#then s3 has the best second half and season finale | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

beevean · 23 days ago

Text

Second half of S2. I think the best way I can summarize my state is saying

and trying to put my thoughts in order.

While it is slightly less disjointed than OG S3, the sheer number of plotlines that they attempted to tackle means that every scene lasts about 30 seconds before having to switch over. I genuinely struggled to keep up with what happens in each episode, until E6 where everything converges. And what made it even worse is the realization that... very little of what I watched actually matterered to the plot.

"But Beev, it's a character-driven story! Like Best Character Of All Time Isaac's!" I get that. And you know what? With stuff like Maria/Tera and Mizrak, I do see the potential for a good character-driven story, especially as the show is finally tackling more complex themes with vampirism instead of reducing them to elves or evil oppressors! But... I cannot get invested. I failed to connect with the characters, and the show keeps throwing other shit at me to divert my focus. This is simply a mess that has been bombarded into my eyes, while simultaneously being empty of content. And it is frustrating, because I want to like the less irritating parts.

Like this scene:

This is adorable. Random and another instance of fixing things too late, but it is a treat to see RoB Maria and finally some genuine emotions <3 literally the best scene in both shows idc. too bad it's drowned by the edgy pretentious Peak.

Anyway, time for the usual breakdown, character by character.

Taking a page from the OG S2, the heroes did nothing until the finale when they get to show off how cool they are. Think about it. Alucard recruits his sidekicks, they go to the Louvre, they get their asses kicked by Drolta, they split, and Annette suddenly has the revelation that the visions of her ancestors haunting her were trying to guide her to the solution of all of their problems: go and retrieve Sekhmet's third soul in the spirit realm.

And here I was hoping that it was some kind of internal turmoil for her. No. They were just the new Miranda, conveniently leading the hero to the solution. She just had to take five episodes to realize that for the suspence.

It's really weird. Annette in S1 was the focus of the season, infamously so, being all about her past as a slave and her desire to free everyone and thinking lowly of Richter for being a coward. Now, she was definitely made more pleasant for ship purposes, but then what is left of her? It says something that technically speaking, Annette wasn't even there in the finale! She was being possessed by Sekhmet!

Which, by the way, isn't just lovely? The descendant of a god being chosen by a god to become the vessel of a goddess. Why do we even keep Richter around?

This is not rhetorical. Why is Richter here? What does he contribute? Being the guy whose 90% of dialogue is swooning over Annette, fretting over her, telling us over and over why he loves her? (while I still don't know how Annette went from thinking he's useless to blushing around him and thinking he's cute.) Now, to be fair, he does kind of sort of talk about himself a few times... but it doesn't land. I don't care about his doubts as a Belmont now because they aren't relevant.

I've known I'm a Belmont and what that means since... since I could form words. Fighting evil, serving some kind of higher purpose. But then I watched Olrox kill my mother, and I understood the bitter fսcking truth. My mother died for absolutely nothing. Actually, she died because I tried to help her, which meant she had to protect me, and that's what got her killed. My whole life since then, I told myself it was so I could live. As if I was the higher purpose.

Why are we suddenly caring? Richter hasn't thought once of his dead moms (moms, Tera raised him too!) and in S1 he was all "I am a Belmont, and Belmonts kill vampires!". I understand the survivor's guilt, I do, I understand the logic "I need to fight otherwise my mother died for nothing", but okay, Richter, tell me: what does being a Belmont mean, in your opinion? Because it certainly isn't being locked in a generational fight against Dracula and realizing that once he dies, you have no purpose in life anymore!

The world's changing so fast. Belmonts, we're something from the past. Maybe there's no place for us anymore.

You know, I almost don't blame him. No wonder he thinks that Belmonts are a thing of the past. They sure were a thing of the 1980s-2000s. These shows hate the Belmonts with a burning passion and do everything in their power to make them tertiary.

But yeah, Richter and Annette bond over dead moms, woohoo. Thankfully this new, revamped Annette doesn't mock him over it, now that he has magic. It does get a bit ridiculous when Richter asks Alucard if he could change being Dracula's son, Alucard says that that would change other parts of himself that he'd rather not, and Richter immediately asks about his mother. I don't think Richter even knows Lisa's name, but he just can't help connecting to people through dead moms!

Oh yeah, Alucard! He's still a cunt. That's what his fans love about him. That, and how hot he looks after taking a bath in the shit-filled Seine, I suppose. E5 started with a moment so infuriating, it briefly took me to the OG S2 days:

call me carmilla the way i cry bloody tears

Now, to be perfectly fair, Annette does get her first big W by reminding Alucard that they all thought he killed Drolta and yet now she's back and stronger than ever. hell yeah it takes an asshole to put an asshole in his place 🥰 (although I wish they had done the same to her when she insulted Richter and no one reminded her that Edouard died because of her.) But more seriously, this shifts that line from "Sypha having a boner for Alucard and defending him at all costs" to "Annette trying to comfort Richter that he's not as useless as Alucard implies". I am glad that someone is finally on his side. But still, I am very tired of this. In the OG S2, Alucard was in theory justified because he was a grieving teen: how come this wise 300 yo old man still snaps at Belmonts when he's mad at himself? Now it's even worse due to the age difference. You can't have him stroke his dick over how old he is when emotionally he's still the same brat!

But yeah, this is Alucard in this season. They try so hard to make him sound old and wise and experienced and jaded. To the point where he says that he has fallen in love "countless times", and this is why he dares to give Richter advice on how to approach Annette romantically. I really don't know how to feel about this. It's not wrong, per se, but doesn't gel with my personal vision of Alucard - not just the game version, naturally, but I also can't really imagine show Alucard opening himself up like this, especially since this season paints him as being almost completely detached from human society. What sort of people does he fall in love with? The Belmonts? People like Greta? Eh, I could just take this as a cheeky reference to his Launcher of a Thousand Ships status lol. lmao imagine if they adapt the sorrow games and it turns out soma is one of alucard's many descendants when he lived his best slut life in japan fhdsjkfhskdhkj

I really don't know why they still bother to remind us that he's Dracula's son, though. Sure, they're correcting this from the OG show where the dude sympathized with vampires. But it's not like anyone gives a shit about Dracula anymore. Juste lowkey implied he's less impressive than Olrox. Richter didn't even know who Dracula was. In this setting, Dracula was just a more meow meow version of Erzsebet, not the closest thing to Satan who periodically threatens the world. Not even Dracula cares about himself anymore, since a WHOLE ECLIPSE happened and he's still chilling in Hawaii. Alucard has no reason to tie his identity to what in his perception is a dead man that was forgotten by history. He sure acts like a celebrity, though!

literally "bitch, don't you know who i am? 💅" i don't know, who are you? the one who allowed vampires to become human nobility?

There is, however, something that greatly bothers me about Alucard's untold past.

(why 14? had they said 18, it would have been a neat reference to HoD, even though I know it can't have happened)

If the Drolta plotline (more on that later) didn't convince me that this season was hastily rewritten, this would. Alucard keeps flipflopping between being solitary and being a Belmont ally through generations, which he apparently counted. I'd assume that, considering how much emphasis on his age is put, "years" for him means multiple decades, perhaps a whole century. So which is it? Did he fight alongside Christopher and Simon, whatever they did, and then got tired by the time Juste was born?

Speaking of the Belmonts, what happened to Dracula's castle? Why didn't they stay there, as their new hold? Are you going to explain that, show? No? Okay.

By the way, once again, I was ready to call Alucard a cunt (not helped by his condescending "Trevor would be proud [at Richter's sarcasm]" which I hate on principle), but him being tired of seeing Trevor's descendants die is a pretty good reason for wanting to distance himself and spare himself the pain. See, once again, I'd care much more about Alucard's experiences with immortality if he was more likeable. I'd accept him being more standoffish because his heart has been hardened by so many people dying, if he didn't start out as an 18 yo piece of shit who insulted Trevor's whole lineage for petty reasons.

Oh, and if he didn't literally, deadass, lead the actual Robespierre in the revolution. What the fuck. You know, I was joking about him telling Galileo Galilei about the heliocentric theory! Now I'm totally expecting the Sorrow adaptation to mention in passing that he was the one who killed Hitler!

And you know what? You know fucking what? For all of his posturing, Alucard is just as useless as Richter! His only purpose in the plot is to basically tell the gang "here's what we need to defeat the villain", then he failed spectacularly by allowing Drolta to snatch the McGuffin (and blamed Richter for it), then he basically inserted himself dick first in the Revolution plot to give him something to do in the two-parter finale! He didn't even care about the Revolution! He said so! The Revolution is a completely pointless backdrop to the fight against Sun Thundercat! You know, I'm impressed, I honestly thought he'd be the real protagonist of the show, but no, they managed to waste him too. peak.

Maria, Tera and Juste are all connected, but Maria is pretty much the only character going through an arc here, as Juste is nothing more than Maria's babysitter and adoptive grandpa (yeah, clearly they're trying to establish a "found family" theme as also mentioned by Alucard, but sure it's nice of him to call Maria his family when dude abandoned his blood grandson and hasn't still quite reconnected with him). I think that what they're trying to do with him is to basically prevent Maria from falling down the same pit of despair he did until two days ago, but it doesn't really work, Juste feels like a plot device and Maria's reaction is different than his anyway, since she's falling into... well, edginess.

In fact, Maria is so edgy, that she out of nowhere gets the idea of making her mom bite her to turn her!

Maria: It feels good... to have such power. To control such powerful forces. To have power over life and death. Juste: It shouldn't feel good, Maria. The world can be a dark place, full of horror. But if you surrender to the darkness, what's the point in living? None of us counts for much. All of us will be forgotten eventually. But there's something miraculous about us being here at all. To see this world. Breathe its air. Smell the forest at night. Feel the sun on our skin. If we're still able to do that... there is a point in living. Maria: And maybe there's even more point in living forever. He's right. This was different. Killing my father. This was murder. I can never go back to who I was. But I could be with you forever. *exposes neck*

Just a taste of the dialogue here. Juste doesn't even feel like a real person at this point. Why is he talking to Maria like she said that she wants to die? Is he projecting his own depression? Or is it only so that she can talk about living forever?

Maria, the girl who sees the world in black and white and therefore slotted vampires in the "evil" category, being ready to ditch her humanity because she'd rather live with her mom forever and perhaps out of guilt for killing her father out of revenge and not a righteous reason, is a very interesting idea. And this is why it's never brought up again :) Tera, with shocking self control for a newborn vampire, runs away from her to "find herself", leaving Maria crying and to be comforted by Juste. By the way, Tera's arc is done here lol. She runs away, lowkey implying that she manipulated Maria into killing her dad because "he deserved to die", and then she's the only open plot thread left for S3, enjoying the executions and perhaps glad of the dark path taken by her daughter, leaving ambiguous how much vampirism corrupted her.

Again, I kinda like this arc. I like that it ends with Maria declaring that the humans who worked alongside vampires (which I didn't notice at all, but maybe it was because I was inundated with too much Peak) deserve to be executed, probably still thinking about Emmanuel. It just rings hollow because Maria has always been a serious righteous fuck who only cared about the Revolution, with all that it entails, so I don't see much of a change in her. Maybe it could have worked better if they hadn't been cynical hacks in S1 and kept her RoB innocent personality. And I'm also irritated that they could have given this corruption arc to someone else...

(also, since I'm a horrible person, I am compelled to point out that the show leans heavily onto the "bite is sexual" trope, as shown by how predatory Sun Thundercat is with women and later on by Olrox with Mizrak. Therefore, having Maria begging for her own mother to bite her so that the two could live forever together is very. mh. well this is getting interesting i suppose)

As for the villains, before the finale, I just have to say: why in the sheer fuck do the villagers bow down to an obviously foreign vampire noblewoman?

Your Abbot, as you know, is dead. Murdered by a revolutionary. Your Abbot compared me to Joan of Arc. But I am not like her. She was defeated, burned like a witch. I will burn all your enemies. All your oppressors. Burn them all to ash. I am the one who wields the knife.

I get that these people are against the revolution, but really? They trust her as being better? I don't know anymore. Also her Sun Thundercat 2.0 transformation is a punch in the eye but we all know that.

oh right, olrox and mizrak. uhhhh they spend most of the time still doing their drama. Olrox is a passive force who mostly spends his time spying on everyone, Mizrak wants to fight. Since they don't really matter, I'll summarize the rest of their arc here: Mizrak joins the fight like he suddenly belongs, he's fatally wounded by a random vampire, Olrox saves him and decides to turn him into a vampire. The last shot we see of them is vampire Mizrak ready to rail that cockrox raw lmao. And, again, this is a good concept. Mizrak was shown being torn between his faith and his desire to sin with Olrox: therefore, vampirism for him means shedding his inhibitions and indulging in the sinful pleasures he has always coveted. This is good! And completely irrelevant to the story! Even thematically, vampirism hasn't been treated in this way by the story, not even with Tera! These two just make their own sideplot that never intersects with the main one! What's with this series and being unable to organically integrate gay people into their plot?

Okay, I think I covered everyone, so it's time for the grand finale.

The final fight is basically two episodes straight of this

and it's boring. I'm sorry. I get that the animation is cool and the anime fights are cool, but I just find boring to watch a bunch of people throw flashy but redundant spells to an invincible foe. Yeah yeah muh Harmony of Dissonance spells, that just pisses me off at this point, you didn't even mention Maxim once and had him and Lydie be fridged offscreen while the game can't happen due to the lack of Dracula's relics but you're pretending we're suddenly fans of the games?

(a small correction, though. Apparently, Juste's ring is not meant to be the friendship bracelet, but the Aurora Ring, the one that increases the power of the Sacred Fist. While I don't understand why it's specifically that ring, since Juste never uses punches, I do appreciate a more niche reference.)

Hey guys. Remember how fun it was to play Portait of Ruin and having to protect Charlotte for 20 seconds as she casts her plot-solving spells? This is Sekhmet's role in the fight. A sitting duck who tries, for half an hour of real time, to absorb Sun Thundercat's Sekhmet soul to weaken her, while Richter sometimes goes to cool her down with his ice powers. For a goddess, she is quite weak. And I would dearly love for someone to come here and explain to me what the fuck was that monster that Annette fought for the entirety of the finale in the spirit world. And, in the meantime, Alucard and Olrox fight Drolta, with the weird implication that the latter is stronger than Dracula's son since he's much more successful at keeping her down (and that they met once, because we like making fans speculating). Again, I need to stress out: the heroes do nothing of importance until the plot lets them win.

And then this happens.

youtube

alright. So, memes are in order.

youtube

But I think it's time to talk about rewrites, right?

Sun Thundercat's death feels not just pathetic, but spiteful. Compare it with other deaths: Dracula cried that he was killing his boy and let himself be impaled, Carmilla exploded herself to not allow Isaac to claim a victory, Lenore sunned herself because her life got a little more uncomfortable. They are undignified deaths, but they are at the very least graceful. We are meant to feel something for them. Sun Thundercat has an utterly pathetic breakdown, and then she's randomly betrayed by Drolta, who cements herself as the Real Big Bad.

No one liked her. Erzsebet Bathory has been, from day one, derided as a flat, cartoonish villain with a stupid plan. Her design is ridiculous, her personality never goes beyond "smug wannabe goddess", and her only power is being invincible. She is boring, and always has been. But Drolta? Oh, Drolta was cool. Nevermind that in S1 she also had the depth of a piece of paper. Everyone loved her many designs, everyone thirsted over her BDSM get up, everyone thought she was a huge badass in fight. So, what did they do? Give her a whole backstory and kick her upwards to the role of the true puppetteer who was in control the whole time :) basically, they gave her the Isaac in S3 treatment.

yeet, you waste of screentime

And in the meantime, I'm here left asking two questions. One, why didn't Drolta absorb Sekhmet's soul from the get go, instead of wasting so much time finding the right vessel and killing countless women? She had no hesitation trying it now.

And two... why did we spend so much time with Sun Thundercat? What was the point of hyping her up as this great figure, much more terrifying than Dracula, only for this to happen? This isn't cathartic. This isn't fun.

Sun Thundercat is a pathetic villain, by far the worst in the series, even more wasted than Carmilla, with less feats on her belt than everyone combined despite the hype. And they didn't even try to fix her. Instead of making her a better character, they doubled down on her being flat and then pulled a bait and switch for fanservice purposes. Drolta is probably the most inoffensive villain in the series since Dracula, but that doesn't erase the sloppy, disingenuous writing.

She doesn't put much of a better fight, either. Now Alucard joins Richter in their epic team up, because of course. And I'm going to sound like a Classic purist, but I am sick and tired of the shows ignoring the Vampire Killer. Why in the fuck is Richter fighting Drolta with magic punches? Didn't Dracula mock Trevor for that? You have a consecrated whip, you imbecile!

oh, then they redo the same scene they did with Sun Thundercat, with Sekhmet being all angery that Drolta defiled her, Drolta sobbing and whimpering that she did everything for her, and the two engaging in some sort of Avatar spiritual fight that makes Annette's eyeballs explode or some shit.

Btw, gotta love this epic reference to Sonic '06:

I don't think you will live anywhere if you don't let her do her thing, genius.

I could be generous and think that he's so attached because he doesn't want to lose another person. I like some details here, like Richter using his ice magic to embrace Annette's searing body. It's just. I don't buy this romance's foundations, because S1 fumbled so bad. Alucard says that Annette laughs at Richter's jokes, and debates his ideas, which means that she loves him, but is that really enough for him to declare that she's more important than the world he swore to protect? Also, why does Annette like him back? Because he constantly tries to protect her, even though that should piss her off according to her S1 personality?

btw

shut up you cunt

Speaking of the cunt, Richter kills Drolta by using Alucard's sword infused with ice magic. No, I have no clue why it works except anime logic. The Vampire Killer can go fuck itself. yay. To top it all off, Richter is surprisingly chill when he spots Olrox, even calmly echoing his promise of "killing him one day, but not today". hey, remember how Richter used to suffer from PTSD over his mom's murder and panicked at Olrox' presence? remember how Olrox was built up to be this msyterious, charismatic figure with his own agenda and plans for the little Belmont? guess that's another tease for S3!

The ending feels like a fusion of the one of OG S2 and S4. Richter and Annette pull a whole Trepha and abandon Maria to her own grief. Nice job guys! She is still crying for her parents but you just have to bone in private, I suppose! So much for muh family! Well, at least Maria will hang out with her new grandpa and Alucard, who...

ah. mhh. well. This is bound to be very funny lol.

(btw, it's perfectly fine for a 16 yo to crush on an older man lol. We'll just have to see what said older man will do with it.)

Oh, Edouard! I forgot about him because he was nothing more than a jukebox: his only character development is that his extra hands move away from his face, maybe because he's no longer ashamed of himself. Well, he's coming to Saint Domingue too with Annette and Richter! Yes, as a Night Creature. Annette simply says "the people there have had worse nightmares than you" and the matter is settled. Hey, remember when she felt guilty for being the cause of his fate? Remember when she was this close to mercy killing him? It doesn't matter anymore! Yay, just like Dracula and Lisa! Conflict is for those who are sure they're going to get a next season!

And while Richter and Annette kiss and are all cute and everyone is happy, I'm left wondering who was the true protagonist of this season. Richter? No, he did fuck all until the end. Annette? Same. Alucard? He could have vanished in E1. Maria? She got a lot of focus, but ultimately irrelevant to the main conflict. Juste? Tera? Mizrak? Olrox? Don't make me laugh.

Drolta, then? The season took the time to give us her backstory to explain how she got here. She stole the mummy, which is what caused the final fight. And that's it. Once again, I feel the need to use Carmilla as a comparison: she was the true star of the OG S2, because she was the only character in both plotlines to actively do something, and she acted throughout the whole season, even if in the end she didn't get what she wanted. What is this season even about? How do you summarize it? Why is it so rushed and confusing? Why did they try so much and muddle every theme they could have tackled, like the effect of vampirism on your soul, or the dark path grief can take you, or finding a new family?

and oh right. the shadowy figure that seems interested in maria and tera. i don't even know. we'll see in s3 i guess. which will happen, since this season has currently a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes because it is considered peak fiction.

anyway,

#anti netflixvania #beev watches nocturne #long post #i'm tired chief #i need to replay rob #Youtube

23 notes · View notes

milehighmegs · 5 months ago

Text

On the Subject of Nightingales

Soooo... since I've dived straight and gleefully down the rabbithole of Good Omens fan theories, I found something of a gem that gives me hope for season 3.

[Note: I am aware that, at this time, production has been paused pending the involvement of Neil Gaiman, so no need to bring that up. It'll unfold in due time.]

I watched a fan analysis by YouTuber Sendarya, who, via tumblr user @daria-meoi, made a fascinating connection between the song we've come to know as their song and the end credits of S2 E6 (links to both vids posted below). Take a moment to watch them both and come back...

youtube

This is Sendarya's full analysis (above)...

youtube

... and this is the juxtaposition of Tori's version over the end credits. It's just... well. You'll see.

... so, all caught up? Good. Right to it then.

Inspired by a comment in one of these videos (sorry, can't remember exactly which one or else I'd find the commentor's name and give allllll the credit), it seems as though that final smile from Zira implies that the wheels in his head are churning. He's coming up with a plan. Will it work? Maybe. Will he do everything in his power to make it work? You bet your tartan-bowtie-wearing ass he will.

This particular string of thought was kicked off by the aforementioned comment, which led me to the exchange between Zira and Nina during the demon attack:

"Why don't you stand up for yourself, make your own plan?" (or something to that effect)

"Oh I am, but rescuing me makes him so happy."

HMMMMMM....

Since we're already pretty sure the major plot line of S3 is going to be the Second Coming- yet another end-of-the-world attempt by H&H- it stands to reason that Zira, as Supreme Archangel, is gonna go full-blown Lawful-but-Chaotic Good™ and attempt to thwart the Second Coming in such a way that Hell will have to step in. Kinda like they did in S1, which is, in a roundabout way, how Gabriel & Beez got together in the first place.

Whoever's in charge of hell now could tap Crowley to make sure things go "as planned," even if he is half the reason Armageddon didn't happen. Why? Because they likely know that he & Zira aren't on good terms, and- in their narrow understanding of love- believe Crowley'd be perfectly happy to bring down his ex-boyfriend Supreme Archangel Aziraphale. Knowing Zira better than anyone, and "hating" him now, Hell thinks Crowley will know just what to do to get Zira to either stand down or fall in the trying.

I do admit this is a bit of a stretch, seeing as how Crowley is not only retired but well and totally fed up with Hell's shit. But Zira was retired too, and now he's the Archangel-fucking-Aziraphale. And since we, the audience, know about the pain & heartbreak Crowley's going through, he may just accept such an offer as an excuse to see Zira again. Or, depending on what's happening, if Crowley thinks Zira's in trouble, he'll come for him. Broken heart, bitterness, & soul-deep pain aside, he'll come for him. How that particular exchange would go... oh ho HO, I have plehhhhnty of ideas. Not all of them end well. But some of them do.

Zira's not stupid. Naive, yes, maybe even a bit gullible thanks to all that Heaven-induced trauma, but not out-and-out stupid. He's got schemes, and he'll carry them out to the best of his angelic ability. After all, he's just someone who goes along with Heaven... as far as he can.

#good omens #good omens 3 #aziraphale #aziracrow #crowley #aziraphale x crowley #good omens spoilers #go fandom #ineffable #Youtube

26 notes · View notes

gffa · 1 year ago

Note

Hi :)

I'm a pretty new SW fan, not because I didn't like the movies/hadn't seen them but because I grew up thinking it was extremely nerdy and would often feel awkward trying to bring up anything related to SW.

Fortunately I've finally reached and met awesome people who love SW just like I did but I feel like I lost A LOT of important stuff and there's so much content to the saga that it's extremely overwhelming for me to even think about diving into the whole SW universe and catch up.

I've been following you for a bit and your posts are just extremely interesting to me but again, sometimes I'm a little confused about certain things and so I wanted to ask you if you had any recommendations about where to start catching up (besides the movies which I will be binge watching soon hehe)

Hi! Welcome to Star Wars fandom, I hope you're having a good time! And around here we embrace being as nerdy as possible--I mean, fandom is such a mainstream thing these days, but I still like to embrace being a nerd about things because it leads to a lot more happiness, to just be silly and having a good time with the thing that tickles our brains.

But, yes, it is pretty overwhelming when you're first arriving, I still remember when I first came back to SW several years ago, having really only watched the movies as a kid, and there was All This Stuff and it seemed impossible to ever reach the deep end of the pool, and that was before the last seven years of books, games, movies, comics, etc. came out! I will hopefully set your mind at ease with this, though: The vast, vast majority of content that Star Wars puts out isn't anything I would consider "essential". It's wonderful, fantastic stuff! But a lot of us have just been around so long that we're combing through the finer details of supplementary material, rather than those being absolute Must-Read/Watch To Get A Feel For Star Wars.

My recommendations for How To Get A Feel For Star Wars is basically, start with the animated series and the live action series, they're the second layer of foundation in the Star Wars building, all the comics and novels and such will be built on them, and in this order: - The movies, this is the foundation on which everything else will be built. - The Clone Wars, season 1-6 are part of George Lucas' story and they're pretty essential (at least in this corner of SW fandom) to understanding wtf anyone is talking about or even watching many of the live action series. (Season 7 is fine and should be watched! It's just not part of Lucas' Star Wars.) - Star Wars: Rebels, starts off light-hearted but really is one of the best developed shows and does a lot of connective work between the prequels and the original trilogy. - The Mandalorian, set 9 years after Return of the Jedi, this show just massively blew up and while each season is slightly less well-done than the previous one (imo), it's well worth watching for wtf fandom is talking about half of the time. (The Book of Boba Fett is somewhat optional in this corner of fandom, but imo worth the watch. Generally, it should go Mando s1-2 --> TBOBF --> Mando s3.) - Obi-Wan Kenobi, because this corner of fandom lost our goddamned minds about it and still haven't gotten them back. - Andor, which is a really great show and, as long as you've watched Rogue One first, you'll follow along just fine. Does some solid connecting the dots between the prequels and the originals, but not as much as Rebels did. - Jedi: Fallen Order, you can look up a "movie" version on YouTube for the story of this game, which is a really good plot, has some great new characters, has some genuinely effective cameos, and will be referenced fairly often in other materials/in fandom.

If you're not feeling overwhelmed by All The Star Wars You've Consumed, I would personally suggest going for the comics next, over any of the novels. The novels are great! But the vast majority of them are self-contained and meant to be supplementary material even more than the comics, which get to tell bigger, more connected stories. I always suggest starting with: - Star Wars 2015 by Jason Aaron + Darth Vader 2015 by Kieron Gillen, both of which are really, solidly fantastic stories about the timeframe just after A New Hope, like there are so many absolutely banger lines that came out of these comics. I won't spoil them, just know that I think these were legitimately good comics, not just legitimately good Star Wars comics. (The first six issues of each series are meant to be read concurrently, but after that, you can just pick one and read in that specific title.) - Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith 2017 by Charles Soule, which is set in the immediate aftermath of Revenge of the Sith. If Gillen's Vader keeps the mystique of the originals Unknowable Darth Vader, then Soule's Vader is more about the absolute BATSHIT DRAMA that is blending Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. This series is BANANAPANTS in the absolute best way. - Obi-Wan & Anakin 2015 by Charles Soule, which is a five-issue mini-series set between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones and is both stunningly beautiful art and a solidly good plot that survives fairly serious analysis of. It's got some great worldbuilding details, but even more I like it for the look at why a young Anakin chooses to stay with the Jedi Order.

The one book I will recommend--for a list aimed at getting you caught up on what fandom is referencing--is the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, that book is quoted constantly, and I'm not sure any other SW book has ever been as good as it is.

I feel like this is the best set of reading to get you familiarized with the source material that tends to come up the most! There's lots more that's really good, but once you get through the above, you can let me know what era or characters you're most interested in or if you have a specific question about something and want to see where it comes from!

But there's one thing to address and you're kinda going to have to figure out how to approach it on your own. 😂 There is a ton of stuff in SW fandom that's ostensibly from a book or a comic, but the version in fandom often comes from those who never actually read the books/haven't read them in a long time or are just picking them up from other fic and meta.

For example, the AgriCorps or Melida/Daan get referenced in fic and in posts all the time, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading the Jedi Apprentice series (I mean, I'm not your mom, feel free if you want to!) and often times how they're used in fic is not how they were used in the source material. Or the clones speaking Mando'a comes from the Legends books by Karen Traviss and she is a whole big can of ugly worms (both what she wrote and her IRL politics), as well as much of what she wrote was overwritten/discarded when The Clone Wars came out, but fandom likes the idea and so they put that into their fics (as they should, if they like it!). The idea of Mace using the lightsaber form of Vaapad is from Legends sources (the best source probably being the Shatterpoint novel by Matthew Stover, I'd guess?), same for his ability to see "shatterpoints" in the Force, which aren't part of Lucas' continuity or Disney's continuity, but fandom enjoys using them to flesh out Mace's character. This will get you started and, if you're looking for something more specific, feel free to ask, I enjoy these kinds of question--and don't feel you have to stick with any of the above if they're not fun for you. This is meant to be enjoyable, it's meant to have a good time, there's no wrong way to consume Star Wars media! <3

#lumi.txt #star wars #novel recs #(eh that's my tag for this kind of thing)

68 notes · View notes

wellcomeoneileen · 7 months ago

Text

As much as I get on my soapbox about Queer as Folk season 4 and 5, season 3 is just sooo good.

Like there’s the individual bits, such as Britin honeymoon period, everyone having their best hair season lolol, the incredible finale scene and wizard-of-ozness, Justin having a well done non-Brian related scenes, the whole noir bits, HUNTER!!

But also just the narrative structure was so good - The first half being all these interpersonal issues that keep our characters in their little groups/couples, and bickering within those pairings, then those “small” issues gradually resolving so the second half is them as a (mostly) united whole facing the external, looming, issues of addiction and institutionalized homophobia.

The entire Ted and Emmett arc where you can’t (and aren’t supposed to) get on board but they’re semi-happy and making it work just for all of Ted’s seasons long issues to catch up to him to create this deeply darkly ironic self-fulfilling prophecy, as everything he said in seasons 1 and 2 about addicts happens to him now (I actually tracked and he “predicted” all the terrible things he did and had done to him :/)

And last, but probably first in all our hearts:

The exquisite characterization written for Brian throughout - we start by really understanding his rationale and drive for working with Stockwell, and it’s this beautiful inner conflict that just reveals so much of his backstory, values, fears, and thought process without ever infodumping on us. Then we move towards his resistance, in character over his stated debonair desire to just be able to fuck, but also showing so much realistic and still in-character growth as he is genuinely resisting by partnering with Justin (lot of layers to that!!) and letting go of his literal and symbolic assets because Brian Kinney decided to actually give a shit, at great cost to his sense of self and his goal of getting tf outta Pitts.

I just think S3 has a lot of payoff from seeds planted in S1 and 2, and structured itself really well :) Plus every character got to shine! (Even the lesbians in QaF's own little way lol)

#I cannot only be a hater I must also be a lover #this is not excluding S1 and S2 #I mean I love the first two seasons too absolutely #season 3 just has a lot of technical good parts #queer as folk #qaf #brian kinney #britin #justin taylor #emmett honeycutt #ted schmidt #queer as folk season 3 #wellcomeoneileen talks qaf

42 notes · View notes

princess-and-the-swan · 8 months ago

Text

CS Fic Recs: Bridgerton-Inspired AU

While I anxiously await the arrival of the second half of Bridgerton S3, I'm absolutely DEVOURING these 3 Bridgerton-inspired CS fics I've found:

A Scoundrel... Or a Gentleman? by @kmomof4

Killian Jones has been in love with Emma Nolan since the day he met her - the day before she married his brother Earl Liam Jones. That was six years ago, and Liam has been gone now for four years. Emma and Killian have both arrived in London for the season - her to seek a husband so she can hopefully bear children, him to finally take up his duties as the earl, including finding a wife. Will they succeed in their respective desires? Complete. Inspired by Francesca Bridgerton's story, this is the fic that sent me into my Bridgerton-fic frenzy. While there is a little bit of Liamma in the beginning, this is very much a Captain Swan fic and it's so much fun to follow along with the evolving relationship dynamic between the two.

A Mistress to No One by @kmomof4

Bastard Emma Swan enjoys one night of pure magic and romance in the midst of a life of drudgery and abuse- attending a masquerade ball and meeting aristocrat Killian Jones. Two years later, the same man she met on the best night of her life reappears, saving her from a dire fate in the process. Now, she must keep herself from falling in love with a man she can never have. But when that proves impossible, is there any hope for a happy ending between two people from such vastly different worlds? Complete. I will admit, that I have never read Benedict Bridgerton's story, so I had no idea what to expect. This story reminds me of Cinderella but if Cinderella and her prince had an actual connection beyond a single dance.

The Duke and His Swan by @hollyethecurious

Dearest Reader, the ton is abuzz with speculation that the new Duke of Ironhook will be remaining in town for the duration of the Season. Second born of the illustrious Jones family, Killian Jones has quite the legacy to live up to now he has inherited the dukedom from his late elder brother. Also entering Society for her first season is Miss Emma Swan, ward to the Viscount Nolan’s family. Gifted with a respectable dowry, Miss Swan’s financial worth and uncommon good looks will surely make up for her rumored prickly disposition in the eye of more than one fortune seeking suitor. Stay tuned, Dear Reader, for this author has it on good authority His Grace and Miss Swan shall cause quite a sensation, perhaps even resulting in… scandal! Complete. If you haven't already read this fic, I HIGHLY recommend it. Loosely inspired by Daphne Bridgerton's story, this is very much a friends to lovers trope that so many of us adore. After I read this fic, I binged several of this author's other works as well because her writing is absolutely addictive :)))

These fics are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires and I really hope more Bridgerton-inspired fics will begin to pop up--especially a Colin Bridgerton-esque fic to commemorate the Polin season! If you've found any others that you enjoyed, please please please let me know! Happy reading!!

#ouat #captain swan #emma swan #killian jones #captain hook #cs fic rec #captain swan fanfic #daphne bridgerton #francesca bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #regency era au #bridgerton au #movie/literature

28 notes · View notes

the-owl-house-takes · 1 year ago

Note

So I think the worst take of the fandom is that all of the problems of the show would have been fixed had it gotten a full S3. That literally any problem the show had merely came from the shortening. This is... Well, just blatantly shows that the fandom not only doesn't understand how the animation industry works AND doesn't want to actually look at the narrative they did choose to focus on post the shortening call that were just... baffling.

So first let's establish how much of the show was affected by the Shortening. As a fandom, we found out about it during the hiatus between S1 and 2. This was at earliest, August 2020 since the S1 finale came out late August 2020. Dana has claimed two things that are important to this timeline. 1: The shortening was decided on shortly before the finale came out and 2: That the first episode affected by Covid, which would have been back in March/April, was Looking Glass Ruins. So we EXPLICTLY know that the shortening didn't affect the show until after S2 Ep 5.

BUT then we get into production schedules. Before S2 even BEGAN airing, we were told to stop campaigning for a full S3 because they had to get started on storyboards for the season and that was effectively the firm deadline. This means ALL of S2 was effectively done in script and storyboards by the time S2 aired. This makes sense to keep a weekly schedule and the like and most animation professionals will tell you they work MONTHS in advance of release, bare minimum.

This means, AT BEST, S2B was when the shortening really kicked in. And yes, S2B has pacing issues. It has issues in general and is when most people think the quality of the show dropped. The problem is that... The signs were always there. There's a reason why there's been a backlash because as people become disillusioned with the show, you have to ask what was driving so much before.

And a lot of that was potential. S1 is so good when you first watch it because it keeps teasing the idea that it's going to tackle things in a complex way. That it will explore concepts like Amity's abusive family, magic, fantasy vs reality, etc. like that. It's why the fandom was at its strongest during S1.

Unfortunately, the problem with presenting good ideas and then not executing on them, or completely gutting them is that those old parts are a lot harder to enjoy. As Willow was effectively not a character for half a season and then just suddenly was a jock, people began to realize the fact that she in the show is much more a plot device than anything else. They claimed "We're not doing the one kind act into friendship and forgiveness thing with Amity and Willow" and then literally did NOTHING with it until S2B and eventually DID just do the same trope anyways but now with less resonance than it would have had in Understanding Willow.

Not only that but even S1 didn't give a single shit about its worldbuilding. The First Day has Dana Terrace as a lead writer on it. If anyone knows the worldbuilding best, it should be her... So why is it that no one talks about multi-coven things being illegal? It's literally just used as meta commentary and so they entirely ignore the worldbuilding they have. Reaching Out is exactly the same, with Dana as the SOLE writer of that where Amity and everyone else treats joining a coven like going to college and not literally the word of the law.

But S1 couldn't even keep Wild Witches consistent. Half the time Eda can chill and not worry. She can go to a place funded by the EC like Hexide and not flinch for a second that Bump might call the guards on her despite that being kind of the ONE real rule to their society that makes it not just our world but with teeth. Then again, the show gives NO FUCKS about its own stuff, willing excising portions of itself that it finds cumbersome. Escaping Expulsion is BEFORE Looking Glass Ruins and yet it murders Luz's magical potential in its sleep and also discards Amity's family as easily disposable, despite how much the show claims her mother's influence is the reason why Amity behaved the way she did for all of... Three appearances? Because Amity's arc isn't actually good.

It shouldn't be surprising S2 would do this though when the writers already struggled to do anything with Luz's magic. If she's supposed to be learning and growing... Even S1 is shit at this and is repetitive. Not just with the at least three times we do "King has a minion!" B plot that isn't funny and doesn't do anything but also with its lessons. Luz theoretically learns to listen to Eda in the third episode and arguably the second as well. Then she gets her first glyph with the lesson, in theory. of not trying to take shortcuts to do magic and to not steal. And then in Adventure in the Elements, not even to impress Amity but because of her impatience, she steals something to take a shortcut to stronger magic. That is THREE episodes of the first TWELVE of the series. It usually takes most kids shows at least a LITTLE longer to be that bad at retreading its own lessons.

And the final part of this is that... S2 actually had to be effectively the exact same as it was for s3 to happen. You need the foreshadowing of the Collector for the Day of Unity. You need to FINALLY do something with Belos for the revelations of the Human Realm to happen and to do Luz's angst arc. You need Hunter to be at least 90% redeemed so he's there on their side during The Day of Unity, etc. like that. Then you get half a season in the human realm before coming back to the Isles for half a season, just like Amphibia did because returning home is the best mid-season finale you can have there. So any argument that a full S3 would have actually fixed issues with S2B is just... Wrong. The problems with S2B come with the fact that S2A wastes a FUCKTON of time on elements that don't matter.

Oh, and lest we forget that The Collector could have been cut. He had one appearance in a dream, that also doesn't make sense with his characterization, before S2B. In the fact, the crew has admitted as much. He was added AFTER the news of the Shortening because they always wanted to include a character like him so now that they didn't have the time for him... Cram him in anyways.

Could a show have EVER been saved when that's how they treat one of their two final antagonists? It's the sort of statement that just solidifies the idea that TOH didn't want three seasons. It wanted five... If not just to go on forever. To be the next monolithic show, even as it repeats character arcs, lessons and shrinks characters rather than expands them.

So no, the show isn't bad because of the shortening. The show is bad because the writing is bad.

#the owl house is one of my favorite shows ever #but it is not immune to criticism #sure the shortened season messed a lot do stuff up #but a lot of the bad stuff was the result of poor writing decisions #the owl house #toh #toh critical #long post

77 notes · View notes

frazzledsoul · 11 months ago

Text

Probably preaching to the choir here, but I find the constant revisionism regarding Christopher Hayden's sporadic attempts at fatherhood rather frustrating.

I often see his fans argue that Lorelai "kept Rory away from him and refused to let him participate" and that "she made it uncomfortable for him." But did she? She declined his marriage proposal because he was uninterested in Rory from the beginning. She left home and moved thirty minutes away, worked her way up to a middle-class life, and made it clear he was free to do whatever the fuck he wanted. We're told he calls Rory every week (I find this unconvincing, but whatever), he sees her on holidays, he knows how to find Rory and Lorelai when he finally visits them 14-15 years after they move there. It sure doesn't sound like Lorelai hid her away and didn't tell Christopher where they lived or refused to allow him to visit her. Not to mention that we are explicitly told in season 1 that she's "always held the door open to her, you just never wanted to use it" and he agrees.

The other thing she tells Rory in that S1 episode is that "he's going to come and go as he pleases, hon, you know that." Contrary to the belief that she kept Rory away from him, she actually is super accommodating any time he wants to show up and contribute and she never rebukes him for all the times he didn't feel like it. She doesn't appear to ever ask him for money or criticize him for being a bad dad and of course, she keeps sleeping with him any time he does anything half-decent. She's raised Rory to think that it's inevitable he's going to treat them like crap and only show up when it's convenient for him and that they can never be mad at him or hold it against him because she didn't marry him when he offered so long ago. The idea that he had a responsibility to Rory regardless of whether Lorelai was willing to be in a relationship with him is not a reality in their world. It doesn't help that both sets of grandparents seem to blame the entire situation on Lorelai and don't expect Christopher to contribute in any way.

And of course, Christopher doesn't really care about Rory. He's mostly eager to act like a dad when there are cracks in Lorelai's relationship with Luke and he senses an opportunity to get in her pants (he usually succeeds at this). Once that opportunity goes away, he disappears. He drops out of Rory's life once Gigi is born. He doesn't appear to be in contact with her after he and Lorelai divorce until it's time for her graduation. After Lorelai stops talking to him once she reconciles with Luke in the post-OS period, he stops talking to Rory, too. Even the offer to pay for the second half of Rory's college education only comes when he inherits a bunch of money he didn't earn and offers to buy *Lorelai* anything she wants until Rory reorients his offer towards something practical. Rory is a means to get to Lorelai and not much more. And of course, we know from AYITL that he sends Gigi away to her mother eventually as well, giving up on her too.

This is not to say that Lorelai always behaves perfectly. She avoids telling Rory about Christopher requesting to make holiday plans with her for a few days and she does a lot to poison Rory against Christopher/Sherry in S3 because SHE'S mad at him for rejecting her and Rory feels she has to take her side. Still, I don't feel this is equal to all of Christopher's neglect and at any rate Rory is a big girl now, a legal adult, and can develop a relationship with her dad beyond her mom if she wants. Christopher doesn't appear to be terribly interested.

(Oh, and the aforementioned S2/S3 behavior is why you shouldn't be best friends with your daughter, as it's inevitable that your hurt feelings will get in the way of what's best for her and her relationship, however frayed, with her other parent. That is another topic, though).

In the end, all this does have a profound effect on Rory. She's often submissive in her relationships (especially with Dean) and lets problems fester instead of dealing with them because that's what's been modeled for her. She also regularly cheats with old boyfriends because her parents taught her that you always have a claim on your first love and that overrides whatever commitment you're currently making. And of course, in the AYITL era she seems to have copied his life patterns a bit too much, as she's got no real incentive to change at this point.

Lorelai wasn't too hard on him. She was way too easy on him and put up with too much of his shit over the years, and that had its own reverberations. Both Lorelai and Rory should have been allowed to be angry at him for his neglect. It never happened.

#unoriginal thoughts #anti christopher hayden #lorelai gilmore #rory gilmore #gilmore girls

39 notes · View notes

all-pacas · 7 months ago

Text

DIAGNOSTIC OLYMPICS, SEASON 3, EPISODES 12-END

S1: part one, part two, part three

S2: part one, part two, part three

S3: part one

Hi! I was curious about who on House (besides House) gets the most diagnoses right. Other folks have already run a tally (it's Chase), but I was curious how other factors would influence the tally — whose ideas get run with, who manages treatment, who screws up… So I thought I'd keep score.

1 point for getting the answer. This is almost always going to be House.

.5 points for Valuable Contribution — stuff that isn't the final answer, but either is thought to be the final answer or is valuable to the solving of the case. Stuff like "noticing something on the MRI" doesn't count; things like "figuring out how to treat" does.

-.5 to -1 for Mistakes — stuff that delays or prevents diagnoses, injuring or killing patients, etc.

NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK DIAGNOSES: Swallowed toothpick

+1 TEAM: No one really has any idea until they actually see the toothpick, and spend the episode chasing symptoms.

INSENSITIVE DIAGNOSES: Tapeworm

+1 HOUSE: After stealing Wilson’s dinner, he realizes the cause of the patient’s symptoms is another thieving parasite. +.5 CHASE: His streak continues: as soon as House has left the building, he gets the idea to try to provoke a pain reaction from the patient in order to tell where to treat. It doesn’t go as planned, but it was a smart idea.

HALF WIT DIAGNOSES: Takayasu’s

+1 HOUSE: Faking brain cancer is ethically shady, but he ended up being the only one of the team to care at all about the actual case, so. +.5 FOREMAN: Comes up with an idea to run a test on the patient without provoking a seizure that would ruin the results. -.5 TEAM: As soon as they find out House “has” brain cancer, Cameron, Foreman, and Chase entirely abandon their patient to worry about House. Which is sweet on the one hand, but a clear demerit on the other! Although I’m writing “Team” here, I’m deducting individually.

TOP SECRET DIAGNOSES: Genetic nosebleed illness +1 HOUSE: Manages to take a throwaway line about nosebleeds and turn it into a diagnoses. More importantly, realizes the patient once made out with Cuddy. +.5 CHASE: Insists on radiation treatment, although once they’ve moved past cancer he gives it up. I’m giving him the point because even once he’s stopped pushing the idea, Foreman decides it’s their best and that, without guidance from House, they should go with it. It doesn’t work, but leadership! -.5 CHASE AND CAMERON: Fucking in the sleep lap instead of monitoring the patient wasn’t all that smart, especially when the patient woke up while they were doing so.

FETAL POSITION DIAGNOSES: Fetal Mirror Syndrome

+1 TEAM: House realizes it’s fetal mirror syndrome pretty quickly, the problem is then treating it and keeping both mother and patient alive; they only find out what the fetus’s problem is during the exploratory surgery. +.5 CHASE: His streak continues: he comes up with the idea of an exploratory surgery on the fetus, which ends up saving the day.

AIRBORNE DIAGNOSES: Bends for one, pesticide poisoning for the other.

+1 HOUSE: Figures out both the mass hysteria and, with the help of Fake Chase, that the actual patient has the bends. +1 CHASE: His second diagnosis of the season, he realizes pesticide poisoning at the last minute, thanks to some uneaten cat food. He is really on a roll this season. +.5 FOREMAN: Although his diagnosis is wrong, and he almost cut open the patient’s brain for no reason, he gets the point for leadership and having an idea while the others are foundering. +0 CHASE AND CAMERON: Fucking in a patient’s house wasn’t a great move, but they get by on a technicality: it didn’t affect the case, and it didn’t prevent the diagnosis: even if they’d discovered the vents on the first search, it wouldn’t have mattered at the time without context.

ACT YOUR AGE DIAGNOSES: Testosterone Cream

+1 HOUSE: Realizes early on it must be environmental, but the patients keep getting worse and they can’t figure out what the cause is, until, of course, he puts it together at the last second. +.5 CAMERON: Cameron gets the Foreman award for thinking the patient needs her pituitary gland removed, pushing back against House, and getting her way because of no better ideas. She’s wrong, and it’s a good thing the procedure didn’t happen, but if Foreman gets credit for his moments of pushing back, so should she.

HOUSE TRAINING DIAGNOSES: Staph Infection

-.5 HOUSE: Was totally on board with Foreman’s “let’s radiate the patient totally” theory, which, you know, killed her. -1 FOREMAN: Oopsie! Killed a lady! This is also yet another example of Foreman really, really hating poor people: he immediately assumes she’s on drugs, lying, scamming, etc. This doesn’t end up factoring in to why he killed her, but… Foreman, calm down.

FAMILY DIAGNOSES: Chicken Water

+1 TEAM: Everyone is chasing symptoms, and Foreman is working his ass off, but it isn’t until Wilson makes an offhand remark that it all comes together. I guess technically Foreman gets the diagnosis, so I’ll give him a point, but: +.5 FOREMAN: While he seems to be the one to put it together (off camera), he spends a lot of the episode waffling and wasting time due to the Yips. His bone marrow move in the end is ethically shady, but did save the brother, so we’ll give him a pass.

RESIGNATION DIAGNOSES: Suicide Attempt (ingested drain cleaner) +1 HOUSE: Spends most of the episode incorrectly insisting on one of several rare infections, but pulls out the right answer in the end. +.5 CHASE: In an episode where mostly everyone is chasing symptoms and running tests, Chase comes up with the only other theory — autoimmune — and insists on a dangerous treatment, getting his way even though it might mean the patient has a heart attack. She doesn’t, and House cheerfully tells Chase he was wrong, but Chase correctly points out it doesn’t make House right, either. He’s the only one besides House to have and push any theories, so point.

THE JERK DIAGNOSES: +1 HOUSE: After an episode of chasing symptoms, and wrongly assuming the asshole patient’s assholery is a symptom, he figures it out! -.5 FOREMAN: Very early in the episode, the patient mentions to him he can’t bend his fingers. This ends up being the Big Clue that cracks the case, and Foreman either disregards it entirely or just fails to pass it along. +5 CHASE’S OBSERVATION SKILLS: He figures out that House cancelled Foreman’s job interview to sow chaos, and is the only one of the named cast to do so. House is even pretty proud! Alas, Chase’s streak, while strong, is coming to its very abrupt end.

HUMAN ERROR DIAGNOSES: Congenital defect

+1 HOUSE: Fires Chase, loses Foreman and Cameron, but takes the time to diagnose a genetic defect, so that’s a win?

FINAL S3 TALLY and FINAL OG TRIO TALLY:

HOUSE: 51.5 (+7.5) TEAM: 8.5 (+3) FOREMAN: 3 (+0) CHASE: 8.5 (+2) CAMERON: 3.5 (-.5)

Both Cameron and Chase lost some points for fucking instead of paying attention to their jobs, and everyone lost points in Half Wit; Foreman also lost a full point for killing a lady, but was able to make up for it with Leadership Points.

Chase ends the season strong: his wins in Airborne and Finding Judas are as-yet the only times one of the fellows has solved a case House couldn't or wasn't involved in, and it seems to have given his confidence a boost — the last half of the season he's full of smart ideas and even pushing back against House. Even with some demerits for literally fucking around on the job, and even though he got fired, he's ending his fellowship on a real hot streak, with more points than the other two combined — and he has a girlfriend! Good for you, buddy! It won't last!

Cameron was solid overall. Although she has the fewest eureka moments of the cast, and is by far least likely to do a dangerous procedure, she tended to be fairly consistent: she's the only one who didn't fuck up and kill someone. Her demerits tended to be pretty frontloaded to early seasons, and when she was over-invested in cases; she didn't do great in the back half of S3, but she rarely makes medical mistakes, and tends to be a Solid Guesser.

Foreman really surprised me, I think because the show talks him up so much. He's still very smart, and he is by far the best at pushing against House and getting his own way — not to be scoffed at — but he tended to swing pretty wildly between unprofessional asshole whose feelings cloud his treatment (worse than Cameron) and sharp and in charge. Ironically, whenever he was put formally in charge, he tended to let his doubts get the best of him, but he definitely gets better as it as he goes. He always has strong ideas and is an Active Participant, he just lacks the "creative spark" to get a big win. It wasn't really relevant to the scores, but the back half of S3 is also full of patients full of idealism that Foreman clearly admired and sympathized with: he has a great character arc. Just not great diagnosing.

Here, also, are the adjusted scores, if we take out all demerits and just focus on wins:

CHASE: 12 (+3.5) CAMERON: 8 (+4.5) FOREMAN: 6 (+3)

Cameron shoots right up when you don't deduct for her mistakes, but the margins are closer than I expected: Foreman actually screws up less than the other two, he just doesn't have as many wins, either. My theory is that it's just sort of bad luck. Most of the time, the fellows get their moments to shine in focus episodes, episodes where they bond with a patient or get their own subplot. Cameron has the most focus episodes and subplots by far, so she has the most chances to get wins — it's just she also fucks up a lot, albeit in "minor" ways. Foreman has the second most… it's just that his episodes are more about character development than doctoring, and his development is about his turn into "darkness" (Houseness?), and/or a big two parter where he's out of commission. He tends to make mistakes in his episodes, instead of being handed wins.

Chase, meanwhile, just kind of exists. He has the least subplots and focus of the three, and I think his winning streak in S3 was simply meant to show he was ready to move on, even if he never was gonna quit on his own.

In any case, I'll be really curious to see how the New Kids factor in! See ya in S4!

#diagnostic olympics #house md #hate crimes md #malpractice posting

16 notes · View notes

moistvonlipwig · 8 months ago

Text

Top 10 Favorite Final Seasons of a TV Show

For @loisfreakinglane's enjoyment.

...This was actually so hard. I'm limiting myself to TV shows with multiple seasons that have officially for-real ended, as well as to final seasons that I've watched in full (so there are some seasons of shows I watch that maybe should make the cut that won't because I haven't gotten around to them yet). In the order that I thought of them:

Breaking Bad Season 5: A really strong & exciting final season with some great new characters (Lydia Rodarte-Quayle I love you Lydia Rodarte-Quayle!!!) and some of the show's best episodes.

Once Upon a Time Season 7: My favorite season of the show, and one that weirdly addressed a lot of the problems I had with the first six seasons. The new characters were great and they did some cool & unexpected things with the old characters. Hardly perfect, and it somehow made the show's already-convoluted timeline worse, but it was a very strong note to end the show on & it helped me look on the show as a whole in a much fonder light, which was no small feat after some of the bullshit the show had previously pulled.

Amphibia Season 3: A great final season. I loved seeing the Boonchuys on Earth in 3A, and I loved the story arc of Anne & Sasha co-commanding the resistance in 3B. IMO a lot of the complaints about this season come from people who didn't really understand what the show was about. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Steven Universe Future/Steven Universe Season 5: I kind of consider Future to be the proper 'final season' of Steven Universe and not its own show, but I know some people disagree and consider it a separate limited series and would say that Season 5 is the real final season of the show. Either way, both seasons are quite good. I think Future is consistently stronger -- Season 5 has a stretch of 6 or so episodes that are kind of weak -- but Season 5 has higher highs. But again, both are very good final seasons, whichever one you consider to be the 'true' final season.

Person of Interest Season 5: Honestly, this is not the best final season -- I think being limited to 13 episodes really hamstrung the writers, and not all the episodes are good -- but it does end on a really strong note, and also I ran out of final seasons I consider legitimately great, so, uh, good for you PoI, you arguably don't deserve to be here but you're here anyway!

Better Call Saul Season 6: I'm not gonna lie, I had problems with the way 6B unfolded -- I thought the pacing wasn't the best and some of the character/plot beats didn't quite land -- but both 6A and the finale were very strong, and I'm not opposed to most of the events of 6B in theory. Plus, BCS is just well-made TV in general, so even when I didn't love it, I was still appreciative of the artistry that went into the show.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 9: I remember really liking the first half of this season and thinking it was some of the best stuff the show had put out in years. The second half was more par for the course but not bad. The actual season-long plot was pretty whatever but it produced some good episodes, and Daniel Ingram, as always, delivered with the music.

Battlestar Galactica Season 4: Look, anyone who's taken a cursory glance at my BSG tag knows how I feel about what BSG S3 & 4 did to Boomer, and S4 additionally committed the sin of killing off Anastasia Dualla, but I don't actually think S4 is overall a bad season. I think it could've been better, sure, but I honestly was fine with it aside from the stuff I hated. Lol. Also, Kara Thrace turns into a pigeon, and that's hilarious.

Infinity Train Season 4: Technically this is a better season of television than some of the seasons listed above, but it was not intended as a final season and you can tell; nothing about it makes for a particularly effective ending to the show. I will forever mourn the remaining 4 planned seasons of this show that we never got. But, hey, it's still a good season, even though it's probably the show's weakest outing.

...Revolutionary Girl Utena's Apocalypse Arc: LOOK I KNOW IT'S NOT A "SEASON" I RAN OUT OF FINAL SEASONS I LIKE OKAY. It's better than pretty much everything else on this list though because it's RGU, how could it not be.

Tagging @jioinfocommlimited, @02511213942, @occidentaltourist, @cassphos, @nocticola, and anyone else who wants to tackle this challenge. Be warned, it's harder than it looks!!!

#i think only the first 4 on this list actually deserve to be on here but i wanted to push myself to reach 10 so here we are!#with only minimal cheating!#bacon bad #and it's the story of us #the absolute destiny apocalypse #we wouldn't have hot dogs #train to nowhere #something about pylons #mysterious as the dark side of the moon #you are being watched #the road has good choices and it has bad choices #frogblogging

12 notes · View notes

the-writer1988 · 1 year ago

Text

Tangled Fic Recommendation

Every so often I like to talk about a fanfiction I am reading and recommend it to people.

Today, I'm not only recommending one story, I am recommending an entire series.

23 stories in their series so far and counting. And there is still a lot more to come.

Not only has this author embarked on a thrilling rewrite of the series, they have written it so well that I am always eagerly awaiting the next part.

The best part is that updates are DAILY! What author manages to keep updating daily consistently for over a year?

I am of course talking about the series on A03 starting with the fic: "Two Tangled Sisters" which begins with the premise that Cassandra was taken to the Tower before Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel and then subsequently cared for Rapunzel and became an older sister. The first fic shows them growing up in the Tower and then covers the Tangled movie, introducing Eugene and showing their adventure as Rapunzel and Eugene fall in love, alongside Cassandra who just wants to protect her little sister.

The series has expanded from there, following through with how Rapunzel and Cassandra adapt to Royal Life (because Arianna being the most awesome mum ever decides to adopt Cassandra too and she becomes a Princess of Corona). It is fascinating following their journey together, and the different paths Rapunzel and Cassandra take in this AU.

It continues into The Coronation, with Rapunzel getting her hair back, and then onto a rewrite of Season One, Two and now Three. I cannot talk much about it but each story written so far has something for everyone!

New Dream cuteness!

Eugene and Cass bickering!

Sisterhood!

Family bonding!

Alchemists!

Arianna!

Hating Frederic!

Danger!

Excitement!

Our favourite characters getting hurt!

There is so much this series has given! To this day, the season finale for season 1 still hurts me.

I love the character progression all the characters go through: they all shine in this series!

As a Eugene fan, I cannot express my excitement enough as to his future role in this series! I am so excited for it!

And, despite the series being called Two Tangled Sisters, Eugene has a big role in the series and his and Rapunzel's relationship does take centre stage.

There are twists and turns and rewrites of episodes! An unexpected pairing for Cassandra that I did not expect to want but now its there I am rooting for them! Such great development of all the characters and it shows what a great author we have for this series, for them to be able to tell such great stories and make a pairing work.

This series is so much more than just a Cassandra series. It is so much more than that. It is one of the best rewrites I have ever encountered in my few years in the fandom. The author has done the impossible and, as a fan who wasn't fond of Cassandra to start with, this series has certainly helped me see Cassandra, even in canon, with a new light. I cannot wait to see how this series goes!

I urge anyone not to brush this series off, to give it a try. You do not have to read every story in the series. The core set of stories following the series are enough, and there are multiple side-stories that add a bit extra to the characters.

If you only want to read the core stories, this is the order you should read them in:

Two Tangled Sisters

Two Princesses

The Coronation

Within the Walls of Corona (which covers the first half of S1)

To Rule A Kingdom (Queen For A Day reimagining)

The Alchemists Search (dealing with the second half of S1)

The Princess, The Pirate and The Prosecutor (S1 finale)

Vardaros and the Tower (S2 opener)

Magic and Artefacts (covers the first quarter of S2)

High Tide Dream (covers the second quarter of S2)

The Great Tree

The Past We Try To Forget (covers the third quarter of S2)

Shimmering Stones and Uncertain Destinies (S2 finale)

Return To Corona (S3 opener - currently posting)

I urge people to give this series a chance, whether you are a Cassandra fan or not - this series has something for everyone. And this is a series I wouldn't have read myself if I hadn't given a chance - and the only reason I did was because of the daily updates. I am so glad I gave this series a chance. It is 100% worth it!

Now, for some of you here, it will be very obvious which author I am talking about with this fic recommendation.

Unfortunately, this author has been, in some aspects, ostracised by the fandom in a lot of places. It's got to a point they still do not feel comfortable on tumblr, and this, to me, is very sad, because @twotangledsisters is such a GREAT PERSON to interact with.

She has become one of my favourite people on this site. Her writing, her opinions, her art are absolutely fabulous, and yet, people block her, excluding her from being able to interact with their content all because of her love of Cassandra from Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.

@twotangledsisters is not just a Cassandra fan. She is a New Dream fan too but has been excluded from a lot of New Dream spaces because of her love of Cassandra and that is absolutely heart-breaking, that someone who loves this show so much, cannot fully interact with the fandom simply because they love Cassandra. If someone reblogs a piece of New Dream art that she likes, she finds out she's blocked from the original poster's blog so cannot follow them or see their other New Dream content.

It is sad and horrible to find out the way she did that people have done this to her. And how some people sent her horrible messages, telling her she was not welcome in New Dream spaces, when she absolutely 100% is WELCOME.

@twotangledsisters has so much love and care and creativity she wants to share with everyone but now feels she cannot. I am thrilled that she continues to produce brilliant artwork for my own fics! I'm honestly astounded by what she has produced so far for my fic: The Lost Prince!

Please everyone: be kind.

@twotangledsisters is a gift to the fandom and I feel incredibly proud to be calling myself her friend. She is awesome, and so is her fanfic series: Two Tangled Sisters.

Give it a try! I heartily recommend it.

45 notes · View notes