#that i missed the very obvious bookends there

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Just smacked in the face with how neatly the "impossible birds" thing bookends the whole of OFMD s2

In s2e1, obviously, Ed talks with such defeat and tears in his eyes and a song about how he has nothing but love playing about how he's going to be an impossible bird, at sea forever, and ever, without end, never going back to land.

In s2e3, we see the crew eating the seagull - they're chewing on their guilt for literally shooting the impossible bird down.

In s2e4, Buttons becomes a seagull - literally, he's become an impossible bird! - and it's that which gives Ed the hope to believe that people can change and he can become the kind of person and live the kind of life he wants to live. The song "Seabird," about a lonely seabird flying home, and Izzy's deciding to finally accept kindness and change, too, drives home the point. Ed's coming back to land, and he's gonna be alright.

And then, in s2e8, our very last shot of the show is the seagull landing on the grave in front of Ed and Stede's new home. The closing shot of the whole show is letting us know that, yes, the seabird has flown home at last.

[fernhelm]

opinions on the black sister relationships? i love your character posts sm!

i’m blowing you a kiss!

i love thinking about them…sorry this took so long, i was busy lounging and watching killing eve. i might type up something about the dynamic between the three of them, but i broke them down into pairs here.

bella & cissa ♛

i made a webweave here that basically sums up my thoughts on bellacissa. i do think cissa thinks she’s a fanatic and completely bonkers, but she’d defend her anyway. narcissa appreciates that in their patriarchal fucked up family, bella is carving her own path—she isn’t docile or ladylike at all. so cissa takes some vicious pleasure in how unleashed bella is. conversely, bellatrix has a deep-seeded jealousy FOR narcissa, who is at least able to play the part of the perfect pure blood woman in a way bellatrix never could. my vision is that druella has contempt for bella but pays a lot of attention to narcissa. once druella is dead, bella sees narcissa as both her baby and her mother in a way, and she resents both. but i won’t get into bella here she deserves her own post.

bella & andy ♞

the hardest relationship for me is bella and andy. my belief is that these two are one year apart in age, like irish twins. we know from dh that they’re basically identical. I think they were pitted against each other a lot. they both end up teaching each other how conditional someone caring for you can be. it’s obvious that andy leaving really wounds bella (as evidenced by the ferocity with which she wants to kill ted and tonks), so there is a degree of power andy hold over her emotionally. bella is both the terrorist and the protector in the home. she goes after both her sisters, but it’s with the ultimate goal of making them strong enough to face anything that’s thrown at them…andy doesn’t want to change her or save her—she knows all the dark, evil parts of her and grapples with all the times bella showed her tenderness or turned her rage against someone else for her sake. i think they can read each other’s body language perfectly, but don’t understand each other’s minds at all. once they’re older they fight all the time, verbally if not with magic, and it would start with bella making some pointed jabs to get her attention and andy curating a biting response without looking up from her magazine and just like that they’re dueling. but once it’s over and they’re panting on the floor, bella would kick her leg and they’d smirk at each other a bit. or one of them would storm out. i do think that andy did bella’s hair for every event they attended between the ages of 8 and 16. huh, i guess i have more to say about them than i thought i did.

andy & cissa ♝

narcissa spends years stepping in the footprints andy has left behind. before she figures out who she is, she’s just a ghost of andy. she learns all her best defenses from her. i don’t think andy feels very bad about leaving her behind. i don’t think she’d try to convince narcissa to go with her either. she would miss her so much, but she’d grieve her like she’s dead. i don’t see her as a person who holds on to a lot of regrets. and she’s in love! she wants to run away and forget every bad thing that ever happened to her! is that a crime? narcissa thinks it is. growing up andy was her strongest ally, and she takes it as the ultimate betrayal when she leaves. similarly to regulus, she looks down on andy and maligns her whenever her name comes up, but it’s a cover up for how hurt she is. andy knows all the reasons that narcissa thinks she’s trapped in the life she leads, but she still thinks ‘if you want out, get out.’

daughters 1, 2, 3 ♙

fairy tales often follow a 1 2 3 format because it’s easy to remember a moral lesson tied up with a bow when it comes in a set of three (three billy goats, beauty and the beast, the peverell brothers). it goes bad bad good. so it’s super interesting that the ostensibly “good” one, andy, is the middle child. she is bookended by two death eater sisters. which raises the question: what went wrong (or right) with her? and for the others too—narcissa in canon is primarily draco’s mother, but giving her andromeda AND bellatrix as sisters raises all kinds of questions about her upbringing and interpersonal relationships. bellatrix chases and scolds narcissa at the beginning of half-blood prince, and she’s not particularly scary at all. the terrifying evil bitch who killed sirius calls her sister cissy? three sisters who mean vastly different things to harry, but we never get the three of them in a room, so so much is left to the imagination. lots to play with. good things come in threes!

[randomfoggytiger]

"Proving" Mulder Knew He Was the Father of Scully's Baby

(Had to get this out before the next part of Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma series; so... here we go~!)

Mulder knew he was the father of Scully's baby before Three Words began; and his reticence had everything to do with his PTSD, guilt, and fear and nothing to do with feeling replaced by his partner's child. His ending monologue in Existence further proves this, concluding Mulder's emotional turbulence: "I think what we feared were the possibilities. The truth we both knew."

But how is that to be proven?

Cutting Out Context to Bait the Mystery

According to the script (uploaded here by @x-files-scripts, thank you~), Scully very casually mentions how far along she is separate from her concerns about (and to) Mulder. Mulder doesn't react to this information at all, meaning whatever his reticence and withdrawal were rooted in had nothing to do with feeling replaced as the father of her child.

Throughout their conversation, Mulder tries to keep Scully from digging deeper into his emotions or trauma, deflecting with humor or emotional separation. Scully finally directly addresses his distance; and (though a bit out-of-order from how it aired), the scene below makes two things very obvious:

SCULLY: Mulder --

MULDER: (cutting her off) -- whatever you're going to say, Scully, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cold. Or ungrateful to you.

SCULLY: I don't know if you can truly understand what it was like.... And now to get you back....

MULDER manages a smile, finally. But only barely.

MULDER: You act like you're surprised.

Scully manages a chuckle, but she's truly worried about him.

SCULLY: I prayed so many nights. And my prayers were answered, Mulder.

MULDER: In more ways than one.

MULDER looks to Scully's stomach. Which she touches.

SCULLY: Yes.

MULDER: I'm so truly happy for you. I know what it means to you --

SCULLY: Mulder --

MULDER: (cuts her off again) -- but I'm having trouble processing any of this. I don't know why I'm here, or where I fit in anymore. I feel strange. Like this can't be happening.

SCULLY nods. Anything she had wanted to tell him will wait.

SCULLY: That's what I've been saying to myself for the last eight months.

What Scully "had wanted to tell him" had nothing to do with her child's paternity nor was that even a concern because she, as mentioned above, says "the last eight months" effortlessly. (An important note: because they kept no show bible, the writers forgot Mulder was missing three months and buried another three; but the intent behind that line is the same even if there isn't or wasn't a numbers problem to quibble over.)

"The last eight months" comes at the tail end of the conversation without a remark or quip from Mulder's perspective, meaning this wasn't news enough for him to comment on or even react to. Scully's statement bookended their discussion, meaning she wasn't drawing it out longer or forcing information down Mulder's throat that he wasn't ready to process. Since that is the case, both knew the problem wasn't her pregnancy (though it was a stressful factor) but was another, bigger concern.

Devil's advocate: Scully was trying to tell Mulder the baby was his-- Gillian Anderson's expressions debunk this theory, but we'll press on-- and the months referred to was how long Mulder was "gone": in which case, Scully being hugely pregnant would have been a huge tip off for her partner regardless; and Mulder, for as much as he is avoiding the obvious this episode, is not stupid.

By cutting up the script-- taking out important context and removing crucial lines-- the audience is left to speculate on information that what was intended to be understated yet obvious (though unconfirmed until the finale episodes.) Chris Carter and Spotnitz have already stated they'd baited Scully's pregnancy as much as they could (one such interview here, credit to @babygirlmulder1018 for the upload~) while always planning for Mulder to be the father. The problem with their method is that they sacrificed necessary clarity for ambiguity, leaving the actors to scramble or fill in the butchered gaps as much as they could with implied body language. Three Words Mulder's affectionate, though fleeting, glances at Scully's belly or Scully's heightening worry for his well-being are debatable clues, all dependent on the viewer's interpretation (even when rewatched with hindsight.) The key to any good mystery is to have all the puzzle pieces in place so that it makes sense when you go back and see them all line up. Cutting out important clues early just to bait the mystery is foolhardy, especially when those gaps are never filled-in with any answers; and The X-Files show, while built around unsolved or unresolved mysteries, always provided a likely explanation (even if that explanation was later revealed to not be entirely true.) It's a shame that this premediated action thoughtlessly skewed the reading of the scene so badly that it took away from its original intent-- Scully's worries over her partner as he becomes more and more lost in his trauma-- and turned it widely into a "bet he's jealous or feels left behind because Scully moved on without him" interpretation, muddying it for viewers over the decades to come.

It's not the first time a script has been stripped of its original intent to fit the vision of the showrunners (often to the frustration to the various writers, actors, directors, etc.); but there is a marked difference between the tampering done to, for example, David Duchovny's personal ideas and scripts in keeping with the mythos of the show (Cinefantastique: David Duchovny on "The Unnatural" and "Hollywood A.D.") and specifically removing an important piece of dialogue to intentionally blur a scene for "the mystery" without that action serving any goal other than obfuscation... and, ultimately, confusion.

Mulder Himself Proves He Knew

According to the script, Scully's concerns started in her partner's hospital room when Mulder's non-reaction snags her notice twice in a row:

"His reaction is so underwhelming that Scully has to laugh"; and

"The doctor has to chuckle, looking to Scully. But Scully isn't humored now. She reads something in Mulder past the humor. And Mulder catches her sensing it. That he is deeply troubled."

"Mulder catches her sensing it" is a crucial piece of information, smoothly setting up the scene at his apartment-- Mulder doesn't ice Scully out (always responding to her pleas with mustered up but genuine sympathy and sorrow) but he avoids her eyes as much as possible, not wanting to be read, to be "exposed." THAT is what concerns Scully-- never before in their partnership has he evaded eye contact, likely seeking it more often than any other person on the planet. But Mulder (also likely more than anyone else) knows that eyes are the windows to the soul; and he doesn't want his bared (yet.)

The tricky part of the ensuing scenes is not to mistake his avoidance of Scully's detection with his avoidance of the baby. Mulder is avoiding everything equally-- but he will still spare a moment for his partner or his baby here and there before snatching away his focus again, dodging any opportunity that might lead to vulnerability.

At his apartment, Mulder turns aside whenever he can or spreads a plaster-fake grin on his face when in conversation;

but it melts into sincerity after he finally acknowledges the baby in the room. It's not quite happiness, but it is a form of contentment and a little pride (similar to his look on the couch in Empedocles.)

When Scully wants to commit anarchy over Kersh's tyrannical terms, Mulder squashes that impulse flat, sparing a strained but still sincere smile as he directs her attention to the pragmatic fact of her baby.

(It's not until "Agent Who?" comes across Mulder's radar that he starts to stiffen against Scully's reticence. Again, not about the baby.)

The last significant mention of Scully's pregnancy in Three Words is in her kitchen. TLG drop in to do their research... and to refocus Mulder on his impending miracle ("a certain blessed event") and away from his crazy mission. Mulder's amused at first by their commentary (as is Scully), giving an exaggeratedly suspicious, comedic squint (which Scully follows up with a witty repartee on his investigative methods)--

until he figures out his partner's ulterior machinations. (The tensions that trail them both the rest of the episode are because of Scully's interferences and not-- again-- because of the baby.)

Those are the only direct references to the baby in Three Words, (although Scully does tag along on his madcap mission with TLG); and Empedocles starts out in the spirit of the kitchen scene above-- Mulder squinting about the pizza man, ribbing Scully lightly, and enjoying getting ribbed in return-- but with the added bonus of some unfiltered, heartfelt moments of a man fully embracing fatherhood.

So why, if the original intent of the struggle of Three Words wasn't about the paternity question, does Mulder still struggle with doubts the rest of the series. Well... what were his paternity doubts?

Paternity Doubts

Mulder knew (logically) that his partner wouldn't run into the arms of another man or through the doors of the nearest IVF clinic just because he was chucked six feet under; but that reassurance gave him nothing to stand firmly on since both of their lives revolved around clones, aliens, and even a little girl that was born (and died) to serve an agenda.

Scully had been used over and over against her consent and was ultimately stripped of her fertility; and even though Mulder once said "never give up on a miracle", the IVF had failed, and there had been months of regular extracurricular activities since without even a thought of a baby on either of their radars. But somehow, the minute he vanishes off the planet, she finds out she's pregnant? The exact same somehow he was abducted and somehow returned and somehow resurrected? It doesn't add up; and Mulder's motto has always been "I want to believe."

"I have the same doubts you do, Scully," he said in the Pilot; and those doubts haunt him in Three Words; and (although they are temporarily set aside during the off-screen conversation Mulder has with his partner before Empedocles) they remain, along with his fears, buried under the surface-- as demonstrated by his opening monologue in Essence: "Is it the product of a union? Or... an answer to prayer-- a true miracle? Or is it a wonder of technology, the intervention of other hands? What do I tell this child about to be born? What do I tell Scully? What do I tell myself?"

Furthermore, the events of Essence and Existence make a bit (only a bit) more sense if those events-- Zeus Genetics, Billy Miles, Lizzie Gill, Krycek, the Super soldiers, and other such nonsense-- are put through another lens: trauma.

The Other, Bigger Concern

If Mulder knew the baby was his, why did he distance himself?

Simply put, PTSD.

Three Words very specifically chooses Mulder's flashbacks as his first scene (post here), providing motive to any future decision he makes. Being torn apart for three months and buried another three before being resurrected on a chance is a lot to grapple with; add in a pregnant partner who is clearly expecting a miraculous baby amidst a set of tragically unmiraculous events and looking to her recently resurrected partner for not only their old relationship but more and you get a PTSD-riddled, paranoid, and very panicked Fox Mulder.

Empedocles begins after the aforementioned off-screen conversation; and quite plainly establishes Mulder in his new paternal role, bringing Scully (and the baby) gifts like he has any other significant moment in their relationship (and also because it's no longer acceptable to bring triumphant caveman hunting trophies back to the domestic den.) This episode not only goes out of its way to give him a first-time "feeling his baby move" scene, but further cements Mulder's role by showing him standing sentry outside of Scully's door, doting on her hand and foot back at her apartment, and including their baby nonverbally in Scully's gratitude speech. These benchmark moments are then followed up by him briefly forgetting his baby in Vienen, not wanting to leave its side in Alone, and cycling back to his paternity worries in Essence-- further proof that his initial distance and on-again-off-again dance is rooted firmly in trauma rearing its ugly head to continually mess up his temporary peace.

That trauma follows him (mostly unacknowledged) the rest of Season 8, coming to a head (and exploding) during the events of Essence and Existence. When his security in Scully's science (and himself) is completely eroded, Mulder is left blindly grappling for any explanation from the nearest and newest source currently in front of him (handing Scully to his sworn enemy should have been the tip-off point to both she and Skinner, prompting them to put a stop to his spiraling before doing anything else... but I digress.) His hot-and-cold attitude is back (referring to their child as "your baby") even though his fiercely protective love and interest hasn't faded one bit ("will do anything to protect it.")

Deep down, Mulder always knew (or at least hoped) the baby was his-- "the truth we both know," after all.

So, What Does This Mean?

Probably nothing in the grand scheme of things, but a rippling domino effect in the minutiae. It explains Mulder's distant-then-doting attitude, the manifestation of his PTSD and impending parenthood, and even why he was happy to have Scully firmly glued by his side throughout Three Words (even if he couldn't meet her eyes at times.)

Scully's pregnancy was a change for both: almost overnight she needed more from their relationship. However, once she realized how displaced and harried Mulder was, Scully relaxed the pace (off-screen...), allowing Mulder to finally recover, regroup, and continue on. Once that understanding was reached (again: off-screen), Mulder started to take his journey more gently (upsetting and resettling himself whenever Scully had health scares or his impulsive actions blasted him up, down, and sideways) while Scully refigured how to fit their new normal into the life she built in his absence. Like always, teamwork and their unspoken; and, overall, it makes Season 8's there-and-gone-again MSR bits that much more in-character and enjoyable.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[intuitive-revelations]

Some notes on Tales of the TARDIS: The Pyramids of Mars (some finale trailer spoilers included)

We don't get as much interesting stuff in the framing device here, for obvious reasons, but there's still some stuff to talk about.

Surprised they still used the stock backgroud / TARDIS cgi for this Tales of the TARDIS episode. I would have thought they would have something new/more specific to the next episode.

I'm very interested in the decision to have Fifteen and Ruby here. Out of universe I get it, what with Elisabeth Sladen being gone, and who knows if Tom would have able/willing to do something with a different actor (and who would you bring in even if he were? Luke?). But the in-universe placement is interesting. I would have assumed it was just a framing device, but we know we're going to see the Memory TARDIS in the finale. I'm guessing there will be a scene with them in the Memory TARDIS where Fifteen briefly explains what Sutekh is, and the Tales of the TARDIS bookends will basically be a deleted scene that fits into that?

There's actually some evidence for this. As we zoom in, the TARDIS doors seem to be open, which might fit with those trailer scenes of the Doctor looking out at Earth, plus the one of him screaming. However, Mel was there in the trailer, so I'm guessing we're going to be in and out of the Memory TARDIS quite a bit next episode.

I noticed those subtle camera glances from Ncuti as he's talking about Four and Sarah Jane :)

People have already commented on it, but I like the anti-colonialist reframing of the story.

As for the omnibus story itself, the editing was generally good. I don't know the original serial enough to spot everything they did, but I did kinda miss the Victoria reference at the beginning.

Interesting decision to replace the Time Corridor effects with the modern Time Vortex. Kinda makes sense in some ways, plus probably helps explain how Sutekh ends up in the Void without needing other stories. Super missed opportunity not using the graphics from the Season promo photos though, which people pointed out as being very reminiscent of the time tunnel.

As someone always eager, usually in vain, for 'canon' to fit together, I'm super intrigued by the mention of Sutekh having "evolved into a Titan" since Pyramids. (Interestingly, the iPlayer titles capitalised this. I found it a bit interesting, since in the context of gods, it immediately bring to mind Greek mythology, but that would be an odd choice to combine with the Egyptian/Christian inspired Sutekh.)

(Actually small critique of the iPlayer subtitling. I don't really need accessibility features, but had them on as I didn't want to miss anything. The new Doctor Who content has made some big bounds with accessibility, with the BSL and audio description options, but I was a bit disappointed with some of the subtitling line changes from the actual spoken words, even if I get why some lines might have been changed for clarity from Four's meandering language. It had quite a big effect on the dialogue though, in some places. I can see what people on here mean when they advocate for accurate subtitling.)

Anyway, back to the evolution thing. I hope this might be explained or eluded to next episode, given the decision to re-air an episode with such a distinctly different Sutekh.

Between the time tunnel leading to the far future, plus the fact he originates from the Dark Times, maybe the idea of him being the 'oldest one' isn't as crazy as I thought? After all, beings like the Toymaker, if they are the 'Time Lords' of the previous universe, are presumably only around 14 billion years old in the present day, if their original species had lifespans similar to the current Time Lords.

That being said, Four says he 'lived for 7000 years'. No idea if that's about his lifetime up until this point, or how long the Doctor thinks Sutekh survived in the Time Tunnel. If the prior, it's possible it doesn't include his time imprisoned. If the latter, maybe that's how long he was stuck in the tunnel before he escaped to the Void, with his disappearance causing the Doctor to assume he died?

Meanwhile, maybe the "Mother/Father/Other" thing is more about taking that kind of role in providing understanding of N-Space to the Great Old Ones, like in the Titan Comics storyline, than an actual parental connection? I don't know, that one's going to both me if we don't get more information tonight...

The only other possibility, which admittedly I kind of like, is that Sutekh is somehow an incarnation of The Beast (in the same way the Doctor might be the Other/Red Guardian), who really is old enough to be such a thing. If so, maybe he's awakened to that power/knowledge since last we saw him?

[mewmckenna]

Miss Scarlet

So, I am sure by now that everyone has seen the news that Stuart Martin will not be returning for season five of MSATD. I know a lot of people are super disappointed that William is leaving the show, as am I, but honestly, I kind of feel that this could be a new opportunity for the show. It is obvious that the writers did not know that Stuart was leaving the show for good as they were writing last season, but with him being gone it makes the ending of season four almost better to me. Eliza is no longer working for Patrick, and while he is coming back and will likely not end up in prison (though who knows), I imagine Eliza won't go back to Nash & Sons. She was finally able to change the sign above her door to say "Miss Eliza Scarlet," something that seemed impossible to her in earlier seasons. Also, while Eliza is certainly fine at working with a few friends, she will never be the kind of manager that Patrick is as she's simply too independent and stubborn. It is for the better that she is at her own agency, able to do her thing without too much interference.

In a roundabout way, I think William's departure kind of brings everything together. Eliza is truly alone, without William or her father. Everything that she does now will be entirely up to her; she has no father or childhood friend to fall back on. I think that this, plus the name of the show changing to be just Miss Scarlet is a kind of bookend to how the show began. The producers and writers of the show have already hinted at this being the start of a shift in direction, and while the story was largely focused on the romance between William and Eliza during the first four seasons, I think that this gives the creators an opportunity to do more. By calling the show Miss Scarlet and the Duke, they were limited in what they could write. I know I have seen many people comment on how the show seemed to drag because of the drawn out will-they-won't-they between Eliza and William, something I noticed myself after the first couple of seasons.

Now, since it is apparent that they are no longer going to be the endgame couple, there is more freedom in the storyline and what the writers can do with the personal relationships. At the end of season four, it felt to me as though the show had sort of written itself into a corner concerning the title relationship of the show. In another recent post I even commented on how the relationship between the two would remain unchanged unless some drastic action by one of them, probably William. Obviously, I did not know that Stuart was planning on leaving the show, but I think my criticism still stands. Both Eliza and William cared too much about their jobs to ever be able to be truly happy together as we last saw them.

This is exactly the reason that William leaves for New York, and it could be very possibly that the way that they write him out of the show is with him deciding to stay in America. William had been considering quitting his position at Scotland Yard, but this was due to the conditions of his job at the time and how overworked he was, plus the draw of finally being able to be with Eliza. It feels very possible to me that he might change his mind upon entering a less stressful environment and decide not to come back to London. After all, William went months, if not a year, suspecting or knowing Eliza's feelings towards him and vice versa but he was still unwilling to give up his career to be with her. I don't fault William for this as Eliza does the same thing, but it does make his staying in New York a bit more believable.

So even though the show is not going to go in the direction we have all thought it would, I think that this could be a good thing. While we won't know if that is the case for likely a year, I am not going to call any judgements until season five is released. Though I think that the show has definitely benefitted from William's presence, it has always been about Eliza first and foremost and so I am excited to see what she gets up to next.

(Also here's to hoping that Ansu Kabia is included in later casting announcements as we have gone far too long without Moses)

[tonydaddingham]

alright next up on the list of ideas to dredge up from the drafts and talk about in more detail is the focus on books in this season, because its driving me around the bend

but because i literally have no answers whatsoever to this, im just going to do a crowley-core #justgirlythings and just ask questions:

ep2 goob (rip) lines: "books are key!" which ok yeah obvious but:

"and see, the big ones can be used as fly swats - and i know what you're thinking, but it's okay, because the beauty part is, it never works!"... hmmmm

but also earlier on, goob asks aziraphale "what [letter] comes after 'K'?", which is 'L', but goob then immediately refers back to his book that he's alphabetising, which is A Tale of Two Cities, and that starts with 'it'...? so why highlight the letter 'L'? (this might be something of nothing but given Book of Life idk could literally have been ANY other letter)

but then we have the rest of the episodes that cascaded from the two things above; first, the book blueprint of the universe in ep1, which AWCW was referring to, but only from page 11 onwards (so what was on pages 1-11?):

ep2: crowley discovering that jane austen wrote books (like, other than it being a comedic point of their conflicting remembrance of her as a person, and gives the "you think you know someone!" foreshadowing, it felt very pointed that crowley learns that she was a writer as well)

ep2 also sees aziraphale looking at a huge tome which, given everything that's going on, seems weird that he'd be randomly consulting? idk what the book is so not doubling down on this... anyone know if ive just missed something obvious?

but also makes a point of consulting the bible after goob recites what god said to job in the bookshop. which, given that he and crowley readily recognise what god says (he even says to crowley, "I most certainly do [remember]"), seems weird that they'd need to consult a book to remind them who job was and his story... could be exposition and for the cool fall-through effect, but possibly felt a bit unneeded. plus, it got aziraphale so absorbed that he totally conked out and missed crowley leaving the shop:

aziraphale writing in his diary at his desk on his bed, lying in his tummy, feet kicking in the air, in ep3:

the magician's pamphlet that not only follows aziraphale's epiphany of realising he's in love with crowley but also literally sets up the opportunity for aziraphale to demonstrate how much he trusts him, and is ultimately used against them in being discovered as (at least) being traitors to their respective sides:

plus the Hoffman book, and the angel field-guide:

like, oversimplifying, but literally all of ep5 being based on jane austen works

emphasis on muriel wanting to read books in the background of the Showdown going on in ep6, being chucked The Crow Road by crowley, and metatron being weirdly interested in the fact that they're reading it... like, how would he not know what a book is? why is it "excellent", and a "perfectly splendid thing to do"? odd choice of words even if you want them to take over the bookshop:

now this one i can believe is literally just about goob in the shop and that's fine, but again the emphasis on books anyway (and also michael's weirdly strong but conflicting memory? might write a different post about that bc i think michael got got by metatron somewhere along the line):

back to ep2 but fitting to bookend on:

so okay yeah sure, im certain the book of life comes into all of this somewhere (ive posted about it here but im fairly certain it's not what heaven/hell seems to claim it is, and i think only the metatron truly knows that). there's been a lot of emphasis on memory too in this season, but taking that out of the equation a minute, the main things giving me heebie-jeebies is goob's line about using big books as fly swats, and obviously metty-babes' weird reaction to the crow road...

idk where im going with this and ill probably look at this again but all of this was floating around my noggin and i couldn't take it anymore

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch 1x5: blood calls blood

spoilers through season 1 of WoT plus some of the spoilers for the beginning of s2, including the new teaser scene, and through The Fires of Heaven in the books.

I love the bookends here of the two funerals. Just... all of the added rituals make the cultures and world feel more rich and grounded. The ceremonies and how they're tied into the world that we're given. Plus, we see the impact of these rituals on the characters -- Lan and Moiraine here reacting to seeing Stepin's emptiness after they lay Kerene to rest.

Then we get our traveling time-skip, where everyone begins to arrive in/near Tar Valon. I wonder if Moiraine not seeing the White Tower as home is going to be contrasted against Egwene primarily seeing the White Tower as her home after she's been taken away from it.

Poor Mat is looking rough. And him snapping at a kid shows how much worse he's gotten in the last month, along with Rand's clear concern. We also basically confirm that they've been sleeping rough since they left the Grinwell farm, likely worried that they would bring death to anyone else who might host them.

Love the shots of Dragonmount behind Tar Valon; and how noisy and varied the city is.

Rand trying to share his food with Mat. Awww. And not going to the White Tower right away because he's worried about Mat's 'obvious signs' of being a male channeler. And reassuring Mat that he didn't murder that family. Just... everything about how kind and gentle and worried that Rand is over Mat. I suspect that we're going to see echoes of this side of Rand when we catch up with him in S2, going by the spoilers. But it's got a personal touch here.

Moiraine trying to warn Nynaeve but not quite able to connect with her. Nynaeve's green and yellow outfit, I love so much. Our fighty healer. <3

Moiraine's speech here pretty much applies to all the ta'veren, even the ones who can't channel. They're all connected to something bigger and more dangerous, something that has pulled them away from the lives that they led before.

The Tuatha'an are taking the longest to get to Tar Valon out of all of the groups because they are chill and like to take their time. Egwene is so bouncy and has been enjoying her time with the Tuatha'an a lot, but she's also so thrilled to be in sight of the White Tower.

And immediately acting to do their best to protect Perrin and Egwene, but in the way that reflects their own philosophy and culture.

Hi Loial! <3 Anyway, I don't mind the bad reaction to Loial being moved to Tar Valon instead of Caemlyn -- it implies some interesting things about it having been longer since the Ogier have been out of the Stedding than they were in the books. And poor Rand getting his denial poked at. It's Rand's turn again to remind us about the Rand & Egwene relationship here, when he picks up Jain Farstrider and it makes him melancholy.

I can't believe that people got mad at Rand for going after Mat to try to make sure nothing bad is going to happen rather than waiting for Loial. That's his friend that he is justifiably very worried about. He has literally just met Loial.

Oh, hi, Fain! I 100% missed you on my first watch and didn't realize you were in Tar Valon until people pointed it out online. Fain is really the main thing that makes me think Liandrin is probably already a Darkfriend, because I think he's her "friend in North Harbor" that gets mentioned in the next episode, and I think that he got the ruby dagger from her (assuming that Moiraine took it to the White Tower to get safely locked up after she breaks Mat's connection to it, or believes that she breaks it, depending on where s2 takes us on that).

Logain here does, I think, absolutely notice Rand, but Mat's paranoia amplifies his reaction in Mat's mind and focuses it towards Mat (update: confirmed in latest s2 teaser).

This conversation with Mat and Rand! Also, Mat has been very consistent throughout the season in not caring/believing in all the Dragon-related prophecy stuff, but he does worry about hurting people/people getting hurt. (I really hope we get the Mat & Rand reunion in S2 and don't have to wait until S3)

Everything about Stepin is there to give us more knowledge about the Warder bond! Which connects strongly to both Moiraine and Lan, but also gives us a lot of set up for the eventual coup, because now Warders actually have a subculture of their own. It's important!

Feel like we're going to get a similar 'dehumanization' scene for Egwene in s2 with the Seanchan that she got here with the Whitecloaks and it's going to hurt so much. I do think we're doing to get some major Whitecloaks-Seanchan parallels alongside the Darkfriends-Seanchan parallels. I wish Egwene a happy "blow up lots of Seanchan" in the s2 finale.

17. As awful as the Whitecloaks are here, the Seanchan are going to be agonizing to watch on-screen. Egwene does get some useful information here in that she doesn't need her hands to channel.

18. Oof, this stuff is hard to watch. And the Seanchan stuff is going to be even tougher to watch, I imagine.

19. Nynaeve just wanting to help but she can't truly help Stepin. There's so much great stuff in all these White Tower sections for Nynaeve, Lan, and Moiraine.

20. I've said it before and I'll say it again: what Liandrin says here about "much of the world" being controlled by men who are not kind to little girls is true of the books as well, it's just that Jordan didn't realize he was writing it that way half of the time when he did it because it was just steeped into him via his culture.

21. Rand's ta'veren coincidences bring Nynaeve to him and Mat via Loial. This reunion is so sweet (and sad, when he snaps at her) and then sweet again.

22. Rand does believe at this point that it's Mat, because he doesn't have any other explanation for the way that Mat is collapsing in on himself. Nynaeve's moment of reassuring Rand here is a wonderful little moment. Nynaeve reassures Rand, informs about Egwene's strength of character, and is also a hint at Nynaeve channeling when she was younger by doing the miracle healing.

23. Perrin confessing to Egwene because he wants to convince her that he's the one who deserves death and not Egwene -- genuinely so emotional (and we hear wolves in the background!). And Egwene being very clever here, by letting Valda think that she's given in and failing but actually releasing Perrin (so, question: I wonder if Valda thinks that Perrin might be able to channel too?) Wolf-friends helping out! <3

24. Our Forsaken dolls. Much speculation has been spilled over them. Graendal being the tits-out doll does crack me up.

25. Show!Alanna is such a likable character. She's a sweetie.

26. The Stepin storyline is genuinely very sad but it's also incredibly informative. We learn tons of lore through a narrative rather than through an infodump. There are so many lore tidbits that we learn over the course of his short arc.

[coraniaid]

Band Candy is a fun episode, and I don't really have much to say about it beyond that.

While Dead Man's Party is bad because it struggles at the things Buffy is usually good at (characterisation, dialogue, and clever use of monsters-as-metaphor), and while Beauty and the Beasts is bad because it spends more time than usual on the things Buffy is typically bad at (consistent world-buildng, plotting, the handling of side character deaths, special effects) without being any better at them than usual, Band Candy is the show playing to its strengths.

A particularly boring pedant might ask why "teenage" Giles is going around calling himself Ripper when The Dark Age established Giles only left Oxford and adopted the Ripper persona in his early twenties (and I know: I've asked before), or why Buffy leaves Giles' house with her mom's car keys in the middle of the day only for it to be fully dark outside in the next scene when she's driving around with Willow, or why Ethan goes from being tied up in a warehouse to leaving town fully paid by Mr. Trick. But this feels like obvious, unimportant nitpicking; the episode itself does not live or die on the answer to these questions.

What makes the episode work is ... well, the things that make most good Buffy episodes work. The characterization (particularly of the band candy influenced Giles and Joyce and Snyder -- all of them acting unlike themselves but in a way that still tells us something about who they normally are); the use of metaphor (Buffy's desire for more independence being framed as her wanting to be allowed to drive, contrasted with the fact that we later see she really is a terrible driver and her Mom was probably right to not want her in a car); the callbacks to the show's previous history (I think it's honestly a minor tragedy that Ethan didn't get to be a character who appeared once every season); the hints we're starting to get about the Mayor and what he might be up to, and the fun interactions between him and Mr. Trick; the convincing awkwardness between Buffy and an almost-fully-recovered Angel (I mean, just the way her face falls when he responds to her light "pretty soon you won't even need me" with a gruff "that'd be better" speaks volumes, and that's before we get on to her reluctance to admit she's broken up with Scott or her offer to have Angel smell her), the way Buffy's fears about the SATs are blended into the wider episode, bookending the episode with a "rite of passage" into adulthood.

It's just a very solid episode. I liked it a lot. I can't quite imagine it being anybody's favorite, but it's hard to imagine anybody disliking it either.

Lastly, Band Candy is typical of many good Buffy episodes of this period in that it feels Faith should be in it but she very obviously isn't. I assume that this episode was written when it still wasn't decided how pivotal her character would be this season. Still, after appearing on the show for a run of three episodes in a row up to this point it's a little jarring that we don't even get a throwaway line about her being missing (in the way we will in Helpless in a few episodes from now). I guess the headcanon handwave is that Faith skipped town for a few days after how badly going to the Homecoming dance with Buffy panned out for her?

(Oh, and the Willow/Xander subplot isn't much fun either, but I'll talk about that more when we get to Lovers Walk.)

[favvn]

The more I think about it, the more the turbolift scene from And The Children Shall Lead is both the opposite of and bookend to the conference room fight from The Naked Time.

The obvious differences of environment and how the scenes are staged are at the forefront, of course. In The Naked Time, Kirk finds Spock alone in the conference room after he has had an emotional breakdown from the virus. In And The Children Shall Lead, Spock physically has to pull Kirk off the Bridge and into the turbolift, something that mirrors his earlier words to Kirk about the need for a captain to be unshakeable in the eyes of the crew in order to maintain command. (And if anyone in the series understands the need for privacy and control over one's countenance, it's Spock.)

Both characters are incapacitated by their emotions, Spock by the sadness and regret that the virus has brought forward and Kirk by sheer fear and anxiety made all too real by a crew that is distracted by their own fears and made unable to hear him due to illusions. Both are stuck reckoning with the very things they fear. Spock still feels such strong emotions and love in spite of his adherence to Vulcan custom. His attempts to control his emotions and reign in his human half have come to nothing. He can still be unraveled into a sobbing mess. Kirk fears that he is truly alone, unheard and ignored by his own crew, and unable to keep the Enterprise and maintain control as a result. The realization of this fear reverts him to childlike behavior, from his slouched posture and the way he folds himself inwards as if to make himself smaller, to the higher pitch of his voice. Any certainty and authority is gone from Kirk.

There is another element to Kirk's fears in both episodes in that his captaincy exists only in relation to others. Without the Enterprise and her crew, what exactly is Kirk? He holds no position or importance if one of those elements is missing. Yes, his speech about love and how it's off-limits to him speaks to the demands of the captaincy versus his need for connection and love with another person, but there is that other element of reciprocity behind it. And The Children Shall Lead shows it in a very harsh light in how each person on the Bridge either cannot hear him or ignores him.

In order to get through to Spock in The Naked Time, Kirk resorts to slapping him, with the intent that the pain ought to cause him to snap out of it (this scene is perhaps hilarious in hindsight when A Private Little War later shows that Spock must be slapped in order to leave a Vulcan healing trance. Thanks for that detail, Roddenberry ♡). It doesn't fully work until Spock hits Kirk back and knocks him over the table. The scene ends with them separated by the table between them but with Spock back to his usual self and Kirk now infected with the virus.

In And The Children Shall Lead, Spock calmly stands his ground in the turbolift and calls Kirk by three different names. Spock first says, "Captain," in his attempt to get Kirk's attention. It is Kirk's title, the rank that Kirk holds on the ship, the name of his job, the very signpost of his command. Spock calls Kirk exactly what he needs to hear, yet it doesn't break through the anxiety unleashed by the children. Spock tries again, softly saying, "Kirk" next. By this point, Kirk has lunged at Spock with his hands at Spock's throat, believing that Spock is attempting to take the Enterprise from him as other past episodes have shown (The Deadly Years especially, but episodes like The Ultimate Computer, Mirror Mirror, and The Menagerie show it to an extent). Kirk still does not hear Spock past his fears, which leads Spock to call him "Jim." This, the use of Kirk's preferred nickname, the name that only his friends have used, is what finally gets Kirk to snap out of it. The scene ends with them physically together and still in a partial embrace but both acting like their usual selves and uninhibited by a virus or induced fears. In this sense, And The Children Shall Lead's turbolift scene, the one that so many people regard as a "now kiss!" moment, is a culmination of the fight scene of The Naked Time if one recalls the repetition to "risk implosion" to do what has "never been done" and come together towards a united point.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 25 March 1954

Something a little unusual this week - two of exactly the same song! Normally there seems to be a week's delay, but not here. It'll be useful for comparison, I guess.

Changing Partners - Kay Starr (peaked at No. 4)

Well, this song starts, and I'm happy to hear that it's a waltz. I do like a good waltz, so this bodes well. A lot of slower songs that would be dreary in 4/4 manage to just about pull it off, when you put them into waltz time. I also do generally like Kay Starr, so this is a promising start.

There's a solid country vibe from the backing singers who set us off - I like it, though they're a little too much for my taste. I don't mind some backing singers, but these ones are just quite fussy and overdramatic?

The song's concept is solidly cute, though. It's about some kind of old-timey dance that gets called. As a relatively regular ceilidh attendee, I get the concept, but it does still feel like a relic of the 1950s, when dances would have been a more staple, familiar thing that prospective couples did together.

Anyway, the idea here is that Kay danced with a man as part of this, shared a moment, then had to split - but she's looking forward to him returning: "So I'll keep changing partners / Till you're in my arms and then / Oh, my darling, I'll never / Change partners again". It's a metaphor, see?! Subtle as a hammer, but still quite sweet.

And then these male backing singers come in who are just the dopiest, slowest part of this. Their voices are so deep and stupid-sounding! They give it all this soporific sort of effect - the middle of their part literally had me yawning out loud. Not obnoxiously bad, but I'm not sure how memorable this will make the song, overall.

Another version, perhaps?

Changing Partners - Bing Crosby (9)

Bing's version of this song didn't do as well as Kay's, but I really do like it. It's got quite a different vibe, you're definitely listening to a different song. That was a worry of mine, when I saw that I had a repeat, so I'm glad I can say a few different things about this!

Even from the introduction, it's different - a bit slower, with a gentle sort of violin replacing Kay's backing singers, and then some strummy guitar, that gives way to some smoother steel guitar sounds, once Bing starts singing.

The main difference is probably in Bing's take on it, though - while you got the vibe that Kay was fundamentally feeling romantic and kind of happy to have found her man, Bing's performance is a little sadder. You get more of a sense of the melancholy of it all, and how he's looking for his old partner but hasn't found her yet. The fleetingness of it stands out in a way it didn't for Kay.

It's a much more delicate, understated way of singing, with less obvious emotion in it. It's not that Bing's not singing in an emotional style, but he holds it back a bit more.

The instruments are chosen to highlight that well, too, with some muted trumpet coming in later on, and some minimal, quiet glockenspiel. It's very pretty, and while it's still a bit sleepy, I think it sounds more deliberate than Kay's did.

And then we slow down into the last line, and that's that! Some good stuff here!

Bell Bottom Blues - Alma Cogan (4)

And then the final song is completely new, though it does cover similar ground to the previous two, all about being separated from your partner, and missing them.

That said, the tone is immediately much jauntier, with a cheeky ship's bell bookending the song, and a jazzy introduction letting is know that we're in for a pacy and fairly cheery ride.

Actually, the whole song is really cheery - Alma Cogan's voice sounds so happy and likable. Google tells me she was known as "The Girl with the Giggle in her Voice", and I can actually hear that in this one - a bit like Dean Martin sometimes does, she sounds like she's about to start laughing, but in a good-natured, affectionate sort of way. It's very endearing.

All this does a good job of offsetting the lyrics, which could easily be a bit slower and mopier in the hands of a different singer. They're about how Alma has the "bell bottom blues" because her beau is a sailor, and is away sailing "somewhere on the sea", leaving her waiting for a letter and feeling lonely "till my sailor boy comes sailing home to me". It puts this song into a category along with songs like Jo Stafford's You Belong to Me, all about women whose men are somehow enlisted, and away fighting / sailing / seeing the world, while they're stuck back at home missing them.

I have a lot of sympathy for it in this case, though - not least because it makes me think of my grandparents. My grandad, in particular, was in the navy, and my grandma talks about him being away for long spells of time, and I always did think about how tricky it sounded! In particular, in the pre-mobile phone days, you really would have been stuck waiting for letters, I guess.

It's at this point that I realise I'm actually bopping back and forth a bit, that's how jaunty this tune is. Even as I think about the logistics of being in the navy in the 1950s, Alma's making me dance a bit, which I suppose is the goal here?

I think the line that cinches it for me, and stops the song veering off into pathos, is the one where Alma's describing how she has to turn down all the other guys who want to ask her out: "I shake my head and refuse / When the fellas come a-callin' / And they want to take me on a date". It's such a funny little detail to include, almost like a little humble brag - I have so many guys asking me out, and I'm not even interested - and then it turns into a more general complaint about all the things she's missing out on "while the other girls are balling". It's funny, and realistic, and I love it.

Well, I hadn't listened to any of those songs before, and I have to say, they weren't bad! On, in particular, stood out, and I'm really looking forward to hearing more of her very distinctive voice. Which of course means...

Favourite song of the bunch: Bell Bottom Blues

[geometricalien]

OKAY I finished Life is Strange True Colors and it's time to give my hot trash opinions that no one asked for :) (spoilers will be below the cut)

I avoided almost everything released about this game because I did not want any spoilers whatsoever and I think that served me well.

I also came in with an open mind, I gotta say I was weary since deck nine had all of the control and I didn’t particularly like before the storm that much it was fine though.

All that said True Colors was beautiful. It has excellent graphics, compelling characters and side plots for each character, the power system was new and cool. I wasn't sure how being an empath would translate but it worked well in mechanics, was epic, and suited the theme of not just the game but Alex.

I played for about 10 hours Thursday with some breaks to stretch and get food. So needless to say, I was having a great time.

It has excellent sets and even though the power mechanics are exactly the same each time it's still fresh and creative in how these emotions can shape the world around them.

This is just a personal nitpick nothing actually important, the town is a fictional Coloradan small town and as someone who grew up in a neighboring state with similar small town/mining/outdoorsy communities- or visiting them- the town buildings were fantastic! I loved main street, I've been in towns with that exact same style. But the flower bridge and the deer were just... a tinge over the top, it felt like you were trying to sell "Paradise" way too hard. But besides that I loved the towns vibe!

I felt... a little burnt out being able to play all of the chapters at once, I think part that made the lis community so strong was that it had time to build and react to the episodes together. It gave us time to theorize and make fancontent. Versus binge gaming and shot like a bullet into the air, done too quick. I don’t feel as connected to the characters because I’ve only been with them for 14 ish hours vs months

NOW THAT BEING SAID- the pacing was good, it gave us the reins being able to free roam the map at nearly all times and it never felt like we were being dragged down

Overall, True Colors is a great addition. Had amazing voice acting graphics, characters, and themes. I definitely recommend checking this game out

Spoilers now abound:

Going back to an earlier comment- almost all scenarios where you used Alex's power in depth were fresh and interesting. My favorites being Ethan, Charlotte, and Eleanor. I bring this up because Duckie's was the most dull- which you could say matches because he is normally the life of the party so... feeling empty or dull makes sense for him. But then Pike’s was also similarly lacking in environment, so it didn’t feel as fulfilling

I loved loved loved episode 3. The larping was so much fun and I was tickled with the turn based fighting. I especially loved when Ethan made the world come to life, my heart lifted in pure joy.

The two main romance interests are... interesting. Ryan's insight and caring nature drew me to him the instant we met while Steph sort of came off... as separated? But as we became friends with them both it became super hard to chose. And at the end seeing their reactions to the bomb drop showed so much characterization. Steph's ride or die and Ryan (in my playthrough) just had someone challenge his entire life view of course that's hard to take in within 30 seconds. I got that religious gay trauma, I get it.

This is where I feel spacing out the episodes could've also helped with our fondness of characters. After Ryan didn't believe me I didn't want to pursue him anymore, my affection was weakened

However I chose to forgive both Ryan and Jed despite feeling like I missed the character development to reasonably make that decision. I understand this entire game is shadow work for Alex and it is growing her emotional intelligence by miles but I think I would have preferred more sign postings from the game saying "hey bc of your choices you are growing" which wasn't really true because-

Alex was suppressing her sadness, fear, and anger from her traumatic youth. So in episode 5, reliving all of those moments were the chance to level up in emotional intelligence. It felt odd to learn exactly everything at the very end but again it's okay because she was suppressing just like Jed which made her able to understand his emotions and walk him through them

TALKING ABOUT THAT TALK WHO GOT GIFS??? I NEED TO SEE HER EYES GLOWING AND FLICKERING WITH COLOR

I loved the parallel/bookendings of chapter 1: Side A and chapter 5: Side B, I'm a sucker for that shit

It's obvious that alot of care and heart was put into this game, it has layers and the more you peel back the more it reveals thematically

Now I got to compare it to my biggest criticism of LiS and Before the Storm, and ultimately the reason why I love LiS2 more than either of them. Does your choices actually matter?

LiS? No. The game ended with an ultimatum that made all of your choices in the end not matter and LiS is sold as a "your choices actually matter" type of game so seeing that be a load of malarkey always puts a bad taste in my mouth

Lis:bts? No. It's a prequel. I can admire the idea of "life may be futile but make the most of it" while you can and that definitely encompasses Rachel's side of bts. But that doesn’t negate the fact that this is more a game with a straight plot than LiS

LiS2? YOU GOT 4 ENDINGS AND YOU CAN ONLY CHOSE 2 AND ITS NARROWED DOWN TO HOW YOU PLAYED THIS GAME- THATS WHAT I CALL A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE/YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

True Colors? I think TC lies somewhere between LiS2 and LiS in this aspect. Its definitely very railed, I think in every one you will get Jed to confess, so it depends on how you go about convincing him, romancing, and deciding your future to... well... decide your future. I can't fault it. It left it up to the player to decide and to not be screwed over by our previous choices (cough cough) and that is the crowd pleasing choice.

So, in the sense that it all feels very railed until the last 15 minutes when they spin us on an ice rink and say "freestyle baby"- it's fine. I'm not mad about it. But it does make me wonder what would've happened if we don't have any of the committee members on our side? Would we leave town effective immediately? Would the truth even have gotten out? Because if that's true... I would bump it up in the "does your choices matter?" 

You make choices and those choices have consequences, sometimes out of your control. That's what LiS2 perfected and what I want to see more in this franchise. 

[lem-cup-rev]

4.3 | Flutterina

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

🌸🌸🌸🌸

-Spoilers-

This was a good one that just had less going for it than the last couple.

I said in the beginning that I found the little towns and their parties uncharming, and I stand corrected! This was charming! The party sequence was carried by a lot of cute little gags. And I like the noseless people with their adorable little kids. There’s a satisfying complexity to their designs and outfits, and the leader and older people we see really feel like middle aged women.

It’s a cool premise to come in after the battle and focus on the aftermath. It was honestly confusing at first when Hordak said the Rebellion had been doing new stuff, because the good guys have practically never made new progress or decisions offscreen! I think it would have benefitted from a quick opener of, like, the last bot falling to Bow’s new shock tablet and the team being like ‘well, that was that!’ That would fill me in pretty quick!

Also I forgot Hordak thought Entrapta was just working with Bright Moon right now 😭

I really enjoyed Adora and Bow’s excitement about the party, and it made such a sweet bookend to Adora’s first party and to her feeling intimidated by all the She-Ra legends. However, I thought Adora’s cockiness felt more extreme than I really wanted for the tone, and the degree to which she dismissed that very earnestly worried leader and endangered the village was kind of painful to watch.

Swift Wind is such a sweetie! He’s just a really solid member of the team! I love his balance between quirky goofs and earnest strategizing. It’s not even that big a thing, I just really expected him to be annoying.

Bow was a little more interesting to me too; he got a focus for once and I like his gentle confidence. It was fun to see him in kind of a new situation, being a legendary hero and owning it.

I WUV Flutterbaby!!! She is just so cute! She has little Ojamajo Doremi hair buns! She has so much personality in such a short time – she rotates around this balance of shyness, excitement, and bravery, and her emotions are so big and tearful and precious. I do think it’s kind of hilarious that they let her join the Rebellion right now since she does seem to be about 12.

Catra’s nightmare was exquisite. Entrapta’s quirky little voice saying “What did you do to me”... It’s such a strong choice that this portal has become a point of trauma for her more than any other specific thing. The tummy-boiling guilt over her frantic and thoughtless but ultimately useful throwing of Entrapta under the bus comes through so strong.

Some months ago, I woke up in the morning with an idea for a She-Ra-inspired roleplaying game turning around in my head. The only real image or sentence I could remember was “Give Catra a nightmare.”

Scorpia is back to being a miss for me. I’ve said it so many times that I wonder if I’m being unfair and missing the appeal. But honestly, it feels like she’s the one guilty of Double Troubling. How is she still chatting it up in the blithe hope that Catra will be her friend? I want to see some change in her. And if we’re going to keep seeing Catra reject her, I want there to have been something between them, ever, so it has any impact.

Double Trouble was such a goddamn star. I love when characters are allowed to LIE WELL! I loved that at one point they got to play Flutterina lying badly. It was such an absolute delight seeing them weave their web in a way that felt nuanced and believable. She-Ra and many other shows are usually so afraid of showing deception in a way that isn’t exaggerated and obvious! I love that this entire episode was dedicated to their performance of giving Flutterina a full constructed character arc and emotional depth and vulnerability, so there’s no reason for anyone to imagine she’s there to trick them.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre, so I understand the kind of accomplishment on display here.

It’s also such a neat touch that her 1985 namesake was a real character, not a disguise.

I had the thought during this episode that it must be infuriating to fight against a magical girl. I can just imagine Catra watching Adora and Swift Wind do their friendship power-up and just going “Uuuuuugh! This stuff again??” How dispiriting and alienating must it be when your enemies have the cosmic forces of beauty and love on their side?

I remember being pretty aggravated by some of the next few episodes. I’m so excited to see how I feel this time around!

Next time: I like don't remember, apparently Shadow Weaver starts teaching Glimmer? I don’t have a cute phrase for this one

[raymond-reddington-ruminations]

A few thoughts prior to the season 9 finale.

Episode 21 had me going for a minute. I really thought that the reason Marvin was able to find Red was that Chuck, the driver, had gone over to Marvin. Especially with that conversation between Marvin and someone who mentioned how much money Red normally paid, and Marvin offered to double it. I was so relieved that it turned out to be just a bug in the car! Yay for loyal Chuck! I see he's appearing in the finale, I hope he makes it out.

I wonder why we're getting a flashback to Young Agnes. I originally thought that they needed her to reveal something about the day Elizabeth died. Now I'm thinking more about how Elizabeth once said she was going to train Agnes to face dangers, as Elizabeth was trained when she was a child. I've also wondered if they might do a parallel where Agnes is the one who actually shoots and kills Marvin to protect Red.

We know that the Xiu sisters will not be in this episode. I hope we've seen the last of mierce, her calling him the god of death or whatnot certainly seems like she's done with him. But she was done with him pretty much from the beginning. I didn't buy for a moment that Red would actually leave Agnes and go back to the mountains. But I would be okay with Weecha coming back. I need to know more about their relationship, but she seems to be a solid friend for Red. And he doesn't seem to have many of those right now.

I miss Red and Dembe's relationship, and episode 9.21 gave a weird taste of it that was all wrong, with Dembe splitting hairs to betray Red twice. So while I want them back together, I think it's going to be a long haul if it ever gets there. And so it should be, they're not in a good place right now.

What is going to happen with Park? She isn't fit for field duty anymore, but I find it weird that they would simply keep her in the post office all the time. They've already got Aram doing that, and Park and Aram's relationship is good, but it's not that great that I would want to see it in every episode.

I wonder if there's a card left to play here for Panabaker. She had a much bigger role this season than ever before, and I really enjoyed it. She's now on terrible terms with Reddington, I hope the show capitalizes on that.

I feel weird about the promo pictures of the task force all dressed up at Liz's grave. I realize they're probably trying to put a bookend scene in where everyone says farewell to Liz. But I don't think it's necessary for them all to be at peace with Liz's death. Reddington certainly never should be, and it feels a tad disrespectful to both Liz and to Red that the rest of the task force seem to be getting there, especially on Dembe's part.

I think it's fairly obvious that Marvin is going to spill the beans to Wujing about Red and the task force working together. That is possibly the most dangerous thing that could happen to Red, and the task force as well. Every criminal Red has ever had dinner with will be gunning for him, and the task force too, as who knows what Red might have told them. I think Cooper should be paying a great deal of attention to that possibility. I'm very curious, I'm not sure how they put that cat back in the bag once it's out.

Honestly...this is gonna be a gas.

[tinyhistory]

Hey! I feel like there's so many nuances, subtle messaging, and symbolism in Once Around the Sun. It's what makes it so gorgeous and intelligent. I don't have a specific question, guess I just was curious/ would love to hear your heart on what some of those things meant to you (white rose, sun nymphs, Azula's distorted perspective, etc), if you felt there was anything readers didn't catch, what you were excited or proud to weave in? I can't wait to reread already bc I'm sure I'll catch more :)

Thank you so much! I love putting little details in my fics, and often add nods to my other fanfics — so if you look closely enough, you start finding tiny in-jokes and references.

There’s a few things in Once Around the Sun that nobody’s commented on, but I’ll pick just a couple for the sake of brevity.

Firstly — lanterns! These are always used to foreshadow events. Just before the assassination attempt at the midsummer celebration, the lanterns are described in vivid detail and Katara sees Zuko outlined very clearly by them — something significant is about to happen to him. The lanterns are also red and blue — Zuko and Katara’s fates are about to entangle. In the same chapter, just before the prison is stormed and Azula’s mock trial is held, the lanterns near her cell are described as flickering wildly (a description deliberately similar to lightning).

In Chapter 7, when Zuko finally decides to take a gamble, heed Katara’s advice, and change course, the lanterns behind her are described as burning high and bright. In Chapter 8, when they chat quietly and comfortably with each other, the lanterns burn long and low. So the lanterns often reflect certain moods or upcoming changes in pace or character dynamics.

In Chapter 13, there’s the lantern festival where they write the names of the dead, and Azula writes four names (she writes Lu Ten, Ozai, Ursa — as she wasn’t sure if Ursa still lived — and herself, as she believes that the true Azula had spiritually died in her childhood). This festival is really about death — it’s about remembering those who couldn’t be saved, and saying farewell. I did space this one a few chapters before the major event because I didn’t want it to be too obvious. Later on, in Chapter 20, when Katara is thinking about Azula’s sacrifice, she specifically recalls that lantern festival.

When Katara really starts falling for Zuko in later chapters, her regret at “missed moments” is expressed through her memories of the midsummer festival and the dance they never had — throughout the chapters she thrice recalls that moment, and each time the lanterns are mentioned. She also realises Zuko perhaps reciprocates her love when he mentions the fox-sleeve lantern.

Finally, the dragon boat festival! The earlier lantern festival (foreshadowing Azula’s fate) had lanterns being released into the air and going heavenward (much like burning ash), but this festival (foreshadowing Zuko and Katara’s fates) involves the lanterns (fire) meeting the river (water).

Other little things would be the gesture of holding up a flower and blotting out the moon (Zuko does this once at the beginning; Katara does it once at the end, bookending the story), and origami (Aang offhandedly mentions, in Chapter 2, that Zuko can fold leaves into shapes — in Chapter 18, Zuko folds leaves into shapes for a funeral custom). Also with the origami theme — readers from my other fandom might recognise the origami rose that Katara makes...

Finally, just to touch on some of the other things you mentioned:

The sun nymphs.

This was a kind of Fire Nation version of the Will-o’-the-wisp, a common myth that exists in various forms around the world. It’s often portrayed as a little creature who holds a lantern aloft, luring lost travellers into marshlands and bogs. It’s generally accepted that all these myths were based around the naturally-occurring flames that sometimes happen in peaty soil. I really wanted a scene that had Zuko sharing some of his culture with Katara in an intimate and natural setting (away from the formality of the palace), so I thought pretty hard about the features of the city and nearby environment. The Will-o’-the-wisp legend presented itself as a good opportunity, so I conjured up the marshlands and gave the myth a Fire Nation twist. It was important to me that Katara began slowly seeing the beauty and playfulness of fire and Fire Nation culture — the sun nymph scene was the first of many moments where Zuko invited Katara into the stories and myths of his country.

The white roses.

I considered a few options before choosing the white rose. As it’s pointed out later in the fic, it means “secrecy and silence” which is applicable to both Azula (whose theme becomes the roses) and Ursa (who gifted the rose to her — the rose that saved Zuko). According to many mythologies, the white rose was the first of all roses, and is therefore often called ‘the mother rose’. It also later became associated with peace, loyalty, and honour. The association with peace also meant it was often connected to death — it became a common sight at funerals for those wishing a peaceful afterlife for their departed. Lastly, the white rose was reminiscent of the moon — circular and white — and the moon was also a common theme for Azula, who connected it with Katara/waterbending and therefore had a very uneasy relationship with it. She often felt that the moon was “watching” her and felt too vulnerable beneath its gaze. She sought to hide from the moon and called it a “hateful eye”, while throughout the fic Zuko gazed often upon the moon and used the stars to help him navigate his journeys. As Azula and Katara slowly developed trust in each other though, Azula finally told Katara her story and let herself become vulnerable — under the light of the moon.

Let me know if all of this was already obvious! I had a lot of fun weaving in various themes and symbolism. The downside is, it takes me a looooong time to write things because I’m so intent on the little details.

[brynnmck]

J/B Smut Swap recs!

I come bearing @jb-smut-swap recs! Presented mostly in posting order because that’s mostly how I read them, though first, my wonderful gift fic:

Jaime’s Game by @catherineflowers29 - SOFTEST BONDAGE EVER. I have told multiple people that reading this story felt like getting a warm hug, but with ropes. And a crucial part of the softness is the vulnerability between them, the way they’re so clearly building their trust in each other, taking care of each other, and there’s just a little bit of adorable awkwardness too as they negotiate this new thing together. It made my heart so glowy and happy. Cathy, thank you so much for volunteering to pick this up and delivering something so well-suited to my requests; I could feel the care you took with this and I appreciate it so much! <333

More recs below the cut ‘cause this got long (as did Jaime, HEYOOO); if I missed anyone’s Tumblr handle, please let me know!

Binary Explosive by @sdwolfpup - Okay this isn’t in posting order but I DID read this first and also it’s my blog and I make the rules. Am I biased about this fic because it’s SDW and because it was inspired by one of my favorite due South episodes? Yes. Does that make this fic any less amazing? IT DOES NOT. This is battle couple/mutual competence kink/danger kink at its finest, crackling with banter and absolutely dripping with (literally potentially lethal) sexual tension, all wrapped up in an entirely swoonworthy established relationship. The cocktail of soft and horny here is thoroughly intoxicating, and it’s so much FUN, with just the right hint of crack, and the ending makes me kick my feet in glee every time I read it (which has been, of my own volition, SEVERAL TIMES). LOVE.

Thrust Exercises by @nire-the-mithridatist - STRIP SPARRING. We’ve all said it but also oh my god STRIP SPARRING. WHAT A GENIUS THOUGHT. This is a fabulous combination of fun and sexy, and they’re so FOND in it, too--nire hits such a beautiful note of playful competitiveness and also a little shyness/awkwardness and a LOT of heat and, has been very correctly noted, a VERY wonderfully slutty Jaime. (Jaime’s premeditation regarding their wedding night is both very horny and very sweet/thoughtful, and thus very Jaime, and also his line about how he quite likes her loud face is right up there with my favorite love confessions, as well as being a thing that Jaime and I very much have in common. AGH SO GOOD.)

Second Chances by @firesign23 - I love me some JAB and the setup of this is so delicious, that Brienne is given a second chance at an opportunity she once turned down. This is another one where all three of them just LIKE each other so much--the J/B is so solid and lived-in and warm, and the history between Jaime and Addam is delicious, and the Brienne/Addam has that little thrill of newness and “oh my god we actually get to do this” (there is a kitchen kiss that is GOOD TIMES for me). So much trust and love here, it’s lovely.

crosslines, the scratches and stains by QuixoticChloe - One of two sex bruises fics in the swap, and SCORCHING hot. This whole thing has such a teasing vibe to it, and a sense of dirty discovery within an established relationship, and the whole “we’ve got a sexy secret and we’re gonna torture each other with it as much as possible” aspect was A LOT. Damn.

Diplomatic Relations by @eryiscrye - In which Jaime and Brienne get married and proceed to scandalize/delight/horrify the entire continent with their loud married sex. IT’S GREAT. It’s Eryi’s so you know it’s gonna be super hot, and she really touched on so many of the greatest hits here: cave sex, armory sex, water sex, quiet sex, alcove sex, SO MANY GOOD CHOICES and so much sweetness to go with them, too. And the other characters’ pained/pleased observations were hysterical. SO much fun.

Apart, Together, Together Apart by greenmtwoman - Oof, this one made my chest ache in the best way. It’s so soft and romantic and LONGING and full of equal parts Brienne and Jaime’s devotion to each other and devotion to their respective duties, which feels incredibly true to them. The way this story builds and releases and then slowly builds tension again is lovely, and it’s bittersweet, but very full of hope for their future.

left your fingerprints all over me by @writergirl2011 - Friends-with-benefits-to-dating, yessssss. The banter in this was adorable, and the connection between them was so palpable, and it was delightful to watch them finally acknowledge their feelings. 

Good Long Line of Praises by @aliveanddrunkonsunlight - In which Brienne discovers that Jaime has a praise kink and we ALL get to benefit. Actually the praise goes both ways here, and the result is lovely--they take each other apart at the same time they’re holding each other very closely, and it’s a wonderful mix of sweet and sexy. Another established relationship fic that included so much joy of discovery built over a strong foundation.

Nights Avoiding Things Unholy by @forbiddenfantasies1 - I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of this one and when I tell you that it has been living rent-free in my mind ever since... this is LUDICROUSLY, brain-cell-incineratingly hot, with so many delicious horny details, but also with FF’s trademark gigantic heart behind it (I feel like heart + hornt is basically FF’s brand and I love this for all of us). Again, you get such a strong sense that these two LIKE each other so much, even when they’re a little resentful and a lot scared about it, and the filth is so full of genuine affection that it makes it all the more devastating. I literally read this and was like “shit, I gotta up my game” regarding my own draft, lol. SO GOOD.

Light My Fire by @wildlingoftarth - While I fully respect and celebrate the union suit kink, I don’t have strong feelings about it, myself, but this fic made me a convert. The painstakingly sexy descriptions here were SO MUCH, and I’m also such a huge sucker for the slightly chaotic camp counselors vibe of this, that sort of euphoria and recklessness that overtakes you when something time-bound is about to end. The banter was adorable, there were so many moments that made me giggle, and of course it was hot as hell too and I’m very glad that these two dorks FINALLY figured it out.

Clothes (un)Make the Man by @aviss - CLOTHES-SWAPPING YESSSSS. I am such a sucker for that and Aviss delivered on it beautifully; seeing the progression of their relationship was so delightful and the feelings built so well throughout, and there were a couple of lines that made me laugh out loud, and, again, both the tension and the smut were super hot. LOVELY.

I’ll never let you go (if you promise not to fade away) by LadyRhiyana - This fic is going to HAUNT ME in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY. For one thing, I have checked the word count MULTIPLE times to make sure it’s not ten times as long because the world here is so vivid and so affecting that it’s like some sort of magic. I adore the setting here, and Cersei’s POV is spectacular--she’s all sharp edges and frustrated longing for the things she thinks she can’t have and I felt for her SO MUCH. Both she and Jaime are just incredibly, helplessly horny for (HOT MECHANIC) Brienne, and I loved the way that LadyRhiyana made it so clear that having Brienne there shifts the balance for Jaime and Cersei just enough that all their spikes can slide together a little better instead of just eviscerating each other all the time--and yet this happens without ever making it feel like Brienne is just a conduit or a means to an end for them; all three sides of the triad feel thoroughly distinct and important (including a very deft hand with the Jaime/Cersei aspect). It’s also EXTREMELY hot, and the Jaime/Brienne aspect has so much softness to it, and Brienne is so forthright and so kind and so curious, and AGH. I loved this.

a grip so tight I couldn’t tear it apart by @janiedean - The other sex bruises fic, and this one ended up (coincidentally, I assume) being a perfect bookend to the other one--if the modern AU is all about sexy secrets, this canon-based one is all about Jaime and Brienne’s pride in each other and joy in not having to hide their relationship, gleefully declaring their love and desire for each other for everyone to see. I was so happy for them!

with those who know secret things by @sdwolfpup - This has been recced widely and DESERVEDLY SO. The amount of CARE in this fic is overwhelming, and it’s full of all of these subtle details that suddenly come into sharp focus at just the right moment to really devastate you, and by you, I mean me. The prose itself is also gorgeous--the description of Brienne in her ad came directly for my throat (as well as some other places)--and it’s beautiful to watch these two surprise and delight and take care of each other. They’re both so GOOD and Jaime is so soft and vulnerable and Brienne is so kind and incisive and THEY LIKE EACH OTHER AND WANT EACH OTHER SO MUCH I CAN’T. The whole thing is lustrous and wonderful and I adored it. 

Today Will Die Tomorrow by HNJ - This fic also DESTROYED me. The way the time shifts are handled so that we slowly put the pieces of the night together and feel the full impact of each moment, the understated delicacy and very obvious love with which both Jaime and Brienne are handled, the multiple lines that made me catch my breath with how TRUE they were, the way their love for each other uncurls and opens up to the light over the course of the story... it’s really gorgeous and just burrowed right into my heart. I also loved that this was a canon-based first time that focused more on Brienne not knowing what to do emotionally than not knowing what to do physically; I’ve read and enjoyed the latter a bunch of times but the former felt really fresh and fascinating; it was an excellent take. 

Hush by @kiraziwrites - I have a thing for quiet sex anyway, and like everyone else, I will be suing kirazi for the fact that this fic left my brain a smoldering wreckage with nary a coherent thought left for the comment box. The sex in this is so deliciously varied and dirty and every bit of it feels somehow decadent and completely necessary at the same time, and watching their relationship build as they try each new thing is wonderful, and there are so many images in this that have burned themselves into the empty space where my brain used to be and taken up permanent residence. I could list MANY, but a sampling: the glacier comparison, and Brienne’s teeth-marks in Jaime’s jacket, and also Brienne DROPPING A CONDOM IN JAIME’S POCKET AND PROPOSITIONING HIM ARE YOU ACTUALLY TRYING TO END MY LIFE, KIRAZI. It’s also so funny and so fond and the fact that it’s literally exactly 5K is such a flex, I can’t even. Gah. TOO MUCH.

we used to wait by @it-may-be-dull-but-im-determined - I was reading things in update order and I kept thinking that I hadn’t read one yet that I could clock as jencat’s, and then kirazi was flailing about this fic and how beautiful the prose was and how strong a sense of place it had and I was like aha without even having read it yet. And this fic is indeed those things, as well as being sexy as fuck; Jen just drags the tension out and out in this very deliberate-yet-spare-yet-somehow-also-lush way until you want to claw your face off (and then she makes it totally worth the wait, too). Their relationship had some wonderful details, too, to show how well-matched they are--Jaime increasing the speed on his treadmill to match Brienne’s, rather than to exceed it, wasn’t what I was expecting and worked fabulously in this context--and the image of Jaime leaning against the wall at a crucial moment was SO MUCH. Whew. Just lovely.

The Waters and the Wild by LadyRhiyana - The last entry in the swap but by no means the least! This was another one where I couldn’t believe how much happened in such a short space; the descriptions were so vivid and cinematic, I could see the whole landscape unfold in my head, and it included some high-quality competence kink, too. We get just enough backstory to be fully invested in this version of Jaime and Brienne, including their delightful hidden-identity initial meeting, and the tension and affection and trust and frustration between them just simmers and simmers until it inevitably boils over and it’s incredibly satisfying. I also thoroughly adored the ending--including Brienne being as indignant as Jaime at [redacted]--and I would buy this movie so fast if it actually existed. 

[paragonrobits]

A friend asked me to give a stab at a Tierlist Maker for Video Games Not Yet In the Video Game Hall of Fame Tier List Maker, so here's my list for it!

This is based primarily on what I considered to be overall value to gaming history as a whole, with games with greater influence or impact ranking higher than those that had less impact on those to follow, or on culture. All the entries are those that have been nominated to the Hall of Fame, but not actually inducted as of this post's writing. Games that I personally like are generally rated higher, though mostly because I'm more familiar with them and thus can judge their impact from a personal POV.

(Tier List explainations, below!)

SHOULD BE IN ALREADY

Final Fantasy: I mean seriously. How is this one not already in yet?? It is not, as my research suggests, the first true RPG; that likely goes to games like Ultima. It is certainly an incredibly influential one; FF is a name closely associated with JRPGs in general, and its diverse class system is one of the strongest things to do with it, as noted by challenges like beating the game with a party of Black Belts. FF is THE name of RPGs in general and I'm startled it hasn't made it in, though I suppose that's owing to more notable entries (Hard as that is to imagine). It doesn't hurt that the majority of my favorite FF titles are those most similar to this one, such as FF6 and FF9, in terms of approaching the general world setting and class systems. Most significantly is that this game popularized RPGs and made them accessible, in ways that previous games such as Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest did not; the field of gaming would be VERY different without it; RPGs became VERY popular, to the extent of RPG elements being almost universal among other games in the modern day. (I am also pleased and amused to see 8-Bit Theater mentioned on the actual Wikipedia page. Now THAT'S notability!)

Sid Meir's Civilization: HEY NOW HALL OF FAME JUDGES, DON'T YOU BE MOCKING CIV, ALRIGHT. CIV IS FUCKING AWESOME. Okay, jokes aside, I'm genuinely astonished as the Civ series is considered the first true main game of the 4x series, and it shows; the entire genre centers around expansion, resource usage and diplomacying or conquering your enemies, and considering the impact of this game and its sheer popularity, to the extent of the meme of the game getting people to play for Just One More Turn, I'm a bit disappointed that it's not already in the hall of fame. I also note that I am personally more familiar with the spin off Alpha Centauri, a sci fi variant, which is still one of my all time favorite games.

Half-Life: Given this game's popularity, to the point of its release alone consigning the likes of Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines to cult classic status and its engine spawning a whole THING with GMod and the usage of physics mechanics in FPS games, one thing of note is its use of scripted sequences; at the time, an unknown in most games of the time. There may be something to be said for how the entire game is spent as Gordon Freeman, behind his eyes, possibly engendering a lack of separation between self and character that would be later emphasized in games like Bioshock. It's influence on games cannot be denied, with publications using it as a bookend between eras of gaming. One consistent element of what seems to make this game so distinctive is its approach to storytelling, without simply imitating film techniques which don't always work well with gameplay.

Candy Crush: This is an example of something I don't personally play myself, or even like very much, but I'd be remiss to dismiss it out of hand. There's no denial that phone games are one of, if not THE biggest market of games in the here in now; if now in scale, certainly in quantity. You might call it the TF2 Hat Economy theory; people aren't spending BIG bucks, but they are spending a LOT of little bucks all the time. It proves that highly accessible games that are generally free to play, with optional purchases, are a legitimate means of game business, and this certainly revolutionized how games were seen by the money-makers.

Super Smash Bros Melee: I loved this game as a kid, but truth be told i have a bit of a love-hate relationship; i REALLY dislike the competitive community that has fixated hard on this game, so any thoughts on it will have a slight element of pause beforehand. Even so, I can't forget the thrilled delight I felt watching the trailer for this game in supermarkets for the first time as a kid. at a time when getting any new games at all was a HUGE deal in my family. So, there is a lot of feeling behind this one! Ultimately, I have to concede that while i have complicated feelings about this game, its worth noting that the vast majority of things that made Smash iconic, and influenced the competitive scene AND the games inspired by Smash AND shaped the course of the series going forwards, largely owe themselves to Melee in particular. 64 was far more slow paced, while Melee began the trend towards much more fast paced action (and while I doubt it's SPECIFIC to melee as a whole, it may have been a trend for the genre from then). Melee is STILL widely played, especially on the competitive scene, and this sort of longevity always bears evidence of notability.

Goldeneye 007: I have to admit that despite being a kid in the 90s, despite someone who put most of their time into gaming, and despite being someone whose favorite system at the time was the Nintendo 64, I mostly missed out on the trend of history by honestly not being that much into this game. I have to say that I DID play it, however; I just never managed to get past the first level or so. I have strong memories of triyng and failing to sneak around a snowy lair of some description; it wouldn't be until the mid-2000s, playing Deus Ex Human Revolution, that I got the hang of stealth. All the same, personal indifference really doesn't matter much because HOLY SHIT THIS GAME HAS SOME STAYING POWER. IT HAS INFLUENCE, FRIENDORITOS. Perhaps chiefly, at the time it was made, consoles were not considered viable platforms for first person shooters; Goldeneye revised that notion, and created a whole revolution in multiplayer and shooter games. We would later see the ultimate consequence of this in games like Halo, which further revolutionized the whole genre. Ironically, the stealth attributes I was so bad at were part of what made the game so unique! It's one of those games that may not have aged well, by modern standards, but its import to gaming as a whole goes a long, long way.

Guitar Hero: I expect this one might be a bit hard to justify, but on its own, this game is INCREDIBLY innovative, though its not entirely the first of its kind, having mechanics based on earlier games. The very first entry has a respectable library of 30 songs, which is impressive considered at the time it was made, its not likely people expected it to get as far as it did; bear in mind that the massive libraries of later games were the result of years of this game series being a massive steamroller of a franchise! At the time, this one was an unknown. It has an interesting history as being a successor of sorts to an arcade exclusive, and inspiring a genre of imitators and spiritual successors on its own; of great note is the sheer impact this game had. With so many of those successors, the increased value of liscened soundtracks, and the way the game's concept became so influential, its astounding this one isn't already on the hall of fame. (It's also very fun, but fun alone doesn't make for memorability, sad to say.)

DESERVES IT AT SOME POINT

Myst - an iconic and incredibly atmospheric puzzle game, I'm genuinely surprised that I haven't heard talk about this one in some respect; it bears note as a rare game with absolutely no conflict whatsoever. I actually rank this one on par with the 7th Guest in terms of atmospheric games, though their tones could not be more different. So why do I think this game deserves it at some point? It was an incredibly immersive and beautiful game, lacking in genuine danger or threat, encouraging the player to explore and tackle the puzzles of the game. This sort of open-ended lack of peril makes it an interesting precursor towards certain flavors of sandbox games around now. It's worth noting that it was a tremendous achievement, given technical limitations of things such as the CD-Rom it was stored on, maintaining a consistent experience, as well as tying narrative reasons into those very constraints. It has been compared to an art film; if so, it certainly is the sort that invited imitators and proved to be a great technical achievement.

Portal: PORTAL! What can I honestly say that hasn't already been said by other people? The amazing integration of a physics engine into innovative puzzle solving, combined with a slow burn sort of minimalist plot reveal concerning the AI proving itself to be a kind of reverse HAL 9000? This game got a HUGE number of memes back in the day, and I expect anyone reading this can probably reference a few. The cake thing, certainly, and its relevance to matters of deception. There is much discussion over the game's utility in academic circles, which is certainly quite notable, and for my part, I'm interested by the point that at first the game gives you a lot of hints towards what you're supposed to do, gradually making it less obvious for the player you're on your own entirely, using your experience with the game to get past the puzzles from there, and its excellent game design. Ultimately though, I place this below Half Life in hall of fame urgency, because while I probably like this one more, it doesn't have the same impact on other games, per say. (That's a lot of awards for it, though. Wowza.)

Resident Evil: Is it fair to call this one the major survival horror game of its era? No, because it's apparently the FIRST, or at least the first to be called such. It's certainly up there with shaping the genre as a whole, both its immediate predecessors and modern games. The flavor of a survival horror can even be judged about whether its close to Resident Evil's style of defending yourself with limited resources vs controlled helplessness. It's also worth pointing out that I quite like the restricted, cramped setting of the mansion, rather than an expansive city; Biohazard was a real return to form, even if its something I mostly watched through funny lets plays because OH NO ITS TOO SCARY I CANT WATCH.

Asteroids: It's called the first major hit of the golden age of the arcade. I'm forced to say... yeah, it absolutely deserves it. The actual implementation and hardware of the game makes for interesting reading, and so its innovative nature ought to be noted: it lacked a soundchip at all, making use of handmade circuits wired to the board. It's reception was great, beating out Space Invaders and needing larger boxes just to hold all the money people spent on it. It also invented the notion of tracking initials on the top ten score, which has implications for arcade challenges.

Ms. Pac Man: This one consistently ranks HIGH in gaming records of its time, though there is admittedly some confusion to whether it or Donkey Kong was a better seller. Interestingly it appears to shape most of the gameplay mechanics people remember most for Pac-Man, such as the improved AI of the ghosts. It's more highly regarded than the original game, and on a personal note, I remember being a kid and seeing this arcade machine at ALL the laundry places my family usually wound up going to.

Frogger: It's placing on this list is not solely because CUTE FROG. The accessibility and wide appeal of the game bears a great deal of consideration, the flexibility of its formula, and just how many dang times it's been ported in one form or another. (And also, cute frog.) It also gets points for the creator being inspired for the game when he saw a frog trying to cross a road, hampered by the vehicles in the way, and he got out of his car and carried the frog across the street. The game is also evident of broad appeal, and some money-makers resisting it, goes back a long way; it was apparently dismissed as a kid's game by some, which just goes to show that some problems are older than quite a lot of gamers alive today.

Uncharted 2: this is one of those games where I cannot honestly say I have personal experience to draw from. Of the playstation's big games, I remember the Jak and Daxter series; I remember Kingdom Hearts, and I remember Ratchet and Clank, and I remember Infamous, but the Uncharted series remains

something of a 'I don't go here?' obscurity in my personal playbook. It does look memorable and charming from what I've seen, and one consistent element I've seen in comments about it is the cinematic nature of the game; it feels very much like a fun heist movie, based on what I have seen of it, and the notable thing is how the game FEELS cinematic.. in a literal way. As in, it combined elements of cinematography with game design, and that's no mean feat: what works for movies are unlikely to translate well to the interactive side, and it shows how that can be done for other games. The extensive praise does the game a LOT of credit!

WORTH NOMINATION AT LEAST

Angry Birds: As noted before, I'm not the biggest fan of most phone games, given that i prefer a more passive experience than most provide. As such, Angry Birds isn't something I've played as of this writing, but I have to appreciate the straightforward and simple gameplay; it reminds me a bit of the Burrito Bison game series, which I HAVE played, and I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's because Angry Birds is probably the innovation that coined that particular style of gameplay. It's an example of what made phone games profitable and worth the time of developers to work at them; its easy for casual players to get into, and there's a fun sort of impact involved. Given the popularity of phone games, this one has a LOT of influence in getting that rolling, similar to candy crush, if not as much.

FIFA International Soccer: Simulation games are a tricky business; it can be really difficult to get them right, and this game provides an example of it being done in a way that a lot of people REALLY loved, set up an entire game series, and revived the 3DO system after a very bad year. Of note, apparently it was commented that it was more of a simulator than a console game, and this is rather funny considering how simulator is its own genre nowadays! Such do things change. It seems to have been a revolutionary game and simulation; setting the shape for modern sport games of its type, and tending more towards realism (accounting for acceptable breaks in reality) than was typical of the time. This one's position is thus picked for its impact as a whole; while it may not necessarily be a household name now, the series continues on, and is popular enough that even after 20 years, it's still been going.

Elite: I nominate this game in this position for being a startlingly early entry into what we would now consider open-ended games, even with an element of exploration and trading; if one stretches definitions a bit, a precursor towards gameplay of the like scene in 4X players who strive to avoid conflict, if possible. Its technical breakthroughs are some very interesting reading and make for good game history; a vast and complex game (not just by the standards of the era, either), and opening the door for persistent world games such as World of Warcraft.

Wii Sports: A significant game, and much as how other titles mentioned above were famed for gateway entries into gaming for an unfamiliar audience, or those that would want o play on a more casual basis. It seems notable to me for being most suited as a family game, or a more casual experience of multiplayer than usually associated with games like this; this has greatly influenced Nintendo's design philosophy, and one can see elements of this all the way through the Wii U onwards. It's essentially a fliparound from Mario Party; less competitiveness, but definitely meant as a group thing. Controversy is evident, because like with Mario Party, injuries did result from it.

Call of Duty: I place this one here because, while it DOES hold a very significant role in gaming history, with countless imitators, spiritual successors, being a game-changer in ways that its modern reputation might surprise you with, ultimately it is less so than other games such as Goldeneye, Halo or Half-Life. It's development in AI pathfinding and tactics is incredibly noteworthy from a mechanical perpsective, and the sheer level of awards it won is notable. In the end this game's popularity and continuing influence means that it shouldn't be overlooked.

Metroid: You can't spell 'Metroidvania' without this game! A relatively open ended exploration-based game with further options opening as new tools were found give it an interesting vibe, and the oppressive atmosphere distinctive to the game says great things about its sound and level designs. It wasn't the first open world game, or explorer, or even the first to open new aereas based on equipment, but it had ALL of these elements in a very memorable package. (Samus Aran as a female protagonist is something I'm a bit reluctant to give it credit for, as her identity was obfuscated for most of the game, and only revealed in a fanservicey way in a secret ending. All the same, credit where it is due, I suppose!) It's music seems to endure as a mood setter, too!

Pole Position: Perhaps not the FIRST racing game, but still considered one of the most important from the golden age of gaming, and the one to codify many of the firm rules of the game series. It's three dimensional gameplay is incredibly innovative for its time, and having played it and games like it in the past, I'm struck by how smooth the whole thing feels. No wonder it was popular! It is notable for having been designed specifically as a 3d Experience, meant to execute techniques like real drivers might attempt, which makes it a different sort of beast in that it tried to do more realistic actions; in some ways, a precursor to modern trends of realism in many games, for ill or best. Ultimately I think this one is worth a nomination because of its influence towards racing games (a popular and long lived genre, to say the least) as a whole.

OUTSIDE CHANCE

Nurburgring 1: On the one hand, I feel a bit guilty putting this one so low; it is recognized as likely being the earliest racing game in history, and given that I just finished noting Pole Position's influence, it feels a bit mean to rate this one as relatively insignificant all the same. However, in terms of notability, I never even heard of this one, and it was tricky finding information about it. Accordingly, that may say something about its influence, though this position DOES make it noteworthy as the first of its kind, albeit with Pole Position refining and introducing elements that shaped the genre.

Dance Dance Revolution: It feels a bit strange, putting this one fairly low. This thing was a MONSTER back in the day; entire arcades were built around the dancing control peripherals it required, rhythm based games or mechanics specifically invoked it by name, and it was an absolute cultural touchstone for years and years. So, why place it low? Partly, its because I can't just shove EVERYTHING into the 'deserves a nomination' folder; I do think it's fairly reasonable for this one to at some point get a nomination in the future, though ultimately there's games more noteworthy on the whole. It's specific rhythm qualities continue outside of its genre, and are quite influential to gaming as a whole, though unfortunately the series seems to have lost something in notability over time; popularity is a factor, but so is the impact on other games.

NBA 2K and NBA Jam: I put these two together because they touch on similar touchstones for me, and they really did popularize basketball games back in the day. Jam in particular seems to be invoking the Big Head mode that were a big thing in games at the time, at least going from the screenshot. They were very popular and highly beloved games back in the day, though I don't know if they have much influence on later games. I note that interestingly, they take opposite approaches; 2k focuses on AI and realistic experiences, while Jam was deliberately less realistic and more actiony in its over the top gameplay.

Nokia Snake: This one really impresses me for the sheer number of releases, in various forms, it's had! Interestingly, there seems to be little consensus on the name of this game; most just call it Snake or something on that theme. I went with Nokia Snake because... mostly, it sounds funny, and that's how its done on the list. This one is fairly low, but I Have to give it credit for having hundreds of releases!

Farmville: My mom liked Facebook games, a lot. And I am certain this one was one of her main ones! I rate it fairly low, and no doubt her spirit is yelling imprecations at me across the void of time, space, and abandoned socks; all the same, this one is ranked low because of the sheer number of displeasure aimed this one's way. (And to be fair, she complained about it. A LOT.) It is thus notable for unusually negative reasons; an example of exploitation, pressuring players to pester their friends to play it in an equivalent to electronic chain mail, and microtranscations.

Tron: I'm inclined to give any game that takes place in a computer land and uses programming or mechanical terminology a free pass! Interestingly, this has some association with the Snake game, as they have similar gameplay and Snake games are sometimes called Light Cylce games, after this one. It has an interesting history; the graphical system was chosen largely because it was believed it was more likely to be achieved before the deadline.

NO BUSINESS IN THE HALL OF FAME

Mattel Football: I do feel a little mean putting anything in this category; firstly because I don't want to make actual fans of something sad, and secondly because I believe you can probably find notability anywhere you look, if you are inclined. And here is the chief difficulty with this one: I could not find any real information in this one. It has no Wikipedia page, a google search only led to undescriptive links of SALES for the game, but not any information on the game itself. Notability is my main resource for sorting these entries, and honestly? If google has nothing on you, that's a pretty poor sign. Sorry, Mattel Football, but you look like a poor man's Game And Watch. You're no Portal, Myst or Pole Position.