#the boys s4e8

[medusas-daughter]

Watching Starlight fly after losing Mommy Vicky, Frenchie getting Dunlapped and not hearing Kimiko speak for the first time just to scream helplessly after him, MM getting giant dick slapped instead of sipping piña coladas with his family, and Ryan being forced through yet another traumatic incident involving a mother figure and losing two father figures at once:

[thebluekid-underyourbed]

Maybe it's just a me thing but must EVERY pair of close characters become a romantic couple? Must they? They can't just be really happy with each other, they NEED to kiss and be boyfriends and/or girlfriends?? Is it necessary? Do I HAVE to?

[spocks-husband]

Okay. I just. I just finished the s4 finale of The Boys. I haven't felt this level of overwhelming dread in a very long time so. Thanks for that, Kripke.

[purpleheartskies]

Robby is the underdog - Part 6

(Follow up to my other Robby is the underdog posts)

In my post Robby is the protagonist, I talk about the aspects of Robby's character and journey that make him the protagonist (amongst the kids).

One aspect is that Robby is the only character to be in one of the conflicts in every mid-season episode and finale since s1e10. This still is true after s6 part 1:

s1e10 - avt final match

s2e5 - mall fight

s2e10 - school fight

s3e5 - juvie fight

s3e10 - dojo fight with Kreese and Johnny

s4e5 - Cobras shaving Hawk's mohawk

s4e10 - avt final match

s5e5 - apartment fight

s5e10 - dojo brawl

s6e5 - boys' captaincy match

Robby's win, or should I say Miguel's loss, rounded out another interesting set of parallels in the story.

In my post Robby is the underdog - Part 4, I talked about Miguel's parallels with Silver.

From that post:

In s4e8, Silver and Miguel each realized that they aren't the most important person to the person they're most loyal to. Silver realized Johnny is more important to Kreese. Miguel realized that Robby is more important to Johnny. In s1e10, Miguel wanted to show no mercy to Robby and reminded Johnny about their lesson when Johnny tried to stop Miguel from showing no mercy to Robby. In s4e8, Silver wanted to show no mercy to Johnny and reminded Kreese about their lessons when Kreese tried to stop Silver from showing no mercy to Johnny. Though, Miguel did follow through with showing no mercy while Silver didn't. In s4e10, Silver and Miguel each undermined and gave up on the person they were most loyal to. Silver framed Kreese and got him arrested. Miguel walked away from the tournament, making it a sure loss for Johnny. At the end of the s4 avt, Silver was enjoying his dirty win while Robby stood behind him upset and Johnny sadly watched from the side. At the end of the s1 avt, Miguel was enjoying his dirty win while Johnny stood behind him upset and Robby sadly watched from the side.  In s5e5, Daniel was coaxed into a fight with Silver, and Silver showed mercy in the end. Robby was pressured into a fight with Miguel, and Miguel showed mercy in the end. In s5e10, although Daniel got his victory over Silver, Robby is yet to get his victory over Miguel... the real conclusion to the Miguel-Robby rivalry will come next season.

In s6e5, Robby got his win against Miguel, like Daniel had gotten his win against Silver in s5e10. (Though, I don't think this rivalry is completely over. Silver's also returning in Part 2. We'll see if he and Daniel face off again and if Miguel and Robby face off again at one point.)

Daniel's win against Silver was iconic and cathartic, with flashbacks of Silver's lessons in KK3 of the Quicksilver method, which Silver had used to torture Daniel with. Daniel got a "hero" victory over Silver.

Like I talked about in a recent post, Miguel got a "Near-Villain Victory" loss to Robby. That is, Robby got a "hero" victory over Miguel.

"All hope looks lost. Soon the Big Bad will achieve their goal of taking over/destroying the city/world/universe, and there's nothing the heroes can do to stop them! But then WHAM — something unexpected happens, and the tide turns in the heroes' favor, allowing them to overcome the villain and win. This is what we call a Near-Villain Victory, where the bad guys look like they're going to win only to get defeated at the last moment." (from tvtropes.com)

Comparing Miguel and Silver, when it comes to how they behave with Robby and Daniel resp., both believed that they were entitled to having their apologies accepted, and both completely lacked self-awareness when they gave those apologies. Neither has ever looked back and considered Robby's or Daniel's pov resp.. In Miguel's case, he suddenly said "I'm sorry" at the end of assaulting Robby and pushing him to his limit. Miguel was even going to break his arm for no reason at all, but Miguel suddenly decided to stop and expected Robby to understand and trust him immediately. In Silver's case, he went with Kreese to the Miyagi-Do dojo to set terms for the dojo war. This was the first time Daniel was seeing Silver since Silver had played an intricate ruse over 30 years ago to get revenge against Daniel on behalf of Kreese and Cobra Kai. Miguel and Silver both frame themselves as good guys and gaslight their targets about their past behaviors towards them. (Silver has done so since Daniel rejected his apology.) As I mentioned above, both Miguel and Silver "showed mercy" in s5e5 and both chose to do those fights. Miguel in s6e5 and Silver in s5e10 were each so sure they'd win these fights, but both suffered humiliating "villain" losses in front of the dojo students.

For Robby, this win against Miguel was meaningful. It was his first official win against Miguel, and it was the only fair fight they've had. In terms of the Hero's Journey and the 3-act story structure, it mirrored their s1 avt match. Miguel had cheated to win that fight, essentially robbing Robby of that win. Robby was the underdog in that match. He was still the underdog in this match too. As Robby prepared for this match, flashbacks were shown for Robby's "second place" trauma including Robby's loss to Miguel in the s1 avt. These flashbacks are representative of Robby's deeper trauma of being second place in life, especially wrt Johnny, and this trauma drives Robby's character story. Daniel's flashbacks during his victory against Silver were related to Daniel's trauma due to Silver that drive Daniel's character story.

Miguel is still the bully between Robby and Miguel, too. Although most people focus on his blatant actions in s1 and s2, his actions in s5 and s6 were more subtle. (Of course, many fans even dismiss most or all of Miguel's blatant wrong actions against Robby, either downplaying that Miguel's actions were "wrong" or excusing his actions because of the school fight.) There are so many forms of bullying. A few can be found in the subtext of Miguel's behavior throughout:

Scapegoating - Miguel wrote Robby's name and framed him as the bad guy in his application letter to Stanford. Miguel has never once taken accountability for his actions in the school fight. Afterwards, he only regretted showing mercy (and gaslit Johnny and Tory and deflected blame for his own actions onto them). Along with everyone else, Miguel acts like he did nothing wrong to Robby, and Robby is to blame for their rivalry and everything that happened between them.

Robby quietly listened while Miguel read his application letter. He'd proudly scapegoated Robby in it, and all the adults, including heartless Johnny, gushed over it. Robby mentioned the scapegoating only after Miguel asked for his opinion about the letter. But Robby mentioned it, and that's meaningful. I came across a quote: "The strongest defense against gaslighting is to know your own truth so deeply that you'll immediately recognize that someone else's version of your story is false." Since s4e4, Robby hasn't spoken about his side of the story for the school fight. After what's happened s5e5 onwards, it's reassuring to see that he still believes that he wasn't the bad guy in it. He wasn't, and that is one of many truths he needs to hold onto or recognize about his relationships with the other characters. This also goes back to why he doesn't feel supported by the other characters. He knows that they all vilify him only for the school fight with Miguel, although Miguel isn't the innocent "good guy" in that fight.

Gaslighting - In s5e5, after the apartment fight, Miguel claimed that he didn't learn karate to hurt people, right after he specifically said yes to the fight so that he could use karate to hurt Robby. Miguel also acted like he'd never done anything wrong to Robby in the school fight, and Robby’s reaction---a legitimate fight/trauma response---at the end of the fight was unprovoked. (That response led to a horrible accident.) In s6e5, the night before the captaincy match, Miguel also tried to "convince" Robby that Miguel needs the win more. When Robby called him out for that, Miguel claimed that that wasn't what he was doing, and then continued to try to "convince" him. Blatant gaslighting. When Robby has his guard up, he picks up on manipulation. This is why, for example, he was not swayed by Kreese until the match with Kenny.

In the bottom gif, the way Robby reacts when Miguel says, "That's not what I'm saying," as if Robby's responding, "What are you saying, then?" in a challenging way. (Tanner's use of body language to convey all the nuances of Robby's emotions and communication has always been overlooked or dismissed by almost all fans, especially in s5e5 onwards.)

Even the way Miguel looked at him in at the end was itself a gaslight, as if Robby was being unreasonable.

Intimidation - At the start of this conversation, Miguel told Robby that no matter what happens he has no beef with him. Miguel followed this with trying to "convince" him that Miguel needs this more. Miguel wanted Robby to know that Miguel would do whatever it takes to win.

Controlling behavior - In s5, Miguel kept acting like he has some authority over Robby. Miguel acted like he's entitled to having an issue with Johnny spending time with Robby. At the waterpark, Miguel acted like he's entitled to know or have a say in who Robby spends time with or defends. Miguel claimed that Robby isn't a "good guy" just because he'd done something to benefit Miguel. This shows that Miguel believes that he gets to decide if Robby is a "good guy" or not. After they started training at Miyagi-Do, Miguel acted like he has the right to have a problem with Sam and Robby being friends. Miguel also watched and listened as Robby spoke with Kenny at the ST trials.

Since seeing that Robby was with Johnny and deciding not to "let it get to him" (as he'd told Eli and Demetri), Miguel paid attention to and had an opinion about who Robby would talk to, spend time with, or defend, whenever Robby was around.

To note, Miguel does the same with Sam, not just wrt Robby but also wrt Tory. Miguel wanted Sam to be friend with Tory after she joined Miyagi-Do. Miguel's never shown Sam empathy for what Tory had done to her. Johnny, Miguel, and Tory are counterparts in their rivalries with Daniel, Robby, and Sam resp. Just like he defended Johnny's side to Daniel in s3e9, Miguel has always defended Tory's side to Sam. This is all inline with Miguel never taking accountability for and believing that he is justified in his own side of the rivalry with Robby that Miguel started and controls. After Robby won the match fairly, Robby made sure to confirm with Miguel that they were still good. Robby knows that Miguel's unpredictable in this sense, especially given Miguel's past and present behavior with him.

Name-calling and antagonizing - Miguel called Robby "runner up" even though Miguel had cheated in the AVT to win. Miguel had done this in response to Robby honestly telling Johnny that Johnny was just gonna get Miguel's ass kicked if he forced them to try to get along, meaning they would just get into a fight. In the school fight, when Robby called out that Miguel had cheated in the avt, Miguel taunted him about Johnny teaching Miguel and not him. Later, Robby asked a legitimate question about why Miguel took advantage of Sam (as he'd kissed her while she was drunk), Miguel said that he would never. Then, Robby asked why'd it happen, and Miguel proudly proclaimed that she loves him and not Robby. Mentioning these two instances as this is a pattern with Miguel, and he has never believed saying these things to Robby were wrong.

People get upset when anyone calls out that Miguel is the bully and not the new gen Karate Kid. But, just like with his narcissistic traits, it's the context and combination of his actions that make him the bully. Robby is rarely the one to initiate conflict between them. Many fans like to claim that Robby didn't accept Miguel's "mercy" and then "struck first" at the end of the school fight, but that's just an entitled mentality. A person can't assault and antagonize someone and then suddenly stop and expect that person to be okay with them immediately. Miguel's behavior was unhinged. The fact that he doesn't see anything wrong with his own behavior in the school fight is the biggest red flag. That, plus all of his other red flags... In s2, when he returned the medal, he gaslighted Robby that the Cobras---as in, he himself---are not all assholes. He still views himself this way---not an asshole and justified in all of his actions against Robby.

Cobra Kai is a sports underdog story, like the rest of the franchise. In s6e5, the writers gave Robby a balance boost so he won the captaincy fight and then reset his underdog status at the start of the tournament. Miguel's not an underdog and stopped being one in s1e5. He's the bully in their rivalry, kept winning, and was eventually given a villain's loss.

[soldier-boy-dean]

“If we’re ever gonna win against the monsters, we probably need to start acting human” (The Boys, S4E8)

^^somebody needs to tell this to the Supernatural characters RIFHT FVCKINF NOW because I don’t think they got the message. They keep turning into the monsters

[sparklyinternetwizard]

Okay I'm gonna rant about "Season Four Finale"

Spoilers for The Boys s4e8 ahead

okokokok

I absolutely adore Kimiko and Frenchie* and am SO glad they kissed at the end. The whole "we're just family" thing felt weird to me? like you shouldn't have to kiss someone to know you aren't into them. also Kimiko was very obviously over compensating in the scene where she's telling Frenchie to get Colin's dick/ass/whatev and describing her (obviously fake) exploits with the barista.

Starlight can be upset about Hughie's situation with the shifter, but why TF is she taking it out on him?????

"I look exactly like you and have all of your thoughts/memories"

"How could you think that was me??"

not to mention what happened to Hughie over the last 3 episodes was basically just constant SA

RIP Neuman, forever serving in hell </3

*Tomer can rot tho, hes an awful person imo

[noodlez0084]

Little theory/what I think is going to happen to frenchie and kimiko in the next season

(spoilers ahead for s4e8)

Ok so what if along with forcing frenchie to get into the van, Cate also somehow erased Frenchie’s memories of Kimiko/made him forget she ever existed so even if, and that’s a big if, he did hear her screams, they would have meant nothing to him… Also I think this would set up an interesting dynamic for the upcoming season because let’s be honest, what are the chances of the writers giving us 8 episodes, or even less depending on when they track down Frenchie, of the two of them being happy and in a relationship?? ( ok yeah I get that technically we already for 4ish seasons of them being happy platonic besties but you get what I mean) however it definitely feels like something they would hold on to till the end, or at least the last few episodes.

My only doubt with this theory is that there is no possible way for Cate to know how close Kimiko and Frenchie are to each other because as far as I know, this is the only time she and Sam have interacted with members of the Boys, but that just might be my faulty memory 😅

anyways lmk what you thinks, this is literally just a random idea that popped up into my head while I was rewatching that scene lmao

[thenextcelestialchapter]

Massive The Boys S4E8 spoilers!

God damn it dude come ooooon yer gonna make me wait a whole 'nother season to find out what Ashley got herself into with that V?? It better be as cool and gnarly as I thought her death was gonna be! XD

And what I actually wanted to rant about: COME ON ANNIE ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME YOU SUPPOSEDLY RAN A HOME FOR VULNERABLE KIDS YER SUPPOSED TO BE WOKE OR WHATEVER AND YET YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACT RIGHT WHEN YOUR OWN BOYFRIEND WAS RAPED?? IT WAS ALL HUGS WHEN ASHLEY SAID SOMETHING DIRTY TO HIM BUT HE GETS ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY RAPED AND YOU BLAME HIM?? I KNOW YER NOT A PEDO BUT DAMN MAYBE THOSE KIDS WEREN'T REALLY SAFE WITH YOU EITHER??

LIKE IT'S GETTING REALLY HARD TO CARE IF THEY JUST LET THE VIRUS GO GLOBAL DUDE like JUST saying if Annie and Kimiko are the few we're supposed to care if they die like even then... SEEMS LIKE A FAIR TRADE OFF AT THIS POINT. Like damn I didn't want Billy to be right but Ryan just killed an old woman that loved him and didn't even care (90% sure he coulda stopped her without killing her just saying so I think he did that more bc he was pissed than threatened, he WAS threatened but I don't think she was a true threat to him. Either he purposefully killed her out of anger, or he accidentally killed her but still didn't care after. Either way, this boy ain't gonna be Superman, he's already another Homelander...) so at this point bro they all just gotta GO...

BTW did Kimiko ever find out that Frenchie fucked Colin KNOWING that he killed his family?? BC whether or not she knew that when she told him to go be with him uuuuuh GREATLY effects how much I care if she dies or not either...

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 4

Link for Season 1  Link for Season 2 Link for Season 3

I find the existence of filler guides quite amusing, since for some shows it makes sense (like Naruto), but for others (like Pokemon) it absolutely doesn’t and they still exist. So here is an attempt to do an absolutely unnecessary one just for fun. 😅

The classifications are CANON (an episode with major storylines present), LORE (in which we get significant backstory or world building, but could be skippable)  and FILLER (completely skippable episodic storytelling, not connected to overarching story arcs)

PLS my analysis will have spoilers, if you’re a first time viewer, just scroll to the bottom and read the list and only read full text if you are familiar with the content of the show already! S4E1 The Tooth Fairy Tats 2000 is CANON

Loogie will be in a later episode, not in a major role, but Kyle having one of his greatest speeches here in important, since his speeches become a focal point later, might as well include this one. S4E2 Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000 is FILLER

Let's be honest, Eric IS actually racist, so the point of this episode doesn't even stand in the long run. We all know this one for telling us that Clyde is the second fattest, but that's not even lore material, as Clyde is a very minor character at this point, and the only time it will matter at all is a time where it's also stated. S4E3 Timmy 2000 is CANON

Basically, the main storyline this season has is Timmy's integration with the kids and the community. So his episodes count, since this is the one string that really connect this season. This one is big, for introducing him as a character and classmate. (in the premier he has but a minor role) S4E4 Quintuplets 2000 is FILLER

Kenny has an interesting storyline of his own, but both that and the rest of the boys find themselves in a very self-contained story. S4E5 Cartman Joins NAMBLA is CANON

This is a big one regarding Kenny's deaths. We have the first big clue to his resurrections. Also, this episode has the incident that would later convince the school to fire Herbert. S4E6 Cherokee Hair Tampons is CANON

Herbert gets fired from school and becomes a writer. What the kids have going on is a classic Kyle/Eric plot. S4E7 Chef Goes Nanners is FILLER

A random crush that gets resolved by the end of the episode? Check. An old relic of the town which we have never seen before and will never see again? Check. S4E8 Something You Can Do With Your Finger is CANON

Yes, we get a lot of Randy backstory that explains so much about him. But that's nothing on its own. Fingerbang gets formed and it will return in one of the show's most important episodes! S4E9 Do The Handicapped Go To Hell? is CANON

Wait, so many canon episodes next to each other, is this season 1? Seriously, a lot of serialization happens in this season, unlike the last one. Satan and Saddam story arc continues. Timmy story arc continues. S4E10 Probably is CANON

It probably is. I mean, it's a direct follow-up to the previous episode, and delivers continuation. S4E11 Fourth Grade is CANON

Diane is introduced, Herbert storyline continues, the boys advance to a whole new grade! S4E12 Trapper Keeper is CANON

Herbert gets a new job, Ike starts at kindergarten. S4E13 Helen Keller! The Musical is CANON

Because as I said earlier, Timmy's story really makes this season a cohesive whole. S4E14 Pip is FILLER

I have always seen this episode as a different continuity, since it's basically just Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Some people seem to believe this happens with regular continuity Pip, but I hope not, because -HUGE SPOILERS- this version of Pip gets a much happier ending. S4E15 Fat Camp is FILLER

Eric doesn't really get skinny. S4E16 The Wacky Molestation Adventure is FILLER

But it's darn good filler! Episodic characters get the main roles and everything is back by the end. S4E17 A Very Crappy Christmas is FILLER

We never see Mr. Hankey's family again. We get a meta story on how Trey and Matt created the show.

SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

Again, CANON means you should watch it, FILLER means you can skip it.

S4E1 The Tooth Fairy Tats 2000 is CANON S4E2 Cartman's Silly Hate Crime is FILLER S4E3 Timmy 2000 is CANON S4E4 Quintuplets 2000 is FILLER S4E5 Cartman Joins NAMBLA is CANON S4E6 Cherokee Hair Tampons is CANON S4E7 Chef Goes Nanners is FILLER S4E8 Something You Can Do With Your Finger is CANON S4E9 Do The Handicapped Go To Hell? is CANON S4E10 Probably is CANON S4E11 Fourth Grade is CANON S4E12 Trapper Keeper is CANON S4E13 Helen Keller! The Musical is CANON S4E14 Pip is FILLER S4E15 Fat Camp is FILLER S4E16 The Wacky Molestation Adventure is FILLER S4E17 A Very Crappy Christmas is FILLER

CANON counter: S1: 9 out of 13 S2: 3 out of 18 S3: 6 out of 17 S4: 10 out of 17 Overall: 28 out of 65

[woundthatswallows]

ERIC!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my goddd the boys s4e8 wowwwwwwwww. so good....

[devilishbird]

...are we not gonna talk about that 5 second super epic hava nagila (rock edition) at the start of the recap in the boys s4e8 (0:00:06 - 0:00:11)

[medusas-daughter]

move over every villain and antagonist that has ever or will ever exist you will never be as cool as Sister Sage

[watchingspnagain]

Rewatching Wishful Thinking

Welcome to “Teddy Bear Docs and Deep Cuts”: A Supernatural Rewatch Blog” with Lor and Mace!

 Up today, s4e8: Wishful Thinking.

 When Sam finds a possible case about a woman attacked by a ghost in the showers at her gym, Dean can’t get to work on it fast enough. But the lady’s story is weird—not their kind of weird—and they’re about to give it up as a bad job when they get wind of a Big Foot in town. But—Big Foot isn’t real. As they dig a little deeper, they realize that people in town have been making wishes at the fountain at a local Chinese restaurant. The wishes come true—but quickly go bad. A little girl’s teddy bear does come alive, but he’s depressed and suicidal. A man’s unrequited love suddenly loves him dearly—too dearly. The boys track down the source of the shenanigans—an ancient coin tossed into, and stuck to the bottom of, the fountain. Once they convince the man who put it there to remove it, all returns to normal. Dean finally admits to Sam that he remembers hell, but refuses to talk about it, claiming he has no words with which to do so.

 Below is a log of our real-time reactions as we watched. Remember that there may be spoilers for any part of SPN’s 15-season run here. Note also that the nature of our conversation is adult and thus it may contain adult language and themes.

 [and we begin:]

 Lor:

 oooh right, Uriel is shitstirring

  Mace:

 YUP

  This is the one with the teddy bear doctors, right?

   Lor:

 i think so

Mace:

 I love that line but kind of hate the teddy bear

  Lor:

 yeeeeeah

it's dark

  Mace:

 it sure is

 omg this waiter

  Lor:

 haaaahahahaha

  Mace:

 omg did dean just check out his ass?

  Lor:

 I BELIEVE HE DID

poor Dean. he just wants to drink a billion shots, Sam

  Mace:

 “down under” yep, that checks. I’m convinced Australia is indeed hell

  Lor:

 LOLOLOL

it certainly has monsters

  Mace:

 IT DOES

  Lor:

 lol Dean equal opportunity ass checking tonight

  Mace:

 Sammy looks SO GOOD in that shirt

 YES

  Lor:

 "we gotta save these people"

 he DOES

 "the working title is Supernatural" SAMMY

  Mace:

 YAS

  “yeah that’s weird"

  Lor:

 Sam is giving excellent "wait what" face

  Mace:

 HAHAHA

  Lor:

 "damn right I wanted to save some naked women"

  Mace:

 HAHAHA

  Lor:

 how many pockets does he HAVE in that coat?

  Mace:

 i dunno but I’d like to find out

 Lor:

 YAAAS

 Sammy with his snaps and Dean with his flannel

 that is a... big foot

  Mace:

 YES

 I love how flustered they are

  Lor:

 YES

 omg Dean shoplifting some liquor

  Mace:

DEAN WINCHESTER YOU PAY FOR THAT

  Lor:

 LOLOL

 omg unison confused bench sitting

  Mace:

 YES

  DEEP WOODS DUCHOVNY

  Lor:

 lol

AND HIS FACE

  Mace:

 YES

  Lor:

 omg peering around the bush

  Mace:

 PEEKING AROUND THE SHRUB

  HAHAHAHA

  Lor:

 YAAAS

 omg Harry and the Hendersons. that's a deep cut, Dean

  Mace:

 it really is

   omg Dean’s FACE

  Lor:

 omg Dean. he's so done

 YES

 THEIR FACES

  Mace:

 YES

  Lor:

 smells like the bus

  Mace:

 SNORK

 omg Dean

  Lor:

 he's like I don't get paid enough for this and then he remembers he doesn't get paid

  Mace:

 HAHAHA

 the conversation about whether they need to kill it omg

  Lor:

 LOLLIPOP DISEASE

 YES

  Mace:

 YAS

  Lor:

 it's not uncommon for bears his size

I love them

  Mace:

 SNORK

YES

 the sandwich omg DEAN

  Lor:

 YES

 he can't find the right ID omg

  Mace:

 SNORK!!

 FUCK YOU 839862

  Lor:

 oh oh is he not that guy anymore? fuck 327

 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

  Mace:

 HAAAAAHAHAHAHA

  Lor:

 the way they just walk in with the tools and poor Mr Chin is like HANG ON NOW

  Mace:

 poor guy

  Jensen is giving SUCH good faces in this one

  Lor:

 YAS

he has such range

  Mace:

 he does

 smarty sammy with the squeeze

  Lor:

 YES

  Mace:

 good boy Sammy

  Lor:

 omg Dean "what? no"

  Mace:

 Dean is confused and impressed

  Lor:

 YES

 "the wishes turn bad, Sam. the wishes turn very bad"

  Mace:

 “wishes turn very bad"

HAHAHAHA

  Lor:

 DEAN WINCHESTER don't drink that beer. go get a sprite or something

  Mace:

 I was about to say.

i think it may be ginger ale?

  Lor:

 oh okay then

  Mace:

 ugh i hate this part

not funny

  Lor:

 yeah

 oh no bad dreams

  Mace:

 oh dean

  Lor:

 dude, Sam. I know you're annoyed he's not telling you about hell, but give the man a little break

  Mace:

 yeah, but I get Sam’s side, too. He’s so worried

  Lor:

 yeah

  Mace:

 I mean, he’s acting better than Dean with Sam’s...abilities

  Lor:

 THAT is true

 the florists

  Mace:

 snork

  Lor:

 "and on Thursdays we're teddy bear doctors"

  Mace:

 Is that Sam Raimi?

 HAHAHA YES

  Lor:

 no idea

he looks familiar though

 omg their faces

  Mace:

 YES

 It’s Ted Raimi, Sam’s brother

  Lor:

 they play off each other so well in these funnier episodes

  aaaah

  Mace:

 they really do

  (do you know who he is?)

  Lor:

 (I do not)

  Mace:

 (he’s a horror movie director)

  Lor:

 (ooooh. I know I’ve heard the the name)

  Mace:

 (the evil dead movies)

  Lor:

 "Something bad. like us." omg Sammy. stop being so hot

  Mace:

 (and also the toby mcguire spider-man movies)

  HAHAHAHAHA

  Lor:

 (aaah)

 omg they just run over the kid

  Mace:

 (so lots of people who love SPN probably LOVE him)

(because his horror movies are all cult favorites)

  Lor:

 (that is really cool)

  Mace:

 (YES)

  Lor:

 "Kneel before Todd!"

  Mace:

 YES

  Lor:

 omg the Spider-man line!

  Mace:

 THE SPIDER-MAN QUOTE

YAS

  Lor:

 YAAAAAS

  Mace:

 so clever

  poor sammy

  Lor:

 yeah

he keeps losing those shoes

  Mace:

 HAHAHAHA he does!

  Lor:

 omg Dean. after all that he's gonna help Todd with his bullies

  Mace:

 YES

  Lor:

 I love him

  Mace:

 you do?!

  Lor:

 I know. I've been keeping it under wraps

  Mace:

 mind. blown

  Lor:

 I feel you are making fun of meeeee

  Mace:

 NEVER

  Lor:

 were they specifically waiting to make sure Audrey's parents got back?

  Mace:

 oh DEAN

 it seems so

sweet boys

  Lor:

 that's adorable. and of course they did

 "tell me about it." "no"

  Mace:

 “so tell me about it.” “no”

  Lor:

 oh boys

  Mace:

 YES

 LEAN ON ME, Dean, LEAN ON ME.

  Lor:

 "there aren't words. there's no forgetting"

 DEEEAN

  Mace:

 his little lip quiver

  Lor:

 YAAAAS

  Mace:

 I mean, DAMN, Jensen

  Lor:

 Cas come hold him

his stupid little freckle face all tortured

  Mace:

 YES

[thegreaterlink]

Reviewing Star Trek TNG - S4E8 "Future Imperfect"

My last review was posted like... nine months ago.

Time flies when you're lazy.

THE PREMISE

Commander Riker’s birthday celebrations are interrupted by reports of strange sensor readings from Alpha Onias 3. He beams down with Geordi and Worf to investigate but they’re quickly knocked out by toxic gases. Upon awakening in sickbay, Riker discovers that sixteen years have passed (though he can't remember any of it) and he is now the captain of the Enterprise.

MY REVIEW

Sixteen years in the future. Assuming that Riker is roughly the same age as Jonathan Frakes, that would put him in his mid-fifties. And if we compare this "middle-aged" Riker to Jonathan Frakes circa mid-2000s...

Not bad. Still, anything beats that weird adult Wesley from Hide and Q.

Then again, if we use Riker's birthday slab as an indicator, then he just turned...

...six.

I guess he was born on a leap year.

Anyway, here we are in the future, where Dr Crusher chalks up Riker's sudden amnesia to a side effect of a dormant infection which he picked up on that away mission all those years ago. An infection which Klingons just so happen to be immune to... and I guess Geordi is just built different.

Dr Crusher recommends associational therapy, with the idea being that surrounding Riker with familiar people and things will help to jog his memory, starting with a trip to the bridge. Because a man fresh out of a coma with a massive gap in his memory is clearly fit to resume command of a starship. Good call.

Riker arrives on the bridge and finds it looking… exactly the same, since new sets ain’t cheap, but there are at least changes among the crew. My boi Data is now First officer, Geordi now has ocular implants so LeVar Burton gets to act without a hunk of plastic on his face, and more species like Klingons and Ferengi are among the crew.

But what concerns Riker is the most is Admiral Picard and Troi arriving on a Romulan Warbird.

That last one is explained by ongoing peace treaty negotiations with the Romulans, which Riker has apparently been leading ever since he rescued the crew of a damaged Warbird which wound up in Federation space. Evidently random acts of kindness go a long way towards stopping wars in this universe. The Enterprise is currently escorting the Romulan ambassador to Outpost 23 to wrap things up and get the treaty signed.

Yep. Here we are in the future, and it's bright. Nothing to fear, no one to fight... I can't believe we've come so far.

Then Tomalak beams aboard.

Future Picard and Troi try to reassure Riker – yeah, he did threaten to take the Enterprise's hull as a trophy last season, but that was one time – but he's still concerned, both by the massive gap in his memory and that he might have to reveal sensitive Starfleet intel to someone he probably can't trust.

With the briefing over and Riker’s memories still thoroughly gone, Troi takes him back to his quarters, where a mysterious child is playing his trombone.

"Hi, Dad!"

Ah. He has his father's... hair?

This is Riker's son, Jean-Luc (Chris Demetral). I remember being surprised that Troi wasn't the mother... but their romance is barely more than subtext at this point, so it's not that shocking. Jean-Luc's mother was actually a woman only known as Min, who Troi explains died two years prior. Even though they have zero evidence of her existing – aside from the child she supposedly birthed, I mean – and Riker can't find any trace of her in the ship's records. They don't even have any photos of her. I guess they had to make room for their... modern art?

I think I saw the Threads logo in there.

Christ, the last time I posted a review Threads didn't even exist it's been so fucking long

The computer's been acting up for a while now, come to think of it. I'm sure Geordi will be done with that diagnostic soon.

Still, I can at least appreciate the script's efforts to make us care about this kid. Riker adjusts pretty well to being a father, though that probably has more to do with Jonathan Frakes' natural daddy– I mean dad energy.

"I guess there's only one thing we can do. We've got to build some new memories!"

But Riker is still bothered that he can't find any trace of his late wife, though Jean-Luc says he's just not being precise enough, and pulls up some old home movies. It's here that we discover that "Min" is actually Minuet (again played by Carolyn McCormick for a single shot – that's dedication for you), that hologram lady he tried to bone way back in his babyface era.

Suddenly everything starts falling into place. And speaking of hologram romantics (or holosexuals, as I like to call them), Geordi calls Riker back up to the bridge.

It's here that the attempts to keep Riker gaslit, gatekept and girlbossed completely fall apart, as he calls out all sorts of holes in the facade, like Geordi taking more than a day to run a simple diagnostic, nobody being able to properly recall past events and even Data using a contraction.

Ha! I knew Lore was going to come back eventually! AND THEY CALLED ME A MADMAN!

...No? It's not Lore? Aight. Maybe next season.

"Would anyone else like to speak up? Or shall we end this charade?"

With the wool thoroughly pulled back from Riker's eyes, Tomalak reveals that the whole thing has actually been a hologram simulation designed to trick him into revealing Federation intel like, say, the location of Outpost 23.

You win this time, Lore.

Turns out that after the away team was hit with the gas, the Romulans intercepted Riker while he was being beamed up. They used their neural scanners to create a perfect replica of the Enterprise and its crew. Add a bit of ageing makeup and some bullshit about amnesia and badda bing badda bang, you’ve got yourself a pretty convincing future AU.

As for Tomalak’s OC, Jean-Luc, he was actually some random kid named Ethan who they had taken prisoner after raiding a research outpost on the edge of the Neutral Zone.

They throw Riker in a cell with him for a lil bit — just long enough for Ethan to tell him about a secret hiding spot elsewhere on the ship — so when the Romulans come back with the intention of taking the intel by force, Riker seizes the opportunity. One distraction and a few punches in the face later, and they’re on the run.

Ethan leads Riker through a convenient crawl space to a convenient forgotten room where some convenient blueprints conveniently tell them the location of the ship’s communication centre where they could send a message to the Enterprise. But there's a catch.

Ethan: The transmitter's on a voice-activated security system only.

Riker: Do you know whose voice activates it?

Ethan: Only Ambassador Tomalak.

...The fuck you say?

Yeah, the plot be thickening. Turns out the original simulation was just crammed inside of another one. So the Romulan ship fades away... as do the Romulans... and Tomalak... until Riker is left standing back in the cave on Alpha Onias 3... with only the boy remaining.

Credit where it's due, decent plot twist.

The boy, whose real name is Barash, reveals that his mother left him in the cave — which essentially functions as Holodeck+ by manifesting anything he wants — to keep him safe. But with his mother long dead and the Enterprise being the planet's first visitors in ages, he baited the away team down to the surface and intercepted Riker mid-transport while Geordi and Worf were safely beamed back up.

But with the game up, Barash drops the facade, allowing the Enterprise to finally get a proper lock on him. Fortunately Riker realises that the kid meant nothing by it and even offers him asylum on the Enterprise, prompting Barash to finally reveal his true form.

Ah... I think you've got the wrong set, my dude. This is Star Trek. Doctor Who is on Stage 4B.

Riker: To me, you'll always be Jean-Luc.

And so Riker has himself and the kid beamed up. Da end.

We're going to see a lot of these "waking up in a different reality" plots going forward, and while I'm usually not really a fan — you're mostly just waiting for the character in question to realise something ain't right and expose whatever tomfuckery is causing it — this one ain't half bad, since it was a bit more subtle about it and had some third act twists to spice things up. So yeah.

7/10 - The first of many.

We are so fucking back.

Previous Episode | TNG Masterpost | Next Episode

[emthelibra]

I just got done watching s4e8 of the boys and I am unwell

[iangallagherisadeadman]

The funny thing about this playlist is that Ian is my favorite character but this was the hardest of all playlists to make. Constantly I was adding a song and then removing it because it just didn't feel right, it wasn't Ian enough. All other playlists felt very in character and this one I just couldn't get right, I was never satisfied.

For exemple, he was just a kid being groomed but at the same time he didn't feel like some kind of innocent defenseless child, he thought he was in control. Hence, "Suck My Kiss". This song is very sexy, flirty, aggressive, imposing, intense. That's the vibe I wanted to go with Ian.

Also, he first saw Kash as some kind of victim in the sense that Kash is gay, so by his logic, it justifies what he does to Linda, why he lies and cheats, and that's the way I wanted to portray Ian. All about him is kind of in between and thats what I wanted. “Kerosene” is that for me. Not love but wanting to be loved, wanting to be seen, wanting to be something to someone, putting himself in someone else's pocket to feel belonged, accepting the circumstances cause it feels like the only way to obtain what he wants. Important: it's not passion. It's not real. There's no fire but just a flame, and so he inflates it with kerosene. That is, until Mick comes and then Ian sees what's real fire.

Then there's a series Mickey Milkovich songs: “Sweet Dreams, TN”, perfect puppy first love song to my boy Ian Gallagher, just yearning for Mickey constantly throughout S1 and S2. "Stop The World I Wanna Get Off With You" + "We Might Even Be Falling In Love" makes me think of Ian visiting Mick in juvie S1E1. "Lonely Boy" would be for me getting back to Mickey S2 without thinking twice cause he's madly in love and seeing Mickey leaving him easily by throwing himself at juvie again. When I listen to “Hot Knife” I think about S3 gallavich being little menaces beating Ned and robbing his wife and also their first kiss. "Stay On Your Mind" for me is aftermatch S3E6 cause Mick became distant and Ian wants him to be thinking of him. "Tighten Up” I wanted it to be post-S3E6 trying to talk to Mickey and that being the trigger for his bipolar (last verse part "living just to be going/going just to be sane/all the while without knowing/such a shame"). “Lilac Wine” is S3E11 wedding day, getting drunk and being miserable.

“Runaway” should be S3E12 Ian joining the army; “Seven Nation Army” is him joining + helicopter + turning back to Chicago. “Townie” + "New Body Rhumba" + “Art Deco” is S4 impulsive, manic, induced in drugs, club dancer Ian. “Disco” would be S4E8's gallavich club big kiss scene; “Closet Lunatic” would be S4's bipolar Ian cause no one is admitting something wrong with him.

“Totally Wired” would be S5 first half, living with Mickey; “Lithium” + “Territorial Pissings” is S5E6 Yev's kidnap. “Where Is My Mind?” is about being caught by the cops and S5E7 being put in the mental hospital. “Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine” + “Kill the Medicine Man” is him refusing treatment. “The Bourne Identity” is S5E8 when Mickey left and Debbie had to go get him. “Ultraviolence” is the S5E10 docks scene when they fight and get drunk and kiss and fuck before Ian gets caught because of Sammi.

“Masterpiece” + "Dosed" is S5E11-12 him escaping with Monica and noticing what they have in common but also that they're completely different, seeing the life she lives because of the bipolar and the lack of meds and realizing that's not who he is and that's not how he wants to live. "Would?" + "Fire Water" + “WDYWFM?” + “Let Me Go” are S5E12 gallavich break up songs.

"Crack Baby” + “I Have No Hometown” is S6E1-3 depressive Ian fase. “Wiped Out!” is S6E3 almost suicide attempt. “Drift” + "Y" + “Mário de Andrade/Selvagem" is S6/S7 beginning again and becoming an EMT Ian. It's all about griefing the life he used to have and aspired, accepting his reality and gaining perspective.

“New Person Same Old Mistake” + “Gotta Get Away” + "So Real” are all S7E10-11 gallavich songs. “Never as Tired as When I'm Waking Up” is S7E12 leaving the Mexico border and coming home and everything sucks and Monica's dead, which is "Mr. Grieves" and the beggining of his new maniac epiosde.

Then my favorite songs! “American Jesus” + “Jesus Lived in a Motel Room” + “Bombtrack” are the perfect S8 Gay Jesus songs to me. While "Prison Décor" is S9E1 Ian's manic first round at jail cause of Gay Jesus and not wanting Fiona to bail him out,"Pink + White" is his S9E6 reunion with Mickey. "Morning Theft" is a love letter about all he and Mickey had to go through and all the breakups to finally be back together.

"Is It True" is S10E8 Ian breaking Mickey's heart (again lol) with the whole marriage thing. “Homissexual” is Mickey with Byron; “Maybe” + “Lover, You Should've Come Over" is him missing Mickey and wanting to marry him. At last, “Soldier of Love” and “Real Love Baby” are the final, happy ending, married until death takes them apart gallavich finale he deserves.

For days I've been feeling my body cold and dead To warn me That I struggle like if I'm crazy and a lot it's few Is it what it is falling in love? For days, I've been feeling my body cold and hollow I let it pass And I forget all the time and little by little I feel another one on my place — Mário de Andrade / Selvagem, Boogarins

#!: ☆ ian gallagher's moodboard ; more shameless playlists