#that also leads into the issue of people defending their favs no matter what and having a weird sense of loyalty to them even if there is

[m0thlegs]

y’all learned the term “media literacy” and have not shut the fuck up since

[iz-star]

About the latest polemic about Zayne and Sylus over twitter...

I left twitter for good. I'm honestly so tired of the drama that arises there everyday. I literally decided to log in today just to see some Arcane spoilers and the first thing I was hit with was with the most recent drama about CN players and specially Zayne and Sylus players having a heavy argument about plagiarism and how some lines of Zayne seem to have been copied onto Sylus' lines...

Firs of all, I don't know how the CN fanbase is, so I can't really say anything about that matter. From what I read, it seems things are quite complex there and arguments & harassment among LI's fanbases seem to be quite intense from what ppl is saying but, again, I can't really say too much on that matter cause I don't know how the fanbase is there, I'm not part of it neither I go to CN websites to look up for lads content. Most cases my experience visiting CN websites has been because of kind ppl that has respectfully asked me permission to repost my art and give me credits there, from that perspective my opinion about the CN fanbase has always been good and it still stands, I'm pretty sure that great part of the fanbase it's nice and it's only the small little toxic portion that is overshadowing the nice and chill part of the fandom.

My point here it's: Don't let yourself to have a tunnel vision about this situation.

You can probably see 10, 100 or even 500 ppl arguing and harassing others and even so it's not even a quarter of the whole total of players that belong to the fandom only in China, let alone global. To generalize from your point of view is not the objective take you think it is, talking from your experience doesn't talk for others experience, no one's experience here is universal. I read a lot of ppl trying to find someone to blame all the time "Zayne players started everything" "Sylus writers copied Zayne" etc and you know? Rolling this ball to one another is not going to lead us anywhere because as always, it's not acknowledging the true issue here: that is, us as players, keep enabling this kind of toxic behaviour if that means to stand up for or to 'defend' our main LI.

To try to portray one LI's fanbase as the guilty one is just creating more trouble than solving it and it's also not having a general understanding of the situation at hand and instead, encouraing biased opinions that only create more division and discrimination within the fandom.

And let's be honest, it's not the first time (and probably won't be the last, sadly) that drama arises within the fandom where we attack others LIs and their fanbase. This game is targeted towards adult women, we are not supposed to behave like adolescents making tantrums and messing up with our peers, yet here we are, enabling arguments, harassment, bullying or overall having an ugly and mean attitude in order to defend something that honestly, all the LIs would feel ashamed for if they were real. Like, literally all of them hate to be on the spotlight for the stuff they're good at, it would be even worse if the spotlight it's caused by them for all the wrong reasons.

I know lads guys are fictional, and I'm not going to invalidate people's feelings by saying that you shouldn't take it too seriously just bc they're not real -most of us find a lot of comfort in fiction, after all- but that doesn't give you the right to harass real people neither hurt their feelings [the same ways you feel when they attack your fav LI]. You are able to feel whatever you want to feel, however, you're still responsible for your words and actions. If this game is turning you into an awful person, then I'm afraid to say that you probably must step back and reconsider if your passion for it is healthy for you.

I know it's easy to get upset and sometimes we have the need to express it. However, to decide to be a part of a fandom is to accept that you are not going to always like what ppl say, let alone agree with them. Not everyone's opinions might aling with yours but it's enterily up to you the way how you take and respond to them. As I said before, I left twitter for good bc I found myself often wanting to be mean to others upon reading the negative stuff some ppl said about Zayne, especially in order to compare him with other LIs just to make him look bad. I would often felt so ugly thinking like that. Staying away from that drama has been super helpful and that's the best advice I can give for now: try and enjoy the game and your LI by yourself if the fandom is getting too much to handle.

Be careful about the discourse you support and always ask yourself if your words and actions will truly lead you somewhere good and healthy or it will only cause more chaos for you and others. Flammable opinions only light up and burn if we feed the fire, if there's no one to keep it alive, the flame will drown out very quickly.

[prof-peach]

Hey Prof, I need your advice.

My sister recently decided she didn't wanted her bulbasaur anymore (she got him on a whim about a month ago) and gave him to me, he is quite violent and tends to attack when I try to get close to him.

Now, that wouldn't be a huge problem, but my Purrloin has gotten hurt trying to befriend him, she's quite outgoing and never really liked fighting (we enjoy contests so she knows a few more flashy attacks), so she couldn't even defend herself properly.

I don't want to give up on him and my local rescue center is filled with Bunearies (you know, after Easter kids don't want their Bunny anymore) so they can't take him in right now, any advice in how I can go about this situation?

Sounds to me like you have a tricky little dude on your hands. So you're not battle orientated which will make this harder, Bulbasaur in the wild are actually quite combat minded to defend their families and territory, and a lot of their herds consist of strict hierarchy based on power and skill, often led by older, fully evolved members of their group. 

Before you take any actions to befriend them, its worth noting that any pokemon who comes into your care showing aggression is usually doing so for one or two reasons that are pretty universal for any species. Fear being the main issue with pokemon who have been ditched, if a pokemon is unwell, if it feels exposed, if it is unsure of you or your home, your partners, it may lash out because it is afraid. Even what looks like pure anger can stem from a fear. Of course some individuals are just full of rage, its not unheard of, but for the most part it comes from somewhere else. 

For a moment, take the time to put yourself in this pokemons shoes. It was chosen, with hopes and ambitions of its own, by your sister, a stranger to them, and for whatever reason they were cast aside. This reason may be unclear to the pokemon, it may be unfair, unkind, or even without malice just out of pure indifference. No matter the reason, this pokemon has been left behind by a trainer it at one point probably wanted to try to get along with. I don’t know what your sister may or may not have done, or provided for the bulbasaur, but it will help you understand how its feeling, if you were to ask her about their relationship prior to you receiving the pokemon. If it has always been aggressive and angry, i’d seriously consider talking to it about release, not rehome. 

We humans have a preconceived notion that pokemon are pets and things to keep with us. This may be true for some sure, but not every pokemon wishes to be a captive to a human, they may want more for themselves, and wish for a free life with their own kind. We cannot put our wants and desires above that of the pokemons, so you two need to have a talk, at a respectful distance for safeties sake, to see what the Bulbasaur feels they may want. These are herd pokemon, born and bred to be with their own kind, if not a larger group, if its lonely, if it wants to go home, to start a family, or simply to not be held in a ball as some creature to be owned, then you as its current carer must give it what you can. You can always find another pokemon who wants to be your partner, but you cannot give back lost years to a pokemon who has lived a life its unhappy with. Treat them with respect, and be open and honest. At the end of the day we have a chance to help pokemon, and forcing what we want onto them is a hinderance, and will lead to them feeling unsatisfied and bitter in the long run. 

Some pokemon lash out due to the process of being handed off to someone else, trust is earnt, not always just simply given to whoever holds the pokeball. Remember this as you move forward, and try to keep your other pokemon away from them, Bulbasaur are territorial species, and have to accept pokemon into their families before simply allowing them to come and go freely into their personal space. Despite their grouchy natures at times they usually do have a morally positive compass, and defend with ferocity when they love something. Perhaps in you showing genuine concern for their welfare and future, offering them not what you want, but instead what they want, they may give you a chance to get closer, but take baby steps, and try to be their friend above all else. I bet they're feeling pretty lonely right now. 

Its worth sharing interests with the pokemon, talk about contests, see if they're interested, some pokemon have a predisposition for this, others have no interest and prefer more battle based lives, or even peaceful non-competitive existences. no amount of pressure will change a pokemon’s nature, and some just aren't cut out for the fine art of showmanship that contests require. You can however use powerful attacks in showy ways, so theres always hope that they could enjoy it, if you can work with them to their strengths. 

If possible, work to getting them outdoors, cooping grass types up can lead to stroppy, testing personalities, many thrive in the outdoors, he may need some serious outside time to compensate for the lack of exercise and natural stimulation they may have not been getting prior to your ownership. There are plenty of areas in public that are much like tennis courts, areas of space you can book for a set amount of time too exercise difficult pokemon, these locations are often secure facilities, both outdoors and indoors, to suit a range of species. find one that has outdoor facilities and book a few hours per week to go there, increasing the time whenever possible. This exercise and time with you may help to find common ground, and topics that you and the bulbasaur can bond over. This can be anything from battles, to sun bathing, playing sports, games, swimming, running or digging, and everything in between. Bulbasaur naturally are great foragers and tend to like to snaffle about in long grass and shrubland, hiding treats like berry slices in a secure environment is good enrichment and can tire the pokemon out. a tired pokemon is usually a little less aggressive, having lower energy levels and less want to expend attacks. this process also associated you with something fun, and your scent will be on the treats too, so they'll know you were the one to provide this activity for them.   

I’d also take plenty of time to observe the bulbasaur, as your sister got them on a whim, they probably had no prior knowledge of the species, or how to correctly care for them. In a month, a health complaint could have begun to show, so observe their colouration, feet, walking gait, sleeping patterns, feeding habits, and general behaviour. Excess scratching, heavy breathing, or unusual shaking or moving can suggest a health condition is starting to take form. Most can be helped if caught early, but some illnesses give the pokemon discomfort, and can lead to snappy tempers and irritability. It could be that this individual is in pain, or finding life difficult due to its health, which can cause a lot of hostility as i’m sure anyone would agree. It can suck to be sick!

This species can be won over if you can prove you have a skill of worth to them. This is the case with a lot of pokemon, having respect for something they cannot do, and learning that they need things from you can lead to them at least tolerating us humans. Its a foot in the door. A trick i like t use with particularly difficult bulbasaur is to give them their fav food, whatever it is, then put it in a clear container the pokemon cannot open. They have no thumbs, and their vines though dexterous, aren't able to open every kind of container. The pokemon will want whats inside, and be unable to access it. they will eventually give up out of frustration. this is where you come in. enter the space, don’t let your pokemon approach as this can be threatening, and open the container. leave it on the floor open, making sure they've watched you get the thing open. They can then approach and enjoy their fav food, all thanks to you and those wondrous thumbs you have. repeating this process yields good results, and starts a mutual relationship of tolerance and acceptance between you and a bulbasaur. Most will accept they want the food more than they want you gone, and you provide something they can’t get to. whatever you do, don’t let them see that you were the one to lock the food up in the container. Get a friend to do it, or do it in the room, and leave it in place on the floor, before allowing the bulbasaur to enter and investigate the item. If they see you're the one doing it, the trick is foiled, and your back to square one. Eventually this does tend to lead to the pokemon becoming less stressed with you around them, and eventually it leads to trust, and even friendship. This trick is good to use to get them use to you, once they're ok with you being around them because of your use to them, they may start to take food from you directly, engage in play, or even just sit and tolerate company for short periods of time. Do not expect this to be quick, but it does usually do the trick. 

Regardless, i do have concern that the pokemon may want to be with its own, should you discuss this and find they're not interested in being housebound and a pet, feel free to send them our way, we had exactly this situation in mind when setting up the islands facilities, and have extensive locations designed with grass pokemosn needs at the forefront. Theres a small herd of about 12 bulbasaur evolutions that live north of our labs, no people see them, they are happy as a unit, and are left alone to go about their lives, with the only interactions between humans being us giving them their yearly health check, or should we spot them with an issue, we may intervene. They live away from others and pretty much free, in a poacher safe environment. Its not ideal, we like to keep pokemon in areas they come from, with people who love them, and you show great concern for the pokemon so it would be a shame to have to let them go, BUT sometimes thats just life, and theres nothing to be done about it other than accepting that the pokemons wants come first. They may just be mistrusting so try everything else first, and see how you go. hopefully you’ll yield some results from this all. Good luck out there trainer. 

[stxleslyds]

MY TOUGHTS ON PART THREE OF RED HOOD BY CHIP ZDARSKY :)

A DC RENDITION OF THE SONG “MOTHER KNOWS BEST” FROM TANGLED.

Here I will leave the links to my reviews of Part 1 and Part 2

Well, here we are, three issues in this story of only six parts and i still cant tell if i like it or not. What i know for sure tho is that Zdarsky never read any Red Hood books, i had my suspicions but now i am at least 95% sure.

This Jason has been nerfed. We had a perfectly balanced Jason back in 2005 he was smart, skilled, confident and strategic. Then from 2011 to 2020 (let’s put the fact that Lobdell is trash aside for a moment) Jason was skilled, he had the whole “chosen one” thing going on with the all-castle, and in some moments you could even see him being quick witted and confident. But now in this first half of this story he is extremely insecure, his skill set and expertise is barely there and is presented as just reckless. 

The other day i was talking about how DC treats Jason, how they just can’t decide on who he is, what motivates him or what he wants. His personality is a whole ass mess, it was fine in 2005 and 2010 when Winick wrote him but then Lobdell from years 2011 to 2020 just couldn't decide what he wanted to do with Jason or his relationship with Batman and his rules. After Lobdell finally left Jason was passed around people who either only read Lobdell's work, or didn't read anything from him or didn't take into account Jason's life because their book was set in a future that may never happen. 

What i am trying to say is that Jason doesn't have a personality, and writers don't really add things to the Jason that we “know”, what they do is start his story from zero over and over again. There is no consistency to Jason's character and while you could argue that maybe this new start could be the definite version of Jason Todd/Red Hood i will point out that this nerfed version of him is a major disservice to the character that he was when he was brought back to DC.

It’s simply not nice. 

And in this particular issue the “Jason isn't that good at this whole vigilante gig” is even more pushed because of the whole “batman knows best” bullshit. I am not getting this (anthologies) book with a Red Hood story just for Batman to come in and be like “I am actually good at this job, you know nothing AND i have the moral high-ground”, this is NOT it.

If you are reading a Red Hood story chances are that you will be interested in Red Hood not Batman. 

Oh one more thing, Jason was an excellent Robin. He was kind, smart and skilled. I liked the flashbacks in UtRH because it showed Jason being all that but he also understood a couple of things about the kind of criminals that Gotham had, your common thug is easily scared of the concept of Batman but the dress-ups knew that no matter what they did the Bat would never kill them, that’s what Jason thought about criminals there.

This Robin Jason is treated rather poorly by Zdarsky at times, he feels insecure and inferior to Dick but he is also dismissive of him and the Robin mantle in the first issue, now in this one he is shown as way too reckless (which is kinda bad because it feeds into DCs favorite trope of “Jason’s death was Jason’s fault”) and his stance on “low level” criminals is weird, like it was made clear that drug related criminals are Jason’s biggest issue, thieves were not. 

Those are my general thoughts on this issue and the current state of Jason’s characterization. I have some panels from this issue that i want to talk about in more depth tho, so here we go. 

The issue stars were we left off once more, Tyler defends Jason and when Batman asks who he is Tyler says that he is the Blue Hood, that was really sweet of him, that child is adorable and he needs to be protected. 

Once the Bat distracts Tyler Jason tells the Bat that the man he killed was Tyler’s dad. 

There are a couple of things i want to point out from these panels, Jason feels incredibly guilty, not about killing Andy but about leaving Tyler in a situation that is similar to the one he was left in when his own mother died. He still believes that Andy was not a good man and deserved to be dead, after all he was drugging his own son and was the reason Tyler’s mom overdosed and is now in the hospital. It just hits incredibly close to home for Jason and i understand completely. 

The other thing i want to point out is that Jason says “I know your rules. No killing in Gotham” so, this is (to me) confirmation that Jason hasn’t killed in a long time and that he has been sticking to the Bat's rules (at least in Gotham). Andy (a drug-dealer) is the only person that Jason has killed since the events of UtRH (that are apparently canon in this story because it was mentioned in the first issue). 

Following this conversation the Bat says that he will take care of Tyler’s mother (yikes, i really thought in my last post that Jason was the one who would have tried to get her the help she needed, to me it seems more appropriate if Jason does it given that this is his story but what do I know) 

This is where this Red Hood story transforms into the Batman show.

Not only will Bruce take care of Tyler's mom but he will clean up the mess and shut down the making of the drug all by himself. Jason tells him that he will do it but the Bat tells Jason that if he wants to do it they will have to do it together because there is no way he is letting Jason out of his sight, he made a mess!

Yes, nothing like making the lead character look incompetent at his job. Love that for Jason.

Before the team up starts Batman and Red Hood go to Leslie's place to leave Tyler with her. This is a good moment only because there is a dog involved, well…Tyler, Jason and a dog are involved, best panel in the whole issue? I think yes.

Maybe I have a couple more panels that are my favs in this issue, here they are, a lil bit of positivity in this extra bitter post.

Now I will be honest, I hate Batman (Bruce’s Batman, love Dick Bats he was the MVP) so him saying that he is helping a Robin makes me want to shoot him. You are not helping; you are overtaking, as you do. Never a team player, the Batgod must always be the center of the show.

Back in the new cave Bruce talks to Jason about the drug and who he thinks might be behind it's production. He also makes sure to let Jason know that he is very smart and might be the only person outside of Crane's circle that knows how analyze a very unstable compound…weird flex but okay. He also teases Jason about his detective skills. Yay.

Flashback time! Get ready!

Robin Jason and Batman are at a crime scene and Jason doesn’t seem to be in the mood to play CSI: Gotham with Bruce.

At one moment Jason says “and then we will stomp the guy who did this” (“this” being murder), which makes Jim Gordon (who came to see if batman was done playing Sherlock Holmes) uncomfortable, so Batman tells Jason to wait for him. As Jason is going he sees someone acting suspicious.

Back to present day Batman and Red Hood are visiting the woman that created the compound that makes Fear Gas, the interrogation starts well but because this is the Batman show and Jason is bad at reading people and asking questions we have a scene that shows Jason being a bit too much.

I honestly thought that the first question was fair, but then after they leave the office they were in Batman basically goes on a rant about the things that Jason missed.

Ok, I get it Batman = good vigilante. Red Hood = Incompetent.

Zdarsky is honestly trying to make us believe that Jason hasn’t picked up any of those things, in his years as Robin with Batman AND Nightwing? They both taught him, there is no way Jason doesn’t know the basics of how to read people. Also do you guys remember Jason in UtRH and Lost Days? That guy read people perfectly, how is UtRH canon in this story, did Jason lose his skills in the explosion when he blew up the Joker?

As if that wasn’t enough Batman calls Red Hood reckless after they don’t agree on what to do next.

To this I say the following: Never again make me believe that Jason will willingly work with Batman. They don’t work together and neither are willing to meet each other halfway, even less let the other lead. This makes the idea of Jason following the Bat’s rules and him being part of the “Batfamily” the joke that it actually is.

They don’t work well together anymore; bring duality back to Gotham 2021.

Back in the past where the previous flashback is resumed we have Jim telling Batman that the new Robin seems a bit too rough around the edges. Did Jim ever meet Dick as Robin? I mean, don’t get me wrong, Dick was a sweetheart but he also beat criminals alongside batman every night. It just doesn’t feel like what Jason said was that much of a violent statement or anything, maybe I just don’t get it.

But don’t worry if you don’t get it, because we are shown Robin Jason going after that suspicious man, he is beating him asking if he knows anything about the murder or what exactly he was doing so close to the crime scene when Batman arrives. Through Batman we are told that that man was no longer a criminal, to which Jason says this, “…The guy is a jewel thief! He will always be a thief” and Batman responds “I refuse to believe that. Didn’t I meet you in the middle of stealing the Batmobile’s tires?”

I can’t believe Bruce went full “It’s over Jason. I have the moral high ground” on Robin Jason.

I mean Jason is OOC, we know this, but he has to be that way in order to make Batman look better when compared to a child. DC hates Jason Todd #Confirmed.

It kinda reminds me of that thing DC does with Dick and Barbara, Dick is skilled and smart as long as Barbara isn’t in the room, if she is then Dick will forget to check if there is someone inside his apartment and then be thrown across the room by her and then be told that he sucks at putting security in his living space.

Moving on...back to the present one last time Jason is interrogating a man while he dangles him from the edge of a building (did Dick teach him that? I bet he did.) After getting some information he calls Oracle so he can make sure that the place he is going to is safe. Oracle tells him the she will help him but she did not like the fact that the last time she helped him someone ended up dead.

Now, fair warning, Barbara and Jason big NO for me and after Geoff Johns and his antics in Three Jokers I have zero love for their “team-ups”.

Jason says this, 

Believing in him? Excuse me? Chonky, baby, she only helped you find a building.

All I can do at this point is pray to whichever god or whoever hears that this does not lead to Jason pinning for Barbara. We don’t need it (Barbara doesnt need it), I might be overreacting, I hope I am, but nobody wants that kind of drama right now, thanks.

When he arrives to the place he was looking for I think everyone can tell that it’s a trap, everyone but Jason apparently. 

How on earth does Jason not realize it’s a trap up until it’s too late? Are you joking? Is this a Red Hood story? Are we really doing this? Just how incompetent is Jason in Zdarsky’s eyes?

Freeze…is it Freeze? I don’t care but he is there, he freezes Jason and that’s the end of the issue.

Listen, I wish I could say that this is the worst Jason has been treated and that this book is horrible, I wish but I can’t. I can’t do it because this isn’t the worst characterization or book of Jason, this is still a pretty good story, could it be better? Yes.

I mean this story is written by someone who obviously doesn’t know Jason and that sucks but it still isnt the worst characterization and it messes me up. Three Jokers was worse than this, certain plot decisions in Future State: Red Hood were worse than this (in my opinion) and Lobdell’s New52 RHatO was pure trash (that is the worst book, just horrible please dont read it). 

I am saying this only to make it clear that even tho this issue was painful (mostly if you don’t like Batman) I still have hope that it can turn out to be good. I cant help it, i want and need this story to be good and there is still time for it to get better. 

Alright thats all i have to say, let me know what you thought about this issue and my review, bye!

[mc-doppomine]

I love your analysis of Matenro!!!! Its my fav division too 💞

What do you think of Fling Posse? ✨

Aaaahhhh, thank you so much! I’m so glad that others enjoy my thoughts for this series.

As for Fling Posse, I am honestly hoping so much that KR is about to blow the lid on them in this DRB. Because right now, there’s just so mystique about them and a lot of threads that could lead to something bigger but it hasn’t yet. And right now, I think Fling Posse has the most growth to do to catch up with the other divisions. This isn’t me saying they’re not good, don’t get me wrong, but they are missing something for their team. 

(I guess we’re going to actual analysis because we all know I can’t just blurb.)

But I think that solely lies in HOW they came together. Which is distinct despite initially seeming like MTC’s way of coming together. Distinct being that FP are so immensely independent as people that their team kind of has suffered. Unlike all the rest of the divisions, FP was the one team that was only together ONLY for rapping together. And at least until they were at ‘serious’ risk of not making it to the 1st DRB (in the FP vs MTR manga) that they got better. Better. But they continued to strongly be just themselves. Which isn’t bad, it’s just that you have a higher chance of the ‘too many chefs’ problem. 

Lucky for them, they didn’t have that issue so much as simply being bested. It really could’ve gone either way for them. Personally, I do feel a bit more surprised about their friendship. Not saying that they’re not friends but mmm...I think it really depended on the media that came through for me. FP is one of those divisions that seemed a bit different in from the anime vs...almost everything else I’ve listened to? Like I think the anime is more of what FP gets into once they sufficiently convince the other members to go along with them. But that’s the main thing, if you notice a lot of their initial coming together for the track or chapter, they usually are asking ‘why are you bothering me?’ And it doesn’t always come across as that mean-spiritedness of like calling your friend a mean name that they’d laugh about. They do have a good time once it’s a bit of ribbing but there’s always that brash first few steps. 

Which, honestly, is mainly Gentaro being ‘why have you interrupted me this time?’ But to his credit, he’s like the only introvert amongst two high energy friends. And they are also crazy so he needs the time to regain the energy to be straight-faced through whatever bullshit is about to be pulled again. And speaking of Gentaro, he is such a driving force in FP too. Like he’s an unwitting mom friend and he is both aware of it and absolutely exhausted from it. But I do think he cares a lot. Too much to be honest. And I think that may be that part of Gentaro that is kinda romantic at heart. And that he doesn’t want to admit that he only met Ramuda and Dice for one day but if anything were to happen to them, then he’d kill everyone in the room and then himself. A little exaggerated but Gentaro does seem very attached to these guys when he honestly doesn’t seem the type to really make friends. Maybe their energy remind him of his friend or it’s that whole introvert gets brought into a fold because more outgoing person was like ‘I like you, let’s go.’ 

When it comes to his crew, Gentaro does have apprehension with Ramuda though and kind of rightfully so. His ‘liar’s intuition’ was not off about feeling something was strange with their leader and Ramuda KNEW that Gentaro had that feeling. But they never pried into each other. Gentaro because he could tell Ramuda would shut him out, making his snooping incomplete forever. Ramuda because...well, as far as he’s concerned, he already knows all he needs to about Gentaro. They are honestly such observant and calculating people that they kind of end up in cat and mouse deal. I say this because while I do believe Gentaro does care, I do also believe he is still using Ramuda to some extent for some unseen goal. He probably wouldn’t risk Ramuda’s life over it though. 

Ramuda’s whole journey of feelings could best be summed up as him catching feelings and instead of being glad, he’s like ‘No. God. Fuck! WHY?!’ He didn’t ask for this, you bastards tripped him! Like I feel like Ramuda went through this whole time fulfilling his whims because it’s the only time they would ever be filled. And he was running with it never being able to last because all it takes is one order and it’s done. He’s seen it happen. He’s made it happen. There’s no way he can stop it but...because there is some piece of him that aches for humanity. So, he considers his time with FP like sweets, little indulgences he is allowed until eventually he’s pulled away. But Ramuda still feels things and I felt like FP he was much more guarded than he was with TDD because he was still living down the pain he felt for...basically, taking someone important from people he considered friends! He hurt his friends and probably didn’t want to do that to them again. Which explains this false closeness Ramuda puts up with FP. 

Although they did get to him during the 1st DRB because Gentaro and Dice only cared about how Ramuda was and him doing things his way and on his own terms. Sure they didn’t know what was happening but they gave him courage to be unapologetically himself since that is what he wanted but he never thought of the weight of what that means. That sometimes being yourself means that you choose a path that isn’t easy. And Gentaro and Dice would know what that’s like. While I believe Gentaro is well off, I’m sure he’s still seen as a weirdo just because of how he dresses. It is stubbornly outdated when he lives in, arguably, one of the most trendy and up-to-date wards but he doesn’t care. He’s himself and to hell with those that make fun of him. And Dice, well, his habits make him do and say strange things. I won’t say he has no pride but he is...shameless, which can be very off-putting in the context of the things he’s done for money or the thrill. And Dice doesn’t care either. He’s doing exactly what makes him happy and that’s all that matters. Because they know, they could convey the sincerity in wanting Ramuda’s self shining through that it actually got him. With the 2nd DRB (which at the time of writing, the FP vs MTC CD is not out), I hope that they allow for more time of FP getting to deal with Ramuda’s ‘true self’ and Ramuda allowing that to show. Which...from what I’ve heard from those that have heard the full version of Black Journey....seems like a strong possibility.

Finally rounding off and probably both fortunately and unfortunately my shortest would be Dice. *cue my long and frustrated groan* He has so much to do with things but he isn’t used. Truly, Dice is underutilized story wise. And unfortunately I have the least to say because his is straight forward. He just does not care. Not that he doesn’t care about FP but he does not care about all the things THEY worry he wouldn’t like them for. He doesn’t care about their past. He doesn’t care what they’ve done. He doesn’t care who they decide to be to him. For Dice, I think it’s a simple ‘but I’m loyal if you feed me and I’ll never leave you because, well I need the food.’ It’s not actually that simple since Dice has never and would never leave FP despite someone that could possibly continually provide what he wants or needs (this lovely man named Rio exists). But I just think that Dice doesn’t really hold grudges. Even though they haven’t interacted this go around, I don’t think he really hates Hifumi and Doppo since that’s a lot time of time to invest in not liking them and I just don’t Dice giving enough shits to do so. I do mainly think it’s because if Dice respects them not prying into them, they’ll do so and not look into him. And it’s this lack of prying that earns both Gentaro and Ramuda’s friendship because they don’t want that. That and Dice would defend them regardless of if they could’ve handled the situation are not. All because they are friends. And nothing else. 

Phew. This is a lot. Like way more than the MTR one but that’s because it has so many moving parts. Like FP are so individualistic that you need to go for each one specifically. I hope that this was something close to what you were looking for lovely anon.

[quintisiscanon]

This was a post that was supposed to be up 2 months ago during the hiatus. But school work and procrastination. So here it is.

My views on Scorpion S3 as a whole. Or basically after like months of hiatus and how I viewed that hell of a season. And some theories for S4B. 

Warning: this will be me talking about how I feel, so I will not mince my words. Especially since I haven’t felt that positive about this season. If you don’t want to see a negative view on this season, please don’t read this post. That is also the reason behind why I am not tagging this in the main show tag. But I do kinda hope that you can read this post with an open mind (should you choose to) and understand why myself and some other people in the fandom feel this way about this season. 

Most of this post was done in the hiatus, but the portion after the false positive point was done after S4 premiere. 

#1 Nobody is perfect (except for Ralph)

This was a point that is being shown in this season over and over again. Just think about how people were supporting Toby or Happy, Walter or Paige in the various situations. It may seem like they are perfect, and are faultless in the situations. But I honestly don’t think so. The different situations (Tim, fake marriage, false positive, loss of memory, etc) helped to show us how they would react in such situations. Sure. It is messy. I or you may not agree with what they/he/she have done. But it showed that they are not perfect, and that is an important concept to get. Because if a character is viewed as perfect, that is really dangerous.

Do remember that it is fine to think that there are things that your fav has done is problematic! You don’t have to agree fully with what has been done.

#2 So… much… drama…

This point is really ironic. What made me love about the fandom is how free from drama it was back in S2. Sure, there were small fights and issues. But there weren’t anything major. It was really peaceful as compared to the previous shows that I loved. But S3 was… eventful. Honestly speaking, I don’t think that we will get back to that level in early S2. There were so many fans defending either Toby or Happy, Walter or Paige in the various arguments. I do think that it is good to have fans that are being vocal about who they support. But I just wished that it could have been like less volatile-ish? Idk how to put this across but I wished that there were lesser chances where fans had to pick a side. But I guess that this will increase as the show has more seasons.

#3 More team scenes please?

God. This was definitely something that I hated about this season. Like there were so many situations that made it seem like the team members were on different teams. This resulted in lesser scenes of the team just being happy and enjoying stuff. Like there were really little scenes of them enjoying themselves just because they can? Sure, you can say that it is due to the situations and how there were more pressing issues to handle. But I hated how it greatly reduces the chances to see them having fun just because they want to have fun. So I just really want to see more scenes of them having fun.

#4 Fake marriage

Pretty sure I have said my piece about this scam like 2 million times but here is my final thoughts on this issue. Sure, I am a lot better about this as of right now. But it does not mean that I am okay with the idea of Walter and Happy being secretly married for like 3 seasons. I can totally understand why it had to be kept a secret. But it would have been nice for Happy to try and subtly hint Toby that it could have been better if he doesn’t propose at that point in time. Then again, she could have thought that he wouldn’t have gone through with it. (I have like a lot to talk on this matter but I am gonna cut it short.) But my main question about this even up till now is that was Happy going to cut the marriage short if Toby didn’t propose? Like say if Toby doesn’t propose in the short future, will Happy just stayed technically married to Walter while dating Toby? 

Also, I am kinda upset with how this storyline was executed. This could have been done beautifully and had so much potential. But alas, it wasn’t really executed to the best. (I will expand on this last part in point #5) As a result of this fake marriage, I was super uncomfortable with Plight At the Museum, and most of the Walter and Happy scenes later on. At least up till the S4 winter hiatus. (I don’t do the whole forgive and forget thing easily. So yeah…)

#5 False positive

I was super excited about a Quintis baby. Still am but I am very sceptical now. (which I will touch on in the S4A part later on.) Like I loved the idea of them preparing to be parents. Like they were so afraid and unsure of this whole thing and I was sure that they will definitely get through it. Then came along the reveal which was a sucker punch to my gut.

At that point in time, I didn’t feel that the false positive arc was used to divert the attention away from the fake marriage. But looking back at it now, it really felt that way. Like we were so occupied. Let’s take a look back at that period of time shall we? At that time, we had Tim and Paige dating (I think???), the fake marriage shit, false positive, Toby being an overprotective dad, Happy being worried about being a mum, and some other stuff that I cannot remember. Like they just threw this arc in front of us and pushed the fake marriage to the back. I did love the arc back then and I would have loved it even more if it wasn’t used as a distraction.

#6 The lack of repercussion and …stuff

This is mainly in relation to the fake marriage part. I hate how it has been swept under the rug immediately after the reveal of the false positive, and how Toby was just suddenly okay with Happy being married with Walter in the next ep. The small mentions of the fake marriage is nice. On the other hand, it feels like a slap that felt like just a device to create shock throughout the fandom. Like it didn’t have any lasting impact? Or even take the center stage on how it was being resolved? “But Happy was pregnant then! That surely is more important! We also got the whole lying-to-INS thing!” Dude, I get it. But the pregnancy could have happened later on at a timing where it could be fleshed out properly. It should have been done with the same level of details (or perhaps more) as Cabe’s case in S4. Imo, that was really the ideal scenario for the fake marriage. There were certain timeline issues that came with the first few eps of the season. It was really jarring and didn’t make much sense. Should Happy be pregnant by the end of S4, I hope that if there isn’t a time jump, it will make sense in S5.

Some other smaller points that doesn’t fit in other parts

I get that Happy and Toby is the side couple. We only get to see them in the garage or when it relates to Walter. I truly get it. That’s why we don’t get to see them do a lot of stuff. But I am getting really sick and tired of missing so much on them. Especially when the main couple is finally canon and we get so much details on them. (Don’t get me wrong. I am happy that they are together and for the shippers too. The shippers deserve the happiness and details. But it’s just really jarring to have so much from one couple and hardly any from the other.) Like can you believe that we only saw them hold hands once up till S3 and two times up till S4? *I might be wrong but that’s what I remembered. 

The ep that they did in remembrance of Megan was really beautiful. I still miss her lots and wished that they continued the Megan Dodd Paediatric ward but… *shrug*

Cabe stepping up and being a dad to Happy was really nice and heartwarming. Even though I still doubt that the… timing of Patrick’s jail time was innocent (I feel like it’s setting up for Cabe to be her surrogate dad), but to see Cabe there for Happy was really nice. 

The S3 Christmas episode was a god damn mess and I wished that I have the ability to erase that episode from my memory. 

If it wasn’t for the Toby and Paige convos and Sly being an adorable human being, I would have burnt Plight at the museum from my memory. Because that’s how much I hate it. (Namely the scenes in the museum.) 

Dirty Seeds Done Cheap is an amazing ep. Like I have no words that can explain how much I love that episode. 

Essentially my view on this season is that you could have taken out S3 and just have Cabe meeting and falling in love with Allie, Sly running for Alderman, Happy and Toby getting married, Walter and Paige getting together over the hiatus and start with S4. Because that’s how much S3 lack an impact on S4 and the characters were. 

I guess that’s my opinion on S3. Being a bitter person that throws shade here and there (and still do when I watch the eps now tbh.) Also, just in case you are wondering how and why I am still watching this show despite so much anger and complains, I am just kinda taking a step back from this fandom and drama. I am not as involved as before because I got kind of tired of how things are going and some personal stuff. I am just turning my brain off a lot more when I am watching this drama. At certain times, I am just viewing this season/ep/parts as if it’s an AU. I was seriously intending to stop watching after S3 concluded but I ended up missing Toby and Happy way too much so…

I didn’t manage to finish the S4 recap before hiatus ended (because way too much bitter shit that I have to delve into) so I am just going to end this post with some theories on how S4B may pan out. I am not updated on any spoilers other than the ones from BTS and official spoilers so I might totally off.

Valentines’ ep should be interesting. I am still kinda suspicious of that Mr Grey line that Happy threw out. 50 Shades is coming out on V Day this year and I heard that this is the one that the female lead gets pregnant? Probably a stretch but a pregnancy thingy may be coming this way. Or maybe more mentions of that storyline. And this is the first Valentines’ that Walter and Paige are gonna have as an official couple! So that’s gonna be fun. 

Amy is said to be a recurring character so I suppose she is gonna appear again? Or it could be a typo in the ep 13 character list. I am just really excited to see how her appearance could have an impact on Toby and Happy.

I still feel that Collins is going to have an appearance in the S4 finale. Maybe he could have gotten one of the characters again? The last two eps should be tied together as per usual so that will be interesting. (But I think Joshua Leonard is in NYC now so I am not really sure about this theory.)

No. I don’t think for a second that Flo is here to be the third wheel in the Walter and Paige relationship. I know what the Nicks said and I think it was just to stir up something in the fandom. I do think that she might become Sly’s love interest though. 

I have another crazy theory that is based on some BTS but I am not sure. Like I feel that there are conflicting information in that BTS that makes it tough for me to come to a conclusion. So I am going to keep it to myself for now. 

[marmoraskeith]

Why Voltron Legendary Defender Doesn’t Have One Main Character and That’s Perfectly Okay: A Novel

Here it is. An extended version of this post I made a couple days ago, because it has apparently come to this point.

The issue? Fans continuing to circulate and claim that Voltron: Legendary Defender is based around one or two main characters when that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

I’m going to preface this by saying I love this show and every single character in it. This post is coming from a place of complete neutrality. I’m saying this from the standpoint of a writer who can understand where the writers of the show are coming from. This is not a post bashing on any one character, or saying that someone doesn’t deserve to be a protagonist or isn’t worthy of the position. 

Warning: it gets long. There is a TL;DR at the end if you’re into that. All of this being said, here we go.

Why are you so pressed about this? Just let people say whatever they want, they aren’t hurting you. 

Usually, I would be all for this, but in this case, I’ve seen so many posts and so many people talking about how certain characters were introduced as the main protagonist(s) and it is so mind-blowingly not what happened that I can’t keep my mouth shut. Sorry! 

No I’m not. This show is centered around the five paladins of Voltron, the two friends they made while discovering they are a part of something much larger than themselves (Allura and Coran), and them finding their place as defenders of the universe. There it is. The entire show summarized in one sentence. Defenders: plural. Stop reducing the show to being about your favorite character(s) just because you want them to officially be the center of attention.

I’m allowed to have a favorite character! 

I never said you couldn’t have one! Not the point :) 

(Insert character here) deserves to be the main character! (Insert character here) is amazing because of X, Y, and Z and doesn’t get enough recognition! 

This is a little something called bias. Bias: (noun) Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. We’re all biased, whether we are aware of it or not. You have a fav. I have a fav. We all have a fav. I’m not at all saying that your favorite character is not amazing/incredible/worthy of all the praise in the world, but just because you think they are the greatest does not automatically mean the show should be, or is, based around them. 

I love every single character in Voltron. I also love that the show does not have a main character because it gives so much more opportunity for us to find out more about the five paladins, Allura, and Coran, without it being centrally based on one person, which can get pretty old pretty fast. All the main characters, AKA the paladins, have enough depth to each of them that means the show is going to be so much more deep than some of the blander options in the world. How is this a bad thing?? It isn’t. It literally isn’t a bad thing. 

I’m not biased, there’s proof that (insert character here) is the main character of the show. 

Yes, you are. No, there isn’t. 

Voltron IMDB: Five Earth teens - Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge and Shiro - who become the last line of defense for the galaxy in an intergalactic battle against the evil alien force led by King Zarkon.

Official description for the first issue of the VLD comic: From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe comes VOLTRON: LEGENDARY DEFENDER! When Team Voltron takes on a dangerous training mission in deep space, Coran, Princess Allura’s majordomo, is captured by an ancient enemy. It will take teamwork, smarts, and, of course, Voltron, to save their friend’s life.

Netflix: Overwhelmed but ready for action, five aspiring young space explorers learn they have the power to create Voltron, the most powerful robot in the universe. 

I could go on. 

The show is about the five paladins and their mission to—surprise!—defend the universe against evil and use teamwork to do it. The show is not called Lance and Friends, or Keith and Those Other Guys, or Klance VS The Universe. It’s called Voltron: Legendary Defender. Voltron would not be able to become Voltron if not for all five of the paladins and the way they work together to fight evil. It truly could not be put more simply than that. 

Okay except that Lance was introduced as the main character because Blue was the first Lion they found and Keith was introduced as his mysterious love interest. 

No.

If you can’t see how ship-biased this statement and any posts surrounding it is, I don’t know what to do for you.

I’m a Klance shipper. I love the shit out of Klance. But I also know that that statement is so incorrect that it gave me a headache reading it in a post and it’s giving me another one now because I’m remembering that apparently over 1,000+ people actually think this is true.

No and no. 

First off, Blue being the first Lion of Voltron they found (that Keith found first, actually, and that Pidge picked up information about via her alien chatter-device, and Hunk helped pinpoint with his Fraunhofer line, and all of them discovered together) did not automatically appoint Lance as The Main Protagonist. Blue was the only Voltron Lion on Earth. Blue picked Lance as her paladin. These are facts. Blue is a part of Voltron, is only one-fifth of Voltron, and as such, her and her paladin are definitely main characters, but are not the one and only protagonist, because there isn’t one protagonist, there are FIVE, do I really need to go over this again?? Something had to lead them to the rest of the Lions/the beginning of their journey, and them—AS A GROUP—finding Blue was step one. Lance isn’t the main protagonist.

Secondly, Keith wasn’t introduced as Lance’s mysterious love interest. Keith was introduced as Lance’s self-proclaimed rival.

Contrarily, Keith doesn’t remember Lance at all.

Keith then remembers Lance as a cargo pilot, Lance is all “Fighter class now, thanks to you dropping out,” yadda yadda. We know. And we also know, and can see, that this isn’t a ~mysterious love interest~ character introduction for Keith. Rivals ≠ lovers. No matter how much you may love that trope, this is in no way a romantic introduction or interaction between Keith and Lance. Please stop spreading this. I truly have a migraine.

There aren’t any tv shows that don’t have one main character.

Wrong-o! There are plenty of shows out there have an Ensemble Cast – Game of Thrones, Friends, The Office, Shameless, Sense8, How To Get Away With Murder, Pretty Little Liars… The list is extensive. The plot rotates between characters, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, past, future, and potential. Given time, the writers are able to explore multiple storylines through seasons and episodes, which (usually) makes for a riveting, information-rich show that does not solely rely on the plot to move itself along.

Well you’re lying because Keith got an entire season dedicated to him, so obviously the writers are making the show about him.

Were you in the fandom before Season 2 came out in January? Did you see the amount of fan content and meta and speculation and posts surrounding the idea of Keith being Galra? The entire. fandom. wanted this storyline for Keith. We picked up on the clues, asked the Voltron creators at a con about Galra Keith, Jeremy Shada said before s2 that he’d love to see a Galra Keith arc and was quickly told to zip it, everyone and their mother wanted to see Galra Keith.

What were we given? Galra Keith, and then some. Did it take up the entire season? No. 

We finally got to see a side of Keith that was never shown to us in S1 because he had very little personal development there. We saw his fears, his doubts, the questions he has about himself and his past, and he was able to explore parts of that in a few episodes of S2 while also being groomed by Shiro to take his place as Black Paladin in case anything ever happened to him. We went from knowing barely anything about him in S1 (that he was kicked out of the Garrison and that he’s an amazing pilot and knew Shiro before Shiro left for the Kerberos mission) to knowing more about him as a character. 

That, my friends, is character development, and is perfectly normal. Just because Keith had focus on his past this season (just like Pidge did in S1?? Where’s the riot about her being focused on then???? Yeah. That’s what I thought) does not mean that the entire show is now going to move forward focusing solely on him. Chill out and be patient and stop assuming the worst.

Having five characters is a bad idea because someone is going to get left out. (Insert character here) is being ignored/pushed aside/hasn’t gotten a storyline yet. 

This is a matter of opinion. Yes, there is a risk in having plots centered around multiple characters because not every character is going to have a main focus on them every single episode/season. I know there was a huge uproar after S2 finished because many people were unhappy with the treatment of Lance and Hunk and how they seemed to be pushed to the back burner. I think Tyler Labine, Hunk’s VA, put it well:

GIVE. IT. TIME.

The show is new. The first episode came out just over a year ago this month, and we already have two seasons with a third coming out in 40-something days. There is time. We need to be patient—just because a character has not yet had their personal storyline explored does not mean it isn’t going to happen. 

Season One was centered around Pidge, Hunk, Lance, Shiro, and Keith understanding their place in the universe as the Voltron paladins, and about Pidge finding out more about her family.

Season Two was centered around Shiro and Zarkon’s back-and-forth struggle for power for the Black Lion, about the paladins finding out new powers that their Lions have (Blue’s ice power and water-agility; Yellow’s huge claws and superior  strength and armor; Green’s new weapon that makes roots grow out of the Olkari cubes; Black’s wings), and Keith finding out more about his past, his heritage, and what the knife he’s had all his life actually means. 

There’s so much information to take in from both seasons, but please do not let this cloud the fact that there is still so much more to come – considering that Voltron has been approved 8 seasons total, it is BEYOND likely that each character is going to have their time to shine.

All we have to do is be patient and trust the writers will do their job, which is telling the story of Voltron, its paladins, and the stories of the legacy they are leaving behind. They are not intentionally leaving other characters in the dust to focus on their favorites. These things take time, and as Tyler said, there are things in the works behind the scenes that we don’t know about, and that we won’t know about until the subsequent seasons are released.

TL;DR: There is not one or two designated main protagonists in VLD. The show has five characters and their story lines, character developments, and personal arcs are going to be rotating throughout the episodes and seasons that are going to be coming out. Writing, producing, animating, and voicing a show takes time, and it is unrealistic to believe that we can have all five characters have their important time in the limelight simultaneously. Please let the writers do their job. Give them the benefit of the doubt, let the seasons play out, and stop assuming the worst of them as if they are intentionally sidelining certain characters when they aren’t. Give it time.

[lastcenturykindagirl]

Finished Defenders and it basically was what I figured it would be, which is a big bag of MEH.

Spoilers. Long.

Putting the characters all together required a sacrifice of some of the integrity of the character of their individual shows, even though they obviously went to a lot of effort to shoot scenes in the style (or interpretation of the style) in each of the other shows.

Danny is a white savior character, and even though he’s not the main (and still has no charisma), it’s all about him and his being Iron Fist and How Important That Is, which we know because they make Asian characters say things like, “You have the heart of a warrior” and “I also used to have masters”, and they never make fun of a white guy being the Iron Fist like everyone else gets to do. Nope. Not here for it.  Drinking game for every time Danny tells someone he’s the Iron Fist or mentions his “chi”.

The plot is terrible and the fight scenes all blur together.  Nobody ever knows exactly what is going on, take forever to trust each other (it’s mentioned a few times in show), they kind of connect the dots in places, but they’re always one step behind, and it doesn’t really do anything to amplify the supernatural twist ending in this, it just feels like hacky comic book schlock, to be honest?  There’s no deep dig for real knowledge, no real investigation. They obviously wanted to avoid showing real dragons, but the MacGuffin here are dragons. Talking about dragons and not showing them is beyond weak. 

I get what the Hand do, but who cares?  They are bored wealthy semi-eternal people who are afraid of death and crush up dragon bones so they can say they serve life by never dying. I mean, I get the gist of it, but it would’ve been nice if someone who could actually write dialogue had been able to explain why this mattered and How It Would Change Everything?  It felt like underneath all of this is a very spiritual vein about how Kun-Lun was heaven (even though that’s a hard sell), and the Hand were like fallen angels who got kicked out and wanted to get back in at any price, but they don’t explain it in a cool way and in fact all the members of the Hand seem pretty incompetent after ruling for centuries.

Which brings me to, the Hand has been lead for centuries by a white woman who got kicked out of Kun-Lun.  She’s like the evil version of the Ancient One, with all the same uncomfortable hallmarks of Asian appropriation and imperialism: her lieutenants are Chinese, Japanese, African, you get my point. They’re associated with ninjas (the joke is made repeatedly) but lead by a white woman for centuries. Whatever, Marvel.

Elektra gets done dirty again and obviously they are very comfortable with having her as a villain, not an anti-hero.  She is a tool for the leader of the Hand and the only way she gets her identity back is because she remembers how Matt made her have real feels.  Which, I guess is a thing, but it’s just reinforces how their relationship is all kinds of fucked up and irresponsible and that Matt is really a hot mess, too. I love the actress, I just wish she’d gotten a redemption arc instead of her entire journey boiling down to that she just wanted Matt for forever so they can play their fucked up cat-and-mouse-game.  But then, she did kill that bastard Stick, so, HIGH FIVE ELEKTRA!

High POC body count in this.  Decapitations and body parts being sliced off are a fav throughout the series. Lots of violence, as you would imagine.  Good guys losing their cool and doing torture as well.

I really enjoyed all the stuff with the female supporting characters helping each other out, but it would’ve been nice if they weren’t just insert scenes, like you have a cop, a nosy talk radio host, an investigative reporter, a doctor capable of doing forensic analysis, and a former member of the Hand all gathered together, but Jessica goes off to investigate alone.  Matt finds architectural plans inside a piano!  Brilliant!  Um, not really.  This is all because the Hand might find and hurt their friends/lovers and because of Matt’s secret identity the DD people can’t talk to the other people (even though they keep talking about how it’s not that hard to figure out Matt and DD are the same person). But it’s a superhero show and all the female love interests are not people that stay on the sidelines (again, they talk about this in-show) and eventually don’t.  But they could’ve found a way to have them help move the plot forward.  Claire, Colleen and Misty get a little bit more of this than most, but then get repeatedly sidelined.  It’s also annoying how  no one will every explain anything fully to Misty even though she helps them out?

Jessica finally apologized for the horrible thing she did to Luke, which was good, but it felt very convenient that only happened after they’d been forced to work together and went through hell?  It would’ve been better if they’d had that talk fairly early on to me, so they could get square, but Jessica is never shown feeling worried that she makes Luke uncomfortable and that he might have trust issues (!!!) but they cover over that by making Luke generally the most soft-hearted member of the team who easily forgives.

I hope all the Hand are dead now and we can stop talking about them? I hope we don’t have to see Danny anymore but that’s just wishful thinking?  Luke+Claire 4ever.