#the way rewatching these scenes made me go feral....

[gay-dorito-dust]

consider: batboys reacting to their s/o who is fucking obsessed with Viktor. like they keep rewatching all of arcane and over analyze and froth over that man. (me fr)

Tim is equally as interested in arcane and in Viktor just as much as you were in all honesty.

So needless to say season two act two broth the both of you, but you were taking it much harder then he was as you swore that Viktor will return as the machine herald in act three, you were being delusional but it was better to be that then accept that your favourite character was gone forever.

Tim would retort and say that the Viktor wasn’t entirely Viktor and would make a fucking power point made with incredible detail pointing to the exact moment Viktor’s character changed entirely. He, like many others, firmly believed that Viktor was corrupted or playing host to the arcane and sighting as Salo as a major reason as to why that might be.

You two would spend countless hours rewatching season one a week before season two came out and cried…Only to cry again somehow ever worse after season two with Isha being the brave little soul that she was. You’re both very, very delusional and hope that she’s somehow alive even though she most likely isn’t, which means jinx will become a menace and make it everyone’s problem.

You also agree that the commune was too polished and perfect to not have something weird going on underneath the surface, while also agreeing that Skye is what the arcane is disguising itself in hopes of using the guilt Viktor felt towards her death to its advantage.

Damian doesn’t watch shows unless you force him to.

He doesn’t find any interest in doing such things but he had to admit the art style of arcane had him greatly intrigued. That and the story was well written as were the characters complex with their ambitions, motivations and actions that they thought were right.

You going apeshit over Viktor however, expect to be on the brunt of his side eyes when you openly simp for the man of science.

‘THATS MY HUSBAND!’ You yelled and Damian swore he had became deaf after that. So whenever you’d visibly look excited to see Viktor -even though it had only been a few scenes since you last saw him- he’s bracing himself for the outburst you’d let out each and every time.

He comes to adore the show but not nearly as much as you however but he has to applaud the writers and everyone involved with such an enriching story and three dimensional characters and how it seemly the story is. After all it takes a talented person with a good eye to pull together a perfect story out of thin air. But other than that he picks up on the finer details that you might’ve missed yourself and you rewards him with kisses and hugs for doing so.

Much like Tim, Damian believes that the arcane is using Skye’s likeness to manipulate and corrupt Viktor due to his guilt over her death. He was all about destroying the hexcore but all notions of that seemed to disappear not long after the commune he builds grows in concerning numbers. Almost like an unsettling hivemind especially when they all die the way that they did.

Dick finds your attraction and or obsession for Viktor hilarious and would record you every time he came on screen, especially so when he had grown his hair out a little.

You were barking like a fucking dog for that man, foaming at the mouth and going absolutely feral as though you were going to leap through the tv and tackle the fictional character. ‘That’s my husband!’ You’d yell the moment you see him and Dick is pouting like a child as he crossed his arms over his chest.

‘I thought I was your husband.’ He says and you’d have to console your pouty man with a bunch of kisses and reassurances that he was still number one in your heart. Dick had doubts as he once asked you ‘if Viktor was real would you stay with me?’

Your silence spoke volumes for Dick who only pouted even more and you had to console him…again. You love your dickie bird and you had to reassure him the Viktor was fictional and not real, thus your love and attention would forever more be his. Needles to say he was a happy little pup for the rest of the day…that is until he saw your eyes glued to the screen whenever Viktor came on and shushing him so that you could hear his soft voice speak.

You swore you’ve never heard Viktor yell, well other than that one scene in arcane where he’s running but then again you were screaming at the screen along with him. Needles to say you were inconsolable when he died and Dick had to deal with you making a memorial for a person that wasn’t real and praying for his return as the machine herald.

Jason loves the story arcane tells.

Probably sees himself in a lot of the characters from the undercity/zaun to be honest as it almost reminds him of his time in Crime Alley.

Jason is a fan of a well written story as a man who is a lover of literature and theatre, so when you shown him arcane his ass was sat on the couch from episode one and was immediately hooked.

So when you openly thirst over Viktor and scream ‘THATS MY HUSBAND! LOOK AT HOW FUCKING PRETTY HE IS OH MY FUCKING GOD!’ He’s chuckling at your enthusiasm and your obsession with the man it was downright hilarious.

‘Do you like men with long hair?’ He asks teasingly.

‘I like men with intellect, dignity, a good heart and a little softie.’ You replied as you poked his chest. ‘Long hair doesn’t suit every man unfortunately, I think it’s got something to do with the face shape but yeah…I don’t think many could suit it as effortlessly.’ You add with a shrug of your shoulders.

Jason will be more than willing to listen to you as you go on about the theories you believe might be true in regard to Viktor, the hexcore and the arcane itself. He loved it when you get this passionate about things you love that he couldn’t help himself but give you a kiss on the lips each time you seem to be tripping up on your word because you were that excited to have someone to talk to about all this, especially if it was your beloved partner. ‘What was that for?’ You’d ask after he pulls away from the kiss.

‘You looked adorable and sexy when you talk theories and speculations for what will happen next, it’s a good look on you and I couldn’t help but kiss you.’ Jason replied as he kissed you on the lip once again and you were quick to talking about how Viktor had to come back in act three and how you think Viktor was being used as a puppet.

Jason throws in his thoughts and opinions but he just loved to sit and listen to you and admire that beautiful brain of yours.

[rosemariad]

THE BITTER END | SPN 15x18 DESPAIR: About that Destiel moment in 15x18

Oh boy…the scene that sailed a thousand memes (and counting)…the scene that made us all go feral in the midst of a contentious presidential elections in one of the most disruptive, chaotic years in recent memory (2020 you son of a bitch)

Now i am super late with this since it’s nearly been 4 years since this was aired live on TV and posted like crazy all over the internet BUT…y’all Destiel shippers got robbed. Not just with this scene but the whole Destiel ship in general - just done so dirty.

I started watching this show on and off back in 2021 and I finally got to finish over the summer this year (2024) taking my sweet time, even rewatching certain episodes (for some fanfic writing 😁). I went into this to settle the debate for myself - is this Destiel stuff legit? Or was it taken out of context? Misconstrued.

No. It really wasn’t. They (the powers behind SPN) tried it, tried to pull the wool over people’s heads, with certain fans chiming in (the destiel haters, the homophobes, the anti-mishas, etc.) but no. The SPN showrunners fucked all this up.

From the beginning….

So it’s 15x18 despair - we’re in the last act - shit’s popping off, everything’s going tits up - Billie is trying to hunt Dean down, calling him chaos incarnate. Dean & Cas get trapped in a room with no apparent means of escape or defense - probably should’ve headed for the exit - but I guess since it’s the 3rd to last episode and the execs clearly want things to go back to the status quo 🙄 now’s as good a time as any to cash in on that plot thread from last season and kill Castiel once and for all 😭 (as 1 person pointed out, given the prior context they probably could've just waited Billie out, since them being trapped in that room - Cas was the one that blocked the door anyhow - but I get it SPN showrunners you wanted to get rid of Cas somehow - what a mess)

If you haven’t watched it - here’s where I gasp and scoff in disbelief - please watch it https://youtu.be/l_r9GZeQl1w?si=uVox8PlXByYEYKci

Basically Cas tells Dean he’s the greatest guy he’s ever known, that he fights for love and that Cas lurves Dean 😭 and he’s not the bad things enemies say Dean is. That he’s more than the worst parts of himself - oh Cas.

This was Castiel’s one moment of true happiness - telling the one person whom he adores more than anyone or anything else in the entire universe - that he is loved by Castiel himself.

The confession that triggers Castiel’s demise to go with the empty, takes Billie with him and before Dean can process the massive TRUTH BOMB Castiel just dumped on him, Castiel is gone.

Despair indeed.

They made too many fucking cuts to this scene, at least for Jensen’s coverage. Like if you don’t want Dean to reciprocate…fine. Don’t. But let him fucking respond! Let him use his words. Castiel just told Dean he was in love with him, that is one of the BIGGEST things you can say to somebody in your life. EVER. Especially on TV. And yes it was in love, like romantically. Not platonically because why make such a fucking fuss over fucking platonic friendship! There’s always been a tension between these 2 characters, it hung over between them since season 4. They just made it into a joke, never expecting to get the traction it did over the years. They even tried writing Cas off the show for good back in season 7. But they got stuck with Cas and never really made proper use of him. They literally just waited until the last minute to get rid of him in a way that couldn’t get the show cancelled until that decision had already been made by the network. to make things worse - COVID happened

So don’t tell me the confession doesn’t merit a response, either for or against on Dean’s part - whether he returns Castiel’s affection or not is another story but dammit let Dean speak! How could you not? Cowards!

And Would it be so terrible if Dean did feel something MORE than friendship for the only other individual that has stood by him for so many years? Like really? A relationship doesn’t demand sex (but let’s be honest, Cas probably wanted to fuck the shit outta Dean 🤣) it’s whatever the people in the relationship want! Dean isn’t young by the time s15 rolls around. Older people tend to just want someone to come home to, settle down with. Companionship. Cas fits that to a fucking T. When Dean dreamed of a future, Cas was right there with him (and Sam, cuz Dean always wants his family close as much as he can, given how he grew up).

Couldn’t find a gif of Dean talking about taking some time off after all the craziness of the hunting they do but I’m not crazy I know he wanted it.

The team behind SPN could have finished Dean’s narrative beautifully as man who was driven by fear all his life and opens himself up to a relationship he never saw coming but when the time came he didn’t run because he grew to love more than fear (and choose to live a life of peace after stuck in one of violence for so many years).

This is why Hollywood is shit! Great beginnings, shitty endings. But in this case, it was because they consistently chose NOT to indulge in queer-like narratives with enough care (aside from some other problematic stuff like the treatment towards women being more negative than positive, the inconsistent writing for characters and plot, etc.)

BUT not when it’s the main character 😡 Charlie can be gay AF but not Dean, seriously? That’s fucked. Like at least let him fucking explore/consider it. So people stop watching it who gives AF?! I never even watched the show when it was on air for 15 years, tons of people didn’t. There are still people out there watching SPN for the first time today! People who started but stopped because it’s a show that ran WAAAY longer than any other normally does.

Idk who made it so that Dean couldn’t explore his sexuality or fucked up the Destiel of it all but they SUUUUUUUUCK! You really shat the bed! at least explore it cuz at the end of the day, it may not work out. Gay relationships aren’t that different from straight relationships in that sometimes it just doesn’t work out BECAUSE we’re ALL people. And who knows maybe they could’ve been happy but we’re not allowed to know that canonically because Destiel was never given a CHANCE!

I mean if it was REALLY that big a deal – why introduce it? By making these little suggestions that (in a way that's funny but why would Dean be queer be haha funny - no that's not okay, queerness shouldn't be a joke) furthermore we’re talking about a show on basic cable - all it would’ve taken was fucking hand-holding or the same routine of staring into each other’s eyes like they’d been doing for 12 fucking years already! Just not shying away from the queerness that time. Legend of Korra did it. That 1 Disney show did it (i don’t remember the name). No kissing would’ve been necessary - nice, wishful thinking but not necessary if the kissing became an issue (but seriously it was 2020 man but ofc - that is a year where a pandemic that required social distancing decided to kick in during the final arc of this show) - just so we’re all clear COVID cock blocked Destiel lol jk 🤣

All those times they had Dean & Cas stare into each other's eyes – the forces at work – showrunners, writers, directors AND editors & the network who is showing this to audiences – if its such a big fucking deal - Don't leave it in. By leaving it in, you're allowing people to make assumptions about the relationship – it happens literally every time in every story ever told. You put 2 people in a scene and they're not family (though not always the case) or JUST friends (explicitly proven) there's a chance SOMEONE is gonna wanna ship them no matter how likely it is (OR NOT) they'll hookup or become a couple. That's just how it is. So don't fan the flames and then turn it around on fans that they're wrong, crazy or misinterpreting. If Wincest can exist, so can Destiel and any other ship. That being said, y’all Destiel shippers were ROBBED but I don’t need to tell you that.

I don’t think the relationship would’ve been perfect or smooth sailing - their friendship as it was on the show sure wasn’t. And Dean wasn’t the only one with issues - Cas had some bad qualities too - the angel liked to lie and for a while there he was extremely averse to conflict. And Dean…he gets real fucking angry 😬 not a good mix for a relationship- hell even a friendship.

But the two had a profound bond, with a great deal of affection for one another and that’s what got them through betrayal, fights, amnesia, curses, apocalypses, and all the ugliness in between. They could’ve made it. Or they could’ve just had Cas and Dean stay friends - but we’ll never know since Cas was pretty much omitted after 15x18 - there were references - like only 2 though 😒

Really SPN? 😒😔 so lazy. But sure, go ahead, blame COVID. It’s not like phones exist. It’s not like the actor couldn’t have just recorded Castiel’s voice nope. Totally not an option 🤦🏾‍♀️ same goes for the other characters - Jody, Donna, Eileen - you know all the other characters Sam & Dean cared about but sure - fuck ‘em too. Status quo is the only thing that matters - SMH.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Question (because i'm curious and because i love enabling friends' hyperfixation): what is Tengu no Daidokoro? Why do you like it? What are you hoping for in a s2?

Also, should i watch it?

I adore Koisenu Futari and i have other similar queer-people-in-their-daily-life Japanese shows on my watch list (i loved my dining table and i have Kinou nani Tabeta and Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna waiting) that i just know i will love once i have the time to watch it!

Is Tengu no Daidokoro anything like it?

Thank you so much for this ask cause it gives me the opportunity to share my love for this show and also maybe make other people want to check it out.

Before anything else. This is not a queer show. All those shows you mentioned are some of my favourite shows, as you can see by my choice of pfp I adore Koisenu Futari as well. Kinou Nani Tabeta and Tsukutabe are magic and I really hope you get to them because they are so amazing. But Tengu is not that. It's an absolute gem and I adore it.

Now. Why do I love it? Why I am excited like it's christmas morning and I still believe in santa? So many reasons...

-IT'S GORGEOUS (if I hadn't binged this ,I would've giffed every frame)

I mean the greens are just incredible. All the colours in these show are actually. The change in the colours is amazing as well. My delusional brain will believe that this second season was made specifically so that me and @colourme-feral could once again lose our minds over THE GREENS.

-It's about two brothers. (I love stories around family)

Motoi (older brother played by Komagine Kiita) and On. A city 14 year old who comes to stay at his older brother's house in a rural area. They are estranged and have little in common. On is the perfect representation of 'kids these days...' (I know I'm getting old when this is what comes to mind), completely hates the idea of being away from the city and technology and internet (I related). Motoi is at home here, he's very quiet and calm. I love them. I love this relationship. I love how it grows and I can't wait to see where they go next.

-The food. (I love food)

Motoi has his own vegetable garden and he makes everything from there or other local sources. Just like the shows you mentioned in your ask, the food is a major ingredient to this story. It's the thing that brings these brothers together as well. the scene in the above gif is one of my favourites because of that. Not gonna give you spoilers.

-The dog. but also...

this is where the show takes a different turn than you'd expect. although not really because it's in the synopses, but if you only knew this show from gifs and this post you would not see this one coming. There's a supernatural element to this show. For starters that cute dog you see there, he talks. He's a talking dog!!! And he is delightful. but also this

(Can we just stop for a second and appreciate how beautiful Kiita is? I barely recognized him in 25 ji.) So yeah it's in the show's name, Tengu's Kitchen. Tengu's are a legendary creature from japanese folklore and the brothers are descendants of them. (more info here about that if you're curious).

-The three of them.

I adore them. I don't want to say more so you'll just have to watch it.

-the setting (did I mention it's gorgeous?)

I know I've mentioned the visuals but it's not just that. it's the scenery and the rhythm and the music (I love the ost of this show) and the everything. Look I watch shows for a bunch of different reasons. This one, I watch it, or rewatch it as the case may be, for my soul. It's beautiful, it's soothing, it's touching, and I feel better after watching it. I really can't explain it any other way.

There are more things I could say honestly but this is already so much longer than I intended. But it's 10 episodes of 30 minutes and as with a lot of jdramas, an incredible human @aoinousagi has fansubbed it for our viewing plesure. here is the link to their post.

These are just some of the reasons I love it and can't wait to watch more. I never expected it but this day is better because of that announcement alone. I'm so happy. I will do rewatch soon, and probaly gif more of it so maybe more people will want to check it out.

@yannig thank you so much for this question. Sorry if it's a bit of a incoherent mess but I'm really excited and having trouble putting it into words. And I know there are a lot of shows to watch and not enough time to watch them all, so of course no pressure, but if you're ever in the mood for something that is wholesome and beautiful I do recommend it highly.

[otakween]

Digimon Data Squad (Savers) - Episode 14

Wow, this episode kinda popped off. I was skeptical at first because there were a lot of wonky/off model shots in the first half, but the fight animation was great! Overall this episode had super snappy pacing and I was on the edge of my seat. Looks like this arc's gonna be good!

Notes:

I can't tell if it's just my imagination, but sometimes it looks like they're using 3DCG for Agumon and Gaomon (outside of digivolution sequences I mean). I keep getting thrown off by how derpy they look. (Maybe it's just how they're shaded?)

It was pretty satisfying when Masaru's mom confirmed that she knew about digimon all along and that's why she wasn't that surprised about Agumon. Brings some perspective/context for earlier episodes and gives this season some rewatch value.

Masaru's dad face reveal! He has his son's curtain bangs lol. Their skin tone is the same too.

We finally see Yoshi at home. Her room is pretty generic. I was kinda hoping they made it a mess as a call back to what Lalamon said about Yoshi being a slob earlier

I find it funny that Sayuri's signature dish is just fried eggs. Finally some achievable mom standards!

Loved the chunky, clunky tools DATS came up with for the journey to the digital world. One of which looks like an 90s cell phone

Love Ikuto. First of all, we haven't really seen this "feral child" concept yet, so he doesn't feel like a rehash of past characters. His design is really strong (kinda reminds me of this obscure manga I used to read called +Anima) and his way of speaking is fun too. I like how he says "humon" in the dub, that's genius. Finally, his fight scene was just really fun to watch.

Can't decide if Peckmon is hilarious or awesome. Either way I got really excited when they revealed him. He's ostrich-sized and kind of like a weird, ninja chocobo. His hair and color scheme is giving me "1980s shounen" vibes. Fascinating.

Sunflowmon continues to be pretty worthless every time 😬

Still hate Jureimon. He's definitely up there in my "top 10 worst digimon designs" list that I store in my brain. At list his Nyokimon were cute.

Was that Gotsumon supposed to be possessed/brainwashed when he was attacking everyone? His eyes got all glowy so I assume that's what they were going for. ~Mysterious~

[perfectfangirl]

i'm not new to the fallout fandom but

and i also haven't made a written post in years but yet i'm sure there's already discourse on the tv show about it on here with me not finding it right away but i'd like to talk about how cooper [the ghoul man] decided to unalive and butcher another [going feral friend] ghoul, roger. though terrifying and universally morally reviled... i think it's a genuinely interesting choice of him to me with having his companion hostage [vault dweller] lucy around. morally, on the scale, it was oddly compassionate, for lack of a better phrasing. stay with me now! [ghouls just do not perish under usual circumstances in this universe and that guy would've been doomed to a "life" to fallout's equivalent of zombism] and though obviously i do not like that he did that [lmao like i'm repulsed despite very much knowing how the "fallout" games can go down, i mean there's a cannibalism perk 😭] i still think it was choice. and i think he was thinking about lucy when he made, despite how um how disturbing that entire scene was fldgld listen. when he went to the lead farmer's house, they thought so lowly of ghouls, that man and his son genuinely thought he was eating the farmer's daughter 😭 and until further episodes, i'm basically of the mind he'd probably only consume either bad guys or ghouls or both who are about to turn but anyways. back to the main point. cooper already has to face the prospect that he could be one of "them" any moment too, since he was no vials himself in that episode. so it was duly hard for him to watch--- knowing that person like that and then seeing them slowly turn. i think he knew even with any vials, that man was finished. compassionate might be a very odd word for me to use here but i say this for a couple reasons. it's "compassionate" for this universe, at least. the wasteland is cruel and unforgiving. if cooper was just after meat, why... he could've just had lucy. but i think it was an interesting choice to consume a friend type person and a [going feral] ghoul. he's not even consuming a regular ghoul. he put down one who quite literally was already turning into a feral one. it's giving "lost cause" [this show hurt just like the games, swear] looking back on the scene, he kind of tries to have a [last] warm conversation with him. about food. human food. rewatching the scene now, i actually barely caught the fact that cooper shot roger as he was looking away from him. like, my goodness, he didn't hate this man at all. this was mercy k ill if there was one. in the back of my mind, i keep thinking "was this his call to make?". in a lot of ways, i'm still on lucy's side about everything. but lucy isn't a ghoul. and i don't live in the fallout universe. there's always some type of alternative yet this is what cooper thought he should do. a few episodes later, lucy can't reason with a ghoul anymore and has to do the same thing [minus consuming them]. i guess it was his call. she is gobsmacked that he's really about to butcher and eat that man and it's kinda funny he asks her name. some insane foreshadowing that's intriguing on subsequent watches no less. i want to keep this a little short for sanity's sake--- but like. when lucy asks cooper how does he live like this. why keep going. briefly. for a short moment. while he's turned away from her. he remembers. he wishes. he misses. who he was. before all this. then, feeling contempt for who she thinks she is, he makes her butcher roger. and it was in that moment i realized cooper was for sure playing a character to cope. but that's a post for another time, wastelanders ⚡

[dolfinsatdawn]

Questions 6, 20 and 30 for the RoP Ask Game. :-)

Omg thank you for the ask!!

6. Where would you most like to live in RoP and why?

I am going to say Eregion because I can't help myself and I know that means I'm doomed but at least I'd get to see Celebrimbor for several hundred years. (And I’m not quite as doomed as if I said Numenor.) Eregion would be such a beautiful place to live. Imagine going riding along the river, imagine seeing all the beautiful artists work in the city, walking to Khazad Dûm when you're bored. Also I desperately want to see what the statue of Fëanor looks like from the front. Celebrimbor is obviously the main reason I picked Eregion, but let me pine okay. It helps.

20. Name three of your favourite scenes (or lines, or scenes and lines).

The pure Shakespearean quality of the scene where Celebrimbor is talking to the metals. I wish I had a direct quote of it but, the level of feeling is insane. I shushed my family in my second watch through just to hear his delivery. Charles Edwards is a fantastic actor. (in the same vein "I go to the shores of morning ere long..." I cried)

The balrog scene had me kicking and screaming. The balrog was so COOL and they were so careful to honor the original design. I love the way they blended special effects with practical effects in RoP. I just rewatched the Hobbit and I was a bit saddened by how much of those films were vfx (vfx are cool!! But I like a certain balance) and I feel like you could really feel the way the showrunners at RoP understood balance. The scene with Balrog and the king is one of the most cinematic shots in the entire show. I want that as a painting.

“Captivating.”

Annatar’s facial expressions overall were a highlight of the season. (Again the ACTING in this show is insane). But this scene specifically where you can see The Sauron Agenda is being delayed by this Elf who Is Supposed To Be Working. And instead is pointing out Sauron’s mistakes to his FACe. I’ve never seen so much unbridled rage in one little word. You can see his eyes go a little insane. Vickers is extremely talented and I love him as a villain.

40. Choose three characters (not necessarily your favourite ones). Say three positive things about each of them.

Celebrimbor:

1. The brightest smile I’ve seen in ages. I would trust this elf with my life. Let me learn metal smithing from him he’d be such a gentle teacher.

2. So much good was done by this guy. He made an entire city, made a trade route with dwarves, made a specific choice to denounce his own father for the sake of morality (Silm content but listen he’s such a good guy and I love him in both RoP and the Silm). I know he blames himself for Annatar’s deception but he needs to be remembered for all the good he did (I think Elrond will do this, Elrond will defend Celebrimbor’s memory)

3. Stronger than he looks. Listen, no one (not even Sauron) expected Celebrimbor to throw the lying Maia bastard (affectionate) against a pillar. He's a Smith. He's got upper body strength for days. I for one appreciate that.

Durin:

1. The most mentally stable guy. He has it together man. He stands up for himself, defends his wife, says sorry when he needs to, expresses healthy feelings to Elrond when he's mad (after a little bit), mistrusts the magic bastard blonde baby girl (affectionate) hanging around Narvi's best buddy. He is a mental health king.

2. Best Tolkien Wife Guy. Listen we know that Tolkien writes tons of wife guys. Okay. But Durin is the winner of RoP. Elendil would be a close second (and we all know about Tom Bombadil) but we don't get to see him with his original wife and we don't have QUITE enough scenes of him and Miriel. Durin is 100% wife guy.

3. Not above pranking the elves. I mean seriously he finagled a new table out of the HIGH KING. Valar-tier move. He can be serious when it counts but we have to appreciate a man who is down for a shenanigan or two.

Arondir:

1. Feral king. Look at him. All the other elves we see are these controlled dressed up with fancy armor..and here he is running around the woods like a feral cat. I love him. I don't remember if the show explicitly states that he's Sinarin, but he perfectly encapsulates the Sindar vibe and putting him in battles with Galadriel and soldiers of Eregion just perfectly shows the difference between the Noldo stuffiness and Sindar wild woods energy (and they respect each other!!!!) He has the same feral energy that I love about Legolas. (I secretly hope if they add Celeborn that he and Arondir have a good vibe together and have similar energy!)

2. The movement quality of this man is insane. I've known a lot of dancers and let me just tell you when someone knows how to control their body they can make walking or even just turning their head seem ethereal. Arondir has this. Every movement is purposeful. Everything is fluid. He has the grace we wish we had even when stabbing an orc in the throat.

3. Another wife guy TM. And also ready to be a Dad guy. It hurt my heart to watch him lose his little human family so quickly. He is so devoted. He yearns. He YEARNS.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

If y'all don't stop tagging me in "list your favorite ________" challenges, I swear.....(kidding)

You know I'm indecisive and that the second I'm asked questions like this everything I have ever known or loved just falls right out of my head :'(

ANYWAY. I was tagged by @colourme-feral to name 9 favorite TV series. Nine? Not ten? Alright, whatever. Now presenting, in no particular order

wen-kexing-apologist's Top Nine Favorite TV Series

I think, much like last time where I listed my ten favorite characters AND THEN LEFT OUT PIKE MOTHERFUCKING DEXTER LIKE A GODDAMN NOOB I can't be certain I am forgetting one that I cherish greatly.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

I'm putting this first because A:TLA was a show I watched live in my youth and I remember running the hating Zuko to loving Zuko gauntlet in real time.

But seriously, you can't give me the single greatest redemption arc written in human history and not expect me to cradle this show close to my chest for the rest of my life.

There are so many shows we grow up with that we remember fondly and that in the grand scheme of things aren't that good, protected by young minds and nostalgia AND THIS ISN'T ONE OF THEM.

Seriously my poor mother has had to listen to hours worth of rambling about the incredibly strong adult themes, three dimensional characters, and conversations around war and the portrayal of no one society as inherently evil from both of her children.

This is my boy and I will love him until the end of time, I'm sorry that I hated you when we first met. In my defense the narrative compelled me to do so.

Sense8

Queer, sex positive, beautifully crafted, orgies as a symbol of human connection, the way the world is so small and that people from all over the world have skills that are valuable, that save lives, that are needed and necessary. Humanity and complexity given to people involved in the drug trade, humanity and complexity given to drug users, humanity and complexity given to gang members, humanity and complexity given to prisoners. Love, loss, tragedy, trauma, trans joy, throuple, couple and whatever the fuck Daniella is doing, one really good weed brownie curing transphobia.

The ending wasn't perfect but that isn't the Wachowski Sister's fault, it was Netflix's fault.

I Told Sunset About You/I Promised You The Moon

This show, especially I Told Sunset About You, may be the single most emotional a show has ever made me. I think I cried four times per episode for ITSAY, the only time I didn't cry four times was Episode 3, where foolishly I made it through 98% of the episode went "this edible ain't shit I don't know why everyone is so emo about Ep 3, it's been the most mild so far" AND THEN FUCKING BAM

Teh with the steel fucking chair!

When I tell you I spent hours, numb, staring up at the ceiling?? It's not an exaggeration.

When I tell you I thought about this scene for more than three and immediately burst into tears??? It's not an exaggeration.

This show altered my brain chemistry, this show altered my DNA, this show was so fucking good and ruined me so thoroughly that I wasn't even able to make my brain come up with things to analyze.

in this show, WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH THERE TO ANALYZE. I am making a friend watch it right now so I'm hoping I will have more to contemplate and talk about as I rewatch it now that the emotional impact has softened.

Moonlight Chicken

Look no further than my Gay Meta Masterpost pinned to my page to understand why I love this show so much. It is gorgeous, it handles the subject of disability well, it's the show that got me to start posting meta and as a result it is the show that got me all the friends I have on tumblr now.

This show is perfect, the acting is spectacular, the inherent queerness that runs through the narrative, THE LIGHTING. Aof knocked it out of the motherfucking park with this one.

The Eclipse

Folks let me tell you what happens when you go from Not Me to The Eclipse...

you fall desperately in love with First Kanaphan Puitrakul and his masterful acting ability. I love this show so much. P'Golf had things to say and she was not afraid to say it. The queer characters got to be complex and messy and wrong sometimes, none of the main characters were morally superior, they all contributed to maintaining the system, they all helped harm other queer people. This show was made with pocket change and a dream and it gave me two of my favorite kisses in BL, one of my favorite stories in BL, and my sweet summer child

my beloved Baby War Criminal who is my favorite character ever in BL. Look at him. He is under so much pressure. GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW. And I love Thua too.

Our Flag Means Death

Setting aside the problematic fans, I watched this show eleven times. It was one of the only shows I'd seen where every couple was queer, I love how gradually the writing team was able to move this show from comedy to something more serious, I love the way Stede returned home only to find that he had been forever changed, I love the way Blackbeard was on his way to grieving and healing with healthy coping mechanisms, and the commentary the show gave on how exposure to toxic masculinity and internalized/externalized homophobia (in the form of Izzy) can alter that course. I love that traditional roles and expectations are subverted in this show. That Pete and Lucius are in love, that Olu gets thrown around by Jim, that the show allows for an older queer person to both realize his sexuality and experience his first queer love.

And also

it introduced me to one of the first nonbinary characters I had seen on screen. Jim Jimenez you can murder me whenever you wish, it would be my absolute honor.

What We Do in The Shadows

For one, it's hilarious

For two, Jackie Daytona exists.

For three

It gave me Guillermo de la Cruz, the sexiest motherfucker alive.

The Owl House

Queer, neurodivergent representation????? In my TV show??????? A main plot point being around the all consuming nature of white supremacy and religious zeal. Hunter? Dear sweet, awkward, traumatized Hunter? RAINE MOTHERFUCKING WHISPERS?!

Listen, I'm a simple bitch, okay? You put an enby in my television and I will be forced to stan.

I mean look at them!

Word of Honor

*points to username*

If I didn't put WoH on here I would have to give up rights to my username.

This is the show that started me on the BL spiral and having read the novel, I have to say that I have never seen a show change a character and expand upon a story as well as Word of Honor has.

The sex appeal, the swagger, and the lowkey unsettling obsession The Scorpion King has in the TV show compared to the book?

Expert execution of fundamentally and fully changing source text. The costumes are gorgeous and the way I was driven to the brink of insanity by how gay this show was despite censorship is truly unmatched. I know censorship can dampen a queer story experience, but damned if i didn't go feral and say "I can't believe they got away with that" at every given opportunity.

And

It gave me my beloved Adult War Criminal, Wen Kexing, who as we all know, has never done anything wrong in his life, ever.

___

Bonus Round:

aka shows that I haven't or that haven't finished yet so I am contractually obligated not to put them on a list.

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us

I have two episodes left, it is absolutely killer, and if it continues to be as strong as it is this will be a 10/10 show for me and join the ranks of my favorites. This show is driving me mad with both hands and barriers and I need everyone to know that.

La Pluie

There are three episodes left for this to go wrong which is the only reason why I haven't put it on the list. But similarly to 180 Degrees, if it continues the way it is going now this will be a 10/10 show for me and join the ranks of my favorites. I LOVE what they are doing to subvert the soulmate trope. It is a masterpiece so far and I need more people to be watching this.

Tagging:

@solitaryandwandering, @ranchthoughts, @wanderlust-in-my-soul, @so-much-yet-to-learn, and @neuroticbookworm

Your choice whether to participate or not and apologies if you have already been tagged.

[pinkberrypocky]

pmmm rewatch live notes: ep 8

the conversation between homura and sayaka in this ep makes me feral. also the way we see homura expressing emotion and breaking down after madoka in a way kind of rejects her... literally stabbing me would hurt less.

Sayaka keeps hitting the witch even after it’s dead until the labyrinth disappears

As they leave the labyrinth she has a hollow empty look on her face

She gives the grief seed to kyoko bc she thinks that if she refuses the rewards she is making up for the fact that she isn’t being totally selfless / she wants to punish herself

Clinging onto the last fragments of her ideology

Sayaka sees herself now as only a weapon for killing witches

Nothing can be good for her or bad for her it doesn’t matter what she wants or how she feels bc she’s not human

Sayaka telling madoka to fight the witches herself if she doesn’t want sayaka to shows sayaka breaking on a fundamental level

Her whole thing is protection and yet she tells her friend to risk herself for her

Right after that sayaka says she’s beyond saving and doesn’t understand why she acted that way

Beyond saving from becoming a witch, which means being a different person

Homura’s room is so interesting why does it look like that there must be a symbol

Only thing is images of her goal on the wall of a blank white space

She is nothing but her goal

The weapon thing swinging in the background shows both the violent nature that has become her only choice and also similar to a pendulum of a clock 

After homura reveals that sayaka will become a witch soon if they don’t do something the room/lighting turns to yellow and kyoko and homura become black silhouettes

The lighting is yellow around sayaka as she watches hitomi confess to kyosuke

When she fights the witches she is screaming and crying trying to fulfill her purpose and be a hero of justice when she knows that she does regret her wish, she did want something more from kyosuke

She is forced to face that she made the wrong choice and has been selfish all along

Moon as sayaka’s symbol 

Shape of her soul hem

Shot of the crescent moon as sayaka rejects the grief seed from homura

She  says it's bc she doesn’t want help from those who are not in her definition of good

“Do you realize this is just making madoka suffer more?” - homura

“Madoka? This has nothing to do with her.” - sayaka

“No. Everything has to do with her.” - homura

Black and white during the train scene where the guys shit talk their girlfriends

We don’t see their faces just their legs and when we do see faces there are no eyes and it's only for a split second

Sayaka’s head lolls unnaturally like a doll and her eyes are glazed over

This is the scene where she really is forced to accept that the world is not good

Kyubey having the audacity to ask madoka if she was upset w him too is so manipulative

She is in a way more mature than sayaka bc she understands that benign angry won’t fix anything and instead tries to understand and forge a new path

The background track of the haunting chorus is SOOOOO

Resembles church choir

Madoka always thought she would never do anything important and stumble through life never being able to help anyone so the idea of being able to be such a powerful magical girl is SO enticing

Homura kills kyubey just as madoka was about to make the contract even though 

Don’t treat yourself like you don’t matter! There are so many people who would be sad if you died! 

Homura breaks down crying asking madoka “what about the people who have fought hard trying to protect you” 

Rain drops in the air representing all the timelines

She sobs and asks madoka to stay but madoka rejects her and that is why she collapses and is unable to keep going

Bc she can take anything but madoka rejecting ehr

She killed kyubey in that moment bc stopping the contract was more important than madoka’s opinion of her but she still cares SO MUCH

Kyubey as incubator bc he creates the magical girls as eggs and raises them to be witches when they “hatch” to be a food source

“Hope and despair balance out to zero”

Sayaka’s eyes are hidden when she talks to kyoko before becoming a witch

UNTIL she turns crying and says “I was so stupid” and BAM becomes a witch

And it has to be kyoko in that moment bc kyoko understands she has also been stupid in this way and faced the consequences and even tried to warn sayaka but she was too blind and stubborn to see it

[heyheymarrymearchie]

i rewatched the new ted lasso episode as soon as i finished it, and i took notes so here we go:

my thoughts on s3e3, in chronological order

COLIN GAY REVEAL! i'm glad my roommate was gone tonight because oh my god i had such an extreme reaction. i knew (hoped) this would happen, yet somehow i was still shocked that they actually did it this soon? like, as soon as they showed him in the first shot i immediately knew we were gonna get the reveal and i went feral to say the least

the way he says his mantra when he gets in the car, i'm sobbing

colin being a shit driver and the intro song starting and stopping-- i won't lie i had myself a little giggle

TRENT'S FRUITY LITTLE OUTFIT

trent liking princess diaries (because of his daughter?) is wonderful

oh my god i'm straight for jamie tartt

everyone's reactions to zava holding higgins

higgins is definitely gonna have drama with shandy, but like, in the same way he did with beard and jane

dani's hair looking GLORIOUS today

i wanted to like tish and then she had to go and be a fucking bitch (rebecca was being super rude and condescending though too i'm not gonna ignore that)

when shandy says to say something shocking in their interviews AND YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY SEE THE GEARS TURNING IN COLIN'S HEAD

beards smirk when he's talking to jamie just gets to me it's so cute

JAMIE'S RIGHT THOUGH?? like my mom always says, pride comes before the fall, and zava's fall is definitely imminent

chris the commentator has always been an underrated character

poor ted, obviously we all knew michelle was gonna have a new man, but their therapist?? that's fucking insane 

ted having a mini panic attack for zava's first game is definitely an omen

ted immediately stalking his ex's new bf? so relatable. (if you follow me you know i have an issue lol)

oh god it's gonna be a slow burn with keeley and roy, isn't it

as happy as i am about the boyfriend reveal for colin, i feel like i'm getting some red flags from this guy?? idk, nothing in particular but something just seems off (but hopefully i'm proven wrong!)

jamie and roy's eye contact after zava stole the goal--

the shot of jamie from above when he sees zava's tattoo I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS KID

colin introducing michael as his 'pal' makes me want to cry

keeley's little hair bow?? yes please

JAMIE'S EARRINGS???? i'm deceased

as someone who used to think it was pre-madonna, Thank You Roy

ROY AND JAMIE ALLIANCE!! the former best-guys-on-the-team are gonna take down the current best-guy-on-the-team

the restaurant scene made me realize how desperate i am for sam and rebecca to get back together

i nearly screamed when we got the shot of trent from the trailer where he adjusts his coat and all (yknow the bit i'm talking about)

trent can either be a hero or a dick here and i'm actually so scared about that cliffhanger 

i'm a MAJOR trent crimm girlie so obviously i want him to be super slay, and hopefully we'll get the whole gay mentor thing for colin that we've all been talking about. but as someone with really bad anxiety, i'm preparing for the fucking worst. i cannot handle this!!

[aceofnace]

I have no faith in these writers ever since Ace got stuck in the liminal space and Nancy didn't even notice and hooked up with Park in a closet while truth serum made her reveal her feelings for Park (with NO mentions or thoughts of Ace). Nace never gets good content. Even Tristan is treated better than Ace. 4x10 was everything the finale of season 3 should have been with ACE when he was in danger.

We the fans do all the hard work, the writers give Nace the bare minimum and I'm pissed. At the end of the day, fanfiction and what could have been is not enough for me, Nace failed onscreen.

Ace getting stuck in the liminal space and nobody noticing he was even gone until it was almost too late is actually my villain origin story. Actually, all of 3x10 was my villain origin story. The fact that Nace had been building up to be THE ship and then they put Ace in danger and instead of having Nancy going feral over trying to find him and save him, they had her hook up with Park in a coat check closet, even after finding out from Connor that Ace had missed his job interview with him (that should have been a HUGE red flag for Nancy, but nope). To be honest, I had never felt more insulted in my life. It felt like a slap in the face. And somehow, Ace took the news better than I did because I really, really, really loathe that episode. The only part I can rewatch is their hug at the end. The rest makes me feel icky.

It does seem like Nancy gets the best shippy content with all her other love interests and Ace is always left with nothing. The writers are like, "Hey Nace shippers, wanna see Nancy slow dance? Okay, here! You can watch her slow dance with Park! Wait, that's not what you wanted? Okay, here's her slow dancing with Tristan! Oh, you want to see her slow dance with Ace, the man she loves, her person? Haha, no way! That would make you too happy! Here, go back and watch this season 1 scene of Ace dancing with Laura instead."

And don't even get me started on how half of 4x10 was Nancy freaking out over Tristan being hurt when they never even showed us Nancy finding out that Ace had the last piece of Charity's soul and then they spent 3.2 seconds saving his life in 3x13 and nobody was freaking out over how much danger he was actually in. I will admit, these writers sometimes make very odd choices when it comes to this ship. Choices that make no sense to me. And it sometimes has me wondering how much they actually like Nace. Remember, a post season 2 interview did state that the writer's room was an even split down the middle between Nace shippers and Namura shippers, so maybe that explains what's going on here: not all the writers are on board with Nace, and maybe it makes it difficult for some of them to write something they're not into. I don't know. I can't think of any other explanation. Kennedy and Alex handed these people an absolute gift with their natural but insane chemistry and Nace has been a big part of the reason a lot of people have started watching the show to begin with, so I have no idea why they didn't take full advantage of any of that.

[butterflydm]

wot rewatch 1x6: the flame of tar valon

spoilers for season one of WoT and for the trailer for s2 and book spoilers through The Shadow Rising.

Baby Siuan! And Tear! I loved this flashback a lot (I mean, common theme for me with the cold opens in general, lol. But this is sweet and sad and tells us so much about the way that Siuan approaches the world.

"When can I come home?" "When it's safe in Tear for girls like you." Makes me tear up. Also, actually judging by how young baby!Siuan is, we might get Bode Cauthon being able to channel by the time we get to s3, since we're doing some time skips.

Also, an on-screen example of the world not being kind to little girls, as Liandrin mentioned in the last episode.

This is definitely the big "Aes Sedai politics" episode and I really enjoy it. It has great re-watchability, especially because of how much more viewers know about Moiraine and Siuan's relationship on rewatch, which reframes this scene entirely.

"Gentled as he is... he poses no threat." Very traumatic words for Logain to hear, considering. He's helpless now. No threat to anyone (so he tries to use his words to goad Siuan into ordering him killed).

I love the variety of the Aes Sedai outfits in the Hall!

The implication here that the madness continues to advance even after a man is gentled is really interesting and has some intriguing implications (as are Siuan's words about him being studied -- it seems like the White Tower is less... avoidant about unpleasant things than in the books).

Maigan, the head of the Blue Ajah is Very Concerned about Alanna backing up Liandrin. (also I'm very sad for her that she's going west to investigate the reports of ships -- still guessing she's going to end up being 'Pura').

Liandrin successfully derails everything to focus punishment on Moiraine and get people to stop thinking about Liandrin's choice to enact 'battlefield justice'. If Liandrin is already Black Ajah, then she knows that Nynaeve is a suspected Dragon via Ishamael's dream messages and so she must now suspect that Moiraine has been spending her last twenty years hunting the Dragon. Probably also why she spills about Nynaeve being able to channel, as she wants to lock her up tight as a novice for now.

"Sis" still cracks me up.

It does appear (to me) that Liandrin is fooled by Moiraine and Siuan's rift and believes that she's taking advantage of a real issue between the two of them.

I love the choice for Alanna to always be eating. She's peckish!

Ah! This was my splitting point for Voice -- instead of Moiraine finding Rand & Mat here and healing Mat (for now), I had Liandrin discover them; and, in his desperation to escape her, Rand was able to create a Gateway to Tear for the two of them & Nynaeve.

Which makes a lot of sense because this was the scene that made me ship Cauthor! Rand's protectiveness, even in the face of an Aes Sedai and her Warder, when he knows that he doesn't really have a chance against them, just hit all my buttons. And then he managed to continue to be protective even after he and Mat separated and it basically made me feral. And then I did my reread and found a surprising (to me) amount of material in the books for the pairing!

I do think Basel Gill being here means that Morgase's subplot from the books is going to get cut or at least heavily pared down.

"The world doesn't need a Dragon like me." Moiraine and Mat being heavily in agreement on that point, lol. Mat becomes Moiraine's Least Favorite Child in two seconds flat.

Anyway, my current assumption re: the dagger is that it went from here to the White Tower, then Liandrin got it from storage and gave it to Fain, and Fain took it with him to Fal Dara. This makes me suspect (due to what we saw in the trailer) that Fain then went back to Tar Valon after Fal Dara, through the Ways, with both the Horn and the dagger. So, question... does that mean that Perrin and co are going to visit Tar Valon this season or will they maybe run across a prophecy or something that points them in the direction of Falme and they go there through the Ways? (alternatively, the dagger isn't actually in Tar Valon and Mat is having an Ishy-influenced dream about it in the s2 preview)

Local Woman Can't Take Appreciation. lol, let Rand thank you, Moiraine. You just won yourself a ton of credit with him but if you don't accept it, then you might not get to keep it. Don't talk him out of appreciating what you just did in there!

19. Rand also realizing that what Thom had pointed out as 'obvious signs' that Mat could channel are not, in fact, signs that Mat could channel. Uh-oh, that's real unhealthy for his denial about himself.

20. Rand just awkwardly standing there after Moiraine's burn against Nynaeve ("If Wisdom is the title you claim, I suggest you start showing some).

21. People who know Something Is Up with Perrin and the wolves: Perrin, Egwene, Moiraine, and Valda and the Whitecloaks in the camp I guess lol. Egwene, who trusts Moiraine more than the others do, also shares more with her than anyone else does.

22. I really loved the way they did the reveal of the Siuan and Moiraine relationship. First we have the outside shell, what they've convinced the rest of the Tower to believe about their relationship. Then this sweet scene of Lan telling Moiraine "give her my love" and then the reveal that she's going to Siuan. And their scene together is teasing and romantic and serious and sexy all at the same time. It's good. <3

23. I love the post-sex conversation between Siuan and Moiraine as well -- Siuan being firm in her belief in the prophecies, but Moiraine has been out in the world and heard so many different beliefs, and it's made her doubt. "little pufferfish" is such a cute endearment because it's so specific to them and their relationship.

24. I do think it was... smart of Moiraine to save saying "I'd kill the Dragon to stop him from joining the Dark One" to Siuan rather than directly to the kids. Like... sure, she's being honest but what a way to get them not to trust you! "Well, can't be honest with Moiraine about my fears and worries because she'll stab me!"

25. Ishy has been in Siuan's dreams but she thinks they're real dreams. She must have had true prophetic dreams in the past to trust these ones.

26. That Liandrin knows Mat and Rand's names also implies to me that she's already Black Ajah and learned them from Ishamael. Both Moiraine and Liandrin think that they know each other's deepest secrets, unaware that there's another secret underneath.

27. Given how much care was put into the reunions in this episode, makes me hopeful that we'll get some good reunions in the back half of s2 as well.

28. lol, Moiraine being smug about her relationship with Siuan, lol good for her.

29. Love this whole scene with Nynaeve & Egwene meeting Siuan. It's just perfect in all the little details. Egwene bowing and Nynaeve not. Poor Egwene's reaction to learning that Nynave is much more powerful than she is. Nynaeve just being needlessly hostile, lol. Siuan's speech to them is very good. But this is another example of Egwene (and now Nynaeve) getting an explanation that the boys don't really get. Which does match the books -- Egwene and Nynaeve both get training (not as much as most Aes Sedai, but some amount of training) while Rand and Mat mostly get thrown into the deep end and told to swim. Perrin is... kinda in the middle? He does get a consistent teacher in the form of Hopper but he also tries to avoid actually learning anything as much as possible.

30. Lan goes off to wrangle the kids to the Waygate while Moiraine says goodbye to the White Tower, the other Aes Sedai, and, most importantly, to Siuan. I think the Oath Rod scene both showed us a lot of lore things but also was a great emotional scene.

31. I know other people have pointed this out, but it really is weird to have a White Ajah when the novices and Accepted also have a white theme. I feel like Jordan made an odd choice there. Am I thinking about other things to avoid thinking about how sad this scene is? Maybe.

32. So I'm guessing that Loial is the one who told Perrin and Egwene about Mat and the evil dagger? Anyway, hugs for everyone!

33. "When we left the Two Rivers, I told you nothing because I couldn't trust you. But now I know you and I..." also still cracks me up. She can't say it! She literally can't force herself to say that she trusts them now because it would be a lie! So she has to continue on to the disaster that would happen if the Dark One breaks free.

33. And then our first big covid-damage shows up when Mat stays behind at the Waygate. I do think that they did a good job of working it into the story but I wonder what Perrin's storyline would have been in episode 8 if we'd gotten to keep Mat, because it seems pretty clear that Perrin got a lot of Mat's story there.

[saunteredserpent]

humor me for a bit, y'all, while I ramble randomly, and of course feel free to add onto this, etc., but like.

name me any other media that did the 'I give you my heart, will you keep it safe?' trope better than Pirates of the fucking Caribbean did it.

you've got Will and Elizabeth established as childhood friends turned lovers in Curse of the Black Pearl. which like, yes. good way to start it off, of course. excellent way to start it off.

and then you have the complexity of their romance surviving the course of the second movie, Dead Man's Chest. then you've got Elizabeth's arc and Will's arc, both set apart from each other's. which, also excellent, you've got the two of them fleshed out individually outside of their romance.

and then. oh my god and then.

you have that one scene in At World's End. Will's proposal in the midst of combat. the "I made my choice. what's yours?" the Kiss™️, them sealing their marriage while quite literally surrounded by the enemy.

then afterwards, you have Will not only becoming captain of The Flying Dutchman, but giving his heart to Elizabeth in its chest, for her to hold onto for safekeeping. his literal, physical, beating heart. my god. the sheer amount of trust and love, the metaphor, in that gesture in and of itself. it's the kind of thing that goes over your head when you're a kid, but when you're an adult and you realize it upon rewatching these movies makes you go

like. just imagine that. imagine not only figuratively giving your heart to the person you love, but literally so to the point they could hold it in their hands if they wanted to.

it's symbolic and iconic on so many levels. and that alone, my friends, is just... chefs kiss. mwah. delicious. beautiful. I'm going to go fucking feral. Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, truly one of the canon couples of all time. your otp could never.

also a quick sidenote but I'd like to also make the observation that bisexual culture is having had a crush on them BOTH as a kid. don't @ me you know I'm right.

[danieljradcliffe]

What was wrong with it? The only thing I didn’t like was that Carlos went from saying how bad the Rangers were as an institution in the previous episode but then he was suddenly okay going off and taking the law in his own hands the next as if he’s also not under an institution that facilitates white supremacy and his very act of wanting to take the law in his own hands is exactly what is wrong with people in his profession

I'll put this under a read more because apparently my opinion is vv unpopular.

Wyatt/Judd storyline: I know this is a ridiculous drama show and I shouldn't take it seriously but... as someone who works in the healthcare system and has spent a large portion of my career in rehab....... this was just the most disability!saviour bullshit. Judd taking Wyatt home to try and rehab him, himself? Not having Wyatt have his own autonomy in that? Wyatt not being told by physicians (even though he is an adult, with capacity) about his prognosis? Wyatt requires long term, specialized rehab with professionals who are experts in their field? I don't know this entire plot line rubbed me so wrong.

Robert/Owen storyline: We didn't know Robert well enough for this to be as "heart breaking" as the writers intended. So much valuable time in these episodes was dedicated to this but as a viewer I felt disconnected from what was happening. And for the final moments to go to that (very triggering death scene) over a hopeful, joyful moment of Tarlos on their honeymoon was a fucked-up choice.

Gabriel: I wonder if there will come a day when writers recognize that you don't need to kill off characters to advance other character's storylines. A much more impactful (and less lazy) way to move Carlos' progression forward would have been to keep Gabriel alive and have them work through their issues. Growth, healing, communication. Isn't that so much more beautiful and poignant that a shocking and traumatizing death that was simply used for shock value? On a similar note, what the hell was the point of the Reyes sisters? I wish he stayed an assumed only child. The rehearsal dinner was full of characters we didn't know or care about (save Tarlos, Owen, and Gabriel/Andrea).

Tarlos: There literally wasn't a conversation between them at their own wedding....... They were in the background for the entirety of the reception. We got literally 6 seconds of a honeymoon. Tim fucking cut all of the scenes they used to promo the wedding that we all went feral over. How much more was probably filmed that we didn't get? And for what? All of 4.18 TK felt like a prop just there to further Carlos' arc. For Carlos to again end up LYING and DECEIVING "the love of his life." This arc may have worked if it was spread out for an entire season. But to try and shove it into half an episode? It felt incredibly rushed and the writing felt sloppy. All the rhetoric of Tarlos and the viewers' "earning" the wedding. Why can't they be happy after everything? Why can't we enjoy their wedding without having to earn anything? They use Tarlos to advertise and promote and when it comes down to it the show runners don't deliver and delete half their scenes and pretend they care about "representation."

Queer characters and queer viewers deserve authentic and happy plot lines that are not OVERSHADOWED by trauma and grief. I truly would have rathered they postponed the wedding until season 5 rather than thrown it on at the end like they did. It didn't feel right. Where was the joy they promised? Nothing could've made up for what we went through prior.

But none of the ABOVE even mattered when it came down to the wedding because as a viewer, I was fucking reeling from watching Gabriel's needless death that I didn't even process what I was seeing. They tainted the wedding for fucking ever. I've rewatched the vows but I can't even fully invest in them. While it was airing, I wanted to turn it off. I didn't want to watch. I was stunned, numb, and angry. Those emotions are now what I relate to the supposed "Tarlos Wedding" episode. It may have been better honestly split into 2 weeks so that the viewers could process and prepare.

Anyways... that's a little bit of what I'm feeling.

Sidenote... For anyone who has experienced the loss of a parent (I have and i think that's what made this ep so hard for me), my ask/inbox is always open. Your feelings are valid and I hope you're all taking care of yourself after last night.

[bridgertonandchocolate]

Doing another rewatch and it makes my brain go a little feral. Here’s some thoughts you didn’t ask me for about this scene right here:

1. What are you looking at Pru? Don’t think we don’t see you watching Pen walking over to Colin. Maybe in season 3 we see Pru being a little more aware of Pen and her actions and maybe she’ll out her sister about some things. She knows they were writing letters by this point so…it’s just interesting she is putting interest into what Pen is doing since no one else really cares much.

2. I mean we know Colin is a dumb boy but man he really doesn’t hold back in this scene. He gives the heart eyes and then we all know what he says at the end. Bless his heart for being blind.

3. Pen totally fishing for info on Colin’s “mystery” woman only to discover there wasn’t one. I use this scene as some of my evidence to hope and believe Colin still has his v card. He’s sworn off women, obviously.

4. Sorry. Back to dumb boy Colin when he tells her that it was her letters that encouraged him to start seeing himself the way she sees him. I take this to mean self love and discovery and dear lord. In the book Colin admits to being aware that Penelope had been in love with him and it made him uncomfortable. I’m not sure if at this point that’s what is happening here but I don’t think so because why would he even bring it up if it made him uncomfy? So…I’m going with he’s still just dumb boy Colin.

5. You’re my friend. Yeah whatever Colin Bridgerton. Why are you always reaching for her hands? Remember the look in your eyes seeing Pen upon your return home? Okayyyyy.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “Fighter Flight”

We went out shopping and wound up stealing a military aircraft, only on Rebels people, only on Rebels.

This is one of my favorite episodes to rewatch, it’s just so FUN.

A very pretty shot of Lothal, pre-burninating, and a short mellow excerpt of the Main Titles theme to open us up.

Behind the scenes it seems that Kanan has been teaching Ezra something, because he’s poised over this bowl like he’s ready and raring to practice something he learned.

You know I gotta talk about it, it’s the flirting scene!

Look at this dork trying to be all suave and charming. ^_^

It doesn’t work because of course Ezra is fourteen and a dumbass just how I like ‘em but I like that Sabine never really seems overly bothered by his attempts, mildly irritated at worst, and even then she never gives him a hard no and she’s plenty capable, she certainly doesn’t let niceties get in the way of her speaking her mind on other things.

(See: How she was almost outright rude to Kanan and Hera about the whole Fulcrum thing.)

Subtle animation appreciation moment: Ezra briefly losing his place leaned against the doorframe and having to quickly readjust.  Adorkable.

Zeb, you’re already awake, there’s no point to threatening Ezra here.

Smug little bastard I love him so much.

I really do like that they explore the inevitable friction that was going to occur when you house a snarky teenager with a cranky grown adult.  It builds naturally off the previous episode.

Plus I just love Zeb and Ezra’s dynamic and love seeing them grow to respect and care about each other, sue me.

This is nitpicky but... sometimes the paths the characters take through this ship make no damn sense.

Like right here, Ezra comes out of the nose gun pod... which can only be accessed via the cockpit ladder that he immediately runs to.  We can hypothesize that maybe he made a detour via the vents, as in the pilot, but... Zeb comes that path too.  And he definitely doesn’t fit in the Ghost’s ventilation system.

Granted I notice this because I obsessively charted out the Ghost’s layout but still, it bugs me.

Zeb coming in with a flying leap to tackle Ezra will never not be hilarious.

The Found Family dynamics are in full swing this episode; Hera lording over as Team Mom, Zeb and Ezra acting like squabbling siblings, pretty sure this is the first time someone refers to the other three as “the kids”, Kanan and Hera being absolutely low-key married...

The bouncy, elastic character movement is also very prominent here.  Like I said, the show loses this as it goes on, but it lends itself perfectly to the comedy of this episode.

Please appreciate Ezra swiping at Zeb like a feral cat with me.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The animators take time out to have Ezra scratching up into his hair as he turns from Sumar.  I love little tiny character details like this, it just makes things feel so natural and organic.

Imperial March snatches coming on the clarinet here.

Again with the small character moments, Ezra crouching and readying his slingshot.

Rebels said Eminent Domain is the arm of state tyranny, pass it on.

Friiiiiiick the height difference between Ezra and Zeb is getting to me, he is so freaking tiny!

No wonder everyone he meets feels the immediate need to adopt and protect him.

Serious question: What exactly does the Empire want or need with a crate of meilooruns?  They hardly seem the type to care that much about the nutritional needs of their troops.

Like as not it’s for the plate of an officer with an expensive palate.

Ezra already responding much better to Zeb’s shoulder punches.

I would like to just reiterate: I love Zeb and Ezra’s friendship, it is adorable, they play so nicely off each other and I’m glad they got this bonding episode in early Season One.

The bouncy woodwind that’s been picking away in the background here transitions seamlessly into the Force theme prelude, hgn I LOVE it when the score adds to plot beats.

I could be wrong, but this sounds vaguely like a cue from ANH when the Stormtroopers were chasing Han and Chewie.

Ezra being so smol that Zeb can literally chuck him up to a rooftop. *cries*

Baron Valen Rudor was featured in Ezra’s introductory short (Zeb’s too I think?), it’s kind of a running gag how the Rebels show up to ruin this guy’s day in particular.  And it is hilarious.

Please appreciate Zeb’s maniacal cackle as he blasts troopers away with the TIE fighter with me.

Oh wow, I never noticed the subtle Force ring sound effect right here with Ezra leaping to the other roof.  Nice touch.

I hear some notes from the Return of the Jedi soundtrack here, specifically when the Rebel Alliance is making its attack on the Death Star.  I think that may be one of the leitmotifs associated with the Rebel Alliance specifically?

I really want to know the story behind Ezra’s, “You don’t know how.  Let me!” here.

A lot of this really seems to suggest that Ezra’s flown ships before.

Force ring sound effect coming in as Ezra senses the approaching rock formation and once again, I love this show’s animation.  I think I have a gifset of this moment specifically under my #your clone wars could never tag.

(Explanation: That tag is mostly for appreciating early Season One Rebels animation, which is on the level of TCW’s Season Three at least.)

I may be a Sabezra whore at heart, but I do love how casually domestic Kanan and Hera are right here.

This is one of the funniest exchanges on the show. XD

Subtle animation appreciation moment: Zeb’s ear flickers and the awkward way Ezra scratches his face.

Ezra’s “I think I know where it [the smoke] is coming from.” makes me think he’s visited the Sumar’s farm at least once or twice and knows its general location.

IIRC a large part of this episode’s inspiration was the toy or concept of this specific transport right here.  Fun trivia fact.

I don’t think anyone anticipated Lyste becoming more prominent a player lol.

Like an OC you get inexplicably fond of.

Oh hey!  Ezra’s theme is piping in here!

Oh frick is that a Dies Irae reference?

(For context, the Dies Irae is basically an ooooooooold classical music meme, usually used to musically portent death, doom, or gloom.  Star Wars tends to use the Dies Irae liberally.  Rogue One in particular had heavy Dies Irae references in several of its tracks.)

This music cue, on the other hand?  Unique to Rebels.  Kind of fun, but then I’m a soundtrack nerd and enjoy this kind of thing.

Zeb continuing in the classic Star Wars tradition of, “We’re fine, we’re all fine here... now... How are you?” failed bluffing lololol.

I know I’ve mentioned my appreciation for the hair animation but... seriously.

It’s so soft-looking.

A stuttered, half-formed variation of the Force Theme here, which only plays a few notes in the sequence, just the suggestion of the leitmotif really.

Luke’s Theme, on the other hand, though in mellow horns, allowed to play more fully, though interrupted on the very end by a sharp discordant note as the Stormtroopers come up top.

This is what we call ~*musical storytelling*~.

Snrk, one Trooper downed by fruit, the other by friendly fire.  Love the whimsical little sting as Ezra’s pelting them with meilooruns.

“You did all this... for FRUIT?!”

Still one of the funniest lines in the series.

Oh wow I just noticed the nice scuffed texture on Ezra’s backpack.

Ezra’s jaunty little salute character tic, which Kanan picks up. <33333

Props to Zeb’s prehensile feet, love whenever the writers use them.

I wanna know when and how Zeb learned about Ezra’s helmet collecting hobby, did Ezra try to cram his stash on the shelves as soon as he moved in?  Lol.

Awwww and Ezra’s already getting comfortable with arm bumps, love to see it.

*bangs “Rebels animation was gorgeous from the start, ya’ll just hatin’” drum*

I think I can hear some of the cue from the “Property of Ezra Bridger” short.  Pretty sure it’s used as a kind of “Rebel shenanigans” leitmotif throughout the series.

Prime “aww” moment here as Zeb and Ezra wrestle, love love love the boys being affectionate, underrated friendship, gimme more.

Lol, Ezra sounds more confused than offended by Sabine’s painting.

And a slightly more upbeat rendition of Ezra’s theme to close us out.

I love this episode it’s got Zeb and Ezra friendship bonding, Kanan/Hera being adorably married, it becomes delightfully relevant to the finale, and it’s hilarious, I don’t really have anything else to say except haters to the left, why don’t you have some fun occasionally?

Tomorrow, the episode that most people said was the hook for them for the show and the start of major Spacedad-Spaceson feels.

[calamitoustide]

talk to me about hook 🤭

You have all my already have all thoughts about Hook 😭 but I'll talk about him some more

How I Feel About This Character: He is actually everything to me. Every time I am watching the show I am waiting for him to show up. His character arc is everything to me. I'm not even there yet but at random times I just have flashes over the "If you're scared of losing your happy ending that means you've found it. What is it?" "Don't you know Emma? It's you." OH it's everything. I know that's captainswan... I'll get INTO them later. But just the idea that Hook spent ALL this time on revenge and then he turned himself around. ALSO just his fucking devotion. Like the whole revenge thing was because of his devotion to Milah. Like He is just everything to me. He is my guy.

All The People I Ship Romantically With This Person: I'll make it easy. It's one person. It is Emma. Captainswan was the first ship that I ever felt crazy about. I remember being like 11 and watching little captainswan edits on my iPod I still have them saved on youtube. They just made me so feral. I was sat in front of my TV every Sunday for Captainswan and Captainswan only. HE SOLD HIS SHIP FOR HER??????? He also WAS SCARED OF LOSING HIS HAPPY ENDING BECAUSE SHE WAS HIS HAPPY ENDING???????? EMMA THREW HERSELF INTO THE DARKNESS TO SAVE HIM!!!!! SHE WENT INTO THE UNDERWORLD PLANNING TO CUT HER HEART IN TWO TO SAVE HIM???? THEY WERE TESTED FOR TRUE LOVE AND THEY PASSED IT!!!!! Sorry I love them. I'm having flashbacks to the elevator scene and oh Hook kissing Emma's hand as she was going up kills me. I'm also thinking about the scene where Emma is trapped in the ice wall and Hook is like trying to get her out with his hook and nothing else. And then when she got out and they hugged and it was the most romantic fucking thing even without a kiss like they are so so so. They are everything oh my god. I don't care what anyone else says. They are everything to me. No matter how far away I get from them they are still everything to me. I haven't been obsessed with them in years and yet I'm all the way back there again. They are taking over all of my waking hours.

Anyway moving on.

My Non-Romantic OTPs for this ship: Neal. That's the first person I thought and it might be the only person who matters. Like their whole relationship was so like... I'm just thinking about that scene after everyone thought Neal was dead and he's in the hospital and Hook is there with him. And he lets him go find his dad or whatever but first he just hugs him and he tells him everything got in the way and messed them up and OH. In every other rewatch I didn't like Neal but this time watching it I fucking loved that man. He is my boy. and Hook and Neal together and their complicated history is just so... I wish there was more of them. I don't care I wish Neal with still alive and they could just be friends I don't care all the shit they had to work through. I want them as friends!

My unpopular opinion of this character: I have to be so honest right now. I have no idea what people think about Hook. Like I'm trying so hard to think of something I think of him that no one else does but I can't 😭 like in my head everyone thinks of Hook the same way I do.

One Thing You Wished Happened To This Character In Canon: We've already talked about this but yeah he should've been dark for longer. He should've been a dark one for a whole season. He should've had to deal with the darkness teasing him for weeks it should've followed him. He should've killed one of the dwarfs and I stand by it! You also already have all my thoughts on this 😭 so I will hold myself back from saying any more.