#they don't deserve redemption

[warpedpuppeteer]

Buck was a baby when they took his marrow for Daniel and it failed and Daniel died. How much did his parents blame baby Buck for it?? They can't even stand him when he's an adult I can't imagine how bad it was as a baby?? I'm thinking if they left him crying to himself because they didn't want to deal with him. If they just fed him and changed him and just left him in the crib so that they didn't have to deal with him. And baby Buck is just there all alone babbling to himself because his parents wouldn't care to play with him or comfort him.

I wonder if Maddie had to awkwardly carry a baby Buck from his crib so she can try to play with him or to comfort him when he was bawling so hard his face was red and he was gasping for air and Maddie couldn't stand the fact that their parents didn't do anything. Even if she had just lost her other baby brother. If she had to learn how to make milk just right so that she could feed him anytime, even through her own grief. If she hated changing diapers but she didn't want him to get a rash and so did it anyways. I wonder if she's the one who saw him crawl first. If she saw him holding himself up on furniture to start walking and cheered him and little baby Buck just grinned at her and tried to toddle towards her. I wonder if his first word wasn't mom but "mathie" (because he couldn't say the letter d yet). I wonder if he'd look for her when he was upset, throwing a tantrum when she wasn't there and his parents tried to calm him down but all he screams is "i want maddie!". I wonder if he'd have a nightmare and crawl into Maddie's bed and hide there. I wonder if he asked if he can help her comb her hair and Maddie agrees even though he tangles it. I wonder if Maddie got him his first football, teaching him how to kick a goal.

I wonder if years later, when they're more apart than they've ever been, Buck will curl into a little ball while crying and think about crawling into Maddie's arms to feel loved again. If Maddie thought about hugging Buck really hard and hiding under the covers, so that she could feel safe again, fingers trailing over a postcard he sent, smiling but his eyes sad, hoping that even though he's sad, that he's safe. I wonder if every time Buck travels in the jeep, he feels like Maddie is with him, showing him the way. Maybe he even calls the jeep Maddie sometimes and talks to her, just to feel like she's there.

I wonder if Buck walks Maddie down the aisle and thinks about how he once toddled towards her because she loved him, kept him safe and happy and now Buck gets to walk her towards someone who makes her feel safe and happy and loved. And Maddie thinks finally. Finally they are both happy and safe and together again.

[sebille]

Oh the little change in his expression

[iristial]

[clarissaweasley-10]

This might be a controversial take, but l don't think Eve deserves or should get a redemption arc.

[shions-chin-scar]

[lainalit]

IC Stans: " Tamlin doesn't deserve a redemption/ healing arc, he is an abuser they don't deserve anything"

and yet you are out here defending Rhysand's and Cassian's abusive actions against feyre and Nesta in utm and in acosf, so there do we go from here?

[gremlin-boah]

BILL WILLIAMSON GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!!!

I GIVE YOU

The appriciation and validation Dutch never gave you. You are okay, you can rest now, I see you trying.

This.

WE LOVE THE BIG GUY!!!

WE LOVE HIM @nthspecialll!!

[chroniccomplainerlol]

Really unpopular opinion that arose after rewatching season 3 and 4 of LMK, but it annoys me to no end that Macaque barely did anything to improve (hasn't even apologized to MK lol) and basically got no consequences for his actions and yet he still got his redemption served to him on a silver platter.

Not to mention how much the fandom sugarcoats what he did, but I can't really blame them because the show is kinda doing it by itself considering the other characters' reactions. Like, you mean to tell me that Mei, of all people, would gladly fight side by side with Macaque?

Actually, why is the entire group so… casual around him as if they didn't watch the mf beat the shit out of MK right in front of them?

Highlight to Mei and Pigsy cause they are the first ones to call out Wukong about his mistakes, and them doing that while also giving Macaque a pass after everything he did to them makes no sense.

And it annoys me even more because there were villains/antagonists who could have easily had a redemption arc but got killed off instead.

Also the same thing happened with the Demon Bull Family: They hurt and tried to kill MK and many lives were at risk because of them, but guess what? No consequences lmao they're all besties now.

[rdr2gifs]

I often wonder what sets Arthur apart and makes him particularly appealing to me compared to other characters (in general). One significant factor lies in how he perceives and interacts with women. Arthur views women as equals, rejecting any notion that he is superior because they often do tasks traditionally associated with women, such as laundry and other chores.

He also never doubts capabilities of women like Sadie, who perform tasks usually associated with men. It's essential to note that one of Arthur's initial scenes with Sadie may be misinterpreted, as Sadie herself belittles the work of other women, not Arthur.

Arthur maintains healthy relationships with the female gang members, with none of them serving as a love interest. He sees men and women as equal, believing everyone should be able to walk their own path in life. He treats women with respect and he doesn’t expect any reward for his behaviour (sadly this is how many men seem to think even in the current time). He doesn’t see women in the gang as a cover (Dutch) nor like a liability (Micah). He sees them as people and valuable members of the gang.

Even in situations where he has to help women, he never considers them any less capable nor downplays their abilities.

Arthur's respect for women is also shown in his interactions with individuals outside the gang, such as the circus lady and the rich widow. After the circus lady thanks him for his help, he’s quick to say she would’ve been able to do it without him. He encourages her to pursue her dream in a so far male-dominated industry. He doesn’t look down on the widow, who doesn’t know anything about survival. He doesn’t tell her to go back to the city where she came from. He tries to teach her in a natural and encouraging way, never acting as if he was better than her because he has more experience. He patiently teaches her without any condescension.

He initially doesn’t understand why Beau even tries to stop Penelope from participating in the women's rights march. I like to think this is because he thinks everyone should be able to fight for their cause/what they believe is right. Not to mention he very much enjoyed riding with these ladies and wrote about his experience with fondness.

Arthur's journal entries reveal his disapproval of mistreating women, recognizing the injustice in an era when women had limited autonomy. “He treats his daughter like a possession to be mistreated and abused as he sees fit. Strange creatures men.” It was definitely not common for men in this time to be thinking about women's autonomy.

I don’t want to praise Arthur for things that should be considered the bare minimum but these qualities definitely add more to his likability. And it’s great to see where your favorite character stands on important things like this.

⚘ While acknowledging that Arthur's antagonistic lines may be interpreted as sexist, it's important to consider them as optional elements mostly implemented to make 13 years old boys feel edgy.

[kaycapo]

Victim is absolutely horrifying.

I know it's already known that he's pretty much evil, but it's so much more than that. (This is a long rant. Keep reading if you're interested.)

I mean, just look at the way he treated Chosen. Instead of trying to get information out of him immediately and then fighting if he refuses, he instantly just started beating him. Some can argue that he was weakening him so he would be too weak to fight back when he was questioned, but I doubt that. Agent easily could've just removed all his powers, but he didn't. He removed some, sure, but he let Chosen keep some. Victim could've tried to talk to Cho at the start. He might've spilled, and then the whole fight would've been avoided. But instead he just started beating the crap outta him for, to Chosen at least, no apparent reason.

It seems like to me Victim wanted Chosen to fight back. If he didn't, why not remove all his powers and tie him up? Then he could beat him to 'weaken' him if he wanted. But he didn't. He let Chosen fight back.

I'm guessing he had it that way because he enjoyed having power over someone. He liked the feeling of Chosen desperately fighting back, only to be beaten again and again until he was eventually defeated by him. That's how it went with him and Alan. He had no power, and was used as a toy where he was destined to be defeated, no matter how hard he fought back. He made that same situation with Chosen because he doesn't want to feel like a victim anymore. He wants to be in control, like Alan. His obvious enjoyment of Chosen's struggle is part of the reason of what makes him so scary.

He also did some unnecessary things, to say the least. I mean, whipping Chosen? Why? He also whipped the ground right next to Chosen as he was crawling away, probably to evoke fear. And even as Chosen froze himself, he didn't stop, instead he created clones of himself to hurt Chosen more. He saw Chosen was most definitely scared. (Probably terrified, who wouldn't be after being whipped and beaten down by someone you just met with your powers suddenly being weakened and some taken away?) But he didn't take that as a que to stop and start questioning him. Not only does he like having power over someone, I think he also just enjoys physically hurting people. And probably likes seeing them scared, considering he was trying to make Chosen afraid. He's most definitely sadistic. It's not a surprise, considering his past. He probably developed other phycological issues, like sociopathy.

It also seems like he kidnaps innocent sticks. This is a bit of a reach, but hear me out. We all know Victim has a company, not some police force or something of those sorts. They also kidnapped Second, who was completely innocent in everything. The mercenaries attacked Sec when he was at first friendly, he was waving to them and looked nervous. What part of that screams 'danger'? Sure they saw Chosen with him, but when they started shooting, they weren't aiming to where they saw Cho. They were aiming for Second who panicked and started running around in obvious fear, again, no indication of being dangerous, but never stopped until Chosen came in to save Sec. So what do you think would happen if Victim took an interest in a stick that's, probably, innocent? They would be kidnapped most likely. I brought up the company and not police because of the cells. They were made to keep people inside, but I highly doubt they were 'arresting' people they believed were dangerous. So he probably took people who he thought might have something to do with Alan, or maybe for other, bad, reasons. He doesn't know Second and Alan are related, yet he was taken anyway. I can only imagine what Victim tried to do to the sticks he probably kidnapped. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept them for weeks or longer, until he threw them away once he lost interest. So that adds to how scary he is.

He's also selfish. He's completely happy to let others suffer just so he can get his revenge. I mean, I don't blame him for wanting revenge, after all he was killed. (Or deleted, whatever) But he's so blinded with rage and the need to make Alan pay, he doesn't care about who he hurts, innocent or not. He's making others suffer because he suffered himself. That is selfish. It's also makes him so dangerous and scary.

I honestly adore Victim as a character. He's so interesting and I love analyzing him. He's evolved from a simple victim, to a monster who has so much control and power over others. He enjoys creating fear and likes to bring others to submission. That alone makes him a terrifying and dangerous villain.

Sorry for the long rant, but I needed to get my thoughts out.

[akirathedramaqueen]

You know what I love about this show so much?

The kindness. The understanding. The redemption.

And that's in the setting of fucking Hell. The irony.

The characters are deeply flawed. They make a lot of mistakes. They fuck up even trying to fix things.

But they are trying. They have a lot of virtues, too, even though they don't see them themselves. They slowly but surely process their problems. They work around their trauma and the conditions they were raised in, deeply affected by it, hurting but still powering through, learning, and developing.

Although we are far from the end of these characters' journey, the SpindleHorse team does an amazing job of making these characters sympathetic, believable, and real. They give you the information and the opportunity to understand how complicated things are, how both sides of the conflict can be understood and blamed at the same time.

And the main thing? The forgiveness and redemption. You want these characters to do better, to be better, of course. But you also want them to be loved, despite the fact that what they did was obviously wrong.

You, as the viewer, already forgive them, and you just want them to forgive themselves. To allow themselves to be loved.

When I watched the show and saw them making the same mistakes I did, some horrible things I wouldn’t forgive myself for and struggled with for years, I suddenly understood the struggle. I empathized with them. I wanted to give them a hug. I wanted to comfort them and promise that things would get better and encourage them to give it one more try, one more talk. I wanted to scold them for self-loathing because I know all too well the kinds of dark places it can lead you to sometimes.

And then the thought comes to mind, "Can I afford a bit of this empathy for myself too? Just allow myself to live with the fuckup and allow myself to be human?"

It didn't fix me. But it eased my turmoil and taught me to understand it better. It taught me some empathy, too, and I thought I was the one with the emotional ingelligence of a nightstand. Well, I still kinda am, but at least I learned to listen to people sometimes.

I just want to thank the whole team who worked on Helluva Boss for all the self-reflections I experienced with their creation.

Thank you.

[ploverpaw]

Okay I'll speak a thought

It's hard for me to take 'does Curlfeather deserve to go to The Dark Forest' seriously because I believe the dark forest is an inherently flawed system no cat really deserves to go to

It's hammered in that it's an entirely horrible place to exist in, and there's no incentive or opportunities for cats to change their ways, learn better, or get help if a lack of it contributed to their actions already. And even when they do manage to do so, there's still no hope for them. They're still stuck in Cat Hell, surrounded !!for eternity!! by the unmonitored violence of the other df cats.

The only cat who got close as far as I know was Juniperclaw, who has to serve Starclan in a tunnel forever without ever being allowed to join them.

Seemingly, the only way for these cats to really change their situation from there is by breaking through on their own, usually through the use of violence, so I'm Not surprised the great battle [OOTS] came about.

Not to mention if we go off what we learned of Snowtuft in TBC, they don't even remember what they did to be in the dark forest after enough time has passed, so at that point it seems exceedingly cruel.

Of course these cats, including Curlfeather, deserve to face consequences for their actions, but the dark forest seems like a pointless way of just causing more pain for the sake of it. And it's the same punishment regardless of the crime, while we know many cats who arguably do things of the same severity are allowed into Starclan just fine

I could say so much more I have so many thoughts but I don't want this to get too long

look at this

[queerstudiesnatural]

Fan favourite characters I dislike poll

[acearohippo]

MDZS: gives us a perfectly happy, wonderfully written WangXian that hits all the Good™ Romance™ tropes while keeping the development grounded and genuine.

Me: *crying, instead, over Jiang Cheng/Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue/Meng Yao (Jin Guangyao)/Lan Xichen, clutching them tightly to bosom over the (also fantastically written) tragedy of their past traumas ripping them apart and leaving them scarred and alone and bitter without any supports to lean on*

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

not spop-related but i can't post this on my main blog so.

i do find it funny how most of the fan depictions of belos were far more interesting and detailed than s3 belos. i've seen fanart and fanfics of him where he's a complex villain struggling with religious guilt and then the canon is just like.. lmao yeah he's pure evil. kill him.

[glitter-lisp]

nobody look at me but im thinking so hard about the abernant sisters again