#spocks as a whole are just bitchy and i love it

[paranoidblue]

The outright bitchiness of AOS!Spock 🤝 The more covert bitchiness of TOS!Spock

[psychofright]

I love the AOS versions of Kirk and Spock especially. Not only because they’re just both so catty and downright bitchy towards each other and that’s a funny dynamic, or just because I love the casting choices. Not just because I love watching characters who start as near complete opposites and almost enemies (one driven purely by what seems to be instinct/emotion, the other by what seems to be logic) develop deep respect and love for each other. Mainly, I love their AOS characterizations because they are both so deeply flawed when you get down to it, and it adds a whole layer of depth and complexity to them that other versions of them seem to sometimes lack.

AOS Kirk is a complete product of trauma. And yes, he’s incredibly intelligent to start with. But at the end of the day, his charming and deeply caring personality, his recklessness and disregard for his own safety over that of others, his ability to instinctually know things are going to happen before they happen based on very little logic or evidence to support his “hunch”, his skills to calmly and effectively navigate crisis scenarios, and his general lack of respect for and aversion to (most) authority figures is all birthed of trauma. When you go through the type of shit he went through as a child, it literally rewires your brain and how you process things, and how you notice things. And that makes him a great Captain yes, but he also has very obvious (probably a list of honestly) anxiety disorders, and as such is hyper vigilant and unable to cope with periods of down time (at least, at the start).

And then there’s AOS Spock. He tries his best to be a perfect visage of calm cool and collected, seemingly completely driven by logic, but he’s actually just constantly masking. But then Kirk comes along and is this wholly illogical thing who some how always ends up being right in his predictions (that, to Spock, seemingly are improbable and nearly fantastical, and almost always driven by emotion rather than evidence) and it effortlessly derails Spock’s entire visage of calm and emotional neutrality. He literally has an on-screen meltdown in the 2009 movie when Kirk provokes him after meeting Prime Spock. And at the end of the day, AOS Spock is an overwhelmingly emotional individual who has practically been told since childhood by his society that is unacceptable and wrong. But it doesn’t change the fact that he is, so he just finds ways to bury that side of him and mask it (successfully, even). At least he does until Kirk comes along and Spock hates him automatically, because well, Kirk is a mirror image of Spock, it’s just that the reflection is of his highly emotional side that he tries with great effort to hide, and it’s staring back at him with bright blue eyes and completely unavoidable.

[fxoye2]

I find the idea that Jim’s views Spock’s attractiveness as serious as a gravitational law interesting— for Spock, I think the equivalent of that, in all versions — even AOS, when they’re most combative — is his loyalty to Jim. Like, he would follow Jim anywhere; he’d do anything for Jim because he trusts him more than anyone. Falling in love with him was something, however, he didn’t expect along with that bone deep loyalty, nor was his attraction. I think in every universe, he’s aware that Jim’s handsome, both in looks & personality, but it’s only when he has to reckon with that on his own that it starts to kind of make it a problem. I do think this goes differently for each version of Spock (I guess TOS/SNW are technically the same version? Idk)

Ohhh man, I love this question, and I think the idea of Spock’s loyalty to Jim being as fundamental as Jim’s attraction to Spock is just perfect. It’s like these two are bound by something so deeply ingrained in who they are that it transcends everything else. But yeah, how that plays out definitely depends on which version of Spock we’re talking about because each one brings something unique to the table. Let me break it down because I have many feelings about this, and Spock in every universe is just… ugh, my heart.

AOS Spock is complicated in ways that tie directly into his internal conflict between his Vulcan and human sides. He’s so emotionally complex, and I think a big part of his issue is that he still sees his human side as a disadvantage—a flaw he has to constantly overcompensate for. His struggle isn’t so much about feeling “less,” but about feeling like he has to prove himself more because of the parts of himself he doesn’t fully accept yet. He’s sharp, he’s snarky, and there’s this almost defensive layer to him.

He’s not the type to openly acknowledge emotions or attraction, and that’s what makes his journey with Jim so fascinating. Spock’s loyalty is a given—he’d follow Jim anywhere, trust him with his life—but the attraction? That’s where things get messy. Spock didn’t expect to feel this deeply for Jim, and it takes him by surprise. He’s always compartmentalized his emotions, but Jim forces him to confront the fact that some feelings can’t be neatly filed away. And this is where we see the cracks in Spock’s otherwise logical exterior. He’s devoted to Jim, but coming to terms with why he’s devoted? That’s a whole other battle. AOS Spock fights against that attraction because he hasn’t yet accepted that his human emotions are part of what makes him whole. He’s always working to keep things in check, and when those feelings for Jim creep up, it’s like his whole carefully constructed world gets shaken.

And honestly, AOS Spock’s bitchiness? It’s his armor. He uses it to maintain control over situations, over himself, and even over how others perceive him. He nitpicks, he points out illogic, because it’s what he does to himself. He holds himself to impossible standards, and it spills over into his interactions with others. His loyalty to Jim, though, is what begins to soften that, even if Spock isn’t ready to admit it. The depth of that loyalty opens the door to feelings he can’t quite control, and you can see him wrestling with it throughout the AOS movies.

Now, TOS Spock is a whole different kind of complicated. He’s not any less loyal to Jim, but the way he deals with his emotions is much more measured. He’s had more time to figure out how to balance his Vulcan and human sides, even if he still struggles with that internal conflict. The difference is, TOS Spock has learned to bury his emotions deeper, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. His loyalty to Jim is absolute, and you can tell that, over time, it evolves into something more profound. But where AOS Spock is sharp and defensive, TOS Spock is more subtle and witty. He’ll make those little jabs, sure, but it’s less about proving something and more about gently teasing. His relationship with Jim feels quieter in some ways, but no less intense.

TOS Spock already knows that Jim is an extraordinary human being, and I think, on some level, he’s always been aware of his attraction to Jim—he just keeps it under wraps because that’s what Vulcans do. It’s not that Spock’s feelings aren’t as intense as AOS Spock’s, it’s that he’s better at managing them. He’s already learned that emotions and logic aren’t mutually exclusive, and while he still defaults to logic, his connection with Jim is something he doesn’t need to question. His loyalty, his love—it’s all there, and I think he accepts it more readily than AOS Spock does. It’s like he knows, deep down, that Jim is the one person who truly understands him. He just doesn’t express it in the same fiery way.

And then… we have SNW Spock, who, I know, isn’t everyone’s favorite, but bear with me because I think he’s incredibly important to Spock’s overall journey. A lot of people feel disconnected from SNW Spock because he’s so different from the Spock we know and love in TOS—he’s more polished, more… cishet on the surface. But what I think people miss is that all of this is intentional. SNW Spock is raw. He’s unpolished. He’s messy, and I think that’s exactly what makes him so fascinating. This is Spock before he becomes the person we know in TOS.

SNW Spock is a character in the middle of a huge personal struggle, trying to balance the expectations of both his Vulcan and human sides while navigating his role in Starfleet. At this point in his life, he’s still desperately seeking acceptance, and that manifests in how he presents himself. His fit, polished appearance isn’t just a Starfleet standard—it’s Spock’s way of maintaining control when he feels like everything inside is chaotic. He believes that if he can just present himself as disciplined and perfect on the outside, it will compensate for the internal turmoil he’s experiencing. This external perfection is a shield he uses to protect himself from feeling like he doesn’t belong.

What’s interesting about this phase of Spock’s life is that he’s still following social expectations, and that includes how he approaches relationships. The fact that we see him kissing women in SNW isn’t about him suddenly being straight or heteronormativity—he’s just trying to follow the script he thinks society expects him to. Women show interest in him, and he assumes it’s only natural to reciprocate, even if that’s not truly what he wants deep down. He’s still too caught up in the idea of fitting in and doing what’s “normal” to question whether those interactions align with his actual desires.

The heart of SNW Spock’s struggle is that he hasn’t yet realized that he doesn’t need to perform for others to have value. His carefully maintained appearance and relationships with women are part of his attempt to find a place in a world that wants him to be either fully human or fully Vulcan. He hasn’t yet found peace with being both, and so he’s trying to mold himself into what he thinks people want. It’s not about rejecting his queerness or his more complicated emotions—it’s about trying to fit in when he still feels out of place.

Ultimately, SNW Spock is searching for validation, trying to balance the weight of expectation with his own identity. He’s still figuring out where he belongs, and part of that process involves adhering to social norms that don’t quite fit him. It’s a messy, uncomfortable stage, but it’s also essential for his growth. Spock is trying to control the parts of himself that feel unmanageable, but over time, he’ll learn that he doesn’t need to fit into anyone’s mold.

In all versions, though, that deep, unwavering loyalty to Jim is what anchors Spock. Whether he’s young and unsure in SNW, snarky and defensive in AOS, or refined and reserved in TOS, that loyalty evolves into something more—something that goes beyond words, beyond logic. And that’s what makes their connection so powerful in every timeline.

[inimitablereel]

2023 Fic+Vid recs

A variety of things I liked this year, made this year. Once again, this got long, so fic recs and fandom-specific recs for dmbj are below the cut. But first a few miscellaneous vids

[vid] Cockroach Motherfuckers by eruthros, thingswithwings multifandom Immortal queer characters multi-vid! This is exactly as much fun and hopeful as it sounds. I've seen maybe 2 of the sources so you know, you don't have to have seen them all.

(We) Didn't Just Come Here to Dance [Fanvid] by FairestCat fandom: Newsies I haven't actually seen newsies, but I really liked this vid. Taking the (very dramatic) musical theater dancing and putting it to a Carly Rae Jepsen song works SUPER well, visually very fun time. Also, unions!

[Vid] Oceanographer's Choice by absternr fandom: Heroes (cdrama 2022) Bai Choufei, Su Mengzhen, and Lei Chun's fucked up relationship(s)/falling apart bad times. This vid is deeply upsetting, just a real exploration of sometimes caring a lot about each other makes everything worse. For maximum sad times, this goes well with absternr's other heroes vid, hey, I just met you, which is the meet-cutes that led to this whole mess.

[AMV] The Draw by Lovely Goblin fandom: Revolutionary Girl Utena Black Rose Arc! I've watched this vid so many times really good weird and creepy black rose arc vibes really good parallels between all the different duelists

Also blanket rec that if you've seen Everything Everywhere All at Once, consider looking for vids for it. There's a bunch on ao3 (which can be easier to navigate than youtube, though there are definitely more total vids on youtube) and they're pretty much all spectacular? I was going to include one or two in this rec post and couldn't decide

The wild phonemes of 40 Eridani Keid by astronicht Fandom: Star Trek (aos/tos mashup canon) relationship: Spirk ~10k words rated E You know if you'd told me a year ago I'd be reccing a spirk fic in 2023 I would have been a bit surprised. This is not particularly my fandom wheelhouse. But you know, they're always good, and this fic is really great. This is almost an episode-fic except that nothing really happens plot-wise. But instead of a plot we get a lot of musing about geology and diplomacy and clever references to current events as history in that very trek kind of way and Spock being bitchy just for fun.

fuori dal mondo by bladedweaponsandswishycoats fandom: Qi Ye relationship: Beiyuan/Wu Xi, Beiyuan/Zhou Zishu (more plot than ship focused) ~60k words rated E This is a retelling of Qi Ye except Beiyuan is... some kind of eldritch horror, part-time. It pretty much goes beat for beat through canon (which I appreciate, I loved that book and do not like any of the current tls enough to reread) but with the added layer of whatever is going on with this eldritch thing, which is very cool and tied into canon so don't let me spoil it for you.

We're Leaving Our Shadows Behind Us by lady_ragnell fandom: Tortall - Protector of the Small relationship: Kel/Neal/Yuki ~70k words rated T Canon retelling of Squire and Lady Knight but from Neal's POV. This fic really digs into Neal as a character and the details of the worldbuilding of Tortall, especially the chamber of the ordeal. Also somewhere along the way it sold me on this ship, which I wasn't exactly rooting for when I read the books the first time.

The Untamed/MDZS

a harmony between qin and se by Alaceron relationship: Wangxian ~60k words rated E This is a gender-bent (to make it a het romance) no magic historical drama au where Wei Wuxian is a woman who's arranged to marry Lan Wangji. Honestly this is pretty far from the untamed, especially in terms of themes, though some plot elements will be familiar, but mostly it's just a really great compellingly written historical drama, that happens to have main characters with some familiar characteristics.

Like a Game of Chess by countingcr0ws relationship: Wangxian ~40k words rated T Modern au: influencer Wei Wuxian runs into Lan Wangji on a trip to Taiwan and they travel around together. I love all the little details of their trip - it's like getting to see a new place without going anywhere. Also sometimes I forget that wangxian are very cute? They're a good ship brant

The Epic Highs and Lows of High School Zine Production by el_em_en_oh_pee relationship: Jin Ling & Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling & the mdzs juniors ~7k words rated G Modern au: High schooler Jin Ling has big feelings about a lot of things, including zines, gender, and family. One of those juniors-centric fics that makes me say oh they are Teens huh.

DMBJ

A Little Hole in the Wall by MountainRose gen, Liu Sang centric ~8k words rated G Honestly I would rec this fic even to people who know nothing about tomb shows. One thing that really draws me to a book is descriptions of food (I have read multiple food memoirs this year), and this restaurant au has AMAZING food (and food prep) in it. Not too plotty, mostly just descriptions of delicious things and characterization via cooking.

green with an attitude by ilgaksu relationship: heihua ~8k words rated T If you are in the English language dmbj fandom and you care at all about heihua you probably have already checked out ilgaksu's fic, which has basically defined heihua for the English language fandom. My favorite heihua moments are when other people show up and give you that foil to realize how weird they are, and this fic has that both via Xiuxiu and Wu Xie. Also, a fic about dancing!

making anything last, keeping anything safe by A (mumblemutter) relationship: Wu Xie/Xiao Bai (background pingxie) ~8k words rated M Post canon Xiao Bai takes Wu Xie to explore a tomb that should be perfectly safe... (They set off a sex pollen trap.) I don't particularly ship this, but this fic was extremely well done and kind of sold me on the ship. Fun tomb, really fun characterization for everyone involved.

A World Made Over, Fresh and New by Thimblerig gen, iron triangle, Wu Xie & Li Cu ~1k words rated G If you've ever gotten specific dmbj fic recs from me, it's probably included something by Thimblerig, they're amazing at pulling in very specific canon snippets in under 5k words and I'd generally recommend going through their work by tags if you're looking for fic with underloved side characters or fic set during a part of canon that isn't UN or post-canon, which are generally easier to find. That said, this particular fic is in fact the fandom staple of post-reboot let's go look at a tomb and pulling in a big ensemble cast including some reboot folks. But it's a staple because it's a good vibe, and this is a really well done sliver of friendship and relationship building and perhaps even a tomb trap?

[Vid] Still Into You by absternr iron triangle ot3 This vid is a bop! Multi-tomb show iron triangle being in love, through the years! I've got this bookmark tagged as "joyful"

[vid] When He Died by teyla Wu Sanxing-centric This vid really leans into the weird tomb nonsense and conspiracies and builds to something quite odd, meant in the best possible way. A concentrated version of what tomb shows want to be at their best, from a horror/strange spooky things perspective. Mind the tags.

[Vid] Before I Do by absternr Xiuxiu character study A vid all about Xiuxiu being a badass - she's so clever and cunning and she will figure out and surpass her family history.

[thegeminisage]

got a little internet who knows if/when it will go away so i am doing a star trek update because i am BEHIND! sunday we watched voy's "revulsion" and "the raven" and last night we watched voy's "scientific method" and ds9's "you are cordially invited."

revulsion (voy):

wasn't too sure about this one at first but in the end i decided the little freak in this episode is the fun kind of freak. hands down my favorite part was when he went on this long horrible rant about how disgusting biologics are and the emh goes with like this forced brightness "and this is the sensor array!" absolutely captures the horrors of listening to your m*ga relatives go on and on and just having to like...deal with it. also, it was incredibly fucking funny

harry and seven were SO cute but i wish he hadn't tried to woo her and i wish she hadn't done that "take off your clothes" thing. that said chakotay being like "suck it up you're gonna keep working with her"was also extremely funny

i do feel like this episode did a lot to humanize seven though, for lack of a better word...i know that chakotay's episodes at the start of voyager were way more racist than the episodes he gets now (not to say the eps he gets now AREN'T racist, but they also aren't playing the racist panflute while he helps janeway find her spirit guide). so it's my hope that eventually the incidents of sexism re: seven will sort of...die down. if they can ever get over her (sigh) catsuit. at least in picard they let her wear real clothes! and don't pad her bra

the raven (voy):

TEN OUTTA TENNNN

first of all, my new best friend seven (i knew this would happen, remember?) is EXTREMELY funny. i didn't realize it but the actress has a great sense of like, comedic timing. the whole bit with her slowly learning to chew and swallow food (neelix's cooking, no less) was fucking hilarious, the longer it went on the funnier it was

secondly my other best friend tuvok.............he and seven make such a great pair. i like that at no point did tuvok tell her she was being illogical. he stayed totally calm and helped calm her down and offered to support her through the whole thing without being a bitch because he knows she was sick, even if it was a mental issue and not a physical one. like, bitchy tuvok is fantastic, obviously, but i love that sometimes the logical thing to do is simply show compassion

AND i really loved the entire plot about this being the ship she was taken from...no fucking idea how they got out that far in her 6yo human lifetime but it was awesome to watch her put it together and then the final shot of her looking back as the ship crumbled...mwah

also shoutout to the gay people in this episode...i love when janeway reminds me of kirk and she reminded me of kirk a little bit in this one because of how like. she was so invested in helping seven learn art and finding her when she went missing and like. the bright way she said "there you are!" when she found her on the holodeck at the end. it's that same kind of over-investment kirk shows in spock in tos that goes beyond "friendly" or "coworkers." it was gay as hell

scientific method (voy):

ANOTHER WIN FOR VOYAGER? dare i say it...3 watchable voyager episodes in a row.

i didn't low tom and b'elanna's plot in this episode but they made up for it in the end by being kinda cute when they were teasing about their entire relationship having been built on alien lies or whatever and then they were getting ready to kiss the whole time. i thought b'elanna was being kind of silly insisting on secrecy when they were making out everywhere and i guess janeway did too because DAMN she gave them one of those big bad scary awful lectures...it was also redeemed by it being REALLY funny when tuvok caught them and he was just like :| because that's just what his face does

sleep deprived pissed off janeway!!!! she was amazing in this ep. another one where she reminded me of kirk, especially with the bit of her threatening to blow them all up at the end. he did canonically do that!!

seven and the doctor were so fun. seven did a great job, she was SO close, but you literally can't get one over on tuvok

the only thing i really hated about this ep was old chakotay. like, sure, fine, make somebody old, but why did they also make him white?? come on

you are cordially invited (ds9):

I LOVED THIS ONE!

headliner: i have finally forgiven odo. when kira avoided him all episode i was all but hissing at the very sight of him. when she was like "we need to talk" i was like NOOOO because i knew no matter what he did or said i would not be able to let go of my anger. i was so worked up about it that i was BESIDES myself that they skipped to the next morning without showing us what they talked about, and then...

in the closet. all night. all night they talked in the closet

and you know what? it's perfect. if i can't forgive him no matter what he said then simply don't show me what he said. show me kira and odo looking deeply relaxed and having the deepest conversation at like 10 in the morning after HAVING. SPENT. ALL NIGHT. IN THE CLOSET

idk one of my fav things they did was have kira find out about odo's feelings and then nothing changes...like, he can be in love with her and it's not a painful secret but it's also not a demand and they're still friends. that's so complex and good

the rest of this episode: mwah. my best friend quark and his unrequited love. sisko being glad to be home. julian and obrien fantasizing about killing worf and then beating the shit out of him at his own wedding. martok loving getting negged by his wife. jadzia crying into sisko's arms about her husband troubles. mwah. even alexander was funny despite me being lukewarm on him earlier. klutzy disaster isn't who he was in tng, like they just made up a new guy, which is annoying, but it is also charming, so i'll take it

the one thing that got me this ep was like...i was expecting jadzia to succeed in winning this lady's favor by defying her or capitulating to her or by doing some secret third thing, but they...never showed it? she just got married and the lady was like ok we're all good now!!

i also read that they tried to get the tng cast back for worf's wedding, just without lines...i get why they weren't there since it was on;y a week's notice (which may have been part of the reason they decided to do it like that) but can you imagine the fucking jumpscare if i'd seen picard on ds9 season 6. i would have died on the spot

TONIGHT, assuming my internet stays on: voy's "year of hell" parts i & ii. EXCITED!!!

[sapsuckers-and-stardust]

Something I feel people don’t acknowledge enough is that Spock and Bones fight so much because a lot of the time Bones is right.

If Bones was just emotional and a dick, Spock would a) not be so transparently invested in their relationship and b) not be so set off when he hits a nerve.

Sometimes Bones is just an asshole, but he’s also the only one of Spock’s close friends who will call him out on his Vulcan self-repression bullshit and force him to confront the fact that he has feelings and that they motivate his actions. This terrifies Spock, who’s spent his entire life using Vulcan aloofness to hide from and ignore his insecurities, but it’s so needed. It’s literally Spock’s arc across the whole franchise. And a lot of time, Bones is the one forcing him along with bitchiness and banter.

I love them.

“Really, Doctor?”

Star Trek: The Original Series - 2x25 Bread and Circuses

[jules-and-company]

starting a long post on tas so that that shit is wrapped

episode 4 : only the men being affected by the sirens ? (also everyone seeing women but bones only sees magnolias in blossom ?) then why the fuck do you send an all-male away mission party you absolute MORONS. and bones’s accent is definitely stronger when something’s messing up with his head (taking personal note of that for fic reasons). uhura and christine in charge ? YES. UHURA TAKING COMMAND ??? YASS GIRL. scotty is that you singing. in gaelic ??? 🥵 jesus.

episode 5 : it’s the tribble episode, so of course it’s a good episode. scotty’s absolutely haunted voice when he discovers the tribbles you know that man spent hours in engineering trying to get them off the engines. « tribbles in the ship, quadrotricitale in the corridors, klingons in the sector….it can ruin your day, sir ! » oh scotty my bud. i love that you’ve grown enough to take it one crazy-ass day at a time. they can’t really have the face expressions down but the voices are enough « we could still throw tribbles at them, sir. » « i thought vulcans didn’t have a sense of humour, mr spock » in That™️ voice. OH MY GOD THEY SENT THE TRIBBLES TO THE KLINGON SHIP AGAIN. koloth, in a really pained voice : « kirk…tribbles ? » jim, very grave, as if he just launched a nuclear bomb : « tribbles. ».

episode 6 : not another shapeshifter. i’m fucking tired of shapeshifters. ´hold on bones hasn’t been a bitch to you spock. there’s a big fucking problem then’. « you say i’m a man of curious habits, spock ? jim’s talking to a table. ». cat lady ? okay, i don’t know why i’m surprised. scotty gets attacked. « can you love this [tentacle alien], anne ? » clearly they haven’t heard about monsterfuckers. « will someone tell me what’s going on ? » me too scotty me too. « what manner of a beastie is that ? » ME TOO SCOTTY ME TOO. « if he had turned into a second spock, that would’ve been too much to take. » « but two mccoy, just might bring the level of medical efficiency on this ship up to acceptable levels » UNPROVOKED, SPOCK. UNCALLED FOR THAT LEVEL OF BITCHINESS.

episode 7 : sulu almost dying ???? thistle aliens ??? pterodactyls ??????? oh look, it’s an another self-proclaimed god fan of eugenics. FIVE METERS HIGH SPOCK ??? uhura, dear, scotty knows that he’s emptying the ship’s energy, he just doesn’t care anymore about what he’s gotta do to save these idiots. bamf sulu, we love to see it. what the fuck was that episode.

episode 8 : center of all creation ??? bones saying « jim ! what in the name of sanity is that ? » is on point. we outside time and space. omg life support is dead they're all dying. SATAN ??? spock turned into a child satyr and bones into a golden whirligig ??? THE ENTERPRISE EXPLODES ???? salem trial ??? ASMODEUS ??? aaand having a beer with satan. what the fuck was that

episode 9 : it the shore leave planet again ! and it's just bones uhura and sulu this time, and by god do they deserve a break. oh alice in wonderland again. and uhura singing, that's nice. oh- oh god. BONES PURSUED BY THE QUEEN OF HEARTS ??? the rotation bridge crew working their asses off to get them all back on board (hello cat lady). sentient computer causing mayhem again, how original. aw, bones worried for uhura.

SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE

NOT FUCKING PTERODACTYLS AGAIN PLEASE GOD LET ME GO. and a giant cat. what the fuck i'm so tired PLEASE. and a two-headed dragon, 'cause why the fuck not at this point. bones and sulu are gonna throw up from having to run for too long (i know the feeling). i think uhura just looked into the camera because she's just as tired of this bullshit as i am. also, the whole thing was just a misunderstanding with the sentient robot.

me : I’M TIRED OF THIS, GRANDPA

TAS : THAT’S TOO DAMN BAD ! *shows this*

episode 10 : the more i go into the series the more i wonder when will my suffering end. oh my god, mudd again ??? CHRISTINE DON’T LISTEN TO THAT PIECE OF SHIT. damn. dick really makes you do things huh. oh my god LEAVE SPOCK ALONE. HE’S GAY. nobody's believing their eyes and ears whenever spock talks about loving women it's fucking hilarious. scotty is getting pussy (literal) (the cat lady is all over him). and two rock godzillas ???

jesus christ spock

oh that’s the « now let’s talk about your heart my dear » by stoned-with-love-potion bones episode.

then it must be a fucking massive one scotty

when will i be free of follow-up episodes.

episode 11 : they all shrunk ??? because of some light ray ??? and then it’s just the lilliputians plot.

episode 12 : space bermudas triangle, okay. and klingons. scotty ready to fight them. then sulu passes out on bridge. ship taken in the weird ass triangle. no i don’t bother making sentences anymore, they don’t deserve it. i love how they don’t even seem surprised they’re in an alternate universe. spock being so excited about collaborating with klingons to punch their way out of the time-space continuum that he shows emotion it became weird. bones starting a brawl with the klingons because he just asked a klingon lady for a dance. they managed to punch their way through the continuum.

episode 13 : a kraken ???? SPOCK AND JIM KIDNAPPED BY THE KRAKEN ??? and now they’re sirens ??? and they meet the other merpeople. they almost die taking the antidote for the mutation. end of story.

episode 14 : special lgbt detachment (mission with just spock, uhura and sulu). that and they took warrior cats a bit too literally. there’s also a small reenactment of oppenheimer. they’re not even phased by that.

episode 15 : they beam down on planet and get attacked 0.7 seconds after. and bones gets crushed under a dinosaur’s ass. « spock, do you ever say anything straight out ? » YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW HE CAN’T, BONES. and stop bringing pterodactyls in, for the love of god.

only acceptable reaction :

episode 16 : super dangerous mission to retrieve a soul (???) and who do you send ? the senior commanding officers of course. NOT JIM SAYING "FASCINATING" WHEN THAT LADY - WHO JUST SAID SPOCK WAS UGLY - ASKED HOW HE FINDS HER. little moment of "i'm not leaving you and that's end of discussion" between jim and spock.

AND STOP IT WITH THE FUCKING PTERODACTYLS.

[maeraevokaya]

As a white person, I think it's long overdue that white fans shut up when it comes to Black characters and characters of Colour, particularly in regard to romantic relationships. And, more to the point, ESPECIALLY if the character is a Black woman/Woman of Colour.

(yes, this is about the Spock/Uhura relationship in the Star Trek reboot)

"Detrimental to her character"? "Reduced to a love interest"? "Built on manipulation and moral ambiguity"? "Nagging, bitchy girlfriend"? Shut up. Just. Shut. Up.

We need to listen to Black women and Women of Colour, with their experiences, when they say "this pairing is important to me". When they recall going through their entire lives feeling inadequate, unloveable, undesireable, unattractive, invalidated.

Uhura is shown as an equal. A woman who defends herself. A woman who is in a loving relationship, not only for attractiveness, but for her personality and intelligence as well. A woman in a relationship that is realistic in the fact that it isn't perfect, that has bumps along the way, and yet the love is still very much there. A woman who has passion and wit and intellect and a strong will, yet also has vulnerabilities. A woman who is shown as a human, a whole person. For Black women/Women of Colour, this is A Very Important Thing.

We, as white fans, need to take a backseat. To sit the f**k down, shut up and LISTEN.

[noitsbecky127]

rebecca watches tos: the paradise syndrome

we begin this episode on a lovely planet, wonder what dark secret the landing party is gonna uncover

a weird structure, that’s what

with weird writing

so the structure suggests they should have achieved space travel, then

ohhh ok there’s an asteroid coming that they gotta divert

why would you waste any time investigating this place you have half a fucking hour

oh lord there’s an inexplicable native american tribe here, this episode is gonna be racist isn’t it

guys half an hour is not a long time, can’t you do all this after diverting the asteroid

see, this is why you should’ve diverted the asteroid first, now you’ve lost kirk

jim is definitely important and all that but there’s a whole planet of people who need help

oh god does he have amnesia

yep it’s amnesia

are these women leaving offerings?

imagine leaving offerings at the weird futuristic structure in your village and a weird futuristic dude emerges from it

without his bf here spock has reached Maximum Bitchiness

they think kirk is a god, this is gonna be some white savior crap

kirk is hailed as a god for doing weird shit with a guy’s legs that somehow brought him back to life

so they’ve failed to deflect the asteroid, kinda thought they’d have come up with a definite plan for doing so

apparently the inexplicable natives are played by white actors in brownface which honestly tracks

and miramanee doesn’t even know how to remove a shirt without lacings, what the fuck

kirk has been dubbed kirok

and now he’s having a crisis

spock’s plan is not gonna work

poor scotty is having a terrible day

ah kirk got a stereotypical native outfit

and they’re gonna get married

meanwhile the enterprise is doing not good

and they’re just gonna fly back to the planet on impulse power?

kirk looks so stupid oh my god

“behold a god who bleeds” I mean he never claimed to be a god y’all just assumed that

this episode is all just. HORRIFICALLY stereotypical

spock please get some rest :(

bones is like “you will go to sleep and that is a threat”

yes, spock, good

no, spock, bad, lie back down

ah a shirtless kirk, just cause

ohhh and he’s having dreams of the enterprise

what is that

oh ok so they fucked

and he’s being a white savior teaching them technological advancements that I’m pretty sure actual natives figured out themselves, because they’re not idiots

is this the asteroid coming

this is the problem with being seen as a god, it means you gotta do things you don’t know how to do

“I AM KIROOOOOK”

so these Preservers took these particular native americans and put them on this planet for some reason

ok well that’s their explanation for how there’s so many human-looking aliens ig

and now they’re stoning jim

and here’s bones and spock!

something to ease the pain? yeah she’s not gonna survive the episode

they have an hour and five minutes to figure this out

mind meld time!

what does that mean, a “dynamic individual”

eyyy we’ve got kirk back!

ah so somehow “kirk to enterprise” was the exact tones needed to open the obelisk

bye bye asteroid!

yep there goes miramanee

yeah ngl this episode was bad

[istherewifiinhell]

you know what fine. they cant hurt me here [closes my eyes] if u asked me how i would do the tos g1 crossover like. heres a thought. start it with the enterprise meeting the decepticons. and contrive a reason that megatron decides to trick them instead of outright destroy them. maybe he can put together these arent regular humans they time traveled/dimensioned hopped and is playing it cool. maybe he wants the space ship technology. whatever. g1 megatron loves tricking petty humans who are easily impressed by him being a big fucking alien robot. the tos crew excells at meeting and learning about suspect characters of unsusal bearing and fantastical existence.

the key here is ofc. megatron is excellent at this. soundwave is inscrutible. starscream is great at manipulating ppl for his own gain. but also loves undermining megatron. i would sayyyyy. basically every other decepticon to the letter. would fuck this up in some way. (for the sake of convience its obvious the tf casts MUST be limited in some regard. but take a random selection and its still true. stunticons are rowdy and dont respect anyone. combaticons are fucking criminals lol. the triple changes tried to over throw megatron but they actually ARE stupid. the casset guys are little shits. the only ones i give half a chance are the constructicons cause theyve tricked their own share of humans and autobots. And like. Give em a job to do (handwave. ship repair??) and theyll do it)

[Oh and the seeker squad is girls again. Dont try me on this.) Fuck off or forever hold your peace]

THE POINT THO. the vision. is just to use that fact to get the hijinks in. i need a scene of spock talking to soundwave for the obvious logical Science guy reasons. but also while actually directing his attention to ravage (search 'spock and cat' if you require elucidation). the crew management sitaution is out of hand. the rank and file of both factions being fascinated but not really respectful of each other probably. starscream gets annoyed when theres a real lack of treachy amongst starfleet ranks. whatever.

The facade will crack some and give things for the enterprise crew to get suspisious of. BUT. but. the trick is not allowed to fall apart outright. UNTIL AFTER. you get the autobots in there. THIS. is to give it that extremely star trek feeling. meeting aliens inbroiled in their OWN whole situation and determining what the ethical thing to do is. let it play out. its sci fi. we're here to watch. prime directive doesnt apply thats for PRE-WARP species tf doesnt even work like that. space bridges. who knows.

ANYWAY the actual shakeup of the conflict is allowed to be as rote as u like. i dont watch either show for the FIGHT scenes lmao. tho DO get some moral twists in there. give it some pizzazz.

either way autobot and enterprise crew interactions DID happen but needed MUCH improvement. i NEED to see prime and kirk ACTUALLY be warm smart and affable guys who have fun with it. kirk likes books and hates eating salad. and. i dont know how many times i have to say this. OPTIMUS PRIME IS A BALLER. they got quirks okay. its not just blah blah speeches. snoreeee. the 60 and 40 yr old versions some how stay richer than the diluded parodies of themselves they become. christ

obviously again for the autobots youd need to limit the cast. like bee and jazz can be their due to icon status. they are both fun and very human affable. g1 bee also tends to be a bit of a fucking wildcard too. jazz can play 'classical earth music' as the joke goes. etc. but like. OBVIOUSLY. obviously u need scotty and wheeljack to interact. chaos and techincal advancements until before seen. yes they can have a bathtub still too (WHAT. they are destilling. is anyones guess). and thru that line u SHOULD probably have ratchet and bones. bitchy medics <3. they have a similar level of sass (tho i can never peg if g1 ratch is actually southern... if he isnt i request one ironhide and bones interaction for Enjoyable Idioms and Affects Sake)

if U MUST. make it girl boss. for the love of christ. elita and her autobots. nurse chapel and chromia (i dont think chromia is actually a medic shes just blue. but she IS similarly no nonsense) elita and uhura (how the FUCK was there so little uhura in that comic fhbgdf) elita acts as like 'the woman in the chair' to her own squad, check how many antennas she has. uhura is communications. great. ill even allow u a yeoman rand and moonracer. this ones more niche but rand is a peppy and creative petty officier who one time used her phaser to heat up coffee. moonracer is the more trouble making implusive of the ladies, and a boostful sharp shooter. FANTASTIC.

anyway the point is not that everyone ONLY has to hang out with their perfect personality/role counterpart that their ARE such things to related the characters too each other. if bones is gonna be all southern gentlemanly would it remind chromia OF ironhide? would someone charmlying remark they thought THEIR doctor was a menace. or such things.

obviously i have the power of an obsessive brain to make as many comparitive deep cuts as i like. and i wont claim that MAKES a good story. im just saying. if ur gonna cross them over. why not do it with a big pallet of the things that Actually make both good???

(not that im done making personally amusing to me comparisons. like sulu and his plant collection and the nature lovers hound and beachcomber. or adding some of the affectier characters for an old queen off with spock, like grapple and hoist. or tracks just to be maxiumally annoying :). im also completely HOOKED on the idea of pointing out u know. not all the enterprise crew is human. ofc, spock is half vulcan. (this happened in the comics) but... the transformers know about human like aliens? one of them is even DATING ONE which come to think of it. She also goes to the alien design school of Pointy ears. and also. again. dating. making a hybrid tf alien joke about this OR asking mr spock if he can transform magically is personally amusing to me)...

also no one asked but if u want assigned tf iterations to other treks. i think im going cybertron for tng, theres just vibes. ig they can have the whole unicron trilogy if they want. unicron is KINDA like the borg? i mean not really, i was mostly just thinking... vector prime is like if picard was a q i cant explain it. beast wars for voy and maybe toss up animated or cyberverse for ds9. i mean. those are all just my favie favies of all time but like. beast wars they are stranded on prehistoric earth, limit cast, u will be in this found family coworker situation whether u LIKE IT or NOT. theirs tones of WEIRD mysteries to uncover. and. obligatory. turn into a lizard joke. (the swag of bw villians is pretty ds9 vibes tho...). cyberverse is a story about how these are a people who were and can be again reunited and joyful outside of their tragic and complex civil war. and animated is about a bunch of losers who flunked out the Militarized and generally FUCKED UP autobot government THAT SUCKS. anyway. war... is hell

and prodigy gets earthspark. KIDS KIDS KIDS!!!

v would you step thru the fucking door with me for a second where we could have a tf st crossover that DIDNT suck ass cause it understood the main mode of opperation for both shows is to having our valient heroes as friends and comrades and yes they must deal with the 'wouldnt that be wild' situation of the week but they also have to. deal with EACH OTHER. and their MAIN. goal is really just to be enjoyable television. which often requires a great deal of well made humour. and often incidentally created a lot of guys and their wives they love so much. Kfhhfdg

[agoddamn]

I posted 1,913 times in 2021

1287 posts created (67%)

626 posts reblogged (33%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.5 posts.

I added 771 tags in 2021

#star wars - 317 posts

#boots watches tcw - 97 posts

#3h blogging - 83 posts

#boots plays grabble - 70 posts

#fates blogging - 51 posts

#bootsmeta - 44 posts

#fire emblem three houses - 32 posts

#fire emblem fates - 28 posts

#donut steel squad - 25 posts

#boots plays heroes - 24 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#the fact that the church could be banned from adrestia at all means that the seiros church has weaker influence than irl christianity on usa

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

ppl really cite that one jocasta line ("if it's not in the archives it doesn't exist!") as introconvertible evidence that the Jedi suppress learning/knowledge as if the very next scene isn't Obi-Wan talking to yoda and a classroom of kids about how to discover knowledge, meaning that jocasta's snippy response is not the pinnacle of good behavior

and you know what, let jocasta nu be a bitch for thirty seconds! being a bitch is legal! a woman can be bitchy in one conversation without that being sufficient evidence for genocide!

bitch rights!

2096 notes • Posted 2021-03-28 09:43:51 GMT

#4

I think its crazy that people point to Luke going to rescue Leia and Han from Vader, against the advise of Yoda and Obi-Wan, as the point that proves that Luke "fundamentally understands something the Jedi don't." Their whole point was that he was going into a situation blind, based on a vision that could or not be true, and he was ill prepared to face the foe responsible. Talk about attachment, rather than healthy connection. And the result? Leia escapes on her own. Luke rushes in. Bye bye hand

Yeah, Luke gets absolutely fucked when he dashes in on Bespin. I can't exactly see that as an example of love saving the day. I've heard the argument that Luke saved them by distracting Vader, but I think that's a little...thin.

2261 notes • Posted 2021-05-24 15:37:31 GMT

#3

I love relationships where the two people just mercilessly, RELENTLESSLY drag one another but they are so often tragically misunderstood as bullying/harassment.

Like, you can tell that more recent iterations of Star Trek have backed off on this aspect of Spock and McCoy for fear of looking racist--and to be fair, 1967 did not have the greatest awareness of microaggressions. But McCoy wasn't calling Spock a hobgoblin because he thinks Vulcans are lesser, he's doing so because Spock just called him a witch!

The shit they say to each other is wildly out of touch with reality when you actually stop and listen to it. Spock calls him a witch doctor making potions and shaking rattles and implies that he regularly kills patients.

Their insults should be updated for the modern day but c'mon, let these guys drag each other with the most absolutely unreal accusations.

2406 notes • Posted 2021-04-17 01:20:31 GMT

#2

-taps mic- the whole MC going "no pain medication, I don't want to cloud my mind" trope is both ableist and shockingly popular for how plainly ableist it is

(protip: if you're at the point where you're being advised to take pain medication by people who don't want to give you pain medication then your mind is most certainly already clouded by pain)

20395 notes • Posted 2021-05-14 04:44:00 GMT

#1

I still want to write the fic where an outsider has all these preconceptions about what the Force is and then goes into a room with a bunch of Jedi who are tearing into each other like bitchy old academics.

"Ooh, look at Master Structuralist over here with his ever-so-deep 'everything is attachment actually' reading"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who calls every new opinion 'new depths of their relationship with the Force'"

"The Jedi Order is a social construct--"

"Could you stuff the po-mo and pick up a book once in a while? These aren't new ideas! You are not a pioneer because you asked one question!"

"I think you could all benefit on more reflection on how our rooting in the Force is actually deeply sexual--"

"If I have to hear one more word about lightsabers being penis envy you are going to be one with the Force immediately."

24119 notes • Posted 2021-03-23 10:32:52 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[nihilism-and-dad-jokes]

A list of some of my major fandoms over the years, so you can understand how strange and varied my taste is:

Marvel, particularly Iron Man and Avengers (2012) (cheesy and the later movies really fucked the character writing but I loved those early movies with my whole heart)

The Hobbit (both books and film; I fell in love with the book in middle school, and watched the first film like 20 times in a row while depressed one summer in high school lmao)

Star Trek (particularly TOS and DS9, Spock is my baby forever and always. Found Garak's character extremely compelling and the whole cast of DS9 was just the right kind of bitchy/petty)

Harry Potter (fuck Jowling Kowling Rowling, tho, and also only the fandom where everyone is POC and Queer and much cooler)

Welcome to Night Vale (comedy-horror? POC or at least interracial gays? Absurdist humour? Satire? Hell yeah babey)

The Magnus Archives (horror. One of the best written horror stories I've ever heard/read/watched, actually. Terrifying and moving at once).

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Toph, Sokka, and Zuko are my babies. I adore Suki, bit I fell hard for Zukka. Wished Toph would marry me when I was her age)

The Penumbra Podcast: Junoverse (Be Gay Do Crimes? Found family? Sci-fi noir? Fuck the gender binary? Casually enby main character who uses he/him pronouns but is a LADY, thank you, not a gentleman? Personified cars? Rita? Oh HELL YES)

A Tale of a Thousand Stars (soft gays. Discussion of disabilities/health issues that hit home for me. Learning to forgive oneself and value oneself. Found family. Strong friendship bonds)

From super hero movies to 60's scifi shows to high fantasy novels to cartoons to horror podcasts to asian dramas. And this is only some of it! My taste knows no bounds lmaooo

[kinetic-elaboration]

June 25: 2x24 The Ultimate Computer

Belated notes on my watch of The Ultimate Computer yesterday.

Kirk’s definitely in Captain Mode today. You can tell when he’s on edge and suspicious and serious.

Yet another old Kirk friend. Does he know everyone in Starfleet?

War games lol. But it’s “not the military.”

Spock is super into this computer.

A-7 Computer Expert Certification.

The crew’s not needed? Wow, okay, this is going to end badly.

“This gadget.” How do you really feel, Kirk?

And there’s Spock literally making faces behind the Commodore’s back. He is soooo that type. He’s like “Jim, are you hearing this? Can you believe this guy?”

I’m insulted on Kirk’s behalf right now. Replacing people with machines so blithely is offensive.

Of course Bones doesn’t like it.

Oh yeah triumvirate walking scene. I love them. it takes so little for me to think ‘what badasses.’ S2 is really stepping up this dynamic in particular.

And Spock is comfortable enough around Bones to be sassy around him

Oh no, the computer is already glitching, and there is no backup and no plan B.... Bones is completely right in his assessment. This is essentially a Titanic situation: way too much hubris involved. Nothing can go wrong so nothing will go wrong so we’ve planned for nothing going wrong!

McCoy has BFF Clearance. He can go wherever he wants.

“It’s the M-5? What happened to Ms 1-4?” Channel #5.

Ahhhh little gratuitous touch to Spock’s arm. They’re In Love.

“There are certain things men must do to remain men.”

“The right computer finally came along.” Damn Bones.

Jim’s suspicions about the computer coming right after that line make it look like he’s jealous that Spock likes it so much.

He’s getting a “red alert right here.” Computers don’t have that kind of intuition.

Jim’s so thoughtful and self-aware. He really cares both about his instincts and about interrogating those instincts for bias and unreasonableness. This is giving me real S1 vibes: the quiet, intelligent, idealized hero Captain at the fore.

This whole scene is perfect, eminently quotable, and sounds exactly like something that could have been written about automation in 2021. You’re okay with it when it’s happening to someone else but then the computer comes for YOUR job....

Uh-h, M-5 is turning off all the lights...

Space merchant marines... good to know.

HOW are the Captain and CMO “non-essential personnel”? The first sign that M-5 is illogical. They should bring some doctor on the landing party mission given that uh humans are going on it and might get injured.

Anyway I can’t wait for Kirk to destroy this bitch and save the day.

Lol it turned off the lights on Bones in sickbay.

Damn, now it’s trying to take Uhura’s job too!

Chekov is so bored.

Spock wants to serve under one man and one man ONLY. Loyalty to one man... sounds like a wedding vow... and Kirk looks so soft...

So, if Spock has to describe to McCoy what that (unnecessary bitchy and catty) “Captain Dunsel” remark means, by saying that it’s a phrase that “midshipmen use at Starfleet Academy,” is this to imply Bones didn’t go to Starfleet Academy?

He’s never felt so at odds with the ship.... a lover’s quarrel...she’s cheating on him with another man...

Jim Kirk, certified Poetry Nerd. He’s such a romantic.

So glad Bones got him a drink so he can return to the bridge and a possible emergency with just a little bit of a buzz going.

Spock in the chair...

Huh, an automated ship with no crew. Interesting concept.

Oh no M-5! She’s got control of the ship and she won’t let go!

Kirk’s face when Enterprise attacks.. the betrayal... his beautiful lady used for mindless destruction.

“Only a robot” ship--! Bones is insulted.

Kirk orders the computer turned off but we’re only halfway through the ep so...

....And the computer is sentient now.

That was the shortest Captain’s Log ever. “The computer has taken over the ship the end.”

Scotty’s like, “...Well what if we just unplug it?”

Okay so now they only have 19 crew.

Spock and Bones are on point today. “Don’t say it’s fascinating.” / “I won’t. But it is... interesting.” This bitch knows exactly what he’s doing.

The computer isn’t a child, guys!

We need powerful computers “so men don’t have to die in space”--like uh that man your computer literally just killed?

I don’t get Daystrom’s logic at all. He talks as if people, like, needed to do work in space, to survive or something. We don’t need to. We want to! We want to go out and meet cool aliens! This guy is no fun.

What is the thing “greater” than fact finding in space that the robots are going to free us to do? Like what is more impressive than SPACE? I don’t even get that.

Time to mix up fake sci fi world-building references with real references! The Nobel and Zee-Magnee Prizes. Sitar of Vulcan.

A theory emerges... the computer acts illogically...Daystrom won’t let Spock near it... I know this isn’t where this is going, but it kind of sounds like they’re implying it’s a scam, lol. He sold an idea he didn’t have so it’s like.. not a real computer.

Spock’s little protege, Chekov.

“We have been pursuing a wild goose.” Aw, bb’s trying so hard to be colloquial. (Also he 100% learned that phrase from McCoy in The Gamesters of Triskellion and now he’s trying it out on Kirk...when McCoy isn’t around.)

“Not to offend you by using the h-word, but... could it be... human?”

Kirk’s really mad at Daystrom now.

The Commodore really set up that dramatic turn to camera there.

Poor Kirk. His ship is being used for evil.

“They can’t destroy the ship, what would happen to the computer?!” Yes, the computer. And the other 19 people and himself but mostly the computer. Daystrom really has lost it.

I love the actor who plays him, though.

“You are great. I am great.” Nothing weird happening here.

Spirk attack! (Spork it out.)

Spock’s way too sure Commodore Wesley is about to die. “He was decent, it’s a shame the ship I’m on is gonna kill him.”

And now another round of Kirk versus the computer and Kirk’s logic wins.

M-5 should argue that it did not commit murder, it committed homicide in self-defense. But then Daystrom didn’t program it with a lawyer’s brain.

It’s uh just gonna leave? Not turn the lights back on?

Kirk is so smart! I know I say this all the time, but it’s true! He knew what to do to save the ship because he knew Bob Wesley. He had formed connections, he had experience and knowledge that doesn’t come from logic. He is not replaceable!

McCoy’s like “Spock, fight me. Debate me Spock. Fight me. I’ll be fun.”

Spock HAS answered the computers versus humans question--he likes humans. He wants to be surrounded by humans.

That was really good! One of the better S2 episodes. Great Kirk, great triumvirate--as a trio and all three sides of the triangle--great sci fi concept, great guest star, great social commentary--still 100% relevant today.

i definitely have to think more about the ‘human computer’ concept. I liked that they specifically went out of their way to explain why the computer was human, how that was part of its design, and then tied that into its creator, his background, his belief system, and his insecurities. I feel like most ‘sentient computer’ or ‘advanced AI’ narratives just assume a computer that’s powerful enough will eventually be alive, which is not something I believe. The scariness of advanced AI to me is the incredible power it has to act quickly, but in a complete black-box way: you can’t literally see the logic string of its thought processes, and nor can you figure them out easily or completely using the creators’ intentions or logic because the machine has ‘learned’ since its inception, and its learning processes are not human. There is a real alienness to them that I find scary. And I do think this ep captured that nuance in M-5: it has the speed and abilities of a super computer, the “human” qualities of its creator for well-explained reasons, and the unpredictability of a mechanism that is NEITHER human nor human-controlled tool. And of course the ep’s ultimate thesis--that humans cannot be completely automated or replaced, and that we should not want to automate or replace humans--is comforting and of a morality I can and want to agree with.

This was also one of those eps that made me curious about the differences in AOS and TOS Kirk--in other words, an ep that relied on his history with Starfleet and his experience, on the reality that he’s a 34 year old man with 15+years of experience in the Fleet. Time, experience, connections, these aren’t things you can replace no matter how smart you are, and I feel like it would have been interesting to see AOS!Kirk deal with some situation that is trickier for him because he’s a Captain with a startlingly small amount of institutional experience. It’s not just about being young or generally inexperienced, in other words--it’s about NOT knowing every Captain, Admiral, and Commodore in the service, it’s about NOT having friends across the galaxy because he just hasn’t had time to make them. Even in deep space, that matters. And I think it’s something that I appreciate more as an adult myself, with actual real world experience of the importance of connections and experience and time, especially in sort of insular or smaller work communities.

Anyway, next is Bread and Circuses! Another great ep for the triumvirate. I can’t believe we’re almost through S2!!

[allronix]

Here's the reason, poster. It used to be that if you were known to be involved in fandom, you were a filthy Satanist commie.... and in the Regan and Thatcher era, that was about as socially acceptable as a "I Love Elon Musk" t-shirt.

So you were already a social pariah. Now, say you wrote Kirk and Spock kissing. Now, you aren't just a dirty, Satan worshipping commie. You are a dirty, Satan worshiping commie queer pervert.

And if the bitchy Karen running the local community PTA and social clubs found out, your ass was grass.

Even today, you could get into very significant trouble if your name gets attached to "problematic content'

The whole "if they have nothing to hide, then they have nothing to fear" is an authoritarian asshole's favorite saying.

Publishing your fanfic anonymously sounds like it goes against the very idea of publishing works at all. Why even write if you’re that terrified of your audience reading it? Why even write at all? You write for your audience. Frankly, I don’t know how you guys will even manage to publish books if you’re so scared of scary strangers reading your fanfiction. Maybe grow up and learn that if you’re too afraid of your privacy being violated, just don’t be a writer and publish books in the public eye, where everyone will read them. The same goes for fanfic. If no one reads your fic how are you supposed to succeed as a writer? Sounds like a way to breed bad writers.

[jlf23tumble]

I was tagged by @alienfuckeronmain for my ten fave ships, and boy howdy, it’s a tough one, given what I’ve read over the years!! I’ll leave RPF-related fic pairings out of this because I don’t need the indirecting, you cowards, but if we’re talking fictional pairing, let’s go!

1. Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuraykin, Man from UNCLE. My forever OTP, always in my heart, etc., don’t care if it’s a movie, a TV show, a book, a fic, a graphic novel, they’re the archetype of my fave personality combo (grumpy stoic meets charismatic charmer cum quasi-himb, enemies to friends to pining to lovers), and I cherish them always.

2. Finn/Poe Dameron, Star Wars. This is a tough one because I feel like the pairing morphed in the last few years into something I don’t love (please no Reylo on the side, please no racial fetishizing), but I always have a soft spot for my original viewing in late 2015, all the fic that came in 2016, and all the interviews that followed.

3. Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, The Untamed. ARCHETYPE FAVES, wow, talk about nailing the grump/charmer combo, and yes, yes, I’m only on the first third of this show, but I’m savoring it, and I’ve already read one fic I love, and I know I’m gonna DIE when I fully immerse myself, but goddd, this show, this pairing!!!

4. Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, The X Files. Shockingly enough, this pairing matches the style of my other faves, wow! These two have been an obsession from way back, but I’ve also read pretty much every other pairing they could match with on the show, I’m that into their respective strengths as characters.

5. Lightning McQueen/Doc Hudson, Cars. Yet again, ~evidence of my preferred type of dynamic, but honest to god, every fic Phoenix has written here really nails them in this beautifully specific way that I wish everyone would read and marvel at instead of [bitchy comment redacted].

6. Columbo/his unnamed husband, Columbo. This one’s a stretch only because I haven’t dived deep into ao3 yet, only tumblr (or rather, columblr), and my mind is blown by the head canon that all those times Columbo mentioned his wife (and we never saw her), he actually was talking about his husband, but yeah, as a character? He’s one of my faves, and i want to see him get some, don’t care how or who.

7. (tie) Han Solo/Luke Skywalker, Kirk/Spock, Star Wars and Star Trek, respectively. I’m just putting these together because I’m more of a casual fan on the fringes of these two ginormous fandoms, but I absolutely do read and love this pairings (usually current authors, but I’ve also peeped into--and loved--older works, they’re a comfy pair of slippers, the both of ‘em).

8. Every single pairing in Harry Potter. Look, I’m not proud of it, but in the pre-ao3 era, you had to subscribe to/enter all these specific fansites to read HP fic, and I absorbed it all, I literally couldn’t wait between books, so give me your drarry, your linny, your what-EVER, I probably read it, and jkr burned that entire world and fandom to the ground for me, but yeah, will read anything that pisses this author off forever more!

9. 10th Doctor/Rose and 10th Doctor/Jack, Doctor Who. Another one you had to creep into specific servers to find “back in the day,” but I was really into the whole David Tennant/Billie Piper situation (and let’s face it, David Tennant/John Barrrowman, too), which also played into the show fic, so this dips into my RPF ban from the intro, but still, there’s truly great fic in this fandom, all pairings. 

10. I’m gonna cheat and leave this last one as a catch all because there are so many fics and fandoms that I’ll read and love only one fic in, and that’s valid, I only have two eyes. But maybe this is a future Joe/Nicky Old Guard zone, once I finally finish it beyond gifs (or a Witcher zone after I read the books). Or maybe once Phoenix sends me the Jake of State Farm Insurance fic--it can happen!!!  (Oddly related, Star Trek: The Next Generation, god, I can’t even type up all the one-off pairings I’ve read/loved there.)

tl/dr, I’m so grateful to ao3 for making it a billion times easier to follow an author or pairing, to search tags, to find anything in ANY fandom, RPF or not, just because you saw a movie and thought, heyyyyy, what if?? God bless you! Gonna tag @lesbiancolumbo, @cowfemme, @houliwife, @lesbiancolumbo because I get the vibe you guys have some amazing combos, but if anyone else is keen, go for it!

[fictionandtheatre]

Uhura pls!

Ahh, yes, excellent ask anon 

Favourite thing about them: I love when she’s able to be a little goofy! Like, how hard she loves tribbles, when she jokes about wanting Spock to flirt with her, etc. She has such a fun personality (when the writers decided to give her one yikes) 

Least favourite thing about them: As with my other answers for this ask game, not so much a problem with Uhura but with how she’s written. I wish she had more to do. I want her to be in on the action a lot more, have more input into the stories, offer her skill set on missions, and solve more problems. but hey women in star trek amirite. 

Favourite line: “Oh [they offered me] nothing much. Just immortality”. (I, Mudd)  

Brotp: Her and Spock ofc. But also I love her friendship with Chekov and Sulu! Love that they all seem to hang out off duty - Chekov going shopping with her on shore leave is so cute!!! 

OTP: Probably T’Pura, but she’s honestly a character who lends herself to a lot of different relationships imo. Like, I can see Uhura and Chapel, Uhura and Scotty, Rand, Gaila in the AOS verse, Bones, even with Spock and Kirk! She’s so loveable! 

Notp: Ship her with whoever, but stop making her the bitchy/evil ex girlfriend, please

Random headcanon: Nyota and Jim went to the Academy at the same time and took the same alien formal dances elective class together. They didn’t really talk or hang out then, and don’t remember each other being in the class until a formal function comes up and they have to instruct all the other senior officers how to do the Andorian Samba. After that they go swing-dancing on like every shore leave, and they annoy everyone with how good they are. 

unpopular opinion: I know a lot of people are dead-set on Uhura being a lesbian, bc men r gross™ and we need more lesbians - and I’m totally here for lesbian Uhura. But I also think it would really nice to see more TOS shipping of her with Kirk and/or Spock. Not only does she have good chemistry with both of them, but I think more kind and sweet m/f representation is always good. And it would maybe also validate her character’s shipping potential to ship her with the two hottest dudes in the franchise (since wasn’t there a whole discussion about how characters of colour aren’t often elevated in that way by fanbases - i’m white so tell me no if i’m wrong)??? idk i may or may not have fic ideas about this. (i do) 

song i associated with them: Ave Maria, for some reason? I like listening to classical music/choral music, and I always imagine her singing it at a Starfleet gala, or an interplanetary exchange event. It’s so beautiful, and classy, like her!  

Send me more character names/questions