re inherently meditative, because you derive the same benefits from them that might come from 10 good minutes spent picturing an orange.

Below, we’ve assembled seven different activities that have been known to universally encourage elements of mindfulness. Importantly, we chose pursuits that an overwhelming majority of human beings can participate in at the drop of a hat. Surfing big waves, practicing magic tricks or playing the French horn may help you achieve mindfulness, and walking a dog may get you there too (assuming you’ve got one), but these examples are inclusive and easily incorporated into the mornings, afternoons and evenings of just about anyone.

Cooking

The future of on-demand food ordering is absolutely insane: the industry is projected to rake in a whopping $365 billion in revenue by 2030. Why? Millennials buy fewer groceries than older generations, and devote just 13 minutes a day to meal prep. I can identify. Three nights a week, I’ll bring some sort of $13 grab-and-go market bowl back for dinner. I often think of it as a chore handled, and an opportunity to watch TV the second I enter my apartment, fork shoved firmly into my mouth as I do. But I’ve noticed that on days I cook up a meal, however simple (I’m a big fan of shrimp mixed with rice and veggies), I’m able to go on a rare, much-appreciated, end-of-day autopilot. Heat the pan, prepare the rice, wash the veggies, cut and season the shrimp — I’ll generally perform these tasks with music on, while talking to my roommate or in silence, the only sound the gentle sizzle of the cooking food.

There’s an exact phrase for this experience: behavioral activation. It refers to a positive activity that necessitates presence of mind. Cooking requires decisions from your brain, motor skills from your body and an end goal that can fill your brain with a feeling of accomplishment. Plus, cutting and tearing are proven methods for handling a tough day, while the recipes can be both comforting and expected, or unusual and creative. Either way, they demand your attention, and will keep you looking at the pan, instead of your emails.

Water Therapy

The restorative effects of cold-water immersion are well-documented at this point. From ice baths to plunge pools to Scottish showers, the practice has near magical benefits for the body. It catalyzes post-workout recovery, staves off injury, lowers blood pressure, increases metabolic rate and stimulates the immune system. But there is mindfulness in freezing your butt off, too, believe it or not. You’re outside in nature, for starters, which we know does wonders for mental health. And cold water encourages the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, adrenaline, norepinephrine and serotonin, all of which have anti-depressive effects.

I jumped into the North Sea a few days ago, when air temperatures were hovering around 30°F, and can assure you that I wasn’t thinking about anything but exactly how my body felt in that exact moment. It hijacks your afternoon, in a good way; I took a long, hot shower afterwards, and then felt alert and alive for a good six hours. On the other, less-Bear-Grylls end of the spectrum, lounging into warm water or having a bath at the end of the day are other forms of highly effective “water therapy” which should march you one step closer to mindfulness.

Journaling

According to a team of researchers from Princeton University and UCLA, those who take notes on computers are less likely to summarize and retain information than those who take notes with their hands. The study (and others like it) has long been cited as a reason to save handwriting: save a lost art while boosting our memory! But handwriting’s effectiveness also extends into the realm of another mindful activity: journaling. A nightly commitment to putting pen on paper will add special significance to your days; what’s remembered as banal or unspectacular two months later might’ve actually been exciting or unusual at the time, and you’ll have the notes to prove it. On top of making you a better handwriter, it will make you a better writer, period, and it will happen in an arena that’s rhythm, old-timey and devoid of stress-inducing blue light. In case you have no desire to catalogue your own life — find writing prompts online. Scribble nonsense. Sometimes, when I finish writing for 10 minutes or so, I wake up as if from a drunken trance. It’s a lovely feeling.

Adult Recess

When you’re a kid, there are times that your parents, needing an afternoon to wash dishes, pay bills and do other real-world-things, will order you to “go play.” It’s a typical childhood exultation, and from a young age, we oblige. We pick up branches and have stick fights. We “run the bases.” We invent games on trampolines and whack each other with styrofoam noodles. But somewhere along the way, play stops. For some medical professionals, the lack of play among adults is public health issue. Dr. Stuart Brown, who founded the National Institute for Play, explains that play is instrumental to optimism and self-motivation, while fostering a sense of belonging and community with others.

Unfortunately, it’s long been difficult for the average individual to find play in the adult world — let alone the heaping helping of mindfulness it delivers. Adults are an insular bunch, and those that do join groups often do so for competition. (Think: weekend warriors in intramural leagues.) But in the last few years, more groups have come about that prioritize the relaxation involved with simply running around. From DC to San Francisco to Greensboro, more cities are starting “adult recess” leagues, where the stakes are low and you’re free to think about nothing but throwing or kicking a ball for 90 minutes — with drinks often on the docket afterward.

Running

I’ve written about my return to running in the last couple months, after a six-year break. For years, I associated the activity with stress, expectation and pre-race nervous pees, but my recent reentry to the tribe has been calm and easy. I feel an appreciation now for the ways in which both pain (mile repeats on a track along Manhattan’s East River) and wonder (tripping up snow-covered hills on the outskirts of Edinburgh) seem to remove me entirely from the world of 9-5. I don’t need a scientific study to confirm the inherent meditative qualities of running, though there are many. Runs with destinations, runs that meander, runs desperate to hit a certain time — they’re all about the sweaty, heaving present. That state of being is usually a struggle, but it can be euphoric, and that’s why we do it. You should do it, too.

Live Music

A massive trend in the mindfulness space is the composition of music specifically geared for achieving calm. They can be lovely, and I can mellow into them easily, but they’re often too ethereal and not very sustainable. Who can listen to that stuff for 45 minutes? I contend that mindfulness can also be found in the General Admission section at a concert, or in a booth at an Irish pub that brings some Van Morrison sound-alike out every Tuesday evening. Live music is effortless presence of mind, especially when we leave our phones in our pockets. It represents a deviation from the norm (very few of us experience live music every day), which heightens the importance of the moment and your concentration relative to other earthly concerns. And it often rewards your ossicles with a series of mini-eargasms, which is nice.

Home and Garden

One of the surest signs that you’ve become an adult — aside from a strange desire to receive socks over the holidays — is that you actually enjoy performing household chores. I get giddy when I have a solid two hours to push my vacuum around, make the kitchen sparkle and point a hose at the gutters. Similar to the behavioral activation associated with cooking, busying about a home or apartment offers tasks and results, concentration and satisfaction. They’re an exhilarating change of pace from the mind-numbing practices of day-to-day work in a sedentary society. After a week of sitting at a computer, I will gladly Lysol the hell out of a coffee table. And I can’t remember ever thinking about much while I’m doing it. Not to mention — there are endless opportunities to personalize and perfect a space, from DIY projects to caring for plants, that will also transport you to a relaxing place far, far away.

The post How to Achieve Mindfulness Without Having to Actually Meditate appeared first on InsideHook.

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[stepchain46-blog]

Updating Chicago Cubs Prospect Rankings: The Top Ten

If you had to pick, would you rather the system get better at the top or deeper in the middle? While I think Friday’s 21-11 breakdown showed the Cubs system hasn’t taken a huge step forward at the back this year, today will show a lot of improvement near the top of the list. This is a good group of ten.

10. Zack Short, 24, SS, Triple-A Iowa

What we’ve learned this year: Very little. Short was injured on a HBP just six (very good) games into Iowa’s season. I suppose the information gained came from Spring Training, where he spent a lot of time at second base, struggling a bit with a new position. I look forward to seeing Short’s surprising pop combine with the juiced ball of the Pacific Coast League. Could be a good match. We still don’t know when he’ll be returning, though.

9. Tyson Miller, 23, RHP, Double-A Tennessee

What we’ve learned this year: For the second year in a row, Miller came into the season having made a sizable improvement. While Miller credits his success this year to more detailed scouting reports and information available to him internally, I believe it’s his new curveball that has successfully rounded out his arsenal. Miller has been the system’s most significant pitching breakout, and is in the process of forcing his way to Triple-A. Where we go from there is anybody’s guess. I still think there’s room for two more ticks on his fastball, and his slider will flash more bite every so often, so we’re not at his ceiling yet.

8. Cory Abbott, 23, RHP, Double-A Tennessee

What we’ve learned this year: Abbott’s stuff works at levels higher than A-ball. Abbott is a guy that I ranked in the top ten last year, and then spent the offseason talking myself out of it. That was a mistake. Abbott is the most polished pitcher in the Cubs system, a guy with a complete arsenal and a fully realized plan of attack. He’s going to struggle with home runs, probably more at every level, but he’s also going to keep getting outs with four pitches built around tunneling.

7. Cole Roederer, 19, OF, Low-A South Bend

What we’ve learned this year: Roederer was the first teenage player the Cubs sent to the Midwest League on Opening Day in a long, long time. They believe in his abilities, as he showed them they should in Spring Training. And he’s flashing enough things with South Bend to prove he belongs. But I think we realized that Roederer is developmentally, and even more, physically, still very raw. And that’s okay. Nothing we’ve seen yet has changed his ultimate projection. He, too, is currently out with an injury.

6. Brennen Davis, 19, OF, Low-A South Bend

What we’ve learned this year: The amount of development that has taken place in the last nine months is pretty incredible. Davis spent the offseason commuting from his Arizona home to the Cubs facilities to add weight, and it shows. The Cubs also worked on his swing, as we’ve talked about here quite a bit. Davis is showing patience and an opposite field approach in South Bend so far, so he’s not just some raw player, he’s got good instincts, too. If he keeps up even some facsimile of his recent play, he’s got a chance to be top 3 at season’s end.

5. Aramis Ademan, 20, SS, High-A Myrtle Beach

What we’ve learned this year: We’re into June now, and Ademan has been able to sustain a walk rate above 15%. After his age showed last year in the Carolina League, Ademan is showing a lot of maturity with a great bounceback season this year. He’s cut his groundball rate by ten percentage points, and continues to use the whole field. He’s got some pop. I believe the plan should be to let Ademan spend the entire season in Myrtle Beach, and let him walk into next season’s Double-A assignment with supreme confidence.

4. Brailyn Marquez, 20, LHP, Low-A South Bend

What we’ve learned this year: While Marquez has yet to break through with that singularly dominating start, things are progressing nicely. His K% is up to a career-high 29.2% (after being 26.4% in Eugene a year ago). His groundball rate is up to 56% (after being 52.4% in Eugene). The walk rate is a problem, doubling from 7 to 14%, but I’m not too worried. Marquez is just finding himself in deeper counts this year, and it’s a maturity process to learn to trust your stuff in a 2-2 count. There was only one start where he truly lacked control.

The good news is he’s been north of 95 in every outing, up to 100 in one or two starts. I’m not sure he lets that four-seam fastball eat enough, as there’s a lot of time spent on his low 90s two-seam and his offspeed offerings. Good for development, I understand, but less so for his overall success. I also want to point out Marquez has held lefties to a .135/.304/.216 line with a 34 K%. If starting doesn’t work out, this is an absolutely devastating reliever in the makings.

3. Adbert Alzolay, 24, RHP, Triple-A Iowa

What we’ve learned this year: The strangest thing about Alzolay’s eight starts in Iowa were his strikeout rate: a career-low 15.8%. It was a bit disorienting, as the stuff was there, and it just wasn’t really working. Well, good news: it’s working right now. Alzolay has now made just four starts in Iowa, but his K% has absolutely skyrocketed to 36.3%.

Two outings ago, Alzolay’s curveball was at its absolute best, and I bet he threw it at a 35-40% clip, dominating the New Orleans Baby Cakes with really a single pitch. In his last outing at Round Rock, Alzolay’s curveball wasn’t as good, but he showed a new slider, more movement on his fastball, threw more change-ups to lefties (who are 4-for-27 so far), and used his pitch versatility to dominate the Express. Alzolay has a lot of weapons in the toolbox.

With what we’re seeing, Alzolay is the early favorite to grab hold of next year’s number five starter job. He will help this season. He used his injury time to get better, and his work ethic is paying dividends. The more he proves that he’s not a health concern, the more he’ll rise up this list.

2. Miguel Amaya, 20, C, High-A Myrtle Beach

What we’ve learned this year: It seems weird to say that this is Amaya’s best offensive season yet, but it’s true, he’s managed to increase his walk rate, cut down on strikeouts, and is hitting for more power. All at an insanely young age relative to his league and position. However, Amaya’s BABIP has plummeted to .234 as a result of a huge rise in groundouts. His GB% this year is up to 55.4 after getting under forty last year. If I have a concern, it’s easy groundballs against right-handed pitching.

1. Nico Hoerner, 22, SS, Double-A Tennessee

What we’ve learned this year: He was ready. It looks like so far, no matter the challenge, Hoerner is ready for it. Whether it’s his third affiliate in three weeks like it was in South Bend last year, the only 2018 draftee in the Arizona Fall League after a 3-month layoff last fall, a regular role in Major League Spring Training, or an aggressive assignment to Double-A. The impressive thing this season, what one me over to move Nico to the top spot, was that his plate approach in April was so advanced. To be just 150 professional plate appearances into your career and strike out in just 8 of your first 69 plate appearances shows real hit tool talent. I still have some doubts about the future power grade – and I expect after his wrist injury we’ll see almost no power this year – but Nico’s bat-to-ball abilities make him a no-doubt big leaguer.

For past rankings: here was the preseason list and here was the post-Spring Training adjustment.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/06/03/updating-chicago-cubs-prospect-rankings-bn-top-21-to-11-the-top-ten/

[stunningpro-blog]

Dancing With The Stars Preview And Predictions

The 2nd Dancing with the Stars outcomes show of the 9th season aired this night on ABC. The show featured co-host Samantha Harris doing her very best impression of Morticia Addams-crossed-with-a-chia-pet, performances by the USC Trojan marching band and singer Joss Stone, critiques of last night's action, and of course, the all-essential elimination of a 3rd celeb from DWTS period 9. For the evening's play-by-play as seen through my rose and eco-friendly and yellow and usually paint and peanut butter smeared mommy-goggles, study on. To believe in his program there are some things that you have to know about him. He is a much recognized personality at Hollywood by acting in numerous films and being in numerous exhibits on Tv. He also was a dancer and choreographer for Mariah Carey. He is very good at what he is performing and his body is extremely powerful and it does show that he understands his job. He has been very successful and labored as a dancer for Nick and dig this and he is the creator of one of the two extremely popular exercise applications: ever Hip Hop Abdominal muscles and Rockin Body and now Insanity.

Snowboarder Louie's smile on the dance flooring seemed like the greatest illustration of deer in headlights: he danced like a truck was about to strike him. Louie received some pretty significant praise from the judges, even if he did get called a "little dancing hobbit" by Bruno. I guess Louie can dance all the way to The Shire with a rating of 19, and with a very fantastic impact on the team salsa.

Aaron Carter Mug Shot

Following up, again using the web and its myriad tools, previous House majority leader Tom Delay posted a humorous Jib Jab video cartoon of himself and companion Cheryl Burke, dancing, on his website. In situation anyone missed it, Delay posted hyperlinks to the cartoon from his Twitter web page.

He's most likely 1 of the much more promising celebrities on this period of "Dancing With the Stars," but he nonetheless has a methods to go prior to he's heading to reach ballroom royalty. His performance was fun, energetic, but a little sloppy and stiff. He still scored a higher-than expected 22, which puts him in a good place early on. He also obtained a 10 from the team waltz, making him the top performer for the night. NFL star Michael Irvin and companion Anna Demidova had been next up on DWTS with their Samba. Michael's really had a difficult time with the judging panels this season. The factor I value about Michael is his performer's heart: He seems to have enjoyable each 7 days, even when he's nailed by Len, Carrie Ann and Bruno. That stated, it believed their Samba lacked a small. It seemed sluggish and just not precisely what I'm used to seeing for the style of dance. Bruno said "sometimes you danced this like a tank" and proceeded to defeat him down. Ouch. Carrie Ann stated "I definitely think you have rhythm but you're dancing as well little". Len said "it's a difficult dance for a big guy" and "I'm afraid it was a little bit disappointing". Oof. Michael Irvin and Anna Demidova's Dancing with the Stars Drop 2009 week three scores: five, 4, five = 14.

Aaron Carter That'S How I Beat Shaq

Although the exception rather than the norm, some DWTS stars occasionally solution tweets from followers. Both design Kathy Eire and Chelsie Hightower, 1 of the DWTS professionals, return chosen tweets in spite of having 1000's of followers. Insanity workout is the new revolution for house health and fitness created by Shaun T. And this is a real fact, simply because many individuals have seen genuine results in just 60 days, without being forced to go to fitness centers or to consider diet plan tablets. This plan is a new brand set of workouts that altered people's life. Now, I wager you ask yourself who is this Shaun T and why you ought to consider into thought his program? 'Dancing With The Stars' premieres September 21, and whilst fans are excited to see their favorite dancers paired up with celebrities like blog link and Joanna Krupa, it will also be the initial time that Maks and Karina appear with each other post-split. That's right, the dance is over for them as they have broken off their engagement.

Aaron Carter Naked

Next we heard from the Dancing with the Stars period 9 professionals about the challenges of breaking the celebs' poor habits. Meh heh. That must be fun. We discovered from Lacey Schwimmer that Mark Dacascos talks to himself a lot as well frequently, and Alec Mazo complained that Natalie Coughlin holds her breath too frequently. What a surprising thing for a swimmer to do! Co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha opened the hour of the first Dancing with the Stars fall 2009 outcomes display by turning to head decide Len Goodman and requesting the judges' choose for the encore dance. Last evening's surprise sleek swan of the ballroom Kelly Osbourne and Louie van Amstel delighted the group with their Viennese Waltz once again. I'm still so impressed with Kelly. I experienced, pretty literally, nearly no anticipations for Kelly Osbourne on DWTS season 9. I believed she'd suck and I felt badly for bad Louie. But she's incredible and was amazing however again tonight.

Aaron Carter On Drugs

Donny Osmond was a hit! His sister Marie was on back in season five of "Dancing With the Stars," and she made it all the way to the final three regardless of being 1 of the weaker performers. Expertise-sensible he's probably stronger than Marie, and he has a great capability to perform the aaron carter and hilary duff group. He completed his foxtrot with a 20. Throughout the team salsa, he was also effortlessly declared the winner. If nothing else, Ashley inherited 1 thing from his well-known father, George: the smile. He did a good job with the footwork, but it truly didn't do much to stand out from the crowd. With a 4 from Bruno, Ashley finished with a fifteen. He also was last in his team salsa. He's just not exciting, and I'm really not sure he wants to be there; for that purpose, he should be the male contestant to depart on Wednesday. You can see that this exercise plan is not like any crap marketed on Tv. You will by no means feel tricked, and your money and time will be ell invested. It combines a great established of exercises with a balanced and well planned diet which will help you obtain amazing results in a fairly brief period of time.

[serenagaywaterford]

6) a flip of the dime. The nasty parts were always there, but he concealed/controlled them. Maybe bc said parts wouldn't exactly make him endearing to others? Anyhow, your interpretation makes him quite the interesting antagonist/villain, so I'm rolling with it, lol. /// There was another thing that was bugging me about S2: the baby's name. Obviously, Serena chose Nic(h)ole as a "fuck you" to Fred. But June in the finale? Of course, she stuck to it for Nick's sake, but also bc she recognized

7) Serena’s selfless (well, if you can call it that) act. Thoughts on this? /// As for your older responses, I forgot to describe what an epiphany it was for me to realize the significance of Serena’s use of the word “rape” for the first time. The anger I felt after 2x10 blinded me to the VERY OBVIOUS connection between her realization in 2x10 and her outburst in 2x11. (Silly me!) Imagine how much more intense that fight would have been if they included the marital rape. I remember a writer

8) that June didn’t kill Serena, bc she actually felt sorry for her in that episode. (Ngl, June’s kindness baffles me at times.) I knew that she wasn’t gonna do it of course, but it was 50/50 whether I wanted her to shoot them or not. /// Something I have not addressed so far is how lukewarm I found their explanation for June getting away with all the shit she does. Well, she’s no Janine (who loses an eye) or Emily (who gets mutilated), but still. Like you said, Serena and Fred might get away

9) get away with a lot more bc of their privilege, but June? Hm. // I’ll start quoting later (or maaaybe tomorrow).

———–

I always thought that was a really weird sort of thing for June to do. And it seems to be entirely because of Serena? Like, it was Holly, Holly, Holly. Even when she was talking to Nick. Then she has the exchange with Serena, and suddenly she adopts Serena’s supreme dickmove of a babyname? 

And I LIKED Holly. It meant something. Nichole (I HATE THAT SPELLING SFM LMAO) means nothing to June? Can you imagine the convo: 

“Mommy, why am I called Nichole?”

“Well, baby, you see, your Daddy’s name is Nick, so the lady that stole you decided to name you after him to eternally piss off her husband who she clearly hates and wanted him to be reminded that he’s impotent every time he looks at you.”

Like, on the one hand, Serena is fucking brilliant and it just shows the extent of her hatred for Fred. But then it’s kinda shitty to use a child as a pawn in that.

Then again, maybe there’s another reason Serena chose that name? I know there’s like a whole history about St. Nicholas and his role as a patron saint of childless couples, or something. (I can’t recall exactly rn). And there was something about St. Nicolette and babies. (Which is where the names Nicole and Collette come from.) Something like she raised a dead baby back to life. So, I guess, at a stretch perhaps that was her inspiration? I doubt it, knowing Serena. LOL.

It’s really curious June’s decision though. Despite EVERYTHING Serena’s done, June just wipes it clean and names her fucking baby after Serena’s choice? Maybe she was trying to retain the memory of Nick for Nichole? I dunno. And not only that, but she seemed 100% genuine when she said that farewell blessing and held Serena’s hand (again). 

I dunno, June’s own preoccupation with Serena is something I don’t truly understand but she clearly thinks there’s some odd connection or something. It’s funny cos I was reading a review about S2 and June’s choices in the finale, and her constant support of Serena despite ALL the reasons not to, and lemme see if I can find it… 

 Nah. I can’t. Anyway, it was something about how we all know June’s going back for Hannah, but this writer thought June was also going back for Serena.

I’m not convinced about that tbh, but I can see the argument cos June is strangely protective and compassionate towards Serena considering. I just have a sinking feeling that the show is gonna play that “Oops, Serena is evil again!! SHE WAY MAD JUNE GIVE BABBY AWAY trolololol!!!!” and make her despicable in order to get Nicole back. If that is the case, I’m gonna roll my eyes right outta my head. I have no issue with Serena having regrets, tbh. I think that’s pretty understandable and expected. But having Serena go hogwild with abuse and using Fred’s power to get back at June or something is just going to fucking piss me off cos like, c’mon my dudes, been there, done that. Over and over already. It’s the 3rd season and either you’re gonna put this bitch on a mild redemption arc or you’re gonna make her a full-on villain. Make up your minds. The will-she, won’t-she thing is old by now.

I dunno that was a random OT rant.

Also, TRUTH! Serena’s use of the word “rape” was important. Like, part of me is like DUH how did you JUST figure that out?! And, honestly I feel like the marital rape is sort of necessary for Serena’s epiphany to get recognised. I think, Serena is just wilfully ignorant enough to not truly consider the Ceremony rape. I honestly do not think she totally understood what she was suggesting with the 2x10 rape. (Serena really does lack forethought for like…all of her actions. That’s sorta her whole problem.) I think she thought it would be just like a sort of unsanctioned ceremony. But by the end she did seem to recognise what it truly was. And having her raped by Fred in the previous episode would have really helped with that. (Then again, it’s really hard to understand how a woman who was just raped turns around and basically suggests it. And this person is supposed to be not Satan. A pure evil woman sure. But Serena’s not meant to be that.)

I think Yvonne’s delivery of the line was interesting too. Part of it was like, “HOly shit it was rape” and part of it was like, “ha! you’re a monster!! you did that!” Like she had no culpability in it. I want to know if Serena has realised that ALL ceremonies are RAPE yet. I wonder if she’s got there. I’m not totally convinced she has. But… I dunno.

Oh! I hadn’t read that about June’s reasoning! That’s interesting. I mean, it fits with June overall but it’s a very odd thing. Like, to be holding a gun trained on the couple that literally held you down and raped you not 24 hours earlier… and feel SORRY for the woman (whereas the general population’s consensus is that Serena is even worse than Fred for doing that to another woman)? I went and watched it after reading your message I didn’t really see that on June’s face. (But that’s really neither here nor there since editing, directing, etc. all differs from what the writers/showrunners had in mind and those are the guys doing the interviews!)  I take that back! I watched it again and I can deffo see that if that’s what they were going for. Totally missed it and likely wouldn’t have picked up on it if not for this convo.

That said, I totally see June reasoning it out that way. For some strange reason, whether it’s Stockholm Syndrome or whatever, June seems to have a blindspot/softspot for Serena and she seems to have unlimited Get Out Of Jail Free cards for her. Like, c’mon, she literally held her down to be brutally raped, and at this point it seems like Serena could murder June and June’s ghost would just be like, “Hey youuuuu, wanna be my bestie in overthrowing the patriarchy?” (Okay, I’m not at all complaining cos I love their dynamic and I ship them soooooo… lol. On a personal level, it works very well for me and my crackshippy fantasies. I choose to believe June honestly sees something nobody else does and believes in Serena’s capacity for redemption–WHICH IS INSANE. But hey. I love it.)

So, for June to feel sorry for Serena, even after everything really does fit when you think about it. And also when you think about book!June’s attitude towards true power being in forgiveness.

I remember sitting around watching the ep the first time and thinking “I don’t want June to shoot them and be a killer” but also, “WHY ISN’T SHE SHOOTING THE FUCKING PLACE UP! DOES SHE NOT WANT TO ESCAPE????” And I was sitting there with the wifey and she was like, “She can’t. What if she misses? Then you’ve got 2 incredibly angry people chasing you.” And I was like… “Uh. Reload? Shoot them as they’re coming up the stairs.”

Because I have never fired a gun in my life so to me it seems really easy lmao. But to me, I didn’t even care about her shooting Serena but I did have an inkling she didn’t want to shoot Serena with the amount she paused. That would have been a perfect shot with teh type of ammo to take out –or at least injure– two people at once. I was like, “You gotta kill Fred and Serena is pretty useless then. It’s not like they have mobile phones! You can then choose to leave Serena to die there lol, or hostage her. And steal the car. You could get pretty far since nobody knows that Fred/Serena are even there.” To me, rationally, it didnt’ make sense not to shoot them. But… emotionally, obvs, I knew she wouldn’t cos a)the series would like… end rather abruptly lol, and b) that’s just not June.

AND yeah, June getting away with all her bullshit is insane in comparison. Janine literally lost an eye for backtalking once at the Red Centre! June has, well, done so much more and just kind skates away from ALL serious punishment. (Well, living with Fred and Serena is a pretty awful punishment in general.) And, sure part of it was cos she was preggers but … how Aunt Lydia/Fred/Serena/TPTB trust this crazy Handmaid not to KEEP breaking the rules is insane. I feel like nobody would trust her to just be a docile little thing after running away for 92 days. Not even Pervy Freddo. Despite all his creeptastic fetishes, he’d be like, “OMG she is way too high maintenance. i just don’t have the patience. give me that baby so i can shut my annoying wife up and then get me another more docile babyslave to play Scrabble and shave!” The plot armour is strong in this one!

Anyway! I got a bit carried away there…

[olivialourdefanfic]

Supernatural FanFic, Installment 1: The Basics

Preface:  I created a strong female character to write into the Supernatural storyline because there wasn't one at all in the show that I liked. I have a 415+ page word document of the fan fic I've written, but this is a character sketch that's necessary before reading the fic, or as you read the fic to avoid spoilers in the sketch.

Sophia Bridget Blackwood

Early History

Sophia’s family is millenias old, descended from survivors of the Salem witch trials on her father’s side, as well as a European line of powerful and formidable witches going back to medieval times, possibly even earlier(it is later revealed that her mother’s line of witches, the Abellona, were created by Amara to do her bidding, and existed even before God and angels). Sophia herself is directly descended from European witches, and her line are strong hunters and healers. Sophia’s father died when she was nine, mortally wounded by a demon after being tortured and possessed. Sophia’s own mother killed her father out of mercy and burned his body. However, Sophia’s mother, Monica, told her that her father was killed by demons to ease her own guilt about killing him, though it was completely out of mercy.

Years later, when Sophia was 24, she chose to become a hunter and an immortal, as well as her mother’s successor. Sophia became immortal in 1980. Becoming immortal was a painful process, but worth it. Once her transformation was complete, she changed physically as well as mentally. The Winchesters never knew her as a mortal, and have always viewed her as a larger than life superhero-type figure.  

 Immortality Ritual

           The process of becoming an immortal witch is preceded by meeting certain criteria, all of which Sophia met throughout her life. She was always exceptionally strong, even more so than her mother, who was considered the most powerful of their line, and was also the matriarchal figure, the undisputed leader of their people. Her mother, Monica, is the chosen leader, and all of the witches of their line from all over the world look to her for leadership, approval, and guidance. Sophia, by the age of sixteen, had already surpassed her mother in natural talent, strength and intelligence. She retained her maiden name and was of legal age. She had killed things that carried evil as a mortal, which was considered a deciding factor in becoming immortal- it showed that she was capable of the duty of immortality among witches, which is to fight evil. She had always had natural talent as a witch, and could work magic towards her own family, who are usually immune to family members’ magic.

           Once all the requirements are met, the members of the family who are looked to as the leader take the intended and seclude them. There is a ritual, and then the intended endures physical death. It is excruciatingly painful, and usually lasts anywhere from 12 hours to 48 hours for the body to completely die. This can be stopped and reversed at any time during the process of mortal death, but once the last mortal breath is taken, the ritual is considered complete, and there are funeral services for the intended. The funeral is more of a celebration without the intended being conscious of their achieving immortality. The funeral ends when the intended awakens as an immortal, and they are required to make their first kill within a month of the awakening. Failure to do so results in mortality restored, and all immortal gifts revoked. Sophia made her first kill within five days(a record among immortal witch hunters), after tracking a vampire coven to the mountains. She killed all six, and took a trophy: the necklace of the leader, a silver ankh, which she later enchants and gives to Dean to protect him and Sam.

When a witch becomes immortal, their heart still beats; however, the blood in their veins does not equal to a fully functioning human body. Sophia cannot conceive a child as an immortal(however, she can carry a fetus, as evidenced in the alternate season 12), nor can she grow or shrink. She will remain as she was at age 24, and will never age. She can change her hair color with hair dye, or with her magic, and she can cut her hair, as it still grows. She can update her appearance to blend in with society to avoid detection, including tattoos that she can add or remove at her will, and piercings as well. She does not menstruate, but most of her organs operate as they did when she was alive. She eats food, drinks beverages(and can get drunk- substances have the same effect on her as they do humans), and feels real human emotions, sometimes stronger than humans do- emotion unattended can escalate into physical pain, or wear away at the humanity that burns inside of her. She is impervious to disease and cannot be killed, save for one way: as a human. Additionally, witches are not impervious to diseases contracted in Purgatory, which Sophia is believed to have been infected with in season 9. However, Castiel later reveals that she was not sick, but rather, her humanity was burning away inside of her, destroying her soul, and it presented as sickness.

To kill an immortal witch, a ritual must be done to restore them to their mortal state. Then, and only then, can a witch be killed. The ritual is impossible to find, for each one is personalized to the witch and never written down, save for the witch’s own Book of Shadows(a book, often enchanted for protection, that houses all the of the witch’s experiences and spells). Decapitation does not work, nor does poison or bullets. Sophia will simply rematerialize with no scars or wounds within 2 minutes.

As an immortal, she has gained even more heightened senses, more superhuman strength, and preternatural abilities like precognition and telekinesis. She had some of these abilities when she was mortal, but they became more powerful when she awoke as an immortal. She began having prophetic dreams, and became able to control people around her, as well as read their thoughts. Her abilities as a healer increased exponentially (though she is not very practiced in healing), and she became a master at fighting, both physically and mentally- she does most fighting without using her hands. When she fights Azazel, she deals most of her blows without even lifting a finger. She becomes able to physically see energy around herself and other people. She can see and speak to the dead, and can feel Dean in “In My Time of Dying”, as he is in the space between life and death. She can also see reapers, spirits, demons and angels(in their true forms) plain as day, and she insists that Castiel’s true form is incredibly beautiful. (Side fact: As a mortal, she knew that Castiel was not a human boy from the moment she met him, but could not see his true angelic face until she became immortal, and upon seeing his true form, admits he is more beautiful than she could have even imagined.) Her powers continue to expand and grow with her immortality, as evidenced when she discovers she is now able to teleport with a thought in season 9.

When Sophia is hunting or otherwise engaged in things that can result in an adrenaline rush, her eyes flash a vibrant purple color. It is what gives her away as an immortal, and she is often mistaken for a demon. However, the purple color is significant of the witch’s constant fight between good and evil, and the confusion between the two. Sophia often does evil things for the good, and has never been truly evil, though many are afraid of her.

It is often a humorous aspect of Dean and Sophia’s relationship that she is more physically adept and coordinated than he is. On an attempted date, Sophia and Dean try to go kayaking. Dean seems to lack the coordination to handle the paddling, whereas Sophia lifts her kayak, carries it into the water, climbs in, and paddles out onto the water without so much as breathing hard, whereas Dean can barely pick up the kayak on his own. Sophia and Sam often laugh at Dean’s blunders, providing some humor to their dynamic.

 Appearance

Sophia has always been a beauty, especially in immortality. It seems that once she died, her greenish blue eyes became more luminous, her dark brown hair became shinier and more luxurious, and her form became more voluptuous and muscular. She is around 5’5” with long, strong legs and strong arms. She is wiry more than anything else, and her frame is slender, yet sturdy and strong. Her long dark hair flows around her shoulders in waves that are sometimes curls(and sometimes pin straight), and her olive skin looks like dark porcelain. Her eyes are luminous and vivid, jumping out from behind thick, supple eyelashes. When Sophia became immortal, her eyes began to glow a vibrant purple when engaged in a fight or otherwise passionate endeavor. When Castiel is near her, her eyes light up in purple almost instantly. However, her eye color never changed when Dean was close in proximity. Her eyes turned red when she went insane, and it was revealed that her dying humanity turned her eyes blood red. She also bears a brand on her arm from season 1 until season 11- a very clear, bold “C”, for Castiel. Castiel bears the brand of “SB” until she severs their blood bond before defeating Amara.

She is often described as a beauty by everyone around her, especially Dean, who is enamored with her the moment he lays eyes on her. Even before they wind up together and dislike each other initially(ironically, not unlike Mary and John Winchester), he still tells her she is beautiful, joking that her beauty should legally be a crime. Sophia refuses to fall for Dean’s cheap lines, but secretly giggles to herself about them. She is known for wearing black, often with black leather boots and a black leather jacket, with blue jeans, often a dark blue. Occasionally, she will switch out a black shirt for a grey one, or even red or purple- purple is known to be her favorite color. When she and Dean become serious, he gives her the ring he wears on his finger, and she gives him the ankh she took from her first kill as an immortal.

When Sophia and Castiel become serious, she begins to change her wardrobe to plaid button downs, as well as a wider range of pants, particularly yoga pants- much to Sam, Dean, and Castiel’s delight. More than one scene is focused around not staring at Sophia’s ass as she walks by the three of them in yoga pants. She seems to take on a more feminine aura, though her strength and ferocity as a fighter are not at all diminished. When Castiel becomes incapacitated, she gives up hunting in a heartbeat to protect him and to care for him. When the tables are turned, Castiel is not as nurturing or comforting, but he does the same for her as best he can.

 Personality

           Sophia is known for her intensity, her penchant for violence, and, at times, her strange innocence. She believes that relationships should not be rushed, and so she is slow to move with Dean, and her initial relationship with Castiel began very slowly as well. She is also known for her ability to improvise and change her mind at a moment’s notice. She tends to shoot first and ask questions later, though it is effective. She is known as “Dean’s girl”, and later, with the re-development of her relationship with Castiel, “Angelbait” (Castiel will always come at the first sign of trouble with Sophia, and she can be used to call him), but also as “the witch”, and she is very powerful and respectful of her legacy as a witch. After all, it is her magic that keeps the Winchesters alive. In conversation with others, Dean often refers to Sophia as his “wild girl”, and she is one- she is known for being a loose cannon at times, flying off the handle easily.

As a hunter, Sophia is fearsome and terrifying. She is brutal with anyone who intends to harm the Winchester boys, going so far as to step on Gordon’s neck, the hunter who was hunting Sam to kill him, intending to kill him. He had kidnapped Dean and beaten him, using him to lure Sam to him to murder him. If not for Sam’s intervention (ironically, since Gordon thought Sam was a killer), Sophia would have killed the hunter. Her rage and violence is legendary, and her eyes glow purple when she senses a kill coming. Sam is initially afraid of her, but grows to understand her and trust her, even though she is known to lose control during the kill, and sometimes can overdo her efforts in killing something.

           Sophia often goes off by herself on hunts, preferring to hunt alone and make her kills completely solo. She is not good at team efforts, and she often clashes with Sam and Dean’s overpowering humanity. She does not believe in killing those who do not harm others, humans or demons, but she is willing to kill a human who causes harm to an innocent being. She is skilled with smaller semiautomatic guns, long range sniper rifles, knives, and swords. She has never lost a fight, and never backs down.

           Sophia mostly serves as a medium between Dean’s personality and Sam’s, often being the voice of reason in place of John after his death. When she is present, she keeps a balance between them, and often calms Dean down before he and Sam are at each other’s throats. Though their relationship cools off because of her hunting alone most of the time, when she is present, it is obvious to any idiot that Dean belongs to her, and she belongs to Dean. She still wears his ring, and he still wears her ankh. In the first season, she maintains a role as somewhat of an anchor for the brothers emotionally, becoming close friends with Sam and flirting with Dean, though they clash frequently.

           After John’s death, Sophia and Dean’s relationship becomes very deep, very intense, and very serious. He begins to share her bed with her, and to spend time together while he recuperates and fixes up his car. Sophia is withdrawn at the time, dealing with her emotions and guilt over John’s death, and her own role in restoring Dean to health. For most of the second season, Sophia is wracked with guilt over John Winchester’s death. She knew that he had made his own decision, but still felt responsible for his death, and for Dean’s suffering as the older brother. She initially plans to keep her role in everything to herself, but once she discovers Dean’s nearly crippling guilt over his father’s death, she comes clean. While Dean is forgiving, Sam chooses to ignore the fact that she actually saved his life, and saved him a lifetime of guilt, and is enraged, refusing to speak to her for months, despite urging to move past it from Dean. After she confides her secret in Sam and Dean, they separate from her, and she goes off to hunt in Europe for a while, spending time with her family and training harder. She and Dean stay in contact through phone calls and email, and their relationship, though long distance, is still strong. He still insists that he loves her and is waiting for her(though it’s shown that flirting with other people is a part of their lives).

           When Dean lives in the Djinn’s alternate fantasy, Sophia is still a part of it- but as a stranger he bumps into on the street. When he sees her, he is overjoyed, and tries to hug her. She threatens to cut his nuts off if he speaks to her again when he attempts to hug her. She walks away, and Dean is devastated that she is not part of his alternate reality. Ultimately, it is the thought of not having Sophia and Sam with him that brings him out of the fantasy, because, as he admits to her privately, he doesn’t want to live in a world without her and Sam. Sophia tells him she doesn’t want to live in a world without Dean, either, and promises him that she will drag him out of whatever hole he lands in, even if it kills her.

Though Sophia has her doubts, she remains committed to Dean, and even says she loves him, though she is not entirely sure until the third season, when she has an epiphany that she cannot imagine living her life without him. Her friendship with Sam is strained for a time after she reveals John Winchester’s deal with Azazel, but after some time away from her, Sam not only comes to forgive her and miss her, but also comes to trust her almost more than his own brother at times, asking her to hunt with him and for help learning more about himself and his newfound abilities.  It is during this time that they establish a romantic and sexual tension, spun mostly out of Sophia’s breakup with Dean, and Sam trying to understand what it is he is becoming, which Sophia understands better than Dean. Sophia is the only person Sam feels comfortable showing his powers to, as it scares Dean and no one else can know about them. Sophia knew about the depth of his powers for months, as well as knowing about their source, and knew (though was never explicitly told) about Ruby.

When Dean breaks up with her in the beginning of the third season, she is heartbroken, but continues to stay close to the Winchesters. She begins spending more time with Sam, and Dean even suspects at certain times that they may be sleeping together. It is revealed in the fourth season that Sam is actually sleeping with Ruby, and Sophia had no idea Ruby even existed romantically in Sam’s life. Her and Sam’s friendship, though incredibly close, did not consist of discussing Sam’s romantic life. Sophia herself had been struggling with their flirtationship, fighting against feelings for Sam that she didn’t want to have. Though Sam is sleeping with Ruby, he is only truly intimate with Sophia, as she understands more about him than anyone else. He lets her see his fear, his sadness, everything he would never dare to show anyone else- not even Dean. His feelings for her also grow, and border very dangerously on actual romantic love. He does actually believe that he is in love with her, and though he is horrified at himself, their friendship becomes stronger. Over time, as he increases his intake of demon blood, his thoughts of Sophia become increasingly sexual, sometimes sadistic and violent- though when he is with her, he is gentle and kind.

In one episode, Sam has a dream about him and Sophia passionately kissing, and then having sex in a swimming pool while Dean watches, heartbroken. Crueler from the demon blood he has been drinking, he manipulates Sophia into making the dream a reality, and it is the first time since Jessica died that he has had sex with someone he is emotionally attached to. For Sam, this is a huge moment, because he had personally felt that he could never truly move on from Jess, and yet he has lusted after Sophia for months, and been spending time with her to do more than just research his destiny- he is using the time together to convince her to want him instead of Dean.

Just as in the dream, Dean discovers them, watching while heartbroken. Sophia’s magic flickers around them as they have sex, and Dean realizes that she is not in love with Sam, as he had been afraid of for months after Sophia and Sam began spending a lot of time together alone. He realizes that her magic shows how she really feels about the person she is with, and he knows that for her, by looking at her magic, the sex is punishment. For what, he doesn’t know. When he confronts her, crying, she cannot answer the question. Sam, when confronted, is not repentant, and even comments that Sophia doesn’t wear Dean’s ring anymore, referring to her as “fair game”. Dean is obviously devastated and hurt, and Sophia throws him out after they all fight. Sam ping pongs back and forth between the crueler version of himself and his normal self, having genuine moments where he is trying to comfort her, and others where he calls her worthless and beats her.

Sophia and Sam embark on a mutually sadistic physical relationship, always beginning with a vicious verbal fight, and ending with angry, rough sex that leaves bruises and cuts on the both of them. Sophia is wallowing in a world of misery and pain, wracked again with guilt at hurting Dean, taking her pain out on Sam physically and sexually, though it does not last long, as Sophia realizes that nothing can replace Dean. The brothers and Sophia have a falling out that involves Sophia severely beating both of them, and Sophia disappears after declaring her undying love for Dean, who does still love her, but is hurt by her and Sam. After numerous attempts to contact her and to repair the relationship between the three of them, Sam finally becomes desperate and contacts her family in Europe. He knows that she is an integral part to their success, and knows that with a flick of her finger, she can lift the protection over both of them. What neither Dean nor Sam knows, is that when the spell was cast, Sophia bound their energies together, so she cannot lift protection on one of them without condemning both of them. Sophia would never lift the protection spell on Dean, and so would never lift the one on Sam, either. Her family is not helpful, because Sophia has truly disappeared- no one knows where she is.

Time passes, and while Sam is still searching for Sophia, it’s becoming more obvious that she doesn’t want to be found, and certainly not by Sam. Dean starts going off by himself, seemingly to take space from Sam, but it is soon discovered that he is actually sneaking off to see Sophia, who has secretly returned from being missing. She explains to Dean that she needed time alone to hunt and sort her heart out. He has been sneaking off to see her for weeks, and they have resumed their physical relationship. She tells him she is still deeply in love with him, and that he is the only thing that has made sense to her. She tells him she wants to start over- to try and make things right, and he tells her he doesn’t know if he can trust her alone with Sam, even though the effects of the demon blood have worn off. She tells him she will do anything she has to in order to fix things- and she means it. Seconds later, Sam, having followed Dean, discovers them in bed together. His shock is complete, and he is angry at both of them for not telling him that Sophia had returned, and at Sophia for not returning any of his messages. Throwing clothes on, she finally confronts Sam about their relationship in front of Dean- asking him point blank if it all happened because he was influenced by drinking demon blood. When he admits to it, she proceeds to beat him to a bloody pulp, only stopped by Dean mere seconds before she can kill Sam. She breaks down crying, and Dean pulls the three of them into a group hug.

The three of them then return home, with Sam and Sophia having a very intense, heartfelt heart-to-heart on the way home. Sophia fights admitting her feelings for Sam, but does admit to knowing the whole time that he was drinking demon blood, and that she did enjoy the attention. She refuses to admit her feelings, as it finally makes them real, and Sam seems content with her admissions. He tells her that Dean was a mess without her, and tells her that perhaps Dean just needed to miss her to remind himself of what he had with her.

Before Sam allows Lucifer to use his body to walk the earth, he and Sophia finally have consensual, earth shattering, metal melting passionate sex. Her magic creates a thunderstorm, giving way to a gorgeous sunrise. They admit they love each other, assuming that it is goodbye. Sophia mourns him after he jumps in, and is inconsolable, even by Cass.

After Sam jumps into the pit as Lucifer, along with Michael, Dean officially ends things with Sophia for good. He tells her that he wants to experience a normal life, including having kids, which she cannot do. He tells her that with her, the hunt will never be over, and he never wants to deal with demons or the supernatural again. Without waiting for her response, he walks away from her, getting into the Impala and driving away. She doesn’t follow, heartbroken. He heads to Lisa Braeden’s home and moves in with her and her son, ready to settle down and have a normal life.

Sophia closes up the home she owned in Nashville, sells the restaurant, and buys a more secluded one in Winchester, Massachusetts. She gets a puppy, opens a new restaurant, and her life seems to improve. She hunts alone again, and she seems happier. She and Castiel finally consummate their relationship; a passionate and powerful moment showing that Castiel is now feeling and expressing emotions, albeit awkwardly at first. He moves into her new home with her, and they begin the search for ways to spend eternity together, as well as hunting. However, Castiel does leave on occasion. He is in Heaven, attempting to restore order, but as we all know, there is no order, and Castiel is teaming up with Crowley behind Sophia’s back.

A year passes, and she has begun a real relationship with Castiel- which Sam, who has returned, disagrees with. Sophia and Castiel are also researching how to turn Cass into an immortal witch, despite him having no witches’ blood whatsoever, and spend a lot of their spare time searching. Sam and Sophia have begun hunting with the Campbells(though Sophia is hesitant, and constantly questioning why Sam Campbell has come back from the dead- she has no idea what Crowley and Castiel have done) without Dean, and when they all reunite with Dean, it is uncomfortable, to say the least. Dean is hurt by Sophia being in a relationship with Castiel, and tells her so. She counters by telling him that he left hunting and her behind, and he should be enjoying his new, “normal” life, just like he wanted.

 Protection Spell

           Sophia’s magic is very powerful, however, it is not always concise. When she casts her protection spell on the Winchesters, it attaches her aura to theirs. She feels everything the two of them feel, including if they are in danger. She can sense their vitals, their fear, and their pain. When Dean is sent to Hell, she feels every moment of his torture. Dean considers it comforting that even if he is sent to Hell, they are still together.

           The spell is lifted when Dean is dragged into Hell, as that was a deal that could not be broken, and Sophia’s magic could not have prevailed upon something so unnatural. She does not understand this until her mother explains it to her, that magic, their magic, is rooted in the earth and in nature, whereas the deal with the Crossroads demon was unnatural and based in Hell, and then explains that Dean broke the spell himself just by making the deal. However, Sophia is still connected to their energies, and that also continues into later in the series. She often comments about changes in the boys’ pulse rates and body temperatures, as well as occasionally noticing something wrong with them and healing it in their sleep to keep them up and running at optimal speed.

 Sophia and John Winchester

Sophia is the successful owner of a restaurant in Nashville, TN, and meets John Winchester when he comes in to eat. He asks for her mother, and she immediately suspects he may know she is a witch, so she watches him closely. When he asks her point blank about demons, she knows he is different- he isn’t looking for a love potion or a wealth spell. They begin to discuss his sons, especially his pride and joy, Sam. After getting to know Sophia, he had hoped that she and Sam would fall in love, and it would help bring Sam closer to his family again. However, Sophia wound up being cosmically attracted to Dean, and their energies attached themselves to each other upon meeting. While they initially did not really like each other and it took time for them to come together, they could not deny that they felt drawn to each other from the very beginning.  

When John discovered that she had wound up with Dean and not Sam, he was surprised, but glad regardless, for he had wanted her to wind up with one of his boys. He had known she would when she worked the protection spell that was ultimately responsible for keeping Sam and Dean alive by connecting all of their energies to each other and placing a protective blanket over them all. Sophia came to view John as a father figure over time, as he looked after her in the way a father would, and often treated her like a daughter. He often remarked to her that he and the boys’ mother were planning to try for one more child, hoping for a daughter.

When John asks her to help him save Dean, she initially fights against him violently, even slapping him across the face and cursing him for his efforts. When he threatens to bring Sam into it, she relents, only to keep Sam safe. Without knowing he would bargain his life for Dean’s in addition to the Colt, she takes John’s death hard. She hides this from Sam and Dean until everyone’s bottled up emotions come out. She mentions that there is a way to bring back the dead, but their bones are needed, and John’s have been burned by the three of them.

It’s revealed by Sophia in the 12th season that John Winchester actually did more harm to her than good, and her inability to let go of Sam and Dean is bred from a strange type of Stockholm Syndrome. Because of the boys’ lingering loyalty and attachment to their father, she stayed silent, but was starting to come to realize what had actually happened to her.

Before the series began, John went searching for the famed immortal hunter named Monica Blackwood, and instead, found her even more powerful, but intense and far less disciplined daughter, Sophia. Sophia suspected instantly that John was not what he seemed, and quickly realized that he was a hunter, and not some lovesick sap in search of love spell.

John stayed with Sophia for a large chunk of the year that he was separated from Dean. Without Dean or Sam’s knowledge, he coerced Sophia to work a spell that kept a blanket of protection over both, as well as a thin veil of protection over John. In this time, John also began to have feelings for Sophia, possibly a side effect of the magical pull she has over humans and monsters alike; however, John’s feelings were 100% real. Sophia, while flattered, did not return John’s feelings, and instead thought of him as a surrogate father(she also came to view Bobby in a similar fashion, though the feelings were a bit different). When John made an advance at her, she rebuffed him gently, but it generated some hard feelings between them.

After this, John tied Sophia up and stole her Book of Shadows, which had the ritual to turn her into a human on its first pages. He began the ritual until she vowed to create and to cast the spell of protection over his sons, as well as vow to act as a guardian for them in his absence, following them all over the country while they worked his cases. Once she made this coerced vow, he burned her original Book of Shadows with the ritual to restore her to a human in it. She stared at him in near horror, and he smiled at her, telling her that now, she couldn’t die, so she could protect his sons forever. He left her tied up for 3 days, during which time, he convinced her, somehow, that she should be grateful to him for destroying her Book of Shadows, because now she couldn’t die, and could truly live forever without fear of becoming a weak human, or even of death.

Eventually, Sophia came around to John’s brainwash, and allowed it to make her a better, more fearless hunter. She awoke one night to discover John had untied her, and was now gone. She set out to find his sons instantly, and began to tail them across the country.

 Sophia and Dean Winchester

           When Sophia and Dean first lay eyes on each other, they are both completely infatuated with each other. Sophia felt the pit of her stomach drop out, and not long after, she fell completely in love with Dean. However, they did not seem to like each other very much at first, as Dean insisted he could take care of his brother as he had always done, and felt that having Sophia accompany them and protect them was unnecessary.

           Soon after, however, they began to push their differences aside and grew closer. Dean bought her a basil plant to add to her herb garden. Eventually, they sleep together, but Sophia leaves the following morning before Dean wakes up. When she comes to save them in Salvation, she reveals she had done it to lead Azazel away from them to keep them safe and buy them time to find their father.

           After John’s death, Sophia and Dean become very seriously and deeply involved. However, Dean is not experienced in deep romantic relationships, and at times is a horrible boyfriend, either siding against Sophia in situations where she is right, being unfaithful to her, or lying to her. When he does break up with her after selling his soul to save Sam, thinking it is the most unselfish thing he can do for her at that point, her heart is effectively broken, and it nearly drives her into Sam’s arms, but her guilt keeps him at arm’s length.

           As the Hellhounds are about to take him, Dean and Sophia exchange a look that tells a thousand stories, and it’s clear that the past does not matter in that moment. Dean dies reaching for Sophia and Sam. After his death, Sophia is inconsolable, the depth of her despair immeasurable. She becomes mute and stops leaving her house, sometimes not even leaving her room for days. Sam continues to stay with her, and tries to bring her back to the present. He is trying to move forward and bring Dean back, but she is stuck with the image of Dean’s death in her head. She cannot and is not ready to move forward. She realizes that Sam will not leave her, and she will not be able to grieve properly with him around. She leaves Sam and disappears to wallow in the misery of losing Dean. She returns briefly to help Sam kill a demon, but leaves after dislocating Sam’s shoulder and nearly breaking his jaw in a fight between the two of them.

           For the first four seasons/years, Sophia remains devoted to Dean, and mourns his loss deeply. When he is brought back, Sophia is beside herself, but remains skeptical of the story he tells about the angel Castiel, as she knows Castiel to be dead, but does not elaborate on how she knows this. When it’s proven that Castiel is alive, she admits that she didn’t want to admit to herself that he could have lived, and that she had spent all this time not looking for him. Dean begins to feel slightly threatened by her and Castiel’s past, especially as it seems she begins to respond more to Castiel being around her than Dean. When Castiel admits to him that he loves Sophia, Dean feels his relationship with Sophia dying, and it scares him.

           After Sam jumps into the Cage with Lucifer and Michael, Dean exhibits a deep desire to be normal. While Sophia can never be normal, he knows he has the opportunity, as a human, to lead a normal life one day. He also realizes that Sophia and Castiel are rekindling their relationship, and he sees it as a way for everyone to be happy, so he leaves Sophia, seemingly for good. And while Sophia is devastated, she eventually does realize that she and Castiel finally have their second chance, and she takes it.

           Over the years, Dean and Sophia continue to gravitate back to each other, but never officially get back together, even after Dean admits his feelings. Sophia shuts him down repeatedly, partially not willing to let go of how much Dean has hurt her, but also believing Dean to be better off not with her romantically. It isn’t until the Darkness is released that Sophia begins to even admit that she is jealous of the hold Amara has over Dean, and constantly attempts to exert a hold over him, while continuing to give him free will.

           Castiel has even exhibited jealousy towards Dean at times, insinuating that Sophia and Dean have fate and destiny on their side, whereas he is merely a kink in the chain. Sophia discovers that this is actually untrue from Chuck, who specifically engineered Castiel for Sophia, and Castiel has surpassed even Chuck’s expectations of his love and devotion to Sophia.

           When Dean convinces Chuck and Amara to work out their differences and literally averts the destruction of the world, he witnesses Chuck and Amara transfer the bulk of their power to Sophia, and how it affects her. In that moment, Dean and Sophia become co-conspirators, and it reconnects them in a way they didn’t expect. Their relationship begins to deepen again, but neither is willing to make the move. Finally, on the night Mary leaves the boys to cope on her own, Sophia comes to Dean to comfort him, and neither can hold back. They begin a relationship in secret, though they don’t seem to care who finds out.

 Sophia and Sully

           When Sully visits the Winchesters at the bunker, it’s revealed that Sully was Sophia’s imaginary friend before he was Sam’s, and that Sam was his last child, believing he’d failed both Sam and Sophia. He moved to management to avoid contact with children after the two of them. It was no coincidence that Sophia and Sam are connected by sharing an imaginary friend, as destiny and fate has already connected them cosmically. Throughout the series, other hints are dropped to show this fact, but it’s gone ignored multiple times.

           When Sophia sees Sully, her demeanor changes completely. She becomes sweet, innocent, soft, and almost childlike. Her eyes light up with a joy previously unseen, and her body’s tension seems to dissipate. Within seconds, it’s clear that Sully is someone she loves deeply and trusts implicitly, and the brothers are almost jealous, as she does not seem to trust them in the same fashion, not even Dean.  She seems to be unaware of the change, though Dean and Sam are baffled. She trust Sully implicitly, whereas Dean is aloof and suspicious of him. Even Sam is reluctant, but Sophia openly welcomes him, embracing him as an old friend. It’s discovered that Sophia has never forgotten anyone who has ever shown her kindness, because the instances are so few and far between. Sully was also a part of her life until she was sixteen, and a HUGE part of it, so it’s natural that she embraces and trusts him instantly. She even offers to accompany Sully alone if Sam and Dean are unwilling.

           Sully is also the first person to really talk to Sophia about what she is dealing with: the effects of the Mark being removed, the power she isn’t yet able to control, her destiny, her love for Sam and Dean, Castiel’s role in her life. It is the first time Sophia is completely honest and open with anyone, and the depth of her love and trust for Sully is clear, proving she is capable of having that kind of a relationship with someone, when previously, it was unclear if she was able. Yes, Sophia is damaged, but she is capable of healthy relationships, as this friendship proves.

 Sophia and Castiel

           Years earlier, Castiel was charged with the task of bringing Sophia into the legions of angels so that they could exploit her skills of killing demons and angels alike. Sophia, who was a human 15 year old at the time, was very much still fighting her destiny with partying, drinking, drugs, fights, and other reckless behavior designed to rebel against her mother, who still looked no older than 25. Castiel, in a different vessel, met her at a party, pretending to be dropping ecstasy and drinking. He managed to enchant her enough to convince her to see him again, and the two grew to be very close. He confided in her that he was actually an angel and had been sent to her to show her that she had another option besides her destiny: to become one of Heaven’s angels.

In this time, Castiel fell completely in love with Sophia, and rebelled against the orders of Heaven because of his love for her. He told her the truth about Heaven’s intentions, but also told her that the only way they could stay together would be for her to become an angel. In truth, there was no reason why she needed to become an angel besides serving Heaven’s purpose; Castiel was selfish in his love for her and told her this because it would keep her with him always.

           After nearly 18 months spent wooing Sophia and courting her, Castiel had nearly convinced Sophia that she was prepared to accept Castiel’s offer when her mother caught wind of who Sophia had been spending time with. (It should be noted here that Monica gave Sophia a VERY long leash, especially with the things she knew her daughter would be shouldering in immortality. Sophia had always been independent, and Monica knew that controlling her would not end well. She allowed her daughter to mingle with humans and to party; however, she could not condone nor allow her only child consorting with angels or demons. Though all three beings are somewhat related to each other, Monica had never trusted angels, and hated demons on principle.) Monica ambushed them as Sophia was about to lose her virginity to Castiel (and vice versa), and nearly murdered Castiel. Castiel left his vessel’s body before Monica could kill him, and his host did not survive. Monica and Sophia thought that she had succeeded in killing him, and Sophia was devastated. He was sent back to Heaven, having failed in his mission, and having rebelled against his orders, was punished. Monica bound Sophia’s powers for a week, pulled her out of school, and took her on a hunting trip to Canada, where she taught her what exactly her purpose as a hunter would be, and Sophia slowly came around to accept her destiny, to even embrace it on her own terms.

           When Castiel returns in a new host (Jimmy Novak), she recognizes him instantly. While she is excited to see him again(and keeps this to herself), she is distrustful of him and still harbors resentment toward him for disappearing on her the way he did, allowing her to think he was dead. She rejects his presence more than once, sometimes violently. The more time he spends with her and the Winchesters, however, the more her old feelings resurface, and they find themselves in the same predicament, though Sophia is older and more mature, and able to handle the emotional intensity she is feeling. He is not acting on orders to bring her into the legions of angels anymore (although the invitation to become an angel is still extended to her), but Heaven is suspicious of his time spent in the company of the three of them. Zachariah is sent to watch Castiel, but discovers nothing, as Sophia and Castiel’s meetings are truly secret- she sees him alone in her room, which is warded against anything supernatural, including angels. He often spends the night with her in her room, slowly rekindling their relationship and regaining her trust. Castiel is only allowed to enter because she allows him, as her magic is controlled only by her.

           After Sam is locked in Lucifer’s cage with Lucifer and Dean leaves to settle down with Lisa, Castiel admits he is tired of Heaven’s chaos and lack of direction, and wants to join her permanently on Earth. Without alerting Monica, they set out to find a ritual that will turn Castiel into a witch from an angel, and are in the process of developing their own ritual when Sam returns to their group. Sam disagrees with their union, but still joins them, hoping to convince them otherwise. It is Sam who eventually alerts Monica of Sophia’s relationship with Castiel to try to separate them, which causes a very dramatic scene between Sophia, Monica, and Castiel. It backfires on a soulless Sam, for Castiel shows Sophia real love, which opens Monica’s eyes to the depth of his love for her. Monica accepts and embraces their relationship by giving Sophia her Book of Shadows, which is the missing piece of their quest to change Castiel. Though they do not need to be the same type of being to remain together forever, witch law states that only witches can marry each other, and Castiel wanted to respect the law.

           When things in Heaven and on Earth get in the way, Sophia and Castiel decide to improvise. Sophia and Castiel have a bonding ceremony, which is simple: A magically binding promise that when the choice is theirs, they will always choose each other. Dean is witness, and he sees the depth of their emotions in their vows, and he admits to himself that it is completely moving. Though they are referred to as husband and wife, that is not what the ritual was- the marriage ritual is very different, and closer to all the ritual and time consuming effort of a traditional wedding.

           When Castiel absorbs all of Sam’s mental illness, Sophia stops hunting to stay with him. She remains there until Cass wakes out of a slumber when the Winchesters open the tablet. Because she insists on going with Castiel and Dean to take down Dick Roman (to protect the barely capable Castiel), she is also blasted into Purgatory- but somewhere much worse. When they arrive, to keep her safe, Castiel sends her far away from him, as the Leviathan are hunting for him. She awakens as a captive of a demon she had sent to Purgatory years earlier, named Valac. He appears to her in the form of Castiel, for he knows it will be more painful for her if he tortures her as someone she loves.

For the first nine months she spends in Purgatory, she is restrained daily and tortured for the pain she has inflicted on demons and monsters she has personally sent there- and the numbers are quite impressive. The scars from her self-harming days disappear, and new ones inflicted by torture are left in place. Every day, Valac brings a new monster that she has sent to Purgatory to confront her and repay the debt of pain. After nine long months, she breaks free and fights her way out of Purgatory for 3 months. She cannot find Sam, Castiel, Dean, or even Meg, so she heads to Europe until Dean calls her home.

           When she arrives, Dean tells her that Castiel did not make it, and it is revealed that she has become mentally unhinged from her time in Purgatory. She suffers from tremors, and she twitches at unexpected loud sounds.  She has become truly broken and she seems hollow inside. The pain of losing Castiel finally drives Sophia completely criminally insane, and she sets out to burn Crowley once and for all, as she blames him for all of Castiel’s mistakes.

She disappears, and Sam and Dean feel responsible. There is a rash of killings, tortures, and maimings with her distinct trademark and aura on them, and Sam and Dean decide to find her and stop her, and force her to get help, even if she kills them. Crowley visits them and says he will release Kevin Tran if they can call Sophia off his trail, and they consider taking his deal. They find her, but can’t stop her, and she nearly kills Sam in the process. She disappears, and doesn’t appear again until Castiel reappears to Sam and Dean. She blows the door off the motel room, and her reaction at seeing Castiel is emotional, to say the very least. She is devastated at her experience in Purgatory, and she blames Cass for it. Her scars still show, and some still bleed. Castiel realizes that even though he tried to protect her, he could not save her. She blames him for not protecting her, and feels abandoned by him. Castiel is devastated at what became of her, and he, too, blames himself.

Castiel reveals to the Winchesters that before all of this happened, he had been slowly trying to heal her shattered soul, and that when she had been blasted into Purgatory, she had had very little humanity and soul left. Because Purgatory is such a terrible place, it has contributed to her losing nearly all her humanity, which has a terrible effect on her and her kind. It can result in Sophia turning evil, hurting people she normally cares about and strives to protect(hence, why she nearly killed Sam). He hypothesizes that she must have lost what little she had left when he sent her away from him and was captured. He remarks, without knowing about her killing spree, that she must be very strong if she held it together the way she did after returning. Dean and Sam then reveal that after being told that Castiel was dead, Sophia became completely mentally unhinged, and murdered anyone who stood in her path to Crowley from then until now.

           When Cass touches her, it is revealed that Sophia has a fever, and is very sick with what seems to be some kind of infection. No one can understand how it happened, as Sophia is immortal, indestructible, and impervious to illness. It is Cass’ turn to care for her, and he hypothesizes that it must have happened in Purgatory, as on Earth can actually ail Sophia. Basically, human illnesses no longer affect her, but something contracted in Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory can penetrate her system, though the effects have never been able to be explored, as Sophia is the first of her kind to contract an illness.

Castiel later reveals to Sam that it is not really an illness, but the last of her humanity dying deep inside her. In her people, a death of humanity presents as an illness that lasts for all of eternity, if not repaired. If Sophia does not let Castiel, or anyone else for that matter, fix her, she will suffer for all eternity and will be an easy target among her enemies.

           Sophia is still violently ill when the group goes to retrieve Samandriel from Crowley’s grip. Sophia disappears to hunt Crowley while the others fight. Sophia doesn’t come until Castiel activates the inner voice they have between them, since they are bonded together for eternity. Castiel wonders why the voice within them was off the entire time they were in Purgatory, but assumes that Purgatory had blocked it. When Sophia comes to him, she tells him that she flipped the switch herself while they were in Purgatory, because she was too heartbroken to see or contact him.

           After Sophia’s health is mysteriously restored(Castiel gives her soul a patch job in secret), she leaves and takes a lot of time away. She takes a menial food service job and begins drinking heavily. Castiel watches her invisibly, even at times speaking to her while he is invisible, but the connection between them is shut off. Eventually, Sophia reveals that she has been able to feel Castiel’s presence all along, though she cannot see or hear him, and he is invisible to her not because Castiel wishes it to be so, but because she does. She breaks down crying, and finally allows Castiel to show himself to her.

 Sophia and Lucifer

           Sophia’s relationship with Lucifer is VERY complicated. They begin as enemies, and regard each other as worthy adversaries. When Castiel’s grace is removed, and he is dying with every new grace he takes, Sophia becomes desperate, calling Lucifer to her without intending to. He tells her that he heard her calling from the Cage and that their bond is, and always has been, something special, and more important than his bond with Sam. Sophia rolls her eyes. Luci offers to help her fix Castiel and take down Metatron, seemingly without asking for anything in return. Sophia is suspicious, but when he makes no move to truly hurt her or anyone around her, she is confused. She agrees and gives him permission to use her. She winds up kicking him out, as he proves useless, though he does give her a small lead on tracking down Castiel’s grace, as well as giving her the power and knowledge to repair it. She boots him back into the Cage.

           A large part of Sophia and Lucifer’s relationship is the fact that he carried the Mark, and it corrupted him. That same darkness runs in Sophia a mile deep, but she chooses to use it for good, unlike Lucifer, who cannot control the darkness within him, despite his power. He feels that he and Sophia are kindred as result of the Mark, and while he knows he cannot part her from the Winchesters or Castiel, he is jealous of them for having her love, which he knows he’ll never have, especially not after he killed Castiel, possessed Sam, and tried to kill Dean.

           When Castiel says yes to Lucifer and allows him to take Castiel as his vessel, Lucifer becomes oddly controlled by Sophia. It is a sick, twisted, perverted obsession, and Sophia is unimpressed, though she does know the story of how the Mark corrupted him and how God betrayed him- and knowing how that Darkness and betrayal feels as well, she cannot deny that she does feel some empathy for him somewhere deep down, though she vehemently denies that they are in any way kindred. It becomes a disturbing thought process she has- nearly feeling empathy and pity for Lucifer, for the betrayal and the vilification he has endured. She DOES feel a connection between them, though she denies it to everyone around her, and though she has shown him true compassion

           Lucifer has never come right out and said that he is in love with Sophia, though he alludes to it, having felt the love that both Sam and Castiel have for her. He admits that it would be enough to make anyone love her, and to drive them insane. He does admit to his sexual attraction to her,

 Sophia and Sam

           Though their relationship begins as platonic, Sam and Sophia’s relationship evolves the most, beginning as friends, becoming best friends, becoming enemies, reconciling, avoiding their romantic tension, becoming sexually involved, and admitting that they love each other.

           In season 1, it’s communicated that John Winchester had hoped that Sam and Sophia would fall in love(although this proves to be wrong), and Sophia would bring him closer to his family. He saw Dean’s sadness, for he missed his baby brother, and John plotted to bring Sam back to them using Sophia. It obviously backfired, though he is attracted to Sophia instantly, as many men are. He is content to be her friend because he will never get in the way of his brother’s happiness. Through the second and third season, he proves to be a friend and confidant to Sophia, even turning to her for advice and guidance at times. He trusts her implicitly(sometimes more than he trusts Dean), and she trusts him as well.

           In season 3, after Dean breaks up with her, Sophia and Sam become incredibly close to each other. One night, at a dinner she has brought him to, Sam finally falls in love with Sophia for real. It was a full moon, when Sophia’s power is at its strongest, and Sam didn’t stand a chance. It was the final push that took Sam’s feelings from infatuation to real love.

           The next seasons involve a back and forth “Will they or won’t they?” scenario, although it seems that Sophia is put off at Sam never looking for her while she is in Purgatory. She nearly kills him in her weakened state, and though he has no resentment, hers lasts a bit longer.

After Sam betrays Sophia and Dean to remove the Mark of Cain and Charlie is murdered, Sophia is stunned, heartbroken, and cuts Sam out of her life. She tells him any relationship they have is over, and tells him what he has done is beyond forgiveness. She eventually begins to miss him, and they slowly rebuild their relationship, becoming more like a real couple and reaffirming their friendship.

 Sophia and Mary Winchester

           Sophia is NOT fond of Mary Winchester, beginning in season 4. When she discovers that the events leading up to the present are the result of the deal Mary made, she is less than enthused. She remains quiet about her feelings towards Mary, but then when Mary is resurrected, Sophia seems to be the only person who is not thrilled. She holds back about her feelings until she and Mary are alone in the bunker, and not even Castiel is there. She tells Mary that she isn’t a fan of her treating her sons like a revolving door.

 Season 9

           After Castiel falls and his grace is removed by Metatron, he leaves Sophia, who has just recovered from the events of the last few years, and distances himself from everyone, including her, to keep them all safe, as he is being hunted by other angels with varying degrees of power. He doesn’t tell her that Dean actually sent him away, and she is unaware that there is an angel inside Sam. Sophia is incredibly lonely without Castiel, as well as sexually frustrated, and so begins secretly visiting the bunker to hang out with Sam, as she has learned how to bring herself anywhere she wants and can get into anything. This quickly turns into the two of them sleeping together, and while Sam is still in love with her, she considers it just sex, even though she is passionate and affectionate with him. Kevin discovers them secretly, and uses their secret to blackmail Sophia into translating a few texts for him, especially ones on how to torture and/or kill Crowley. Kevin is murdered before he can blow their secret(and before Sophia can fully translate the texts for him), but Castiel himself walks in on Sam and Sophia together, right after Sophia finally tells Sam she loves him. Sam is heartbroken when Sophia runs after Castiel, but they all proceed to work things out together.

           After Sam is kidnapped by Garth’s step-mother-in-law, Joy, Sophia senses that Sam is in danger, and she arrives at the barn, knocking Joy out and beating her nearly to death out of protectiveness of Sam. Garth is startled at her ferocity, wondering when Sophia became so bloodthirsty. Sam reveals that Sophia had spent entirely too much time being tortured in Purgatory, and it had changed her. After Sophia puts down Joy, she runs to Sam to free him. While she is near him, Garth catches a whiff of their pheromones coming off each other, and he instantly suspects something is going on between them. He notices how gentle and sensual they are with each other, even sees them stealing a kiss while Dean is outside, and he brings it up to Dean, who confronts Sam and Sophia about it soon after.

When they admit to sleeping together in secret, Dean is angry, but is kept in check by Sam reminding him of the lies he has told recently and the decisions he has made. Dean calms down, but reminds Sam that Sophia is bonded to Castiel- and will break Sam’s heart to return to Castiel. Her time in Purgatory has made her colder and far less kind. Of course, Sam and Sophia’s relationship has been strictly sex, but Sophia often blurs the lines with kindness and genuine affection towards Sam, including showing up to save his life when Dean would have been too late. Sophia is now struggling with feelings for Sam that she cannot bury, deny, or ignore.

Alternate: Sophia sleeping with both Castiel and Sam causes friction between her and the both of them, always ending in Castiel walking out on her, and her walking out on Sam, until finally, Sam walks out on her. In an attempt to extend on olive branch, she visits him with flowers. She offers him a Christmas getaway, anywhere in the world he wants to go. He opts for a cabin in Alaska, and she takes him. The cabin and the land around it are protected and enchanted, so they are undetectable by anything supernatural and natural. There, Sophia finally admits she loves Sam, and decorates a beautiful tree just for him with her magic. Sam checks their phones and, out of slight jealousy, listens to a voicemail from Castiel stating that something big is happening and that he is heading to the bunker to find her. He deletes that message and all others until Sophia catches him, prompting them to return to the bunker where Dean tries to beat Sophia to death yet again, and Castiel leaves with her while Sam and Dean argue.

Distance grows between Sam and Sophia when they begin to disagree about removing the Mark. Sophia is trying to either keep the Mark on Dean, or move it to herself to avoid what will happen to Dean. She can fight the power of the Mark, and she is willing to take it on to avoid what will happen if it’s removed. Because of their arguments, Sam keeps her in the dark about working with Rowena. At the same time, Sophia begins to align more with Dean again, and this brings them closer together, reigniting the feelings between them. They culminate in Dean and Sophia going on a rampage to avenge Charlie’s death, the Darkness within both of them surfacing.

 Bonding Ritual

           The witch bonding ritual is not a marriage ritual. It is two consenting immortals (modified by Sophia to apply to any immortals, not just her line of witches) promising to choose each other when the choice belongs to them and them alone. In their case, while Castiel has obligations to Heaven and restoring order, when he has the choice between anything else and Sophia, he will always choose Sophia. It is not a marriage ritual, per se, but a promise ritual. So, even though Castiel and Sophia occasionally refer to each other as husband and wife, they are actually NOT married by any means, except in their hearts, which is why Dean refers to Sophia as Castiel’s “real wife”. They are free to live a life outside of each other and pursue other goals(Castiel chooses fixing Heaven, Sophia chooses helping kill Abaddon, continuing to help the Winchesters in general, and sleeping with Sam).

           Sophia never gives up hope that she and Castiel will be able to marry one day, as marrying a Winchester is out of the question. Her heart has always belonged to Castiel, and though they sometimes travel on a slippery slope, the one thing they always believe in is each other.

 Sophia and Monica Blackwood

           Despite Sophia being fiercely independent and having a rough childhood, she and Monica are very close and share a special bond. Monica is an elder and the undisputed leader in their community, a position that falls to Sophia if Monica cannot fulfill her duties. Monica and Sophia have a connection that allows communication while being thousands of miles apart, as well as in the same room, in split seconds. Sophia knows all this, but continues on her path regardless of her responsibilities, because she knows she is on the front lines of the biggest battle her kind has faced.

           When Sophia was six, she witnessed her first kill: her father slaughtered a group of demons who intended to kill her. Sophia saw her father’s skill, and instantly, he became her idol. She asked him to teach her how to fight. Her skill and ferocity as a fighter is an inherited trait from her father, as he taught her very rigorously, often depriving her of basic comfort to teach her how to survive with nothing. This training proved vital to her success as a hunter, often because she would hide in the wilderness. Sophia, always precocious and very studious in everything she learned, always excelled as a fighter and learned to trust her instincts at an early age. When she was seven, she managed to kill a demon on her own. It was then that Monica Blackwood marked her daughter for her position and began to prime her as a witch hunter.

 Monica’s Death, Sophia’s Takeover            Metatron turned Monica Blackwood, Sophia’s mother, back to a mortal woman to force Sophia to back down from hunting him. When Sophia refused to back down at Monica’s insistence, Metatron murdered Monica. Before dying, Monica transferred her power and title entirely over to her daughter, leaving the fate of their people in Sophia’s hands. Sophia’s despair at the loss of her mother immobilized her at first, but found a stride in learning how to connect to the other witches with help from Castiel.

           She began to open up about her life and her experiences, and soon they came to ask her for advice in life, love, and in fighting. They even offered to welcome Jody, Claire and Alex into their group and change them, though they maintained that the choice was up to the three of them individually. Sophia said she would allow their transformation as long as they chose it out of their own free will and out of a desire to do good.

 Sophia and Amara            Sophia has been keeping a secret for a very long time- her connection to Amara. Of course, Amara wasn’t freed until season 11, so the secret stayed safe. It’s when Amara is freed that Sophia’s true origins are revealed. Sophia’s motivation for her rage at Sam is in part triggered by this as well- she has been trying to stop him from removing the Mark from Dean because she knows it will release the Darkness- though exactly what would happen, she couldn’t have known.            Sophia’s entire specific line of witches(her mother’s line specifically) were created by Amara as a way to spite her brother, God(which shows just how taboo Castiel and Sophia’s relationship really is- a creature hand crafted by God with a creature God’s sister made to spite him- considered by many to be an abomination). They were originally known as dark witches(and are known as the original witches- anyone not descended from them is not considered to be a witch by blood- such as Rowena), and served Amara as their Goddess(Amara was locked away because God feared she would make a more perfect creation than he, and she did- the Abellona, who are revered among angels, demons, etc., as the perfect creation), and did only her bidding. The Abellona have never knelt down before God, and answer to no one anymore, which angers Amara. Amara was contained in the Mark of Cain, so her line began to serve themselves as well as humanity. They became the powerful hunters and healers they are today, and when Sophia was chosen to become their leader, she became privy to the fact that she- and only she- would be able to stop Amara if she were ever freed. Her blood spilled will destroy Amara- and the Darkness itself. Sophia also has the option of drawing the Darkness into herself and choosing to fight it out for eternity to save the world. Both could kill her, but also might not- the chance is a true 50/50.            Sophia, once the Darkness was freed, became VERY secretive about her knowledge of the Darkness. Her power began to spin out of control, and she even took a step back from using it, since she could barely control it. Since Amara created her bloodline of witches, Amara’s power flows through each of them. Sophia is the strongest, and their leader. Being a leader in this bloodline means accepting sacrifice- sometimes the ultimate sacrifice. Though Dean is connected to Amara by having borne the Mark, Sophia is the only one powerful enough to fight her to the death and succeed, as she is descended directly from her- created from her own blood and essence- and their blood flows as one.            There is no coincidence that Cain passed the Mark onto someone in his own bloodline(Dean), and that the true owner of the Mark and its power is actually Sophia. It’s no coincidence that Sophia and the Winchesters(especially Dean) came together. When Dean killed Cain, all of his power reverted to the strongest in the blood line, Amara’s blood line- Sophia. Ever since, her power has been unpredictable and murky. Sophia, who previously had ironclad self-control over her power, began to slip. The only one to notice was Castiel- who feared for her safety. When he discovered Sophia’s connection to Cain, and to the Darkness- that they are part of her origins, he began to work to free her of the darkness within and regain control over her power. He said yes to Lucifer out of love, and out of an attempt to save her from her fate, which was yet undecided.            When Sophia discovered what Sam had done, she realized her time was coming, and shut him out partly to protect him from her and her lack of control. She began to discover that her power was so strong that it could slaughter whole towns, and that as Amara grew and became stronger, her power became more unpredictable and violent. She began to have violent dreams, and also shared dreams from inside Amara’s head, experiencing them as if she was living them, seeing them through Amara’s eyes(When Amara dreams of Dean, it arouses old feelings of Sophia’s, and creates a shadow of jealousy around Castiel- Dean is the only one he feels is a threat to their relationship). Dean admits that he cannot hurt Amara, and Sam agrees to do it himself. Sophia is silent, knowing that when the time comes, it will be her that murders her own creator(because dramatic).            Castiel becomes determined to save Sophia, but fails to as the time draws near. He says yes to Lucifer because he knows that Luci can save Sophia, but doesn’t realize that in doing so, Lucifer will likely have to sacrifice himself. In the end, Sophia knows that Lucifer is never that unselfish, regardless of his attachment to her. Amara calls to Sophia by threatening Castiel and Dean. She uses Dean as bait, making Sophia think that she has abducted Dean. Sophia, even though she knows it is a trick, is determined to get the fight over with so that Sam, Dean, and Castiel are safe. Castiel tries to stop her from going, and accuses her of still being in love with Dean. The violence and darkness deep within Sophia rises up from inside her, for the time to fight Amara is near, and it perceives Castiel as dangerous from her emotional spike. For the first time since Castiel returned to her seven years earlier, she beats him down with near robotic precision, almost killing him. Her power has made her thirst for blood entirely too strong, and it mirrors an earlier scene where Dean, bearing the Mark of Cain, almost kills Castiel as well. Her power at an all-time high, she severs the bond between the two of them, the darkness within her irrevocably taking her over. As Castiel cries and pleads with her, she dons her leather jacket to take the fight to Amara.              She arrives to a surprise: Amara has taken Sam hostage, not Dean. Amara is torturing Sam as Sophia arrives. The sight of Sam in pain ignites a fire deep within Sophia, shoving her goodness and humanity to the very pit of her soul. Amara doesn’t expect this to trigger Sophia’s psychotic behavior, and Sophia attacks Amara, paralyzing her and nearly beating her. She frees Sam, telling him she loves him, not expecting to survive. Sam leaves, but not before he watches Sophia reach in and burn out Amara’s essence with her bare hands, sucking everything into herself. The sight of it scares Sam half to death, and he runs for his life. Sophia takes Amara’s essence into herself, containing it deep in her soul. After she eradicates The Darkness, she collapses with the new power inside her.

Dean arrives to save Sam, and finds Sam long gone. Sophia lies on the floor, nearly lifeless. He carries her to his car, knowing he needs to find Castiel. He drives like a maniac to the bunker, discovering Castiel barely alive, nearly cowering. Dean carries Sophia’s lifeless body in, and Castiel is beside himself. He tries to heal her, but he is too weak. Castiel, defeated and weak, collapses at her side, sobbing. Dean stands on the peripheral of the scene, beside himself. Sam arrives, and soon his tears flow as well. Outside, a thunderstorm kicks up, and the balance of the world is off-kilter. With a low, rumbling and booming thunderclap (no lightning, too dramatic), Sophia awakens, her eyes vibrantly glowing purple. No one notices at first, but when her hand touches Castiel’s hair, he jerks up. Looking deeply into his eyes, she heals him, but then discovers that their bond is severed. Ashamed and beyond broken at her actions, she disappears.            After the fight, Sophia’s power returns to normal, but she does not. She becomes withdrawn and isolated, disappearing for weeks at a time. She will occasionally appear at the bunker to surprise Dean to watch a movie or have a burger. Her emotional connections have been severed, and she finds it depressing and impossible to connect to anyone. Despite both of them pleading with her to stay and get help, she leaves soon after. Castiel, heartbroken, tries to search for her, but feels that the flame inside her is out, and cannot find her.

 Season 12 Sophia

           ALTERNATE: Sophia nearly spirals down into a pool of guilt and shame over hurting Castiel, and of her other actions when the Darkness controlled her. She is on the run for some time, and though both Chuck and Castiel manage to find her, neither are able to coax her home. Eventually, the thought of being without Castiel scares her so much that she calls him to her, and he remains with her.

           Sam and Dean also get her a puppy named Sasha, who instantly attaches to Sophia, though Dean tries to win her over. Sasha also likes Castiel, as most animals do. It seems, for a while, that the four of them continue together as a family unit, though Sophia and Castiel sometimes are on their own.

 Random Facts

-Castiel using Jimmy Novak as a vessel was not random. Castiel, in another vessel and trailing Sophia to protect her, saw the way she looked at Jimmy Novak while passing him in a crowd and opted to use him as a vessel since he was willing and she was attracted to him. He has also been referred to as Castiel’s “true vessel”- this is also accurate, since Jimmy was created for Sophia. Even though Jimmy and Amelia are soul mates and share their Heaven, his vessel was created for Sophia and Sophia alone. -Sophia has drawn the attention of more than one angel. Balthazar, whom she brings back from the dead with the help of Lucifer, had his attention on her even before Castiel was sent to her. She uses his affection for her to convince him to help her contain Lucifer within her body. Gabriel, though he is not attracted to her, has always felt a soft spot for her. Lucifer is also very attracted to her after seeing her through both Sam and Castiel’s eyes, and his motivation to save her from sacrificing herself stems from those feelings. -Sophia’s high school boyfriend, whom she also lost her virginity to, is a very handsome, charming, charismatic guy. He is a cause of jealousy from Castiel and Sam, who both long for a normal relationship with Sophia, but will never have it. When he asks her out on a date, both of them follow her and watch from afar, imagining what a normal relationship with her would be like. She entertains the idea of casually dating him, but realizes she is only trying to hold onto the normalcy she had sought to separate herself from for years. -Sophia has a soft spot for cute, furry animals, and is capable of taming animals from the wild, though she does not, as it upsets the natural order of things. She has a natural way of attracting dogs and cats to her, and has a Border Collie-German Shepherd puppy until a demon kills it sometime in season 6. -Sophia is also an incredibly impressive chef. She did actually study at a culinary institute in France when she was younger, and often creates incredible meals from literally almost nothing. -Sophia is not fond of Mary Winchester, nor the fact that she left her sons alone after being resurrected for them.

[theonceoverthinker]

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Top Ten Season 1 Songs

Welcome back to the third of my eight list discussing the various numbers of Crazy-Ex Girlfriend. As I’m sure you know by the title, today, I’m covering the best of Season 1!

This was a damn near IMPOSSIBLE list to make. Seasons 1 and 3 are stuffed to the brim with not only good musical numbers, but GREAT musical numbers! Many of these songs are classic staples that are to this day celebrated as the best of the series and cutting down my top picks into ten entries was anything but easy. 

Now, if you’ve seen my past lists, you’ll know that bit songs (Songs that clock in at or below one minute and fifteen seconds) as well as reprises and theme songs are ineligible because they have lists of their own. No, this list is celebrating the meatiest of meat songs!

So let’s get to it!

10. Cold Showers

I know that this isn’t exactly the most popular song choice, nor is it really as character-infused as other numbers, but hey, it’s number 10 for a reason. I love this number. “Trouble” from the Music Man is one of my favorite show tunes from that time period and this song acts as a great homage to it. You see the absurd reaches that Rebecca goes for with just a lack of hot water to go on. And because of that, here we get to see the charisma that makes Rebecca such a good lawyer on full display. While she’s great at creating awkward situations, she also knows what makes people ticks and just how to exploit those fears. And we get to see all three major parties of the Whitefeather Law Office working together. We see just how good of a team they are and how well Daryl and Paula support Rebecca’s talents, showing how Daryl managed to own his own law firm and foreshadowing Paula’s desire to be a lawyer. Additionally, I love high energy songs and this song has a stellar rhythm that chugs along and builds all the way to the ending! It’s like being at a New Years Eve party and you’re seeing all of the energy circulating as people watch the ball drop! Overall, this is just a fun number that allows for some cute character moments and fun dynamics, and that’s why I love it!

9. After Everything I’ve Done For You (That You Didn’t Ask For)

Paula might just be my favorite character in the series, and when she gets a phenomenal number, she knocks it out of the frack-a-lacking park! And here, getting the last main character number of the season, she leaves the season on a memorable as heck! I love numbers that allow Paula to just BELT. Donna has a chest-heavy voice like myself and Gabrielle and when she gets to do that, her songs go from good to great! Okay, but I can go on about the singing forever, so let’s talk about the number. All season, we’ve been building towards this flip of the perception of craziness between our two female leads. While Rebecca’s been learning more about herself and the world, connecting with Greg, and realizing the harm she’s doing to both Josh and Valencia, Paula...hasn’t. She hasn’t had that level of growth and instead of distancing herself from Rebecca’s love life, she’s infused her identity with it and her perceived “right guy.” And here, that all comes to a head. Just as Rebecca seems on the verge of her own real stride towards reciprocated romance and happiness, Paula’s blasts at her with displays of insanity. We are freaked out -- though on some level, unsurprised by the increasingly absurd lengths Paula’s gone to to push Rebecca and Josh closer together, so much so that Rebecca becomes less of a friend to her as something of a reality TV star. Because of that, the song homage to “Rose’s Turn” hits its bulls-eye so well and to this day remains as a striking number in the series that I love!

8. West Covina

West Covina is a straight up spectacle! From the visual gags (My personal favorite of which is the “Josh” sign from right before she leaves New York) to the giant group number to the funny lyrics, how could this NOT make the list? Just like Rebecca’s journey, there’s more nuance to the song as a whole. First, musically, I love how the song builds up. We hear the music build from light orchestrations to light woodwinds to a swelling band! Second, just as the music builds up, we see the company grow from just Rebecca to bits of the people she encounters along the way to the band and finally, to everyone she encountered in the number. Third, the song is just funny. The deep denial Rebecca digs herself into is complemented marvelously by the visual gags and her non-substantive interactions with the people of West Covina. It’s hilarious seeing how Rebecca romanticizes an initially mundane if not a little gross town, producing magic out of insurance signs and anime wigs! You can tell that it’s a stretch, but one that’s not too hard and shows that just as much as moving to West Covina was a poorly thought out idea, it was also a necessary change that benefits Rebecca in some ways from the moment she arrives here. Finally, while I can’t say for sure if the creators knew how important pretzels would be towards the end of Rebecca’s journey, the benefit of hindsight gives this scene a retroactive bit of foreshadowing that’s really awesome, on top of it already being a random, but not nonsensical set piece! I don’t even think you need me to explain this number any further. You know that it attracted your eyes to this show like a fly to a lamp: It sure did it for me! But thankfully, there’s so much more substance to it that made this number a permanent classic of the series!

7. JAP Battle

I grew up in a very Jewish community. Because of that, I got literally every joke that was made and they made me laugh hard! But referential jokes aren’t enough to make a list and here, they’re just the toppings of a stellar number! And thankfully, I feel like the references don’t have to be fully understood in order for those not acquainted as strongly with Jewish communities, which makes the number more accessible. I discussed in my top reprises how the JAP Battle reprise showed a more positive outlook on Rebecca and Audra’s frenemyship, but that’s only as strong a point as it is because this was the song that it mirrored. The vehement frustration and one upping that these two spend the song doing is so childish and petty, but hilarious in its execution. It sucks you right into their rivalry.  There’s also some great visual components here. Just like the rap numbers of the 80′s and 90′s, there is this low quality aspect layered onto what the camera captured, making the number so dynamic and interesting! Additionally, both Rebecca and Audra’s backup dancers add a layer of personality to the number. Daryl, Paula, and Josh are more confused by the references that the rivals are making, but are far more energetic towards Rebecca’s attacks, contrasting Audra’s posse nicely as the more subdued, but knowledgeable group. It builds on the tensions of this case and adds additional characterization to the two teams, especially Audra’s. Finally, there’s just a great rhythm to this number. It’s not stagnant, but there is a consistency as the number progresses through all types of twists and turns, and that’s not always easy to do! This is a great song and has more than earned its place here!

Want to know 6-1? Meet me under the cut!

6. I’m The Villain In My Own Story

Just as Naomi will always be a Camp Kavetcha girl, I will always be a Disney girl! And while there were two numbers that really evoke that good ole Disney feel (This and “One Indescribable Instant”), the visual gags and elaborate witch set piece give this number the ultimate advantage between the two. And who doesn’t love a good villain song? Is the number on the nose? Yes, but in that good way where it’s still entertaining. Okay, let’s talk about the number! First, I like the narrative significance of the song. While maybe a touch too hard on herself, Rebecca’s taking a real step forward as she realizes how she’s gone way too far in her efforts to make Josh fall for her. She’s hurting Valencia --  someone who, while not nice, is a relative innocent in all of this and is someone who loves Josh and has put real effort into their relationship! That kind of storytelling really turns the narrative on its heels in a nuanced way! Second, as I said before, I like the visual gags and set pieces that the number has, particularly the witch’s house. The green and purple lighting really adds to that over-the-top sinister feeling that’s plaguing Rebecca and the cage, cauldron, and shelves in the background only help to make it so striking and funny! And I LOVE the poster that Rebecca’s in the corner of! Third...I don’t know how the show does it, but they have to have some kind of machine where the writers throw in a bunch of songs and it spits out the most spot on parodies and homages. That’s not to diminish or throw shade at the show writers, but to give credit to just how unbelievably talented they are! Like, how did they do this?! The slow and devious melody of the song just steeps itself in all things evil! But honestly, seeing as how this is only number six here, they’re just that good! 

5. Settle For Me

This is probably Greg’s most famous number. It’s certainly the song that comes to mind when I think of him, and I get the feeling I’m not alone here. I still remember the initial ad for this song’s episode and how the lyrics were jumbled in the promo (For admittedly good reason)! But enough about how memorable the number is -- let’s talk about WHY the number is memorable! First, the music. This number is so smooth. The old classical/showtune/sort-of-jazz genre suits Santino so well, gliding us through the song just as Greg glides Rebecca across the dance floor. Second, the lyrics are just plain funny! Unlike a song like “What’ll It Be?” Greg’s self loathing is played for laughs and it really works. The lyrics as well as Santino’s more tongue-and-cheek delivery invites the audience to join in on the joke and see Greg asking Rebecca out so meekly as funny. The bridge especially gets the audience in this perfect state of discomfort where we’re stopped from completely supporting this song despite how nice it sounds and take a step back for a moment to reflect on what we’re listening to and realize that this ship still has a long way to go. And that’s furthered by Rebecca reflecting on how practical Greg is as a choice -- something is still terribly off about them, so we shouldn’t get as swept up in this romance as the nice music asks us to do. It’s at once really good musical work as well as great character work and it’s something to be truly admired! And that’s why this song settles itself at the number 5 spot!

4. Women Gotta Stick Together

Toxic masculinity has really messed us up. In addition to all of the other horrors that women have to go through, it’s also put us in spots where we feel the need to compare ourselves to other females, both positively and negatively. That’s where Valencia comes in. Valencia is a character who has been so clearly molded to be what society perceives the “ideal” woman to be, and this number presents us bluntly with the consequences of that. Even initial attempts at feminism are completely undermined by a desire -- whether conscious or not -- to sabotage each other. The song is so cruel, and like “Settle For Me,” it invites the audience to be a part of the joke while also clearly not condoning the lyrics. The selectivity of Valencia’s views on sisterhood and other women as a whole is so overt as to be absurd. We clearly don’t believe in the lyrics of this song, but Valencia at this point in the series absolutely does -- making this such effective characterization for her. It’s not just Rebecca that got under her skin, but there’s a much deeper layer to how she feels about other women. That makes this such a strong character moment for Valencia, stronger than possibly any other one. Also, I love how Gabrielle gets to use her diaphragm here. Like I mentioned earlier, she has a chest-heavy voice and her best numbers utilize that. It complements the acoustics of this song so well, allowing for this nice balance of voice and instruments! And the lyrics contrast well with the kind of music that female empowerment songs are often sung to! Finally, I love the background jokes in this number. We see that every woman just dampens after Valencia insults them. And remember when Valencia tattled on that one woman whose boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend? If you keep an eye on them for the rest of that extended shot, you see that they’re still fighting about it! Overall, this is just a great number!

3. What’ll It Be?

"What’ll It Be?” does something for me that other Greg songs tend not to -- rather than just list things Greg hates, it contextualizes Greg’s disillusionment with everything in his life -- his distaste West Covina, his self loathing, and his fears for the future. This song presents all you need to know about who Greg is. And honestly, it does more to garner sympathy for Greg than any other number he stars in. The tone of desperation, frustration, and the desire to be able to more inwardly reflect is present throughout the song and is tough to witness, especially considering how Greg nearly escaped, but had to deny himself what he thinks would make him happy. I’m sure we’ve all had these moments where we needed to hold onto some larger part of our lives that we wanted to be rid of...just because that’s what being an adult means. And we ask ourselves if this is going to be the rest of our life and not be able to give a positive answer. I think this number succeeds in showing how we often feel about these moments -- just like this song is a ballad and not an angry number like “I Could If I Wanted To,” we’re not mad at anyone because it’s not really anyone’s specific fault -- it’s just life. Over the course of this song, we get a sense of what he wants out of life just as much as we go over once again what he doesn’t want. This is basically a Disney Princess song sung in the style of a Billy Joel number -- and by virtue of being a New Yorker, I really love Billy Joel! The homage is clear through the musical presentation, the melody, and the sense of melancholy that fills the number. The piano practically invites us to listen to Greg -- as if we were the bartender listening to him. And that’s what it does -- really has the audience listen to who Greg is. And because of that character work, it’s here at number 3!

2. The Sexy Getting Ready Song

Just like “Women Gotta Stick Together,” this song unashamedly presents a detailed picture of what the patriarchy has put women through in search of that “ideal.” I’d say that this is more effective for two reasons. First, it is a LOT more graphic than “Women Gotta Stick Together.” All manner of things that women do for men and the physical pain that’s caused in that endeavor are shown to us. We see “ass blood,” the multitude of hair, makeup, and skin care products that women use, and the difficulty of putting and keeping on spanx. Secondly, we see that contrast between women and men. First, it’s shown through the “let’s see how the guy get ready” joke where Greg is casually sleeping on his couch, showing that contrast between the expectations of women and men. We also see it with the rapper, and I like this more because we get to see this guy’s reactions. From the rapper’s few lines, we can tell that he was someone who overtly oppressed women to at least some degree (Not the worst guy -- he knew one of the ladies he worked with wanted to go to college -- but definitely in need of a perspective change), and when he sees how much women have to go through, he immediately resolves to change his ways. That’s not only funny, but really highlights just how unfair it is for women in this world to look the way that men often want us to look. But let’s talk about the number musically. I love the use of R&B music here. It has this smooth romantic feel to it, which makes the twist of how gross the number gets so funny! And it maintains and embodies that feeling throughout the song. It’s like someone hearing the funniest joke in the world, but still performing a eulogy in a completely appropriate tone. The number itself feels like a champ! And that’s why it’s here!

1. Getting Bi

This song is not just good -- it’s actually revolutionary. It’s a giant middle finger to the mainstream media’s depiction of bisexuality and its very essence fight every bit of how fiction bisexual have been shown for forever. Bi contrast (pun intended), his number is so PROUDLY full of Bi energy! From the costuming (Daryl’s in purple while his background dancers are in pink and blue) to the flag in the background to the very title of the song, this song SHOUTS at the audience that bisexuality is a thing. And not only that but it then proceeds to shoot down every harmful stereotype about bisexual people! It’s so comprehensive, talking about feelings about sex to a lack of confusion about his orientation to decrying slut shaming to blowing up any notion that his bisexuality is in any way a phase! This is basically the unacknowledged anthem for bisexuality! And honestly, sometimes a number is the best because of what it means more than how much I like it...BUT that having been said, I love this song more than any other season 1 number! I love the Huey Lewis and the News feel to it! I love how Daryl has a trumpet and this casual suit! I love the lighting and how it makes me feel like I’m at an 80′s concert! This number is so energetic! There’s some humor to it with Daryl’s uncomfortable co-workers. And you can tell that it’s not a matter of anything like homophobia, but jsut because Daryl’s constantly in the show’s top 5 most extra characters and right now, he’s at an 18 when he needs to come back to a 7. BUT as an audience, we’re having fun with Daryl’s song and want to see it play out! I talked about the presentation, but I did want to discuss the cuts from “our world” to the “abstract theatre space” world. The lines really blur in this number because of the lighting in the office and Daryl’s dance moves. And I like it because it shows how colorful and happy Daryl feels about this revelation. It’s such a spirited and comfortable coming out and it makes the number feel like it’s a big grand party that we’re all invited to! ALSO, it has a pun for a title! Do I need to explain any more? No, I do not!

That’s my top ten list for you! Thoughts? Let me know! This took a lot longer to make, so let’s hope my foray into Season 2 won’t be as long! See you then!

[livevsongame-tv-blog]

Live Update: Ranking the NFL’s Quarterbacks from 16 to 1

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Live Update: Ranking the NFL’s Quarterbacks from 16 to 1

The NFL is a league, by-and-large, driven by quarterbacks. It is hard to win if a team’s signal caller is not up to par. Franchises that lack consistency under center are similar to trying to eat clam chowder with a fork. It is possible, but not the best way of going about winning or consuming such an exquisite dish.

The NFL has been completely parlayed into a league that values dual-threat passers. No longer, or rather hardly, do you see the “traditional” quarterbacks that move like they are stuck in quick sand when it is time to flee the pocket.

This list is a continuation of a countdown started last week pertaining to the league’s starting quarterbacks. The guys on this list are ascending in the right direction, well-established, or long for hardware to be slid onto their fourth finger. Statistics are hardly a factor as we work our way to the climax.

So without further ado, here are the quarterbacks that rank from 16 to 1:

16. Deshaun Watson

Watson played in seven games and had 19 touchdowns. He would have the chance to break Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson’s record of most passing touchdowns by a rookie (26) as well as set a new mark. It will be interesting to see if Watson plays with the same fearlessness in coming off a torn ACL, especially behind a leaky front. If he can play a full season, the Houston Texans should be a threat in the AFC South.

15. Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys starter is entering his third year and he is supposed to be in a situation where the offense is catered to his strengths. Thus far, Prescott has built a reputation as a winning quarterback as the Cowboys have finished with a record above .500 in his first two years. He moves the chains with short-to-intermediate throws and his feet. However, the quarterbacks ranked higher than him do more than the bare minimum to win games. In other words, he has to push the ball down the field more or find a way to string together more monster performances.

14. Jared Goff

Lucky to have this guy leading the way. Congrats Coach! pic.twitter.com/kkdPgymibu

— Jared Goff (@JaredGoff16) February 4, 2018

Yes, Goff is ranked higher than Prescott despite seeing one less year of action, essentially. The former Golden Bear showed he can win and perform at a high level with the prerequisite talent. Goff gets the nod over his 2016 draft peer, Prescott, because he throws with more conviction and assurance. It has nothing to do with stats or wins and losses, right now. It is simply about the eye test.

13. Derek Carr

Like Marcus Mariota, Carr broke his leg in week 16 of the 2016 oddly enough. Like Mariota, he spent the 2017 season looking very hesitant and unsure of himself. Carr can make every throw, use his legs, and he plays with that backyard football energy that is infectious. It will be interesting to see if he meshes well with Jon Gruden as his new coach is already challenging him to be great. The Oakland Raiders need a MVP campaign from their signal caller if they want to be the center of attention out West.

12. Kirk Cousins

Cousins is sixth among active quarterbacks in passing yards per game (261.4). It has never been about statistics for him as it simply comes down to performing in big moments. In a 2016 playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Cousins threw for 300+ yards and was not backing down in a duel with Aaron Rodgers. However, when it mattered the most, Cousins and the Washington Redskins failed to generate points on their final five drives.

In the 2016 season finale, Cousins threw two picks in a game that would have got his team into the postseason had they won it. The New York Giants were playing with a “C’s get the degree” mind frame too having already secured a playoff bid.

Cousins wanted to be viewed and paid as one of the league’s upper echelon at his position. The Redskins chose another route while the Minnesota Vikings were eager for him to sign. Washington might have lacked the talent to help him succeed, but in Minnesota he will be expected to win and win big.

11. Matthew Stafford

Stafford is one of the more underrated players the NFL has to offer. He is top 10 among active quarterbacks with 216 touchdowns. He can make throws at just about any angle, even left handed if he desired to do so. The Detroit Lions all-time leading passer needs to muster up some wins as he is just 60-65 in his career.

10. Cam Newton

We like this day 😎#NationalHandshakeDay pic.twitter.com/dlqrIFHm5i

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 28, 2018

The 2015 MVP would be a lot higher on this list had the Carolina Panthers won Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos. In 2016, we saw Newton revert as he lost his passion and fire for the game. He got back to having fun last year and even rushed for a career-high 754 yards. With a new offensive coordinator in Norv Turner, Newton could benefit from a new scheme that is predicated on pushing the ball down the field. He has the arm and the skilled players out wide in Devin Funchess, Torrey Smith, Curtis Samuel, and rookie DJ Moore to produce some magic.

9. Matt Ryan

Another NFC South quarterback who would be higher on this list had he won a Super Bowl. Nevertheless, Ryan is like a surgeon on the field as he knows all of the little areas of the opposing defenses to apply pressure. The Atlanta Falcons star is five wins away from the century mark and is fourth among active throwers with 35 game-winning drives. Why else would they refer to him as “Matty Ice”?

8. Russell Wilson

Wilson is as cool as they come under pressure, both literally and figuratively. He was sacked 43 times behind a Seattle Seahawks front that needs more than Flex Seal to stop a leak. His line was so woebegone that he had to use his feet more often than he would have liked. Wilson led his team in passing and rushing yardage a year ago. What more could you want from the guy?

7. Andrew Luck

The Indianapolis Colts top gun missed an entire season and is still a top 10 quarterback. Imagine if he could get some resistance up front with a consistent rushing attack. Luck could very well end up top three at his position by the end of the season if he is truly back and playing like his chipper self. The Colts have to tread lightly with him.

6. Philip Rivers

Philip Rivers showed he has still got it with his performances towards the end of the 2017 season. pic.twitter.com/igoivQINdk

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) July 1, 2018

Rivers is one of four quarterbacks to throw for over 4,000 yards the last five seasons. He has been one of the league’s unheralded stars in the last decade, but he is starting to get more notoriety as his team’s expectations grow. The Los Angeles Chargers are being dubbed as a team that could thwart the New England Patriots in the AFC and maybe win a Super Bowl. Those are lofty expectations being heaped on a team that missed the playoffs a year ago. It starts and ends with their captain, their quarterback, and their heart-and-soul in no. 17.

5. Carson Wentz

What a perfect scenario it would have been if Wentz finished the year and led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl while receiving league MVP. However, destiny had other plans. Nevertheless, Wentz could rival other signal callers like Luck as heir to the throne once the guys ranked higher than him retire. He is built like Big Ben at 6’5 and nearly 240 pounds. He is as nimble as Wilson. Lastly, he has the improvisation of Stafford. As you can see, Wentz has a lot of features that exist with other upper level passers. Last year was simply a prelude of things to come for Wentz.

4. Ben Roethlisberger

Big Ben must have been a huge The Clash fan growing up as “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” seemed to percolate all season for the two-time Super Bowl champ a year ago. All of a sudden, he came to his senses when the Pittsburgh Steelers brass drafted a Big Ben prototype in Mason Rudolph. A sense of pride seems to exist now in Roethlisberger one that the Steelers hope will galvanize them to another ring. By the way, he finished top five in passing yardage in what was a “down year” by his standards.

3. Drew Brees

The definition of insanity is trying something over and over again and expecting a different result. At one point, the New Orleans Saints could have been considered an insane organization for repeating the same habits that inhibited their ability to win. Sure, Brees would hover at the 5,000-yard mark from 2011 to 2016, but they were predictable without a formidable rushing attack.

The Saints decided to develop a run game headlined by Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Brees only had 4,334 yards, his lowest mark since 2007, but he set a new league record with a 72 percent completion percentage. Also, he only threw eight picks, which was his lowest total since 2004. As a result, the Saints went to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 with a reformed Brees. Will he stay true to his new form or revert back to old habits?

2. Tom Brady

Five-time Super Bowl champion. Three-time league MVP. Heck, Brady even led the league in passing yardage with 4,577 yards in 2017. However, the face of the New England Patriots’ franchise is NOT the best quarterback. The best comparison for Brady would be to Kobe Bryant when he was winning his rings with Pau Gasol. Despite it all, LeBron James was still the better individual player. That is just how the cookie crumbles here and with the next guy on this list missing significant time last year it is easy to be a prisoner of the moment when it comes to Brady. He tops nearly every statistic of both active and all-time lists, but there is another Super Bowl winning California native that is better than him.

1. Aaron Rodgers

✊ Another Sunday closer to 🏈#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/gFdF4c2kZi

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 1, 2018

From an individual’s perspective and at this point in time, Rodgers is better than Brady. Not all time, simply right now.

Rodgers is the Baba Yaga of the NFL and that is “The Boogeyman” for those that have never seen John Wick. When building a team and with the way the game has evolved in favoring dual-threat throwers, you would be hard-pressed to find many people not going with Rodgers. He can do it all.

The former Cal great can throw back over the middle late, throws into cracks and crevices that should not be thrown into, and steals a win or two with Hail Mary attempts. Those are just a few things Rodgers can do that are considered ill-advised or impossible. His arm talent is one of the best ever and when Rodgers smiles during a game it is usually an indication of bad things to come for the opposing team. Now, I am not clairvoyant, but another Super Bowl could make him “the greatest quarterback of all-time”. Ponder that.

Rodgers reigns supreme here on this list of the NFL’s elite. At the end of the day, the quarterbacks that rank from 1-10 are capable of winning on any given Sunday. Their legacies, however, vary.

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