#the joke is in fact that sam plays up the goofy act so he can go for the throat with feelings later

[essektheylyss]

You know, they call Liam O'Brien the heartbreak prince of Critical Role, but—WHAT'S THIS? SAM RIEGEL WITH THE STEEL CHAIR?

[stennnn06]

another year over, a new one just begun

reignjas + NYE - quick fic. 

[possible continuation from ‘under the mistletoe’ ]

The phone rings sharply-- a blaring, ghastly sound that jolts Andrea so far out of sleep that she's convinced she's run an entire marathon and collapsed, right back into her king sized bed. Her heart pounds as she glares at the clock.

11:05.

It isn't even that late, but it's a holiday, and she's trying to forget about the fact that she's already in bed, alone. The phone continues to wail. Apparently, in her wine drunken stupor, she left the volume all the way up after watching an embarrassing number of TikTok videos. Past Andrea is a fucking idiot, and she curses herself swiftly. She doesn't bother sitting up as she pulls the phone to her face in a sloppy, sideways angle.

"Hello?" she answers, muffled.

"Andrea, hi," a painfully familiar voice croons on the other end. There's a pause, and Andrea frowns, sure that she's making things up. It would be a fitting end to a shit year, the ghosts of missed opportunities calling her in the middle of the night on New Year's Eve just to taunt her. But as if the woman on the other end can read her thoughts, she quietly exhales a soft, "it's Sam," and Andrea is sent reeling.

"What do you want?"

Andrea grimaces. It comes out so much sharper than she intends, but she can't very well say "what are you doing?" or "how are you?" because that would be normal, and they're not normal. They've never been, and Andrea knows she's partially to blame for that.

Okay, maybe she's fully to blame, but they aren't keeping score and she isn't about to open her heart and allow Sam Arias of all people to make herself at home.

She won't.

"I don't really know," Sam says, a teasing laugh in her voice. Andrea's stomach flips. "I just thought -- well I guess you're probably at some swanky New Year's Eve party or something, I don't know why I'm bothering you--"

"I'm not," Andrea interrupts. "I'm not anywhere."

"Oh," Sam says quickly. "Oh, okay."

There's another awkward pause that seems to stretch to infinity. Andrea listens to the soft sounds of Sam's shallow breaths and the muffled voices in the background. Ryan Seacrest is babbling about some pop group that Andrea assumes is far out of her demographic, but then it hits her that Sam doesn't sound like she has any plans, either.

The last time they spoke was at Lena's holiday party, if you could count it as speaking. Mostly, Andrea hid behind veiled insults and sarcasm until the gin in her martinis loosened her tongue enough to find Sam's mouth charming. She doesn't know how they ended up huddled together during a game of charades of all things, with Sam's hand ghosting over the small of her back and her own fingers tracing patterns on Sam's thigh, and she'd rather not dwell on the fact that she let her guard slip enough to pull Sam under the mistletoe, but--

Sam kissed her back. That much she knows. And, beyond that, it was searing hot and something she hasn't been able to remove from her mind since, which is its own brand of infuriating.

(That, and the fact that she actually doesn't find Sam as insufferable as she acts, and in fact finds her annoyingly attractive, all grates against her patience as she waits for Sam to say something.)

"I should have called earlier," Sam says, still toeing the line of actually getting to the point.

"You should also get an award for the gymnastics you're doing," Andrea bites back. "What do you want, Sam?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry," Sam apologizes, unnecessarily. "I guess... I just wanted to say happy new year. I hope you have a good night, Andrea."

She hangs up before Andrea can respond, which is just as well. She's not about to get snuggly on the phone and whisper pleasantries until the ball drops. That's not the kind of girl she is.

She tosses her phone aside and curls back up on her side, angrily pulling the covers up high over her shoulders. Stupid Sam with her stupid voice and her stupid face, calling before midnight on stupid New Year's Eve--

Well, now she's awake. Dammit all to hell. She throws the covers back in exasperation. She's also out of wine, and out of patience, and God, why did Sam have to go and ruin everything?

The address stares back at her, teasing, from the application on her phone. She knows it because there isn't anything she can't access -- thank God for data privacy and her company's penchant for exploiting it. It's something she'll ask forgiveness for later, probably. Until then--

Her car pulls up to a modest brownstone only several minutes from her own condo. The fact that she sleeps only a few miles from Sam's house isn't lost on her, but they can spend the rest of the new year unpacking all that.

It's 11:45 by the time she knocks on the door.

Sam answers after a minute, and she has no right to look that fucking good, but. That's just how this is going to go, apparently. Sam curls a strand of hair behind her ear, her oversized NCU sweatshirt looking so warm and inviting--

Andrea huffs at the sight. She's still in yoga pants and a crew neck sweatshirt, her hair tucked under a Metropolis Monarchs baseball cap because she's not trying to look like she's trying, which means she didn't try at all. Seeing Sam in front of her now, though, makes her wish she did. She purses her lips.

"Andrea?" Sam frowns, crossing her arms tentatively. "What are you--"

"Don't read into it," Andrea scolds, feeling suddenly very bold and very presumptuous. Sam didn't even really ask her to do anything, and yet here she is, with fucking bells on. "You sounded desperate."

"Yeah, I guess I did," Sam agrees, shrugging. She's so unbothered by the whole idea of asking for what she wants, that Andrea is bewildered. Can it really just be like that? "You want to come in?"

Andrea bites back every sarcastic comment she can think to make -- 'no, I want to stand on your porch for the rest of time' or 'no, I'm not here to see you--" and instead she simply nods and follows.

Sam leads her to a warm family room with a blazing fire, a good sized TV and a modestly full bottle of champagne. It needles at her that Sam is here, alone, throwing her own little celebration, without falling apart at the seams like Andrea was. It's baffling.

"I don't want to intrude," Andrea jokes, nodding at the small singular plate of snacks.

"Yeah, I was throwing a rager, but I guess I have room for one more," Sam teases, and it's light and easy and Andrea's stomach catapults into space. "Drink?"

Andrea bites her lip and nods, and before she can stop it, they're sitting on the couch, thighs touching, watching everyone in downtown Metropolis huddle together in preparation for the ball to drop.

"Is this what you normally do?" Andrea asks, curious. She doesn't look at Sam, instead gluing her eyes to the TV where Anderson Cooper is trying desperately to look like he wants to be there instead of his cozy, posh mansion. Andrea can't imagine.

"My daughter is usually here, but she's at that age now where friends are much cooler than mom," Sam sighs, almost wistful. "So I guess this is the new normal."

Ah right, the daughter. Sam has a child, and Andrea knows it, but also conveniently forgets about it until it's staring her in the face. Or being dropped casually into the conversation, like right now. She wonders what it'll be like, to have to navigate that, but it's so far beyond comprehension that she lets it slide in silence.

The fact that her mind inevitably went there, however, presses firmly in her chest.

"I'm glad you came over," Sam says softly as the giant ticker starts to count down from 1 minute. "I wanted you to--"

Andrea turns and is immediately lost in the look on Sam's face -- like she means what she's saying, and God, isn't that just everything Andrea has been looking to avoid?

Before she has to come up with a response, everyone starts counting down from 10 and she's saved by the hokey tradition of watching a glistening crystal ball drop in the middle of a crowd.

"Happy new year!" Sam exclaims, turning to her with a hundred watt smile. It's ridiculously adorable, how excited she is about something so simple, and part of Andrea simply melts. "Cheers!"

Their glasses clink together, and they're sipping champagne, and then their glasses are put aside and Sam is still staring at her with that look....

Andrea wants it, desperately, and she watches the way Sam's eyes glance from her lips to her eyes and back, a question burning in the silence between them.

Sam leans forward and Andrea lets her, and before she can fully process, their lips are slotted together, soft, and warm and hungry. Everything seems to break apart fully, her impenetrable wall reduced to dust. Why she was ever trying to deny this is beyond her, as Sam's lips push every last thought from her brain. Her hands trail along Sam's toned sides and up into her hair, satisfied at the whimper it elicits from Sam's mouth.

She gives and takes in a comfortable back and forth, all the while thinking that maybe this could be something worth getting used to.

"Do you think what they say is true?" Sam asks, breathless as they pull apart. Auld Lang Syne plays softly in the background, the melody profound and sad and nostalgic. Andrea is pretty sure she'll never hear it the same way again, not after tonight. "That whatever you're doing at midnight is how you'll spend the year?" She has a goofy smile teasing across her lips and her cheeks are flushed and Andrea just wants to kiss her over and over and over.

"That's absurd--" Andrea scoffs, her heart squeezing slightly. "Why?"

"I kind of hope it is," Sam says, shrugging, her hand still resting on Andrea's knee.

Something about the way she says it -- soft, vulnerable, honest -- makes Andrea break. She pulls her forward by the collar of her sweatshirt, breaking her momentum with her lips. She kisses her with everything she has, pleading it's enough without having to explain. Sam smiles against her mouth, and it causes Andrea to follow, and soon they're grinning and kissing and kissing and kissing... And oh, this is what it's supposed to feel like.

"I hope so too," Andrea eventually whispers in the space between them as they try to catch their breath. Sam looks at her, eyes wide and sparkling and Andrea can't help but chuckle. "Happy new year, Sam."

[browneyedhimbo]

Bet

Pairing: Sam x fem!reader

Summary: The team decides to make a pool of when you and Sam get together, completely unknowing of the fact you already are. Both of you come up with a plan to tease the hell out of them.

Prompts: 3. “Apparently all our friends have a bet going that we end up together.” and 13. “You couldn’t handle me even if I came with instructions.”

Warnings: language, alcohol, sam trying 40’s talk, fluff

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: This is my entry for my bro Laura’s 200 writing challenge (@justmebeingtheweirdmeiam​) Congrats on reaching 200 bro!! You deserve that and more! Also beware possible grammar errors. Hope you enjoy!

Stark parties were, in your opinion, entertaining. It wasn’t the talking or the different stories you’d hear nor was it the music or drinking. It was because the guys would dress up with slacks and button ups and try to have a low key flex off. It was stupid yet highly amusing.

“Look at those idiots.” Natasha shook her head, making drinks behind the bar for you, her, and Wanda.

“Total goofs,” Wanda chuckled, turning around to see what they were doing now.

“Complete and utter fools.” You agreed, also turning to give them a glance. You sighed and shook your head as you saw Thor and Steve pointing in different directions trying to show off. Your eyes met a certain pair of soft chocolate brown ones, a small smile appeared on your lips and you turned your head back to face the bar, a shy blush slowly creeping up your cheeks.

“Hey,” you heard his soft voice call out next to you.

“Hey yourself,” you smiled looking up at him. 

“What’s a nice girl like you doin at a place like this?” He smiled bashfully, eyes dancing with excitement.

“Well, if you’d like to know, fella don up and left without another word. Gone without a single goodbye.” You faked a small frown, laughter bubbling inside you. 

“Oof doll I’m sorry. Where’s this fella at so I can give 'em a talkin' to?” His voice may have sounded stern but his face held pure amusement and joy. You couldn’t hold the act much longer.

“You know something bird brain,” you giggled, “You’re getting pretty good at that. Bucky must be a good teacher.” You winked at him causing him to roll his eyes playfully. You held each other’s gazes for what felt like forever, smiles toying on the ends of your lips. All of a sudden your favorite song comes on and your face lights up.

“Wanna dance?” Sam offered his hand to which you happily accepted. You took a sip of your drink before hopping off the stool and walking hand in hand to the dance floor with him, completely unaware of the goofy evil grins that rose upon Natasha and Wanda’s faces.

The moment your feet hit the dance floor, Sam had a strong grip on you, leading the dance. You didn’t mind, you’ve done it multiple times. Not that the team knew.

“Hey baby girl.” Sam whispered in your ear, goosebumps prickled your skin and a shiver ran down your spin. Another goofy smile appeared on your lips.

“Hey handsome,” you whispered back. No one knew of your secret relationship. You had started dating about a month ago after a mission. Sam almost got knocked out of the sky and it was then you realized your feelings for him were more than just platonic. The moment you got back you two talked about what happened and simultaneously admitted your feelings.

“Wanna hear somethin’ funny?” He had that gleeful smirk in place and it took everything in you to not kiss him right there. 

“Always,” you nodded as he led you into a spin.

“So I overheard Steve talking with Bucky in the bathroom,” you griminced a bit and Sam chuckled at your reaction. “It was something about dates and money. I heard our names being tossed around a couple times. I put two and two together and apparently all our friends have a bet going that we end up together.”

Your jaw dropped slightly, a scoff leaving your lips. You shook your head in disbelief, not wanting to believe that was true. But they would do something like that. The more you pondered over it the more it made you laugh. Especially since you were already dating.

“Well then,” you chuckled, shaking your head again. They were literal children.

“Right?” He laughed along with you. “I have an idea though.” His eyes were full of mischief and it had you drawing closer to him.

“What’s that?”

“Flirt extra hard, kiss, say we’ve been dating for a month, steal the winners money.”

“I like that plan,” you nodded slightly. Wicked smiles plastered to both your faces as you parted ways, waiting for the party to die out to be left alone with the team.

-------→

“No no, you’re wrong!” Sam said defensively, chuckling along with the others.

“No I’m not! Look here, bird for brain.” Tony said, getting closer to Sam. “DUM-E is better than Redwing. And those are facts.”

“Incorrect facts!” Sam pouted, crossing his arms.

“No they’re not! Take it from a genius.” Tony cocked his head to the side, pride and cockiness just oozing out with hints of alcohol. You shook your head from your position on the sofa, laughing at them.

“How many times have you argued about this already?” Natasha asked with a sigh, clearly done with this topic.

“A lot. And still counting,” Tony smiled, stuffing a hand in his pocket and picking up his drink. 

“Yea. I’m pretty sure it was simple to build it anyway.” Sam retorted, knowing it would irk the genius. 

“Oh really? That’s what you think?” Tony nodded solemnly, quirking an eyebrow. “Hey Y/N/N, penny for your thoughts?”

“Don’t bring me into this Stark.” You threatened. You looked to Sam and he gave you a slight wink.

“Yeah Tony, just let her be.” 

“Cause you couldn’t handle her right?” Tony laughed, quickly muttering ‘I’m jokings’ while grabbing Sam’s shoulders, bringing him into a half hug.

“Oh I’m sure I could,” Sam gave you a flirtatious wink and blew a kiss, to which you giggled and covered your face with your drink, hiding the blush that threatened to show.

“Sammy, you couldn’t handle me even if I came with instructions.” The guys oohed and the girls chuckled. You bit your bottom lip and winked back at Sam, causing him to smirk. 

“Wanna bet baby girl?” He strode to where you sat on the sofa, hands landing on either side of the headrest, arms encasing you. Gradually, he leans down and captures your lips with his in a slow sensual kiss. You part for air and lock eyes, feeling everyone gaze on the two of you. 

His breath fans your face as you’re still only a few inches apart. A small smile dances on his lips as he leans down for another kiss. Your hands travel to his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. This time when you break, he catches your bottom lip between his teeth, a glint of heat and mischief shining in his eyes. He stands up fully and smooths down his grey button up, clearing his throat with a smirk. 

“What?” Tony voiced everyone’s reaction. They were slack jawed with their eyes blown wide. You and Sam shared a look, chuckling at how no one had expected that. 

“So who had today’s date?” You asked looking at everyone. They all had their brows creased, still trying to figure out how and why. 

“Uh, Bucky did. I think.” Steve said eyeing Sam. “Wait how did-”

“Pay up!” Bucky cheered, extending his hand out. Grumbles and protests soon filled the room as they started handing bills to the metal armed man. 

“Nu uh,” Sam shook his head. “Best give half to us.” Buck scoffed but when he saw Sam wasn’t playing he turned to you.

“I’m with Sammy on this one. If it weren’t for us you wouldn’t have that money anyways.” You crossed your arms, standing next to Sam. Bucky sighed, while counting half off to split. He sighed as he extended your share.

“Thank you,” you smiled as you grabbed the money. A scoff and chuckle could be heard and you looked up to see Natasha shaking her head.

“I don’t know how I missed it.” She chided to herself. “How long?” Your smile widened and you looked up at Sam to see him with the same look plastered on his face. Everyone else stared at the three of you in confusion.

“A month and three days tomorrow.” Sam said, intertwining your fingers. You leaned your head on his shoulder as the noise in the room escalated. ‘Unbelievables’ and ‘seriouslys’ were mumbled as well as congratulations. 

You smiled to yourself looking up at the man who held your heart. He looked down, a goofy grin on his face. Pressing a kiss to your temple, Sam played with your fingers. He could finally show you were his, and he was yours.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Permanent tags: @becausewhyknotme @disasterbuckley @imma-new-soul @justmebeingtheweirdmeiam @officialtonystarkprotectionsquad @theladyoffangorn @itsunclebucky @mushyjellybeans @damnyoudameron​ @agentpeggybarnes​ @fangirl-introvert @ninjabucky @cosmicbucky @yougottakeeponkeepinon @this-kitten-is-smitten

Sam Wilson tags: (don’t have one for him yet) (tagging who may be interested) @thorfanficwriter​ @sebbbystaaan​ @stuckonjbbarnes​

[dramapic]

MASTERLIST

I update this list everytime I watch and review a show. 

Disclaimer: These reviews are subjective and only reflect my opinions. There are no drama on that list that I’ve turned off and all are worthy of a watch. 

Recs welcome!

#1 Crash landing on you 

(사랑의 불시착)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Son Ye-jin (who plays Yoon Se-ri) and Hyun Bin (Ri Jeong-hyeok) have amazing chemistry and every episode plays out like the chapters of an excellent fanfiction. Classic romantic tropes, humour, angst, action, CLOY has it all. Moreover, if you’ve never watched a Kdrama in your life, CLOY is a great starting point—not only will it introduce you to Korean culture but also to popular tropes and codes of the genre.

#2 Rookie historian Goo Hae-ryung 

(신입사관 구해령)

Grade: A++

Genre: Historical, Age gap

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Delightful from end to end, with lots of humour and an engaging story. The romance between Goo Hae-ryung and himbo-prince Dowon will make your heart go soft, especially if you’re into reverse gender dynamics (she’s older and kisses him first *le gasp*)

#3 Memories of the Alhambra 

(알함브라 궁전의 추억)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Sci-fi; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Intriguing premise, great cast and tons of special effects but the romance between Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) and Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye) won't go down in history. On top of that, the ending is a bit wishy-washy in that annoying “maybe there’s more to come” kind of way. Give us a clear cut ending, damnit!

#4 Good doctor 

(굿 닥터)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Modern, Medical drama

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Good heart but the writing is really clumsy at times and the hospital politics don’t make an awful lot of sense. On the bright side, Joo Won is great in the role of Park Si-on.

Note: I haven’t watched the American remake so can’t compare. 

#5 My love from the star/ You from the stars

(별에서 온 그대)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi, fantasy, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 21

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Jun Ji-hyun is absolutely stellar in the role of Cheon Seong-yi, a ditzy Hallyu* star whose career is going south while Kim Soo-hyun plays the emotionally closed-off alien to perfection. Lots of pinning, a dose of angst mixed with a pinch of wacky humor. 

*Hallyu means “Korean wave” in Chinese and refers to the popularity and spreading of Korean pop-culture outside of Korea. 

#6 Hwarang The Poet Warrior Youth 

(화랑)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Coming of age, fake siblings who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute boys and interesting lore rooted in true facts (the bone rank system and the real Hwarang, the “Flowering Knights” of the Silla kingdom) but the story drags. I guess I expected more bromance and frolicking and less angst. Lastly, the main girl starts off quirky and fun but they quickly transform her into a sobbing mess which becomes real annoying real fast. 

#7 Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (구르미 그린 달빛)

Grade: A 

Genre: Historical, Romance, Coming of age, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 18

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A classic tale of a girl raised as a boy who ends up in a situation where she needs to do her best to not blow her cover while catching feels (As someone raised on Versailles no bara and Ribbon no Kishi, it remains one of my favourite tropes)

Sweet romance and good characters. The fact that Crown prince Lee Yeong doesn't turn emo when he starts developing feelings for Eunuch Ra-on before discovering she's a girl is the cherry on top of the cake. 

#8 Something in the rain

(밥 잘 사주는 예쁜 누나)

Grade: C 

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes, but it still doesn't make you happy

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Wasted potential! 

Great start but the characterization falls apart quickly and you end up wondering why the main characters keep sabotaging their lives. By the end, despite their reunion, you're left with the impression they've learned nothing and that their relationship is doomed to fall apart. 

On top of it all, watching Jin-ah fight sexism in the workplace and gaining nothing is depressing af (I don’t need realism in my escapism, thank you very much).

Too bad because Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in look really good together and the acting is top-notch. My advice is to watch the first 8 episodes then make up your own ending in your head.

#9 Moon embracing the sun 

(해를 품은 달)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical,Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 22

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A traditional historical drama with all the tropes that go with the genre + a hint of esoterism.

If you love ill-fated relationships, tragic love triangle, evil queens, and amnesia, this is the show for you. Beware, the interrogation/torture scenes are rather brutal. 

#10 My sassy girl 

(엽기적인 그녀)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Historical, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute and lighthearted but easily forgettable. Still worth a watch thanks to Joo Won & Oh Yeon-seo's chemistry. 

#11 Coffee Prince 

(커피프린스 1호점)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Solid story, great cast but be ready for a lot of bickering. 

Yoon Eun-hye is a precious bean who manages to sell the story of Eun-chan, a struggling androgynous working-class girl who mistakenly gets hired by a rich guy to play his boyfriend, then becomes his employee, then falls for him while not correcting his assumptions about her gender. Opposite her, Gong Yoo (from Train to Busan fame) is 🥰🥰🥰

Sidenote: Despite Han-kyul's struggle to accept his feelings for Eun-chan, homosexuality isn't treated as a joke or a shameful thing. The one time he goes seek “medical help”, the doctor is depicted as an old, clueless idiot. And honestly, the story would work too if Eun-chan was a guy. 

#12 My girlfriend is a Gumiho/My girlfriend is a Nine-tailed fox 

(내 여자친구는 구미호)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Campy and goofy. It does look a bit dated (it’s from 2010) and the story is a little predictable but Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dae-woong, an aspiring action film actor and Shin Min-ah as “Gu Mi-ho” the nine-tailed fox looking for a mate are super cute. The show is also a good introduction to Korean folklore.

#13 Goblin / Guardian: The Lonely and Great God / The Lonely and Great God – Goblin 

(쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비)

Grade: A+ 

Genre:  Modern, Historical, Fantasy, bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Viki 

Unpopular opinion but since I’m not into older guys, I wasn’t invested in the romance between Bride and Goblin until late in the series. I loved everything else though. The show has such a unique tone and atmosphere. It goes from super serious to goofy in no time. The cinematography is gorgeous (especially the historical sets) and you'll cry your eyes out.

#14 Healer 

(힐러)

Grade: A 

Genre:  Modern

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

If you're into toll broody guys and fearless smoll girls, you’ll love Healer. The story is great, the characters are great and the way Jung-hu (played by Ji Chang-wook) and Ji-an (Park Min-young) are horny for each other is peak drama! *chef kiss*

#15 Kangchi the beginning/Gu family book 

(구가의 서)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Historical, Fantasy

Episodes:

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Engaging coming of age story of a half-human half-gumiho looking for his place in this world. If it wasn't for the wishy-washy ending it could have been the perfect mix of action fantasy and romance. 

Special mention for Dam Yeo-wool (played by Suzie Bae) who is a female character who's allowed to be a bit of everything at the same time (strong, kick-ass, funny, cute, romantic) 

#16 Queen for seven days 

(7일의 왕비)

Grade: A 

Genre:  Historical, Romance, Villainous crush

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

With that title don’t expect a HEA but there are plenty of sweet moments along the way to make you appreciate the journey. 

Chae-kyung loves the Prince and the Prince loves Chae-kyung but the King wants to kill the Prince and Chae-kyung is loyal to the King but the King is a tyrant and everyone wants the Prince to take his throne. On top of that the King wants Chae-kyung. Big mess. Lots of feels.

The story is (very) loosely based on real-life Queen Dangyeong, which makes it even more poignant. I cried my eyes out at the end because I’m a big softy.   

#17 Korean Odyssey

(화유기)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The show (very loosely based on Journey to the West) has its faults including the wishy-washy ending and the fact that Jin Seon-mi/Sam-jang starts off as a doormat but I ended up liking the relationship developing between the assholish Monkey god and the naive human girl more than I expected.

The side characters are compelling, and the banter and bickering between the deities work really well. If you grew up with Dragon ball, you’ll have a blast trying to match-up the Japanese and Korean names of everyone without looking up Wikipedia.

Lastly, not something I imagined saying after seeing him in Gumiho and Gu family book but Lee Seung-gi as Son Oh-gong = BDE *fans herself* 🥵

#18 Strong Girl Bong-soon 

(힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Grade: A- 

Genre:  Modern, Super-Heroine

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Graphic depiction of violence against women

A++ super-heroine story, bad side characters 

First, every girl should aspire to find a Min-hyuk in their life. Someone who'll love them because of their strength, and support them unconditionally. Someone who won't ask them to change or pretend to be somebody else.

Second, western media should learn that a super-heroine can HAVE IT ALL—the superpowers AND the love AND the family. 

My only complaint with the show (and that's why I gave A- instead of A++) is the inclusion of many cringy side characters/situations that spoiled my overall enjoyment (see the caricatural flamboyant gay co-worker, Bong-soon’s mom hitting her dad, the mobsters...)

#19 The K2 

(더 케이투)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Modern, Political

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The romance is bad and the political story far-fetched but Ji Chang-wook is 🔥🔥PEAK HOTTIE🔥🔥

That being said, I didn’t completely dislike the political intrigue and it was interesting to see the good guy working for the villains (sort of). 

#20 Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo 

(역도요정 김복주)

Grade: A+ 

Genre:  Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Uplifting coming of age story and super sweet romance. Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) & Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk) are precious children on top of being cutie-patooties. Bok-joo’s insecurities hit hard, especially if you’ve ever been outside the norm of beauty standards.

I liked how the show normalizes therapy and taking care of your mental health.

In one word…

SWAG! 

#21 The scholar who walks the night 

(밤을 걷는 선비)

Grade: B 

Genre:  Historical, Fantasy, Vampire, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Guilty pleasure. 

Don’t ask me about the details of the main storyline, I’ve already forgotten most of it. Sometimes all you need is a show where a hundred-something years old good vampire with a sad backstory and the main girl who is thirsty for the good vampire are fighting a sexy evil vampire. 

PS: Did I mention the sexy evil vampire?

#22 Romance is a bonus book 

(로맨스는 별책부록)

Grade: A+ 

Genre: Modern, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imagine reading a relaxing book under a cozy blanket while sipping hot cocoa. That’s how that series made me feel. 

Everything is sweet and soft from the characters' fluffy jumpers to the soft palette of color used for the sets. People make books and love books. There’s a mystery but no unnecessary angst. If you need a break from everything, jump in that ship. 

#23 Hotel Del Luna 

(호텔 델루나)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Sorta

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Interesting world-building and a good cast of side characters but the romance lacks a bit of oomph. 

On the + side, the hotel sets are gorgeous and Man-wol's wardrobe is to kill for.

#24 Suspicious Partner 

(수상한 파트너)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern, Star-crossed lovers in an office

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Toll serious who hates criminal falls for smoll weirdo falsely accused of murder. A must watch for anyone in search of a quirky romance.

#25 Touch your heart 

(진심이 닿다)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Tooth rotting sweetness. The series is just a pretext to watch two good looking people (Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na) being nice and awkward around each other. What do you need more? 0

Note: If you watched Goblin you can also pretend it's a spin-off series about the reincarnations of Grim Reaper and Sunny. 💡

#26 Because this is my first life 

(이번 생은 처음이라)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern, Fake marriage

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The Fake Marriage AU you’re looking for, mixed with slices of modern, messy, complicated life. 

The main storyline revolves around Ji-ho an assistant drama screenwriter who struggles to find her place within the patriarchal structure of Korean society, and Se-hee, a socially incompetent computer designer who only cares for his cat and his mortgage. The way they end up in a fake marriage as well as the development of their relationship feels organic and doesn’t rely too heavily on comedy like it’s often the case with that trope.

The show also follows the stories of Ji-ho’s friends, Su-ji and Ho-rang who have different aspirations in life—Su-ji’s goal is to become CEO while Ho-rang only cares about becoming a housewife. I loved that the show makes a point to not pit women against each other and advocate living your life the way YOU want rather than trying to follow societal expectations of what love, work and marriage should look like. 

Also they have the cutest cat.

#27 What's wrong with Secretary Kim? 

(김비서가 왜 그럴까 )

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

I wish Secretary Kim had more agency in certain situations but the romance develops well and the horny moments are caliente 🥵🔥 

#28 Where your eyes linger 

(너의 시선이 머무는 곳에)

Grade: A++ 

Genre: Modern, BL, Coming of age, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 8

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Bite-size BL gem to devour in one sitting. 

Stellar acting from the two leads and the balance between fluff and angst is just right. There's no graphic violence that sometimes plagues yaoi and BL and the story is believable. I got emo remembering my first love. 

#29 Live up to your name 

(명불허전)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern, Historical, Time travel, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for graphic depiction of violence

Big surprise. I was looking for a cheesy comedy but it was actually a thoughtful story about humanism. I even teared up a little. 

Trigger warning for needles. They do some pretty impressive procedures with those acupuncture needles. 

#30 W - Two Worlds Apart 

(더블유)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk. Nuf’ said.

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk.

The silly premise hides a solid story that keeps you on your toes and I was suprised by the rollercoaster of emotions I went through.

“Option 3″

“That’s 4 fingers”

#31 Life 

(라이프)

Grade: C 

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Unless you want to learn how fucked up the private health sector is becoming in Korea, there's not much to gain watching this show. 

The story starts off well though. The problem is that by the middle of the series the writers have dropped the main mystery (the circumstances surrounding the death of the director) to deliver an exposé on the political machinations of big corporations, and then shoehorn an explanation at the last minute (“it was all but a misunderstanding”). Very underwhelming.

The relationship between the two brothers played by Lee Dong-wook and Lee Kyu-hyung is the only bright spot.

#32 Pinocchio 

(피노키오)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern, Fake family members who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

On paper, the story sounds a little crazy but it all comes together nicely.

Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye have great chemistry and deliver a stellar performance as “uncle” and “niece” (not related by blood) who can’t fight the romantic feelings they harbor for one another. The main storyline has enough twists to keep you entertained and surprised. 

My only complaint is that it drags a little. 16 episodes would have been enough. 

#33 My Holo Love 

(나 홀로 그대)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Fake men > Real men 

Imagine a Black Mirror episode about a love triangle between a woman suffering from face blindness, an emotionally supportive AI boyfriend and the disenchanted creator of said AI, minus the nihilism. *chef kiss*

#34 Legend of the blue sea 

(푸른 바다의 전설)

Grade: B++ 

Genre: Modern, Fantasy, Fairy tale, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Park Ji-eu (the writer) read the little mermaid and decided to give her a happy ending. Great chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun but the spark is missing for me. 

The antics of modern-day mermaid Shim Cheong are a little predictable and Joon-jae needs to be less of a control freak at times but the story remains enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised to see Shim Cheong’s character grow, making the power imbalance between the clueless mermaid and the con-artist less pronounced by the end of the series. 

The side characters are interesting but underused, and I wish Tae-oh was more developed. On the other hand, the Joseon area sets and costumes are absolutely gorgeous (Don’t tell anyone but Joseon!Lee Min-ho is hotter than Modern!Lee Min-ho 🥵)

#35 Tale of Arang / Arang and the Magistrate 

(아랑사또전)

Grade: B 

Genre: Historical, Fantasy,

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

One word: Campy.

Interesting lore but the pacing is a little off—there’s a lot of back and forth between the characters and the locations and the love triangle doesn't add much. 

#36 My ID is Gangnam Beauty / Gangnam Beauty  

(��� 아이디는 강남미인)

Grade: A+ 

Genre: Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

If you’ve ever been bullied for your looks, you’re gonna bawl your eyes out. 

The show does a great job of calling out the unhealthy beauty standards imposed on Korean women but the topic is universal enough for the story to resonate with everyone. I love that you never see Mi-rae’s old face because it’s not our perception of her lack of beauty that matters but the fact she suffers greatly. Don’t you hate in western shows when they take a beautiful actress, give her a pair of glasses or a fat suit and call her ugly, making sure the audience feels shittier about themselves? Here, the writers concentrate on Mi-rae’s transformation and her coping with the consequences of her decision to do plastic surgery. 

It’s also not a revenge fantasy where the ugly duckling suddenly becomes the most popular girl at school. Being a “Gangnam beauty” leads to a new form of suffering. 

Romance-wise, it’s the slowest burn of slow burns because Mi-rae and Do Kyung-seok are the most socially awkward beans on the planet. I love them, Your Honor. 

#37 Tale of Nokdu 

(조선로코-녹두전)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 32 x 30mns

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Now available on Netflix (FR)

Fun and lighthearted all the way through.

The story of a guy who puts on a dress to investigate a village of widows could have gone very wrong but it was well handled. It’s refreshing to see the classic trope of posing as the opposite sex reversed and Jang Dong-yoon is never cringy when he’s pretending to be Lady Kim Nok-soon.

#38 Bride of Habaek / Bride of the Water God

(하백의 신부 2017)

Grade: B

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Crime against fashion

Promising premise and lore (I'm interested in reading the original comics now) but the writing fails to deliver an epic romance and a cathartic ending. Moreover, the sets lack imagination (or money?) and in the end I failed to ever feel immersed in a fantasy world.

The unfortunate consequence of the clumsy writing is that the male characters who are meant to be arrogant/confident Gods (Habaek and By-ryeom) sound like they're negging their love interests more than wooing them, and the relationship between Mu-ra and By-ryeom particularly irked me.

#39 Strangers from Hell / Hell is other people 

(타인은 지옥이다) 

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Psychological Thriller

Episodes: 10

Happy Ending: Spoiler

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Violence 

What a departure from everything else in that list! Absolutely worth a watch if you enjoy thrillers and shows like Hannibal. If psychological horror isn’t your cup of tea though, you might give it a pass. 

The storyline and the characters are a little cliché (it goes with the genre) but the cinematography and photography are fantastic. You can notice how the pension becomes more and more sinister throughout the series via the use of dark greens and browns and pale yellows, as opposed to the mundanity and coldness of the city (greys, and cold blues).

Last but not least, the acting is top-tiers. Im Siwan does a great job at portraying Jong-woo, an aspiring crime novelist who slowly loses his marbles but the true revelation for me is Lee Dong-wook. After seeing him so many times in roles where he plays awkward yet charming men who can barely express emotions, I was intrigued to see him take on the role of a serial killer, and holy cow, he's the perfect mix of sinister and alluring. Towards the end of the series, his character Moon-jo acts like a black-hole whenever he appears in a scene—a towering, dark presence who sucks the light out of the room (If he carries any of that darkness in the upcoming Tale of Gumiho, it’s gonna be *chef kiss*).

#40 Empress Ki 

(기황후)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 51

Happy Ending: From a certain point of view

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for violence against women (not graphic but implied)

51 episodes.

Fifty.One.Episodes.

That's a lot of episodes considering the story starts with the ending. 

Did I enjoy this show? Yes, very much so. Do I think it's for everyone? Nope. 

You'll enjoy Empress Ki if you're into old-school historical sagas or you wished Game of thrones had no gratuitous nudity and violence. If you’re looking for an historically accurate biography of the real empress Ki though, then look away because Empress Ki is basically a lengthy fanfiction trying to justify how the Goryeo native Seung-nyang married the wimpy Emperor of the Yuan dynasty whilst trying to portray her as loyal to her motherland and to her first love, the Crown Prince of Goryeo. 

Personally, I didn’t care for the love triangle formed by Seung-nyang (Ha Ji-won), Wang-yoo (Joo Jin-mo) and Toghon Temür (Ji Chang-wook) but I liked the politics and the backstabbing. Also, contrary to GoT, the bad guys get their comeuppance at the end so it makes watching the side characters die less painful.

#41 Meow, the secret boy / Welcome 

(어서와)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Modern fantasy

Episodes: 24 x 35mns 

Happy Ending: I guess

Watched on: Viki

How do I put it? It's not *terribad* but it's not *good* either. 

I was super on board with the concept—if Lee Seung-gi can bang a nine-tailed fox in My girlfriend is a gumiho, I have zero issues with Sol ah, our heroine, falling in love with Hong-jo the cat-person after being dumped for no reason by Jae-sun her boyfriend—but it didn’t exactly develop that way, and as soon as they explained why Jae-sun had broken up with Sol-ah, the writers lost me because I like when things happen for a reason. 

#42 Clean with a passion for now 

(일단 뜨겁게 청소하라!!)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16 

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Super zany and tropey but that’s why it works so well. The only reason I’m giving it a minus is because it’s trying to be woke but in the end there’s still a lot of unsolicited grabbing and some iffy remarks/pick-up lines said by every male characters (IRL that’s the kind of story that ends up with a restraining order and a lawsuit for sexual harassment).

#43 Mystic pop-up bar 

(쌍갑포차)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Heavy themes (miscarriage, pregnancy, loss of a child, death of loved ones)

You know how the meme goes... Sometimes a family is a hot-tempered bar owner, a cursed kid and an ex-Afterlife-Police officer with a secret past. 

It took me a few episodes to get into it, but once the characters were established it became really enjoyable. 

The tone of the series leans toward wacky but the core of the story is actually pretty dark if you look into it. Every grudge they solve for their “clients” gives a clue about Wol-joo’s personal story and by the last episode I was crying my eyes out.

Last but not least, Wol-joo’s collection of modernized hanboks is *chef kiss*

#44 My secret Terrius 

(내 뒤에 테리우스)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Action, Comedy, Bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

An enjoyable action drama to watch with your family or your significant other.

Koreans prove that you can write a story about a black ops agent on the run who becomes a childminder without reeking of toxic masculinity. Contrary to American comedies where the manly-man-hero working undercover is incompetent and believes that working with children is a woman’s job and a waste of his manly-man talents until he has an epiphany of some sorts, Kim Bon (played by So Ji-sub) never once expresses discomfort to the idea of looking after two kids. In spite of his sober demeanor, he’s a caring and attentive person from the start and watching him gradually becoming a part of this spunky family while investigating a national security threat made my heart go awww.

Opposite him, fearless and resourceful mom Go Ae-rin (played Jung In-sun) brings a lot of energy, and the twins are absolutely adorable.

#45 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

(달의 연인 - 보보경심 려)

Grade: A--

Genre: Historical  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Random streaming site

Don’t get attached—Moon Lovers is the missing link between Empress Ki and Boys over flowers, but with a sad ending.

I did binge watch the series but there are some frustrating aspects to it that prevented me from giving a perfect score, notably the fact that Wang So remains possessive and demanding with Hae Soo throughout the years—for instance “You’re my person” is a romantic statement until it evolves into “You can never leave me.”

The other problem of the series is that Lee Ji-eun (UI) does cute and goofy really well, but she doesn’t have the emotional range needed to portray a character who goes through many heartbreaks and betrayals. As a result, Hae Soo appears a little fickle in her infatuations with the princes.  

That being said if you’re a sucker for tragic romance and you believe that power corrupts even the purest of love, you’ll have a blast.

#46 Forest 

(포레스트)

Grade: B++

Genre: Modern, Romance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

UST in the woods (Dat first kiss 🥵🥵🥵)

The characters and the story are a little cliché but who doesn’t love a story where the protagonists are clearly attracted to each other but can’t act on their desires because their moral values are opposite?

*slams fist*

San Hyeok is your typical heartless businessman who refuses to confront his childhood trauma, and Yeong Jae is a surgeon who suffers from panic attacks and cares too much about other people. They’re both good looking and fate brings them to a remote village in the middle of the forest where they have to share a house. Really, I wonder what’s gonna happen?

#47 100 Days My Prince / Hundred days husband

(백일의 낭군님)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki 

Trigger warning: Important character death.

Cute and charming but also very annoying at times. Obviously, the story is tropey af (fake marriage doubled with amnesia, you can’t really beat that) but it also includes elements I’ve never seen in any other dramas like the fact that the Crown Princess is pregnant with another man’s child (le gasp!). The things that annoy me the most were the unnecessary flip-flopping of the heroine towards the end of the show for the sake of creating artificial drama (just let them be together FFS!) and the fact that the male characters take a lot of decisions for Yeon Hong-shim.

Romance wise, Do Kyung-soo and Nam Ji-hyun are really cute together but in the end I found myself more interested in the political intrigue and the side characters than the main romance because slow burn has its limit. In essence, it’s the perfect drama to watch with your conservative family because whilst the main couple is living under the same roof and is technically married they don’t get frisky. 

#48 I Am Not A Robot (로봇이 아니야)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Angsty with a good pay-off.

With a premise like that, things could have gone wrong really quickly but the writers managed to write a story that isn’t a man wanting to fuck a robot because real women are scary so big kudos for them. Seeing Min-kyu celebrating his Roomba’s birthday because he has no other friends will instantly melt your heart and from that point on you’ll cheer for his recovery. The show has the right amount of angst without becoming a mess and they handle the big reveal very well, making sure to show how hurt both Min-kyu and Ji-ah are by the situation, without making you doubt that they can find each other again. The other strong point of the show is that it’s not just about romance, it’s also about friendship and learning to let other people in your life. 

The acting is incredible to the point that by the end I wondered if Yoo Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin were making out in front of my salad or if I was still watching the characters Min-kyu and Ji-ah being lovey dovey. 

#49 Sungkyunkwan Scandal (성균관 스캔들)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite gender

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Hana zakari no kimi tachi he with gats.

This show checks so many boxes when it comes to my favourite tropes story-wise and character-wise that I instantly fell in love with it. It might feel a little dated for a younger audience and it definitely suffers from the second male lead syndrome (who wants unseasoned boiled chicken when there are not just one but two juicy rotisserie chickens on the table next to you?!) but it’s still very much enjoyable. Also, they don’t shy away from using the word “homosexuality” and having one of the second lead confessing to having romantic feelings for his friend (I’ll take any scrap of bi-representation, okay?)

#50 It’s Okay to not be okay  (사이코지만 괜찮아)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Found family. 

In spite of one ridiculous plot twist (that I was aware of when I started the show) this show has made me feel all the feelz. The three main actors all did a phenomenal job portraying their characters in all their complexity and fragility and I ended up crying so many cathartic tears in the second to last & the last episodes.The relationship between Sang-tae and Gang-tae is one of the best sibling relationships I’ve seen on-screen in a long time while the romance between Moon-yeong and Gang-tae blends perfectly elements of comedy and melodrama. Mental illness isn’t treated as something to be ashamed of, whilst showing that you can grow and recover from trauma and finding your own happiness.

PSA from my boyfriend, who dropped the show before the end: 

The plot twist is so stupid that it takes away from the rest of the series. In my opinion it negated the positive portrayal of mental illness built up until then. They completely lost me.

^ We discussed a lot about it which is why I wanted to share his POV to balance my own review.

#51 coming soon

[pendragonfics]

Bird Brain

Paring: Clint Barton/Reader

Tags: female reader, doctor reader, domestic avengers, avengers tower, age difference -- older man/younger woman, domestic fluff, humor, deaf Clint Barton, Clint Barton needs a hug, fluff

Summary: She's a doctor and patches up the Hawkeye almost every day. He's an Avenger, and somehow, hasn't realised that she's been into him for ages.

Word Count: 2386

Current Date: 2020-02-15

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but whoever said that never had to deal with Clint Barton every forty-eight hours. It wasn’t that you didn’t like the man - what wasn’t there to like? No, it was the fact that the man was constantly getting hurt. Shooting himself in the foot (literally). Falling over, losing his hearing aid, being stabbed by bad guys, needing an emergency tetanus shot when he got cut by a rusted nail and was very due for his shots.

It didn’t hurt that he was quite a looker, under all the bandages. Nice smile, kind eyes, and when he was actually taking care of himself and eating right, he had a rockin’ bod. If anyone caught you favouring him to the other Avengers who came by your station in the Tower, you’d say it was purely professional (when in actual fact, if he’d ever ask, you’d say yes to drinks in an instant).

The hardest part, though, was that every one of the team knew that you liked Clinton F. Barton, except him.

Bucky and Sam had a bet going on between the team of how long it was going to take Clint; so far, the stakes were high, and almost everyone was in on it. It had gone on for years, and only once had Clint almost walked in on a group of them talking about it, but he brushed it off. It seemed that you had chosen one of the densest Avenger as your heartthrob. Early on, Tony Stark had given you shit for being so young (to which Thor smacked him on the underside of his head for). Then, when he got over the age-gap, it was all, if you’re into older men why are you all heart-eyed over the Hawkeye when I’m literally here? Gradually over time, he let it go and moved on to other fish to fry.

After losing his hearing aid again on a mission, Clint is seated before you, looking at his hands. You can’t imagine the pressure he would be under as a man without powers in the Avengers and living with a disability, but he’s never spoken about it. You look up from where you’re running diagnostics, hoping that Tony’s bottomless credit card can purchase some tech for Clint that won’t fall out (his words) next time.

Once you have his attention, you sign, ‘You can tell me if you lost them on purpose.’

There’s a pause, and his face cracks that custom-made Clint Barton grin. He’s running on full-strength coffee or adrenaline these days, and it kills you to see him beating himself up all the time. He’s only human.

‘Blame gravity, not me.’ He frowns, and adds, ‘You believe me?’

‘Sure, and JFK is alive.’ You reply, laughing. He scrunches his nose up at that, trying to not show a smile, but you can see in his eyes, those tired eyes that lived off coffee and adrenaline, that there was some part of him that thought your quip was humorous.

Right then, Agent Romanoff walked in. If anyone had ever the self-esteem feel good about themselves in a room with her in it, they were lying. Her red hair was in a yoga bun, and she wore that black catsuit tied half-down around her waist. The only thing un-sexy about her was the fact there was a growing red stain beneath the button-down shirt. Clint seemed to get the message and signed his goodbyes to both of you as Natasha took his place on your examination table.

“Did I just ruin a moment?” she asked, unbuttoning her shirt unprompted.

There was a bullet in her lower abdomen, luckily the other side of her heart, and judging from the wound, was still inside. You move your hands toward the wound, and quickly assess before you pull on fresh gloves. She watches you, and lies down, administering herself the pain relief that you hand to her. Hopefully, her wound won’t need surgery.

“You say that like you’re sorry for coming in,” you reply, cleaning around the area.

Luckily, she doesn’t laugh, because that would hurt her wound. “But was it?” she pokes.

“Give me a break, I’m in love, not hopeless.” You retort, trying to stay professional. “…I mean, who even shot you, anyway? Didn’t your last mission end yesterday?”

“That’s classified. I’m a bad bitch like that,” she smirks, and unintentionally, you touch a tender area and she winces at the pain. Unfortunately for the Black Widow, she will need surgery. Before you move to page another medic, she places a hand on yours, and you look at her for a moment silently until she speaks. “…I know you’re not hopeless, ________, but it’s been three years, and if he can’t see you,” she gestures toward you like you’re the Mona Lisa or someone worth her time, “he doesn’t deserve you.”

---

Game Night Fridays were a thing, apparently. Something that you hadn’t been a part of until Doctor Banner roped you into being his partner for a table tennis tournament. The only rule was that you had to wear a stripy shirt, use no abilities to win the match, and have fun! (according to a retired Captain America, who you, after all, this time can’t believe survived coming out of the ice). Doctor Banner’s usual partner, the android Vision, was taking a long weekend with Wanda, his new fiancée to Miami.

That’s why you were stood in front of the table tennis table beside the sometimes-Hulk, sometimes-professor, all-times awkward walking Dad Joke Doctor Banner, wearing a striped shirt. On the other side of the table, Thor cracks his knuckles, and Clint flips the paddle in his hand and catches it like a cocky sportsman.

“Remember, to play fair!” Steve calls out, refereeing. He’s exempt of the mandatory ugly striped shirt, and holds a whistle in his teeth, about to blow. He’s very sports coach chic, looking very much an all-American hero.

“Or not,” Sam sasses, before the whistle blows, “and make it a match to remember!” He whoops.

Though the pair of them were Captain America, they had a different taste of how to serve their patriotic justice. The whistle is shrill, piercing, and Clint serves the orange ball.

Bruce hits it back, and Thor returns, and Bruce hits once more. You dive after it when Clint serves it back, and onward it goes. After a while, you take note of everyone’s style. Clint goes for tricky shots, and Thor uses the power behind the paddle to make fast ones. Bruce is reserved and stays on his side of the table, and with everything going on, you’re having to pick up the slack. You have a feeling that if Vision was here, he’d be a formidable player. Your reflexes are nothing on actual Avengers.

When Bruce misses the shot from Thor, you can see your teammate get tense, a tinge of green growing from beneath his collar.

“DoctorBanner, I think you should take a time out,” you tell him, but he shakes it off.

The next hit is quickly lost, and then it’s your turn to hit it. Clint’s making a funny face, and it throws you off momentarily, and you hit air instead of the ball. Thor roars with thunderous laughter. Doctor Banner looks more and more lime-green than his usual olive-tone. When Thor serves, it’s too fast, and it hits Bruce in the cheek, leaving a mark on his face.

The room gets quiet.

You place a hand on his shoulder, looking at the man. “Let’s get some air.”

You lead him away from the main room, out to the balcony adjacent to the main floor of the Avengers Tower communal area. Behind you, the Avengers resume their casual conversation, and the volume of the room goes from sterile to friendly. But just as you walk Bruce to the night air, Tony takes your place. He’s also not in a stripy shirt, and he wordlessly trades places with you, going in your stead to comfort the green doctor.

It’s easy enough to excuse yourself after that. Unlike the Avengers, you don’t get any time off, and the weekends are spent shadowing Doctor Cho at her clinic, and that starts early tomorrow morning. You say a quick goodbye to Sam and Bucky, who half-acknowledge you over their game of checkers (Bucky is playing red, and losing badly), and descend via the stairs. But halfway down, you hear someone behind and turning, you see Clint Barton.

His new hearing aid glows dimly in the hallway, and so goes his goofy smile. But there’s a different look in his eyes than usual, and you don’t know if right now you’re about to feel everything that you’ve been waiting for from him, or not.

He sticks his hand out to you, to shake. “Good game,” he says.

You smile. “Yeah, uh, it was a good game.”

“…it’s a shame you don’t come every Friday, ‘cause that was fun.” He adds, walking past you, continuing down the stairs. You take the cue and follow him the same way you were headed, down to the street. Most people take the elevator, in the once-Stark tower, but the stairs are oddly relaxing. “Maybe we can rush Viz and Wanda into a shotgun wedding, and we can play again some time.”

“I don’t really -,” you sigh, looking down. Clint frowns, and you don’t repeat yourself. You forget sometimes when he’s verbal and wearing the aid that he can’t hear everything. “Yeah. Maybe.”

---

For some reason, Clint Barton does not get hurt for three weeks. For three weeks, he keeps his hearing aids in one piece. He doesn’t get shot, stabbed or become unstable on a rooftop. He’s nowhere to be seen near your end of the woods. You spend your time catching up on paperwork, working on the medical profiles of the Avengers…and missing him.

It’s hard, because every time you give up on him, he comes back. And yet…there’s no sign of him.

Until there is. The Quinjet acts as a medivac, and arrives loudly, landing on the roof. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents escort a stretcher out, and you’re hastily called to action alongside the other medical professionals that have been called in. It’s barely five o’clock in the afternoon, one hour until you’re allowed to go home to binge-watch America’s Funniest Home Videos, but when you see who’s nigh comatose in the stretcher, your heart almost stops.

“How the hell -,” you cry out, starting to worry.

“Language!” says everyone, except Steve Rogers.

“-There was an ambush, Doctor ________. He was shot at by a sniper, but he managed to remove himself from 75 per cent of the ranged weapons range. He has three wounds of varying degrees of severity and is currently on a high dosage of pain medication to get him here.” Vision reports, helping the agents move the bed toward the elevator, to your set up.

“Thank you,” you tell him, and look at Clint. He looks so peaceful and would appear to be sleeping well if not for the two shots by his collar bone. “Okay, I need everyone scrubbed up, I need a dose of morphine prepped for when this wears off, call a surgeon in and - Doctor Cho, ready your cradle.” You speak hastily and remember afterwards that you’re not the head doctor on staff. “…sorry. Just, um, get him better.”

“________...” Clint says, woozily.

You look down to see him. His eyes are partly open, and slowly, his mouth opens to bare his teeth in a loose grin. His hands are soft, and reach for you blindly, but can’t seem to coordinate himself. He’s high off his face on the medicine, and you take his hand in yours, holding it tight.

“Yeah, I’m here.” You reach for his face, pushing his dirty blonde hair back. “It’s me.”

“You’re like, the best.” He says.

From across the room, you hear a nurse snicker quietly.

“You’re so…good at your job,” he slurs. “…and I’m like, Hawkbutt.”

“Hawkeye,” you correct.

“That’s the same thiiing,” he drawls. “…I’m a butt. I am. A. Butt. Heh. Butt.” He prattles.

“You’re not a butt, Clint. You’re a hero.” You tell him.

Doctor Cho comes behind you and places a hand on your shoulder. “I think it’s best if you sit out on this. You’re too close to the patient to take care of him.” She pauses. “It’s for the best.”

“I heard that! My hearing - aid - I heard that” Clint adds. “You’re right, Doctor Cho, she shouldn’t. Because,” he takes a deep breath in, as the other medical professionals swarm around him, readying the assessment before taking care of him, “Be-because I want to marry that lady. She’s the best.”

The room gets uncomfortably quiet, with just the EKG in the background.

His hand slackens off yours, moving over to his chest. That smile of his widens, albeit unfocused. He yawns, and looking your way, says with his hands just as he’s administered another round of drugs, his motions sloppy, but forgivable,

‘I love you,’ he signs.

You feel tears prick in your eyes. “Clint,” you reply, reaching for his arm. His pulse is weakening, the medically induced coma coming on, and he looks to you with his fading consciousness. You sign, just for him to see, ‘I love you too.’

---

It’s another six months until Clint Barton is cleared to go back to fieldwork, but that day comes and goes, and he’s still hanging around the Avengers Tower, this time in your surgery not for health reasons. The archery Avenger follows you around like a lost puppy in love, and to be perfectly honest, you wouldn’t have it any other way. Tony Stark went back to his teasing and kept the security tape of that day, archived in F.R.I.D.A.Y. under ‘Birdbrain & the Doc’ - a file he won’t change the name of. But it’s okay.

Even though he’s older, and you’re younger, he’s a combatant, and you’re a medic, he’s a coffee drinker and you prefer tea, you swear up and down that you’re as fond as ever for the dense archery master Clint, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.  

[eisforeidolon]

Episode: Peace of Mind

Hey, remember how Castiel can reach into people's chests and grope their souls?  No?  Not even a mention of why it can’t possibly work on nephilim?  Oh, okay, let's just let the ridiculously overpowered and possibly soulless Winchester-wannabe wander around in limbo about having a soul despite a canonical way to check.  Why the fuck not?  

Also, expecting me to give a fuck about Sam mourning some nobodies from AU world who didn't even have names except the joke that was Maggie just shows what absolute emotional dunces the current writers are.  You never showed us any relationship there beyond, at best, being Sam's interchangeable flunkies!  Jared can act his little heart out trying to sell this (and he did), but I have more emotional investment in the loss of that lamp Dean broke that one time.

But anyway, Sam’s trauma over a bunch of cardboard is the excuse for him wanting to be anywhere but the bunker this week, and some bullshit nonsense conversation between Cas and Dean is why Sam goes off with Cas instead of Dean.  Because the show needs more of Castiel's tryhard motivational speeches, apparently.  I kind of feel like maybe this episode started out with Sam and Dean on the case and then got changed partway through?  There are a few of the jokes that are pretty clearly Castiel jokes – like when everything comes to a standstill in the diner over him loudly saying something appalling and stiltedly talking about the content of the love letters.  However, a few of them, like the pop culture reference, seem far more like things Dean would say and just make it feel kind of blatant how badly Cas has been transposed in for reasons.  

Reasons possibly being the writers suspected some of us might fast-forward through a Castiel & Jack B plot?  Except Castiel spending more time with Jack and being shown as more attached to him would better serve the story they're actually going to tell later this season.  That would apparently overflow the quota Dabb apparently set for continuous minutes Dean and Sam can interact, though, so.  I wonder if, since his major change after Carver (besides everything getting worse) is less brother-fighting he thinks the Winchesters should spend no time together if there can't be potential world-ending dramaz?  Yes, stories do need conflict but that's not what that means. 

Look, Dean's actually my favorite, but I feel like nothing of value would be lost if we cut basically everything from this episode with him and Jack.  No knock against Jensen or Alex, but the dumb stilted conversation about snakes and bacon?  The ridiculous use of Yellow Fever in the previouslies when he was literally under a fear-inducing supernatural affliction to justify making Dean afraid of snakes now because ha fucking ha?  The angel food/devil food thing - somebody actually wrote that and thought it wasn't so deeply embarrassing they should change their name and move to Alaska to never write fiction again!

Even the whole thing with Donatello (which I have a sneaking suspicion is the only reason they bothered to bring him back) is kind of dumb.  Remember how Donatello is the exception and not the rule when it comes to soullessness?  How all those other people went bugfuck when their souls were taken by Abaddon or Amara (this show really really believes in recycling).  Even putting that aside, Donatello is soulless, which at best, means completely not giving a fuck - so he’s the guy you go to for advice?  Not even to mention how absolutely tryhard the whole What Would (the) Winchesters Do WWWD thing was.  Ew.  The final cap on it being that I am really fucking tired of every latest potential threat being OMG TEH MOST POWAHFUL IN TEH UNIVERSE!!!  Suddenly Jack's a potential antagonist again so we're back to it being him instead of Michael instead of Lucifer instead of Amara instead of Rowena instead of …[loud snoring].

I did actually appreciate that for once it was Sam in the weird goofy costume episode playing up the 50's camp.  Those kinds of obvious gags pretty much always go to Dean, and I do like it when they at least switch things around so it's not just variation 100 on the same old theme.  Also Castiel commenting in his typical matter-of-fact about Sam's beautiful hair did make me laugh a little.

Seems pretty typical Cas mistakes the daughter as the one doing the brain exploding because he misses what a human cue it was she was trying to get him out of the town to save him instead of trying to keep him there if she was crazy enough to be running not!Pleasantville.  As a case, I think this part of the episode works okay.  Not the best ever, not the worst ever, and Jared clearly had fun with the playacting  of Sam being brainwashed into 50s husband dude.

Not entirely thrilled by some random guy developing the power to control a whole town with his brain out of nowhere midway through his life (as well as literally throw people and angels).  Most of the other characters we've seen with that kind of power got it from somewhere. Though I'll grant that we didn't exactly get the dude's entire pedigree and it seems like his daughter inherited some serious power, too, so maybe he just didn't know there's psychic monster in his family tree.  

Really the thing that doesn't work for me in this episode with the Sam & Cas plot is less any of the individual bits and more how clearly it is what the writers were trying – and for me, ultimately failing – to do. In the early seasons with better writers, they did a lot of episodes like this where what happens in the MotW plotline illuminates what's going on with the characters in the larger story and they were really trying to do that with Sam here.  But the literal amnesia and Cas' big speeches and some dude brainwashing a whole town to avoid his personal sad and another instance of a character having a variant of AKF shoved awkwardly into their mouth hole?  The kind of character work they were trying to do is not well served by just dropping anvils on the audiences' heads.  

The part with Dean and Sam at the end was actually fairly enjoyable – of course Castiel tattled and of course Dean takes the opportunity for teasing.  If we've seen this same realization about how you can't outrun things in your head a million times already, well, with the Winchester's lives I honestly can't blame them for still hoping that somehow it will work this time.

Then the episode ends with Castiel witnessing the snake incident and keeping it to himself because he's  somehow hardwired to make the wrong decision in literally every possible circumstance these days. Yay.

[thebrownssociety]

Toons Headcanon 3

Seeing as these seem to be going down so well, I thought I’d do some more!

1. Yosamite Sam and Elmer Fudd are actually pretty close friends despite A) being complete opposites and B) Sam being created specifically to replace Elmer. This baffles everyone as it’s not unusual for toons who have been created to replace someone to be hated by the other charector for a good couple of decades at least.

2 . In relation to the above headcanon this is what happened with Bugs and Daffy. Or rather Daffy and Bugs, as Daffy was actually created first. When Bugs was first created back in 1937 (one year before he debuted) Daffy actually didn’t mind him. He was pleased to welcome a new toon to the family and although he didn’t actually get the honor of showing him round the studio himself (that went to Porky Pig) he did his best to assist. He was even thrilled when Bugs’s first cartoon went down so well as he knew Bugs would now be here to stay.

Things went sour after Bugs slowly became more popular than Daffy. Daffy couldn’t get his head around it. He tried becoming more wacky, but that had debatable effect. Eventually round about the 50’s Daffy made a drastic decision. He was going to change his charecterisation completly and thus: greedy jerk-ball Daffy was born. It worked on two counts, 1) He was still funny. 2) He couldn’t be accused of copying anyone elses ‘thing’ anymore.

3. (In direct relation to the above) However hard toons try they can’t escape their ‘core’ charector. IE - what they were intended to be. Daffy was intended to be wacky and screwy. Therefore off set - although he does hard try not to - he does have his moments of suddenly going ‘screwball’. Especially if he wakes up feeling 13 or less. (See toons headcanon 2).

4. Toons that are created ‘with’ another are a completely different kettle of fish, because you have to consider the effect the pair of toons have on each other. The Goofy Gothers, for example, were (thankfully) created to give the air of your sterotypical (at the time) polite Englishman. Friends, partners whatever you want to call them, they were created at the same time amd designed to not only be polite to each other and everyone around them, but also to be by each others side pretty much all the time. Thankfully they like each other and get on, or else that could have been a complete disator.

5. (In direct relation to 4) Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyarn Dawg are an example of a ‘pair’ that didn’t really like each other to say the least. They were created to be enimies and enimies they remain. This was especially strong before the 60’s where even the sight of Barnyard would cause Foghorn to slip back into his mischievious personality and play a practical joke. And Barnyard would retaliate. And then so would Foghorn. And thus it would go on until a director or another toon broke them up (often by physically placing them in diffrent rooms until they’d calmed down)

6. (In relation to the above) You might be thinking that Sylvester and Tweety would have a similer issue as they never stop fighting, but actually they don’t. Because Sylvester was created in 1938 and had his first debut in 1939 (Although after that failed he was pulled of the shelf for a while for heavy redesign and released again in 1945), meanwhile Tweety Bird was created in 1941.

So despite the fact they are definetly a ‘double-act’ they are NOT a pair. They were put together by Frit Freeleng for the short ‘Life With Feathers’ and have never looked back since. However because Sylvester was created to be (unsuprisingly) a cat and they are preditors of birds in real life, Sly will have moments (usually when he’s stressed) when he will just randomly try and chase and eat Tweety. Thankfully Tweety is A) aware of this, B) has got pretty good at recognising the signs and C) - most importantly - can fly.

7. The Mystery Inc kids exist and live in Toon Town along with everyone else. When not filming for their series (so rarely) they act as ‘police inspectors’ within Toon Town and will gladly investigate any mystery that needs investigating. Occasionally should the need arise, they will stand guard over houses as well. This is all for a fee of course - the mystery van needs petral.

8. Back in the olden days (mainly 60’s and before) it probably won’t suprise you to know there was a lot of prejadice against toons. They had toon only bars, toon only bathrooms and were generally frowned upon as a rule.

What might suprise you is that - out of all the toons ever created - it was human-looking toons who were hated the most. This is because Humans (aka us) thought they should be acting more sensibly and less…well…looney. Pre-60’s their was one main toon who had issues with this and that would be…Elmer Fudd. It didn’t help he was created to be a little dim and also to be a hunter. It didn’t matter that toons bullets wouldn’t hurt a human, (as they would just go round them) it would give the human a horrible shock all the same. Anyway, In order to help Elmer the other toons would try and keep an eye on him and make sure no one was messing with him. If some poor sucker started…well…they’d be kicked in the ass quicker than you could say ‘I’m hunting Wabbits’

9. Toons don’t need sleep the same way humans do. Toons DO need sleep, but can get by with about 16 hours a week as a rule. Any less than that and they get cranky and belive me a cranky toon is not something anyone wants.

10. With the rise of gun crime in America, Elmer Fudd worries that his portrayel of hunting (I.E. with the subject being completly fine afterwards) might have misled the human population somewhat. (Despite every other toons telling him this can’t be the case) This is why in the Looney Tunes Show he decided to do away with the gun and start a fixation with grilled cheese instead. How well that worked is debatable, but it was a vallient effort.

[yeet-me-into-oblivion-please]

Well, Supernatural is actually ending and I don't know what I'll do

[ Brevity is not a strong suit of mine since I've included personal details but there's stuff I feel everyone in the SPN family needs to read]

You might be expecting another post about how Supernatural saved someone's life and how devastated they will be when it ends because they've watched it for so long as well as how the actors have impacted their lives. This is probably one of those but please hear me out.

Supernatural premiered in 2005 and I was in preparatory class (aged 5 years and was before I began 1st grade). I heard of it because my aunt would watch it time to time so I'd also tried to get some peeks myself but I wasn't allowed to because it was "too scary".

Then our local cable began to show seasons 1-5 and that was when everyone in class started watching and quoting it. This was in 6th grade and I was frustrated because I knew about it before most of them yet they acted like it was a new show. I had a fair idea about the story but once I began watching it, I fell in love with it and loved it like a part of my soul.

Yes, Jensen Ackles was my first crush but I still thought (and do think) that both he and Jared are super hot. So I was sucked into this vortex, this Neverland which I never thought I would end.

I joined Tumblr for this show in 2013 because I saw the jokes about there being a Supernatural gif everywhere and wanted to be a part of the fandom/community. This was also the year I actually became interested what other fans felt though I never used this site properly until 2016 I would read the IMDb discussion boards because I hated scurrying through Destiel-infested posts.

(Fun fact:I wasn't using any social media of my own but on my mother's Facebook I liked a Supernatural fan page asking people's opinions on Destiel. This is was around the time season 8 was just finishing or had already finished so I read the comments--- people talked about Dean and Castiel being gay and didn't approve of it as there was this one girl who was conservative and didn't believe in homosexuality while others went on how Dean was always a ladies man which I agreed with. Not that I commented but I thought there was something I missed and I thought Castiel used Dean as a vessel, thus Destiel.)

But I digress. I was in deep by the time season 9 premiered and majority of the people I knew stopped watching the show except for this girl who bullied me throughout preschool who put up this update that Dean had become a demon. I doubt she watches the show now but it was hard seeing her put pictures of "I heart Dean Winchester" and pictures of Jensen when my mom asked me why I don't do the same.

Supernatural, I feel, has become that embarrassing thing you are into in middle school but suddenly drop when you're older, looking back and thinking, "Yeesh, I can't believe I used to watch this show."

I'll be a grown woman at 30 or 40 and probably eventually in my 70s and 80s but I will still look back fondly, the good, the bad and the ugly because I have like many teenagers have undergone many changes (friends, family, emotions, hobbies etc) but Supernatural has always been this constant in my life.

Because let me tell you, I'm seeing these posts saying stuff like how people are glad that it's finally over with its "bullshit" and that's it's dying. That is extremely disrespectful and insensitive to those people who literally live for it, who have invested time and money into it: gif makers, artists, meta writers (I may not agree with you guys but even you count). They don't know what to do once the show ends because it has helped them in ways others will never ever be able to fathom.

I saw the video put up by the guys. I saw and I could tell that Jared, Jensen and Misha had probably cried their guts out before the announcement because their eyes were red and puffy. Jared was controlling himself by talking less as Jensen was clearly on the verge as well but yes they said that they should save the angst for next year.

I love the guys; I love Jared being a goofball and Jensen being equally goofy as well and I'll say this too, I used to enjoy some of Misha's crass jokes (not the highlight ) as well which was why I looked forward to the gag reel every summer (because of J2) because it was cathartic after a traumatic season finale. I love the witty banter and the pranks the cast would do and I will miss it tremendously.

I have some issues with my aunt but everything would be okay when we would fawn over the guys and bingewatch the entire season the summer after it finished airing. We'd quote quotes back and forth and even spiritually killed ourselves watching short clips of "Sammy, close your eyes", "I'm proud of us" etc. Hell, she even promised me that when we go visit my uncle in the States we'd attend a con together.

If, and whenever we do go, it'll be different because the show won't be on air anymore and I know for a fact that I won't feel the anticipation of an episode.

So don't say disrespectful and callous things like "fucking finally". You can dislike the cast/plotline/show but don't ridicule and mock those who invested in the show,some of you are most probably speculating and have barely seen it.

I'm not some dumb, blind fan. I can see some stupid mistakes and don't always eat up what the writers show. For example, everyone must have figured that I dislike Destiel because it's based on groundless assumptions. I thought the Bloodlines was a crap idea that had nothing to do with the main plot and knew it was destined to fail.

As for Wayward Daughters/Sisters or whatever the fuck it was supposed to be called, I was not looking forward to it at all because it was one of those "forced diversity" shows, y'know gender bent stuff.

I felt that they were bastardising everything that Supernatural has and will (always) stand for because some people had a hair up their backsides. Yeah, I loathed Claire and that Kaia mourning thing was bullshit. Thank goodness I was sick that day and couldn't keep my eyes open for that episode.

If we were told that there would be a Men of Letters(with Henry Winchester) or even a Bobby-Rufus spinoff I would be okay with that but for now since the show will finish next year let's the wounds heal first, shall we?

I hope that Jared and Jensen get some offers once the show is done and I will pay good money to see movies, TV shows of them etc but for now I will keep quiet since I hope we get an ending we (and the boys) deserve.

Yes, the writer situation scares me and I think they should call Eric Kripke for a last hurrah. I mean, it is his baby and he should get to have a say in the series finale as well as J2.

Will one of the brothers die and the other will live (I'm worried we'll get a reverse Swan Song)? Will they both die leaving Cas behind and Jack as some sort legacy who trains future hunters? That would be a possibility since the sheriff in 14.16 asked the Winchesters why they don't tell people about monsters. What happens to Baby?

I seriously doubt the ending will be happy(maybe not 100%) but the best thing would be if they go driving with Baby into the sunset...

Dean at the steering wheel with Sam riding shotgun, where they should be ---- where they will always be, home. Dean plays his "mullet rock" as Sam would playfully mock his brother's musical choices. No chick flick moments. Just the Winchesters.

The boys need to lay their weary heads to rest, so they can cry no more. Because they are the legendary Winchesters, the hunters who saved the world countless times unbeknownst to many. I don't think their work will ever be done but there will be peace when they are done and how they will reach that point we'll never know till 2020.

Everyone will hear "Carry on wayward son" for the last time ever in Supernatural over a painful montage of "Dad's gone on a hunting trip and he hasn't been home in a few days" and "Saving people, hunting things, the family business". Now who in this fandom wouldn't be wracked with pain?

This is the show we all joked about that made a deal with the devil to never go off air but I did expect this a long time ago. Only thing was that I didn't know how I'd treat the news. I was that person who would go, "pfft, of course Supernatural would get renewed". Then again, this was the show that an ending was imminent and the whole season 4 debacle about Misha and the angel storyline saving the show blah blah blah.

So next year, everyone will flock to see the finale and epic conclusion to the Winchester saga whether they stopped at season 5,6,7 or 10,12. Diss it all you want for the shit show it may have become but wherever you left off, you may still want to know what happens to Sam and Dean Winchester in the end.

Once Supernatural ends, I'll turn 20 next summer and I would like to think of it being poetic that I end my adolescence with a show I have loved when I brave the cold, ruthless world of adulthood. I'm a picky person and can't say what's my favorite xyz is but you know what I'll say about my favorite TV show.

We will have completed 327 episodes which is the highest for a scifi TV show so I do hope the boys get some sort of recognition. It was us crazy bitches and jerks that gave the show the mileage and it was us that gave Jared and Jensen faith that they could carry on so for the remainder of season 14 and for 15,support these guys. Support these annoyingly sexy and ridiculously hilarious dudes for this show. I'm sure Jared and Jensen love the show like it's their kid practically but I wish everyone would just shut up, tinhatters, bronlies, stans, destihellers because we are all fans of the one show so let's ease the time we have left.

But seriously imagine Sam and Dean on a desert highway, the orange and yellow rays of the setting sun make Baby shine in all her splendor which makes Dean swell with pride. He starts the engine with a low rumble and they're off. They might to California to feel the sand beneath their feet or to Disneyland. They're living the "apple pie life" and this is their personal heaven : with each other.

I wouldn't mind this playing in the background if the ending is the inevitable and unspeakable you know what :

It's wishful thinking, since I wish they'd actually play some Zeppelin instead of song titles being used as episode titles but I wish they could use some Queen or Guns n Roses and stuff before 1979 because everything sucked ass afterwards according to Dean.

I want the classic rock resurgence in the show as well but I know they'll end up using the cash elsewhere. I wouldn't mind a body swap episode but if wishes were horses, right?

[adelesbian]

Amka was the newest Champion and that came with some degree of confusion. She didn’t quite understand all of their inside jokes or all of the other Champions’ quirks, but she loved how joyful they were, especially how Miles, Sam, and Kamala always seemed to be able to joke with each other. It was in a moment that Kamala was laughing at something Sam said that Amka realized how cute she was. It was like a switch was flipped inside of her and she couldn’t stop seeing how cute Kamala was. She found herself staring at her dreamily during mission briefings, when they were hanging out, and she would think of her all the time.

Amka was way too transparent about her feeling because within the first week of her crush Nadia poked her while she was staring at Kamala dreamily. She gestured for her to come with her so Amka followed after her embarrassed at getting caught. Nadia gently sat her down.

“You’ve got a crush on Ms. Marvel, don’t you?” she asked.

Amka covered her face with her hands. “Is it that obvious?” she asked.

Nadie touched her shoulder gently. “Yes, but I don’t think Kamala’s noticed,” she said.

“I’m hopeless,” Amka said.

“No, you aren’t! You’ve just got a crush,” Nadia said hugging her tightly. “If you want I can see if she likes you back.”

Amka looked up quickly uncovering her face. “No! Please don’t!” she exclaimed.

Nadia took Amka’s hands. “I won’t if you don’t want me to,” she said.

“Thank you, Nadia,” Amka said hugging her.

Naturally, Nadia was not the only one to notice that Amka had a crush on Kamala. Viv weighed in on the subject by telling her that it was statistically possible that Kamala could have feelings for her. Amka was comforted by Viv’s statistics if only that it showed that Viv cared. Amadeus gave her flirting tips which she had no intention of using because she was much too shy to make a fool of herself with the cheesy lines Amadeus told her to use. Riri did not offer much advice, but she listened to Amka talk about her crush. It was Miles and Sam who did the most for Amka, but whether or not it was helpful was up for debate. They were constantly inviting her to join them and Kamala then finding some excuse to disappear leaving Kamala and Amka alone.

During one such instance, Kamala leaned her chin on her knees. “You think they’re dating or something?” she asked.

Amka smiled sheepishly. “I’m not sure,” she said.

“They keep sneaking off together and acting like I don’t notice. I’m not blind,” Kamala said.

Amka blushed at the thought of how transparent she was. “It’s probably nothing,” she said quietly.

“I totally ship it anyway,” Kamala said rolling over so that her feet were on the back of the couch and her head was inches from Amka’s who was sitting on the floor.

“Yeah,” Amka said not quite knowing what she was saying as she stared into Kamala’s eyes. She had pretty eyes. Her whole face was pretty.

“You wanna play some video games?” Kamala asked slowly sliding down the chair and onto the floor next to Amka. Her feet stuck straight up.

Amka nodded her head completely enamored by how cute Kamala was. She never stood a chance against her feelings.

Amka held tightly to her pillow. “She’s so cute, and I just can’t work up the courage to ask her out,” she said burying her face into it.

“Why are you nervous at attempting to court Ms. Marvel?” Viv asked cocking her head.

Amka flopped back. “She's so cool and pretty, and I'm just me!” she said.

“Just you is still quite a lot,” Viv said, “You are kind and aesthetically pleasing. Ms. Marvel would be very fortunate to be courted by you.”

Amka smiled. “Thanks, Vivvy,” she said sitting up and hugging Viv.

“We should formulate a plan to for you to ask Ms. Marvel out,” Viv said.

“Okay,” Amka said drawing her legs closer to her body trying to hide the fact that she was nervous at the thought of even trying to ask Kamala out.

“Spider-Man and Nova are the closest to her so they will be key to setting you two up,” Viv said projecting a map of the base.

Amka's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of her skull. “How long have you been thinking about this?” she asked slacked jawed.

“The plan currently employed was made a few weeks when Amadeus said he, and I quote, ‘can't take Amka giving Ms. Marvel moon-eyes any longer. We've got to do something about this,’ then we formulated a plan to give advice and had you spend more time together,” Viv said.

Amka covered her face. “Is that why Amadeus gave me bad flirting advice?” she asked mortified at these developments.

Viv looked dissatisfied for a moment then said, “I request that he should wait until you were more confident in your friendship with Ms. Marvel, but he must have presumed to know better than me.”

“Wait, have you all been discussing how to get me and Ms. Marvel together as a group?” Amka said growing pale.

“Yes, we kept it to a whisper most times so there is a low chance that Ms. Marvel knows,” Viv said.

“You talked about it in front of her!?” Amka asked her voice going up a pitch.

“Very rarely,” Viv said.

“I’m gonna throw up,” Amka said shielding her face with her pillow.

“Are you ill?” Viv asked with some robotic concern for Amka.

“No! I’m just scared she knows and thinks I’m weird for getting everyone to help me ask her out!” Amka exclaimed.

They all had their jobs to pull off the perfect confession. Their plan was well oiled and long thought out. There were so many moving parts and a job for everyone. Amadeus was giving everyone a briefing on what they would do. It was excessively complicated. Amka sat in so that she would know the plan, but she was so nervous she felt faint. This was so excessive. They would all be so disappointed in her if Kamala said she didn't like her the same way…

Step one was Miles and Sam hanging out with her and Kamala to test the water. Sam was tired of all the time they spent trying to get Amka to ask Kamala out, and he thought the plan was stupid. Halfway through them hanging out Sam grew impatient.

“Amka you should ask her now,” he said ignoring their conversation.

Amka turned red and hid her face in her hands.

“Ask me what?” Kamala asked looking over at Amka trying to encourage Amka to speak up.

“It’s nothing,” Amka said her stomach was tight. Her face burned.

Miles grabbed onto Sam’s arm. “Can I talk with you alone?” he asked.

Kamala rested her cheek on her hand a smile playing at her lips. “Are you two dating?” she asked.

Sam turned red and let Miles drag him out of the room in stunned silence. “I don’t know if that answers my question or not,” Kamala said just as they left the room.

Miles dragged Sam into their room. “What were you thinking?! You know that Amka’s nervous about…”

“God, I do have a crush on you,” Sam interrupted him with his own personal epiphany. Miles wasn’t sure if he meant to say it out loud, but he stared opening and closing his mouth in stunned silence then finally Miles raised his mask slowly so that Sam could see his face.

“I, uh, like you too,” he said.

Sam’s eyes widened as if he got an answer he didn’t expect. He and Miles stared at each other for way longer than they meant to until Sam took the initiative and kissed Miles harder than he wanted to.

They'd only been kissing for a few seconds when Viv poked her head through the wall. “You are neglecting to do your part of the plan,” Viv said making no indication she was shocked by this development.

Miles pulled his mask down probably to cover up his embarrassment. He and Sam left their room. Sam pulled Viv to the side and put his hand on her shoulder. She stared at him waiting for him to form words and tell her what was on his mind.

“Can you, uh, not mention you saw that?” he said avoiding her eyes.

“I do not understand why you would be ashamed of me walking in on you kissing your boyfriend,” Viv said.

“We were not dating!” Sam exclaimed.

Miles looked over his shoulder at them. “We are now!”

Sam looked at Viv a goofy expression on his face. “I’ve got a boyfriend,” he whispered in disbelief.

“While I am thrilled for you two, we do have a mission to complete. By the end of this evening, Amka should also have a girlfriend, but that will not happen if we are not successful with our plan,” Viv said. Sam and Miles could have sworn there was irritation in her voice. They hurried off to get in position holding hands as they raced down the hall.

As Miles and Sam passed the room Amka and Kamala were in, Sam poked his head in and gave Amka a big thumbs up. They were watching a movie, and Kamala’s head was rested gently on Amka’s shoulder. He gestured for her put her arm around Kamala's waist, and she did slowly. Kamala shifted to be closer to her, and Amka looked content. Sam gave her another big thumbs up and rushed off with Miles.

“What did you want to ask me?” Kamala asked looking at Amka from her comfortable spot on her shoulder.

Amka bit her lip and looked away to avoid getting lost in Kamala's eyes. “It was nothing,” she said.

There was a loud warning siren that went off and Amka and Kamala were jolted up. They raced to the mission room to find the other Champions there staring at a screen. Amadeus was nowhere to be seen, but there was a villain on the screen that looked suspiciously like Amadeus in a gorilla costume with a cape.

“That’s a new villain,” Kamala said leaning on the wall looking amused. God she knew didn’t she?

“He is called Mastermind Excello,” Viv said, “We must stop him.”

Kamala nodded her head. “Where’s Amadeus?” she asked.

“He’s sick,” Riri said thinking faster than the others.

“What’s he doing that’s so evil that we have to deal with him?” Kamala asked a playful smiled on her lips.

“He… uh…” Sam started to say.

“He beat up the Avengers,” Miles exclaimed. These lies were starting to build up.

All of the others stared at him their eyes wide. Kamala looked like she was going to burst with laughter, but she contained it. “Okay, let’s go beat up Mastermind Excello,” Kamala said.

Amadeus smashed things in an abandoned building and tried to look as sinister as he could in the gorilla costume that they only gave him because it was the only costume in his size. He really should have de-hulked for this and used a force-field generator to protect him. He insisted on a cape at least to hide the zipper on the back.

The Champions showed up in the C.M.B. Amadeus was about to start monologuing when instead of waiting for him to start talking Kamala hit him in the face. All the other Champions winced excepted Sam who cheered. Amadeus got up and brushed off the monkey suit. It was an impressive hit. He was yards away from her and there was a long crater from where he ripped the earth. It was a good thing he treated the costume with a weak force field to prevent it from getting ripped. It didn’t stop the strength of the blow though.

“You’re strong, Ms. Marvel, but not strong enough!” Amadeus said imitating a bad English accent to mask his voice.

Kamala looked as if she might start crying from laughter, but she choked back tears to get back to fighting. All the others got ready to fight Amadeus, and he braced himself for the next blow.

“I am coming in, Amadeus,” Viv said into her microphone. All of them, except Kamala, had minuscule microphones and earpieces so that they could communicate with each other without Kamala knowing.

Amadeus caught her and tossed her as gently as he could. Miles came in and punched him, and he threw Miles as far as he could calculating where it would be best to toss him. Amka flew by so he tossed Miles in her direction and he bounced off of her and onto the ground lightly. Riri shot one of her repulser beams at Amadeus which bounced off his shielding because it was on the same frequency just for the “mission”. Nova flew in and knocked Amadeus off of his feet.

“Nova, just because Amadeus can take it does not mean you should hit him that hard,” Viv said.

“What are you talking about? When’s the next time I get to beat him up?” Nova said circling around and going in for another hit.

Kamala yanked on Amadeus’s cape to get him out of the way of Nova.

“Fuck.”

“Toss her then Amka catch her,” Viv said.

Amadeus reached around and grabbed Kamala then threw her. Amka flew by and caught Kamala bridal style. All the other Champions started ganging up on Amadeus. He clicked a button on his wrist.

“This won’t be the last you see of me!” Amadeus said as his personal teleporter made him disappear.

“Kiss her!” Sam said through their earpieces. His voice pounded in her ears like an echo.

Amka’s face turned bright red as she touched down on the ground.

“Thanks,” Kamala said hugging her tightly which only manage to make Amka more flustered.

“Any time,” was all Amka manage to squeak out.

Kamala smiled and grabbed Amka’s hand. “Another successful mission,” she said.

Later Amka and Kamala were finishing the movie they started. Amka was nodding off when Kamala sat up.

“You know, it would be a shame to waste all that effort the others put into setting us up,” she said.

Amka’s eyes snapped open and she stared at Kamala wide-eyed. “You knew?”

“Of course, I’m not blind,” Kamala said laughing.

“It freaked you out, didn’t it?” Amka said looking down at her hands.

“Are you kidding? It was like a fanfiction! Except I didn’t get my happy ending,” Kamala said drawing her legs up onto the couch.

Amka blushed and looked up. “Then do you want to go out with me?” she asked quietly.

Kamala smiled and draped her arms over Amka’s shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask,” she said.

Amka smiled bumped her forehead against Kamala’s. “I think I’m gonna cry,” she said.

“Wait, not before you kiss me,” Kamala said putting her hands behind Amka’s ears and leaning in to kiss her.

Amka pulled her microphone off of her wrist and threw it across the room after she heard cheers over her earpiece.

[chiseler]

McVouty!

I first heard Slim Gaillard in a cramped little new and used punk rock record store just off South Street in Philadelphia in the mid-‘80s. You wouldn’t normally be expecting the spiked and leathered clerk in a place like that to be playing ’postwar jazz, but Gaillard was a different kind of finger-popping jazzbo, as singular a groovy beatnik punk rock wildman as they come.

Bulee “Slim” Gaillard’s early life, as he describes it, was as storied, fantastical, even mythical as Salvador Dali’s or an early 20th century boy’s adventure novel. Given official records are sparse, it’s just better and somehow more fitting to simply take him at his word. It only makes sense, really, and helps explain as well as anything how he became what he did.

The motormouthed madcap hepcat bebop comedy genius behind 1938’s “Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy),” a performer whose unexpected slips into rapid-fire Spanish, Arabic and Yiddish can at first sound like skilled mimicry, a kind of scatting Sid Caesar, was born in Cuba in 1916 to an Afro-Cuban mother and a German Jewish father. His father was a steamship steward who sometimes brought the young Gaillard along on ocean voyages to show him a bit of the world. But after a stop in Crete in 1928, the ship somehow sailed on half an hour earlier than scheduled, leaving the 12-year-old Gaillard behind. Completely alone and speaking only Spanish at the time, out of simple necessity he picked up enough Greek to get by for the next couple years. He also occasionally hopped aboard passing ships to visit the Middle East, where he likewise learned some Arabic and became enamored with the people, the music and the culture. Then at 16, deciding it was about time he returned home to see his parents again, he booked passage on a ship he thought was headed for Havana.    

Only problem was, the boat skipped Havana, sailing north to New York. Gaillard didn’t disembark there, instead staying aboard as the ship made it’s way through the St. Lawrence before docking in Detroit. Considering he spoke no English, Detroit seemed much more amenable, he would note years later, mostly on account of it’s large immigrant population. With so many Greeks, Arabs and Hispanics vying for work in the auto plants, he was at least able to find people with whom he could communicate, and was taken in by an Armenian family. He picked up English as quickly as he picked up the others, though, and started working odd jobs. Among the odder, there in the midst of Prohibition, was a stint with the notorious Purple Gang, for whom he made deliveries in a hearse carrying a coffin filled with bootleg whiskey. After witnessing too much violence, the preternaturally gentle Gaillard realized it wasn’t the life for him, and took the advice of a tough local beat cop (who also happened to be black) who warned him to get away from the gangs, get out of the neighborhood, and do something with himself. For a black teenager in Detroit in the 1930s, his escape routes were limited. He could go into boxing, or go into music. He tried his hand at boxing for a bit, then decided maybe music was the preferable route.

Gaillard started taking night classes, and after some backstage encouragement from Duke Ellington himself, eventually learned to play guitar, sax, vibraphone, piano and drums. In the mid-30s he moved to New York, having decided he wanted to be a professional entertainer.

Since work as a professional musician was hard to come by, he became what he called a professional amateur, making the rounds of the amateur nights at the local clubs, changing his act as he did to avoid recognition. Sometimes he’d be a dancer, others a pianist, still others a sax player. Simple fact was he could get paid $15 a night on the amateur stages, which was better than a lot of professionals were getting paid. The trick, though, was he couldn’t be too good, If he was too good, they’d never let him play amateur night. So he always had to drop in a few intentional flat notes to cover himself.

Although he was an excellent musician who could play everything from boogie woogie to bebop to Big Band to Afro-Cuban to American standards to children’s songs and classical, Gaillard will never be remembered for his playing. Despite having so many languages at his disposal (the list had since come to include Armenian, German and Yiddish), Gaillard found there were still ideas and concepts beyond what any of them could express. To rectify this he began inventing his own vocabulary, centered around the adjectival verb “vout” (and it’s variations vouty, McVoutm McVouty, etc.) and the suffixes o-reenee, o-roonee, and o-rootee. They were fluid in both usage and meaning, and could be dropped in pretty much anywhere in conversation. By the time he teamed with bassist Slam Stewart and the pair began recording as the musical comedy team Slim and Slam in the late ‘30s, Gaillard had started writing his own songs in the new language he had christened, yes, Vout-O-Reenee. Beyong that, the pair was a master of the dueling jive comic scat, playing off each other and riffing on everything from La boheme and “Jingle Bells” to chicken clucks and food references. Gotta say, Gaillard wrote an unusual number of songs about food—avocados, chili, fried chicken, ice cream, matzoh balls, bagels, peanuts, and whatever else came to mind when he was hungry. He also wrote songs about motorcycles, cement mixers, and mass communication.

Slim and Slam first came to the public’s attention when Benny Goodman performed their song “Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy) on the radio in late 1937. The song was an overnight sensation, and when Slim and Slam recorded their own bersion shortly thereafter, it reached number two on the Billboard charts. A copy of the song was even included in a time capsule buried at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The capsule is scheduled to be reopened in the year 6939, and you have to wonder what whoever or whatever finds it will make of what kind of people we were.

Other outlandishly catchy novelty hits like “Cement Mixer (Put-Ti Put-Ti)” and “McVouty” soon followed. The pair’s between-song banter, marked by non-sequiturs, bad jokes, and Gaillard’s new language made them radio favorites. In 1941 they appeared as themselves in the appropriately wild and accidentally postmodern Hellzapoppin’, and performed in a handful of other films in the early ’40s.. Gaillard’s facility for languages, accents and crazy sound effects also earned him occasional voice work on animated Warner Brothers shorts from the era.

In 1943 Gaillard was drafted into the Army Air Corps, trained as a pilot, and flew a B-25 on bombing missions over Europe, which is something worth pausing to think about for a moment. After his plane was struck by anti-aircraft fire in 1944 and Gaillard was hospitalized for months with an arm full of shrapnel, he was discharged. He resumed his musical career, solo this time, recording jams with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker and releasing his majestic four-part “Groove Juice Symphony.”

Gaillard was  tall and rail thin with a pencil mustache, a groovy, mellow, and utterly unpredictable hepcat’s hepcat, and was deeply respected within the jazz community. While playing a stint at a little club in San Francisco in the late ‘40s, he met Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, whom he  says hun out at the club eight nights a week. They became good friends, Gaillard being impressed by their deep understanding and love of the music. Kerouac would later immortalize Gaillard by famously recounting the meeting in On the Road. (It’s also interesting to note that during a 1968 episode of William Buckley’s Firing Line, a very drunken Kerouac interrupted the discussion about the hippie movement with an impromptu rendition of “Flat Foot Floogie.”)

By the late 1950s, however, the music scene had started to change, rock’n’roll was coming to dominate the airwaves, the jazz clubs which had lined Manhattan’s 52nd Street were shutting down, and Gaillard was starting to feel like he no longer belonged. It’s unclear if the 1957 release of Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” had anything to do with this perception. The song was of course a massive hit and is today considered a fundamental, defining classic of early rock’n’roll. True to form, Little Richard refused to acknowledge the song (down to the “Tutti Frutti-o-roottee” chorus) was simply a bowdlerized version of Slim and Slam’s 1938 hit of the same name. Little Richard fans insist up and down they were two completely different and unrelated songs since the Slim and Slam version was about ice cream not girls, but when the singer himself notes his original title was “Tutti Frutti McVouty,” well, there you go.

Gaillard insisted he had nothing against the new music, but it simply wasn’t his scene, so by the end of the decade he stopped recording, stopped performing, dropped out and started looking for something else to do.

For an entertainer of his range, ability and goofy charisma, the choice seemed easy, and he picked up and moved to California. Although often cast as musicians who bore an uncanny resemblance to Slim Gaillard, over the next two decades he would appear opposite Bobby Darin and Stella Stevens in John Cassavetes 1961 feature Too Late Blues and in the 1958 Harlem Globetrotters movie Go, Man, Go! He had guest spots on Marcus Welby, M.D., Charlie’s Angels and Medical Center. He played Sam, the baseball expert in Roots: The Next Generation, and Raymond Burr’s butler in Love’s Savage Fury. Although he claims he was one of the gorillas in 1968’s Planet of the Apes, I honestly can find no verification of this, no matter how much I want to believe it.

After a dinner with Dizzy Gillespie around 1980, Gaillard decided to return to his one true calling. He  signed on for a number of jazz festivals throughout Europe, and started work on a couple new albums. Also at Dizzy’s recommendation, Gaillard picked up again in 1983 and moved to London, where the atmosphere was much more welcoming for American jazz greats than it was in the States.

As if to prove a point, shortly after his arrival, Gaillard was approached by the BBC, which produced a remarkable four-part, four-hour documentary about his life and career. Slim Gaillard Civilization allowed Gaillard to tell his own story, combining archive footage with clips from recent performances, conversations between Gaillard and old friends, candid shots of a family get-together in California (his daughter Jan was married to Marvin Gaye), a few impromptu songs, and even some dramatic recreations of scenes from his childhood. Gaillard’s slow, gentle and simple poetic narration leaves his tale sounding like a children’s bedtime story, which is the overall form the documentary takes.

He was a little slower, a little more, yes, mellow, and the manic energy of half-a decade earlier had ebbed a bit. A new recording of “How High the Moon?” seemed staid and over-rehearsed, even a little bored compared with the unpredictable and mad anarchic ad-libbing of his original 1947 recording, but remains uniquely his own. More than anything, there was a new and unexpected air of melancholy about the 68-year-old, much of it focused on a scene from his childhood. As he was leaving Cuba with his father for what would be the last time, Gaillard had been instructed not to look back, because he would see his mother standing there on the dock and want to go home. He did as he was told, never once thinking he would never see her again. After being abandoned in Crete, he never saw either of his parents again.

Gaillard died in 1991 at age 75, and is mostly remembered today as a novelty act, a kind of clown prince of jazz, but he’d led a singularly American life for someone who didn’t speak English until he was 16, and remains one of the most unique, eccentric, and insanely talented musical entertainers the country’s produced.

O-Roonee.

Jim Knipfel

[ryanmeft]

Ant-Man and the Wasp Movie Review

Avengers: Infinity War wanted us to take grown people in tights very, very seriously. Ant-Man and the Wasp has different ambitions. It marries superhero-ing and parenting, scales the stakes down to a personal level, and tosses in a dollop of 1960’s gee-whiz fun on top of it. When it works, it’s a trick-a-minute heist caper that makes great use of the franchise’s signature size-changing gimmick. When it doesn’t, it’s often trying to being funny.

At this point you can’t pick and choose Marvel franchises, and this sequel picks up not after the original Ant-Man, but after Captain America: Civil War. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), the now-former Ant-Man, is in the last days of two years of house arrest for his role in that movie. He spends his time learning drums and magic tricks, soaking in the bath, and creating indoor amusement park attractions for his precocious daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). He’s out of contact with former allies Hank (Michael Douglas) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) Van Dyne, who are a wee bit miffed that he accidentally made them fugitives. Reconciliation is inevitable, of course, and it comes when Scott has a dream of Hope’s long-missing mother Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is trapped in a void-like place called the Quantum Realm. For mysterious reasons, a person named Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) in a white suit who can walk through anything wants the tech they need to rescue her. Helpful against the new villain is that Hope is now the Wasp, with a suit that can shrink like Scott’s but can also fly and, well, sting people. Lilly and Rudd have considerably more chemistry here than in the first go-round; Douglas’s paternal hits to Lang’s ego also feel natural and amusing.

The plot mostly consists of those convenient screenwriting obstacles thrown in front of heroes to stymie them from what should be a straightforward goal. These include several Mcguffins; Hank’s machine for reaching the Quantum Realm, as well as the film’s super-suits, seem to keep suddenly needing parts they did not need ten minutes ago. There’s also a goofy FBI agent (Randall Park) whose goal in life seems to be catching Lang out-of-bounds, and Walton Goggins hamming it up as a black market tech dealer. The story, and what all these characters want with which plot device, matters about as much as this stuff ever matters in a popcorn flick. What’s fun is the multi-layered chase these characters engage in while terribly important bits of comic book malarkey change hands.

Like any good heist flick, this game of keep away is given a lot of exciting attention. The powers complement the good old-fashioned steal-and-chase stuff, with less time than usual spent on fisticuffs between super-people. The character of Ghost is a spoiler in the mix, tossed in whenever the action gets a little too stale; her ability to pass through anything basically renders the characters’ powers irrelevant, so they have to outwit her. This all culminates in a big showdown that’s more a car chase than a fight, and includes Ant-Man utilizing a truck-bed as a scooter, cars the size of Hot Wheels, a Pez dispenser used as a weapon against motorcycle thugs, and our three circus acts shrinking, enlarging, flying and phasing around one another as the thingamajigger they are all after changes hands many times.

This is a lot of fun, but the only time Peyton Reed, the five-deep writing team and the army of special effects wizards get to really play around with the weirdness of the character is in the eventual excursion into the Quantum Realm. How you feel about that depends on whether you’re at peace with what modern superhero films are. With the exception of something like Thor: Ragnarok or Logan, truly personal touches are more the exception than the rule, and something as unique as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man work is probably in the past, for now. While I would have loved to see more wackiness out of Ant-Man’s less grim plot, I go into these movies knowing what to expect, and I got it. Should I knock it for not being something it was never going to be?

Since real uniqueness is off the table, the creative team instead differentiates the film by doubling down on Lang’s parenthood. The original gave us probably the only on screen superhero we’ll ever see scooping ice cream at work, and while he’s got a bit more illustrious job now, Lang’s still trying to balance being a superhero and a daddy. This outing makes that feel less like a set-up for the film’s plot and more like who Lang actually is. He goes to wonderfully ridiculous lengths to entertain and educate Cassie while being housebound, and is visibly frustrated with the Van Dynes when they don’t seem to care as much about him possibly trading in his family for prison as they do about their own family problems. Rudd is perfectly cast for this type of heroism, right down to making dad jokes. This makes Ant-Man a valuable addition to the MCU stable, as the only character in it who feels like he leads a truly believable adult life when he’s not in tights.

There are places where the film falters, and sadly, one of those is Lang’s hyper-active, motor-mouthed partner Luis. He’s played by Michael Pena, a successful Latino actor in a world where Latinos haven’t benefited from outrage at the whiteness of Hollywood, and is one of the few such characters in the MCU. That’s what makes his reduction to annoying comic relief all the more unfortunate. The bottom line is his character just isn’t funny or endearing, and while he fit in the first film’s story, here he and his buddies (David Dastmalchian and Tip “T.I.” Harris) feel like they are around to fulfill a contract. Also in obligation roles are Judy Greer and Bobby Cannavale as Lang’s ex-wife and her husband, respectively. These are five talented actors reduced to trying to break up the tension with awkward jokes. Ant-Man is already one of the less urgent feathers in Marvel and Disney’s massive hat; it doesn’t need more comedy, and in fact could stand to take itself a bit more seriously. Laurence Fishburne is better utilized as one of the Pyms’ old colleagues.

Get past the failed attempts at jokes and the lamentable waste of some high-class acting talent, and Ant-Man and the Wasp is an admirable, family-oriented addition to the MCU. If at times it doesn’t believe in itself as much as it should, at others the dynamic of family relations elevates it. Younger viewers will thrill to see a 65-foot-tall man walking in San Francisco bay, while their parents might smile at the fact this behemoth would rather be coloring and playing house.

Verdict: Recommended

Note: I don’t use stars, but here are my possible verdicts. I suppose you could consider each one as adding a star.

Must-See

Highly Recommended

Recommended

Average

Not Recommended

Avoid like the Plague

[amwilburn]

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Since the first film was so intense and believable, it was natural to assume the 2nd film would follow suit.

Well, they tried to balance things out with a more lighthearted film; what they ended up with was a silly mess of such epic proportions that the production values were inconsistent... even Scarlett Johansson's wig for Black Widow looked cheap and fake.

Random Trivia: Leslie Bibb, who plays the intepid reporter in both IM films, had the joy of working alongside husband Sam Rockwell in IM2. He was actually good, but ultimately wasted in such a goofy role... In an early courtroom scene, his character is fumbling around trying to turn off a tv like a highschool av kid. Worse, he's supposed to be the rival and competition to Stark, but nothing his company build works...?

Micky Rourke's antagonist wasnt scary (through no fault of Rourke) and the way they defeated him was ultimately goofy as well.

Speaking of which, while I appreciate the comedy chops (and good character) of Don Cheadle, it's a shame Terrence Howard was let go due to his demands (he wanted to be paid as much as RDJ) since he can act (& like everyone else in IM1, was perfect) and looked the part (in the comics, the James Rhodes becomes War Machine then ultimately takes over for Tony Stark as Iron Man).

Alterntively if Cheadle had started in IM1 he would've had a more dramatic role to sink his teeth into. But IM2 is ultimately a silly, disappointing film. Considering the 2nd and 3rd films were the mediocre Incredible Hulk and IM2, it's a wonder the MCU took off.

Thank goodness it did, because almost every film since The Avengers has been a home run.

For me this was the worst of the MCU (other than the humourless Hulk). Yes, I know many found Thor 2 confusing; but since we watched that out of order (after GotG and CA:Winter Soldier) it made a lot more sense.

You can skip this film in the context of watching the entire MCU. The major plot point, where he starts the film being poisoned by his own arc reactor, and by the end of the film creates a less toxic new element to power it... Is never referenced again.

They do introduce the character of Black Widow here, but Avengers 1 will catch you up more than adequately.

Everytime I watch this I wonder how Whiplash didn't slice anyone's legs off in Monaco. How Happy didn't crush Ivan's unprotected legs by ramming him with the car. He's the only other person capable of making an arc reactor, but instead of repulsor blasters, he uses it to power a whip...?

In a film where it felt like everyone could act, it's extra disappointing how cheesy this came off. It has jokes about Iron Man peeing in his suit. At least it's not boring.

6.8/10, C+ The great Black Widow sequence, & the fact that Iron Man saves an 8 year old Peter Parker in an Iron Man mask keep this score from going any lower.

YMMV: You might rate this higher if action and (goofy) comedy are what you're in the mood for. At least it's never boring.

[toomanyfeelings5]

2 5 & 13 for: ginny Weasley, cho Chang, hermione, gay nuns (never reblog these things while I'm online lol)

THANKS SAM I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Ahhh Ginny:

2. Their emotional/moral weak spots:

Ginny will hate you forever if you don’t support the Holyhead Harpies. You could be the best person but if you talk shit about the Harpies you’re dead to her. On a more serious note, she’s afraid of being vulnerable with people after the diary possession, and she hates losing control over her life, or feeling like she’s lost control over her life. On a moral note, she can sometimes do stuff for her own reputation and not because it’s necessarily the right thing to do.

5. Guilty Pleasures: 

She takes REALLY LONG BATHS, like she gets all pruney and doesn’t care, she loves it. Ginny also secretly watches the Great British Bakeoff but is ALSO obsessed with cooking shows in the USA. she gets very passionate about it all. which is hilarious, because she can’t cook for shit.

13. What Gets Them Flustered:

for harry/ginny: whenever harry says, “your hair is a sunset,” (he says this a lot) whenever harry kisses her in public (with tongue, because neither of them have any fucks to give), whenever harry says, “thank you for being my wife,” in a very conversational, matter-of-fact way, whenever harry helps ginny cut her hair short.

for ginny/luna: whenever luna kisses her hand, whenever luna braids her hair, whenever luna calls her, “darling,” whenever luna shows her some really cool magical creature specimen and smiles really wide and tells her, “it’s not as pretty as you, of course.” sometimes luna is telling a joke to people and winks at ginny, like they both know what’s funny, and ginny blushes every time. 

the thing to remember here is that ginny is a bisexual sap no matter what. 

Cho Chang!!!!

2. Cho can be too forgiving–she’s no pushover, but she avoids conflict like the plague with the people she’s close to, and would rather keep her friends instead of potentially making them angry at her. She hates being alone. She hates talking about difficult things. At her most afraid, she can choose what’s convenient over what’s right. She always knows when she does something wrong, but often does it anyway.  

5. CHO READS SO MANY TRASHY WIZARD ROMANCE NOVELS. SO MANY.  She loves and over-analyzes every single one of them. She also secretly loves playing against Harry or Cedric at Quidditch matches but DON’T TELL HER TEAMMATES THAT. 

13. ok so cho blushes all the time, it’s just a fact, but that being said, here’s what gets her flustered: whenever harry leaves terrible little poems for her on the fridge before work, whenever cedric gives her flowers he picked himself from their garden, whenever harry kisses her collarbone, whenever cedric puts his hand on her thigh in public and it’s (mostly) innocuous and casual but cho has read too many romance novels, whenever harry and cedric ask her about the book she’s reading. 

Hermioneeeeeeeee:

2. i feel like her emotional and moral weak spots are explored pretty well in the books, but i will add that hermione has a lot of internalized misogyny to get over, and also that she can be impatient and insensitive with others when wanting to achieve a goal. 

5. hermione and cho have a book club where they talk about the latest TRASHY ROMANCE NOVEL they’ve read. ginny is nominally a part of this club except she tends to skim the books and ends up with only like, 20% of the plot. it’s great. anyway, hermione also loves knitting even though she’s bad at it, and she is ALSO a huge secret fan of those reality tv paranormal detective shows. she points out when it’s a real ghost and when it’s a fake ghost and gets really into it. 

13. hermione gets flustered whenever she’s like, mid-rapid-fire-rant about nothing in particular and ron just gets this big goofy smile and says, “i’m so glad you married me,” and also whenever ron beats her at chess, which they play regularly, it’s like one of their date night things. also whenever her and ron are in a heated debate and ron bites his lip. let’s be real, they both like to solve (ultimately unimportant) arguments with making out. 

IT’S TIME FOR THE GAY NUNS:

Ana:

2. she has a lot of deep-seated insecurity and as a result tends to lash out at the slightest criticism. she can be cruel to preserve her reputation and her self-image. she doesn’t care about the rules, but she PRETENDS that she does with the right people–hypocritical. will back-stab and cheat and gossip and do almost anything to feel valued. wants attention all the time. can be willfully ignorant about her flaws/what’s right–stubborn. can be petty, selfish, melodramatic. loves pranking people, causing chaos, being purposely obnoxious (when it suits her). 

5. she secretly loves going to church, but not because she’s very religious or anything–it’s calming, and she can ignore her family under the guise of prayer, and she can vent to God. she’s like “animals are kind of gross who needs them as pets,” but she loves cats, and no, she’s not projecting, she’s just going to make sure that this random kitten found starving in the convent is going to be LOVED and APPRECIATED LIKE SHE DESERVES. 

13. where do i fucking start. you’d THINK that she’d be like, super smooth and coy and shit, and she is sometimes, because she’s a terrible flirt when she wants to be, but mostly whenever juliana like, smiles right at her, ana internally combusts. ana also gets flustered whenever juliana kisses her knuckles, or says, “god loves you, as i do,” or whenever juliana laughs at a joke ana tells. it’s like, literally any time whenever juliana is really gentle and soft towards her. they could be making out and it’s all good but then idk, juliana’s like “you have such nice eyes” and ana is like “im deceased” bless her. 

Juliana:

2. she can put her spiritual needs above everything else–ie, thinking, “i have god who needs anything else.” can get in her own head too much. she gets irritable and snide when she lets stuff pent up, which is often. proud, hates change, holds grudges. is incredibly strict with her morals because she’s super catholic, (and pedantic), BUT she can also put the institution of the church over god/what’s right. she acts rigid and cold and self-righteous, and she can be all of those things, but this masks her deeply-felt loneliness and exhaustion over not being understood. hates feeling out of control. 

5. juliana actually really loves dancing. she’s not that great at it, but she loves it. she also loves hearing all about conrad’s illegal pirate adventures, even though they’re technically sinful. she also secretly loves to sing. AND she secretly loves watching plays. and bad jokes. 

13. ok so juliana gets flustered whenever ana is super flirty with her, whenever ana kisses the back of her neck, whenever ana says, “you’re lovely,” whenever ana looks at her after juliana is done praying, whenever ana sends her that classic gay smirk when some rando visiting the convent is like, “it’s so great that you’re friends.” also omg here’s the thing. juliana gets Especially Flustered whenever anyone talks about shit about her, and ana gets really protective. juliana doesn’t need to be rescued 24/7 or anything like that, but she really loves it when ana is like “I’LL KNIFE YOU” if someone is like “juliana is uncool” or whatever and juliana gets v flustered. these gays are ridiculous. 

[cookiedoughmeagain]

Haven Rewatch. DVD Commentaries: Ain’t No Sunshine (Season One, Episode Eight)

Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Co-Creators) commenting.  

For reasons unknown there is no commentary for episode seven (Sketchy) - or not on the DVDs I have anyway. So we go straight from Fur to Ain’t No Sunshine.

Episode written by Sam

The opening scene where we see the first victim stabbed was intended that it not be clear who was attacking him. It wasn’t meant to seem like a shadow at this point.

The next scene (where Nathan is waiting for Jess), was originally written as Nathan sitting on her porch, but the director wanted to take advantage of the view, so they moved it (and Sam is happy with how it worked out).

What he wanted to show in this scene is Nathan stepping up to a relationship, but being unable to cross the threshold (metaphorically and literally) to start a relationship with “this beautiful woman”.

Sam and Jim being in complete agreement (“one of those things we don’t have to discuss”) that Nathan only drinks black coffee. It might be a stereotype that cops drink black coffee, but he’s that kind of guy; there’s “not a lot of adornment” to him.

Liking seeing Audrey and Nathan as friends hanging out.

The scenery as one of the main characters in the show.

The idea that Audrey doesn’t have any friends being something they talked about from the beginning; they always knew that she wouldn’t have friends. And why that is the case will be revealed in episode 13.

There being various things they always knew they wanted to include and sometimes struggling for time to fit these things in with the “trouble of the week” stuff.

Sam wondering if he over-used the thing of Audrey not knowing people’s names.

The Hessberg Center being named after someone they knew when they ran restaurants together (a wine rep). For no particular reason other than “it’s fun” to use friends names in episodes. And then a comment from Jim that it’s frustrating to do that and then it not get cleared by Legal.

Sam being pleased with the line where Audrey compares Nathan and small-talk to Superman and kryptonite.

There was originally an extra line, where the woman shows them in to the office. Audrey compliments her on her hair and there was a line after that “Do you want to go to a movie sometime?”, but they felt it was too much and cut it. Sam talks about tending to “really go for it” when he writes, expecting to bring it back at some point; “Hopefully I get around to it at some point, or someone else does it.” (Jim jokes that’s why he has a partner).

Sam talks about how his wife had cancer a few years ago, and is now fine, but went through six months of chemotherapy, which was “brutal”. And so that side of this story was very easy for him to write because he’d lived it. And jokes that “no one could argue with me”.

Sam acknowledges points made about the support group being open so that Audrey and Nathan could just walk up and sit in on it; he concept was that it wasn’t a formal support group session, but was the end of a programme, almost like a graduation. But he acknowledges that didn’t necessarily come across very well.

And they talk about how it can be very easy to write things one way and not realise that others will see something different in it and how easy it can be for things to be mis-interpreted.

Nathan’s response to the “Are you Jess’s detective?” question as “a big relationship moment” for him.

Emily doing a great job of showing Audrey’s initial denial over the point about her not having friends (and getting people’s names wrong).

Acknowledging the discussion online (about the scene where Jess brings them food at the station) over the relationship between Audrey and Jess and whether they are competing over Nathan, but leaving that topic alone because “we have a way to go here”.

Sam’s intention in this scene was to show Nathan with two women and him “not being comfortable with either of them in a way”.

Commenting on the difference between Lucas as a “goofy guy” and the character of Nathan that he plays.

Sam being happy with the moment where Jess comments about “Let’s get to second base first” and the way the women laugh, but Nathan finds it awkward. Liking the way Audrey and Jess are having fun with him.

The next scene where we see the woman stabbed through the back of the sofa originally had a different ending, which was deemed “too gruesome”. It went like this; the gas fire isn’t working and the husband leaves the room to go check some related thing in the basement. The shadow stabs the woman and then drags her across the room to the fireplace, stuffing her inside. Then we see the husband in the basement where he finds the switch that will turn the fire on. We see him press it and here the woosh of the flames.

Having a lot of discussion in the writer’s room about how a shadow sword would work. Would it pull blood from the body through onto the couch? Sam finding this idea ridiculous, but them both acknowledging that you can play the logic games forever about how supernatural stuff like this would or could work. And then Jim comments “That’s what the internet is for. In the writer’s room, we pick one and we move on.” Sam adding that “We pick one after an hour of discussion.”

The scene with Vince and Dave arguing about drawing versus photography is something Sam wrote before planning to follow it up later in the episode. It was just written because he “thought it would be something they would do”.

There having been a lot of discussion about the “Black Man Makes Haven His Home” article from the 1950s that Audrey finds in the Haven archives. There having been debate about whether having this in the show was crossing a line, because “everyone wants to be respectful”, but it being a realistic thing that an article like that could have been written in the 50s and that Vince and Dave would be embarrassed about it now.

Audrey and Nathan being good at their job because they often don’t have a lot of information to go on, but they track things down.

And then “the big scene” where Nathan tells Audrey why he’s worried about being with Jess (not being sure if he will be able to “make it happen” with his Trouble). Sam talks about being pleased with how this worked out; the actors doing a great job. This question of “whether Nathan can perform sexually if he can’t feel anything” as something that occurred to them right away; a conversation they had four years before when developing the show “because even though we’re grown men … we’re still seventh graders”. And this being another one of those long discussions in the writers’ room about; how would it work.

This being almost the first draft of this scene; because they had spoken about it a lot when Sam came to write it “it just came out the way it needed to”. Jim comments that “When scene write that easily, you know that’s what they’re supposed to be.”

Talking about Nathan’s trouble, Jim comments that “There’s no viagra for his condition,” then adds, “Or is there?”

Sam finding something cool that Nathan is able to talk about this very personal thing with his partner who’s a woman [the implication being that it shows what a good friendship they have].

So now we see Nathan and Jess with a bottle of wine and Sam talks about what was behind this scene which he hopes was clear enough. This idea of Nathan being unsure if he could “make it happen” and the fact that “that happens to men not because they’re touching anything”, but because of what’s happening in their brain. It’s a mental thing and that’s what Jess means when she asks “Can you feel me?” because the answer is no; he can’t feel any of this. But what she’s really asking is “Can you feel it now if you look in my eyes?” and the answer is “Of course he can” because he’s still going to feel the mental side of his attraction for her; because “that’s where it all happens”.

And feeling that both of the actors “did a beautiful job here, to get the honesty of this moment”.

And Nathan as having “so much baggage” that he carries around with him, and this as “one of the largest pieces”.

Jess as being “exactly the right medicine for Nathan’s condition”. Jess as being “so on board” with the situation. Sam being very happy with how the scene worked out, but feeling that he would have had them both keep their eyes open as they kiss; to have them look each other in the eye the whole time and he comments that “kissing someone with your eyes open is very intense”.

With Audrey, Vince and Dave in the station, commenting that it must have been difficult to act around a shadow that wasn’t really there.

Hoping that no one would catch the fact that the sword had to be the blind man’s cane. And how they went out of their way to establish that the character had a cane; but to not show him using it.

How they had a lot of discussions about the rules of the shadow i.e. the idea that it can’t exist without light. Sam enjoying talking about this kind of stuff, but also having found it frustrating that not everyone got that.

And then the scene with Nathan and Jess and less clothing than before. And Sam talking about his reaction when he first saw this, which was to “jump out of my chair and run screaming out of my office”. He was freaked out because these people (he mentions both Nathan and Lucas) are his friends and it’s awkward to see them like this. But feeling that it worked and was tasteful enough.

Jim comments, “It must be said that the corollary to the questions about can Nathan do this, would be that if he can, then he can probably do it for a long time, with the numbness”.

They discuss the question of “whether there was consummation” for Nathan and Jess. Sam feels no, Jim says Yes. But they agree that “no one knows” i.e. that it is unclear in the show.

Where Jess is reading to Thornton, there was originally a similar scene with Jess and Menchie, but it was dropped for time concerns.

Them both liking the way Thornton (and his house) looks; as being elegant. That wasn’t in the script, but just one of the ways that Production can take what’s written and make it better. And being pleased with the way this was all done. And finding the process interesting to see how something they’ve written ends up looking like once it’s been through someone else’s head.

Thornton keeping his wife’s drugs as coming from the fact that Sam’s grandmother wouldn’t throw out his grandfather’s drugs after he died (though not from cancer). And Jim’s mum being similar with his dad.

Questioning the idea of whether it would be possible to take a photo of a shadow with a flash; “it should cancel it out”. And liking what Production did with the photos to show the shadows as slightly bleached out.

One of the reasons Thornton was reading Shakespeare being that it’s in the public domain; the practicalities they have to consider. And how this can be one of those decisions that can be easy to kill yourself over, and then get told you can’t do it anyway for some practical reason.

The idea of someone stealing chemo drugs being based on a true story - a pharmacist in New York diluting drugs so essentially selling them twice.

Originally this was written so that Jess died in this episode. The whole idea when she was introduced in Fur was to “bring her on and kill her”. The idea was to show a different side of Nathan and address these issues and then have “the Troubles cost Nathan his love” directly. But at the last moment it was decided from on high that maybe that was a little too dark, too much. So they dialled it back so she is injured rather than dies.

The aim was to get Nathan to a place where he is not reliable and could do anything. And feeling that this part would maybe have worked better in a version where Jess died, because as it is we have to wonder why he doesn’t go to the hospital with her. But he is acting emotionally and irrationally and this as “an episode where we see Nathan doing a lot of things we never thought we’d see him do”.

The concept of the shadow as all the negative aspects of Thornton’s character and being pleased from what they saw online that people seemed to get that.

Being pleased with how the actor did a good job of making Thornton seem likeable - because he’s kind of murderer, but also it wasn’t really his fault.

Audrey talking to the target practice figures, was originally written as two mannequins, but the production designer suggested the targets and feeling that was a good move.

The actor who plays Thornton doing a good job of playing a blind character (the actor not being blind).

Nathan as grappling with what to do with Thornton; wanting to kill him, but having promised Audrey he wouldn’t. And how it’s not so easy to have sympathy for Troubled people and the horrible results of their Troubles when they directly affect your own life.

Originally they had it so that Audrey destroyed the shadow with the flashes in the station. But it makes sense that if the shadow heads away from the flashes, it’s probably going to head back to it’s “host” i.e. Thornton.

And so Jess is leaving Haven, and feeling that this works and that there’s something beautiful about Nathan turning up with flowers and her coffee and everything, ready for them to start a life together, but she’s on her way out. And Jim comments that “He finally puts down his baggage; she picks up hers”.

And the resolution of what to do with Thornton as a very Haven ending, because there is no good solution to what to do with him.

And then “the big kiss” and this as a scene that never changed all that much (although originally would have happened at Jess’s memorial service). And loving the way Lucas acted feeling Audrey’s kiss; because when this was just lines on a page everyone wondering whether it would be clear that he felt it, but he shows it really well.

And they end by saying that yes, you could argue forever about how life is going to work for Thornton, if he ever leaves etc. Because there are no easy answers to those questions and so they hope people will talk about it.

I should say, through all their discussion about things not working out quite how they planned or this being difficult or that being a challenge; they’re always joking about it, they always sound happy. They’re not gripping, it’s just the realities of their work; which they seem to very much enjoy.

[thingsandstuffwithalvin]

Thoughts&Opinions: Netflix’s FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE (Few Spoilers)

A new Netflix original comedy that focuses on --you guessed it-- friends from college. The series follows the lives of Ethan and Lisa Turner. Now entering their 40s, they move to New York City, which allows the old friend-group from college to reunite and see each other regularly.

Should you watch it?

As excited as I was for this series, unfortunately, I have to tell you: No, you shouldn’t watch Friends From College, unless you are actively trying to get disappointed. Despite the fact that it has a great cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Fred Savage, Cobie Smulders, and Billy Eichner, I found I had to force myself to watch all 8 episodes.

The trailers made the series look charming, funny, and it struck a chord for anyone who’s lost touch with good friends over the years. It didn’t help that visually, this series was filmed almost like a movie – evocative of grounded romantic-comedy films like This is 40 or Forgetting Sarah Marshall – which raises the expectation of its quality. Despite having that look and a relatable premise, I feel like Friends From College fell short on almost every level.

What Went Wrong?

The Marketing and Promotions Raised Expectations

If you watched the trailer, it certainly raised the expectation that you were getting a top-notch comedy series worthy of the Netflix brand, giving you hope that this is Netflix’s attempt to fill the void of classic TV sitcoms like Friends, Seinfeld, or How I Met Your Mother. The series was framed as funny and enjoyable, while managing to stay grounded by touching on serious issues among this group of friends. Unfortunately several of the jokes weren’t funny because the characters were too goofy, and none of those issues get solved since the characters barely manage to grow throughout the 8 episodes.

The Name Isn’t Completely Accurate

The name “Friends From College” is a bit of a misnomer. With that kind of title you expect the series to delve into each of the six friends’ lives, but the focus is only on half of them. The other three friends aren’t anything more than supporting characters, who are either too quirky or too boring.

The characters who usually have the spotlight are the married couple, Ethan and Lisa, (played by Key and Smulders) and Sam (Annie Parisee). Ethan and Lisa are trying to have a baby and turn to IVF, while Sam consistently fails to end her affair with Ethan which has been going on for over 20 years. Most of the episodes revolve around these two subjects, and despite a vague confrontation between Lisa and Sam, nothing gets resolved.

The friend-group also includes Max (Savage), Nick (Nat Paxon) and Marianne (Jae Suh Park). Max is part of the book publishing company that Ethan works with; Nick is a rich womanizer who is close with Lisa; and Marianne has allowed Ethan and Lisa to stay with her while they look for a house. Although we deal with Max’s relationship with his boyfriend Felix (Eichner) and Marianne’s acting career, their roles are strictly supportive of that of Sam, Lisa, and Ethan.

The Characters Were Too Much

The show is quick to establish how immature everyone in the friend-group is when they’re reunited for the first time. It’s understandable, of course. Despite how much a person grows up, old friends are quick to return to the social rhythm they once had and act like they did when they were younger. Unfortunately that doesn’t excuse how unfunny they are.

The characters were too quirky. Ethan had an annoying tendency to use a silly voice whenever he was uncomfortable, Sam constantly berated her therapist for pointing out the obvious, Max’s sudden cocaine use was out of place, and Marianne was just plain weird. Max’s boyfriend Felix was often used as the audience’s surrogate, often commenting on their group’s behavior but Felix himself was painfully socially awkward.

Was There Anything Good About It?

Absolutely. Only one episode really stood out for me, and it was Episode 4, “Mission Impossible.” It focused on Ethan and Lisa’s journey with IVF and goes into some peculiar and surprisingly entertaining hijinks. This episode in particular showed off the great chemistry between the married couple, while putting up with Marianne’s cast party, and accidentally ruining Max and Felix’s date, where they realize they’ve forgotten Max’s birthday. The way this episode was constructed gave me hope that this was a turning point in the series, but sadly that wasn’t the case.

Another notable episode was Episode 6: “Second Wedding,” which featured Seth Rogen, another old friend from college whom they run into at a wedding. Rogen played the “Party Dog” who had a romantic history with Sam in college, much to Ethan’s chagrin.

Final Thoughts

This show had so much going for it. Great cast, relatable premise, but the jokes kept falling short for me and there is little-to-no character growth. Perhaps if you watch it yourself, you can find enjoyment out of it, but for me Friends From College will be remembered as a missed opportunity for something great.

[rockandrollportlandor]

HUSKY BOYS

The great mystery of rock n roll is how it ever got so serious. Don't get me wrong, I've made plenty of serious music, but when did having fun become unhip? Lester Bangs, already in the 70s, when the shift happened, noted it with dissapointment in his famous essay "James Taylor Marked for Death": The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible in large part for smiting rock with the superstar virus, which revolves around the substituting of attitudes and flamboyant trappings, into which the audience can project their fantasies, for the simple desire to make music, get loose, knock the folks out or get 'em up dancin'. It's not enough just to do those things anymore; what you must do instead if you want success on any large scale is figure a way of getting yourself associated in the audience's mind with their pieties and their sense of "community." Bangs, however, was no simple pessimist, and promised that as long as a least a few bands could keep the plain ol' rock n roll party going, rock n roll would never die, however much it may continue to be co-optd into a "lifestyle" brand. Enter Husky Boys, a band who appear to be concerned simply with making music, getting lose, knocking the folks out and gettin' em up dancin'. Oh yeah, and playing sick double-lead guitar solos. Almost inherently bombastic and over-the-top, double lead, which saw its heyday in the 70's with arena rock bands like Boston, Kansas, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden etc. etc., is rarely used in this kind of power pop/punk pop context, but Husky Boys make you wonder why, because it's just fun. It makes me feel giddy and nostalgic and stoked for I don't even know what, and the band plays with an enthusiastic abandon live that only makes it more fun. In fact, it's so fun that it's easy to miss how complex and difficult-to-play this stuff must be. It's all delivered with an ironic wink--how could it not be--but it's totally genuine. It could easily be a one-trick pony sort of thing, but the band are good enough songwriters, and melodically inventive enough to keep it continuously engaging. Husky Boys' double leads, played by James Helmsworth and Amit Gordon, are definitely their signature move. At a time when every guitarist has 15 pedals and turns a single strum into a 20 minute dirge that's supposed to be a song, actually just PLAYING your guitar, really playing it, like James and Amit do, is practically a SUBVERSIVE act. But one would be a fool to ignore the band's fantastic rhythm section, comprised of bassist Sam Sesek and drummer Eric Bloombaum. The former is just as melodically rigorous on his instruments as his six-stringed brothers, and the latter seems to be constantly doing fills and accents, all while thrusting the band along like a bullet train--all four members of this band are constantly GOING. Every song feels like a delirious surge forward. Helmsworth is a hammy frontman between songs, cracking jokes and coughing up sly remarks, and as a lead vocalist he's all impassioned yelps and goofy pouts--similar in a lot of ways to Richard Hell but without the venom, almost more of a ringleader than a lead singer. He can afford to be a most threatrical vocalist because those double leads are really the bearers of melody in the band. If you need a desert island Husky Boys track, I'd suggest "Book of Love", but you really need to do yourself a favor and listen to the whole of their EP "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Loud". Definitely some of the best stuff in its genre that I've heard here.