#so much potential!!! even if it was still just a montage i would have loved to even see them go more notable places from the games

[chloecherrysip]

Is anyone else still extremely baffled as to who reviewed this (apparently) finished sequence and decided that those last few seconds HAD to be cut from the final movie??? It's such a weird transition!! Look at how cute Peach and Toad are as they try to help!! I truly don't get it!!

[lookmomitsmytmblr]

OKAY so I am re-listening to "Death and The Queen" again and I am having Thoughts™.

I can't find any info about when this drama takes place continuity-wise, but my personal placement would be after "Planet of The Ood" (4x3) and before "The Sontaran Stratagem" (4x4) because 4x4-4x6 take place directly following each other with Donna stating at the end of 4x6 that she plans to travel with the Doctor forever. Donna's determination to continue traveling w him is in keeping with the conclusion of Death and The Queen, where she comes to the decision that the Doctor IS her "happily ever after," as it were. Placing the drama after "Fires of Pompeii" and "Planet of The Ood" also makes sense with Donna's desire in the audio drama to have a break from "the extraordinary" of traveling with the Doctor (specifically, horrific death and destruction,) which adds understandable context to her seemingly being so willing to leave the Doctor after searching for him for so long.

 (Don't talk to me about the ending of Forest of The Dead. It's unlikely Donna would have left the Doctor even if she found Lee. Donna's desire to confirm whether Lee was real could be easily contextualized by her wanting to know how much of her experiences inside CAL were a fabrication, and what the supposed "perfect husband" persona would have said about her if it was drawn from her own mind. Also it was written by Moffatt so it shouldn't count anyway.)

ANyway, what I actually wanted to talk about. Notably, considerable emphasis is placed on Donna enjoying her role as Queen and especially caring for her subjects and having power to help people. A greater amount of text is dedicated to her talking about how as Queen she can care for her subjects than her love for Rudolph, even before the reveal that he is human(?) trash. Her attachment to the role of Queen that marrying Rudolph will grant her is established to be largely based upon her passion for helping people rather than luxuries associated with rank, especially in view of the montage of how royal life on Gorotainia is not as glamorous as she hoped but is still enthralled by being Queen. Later in the story, when danger has appeared, her main role in the story is sacrificing and taking the lead to protect her subjects.

Notably, when things start going downhill and Rudolph starts talking to her about the difficult choices that he must make as royalty she comments that Rudolph is “just like HIM” (the Doctor) and that she went with Rudolph to escape these darker aspects of her travels with the Doctor, specifically the hard choices that go with the role the Doctor plays in the universe (while she doesn’t connect these concepts directly, these two statements are placed very close to one another textually.)

Only when her relationship with Rudolph and role as Queen seems like it will involve some of the same dark choices that her travels with Doctor did does Donna decide she doesn’t want to be involved anymore, which is quickly reversed when she finds out she needs to become Queen in order to protect her people. (I love Donna. In case you can’t tell.)

The narrative has established that a large part of Donna’s attachment to her relationship with Rudolph is potential authority to help and guide people, and that her main interest in pursuing a life with Rudolph rather than her travels with the Doctor was her perception that her role as Queen of Gorotainia would not involve the same death and destruction she has seen with the Doctor. Perfectly understandable after experiencing something like Pompeii.

Donna’s compassion and empathy have been essential components of her character since her introduction, with her wanting to protect the Doctor despite being irritated with him and feeling sorrow for the children of a Rancoss that wanted her to be eaten in “The Runaway Bride”, her taking the time to mention Stacy in “Partners In Crime,” and literally everything in “Fires of Pompeii” and “Planet of The Ood’. Donna has always taken the time and the energy to think of others and work to protect them, even this early in her run. In view of how deeply she feels the pain of others, it is understandable that she would find the idea of a world where she could help others from a position of power without all of the death and chaos and destruction appealing, and her outrage at Rudolph for once again putting her in a position where she has to witness (and potentially be responsible for) terrible things happening to innocent people is believable. He proves that being a Gorotainian royal is like being the Last of The Time Lords. On a smaller scale, sure, but still. 

So the text (and Donna) have set up the idea of Rudolph being similar to the Doctor in role, so what is the difference? Rudolph doesn’t much care about people. He is willing to sacrifice his own people quite coldly.

The Doctor does care about people. How good of a person he is, or how good of a job he does caring for people is up for debate, but he cares.

Which all leads me to this quote from “Beautiful Chaos,” that I cannot believe is cannon and real and published.

Why does Donna love the Doctor?

"I wish you could see what I see. We've been to places, to worlds, to futures and pasts you could only dream about. I think half of them I dreamed up because they can't be real. But they are. And everywhere we go, we make a difference. We put things right, we make people happier. That's what the Doctor is all about. He finds a way for the universe to make sense. And I love him for it.”

Donna Noble wants to make a difference. No matter where she goes, she cannot escape the death and pain and suffering and chaos and nonsense that is the universe, and she can’t help but want to help. And right there beside her, the Doctor is working to put things right too. And she loves him for it.

We have this entire drama dedicated to Donna wanting to make a difference, while also escaping the darkness of the universe, and she learns she can’t. There are no happily ever afters.

Except with the Doctor.

I have so many feelings guys.

[gabessquishytum]

(inspired by this post)

Fantasy setting, animal-bride style! Hob lives in a small village surrounded by woods, fucks around with the boys and girls cuz why not, life's too short not to find pleasure where you can, get's cursed by one of the parents to die if he doesn't get married and appreciate his spouse well. Thing is... Eveyone knows Hob likes to fuck around but doesn't really settle down, and no one is keen on getting widowed so soon after marriage, so Hob is pretty much doomed.

That is, until a woman comes through the village, finds him bummed and drinking in the village's inn, listens to his woes, and goes "Hob, my man! Good news! I found you a very interested lord! He's [coughs] 36, he's very spirited and independent, he holds a very important and rare status in his society! ...Is there a downside? WELL..."

Cuts to Dream, third child of Time and Night, part of a clan of magical creatures that can, among other things, turn from crane to human and back to crane. Thing is: while they have been numerous before, human expansions and incidents where they have been discovered, their numbers have dwindled, and Dream is one of the few who can still lay eggs and help in the effort of their kind not going extinct.

And so Hob goes with the woman to meet his soon-to-be husband. Needless to say, Dream is NOT happy with his sister meddling in his love-life, and is even more unhappy with her choice of mate for him ("A human? The very thing that is killing us off?") but Death has seen him turn away all the previous potential mates and their time is running out.

Cue montage of Hob trying to warm Dream to him (not wanting to settle down but wanting to die even less), learning from Death the courting customs of cranes, spending time together, both getting surprised the first time they actually realise they feel something for the other, Hob's delight when he first notes the subtle off-starts courting dances from Dream, their first two eggs (Orpheus and Robyn) of many and many to come...

Hob "crane husband" Gadling. I love it.

Death may have neglected to mention that Dream has a somewhat unfortunate romantic past - he's tried to be mated before with other magical creatures, and it turned out very badly indeed. So Dream hardly expects this marriage to this human to go well. He's expecting that he'll probably fly into a rage and peck Hob to death. Or something. But... he doesn't.

Hob may be a fuckboy but he's also a very good husband. He's got it pretty well figured out - he gives Dream the things that he wants. Pleasant conversation, alone time when he wants it, and gourmet food (for both his human and crane forms). Dream has to admit, Hob is good to him. His first performed courting dance is absolutely abysmal, but it's rather charming at the same time. Before long Dream finds that his own tail feathers are twitching with eagerness to return Hob’s advances.

And it turns out that Hob's many years of fucking around have paid off in the end, because he pleases Dream very well indeed when they make it to bed. Dream is very appreciative that Hob has practiced so much - although he doesn't intend to let Hob going roaming ever again. There are eggs to sit on! And Dream would also like to see his courting dance again... just for the comedy value, this time.

[thoughtsthatgounnoticed]

Swept up in Expectations

As an anxious and curious person, I couldn’t help but check every now and then to see what the vibe was for P2 before watching it myself. After all the excitement during the wait between P1 and 2, nothing could have prepared me for the whiplash I felt reading disappointed and equally ecstatic posts from reactions to Eps 5 to 8.

Now that I’ve seen the episodes myself I’m trying to make sense of how I felt so I’m putting the figurative pen to paper and hope anyone as confused as I am can ruminate with me.

To put simply - I think we were all swept up in the excitement of Nic and Luke’s press tour (a whole other can of worms for some) and the many spoilers, speculations, and info from cast interviews during the wait between P1 and 2 that appeared to have been Polin positive. This energy then ballooned our expectations. I personally forgot that although Bridgerton is endearing and fun, it’s ultimately not a BBC or HBO production (I love Bridgerton but it’s no Pulitzer Prize winner in writing). So I think we expected more and are crashing from our collective highs.

Then there’s Polin and Penelope. As someone who didn’t personally enjoy S1 and 2 stories, S3 was going to be one I could truly enjoy and romanticize, and experience that Bridgerton brainrot everyone keeps taking about. Admittedly, it took me listening to some discourse and a second watch to truly appreciate P1. I’ve come away with so much love for Polin and their unfolding love story as well as Pen’s journey. The friends to lovers trope is beautiful, sweet, endearing, romantic, with a lot of history between two people. It had me singing along at the top of my lungs to Taylor Swift in the car even though it’s not my usual type of music. I was swooned and romanced.

But Part 2 was…. rough…. (Ramblings below)

At least after episode 5. It felt like I wasn’t watching the same season. I knew the weight of LW was going to put Penelope through the wringer before we can ultimately move on in peace. I expected the angst, it didn’t bother me, even if it meant seeing the worst of Colin’s anger temporarily.

I think what bothers me is the wasted potential of Polin’s season brought on by unnecessary side plots that could have given more time to Colin, Penelope and Eloise’s complex relationship and individual feelings. It was a season that absolutely needed to flesh out these characters alongside LW’s plot. Instead we got lengthy scenes of side characters with no payoff or stories that could have waited to be told next season. Polin felt like side characters in their own stories, their scenes so cruelly cut between other people’s dramas - I was swooning one second to wondering why we’ve jumped to sideplot A and B, then back to swooning over Polin again (their wedding dance for example 😭).

Then there’s the question of intimacy and how we would have loved to see more - probably brought on by a rumored missing montage. Instead after all the pain, the culmination of intimacy between Polin was the 5 second scene towards the end that looked like one of Anthony or Ben’s random brothel end-of-episode montage scenes in S1. I didn’t need plenty of intimacy scenes, I just wanted there to be growth in their intimacy evolving beyond what they had in Ep 5 and after all that drama.

Part 2 should have focused on how Colin, Penelope and Eloise came to terms with the LW revelation and the aching healing process it took to overcome that because the love they have for one another was stronger. I found myself thinking how in hell they could resolve all of this and it became progressively clear that the resolution was going to feel underwhelming and rushed. Especially, when the last episode alone had another wedding, Colin and Penelope still not communicating, and like 4-5 scenes of Ben and his mistress and their lover. We sat there in complete shock at how we kept going back to those scenes when the season had bigger fish to fry.

Although the show attempted to delve into Colin’s journey post revelation, the process of overcoming his sadness/jealousy was not fleshed out satisfactorily. I’m not saying it isn’t there (the very quick scenes of him looking through Penelope’s letters, listening to her speech at the end, his speech to Cressida, interactions with Kanthony/Eloise etc) but it lacked…something. Maybe it needed just a beat longer, a few more words, a bit more time. I don’t need it to drag, I just needed more within the depth of the scenes. Funnily, some of the side plot scenes lasted longer, which was so evil. Colin deserved a concise arc like Penelope’s. I hope Luke Newton’s back wasn’t hurting from carrying all the weight of Colin’s journey through his delivery and face acting because the writers were not giving him much to work with.

And so, the ending of the season felt odd. On one hand I was happy Polin got their happy ending and in theory their progression made sense, but on the other I felt like the show did a disservice by not taking us carefully and deliberately on that progression journey we wonderfully started in S1 and 2. I will always have ep 1-5 to look back on fondly and I was teary eyed when Colin delivered his ep 8 love speech to Pen. It felt like a glimpse of what we could’ve had and what they did have in P1. However, there’s this feeling of anti-climax that is so palpable given how impactful the press tour was. Am I still walking away from this season loving Polin and enjoying the scenes we did get of them? YES. Am I satisfied with it? NO.

This is 70% an emotional rant that may subside once the excitement dies down. I have thoroughly enjoyed everyone’s input and analysis and may have just been swept up in expectations.

[red-balloon12]

I just “watched” episodes 7 and 8 of Hazbin and I have a lot of thoughts.

But let’s start off with episode 7

Rosie and Camilla were EVERYTHING this episode. I love them both and I didn’t really have much to say about avails before this episode but like…I loved them a lot. Rosie is an absolute sweet heart (despite her being a cannibal)

Vaggie has wings now….Y E S. There’s SO much visual potential for this. I can just imagine her carrying Charlie bridal style through hell and her expressing with them as. I know a lot of people were confused but I’m gonna give explanations now: Lute ripped off her wings, she didn’t cut them with an angelic weapon which means Vaggie was able to grow them back through “The Power of Love”™️ and sheer will power.

At first I was a bit disappointed that Charlie and Vaggie didn’t actually properly and I was a bit underwhelmed by Charlie’s reaction to Vaggie’s but I’ll tell why I’m not as disappointed anymore.

Alastor was behaving a little bit like Charlie’s father figure in this which is funny considering episode 5. (But I know Chalastor shippers are gonna be weird about it and use the scenes for their fuel. Smh.) Not to mention I can see Camilla becoming a mentor/motherly figure for Vaggie in the future. But oddly enough I can also se Rosie being a mother figure for Charlie too.

Camilla’s song is probably my favorite out of the song list so far and while I’m a little disappointed it wasn’t a duet between her and Vaggie like the first song kinda was, we did get a training montage out of it and the explanation about Camilla defeating an angel leading up to it was freaking cool. (I really like how Camilla’s footwear was used as instruments in the song, I love stuff like that)

And now….for episode 8

I really liked Vaggie’s war outfit, Charlie’s was okay too.

I’m not gonna lie to y’all, I lowkey was kinda rooting for Adam when he was going up against Alastor. I’m sorry but I just…do not like him…or his fans for that matter. And GOD DAMN was it refreshing when Adam broke his staff, that man needed to be humbled….I just wish it wasn’t Adam that did it…cus I don’t like Adam either. And I feel like Alastor’s fans are coping with the fact that their precious deer demon daddy lost to a damn angel. (And yes he did loose to him. Cope and seethe) My guy wasn’t gonna land a scratch on Adam without an angelic weapon, what did people think was gonna happen?? But I’ll give Alastor props for holding out as long as he did.

Speaking of him, the reason why I didn’t mention the deal he made with Charlie yet is because it connects with this episode. So I’m 95% certain he has a contract with Lilith and it had something to do with that stick of his. His staff was probably the source of a lot of his power and it can’t be regenerated because it was broken by Adam’s guitar/axe. That “favor” that Alastor wants from Charlie might be to have her make him a new one, a more powerful one that he could possibly…idk…kill Lucifer or Lilith with? Idk dude, the man’s be scheming. But I’m like…98% certain his gonna be the BBEG by the end of this…and if not him, than Lilith.

CHAGGIE DUET- STARMOTH DUET- I’m so ill about them. This is why I wasn’t so mad about them not talking because of THIS SCENE. At this point, I could care less if people still think they have no chemistry after this or they think they’re boring. They’re real, they’re canon and they are beautiful. COPE AND SEETHE, BITCHES! I just hope they get more original duet pieces and not reprises in S2 but the fact they used the same song from Charlie and her dad is really cute.

I liked Vaggie calling Charlie petnames during battle. Little things like that is what makes these two so nice to watch.

Vaggie Vs. Lute…dispite me hoping Vaggie would be on even footing with Lute, it wasn’t realistic, and I’m glad they kept it realistic. Vaggie was out of practice for YEARS meanwhile Lute was not only going at it after Vaggie’s falling but she was also the lieutenant. But this is where Camilla’s advice came into play. Lute fought Vaggie with vengeance in mind as well as her thinking she was indestructible. This lead to her downfall when Lute was so caught up in mocking Vaggie, she accidentally gave Vaggie time to think of a way to outsmart her. Lute fought hard but Vaggie fought smart and it paid off in the end. And we got that BADASS line from Vaggie at the end of it. I love it when my girl gets W’s.

I’m disappointed how Charlie was overpowered by Adam though. I was so ready for her to throw hands with him. But I can see why this is the case as well. Charlie never really had to go all out before in her life. So she’s kinda rusty and inexperienced compared to Adam and Lucifer. (Also rip Razzle or Dazzle. You will probably be missed) But she did get two good hits which I can appreciate and she was the first to actually do damage to Adam. Something I can also appreciate.

Speaking of which, Lucifer absolutely OWNED Adam as he should. We stan a short king who loves his daughter.

Sir Pent was absolutely ROBBED of his moment by Adam and I don’t care that they made up for it by him going to heaven (I do care but sksnjs I’m still salty) And am I the only one that like…didn’t care all that much for his crush in Cherri? Like, I do like it in theory but the pacing…OH THE PACING IS THE REAL VILLAIN OF THIS SHOW. I wish they had a little bit more build up to that kiss. But hey, at least we have confirmation that the hotel does work. Rip Sir Penny. You WILL be missed.

I don’t know how I feel about Nifty of all people being the one to end Adam. On one hand it WAS foreshadowed at the beginning but one the other hand..it felt cheap(?). Like it would have been more satisfying for say Vaggie or Charlie to land the final blow, from a narrative standpoint at least. But…it was Nifty. And uh…was I SUPPOSED to feel bad for Lute seeing Adam die? I’m sorry but they both deserve to get their wings cut off. Adam was a fun villain but I’m glad he’s dead.

Hopes/Predictions for S2

I want more Early Stage!StarMoth. One of the criticisms people have with their relationship is how little set up they have. The best way to rectify this is to show how they were when they were still crushing on each other. A good example of this is Ruby and Sapphire from Steven Universe. Ruby and Sapphire were already established as a couple for Y E A R S but because we got to see how they fell in love and how they worked in the early days, people got more invested in their love story. So I hope Hazbin does the same with Charlie and Vaggie.

I also want Vaggie on her own. I know this is contradictory to my first want but I’ll explain. The theory as to why Vaggie seemed a bit shallow for a lot of people in the show was because they felt like Charlie was Vaggie’s whole personality which is something that I semi do agree with. So I want Vaggie to pick up a new hobby in S2. Whether it be her doing some dancing or maybe she becomes a musician. I just want more of VAGGIE.

And speaking of…I want Camilla to become some sort of mentor for Vaggie. I mentioned it earlier but I’m gonna do it again. Lute’s gonna come back in S2 and she’s gonna want revenge on Vaggie. We’ve seen how underpowered Vaggie is compared to Lute when it came to raw skill. But Camilla knew how to fend off from the angels and Vaggie did use her advice. I think and hope that if Vaggie keeps on training under Camilla, she can definitely surpass Lute and become a better fighter from it. Hell, Camilla can even help Vaggie deal with her anger issues.

It would also be fun if Lucifer trained up Charlie to be a better fighter (or Vaggie and Charlie can train together. It would make for some good moments between them)

This is a smaller want but I want Vaggie to cut her hair…she looks so much more cooler with shorter hair. And maybe a name change??? Maybe?

I want Charlie and Alastor to fight. It’s probably gonna happen with that deal and all. Some one is gonna suffer and Charlie (after having more experience) is gonna take on Alastor and I want her to remind him why she’s the damn Princess of Hell.

I just want the cast to interact with eachother more. Don’t let it just be Charlie and Vaggie or Angel and Husk. I wanna see how Vaggie and Husk would interact. They’d seem like a pretty chill duo.

I predict Lilith is gonna be the BBEG if not Alastor. She’s either gonna have to throw down with Charlie or Lucifer. And if somehow Alastor reforms, he may throw down with her. Lilith is gonna fight SOMEONE. (And Charlie may have to do a sing-nu-jitsu on her)

I predict Angel and Husk are gonna have to face with their soul binders (Alastor and Valentino) and both of them are probably gonna be rushed.

I predict Lute and Vaggie are gonna fight again and I HOPE Vaggie is more ready for it than in the finale.

I predict either Angel or Husk is gone be next in-line to be redeemed (which means either one is gonna “die” next season)

I predict another standoff between Alastor and Vox…and this time Vox is more cocky since Alastor took a BIG hit in the finale.

I predict Emily is gonna become a sinner.

And last but not least…I predict Vaggie and Charlie are gonna have a wedding at the end of the show.

My “final” thoughts for Hazbin Hotel S1: Pacing and tone shifts were the biggest flaw for this season. Moments, relationships and topics suffered from the poor pacing and while some of the blame goes to the lack of episodes, most of it goes to the writers. I can’t tell you how many moments fell flat due to the rushed episodes. You don’t really have time to breath with this show and the moments that you do get to breath are some of the best moments of the show.

(There’s also bias issues but that’s a separate topic-)

But for what it had…it wasn’t the worst. And I’m actually kinda looking forward to season 2.

[batbabydamian]

🦇🐥 Batman and Robin (2023) #5 rambling and a conspiracy theory lol

tbh this is the most exciting issue for me since…the first one 💀 i’m going to talk about the story and art separately because Nikola Cizmesija’s one of my favorite action focused comic artists so this issue’s a treat 😭

Alfred used to mediate during a lot of Bruce and Damian’s early relationship, so it’s refreshing to see Bruce take more initiative involving himself in Damian’s life even if it’s for a case lol

a couple instances of Alfred’s fatherly support on behalf of Bruce and Damian from Batman and Robin (2011) #2, 4, 39 and Teen Titans (2016) #1

Damian seems to take Bruce's involvement more as a sign he’s not reliable rather than Bruce finally just. being around to help him. which is fair 😭

this is complementary to Cizmesija’s art, but i love this half of the page so bad 😭 the negative space and the shaded foreground with Damian mid-run gives this feeling of time kinda stopping for us to really feel the impact of Damian’s entrance AND the effect it has on Bruce, like!! that wide eyed expression in the below panel!! 😭

Bruce’s quiet “you can do it, son” to A FULL BODY CHEER OF “GO, DAMIAN!” Bruce witnessing Damian be great outside of Robin, and on top of that it’s just another mundane moment that Bruce has wanted with Damian 😭

this is such a goofy bully line sdfgh though the whole “broken” bit might be a callback to Batman and Robin (2011) #1, in that Bruce is really trying to do his job as a father here or i'm likely reading way too into it

SO the “shocking ending” of Zach being Zsasz’s kid was definitely a surprise but then got me wondering what is up with Williamson doing reveals of new kids for villains lol otherwise, the hints in the issue were neat!

the tally marks!! at least tallying blocks is pretty innocent compared to kills 😭

and Damian would recognize how Zsasz moves, since he’s personally fought him before in Streets of Gotham (2009)!! very much not in a sport, but uh maybe it was to Zsasz

the art!! first a shoutout to the colorist Rex Lokus for giving Damian his green eyes and maybe melanin (it didn’t look consistent throughout so i say maybe)!! 😭 also a Talia by Cizmesija!! even though this panel calls her a “not great” teacher…💀

SUCH A FUN PAGE 😭 i’ve been into montage scenes lately lol and i love how quickly Cizmesija establishes Damian’s routine - Tues, Wed, and Fri are the funniest for me!! Damian grumpily getting lectured by his teacher in the foreground while his classmate’s still visibly steaming from the hit he took LOL, DAMIAN’S BUG EYED STARE WITH HIS SUNGLASSES UP, and then Damian looming. stealthily. in a tree. while some kid is blatantly pointing him out HAHA 😭

Cizmesija’s use of motion lines and effects when conveying movement is so cool!! the shonen manga vibes jumps out!! the smoke/dust trails following the movements; the limbs and soccer ball having a sort of blur effect with the motion lines. V COOL.

which leads to my favorite part of Cizmesija’s work - HIS IMPACT SHOTS!!

more motion lines and effects!! the splatter effects!! the arcs!! the jolting impacts!! GRRAAHH!! the setup to that impact shot of Zach's block is so great, and then following with Damian's reaction!! i almost wish that "???" wasn't there, just because that expression of stunned silence already feels so loud!!

last thoughts about Cizmesija's art is that i'm really hoping for a showdown between Damian and Zach next issue because i need to see a Damian fight scene in Nikola Cizmesija-fashion 😭 we get a taste of it with Orca and soccer but i NEED MORE LOL for now, dropping the moment when Damian overpowers Zsasz, in Batman: Streets of Gotham #11 since it was such an epic moment

okay SLAPPING MY CONSPIRACY BOARD!! so on another note Principal Stone being Shush is starting to feel like a red herring and Ms. Heather Hall could actually be Shush. Shush’s main point about Damian as his instructor was emphasizing how much potential he has, but the “wrong” influence could affect that

Stone and Hall have made the same observation about Damian’s potential, but the difference is how they address that - one wants Bruce to be more involved while the other wants Bruce to back off

Stone acknowledged Damian can take care of himself but still wants Bruce to step up in Damian’s life; Hall says it’s okay to be a helicopter parent BUT implies giving Damian space (which we already know Bruce has given so much of after Alfred’s death to the point of neglect 😭)

Hall even suggests moving Damian on to college, which would estrange Damian further. also idk how Damian kicking his teammates/bullies asses at soccer is really “making friends” lol

and of all the subjects she’s teaching, it’s AP Biology - according to the current case Batman and Robin are working on, which is centered around DNA-sequencing, it makes Hall the perfect accomplice to Langstrom

this is where my brain started reaching because i laughed at first at how specific that comparison is, but then it just made me think of how Shush’s first introduction was sniping Bruce LOL anyway, Bruce’s reaction is me 😭

one more Cizmesija appreciation panel - the lil running effects behind Damian :)

[too-antigonish]

The Great S7 Rewrite: 14 July 2024 Update

So here's a brief summary of where we're at so far plus new ideas:

Bone of Contention #1: Opera Rules

So far: 

Keep and maybe even go a little crazy with Opera Rules 

Possibly feature more of the opera written for S7

Possibly include opera theme towpath murders 

NEW:

@oeuvrinarydurian

Throwing this out here because so many of these options are potentially hysterical. https://tropedia.fandom.com/wiki/Opera

I will also suggest looking at TV Tropes Opera page. I’d also recommend checking out the various tvtropes pages for individual operas by title.

Bone of Contention #2: Ludo and Violetta?

So far:

Give them an evil plan that actually makes logical sense

And also make them people that Morse would actually want to be friends/lovers with

Consider extent to which Violetta is “Unattainable Fantasy Woman” 

Make Ludo a music journalist, etc.

NEW:

Keeping Ludo and Violetta

@oeuvrinarydurian

Violetta works better as a character if we turn her more aggressively into a black widow, who is fully on board with whatever overall plan the two of them have

Could work fine in Operaville if the various lures Ludo throws out include Violetta and her magical vajayjay.

Part of the fun and engagement is finding a way to make them work. I think it is cheating if we get rid of everything we hate.

I’m leaning towards making them much more loathsome and true operatic villains.

@fanficrocks

Agrees we should keep Ludo and Violetta but ramp up their villainy… not necessarily in an overt way

Making them on the surface believable as friend and paramour respectively for Morse; but beneath, they are fully invested in their villainy

@astridcontramundum

Agrees that they could both be villains. 

That’s what she did with them in her “After-comers” AU. 

Violetta was actually more of the mastermind in that story, because Ludo tended to give the game away with his theatrics 😂

Specific Ideas for Ludo and Violetta

Fanfic

Loves Ludo as music columnist covering the premiere of a new opera in Venice for the first meeting/supposedly short affair between Violetta and Morse.

Maybe Ludo attends pretending to be a single man because that is the only way he stands a chance at a real coup - an interview with the prima Donna starring as the female lead in the opera (she is well known for brushing off all other women, esp younger & prettier)

Astrid

Likes the ideas we have for how Ludo, Violetta and Morse meet! (I do think we need to keep them—we need a damsel and a villain.

The trouble for me in S7 was that Violetta’s storyline made no sense. If she was really afraid, it seemed she had ample time alone in which she could tell Morse the truth. 

And I didn’t mind Ludo as a villain—I had too much fun having Ludo and Bixby go head-to-head in my AU, I think. 😂)

Ludo’s Outfits

Astrid

…Ludo tended to give the game away with his theatrics 😂

Durian

…not to mention his outfits.

mystifying sweater vest and patterned shirt combination that’s burnt into my brain that I find incredibly upsetting. It’s so horrible, even by 70s standards, and I can’t quite figure out what the point of it is thematically . Do you know the one I mean? It’s godawful.  I think it’s what he’s wearing when Morse goes over for “dinner“ and Violetta is there. I think M’s wearing his Emo Black Turtle.

Ludo’s outfits, one after the other, just get worse and worse and worse. We have to put together an outfit  montage of stills for our storyboard as we craft our villain s/l. Perhaps we can all drop some LSD. Whoever was dressing him clearly was taking psychedelic drugs.

Antigonish

We *must* now include Ludo and Violetta's increasingly obnoxious  outfits as a sign of their escalating villainy. Emo black turtleneck Morse should be oblivious and baffled by their fashion choices.

Durian

Elton John's fashion evolution

Bone of Contention #3: Towpath Storyline

So far:

Streamline very cluttered storyline

Focus mostly on is the murderer Carl or is it not Carl

Possibly make them opera related so it is universe within universe for towpath killings.  Deranged fan? Thwarted performer? Gives more scope for Thursday/Morse conflict.

Make conflict between Morse and Thursday believable by providing adequate motivation—possibly Morse’s increasingly reckless behavior and lack of care for his safety

While there was a reconciliation at the end of S6, Morse would have still been carrying resentment about having been pushed aside

NEW:

Morse/Thursday Conflict

Astrid

And as for the Morse/Thursday conflict—since Morse is having this affair, and since the case is veering towards the operatic, perhaps Morse gets reckless, putting himself inti danger?

Thursday might think of how he had just gone off to Wicklesham Quarry alone and feel angry that Morse has learned nothing from S6.

Fanfic

Likes the idea of Morse rushing into danger in a parallel with the S6 finale. It is sort of what he did at the very end of Zenana, but if it happens earlier like the middle of Oracle, it would give us a very solid reason for their increasingly acrimonious relationship

Bone of Contention #4: The Episodic Storylines

Raga: 

Fanfic

Simplify to story of intra-family tension resulting in the killing of an employee who is also a friend and thus has opinions on the matter. 

Move the actual killing to a street corner or alleyway so that the political backdrop (hate-fueled campaign, race-based attack on the Asian teenager) works as an effective red herring

Then leaves the gay wrestlers story to be woven in - potentially as a second red herring overlapping with the first one of race hate (as several of the wrestlers in the group were persons of color). 

Loves Thursday’s disparaging parallel between wrestling and opera, and can see how that will really rile Morse

Astrid

Glad you like the wrestlers! I was thinking maybe their falling out could be over who was getting the starring role? Over who would get to play the lead “face?” 

Between the wrestlers, and the family drama (love you all’s ideas for them!) and the Ludo/Morse/Violetta storyline, we could have a theme of jealousy and thwarted love and temptation running throughout all of the layers, linking them all together. And tying in to the opera, too, framing it all into one?

Antigonish

If we make the family Bengali, they would work with the idea of incorporating the political tensions in the lead-up to Bangladesh's independence in '71.

Durian

I love what everybody’s throwing out as far as Raga. 

I think we could get rid of the poker and debt storylines as well and completely concentrate on some iteration of  intra-family political divisions . 

If we’ve got to have a murder about money, we can come up with a better reason… Maybe funding some kind of Pro-Bangladeshi political or social cause? 

Zenana:

Fanfic

The only bit in the entire episode that has anything at all to do with the title is the Lady Matilda’s college theme… limiting it to women only, and the women looking after their own (so to speak) when they trap, or more accurately try to inflict vigilante justice on, the copycat towpath killer

Durian

I am fully on board with jettisoning the Lady Matilda‘s storyline. It’s awkward.  

Overall S7 Themes

Astrid

That quote from Ludo* would be great to use too! I had forgotten he said that...that also brings all of the cast of characters together.

*Ludo sums it up—while also perhaps referring to his crimes—by saying to Morse, “Life, death, rich, poor. It's all a roll of the dice, Morse. There's no reason to any of it. You're not responsible. Some people are just unlucky.”

Between the wrestlers, and the family drama (love you all’s ideas for them!) and the Ludo/Morse/Violetta storyline, we could have a theme of jealousy and thwarted love and temptation running throughout all of the layers, linking them all together. And tying in to the opera, too, framing it all into one?

OK. Next up: a strategy for actually getting this done.

[theflyindutchwoman]

You gotta treat this like any other op and treat Lucy like any other UC. I know.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 5.21 - Going Under

I have said it before but the way this episode took a different approach to depict this undercover mission is fascinating. Unlike Lucy's first solo op that focused on how lonely it could be from her perspective, particularly in the montage at the motel, this one rather emphasised how she was always connected to Tim… The phone calls, the text messages, the surveillance… The laundry room… Or here at the hospital. That is not to say she was never alone : just that Tim was never far away. There was always an invisible tether biding them in some way… Like how Lucy immediately finds Tim when she enters the room, zeroing on him and greeting him in a very soft voice… It's not until she closes the door that she acknowledges the rest of the team. It's plain obvious that he's her priority and that she relishes being near him, even for a few minutes.

That leads us to the interplay between the different characters that is quite interesting. While all of them are here for the mission and Lucy, they each serve a different purpose. Sergeant Grey, for instance, is here to supervise everything… But mainly, he's present for both Lucy and Tim, making sure several times that they're alright. That's actually how he starts the meeting : by asking her first how she is doing, even though they don't have much time. Just like how he's the one constantly checking-in on Tim, looking at him directly when the conversation becomes uncomfortable with all the talks about Teska being potentially physical with Lucy. He stays silent, but he takes notes of everything. Then there's Nyla, who is there for her expertise and as a moral support for Lucy… and let's appreciate the fact that she's here at all, despite not being directly involved on the case. She wasn't there during roll-call and she certainly isn't the case officer. But she still took time to come up there in case Lucy needed advices… And finally, there's Wesley, who is laser focused on the mission and there to make sure that she follows the law. He's the one who is more matter of fact and pragmatic, like when he asks her if her meeting with Teska at the restaurant could constitute a date. He knows how difficult this conversation probably is for Tim but it needs to be done. And Tim very clearly doesn't like where this conversation is going. The way he looks back at Grey when he feels his gaze on him, then looks down… Or how he is going antsy and fidgety when Nyla mentions Teska being handsy… It's a far cry from his casual demeanor when the op started.

Speaking of… I'm a bit puzzled as to why exactly Wesley instantly thought that the meeting at the restaurant could be construed as a date, let alone a sign that Teska was in love with Lucy. The guy literally just met her and promptly threatened her to do his bidding - which Wes should know since Tim was listening in on the conversation… I can understand why they made sure to lay down the rules regarding sex. But love? I doubt very much that this was ever going to be a part of the equation…  That said, his comment that 'love makes people do crazy things' could apply to Tim in a way. If it wasn't for Lucy, I don't think he would have ever considered being involved in undercover cases… And it did give us this subtle moment where his gaze turns to her when Wesley mentions love. This whole discussion also underlines how Lucy doesn't shy away from asking advices. She's portrayed as competent and confident, but not arrogantly so. She's not above asking others for their opinions and that's something that I think is done on purpose and is quite reassuring too : she's not being rash or trying to prove herself, which could be dangerous. But most importantly, it ties back to this notion that she's not completely on her own : she has a whole team with her. She has Tim as a safety net.

Even if she has to leave them behind at the moment… Including him. It won't last long since he will be back shadowing her at the restaurant, but this is the part where we can actually see the toll saying goodbye have on them. It's in the way he shakes his head and shrugs when Grey asks if anyone has any question : Tim is trying to act nonchalant and casual, but he's so focused on Lucy, drinking her in before she leaves, that he can't conceal the worry that is written on his face. Or how he has to accompany Lucy to the door… It's a small detail, but Grey, Nyla and Wesley make a point of staying right where they are, giving these two some privacy. Lucy's little smile when she opens the door and sees him at her side is so sweet : there's a part of her that is pleased at his gesture, and another part that is trying to infuse as much reassurance as she can in that smile before leaving. That is really when the distance between them is truly felt, escalating when Tim has to stay at the door while watching her go. He doesn't even close the door until she's out of sight, trying to prolong the inevitable. And once he does, Grey is right by his side, checking in with him… It's a bit ironic how he reminds him that he has to treat Lucy as any UC when he fully knows that Tim wasn't even treating her as any rookie back then… Long before they started their relationship. Still, the fact that Grey assigned Tim as Lucy's case officer says how much he believes in both of them.

[astridhoff03]

I also watched the Mermaid Magic, the new series from the guy who produced winx club, because I was curious…

And man this show rocks. It’s funny, emotional and has a beautiful message about not polluting the ocean and the environment in general. It shows that Rainbow and Iginio Straffi still got it if Nickelodeon doesn’t ruin their plans.

First to the characters: Merlinda is such a lovely protagonist, how she deals with the loss of her mother, trying to save her father and her kingdom, working together with her friends is just wonderful. She’s a dutiful, driven by loss and love Crownprincess, who be a great Queen one day. She has some great character moments, better than Bloom. My favorite scene is definitely when the whale mother is drowning and Merlinda reminds of the loss of her own mother. This moment and scene montage is for so many reasons one of the best moments in the entire series.

First I thought I wouldn’t like Nerissa and Sasha, especially Sasha because I thought she would annoy me. But she and Nerissa were actually kinda fun to watch. Sasha is so funny and also very nice and smart, how she uses her social media skills to fight the Kraken. Nerissa is the complete opposite, she’s serious and feisty but also selfless. I think she has a softer side to her or she’s just a baddie. So were Tyler and Celia. And we also have a Diaspro in this show lol. Also can we agree that Alex is the hottest guy in the show, Tyler is cute but Alex is Romantasy Material. Seriously he looks like a combination between Xaden and Rhysand. He reminds me a lot of these two. Orca is also a really cool mentor. I really enjoy his teacher-student relationship with Merlinda. He is a really lovable character. His ultimate test for Merlinda was phenomenal, testing her empathy, powers and strength at the same time. Also that he is her uncle really took me by surprise, I wouldn’t have seen this coming.

Second the villains: they were creepy as fuck and I love them. They have really good designs and motivations. Even if it’s revenge, revenge can be some sinister motivation.

Third the world: I love the whole design of Mertropia it’s like a Venice for Mermaids. I just wish we would explore more seas, there’s so much to learn about the oceans of our planet. But maybe in next seasons. I would love to see the girls interact with different species of the ocean, there is so much potential. And I would love to see more of the complex ecosystem of the ocean, the task every single ocean creature has in their ecosystem and they should introduce sharks as harmless and these are also just animals who want to life their life.

Also this show would be perfect for the Sirenix song from Winx Club. It would perfectly fit the ocean theme and how the merfolk is bound to it.

[mayasdeluca]

Stuck between trying not to complain over every little thing as we get closer to the end but also feeling like we shouldn't have to settle for crumbs but the fact that Maya and Carina finally get the moment they've been waiting for and are in the process of getting pregnant (Carina may actually be pregnant now?) and it's another wordless montage and we don't get to hear their reactions or hear them say I love you or any words to each other...that was a bit disappointing. And no kiss again either. I guess everyone is against their mouths having contact this season. (I did really enjoy the head kiss in the lounge though and that scene was lovely.)

But aside from that, seeing them so happy to get to that point of the IVF process and seeing them show it in general was still nice and after all their failed tries, they finally made it. ❤️

I thought the episode was pretty good overall and really touched on a lot of important topics. The clinic stuff was incredibly important and I absolutely loved how Carina is also fluent in Spanish. (It was sexy as hell too. 🥵)

I really thought Liam's bio dad was going to be a problem but then again, there's only two episodes left and it's mostly wildfire stuff so it makes sense they already wrapped it up and I'm glad Liam gets to stay where he belongs but that he'll get to know his bio dad as well. Seems like a good solution for all involved.

Seeing protective Maya at the clinic with Carina was everything and I'm glad we got that moment since I'm not sure we'll have much more time for any more of it. I just knew that's how she would be once finding out Carina was pregnant and it's adorable.

I found Ross' sister entertaining for the most part and enjoyed seeing her relationship with Ross and how it progressed by the end of the episode. It was funny how she reacted to Sullivan and Andy at first. But also the way this show tries to spin this narrative about how epic of a love story Ross and Sullivan are will forever make me side eye. They just aren't that couple no matter how much they try to force it.

And trying not to be bitter about the fact that they are the couple to get an engagement party (are we also seeing their wedding too still?) and getting this much focus when they haven't even been one of the main ships of the show for long. It's not surprising though given how obsessed the writers have been with them.

It was cute how Maya and Carina told everyone the update about Liam and his bio dad at the party and everyone was excited for them. As expected we didn't get much of them in those outfits after all.

Now onto the wildfire stuff and promo...I'm trying not to get my hopes up but the potential of Maya getting seriously injured with Carina now being pregnant?? They can do so much with that and you just know Carina is going to be a nervous wreck and they have a moment in the promo. Between them now getting to adopt Liam and now having another baby on the way and Carina potentially losing Maya? I NEED Marina to exchange I love you's in these last two episodes. We need to hear Carina say it to Maya. It's been so long and it's so fitting for this kind of scenario. I really hope they don't let us down.

Just seeing the promo and seeing the words series finale really hit me for the first time, I'm not going to lie. Despite all the frustration and sadness this show has brought, especially recently with the unfair treatment, just knowing that we are so close to the end and so close to not having this couple on screen anymore...I've been trying not to think about it and get too sad before it happens but it's starting to become real and it's definitely going to be hard watching these last two episodes. I'm truly going to miss Marina and everything they represented.

[aeligsido]

OKAY BUT — Anastasia AU.

Harry is, of course, Anya/Anastasia. Dimitri would be Ginny (bc i adore Hinny), and as Vlad we would have Ron, Fred, and George (I would just put Ron but having the twins as conmen is too excellent to pass on). Rasputin is, obviously, Voldemort, and I think his bat associate is probably Peter or Snape (maybe Crouch Jr?). The family member looking for their lost kid is Sirius (and Remus!!!) and Sophie is Hermione (she's Remus' secretary and handles things for him since he's often sick). She also has her love story with Ron bc Romione <3

(although Ron and Hermione with Dimitri and Anya's relationship & Harry counting points works wonderfully well too lmao)

SO!!! The Potters got killed by Voldemort and Sirius just managed to escape with Harry. But they end up being separated in the following chaos and never found each other back :C Harry ends up suppressing his memories bc trauma, and Sirius finds refuge in another country (alternatively I would think it funny if instead of going from Russia to France they went from Britain to Russia lmao).

Once of age, Harry leaves the orphanage he was living in (bonus point if Marge Dursley was the one in charge of said orphanage, for funsies). He ends up meeting the Weasleys, who I imagine are trying to get out of the country to join their eldest brother (I'm going with the idea that their parents are either dead and not able to care for them anymore/help them, and also they're pretty poor and looking for ways to improve their lives). Their latest con is "finding the Potter boy, bringing him to Black, and getting the reward", and they think Harry is perfect for the role. Harry is going along bc he's longing for a family and, well, it won't hurt to try, right?

So they set out together and travel to the country where Sirius currently lives. Insert here montage of bff-ism between Ron and Harry, blossoming romance between Harry and Ginny, general shenanigans, attempted murders from a newly-risen Voldemort (so everything just like in canon).

Meanwhile, Remus thinks about stopping trying to find Harry bc it's just hurting him and Sirius so much at this point, but Sirius is not ready to lose hope yet. They have a mature discussion about it I swear.

During their travels, the Weasleys do notice that Harry is weirdly knowledgeable on the Potters. Not even the big stuff everyone knows, but random little details that even them and their careful researches didn't always catch. They probably have a talk about it at some point, and then put it in the back list of their priorities.

And then there's there! Hermione is the one to meet them at first. She has a list of questions, knows everything there is to know, and has been living with Sirius and Remus since she was a teenager and knows all the stories, so she's rarely caught off guard and can usually seed the potential Harrys pretty well. She also has a nonsense attitude and pretty eyes and Ron is immediately taken and a blubbering mess. Fred makes fun of him, George tries to charm Hermione, they lose track for a few minutes here before it's back to business. And Harry passes the test!! Idk what would be the last question bringing up the memory but what Harry remembers would be, I think, some alternative of Padfoot and Moony. Maybe the question was "how did you call Lord Black and his husband?" and usually people go with "Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus" which is true since Harry did call them that, but also since he was a baby he called them Paddy and Moo-Moo too, and sometimes it still used to come out — and that's what comes when Hermione asks this question, and she's curious. She knows about the Padfoot and Moony nicknames bc, again, she's living with them, and they use it in private and she's been included in their very private circle for a bit now.

So she tells them they passed, and then I think I would diverge a bit more from the movie — Hermione would report everything to Remus, including the nicknames, and he immediately asks to meet them. There's no one outside of Sirius and Remus who know about it, after all, and either it's a sick joke or it's the real Harry (and it wouldn't expose Sirius to something or someone that would hurt him)(which, you know, Sirius doesn't want Remus to expose himself to things or people that could hurt him either, but does Remus listens to him? No!). So they meet or I think more like seeing them from afar, and Remus would recognize Harry anywhere, so he plans a proper meeting for them all.

And that's when Voldemort would come back!! The kids (Hermione included) are out together, probably for shopping/tourist time, and bam! Oldy Voldy is ambushing them and trying to kill Harry (they hadn't noticed the attempted murders until then, btw). There's a fight, and someone runs to get Lord Black here as fast as possible please and thank you (maybe Fred or George, I think). So Sirius saves the day!! And once Voldemort is finally gone, there are a lot of hugs and tears. Sirius has his godson back, Harry has a family, and maybe the Weasleys will stay in town longer (or even settle down here, who knows?) <3

[doublel27]

Okay I will not be over this breakup any time soon. I saw it coming the second Moo called Kang and he was sitting in the restaurant infused with so much blue and he was awkward on the phone and then finding out why he was there…Moo’s mom is on my shit list.

However, I’m really pleased with how the break up went overall and that they broke our hearts in Ep 10 to give us enough runway to really fix it.

In this episode they gave us enough space to see that Moo wasn’t going to give up on either of his dreams. He wants both and he will do what it takes to have them. Moo was also terrible at being secretive. For all of his spy movie expertise, it was very clear he couldn’t actually maintain secrecy. He’s out here using a hat as cover to kiss Kang and hugging him in the middle of cinema hallways.

We also got enough space to see Kang struggling with sharing Moo with the world and having to lie about what he and Moo are to each other. Through their dating montage we saw Kang overhearing fans outside the condo talking about possibly catching Moo with a potential partner and being scandalized by it. He also looked incredibly lonely at parts as Moo would get asked for pictures while Moo kept insisting that he wasn’t that famous and as his numbers continue to grow.

And then we got Moo getting in trouble at rehearsal contrasted with Moo’s mom calling Kang to meet her to tell him what’s happening. And the reality is they’re both so honest and they hate lying about this and Moo definitely thinks it’s stupid. He’s understandably angered by the whole thing even if he chose to lie. The use of our grumpy fellow idol doesn’t surprise me at all in this.

Kang just wants Moo to reach his dreams. And it’s so effective to have Moo’s mom be the one to talk to Kang because she is seemingly finally supporting his dreams of being an idol and that was something that Kang knows hurt Moo in the past. It’s part of what Kang uses in the breakup, about how Moo has more than just Kang now who love and support him. It’s not like how it was when it was just them, and oh some of Kang’s own self esteem bits are on display as he insists there’s more than just him and he can’t be more than Moo’s dreams and Moo’s dreams can’t be worthless without kang. They have to have value.

And then you contrast it with Moo who is holding on to the promise that Kang wouldn’t let go of his hand. He knows how much of his current success is due to meeting this man who supports him and loves him and wants what’s best for him even if it means making boundaries that Moo doesn’t want to follow. And he asks to figure this out together, to find a solution, to not have to make an impossible choice…and Kang chooses for him.

The way there’s still nothing dishonest in the breakup: they’re both very clear that they’re still in love. Kang doesn’t lie and actually points out that Moo’s honesty about his emotions is one of his best traits and Kang can’t continue to ask him to be a liar. Kang remains honest that he’s going to keep watching and supporting and loving Moo. He wants to see Moo have his own concerts and write new songs.

Even at the beginning of the train car scene when Moo asks whose boyfriend Kang is, Kang says he’s Moo’s boyfriend…only moo’s (which like looking at you show sneaking that in there. I caught it.)

Kang leaves Moo with a last meal and proceeds to their cinema date spot and murder all of us by blocking Moo’s number. I understand why. He loves Moo and he’s terrible at resisting Moo when Moo chases because Moo is so honest and true and clear. And we are left sobbing with Moo on the train and on the steps of the station.

Then part 4 opens and it’s a year later! What a jump scare! And I am glad they are giving the time and space to contrast what has been happening for Moo and Kang in this year. We know Moo has debuted and is in a group. We know Kang is still following his dreams of art and is even making fan stickers of Moo. Still supporting him from afar.

And Moo is clearly determined to hold on to Kang’s promise that they can have love and their dreams.

Having two episodes for them to figure out how to either balance their dreams with the relationship or for Moo to reevaluate his dreams after having achieved it for a year…or potentially being Moo and making a large grand gesture that also admits that while he hasn’t been in a relationship officially, it’s still a lie that he saves all of his love for his fans because a large part of it will always be Kang’s, even if they’re not officially together…which I think some people may need to hear.

All in all, I am still really hopeful for the next two episodes. My boys didn’t act out of character and they were facing this difficulty since the beginning and I am grateful for the amount of runway to overcome it.

The hospital BTS shot still haunts me though.

[ultratradmalewife]

I think I’m the only Bucktommy shipper hoping Zach is the new LI. I don’t think they are going to bring Tommy back. I’m pretty sure after the backlash the show is only going to make Tommy be a bad boyfriend. I know I’m not going to be invested in of Buck’s LI after what happened with Tommy and have no stakes in it. But the Buddies are still all in.

I can already see what’s going to happen in the fandom. At first they are going to love his character. They will use everything he does to point out how much better than Tommy he is. Then once he sticks around for too long and becomes a significant character they will turn on him because he would be a barrier preventing Buddie from happening. They will turn on the character and go after the actor.

I will feel sorry for the actor but for once and for all we will have proof that it was never an issue with Tommy, it was just an issue because it wasn’t Eddie.

To be honest I agree with you on the show making Tommy a bad boyfriend and him not coming back. Hopefully they’ll be a little kinder this time, because not even the GA bought that attempt of a character assassination. The only people it pleased were B*ddies so… that was a choice. But at my most hopeful and most delusional I can see them bringing him back as Buck’s endgame in a finale montage if they decide for Buck to have a revolving door of Love Interests until then.

As for the Zach guy it’s nothing personal against him, I just don’t want Buck moving on so soon. I’m still hurt that we have to see older gay men end up miserable and lonely as our representation (I mean we can’t even give Josh a boyfriend), and I’m glad for this backlash because it’s going to remind the show it’s main audience isn’t these teens that they picked up from Buddie Tik Tok. There were actual older gay men hurt here, but we’ll see if they care. The thing he does have going for him is that he’s recognizable with the younger audience, and maybe a good part of the older audience, but we’ll have to see what his role is at first anyways.

The part that displeases me is how this could just be more recycled material for Tim on making this potential pairing a substitute Tarlos (it pains me to say this because Tarlos was called substitute Buddie), but let’s be honest Tim’s writing and originality has been bought into question this season and with good reason. So a cop x firefighter (yes I know TK is now a paramedic) mlm dynamic is not something I’m looking forward to storyline wise. I’m team give Tarlos their spin off.

As for how the buddies react part of me sees your vision. Depending if he’s actually a love interest, eventually there’ll be a new group of outcasts because we know BTs weren’t mostly the problem. But maybe Oliver’s attitude towards his love interests and costars will change this time? I don’t know and I’m trying so hard not to care. I did end up loving this show but I’m hurt. I want to snip this experience as soon as possible, but the community is great and it’s my first show fandom so maybe I’m a little too attached. We’ll just have to see how things play out.

[gabessquishytum]

So we all agree that Hob is the World's Greatest Lover, 600 year reigning Pussy Eating Champion, etc etc. But think of the comedy potential if instead he was just...kind of mediocre at sex. After all these centuries he's still satisfied with a quick wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, and he's not a particularly generous lover. A lot of the sex he's had over the years has been with prostitutes, so he doesn't feel very guilty about not making sure they finish, and his wives and long-term partners have mostly been a bit prudish/sheltered because of the time periods they lived in (some of them may not have even been aware that female orgasms were a thing). But none of them ever complained, so he assumed he was pretty good at sex.

And sure, he's had experiences with men (he's been a sailor at times, after all), but back in his day oral sex with any gender was kind of unhygienic and gross (cue the "ripe smegmatic sausage" meme) so the man's never given a blowjob in his unnaturally long life. Now, he *thinks* he knows all there is to know about sex because, to be fair, he has probably done it more times than any other human alive. But the reality is, his idea of "kinky" is any position other than missionary.

So he's surprised (and his ego is a bit bruised) when Dream seems disappointed but amused after their first time. He's worried Dream is going to dump him (and he's beating himself up, thinking he's so stupid for ever believing he could live up to Dream's standards), but Dream just smiles fondly at him and promises to teach him everything and train him to be a worthy lover for an Endless.

So after that, every night when Hob is in the Dreaming they work on his sexual education. Training montage: Dream makes him practice sucking his dick and eating his pussy until he really is the Pussy Eating Champion. Dream expects to come at least three times before Hob is even allowed to think about his own orgasm. Dream fucks his brains out and makes him a plug and a cock cage out of dreamstuff to wear in the waking, so he's always ready and can't cum unless it's on Dream's cock. Hob is, of course, a very eager and studious pupil, and he's more than happy to do anything Dream wants; he's realizing he's actually a lot kinkier than he thought. He loves being dommed by Dream, and Dream considers his education to be complete when Hob is able to successfully Dom *him* (which may or may not have been his goal from the beginning). The student has become the master, etc etc.

I love it here, you guys are so good to me <3 bad sex is so one of my kinks, especially coupled with a lil humiliation kink.

It's entirely fair to believe that Hob might have got a little bit too comfortable over the years. Recently his sexual experience has very much aligned with his modern image - middle class, a little boring, would probably rather just have a cup of tea. He's been sleeping with women mostly, and sadly he's been lulled into a false sense of security when they assure him that yes they did cum, honestly. Even in the decades before that a lot of what he did was drug fuelled and he can barely remember most of it.

Dream is a little disappointed, but on the whole he's amused and quite looking forward to giving Hob an education - after firmly telling him that his dick is nothing special and he really needs to work on his stamina (Hob is sitting there in stunned silence wondering how on earth this conversation is making him hard.)

Hob spends the next few months not being allowed to put his dick anywhere near Dream anyway. He's only allowed to pleasure Dream with his mouth, and only very occasionally allowed to cum. Dream is the strictest of teachers and resorts to corporal punishment when his student doesn't behave (spoiler alert, Hob also enjoys this more than he ought to).

Slowly Hob picks up the skills that he either lost or never had in the first place, and Dream becomes much more agreeable with him. After nearly half a year Hob is finally allowed to fuck Dream again, only this time he's wearing a cock ring and his purpose is only to bring his lover pleasure. Dream is so pleased with his progress that he even lets Hob cum inside him.

Before long Hob is coming home from work, grabbing Dream by the waist and hauling him over the sofa to tongue-fuck him until he screams. Which was more or less what Dream was hoping for during their first encounter. He's quite happy to sit on Hob’s (admittedly quite nice) dick these days, because he knows that Hob’s primary objective will forevermore be to make him cum.

Even if he does occasionally have to tie Dream up to do it. Oh yes, Dream needs to be educated too - about the perils of working too much and not letting off steam. Hob is only too happy to take on the role of teacher, this time.

[franki-lew-yo]

inb4 nicer post than my last one:

I saw Chicken Run 2. It's pretty cute. Definitely not as big a letdown or wasted like a Pixar sequel is.

Keep in mind I think I'm one of the few people in existence who's never itching to get sequels and continuations of my fandoms. I never wanted a Finding Nemo sequel and Finding Dory broke my heart in the worst way; by having unlimited potential and squandering it and the characters I love.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget doesn't do that, happy to say. Mostly it's just underwhelming.

It's weird. I'm definitely not a better writer than these professional writers, I just find myself going "why didn't you have the characters do/say THIS instead? It would still be cinematic and in character". I'd have to rewatch to give you a play-by-play of exactly what I mean. Overall I'd call that a nitpick. Bigger criticisms, especially when this is a sequel to a 20 y old film with fans who've seen in hundreds of times and know the details:

Hated how they retconed the chicks at the end of the original. You Thanos snapped Bunty and Fowler and possibly some of Rocky and Ginger's children. Also, those little 100% chicks were adorable. I'm okay with Molly being Ginger's only chick, but she'd look adorable as one of these:

Another distracting continuity thing: Rocky gets upset that he can't crow anymore. Even though...he was never a crower. That was Fowler's job. I remember. I get that he's a rooster but my point is that was never a thing Rocky did in the original and that should be been better established as what he does now on the island. Put it among the lines that I think could have very easily been slipped in to make it more digestible; you could have had Rocky say to Ginger, "you gotta let me crow! That's, like, my thing now", implying that he's turned to being the island's crow-er to cope with abandoning his lone-free-ranger lifestyle. See? Small changes of dialogue that can imply so much and give you an idea of all the things you need to know in this newer story.

Even though Fowler did technically do something in the end most of the movie felt annoyed and just there. Really would have liked it if he and Babs were back up and helpful some other way while it was mostly Mac, Bunty, and the rats who went in to save Molly and Rocky. Idk. Maybe it's hard to be the absolute banger of a convenience that is the green aliens and ' the claaaaaw' in Toy Story 3-- needed to utilize him better for the gag and the story is what I'm trying to get at.

Rocky and Ginger's voices were distracting. It's odd because Rocky's is definitely the more noticeably different one that you have to get used to, but I am 100% replacing him considering who was his og voice. I'm mostly mad that in order to free Rocky of the curse they had to take the part away from Julia Sawalha.

This is probably going to controversial here but, um, I really wish Mrs. Tweedy wasn't the Mrs. Tweedy in this. I think it'd be a funnier, more of a "here we go again" gag that they actually find some way to contrive the villain of this movie to be Mrs. Tweedy's relative that just happens to look the same, sound the same AND have the same bloodlust for chickens. Like, the gag is that all of Mrs. Tweedy's family is Officer Jenny/Nurse Joy who are all identical to one another but they're also the Cruella of birds and all have a bumbling husband. Even though it's explained how she got here, it just kind of takes the teeth out of her original defeat and even her one in this film.

I kind of wish Ginger had stayed "colarred" for a longer stretch of time and the rest of the crew had to save her. I feel like Molly being placed in her mother's shoes would have been more dramatic and made the situation all the more dire and dependent on the other characters to think up a plan. Ginger being unable to do anything or "broken" would change it up a bit, provided she still makes the final save in the end.

That pop song during the 'Molly-growing-up' montage was bad and didn't suit the time period and vibe of the movie. It really took me out. Just play that in the end credits.

Mr. Fry never appeared again in his creepy chicken man suit and I kind of really liked the idea of this creeeeeepy farmer basically wanting to be friends with the chickens while dressing as one because he thinks he's more connected to them that way. But no that's just for one scene.

I was also expecting Mr. Fry to turn on Mrs. Tweedy as he noticed her obviously flirting with Reginald. Having the ending twist be that he assists the chickens in their escape or lives among them in a horrific chicken suit with the chickens taking advantage of this would have been right at home.

that's all I got.

[bengiyo]

I Feel You Linger in the Air Ep 12 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Jom told Yai the truth about his origins and his suspicion that he's about to vanish. Yai didn't want to lose Jom and did everything he could, from asking a monk to reading H.G. Wells instead of having sex with Jom. They held a farewell and thanks party for their friends that felt a lot like an AIDS announcement party to me. Jom wrote a letter to the future and asked Yai to pass it down through his descendants. Nonkul and Bright delivered last week with incredibly heartfelt performances of two people trying to make the most of the time they have and not mourn. Meanwhile, Fong Kaew put Euangphueng in touch with someone to help her abort the child, and Maey struggled with the potential spiritual fallout of that.

Oh lord, Jom and Yai are burying a body.

Oh, nevermind. Yai is following his instincts related to Jom.

If they buried a ring in the past, did they not know about the time jump? I would have sent instructions. Come to think of it, Jom should have written a letter to himself!

Oh it's Mustache Yai again! What a fascinating sense memory. How is Jom remembering moments from the past that occur in his future?

Aw, it was a dream.

"You take a little stick, you dig a little hole...and you have a little fun."

It always looks hot as hell in Thailand.

I like this send off scene for Euangphueng and Maey.

Yai covered the mirrors. I love that.

Jom's smile when Khamsaen asks him if he could just move on from love is perfect.

Oh, poor Yai. He definitely thought Jom vanished.

The choreography for their intimate scenes is so good and so tasteful. This feels like gay sex even if we don't see it. There's so much intent and silent communication here. Doing a montage over their heavy breathing was a great choice.

We let them make love. Time for the drama.

Having Jom disappear while he was doing the portrait is so much. Come on.

This extended goodbye is making me ache.

Well that was so sad.

Mustache Yai and Jom's original clothes are back.

WHO IS THIS SCUBA DIVER? ARE WE RESCUING JOM FROM THE CRASH?

Oh lord we're back to the present and just walking around unbothered.

Now Ohm and Baby Mama are here! We hadn't been in the present day drama for very long, and this is actually fairly reasonable behavior considering all that happened.

Oh good, Jom remembers.

Look at that, Jom is eating crepes and his sister is coming out. It's a good day.

Fascinated by the implications of the ceremony and all the reincarnated people being in Jom's life. Please show us the woman who owns the house.

Feeling very emotional about all of these mementos being saved for Jom for a century.

Wow, this letter. Incredible historical significance.

Whoa. How is Yai here?

Wait, how are we ending here??

Now why is Jom in the goddamn woods again?

I'm so glad we got a second season confirmation because I would be so annoyed being left in limbo.

Final Verdict: 9, This Show Was Worth The Hype. I have some qualms with some of the pacing of various beats and how effectively the expanded roles of the side cast worked out in the show relative to what was clearly a story focused on a romance, but I think this show took me to places in queer history I hadn't specifically thought about in a way that made me hungry to know more. I really appreciate Nonkul and Bright so much because Tee is at his best with strong performers who work really well together. This show held for its first half, but I find myself frustrated for Jom that we still have no idea how or why any of this is happening to him, and I think it's really sad that he keeps losing his loves. This is one of my favorite productions of the year, and yet I feel like I want some distance from it for a while now that it's over.