#they executed it so well but FUCK such a traumatizing episode

[autistic-stedebonnet]

wanting to rewatch tlou episode 8 just cause i was so fucking terrified for ellie the whole time that i didn’t fully process it but also knowing that if i watch it again i might like. cry so hard i throw up.

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I keep going back to a specific scene in s2e3, the one where Izzy finds Stede in the fucked-up captain's cabin on the Revenge, because I think this scene largely serves as a refutation of Izzy's claim that he knows Ed "better than anyone else" and further proves how little he understands Stede, giving Stede a chance to prove to the audience that he gets Ed in a way Izzy doesn't.

From just Stede's angle, it's very nicely done. Izzy expects Stede to be upset about the state of his cabin; Stede doesn't care about his possessions, he's more worried about Ed. Izzy expects Stede not to have any inkling of what Ed's self-destructive spiral looked like; Stede knows Ed "was either going to watch the world burn or die trying." This scene leaves Izzy with no choice other than to recognize he has underestimated how much Stede understands Ed.

But I want to talk about what this scene tells us about how Izzy thinks of Ed.

First off: we can't take anything Izzy says in this scene at face value, because he says he couldn't have killed Ed even though we know that Izzy fully believes Ed is laying dead in the belly of the ship during this conversation. The mutiny on Ed is extremely well-written; we can not blame a single character for beating our beloved Ed to death and that's a feat in itself, but Izzy here is casually lying in a way the others weren't. With Jim and Frenchie and Fang, the guilt was fucking palpable, Izzy's lie could almost pass under the radar in this scene because it seems so genuine. I don't doubt that Izzy feels guilty; his guilt just feels more about him and the danger he and the other mutineers are in than it does about Ed.

But there's one specific line that keeps jumping out at me, because it is just so incredibly cruel: when Izzy says "he was a wild dog, and we treated him like one." We know that Ed specifically chose to incite a mutiny as his method of suicide; Ed himself seems to have wanted his death to be more like an execution because he doesn't seem to think he deserves a painless death. And Izzy here seems to be agreeing with that.

This line dehumanizes Ed in a very striking way. It takes away his agency, makes his actions seem entirely random and baseless, and rips away the context that Ed was acting from a place of deep, deep heartbreak and fear that Izzy himself triggered. This line makes my lip curl every time I hear it, it is such a disgusting thing to say about another person, especially a person who you believe you have just participated in violently beating to death, which was so traumatic that poor Fang is on the verge of tears this entire episode.

And then Izzy says that the crew have suffered enough thanks to Izzy and Stede - he's taking responsibility, a bit, here, but the way it's framed sticks out to me because Izzy shows so little sympathy for Ed in this entire conversation (see: the "wild dog" comment).

Izzy is willing to stick up for the crew, in his own way. He's willing to advocate for them in a way he never had before; they have just saved his life. But he is completely unwilling to talk about Ed like he's a person at all. Still, at this point, Izzy does not recognize or sympathize with Ed's feelings. His earlier claim that he "understands" Ed is absolutely laughable when we compare it to this scene because, to him, Ed is a caricature of a person, only capable of responding with anger when provoked enough and otherwise not worth the effort to engage with. It shows us that Izzy loved what Ed could offer him, a position of power, but not Ed himself, because he barely even saw Ed as a person at all. It's a very good scene.

[chuplayswithfire]

Edward Teach and his relationship to violence and power and the cycle of abuse is so fascinating, because Ed grew up in a household where he was intensely, constantly vulnerable, where he and his mother were at the whim of his incredibly abusive father, and so he escapes by committing the most understandable and well justified murder in the entire show, and it traumatizes him -

Not just because it was murder

Not just because it was his dad

But because he was able to plan it out and make it happen at all. Killing his dad is this moment of terrifying strength and courage at the heart of him and it's the birthplace of the Edward that does what needs to be done to survive, no matter the emotional consequences. Ed thinks he is a bad person specifically because as a child he killed own father so he and his mother could survive, and then had to keep committing acts of violence to survive long into adulthood.

I don't think Ed worries about becoming his father. I think he sees himself as someone much worse - because he was able to kill that man, to plan out and complete his murder, even though that was his dad.

The show never once treats Ed's anger in the show as unreasonable or problematic - his flashes of temper throughout the show are always in very understandable moments and they're played for drama (french captain), furthering the romance (wanting to shoot the rich people party vs stede offering to handle it), or comedy (snake snack/punching izzy in ep 9).

Even Kraken is deliberately not particularly shown to be an expression of Ed's anger, which is hot, but that deliberate ruthless problem solving spirit that comes after the anger passes and the knowledge of exactly what to do washes over him; following his father to the dock and strangling him; skin him, and fang? use the snail fork; toe scene and sitting exactly at Izzy's bed side for it and telling him what will happen if he threatens him again. Even marooning the crew is not an act committed with anger, but a muted sorrow.

Piracy is a culture of abuse, mistrust, and backstabbery, this is established in episode one, further emphasized in episode 8 with both Spanish Jackie and Calico Jack and the tales of Hornigold, and demonstrated yet further with Captain Hands in episode 9.

Ed escaped the abuse at home, but found his place in the world in the abusive professional and interpersonal relationships of piracy, which is one reason he's so drawn to Stede - because he's doing it differently, he's trying to build a form of piracy that doesn't rely on the traditional forms of abuse that manage piracy - and because his people positive management style works, as demonstrated throughout the length of the show. Not everything Stede does works out or is ideal, but his people positive management style is.

When Stede leaves and breaks Ed's heart, and Ed starts to recover from that heartbreak only for Izzy to kick him back down with another threat to his life and for him to hear the crew calling for another song and wonder if it's mockery instead of friendship -

Yeah, Ed turns back to the familiar culture of abuse, mistrust, and backstabbery that piracy has. Shoving Lucius, the one most likely to see through him, overboard. Using Izzy's preferred language, violence, to get him to back the fuck off and fall in line. Violence against Jim and threats against violence against Frenchie, to get them to comply. Abandoning over half the crew.

Ed tried something new and at the end he feels like it fucked him over, made him weak, and vulnerable again, and he reacted exactly as his childhood self did - by creating and executing a plan to remove the threat and position himself out of harm.

That's what Ed's journey is likely to be about, in season 2, by my estimation - understanding what he actually wants in and from life, and having to recognize that he 1) deserves that life 2) can't get it by retreating of self-destruction and abuse that he's grown familiar with. Not a fear of being like his father (he's really not imo, and I could go on about how throwing a knife past your subordinate who has betrayed you and threatened to kill you is vastly different from throwing plates at your cowering wife because you're mad about dinner are not the same, but I'd hope it's unnecessary), or anger issues in general, but recognizing that his retreat from his authentic self into the mask of Blackbeard we see at the end was wrong and doomed to fail.

[a-couple-of-notes]

OKAY what a finale, folks! Deliberately not reading everyone else's thoughts until later (although I did chat briefly with @kshaar -- thank you for enduring my walls of Discord text), but I'm beginning my processing by writing this out.

I have a few issues with how all of this played out, as I'm sure many of you do, but I mostly really liked this finale. I'm so, so aware that it's hard to stick a landing--especially in a fandom as theory-heavy as Marvel, with the dedication of the queer fanbase on top of it. I think it's commendable how much they executed well, and how deliberately they aligned it with their vision of the show, not the one that would make everyone happy (if there is such a thing).

To the stuff I liked: unpopular opinion, but I like the order of the episodes as it is--final big boss fight first, quiet intimate flashback as the finale. Or, at least, I see the vision--I'm still iffy on whether the pacing actually feels good, but that probably needs another rewatch. This show has always been about unpacking Agatha, peeling off her masks until we get to some kind of truth, ugly or beautiful or both. Of course the ending is the truest thing we've ever gotten out of Agatha--the real story of her son and his death.

I loved everything about Nicky, Rio, and Agatha in the flashback. It is so beautifully mundane. A mother's love. A natural death. Selfishness. Grief. Anger. It's gorgeous, and the version of the ballad we got felt so, so fitting.

Everything about Jen! That unbinding spell...whoo. Sasheer Zamata knocked it out of the goddamn park with her performance--the joy, the sorrow, the agony of relief. Man. Even if the rest of the finale flopped on its belly (which it didn't), that alone would have been worth the price of admission. (Also ALSO: Agatha hate-flirting with Jen over confession of horrible traumatic action that fucked up Jen's whole shit! The Jen/Agatha truthers win!)

Alice. Alice my beloved. Ali Ahn, you do so much with the little screen time you have and I applaud you for it. I'm very grateful their cap on her arc was "I could make my life mean something/you're a protection witch. You died protecting someone" and not "you get to see your mother again" because, as I pointed out in the tags of one of my previous posts, that's the real tragedy of Alice. Her life, her freedom, her potential.

To the things I'm mixed on: that final battle, man. I think they did an admirable job of focusing what could have been a generic Marvel magic-blast-y slugfest into distinct character beats, but there was a lot going on in that fight. And compared to previous Rio and Agatha interactions, their big climactic one felt a little...weightless. Those factors make it much less clear why Agatha and Rio are fighting--like, on an emotional level; I understand intellectually why--which means that what also feels unclear is...

...The not-a-sacrifice. I like 90% of this. I like that Billy is finally able to communicate with Agatha via mind powers, because he's started to accept how alike they are. I like that Nicky is once again Agatha's turning point. I even can get behind the sacrifice as the creators' intention--not what I would have preferred, but a solid narrative choice nonetheless. Still, I am super unclear what, exactly, Agatha is thinking when she turns around. Is she just remembering Nicky himself--how much Billy is like him and how ashamed she would be if she left? If so, it feels odd that Agatha's version of sacrifice is kissing Rio so honestly. Later, we learn that Agatha was taking a risk to become a ghost. So when Billy asks how Nicky died, is Agatha remembering how Rio gave him time--the kiss as a fucked-up version of recognition, the risk being Agatha relying on Death's special treatment once again? That would be a better end to Agatha and Rio's arc, but there's no expository line, no echoing "I can only offer time." And Agatha and Rio. DON'T. TALK. IN PRESENT-DAY EPISODE 9.

This is my main gripe. I am aware I am griping with Megalopolis and FFC, not the show or its creators. But goddamn if more Aubrey Plaza would have fixed almost everything in that finale--and I mean this in a narrative sense, not just because I love Aubrey Plaza. It would have clarified where Agatha is ending re: her relationship with Rio (and Nicky), and it would have bookended the first episode so well (the three-player drama returns!) I am actually irritated about this.

Ghost Agatha looks so goofy. Like, I understand the vision here--the parallels to her mother, and of course Agatha would find a way to piss off Rio in her own domain. It's iconic. Still. There's something about Ghost!Agatha that's so much harder to buy into on a gut level, a kind of emotional distance created in such an emotional, tactile show.

Billy. Oh, Billy. I like your arc. I like its execution, while heaving a grudging sigh of "yeah, that makes sense for this story but I'm still kind of disappointed" re: the creation of the Witches' Road. I love the idea that Billy's ultimate arc was to accept the darkness in himself, and all the things he's capable of. But I really, really wish Agatha had had one more conversation with...not you. (Agatha naturally falls into a mentor-type role for Billy, which isn't necessarily bad or not part of her arc, but does at least lead to me feeling like we don't get an endpoint for Agatha in present day that's entirely her own.)

And I suppose that's the crux of my mixed feelings: the show began with Agatha asking who she was, before Billy even came into the picture. The viewers get to see a glimpse into Agatha's real self in the Ep. 9 flashback. But at the end of episode 9, Agatha is still running from it. She's barely touched her own grief (yes, yes, insert joke about Rio here), and we don't see her making that choice. I emphasize that because I am not categorically opposed to Agatha not completing her grief arc; god knows 9 episodes would have struggled to do that. I'm fine that they left some threads hanging. It's just that something in between Agatha (not-)sacrificing and Agatha coming back as affably-evil Casper is missing, and it feels like a gaping omission.

Other notes: Billy dramatically charging up the hex to create a memorial was great--another way the finale lets us into the beauty of the mundane. It's not to bring everyone back, or go down the Road again. But it's important, this act of remembering.

Though I'm disappointed we didn't get found family coven true, I'm at peace with how that thread wound up. This was a show about Agatha; the coven as individuals act as foils and reflections of her. They break and succeed in similar ways as Agatha. And they were a coven--a messed-up, broken coven who tried their best. It wasn't enough to save them, but it was enough for them to grow closer to the people they wanted to be. Agatha using something from every witch in her coven--Alice's protection spell, Lilia's divination, Jen's healing--in the fight was truly poignant, and tells me she'll remember them and carry them forward. (Also, the contrast against the flashback! "I cannot heal, I cannot protect you from what's coming, and I cannot divine when she'll come for you." Agatha needed them to be her coven! And they were. And they were.)

Final thoughts: (This is a misnomer; I'm still digesting.) Agatha All Along became a more complex, difficult show than I thought it would be pre-Episode 5. Occasionally this meant it disappointed me, had places where its budget, scheduling, Marvel-ness, and decisions regarding exposition struggled to connect things, but overall, it's a damn good show. And I would rather see a funny, challenging, ambitious show made with love for the craft than a safe, big-budget, chopped-up Marvel movie in a blender. And hey, it was super gay! (Please don't come near me with the "Bury Your Gays" stuff. Please. It's not that, I promise you.)

[slyvester101]

New episode of Crash just dropped and I am FERAL OVER IT

OH MY GOD

Okay, okay, okay. Calm down. Everyone calm down. (Spoilers below)

My thoughts are gonna be all over the place but HOLY SHIT.

First of all, is that opening scene Crash? Did he get his squad killed in a crash? Was it an accident? Were they shot down? He seems to still feel guilty over it, traumatized most definitely. The little bits of lore about Crash’s past are making me so fucking curious about what happened.

Also, apparently, Team Fixer are a bunch of badasses and NO ONE THOUGHT TO TELL ME??

Like, holy shit, when they are on a mission they are on a mission. And they all?? Work so well together?? And they listen to Pops exactly. No questions, no hesitation, just listens.

And I mean, they listen to Pops outside of combat scenarios. They so obviously trust and adore this guy. He’s clearly earned their trust and he continually cares about each and every one of his soldiers.

But seeing them all go dead quiet as they listen to Pops on the field, seeing the focus they have, the tried and true experience ringing clear as they execute their plan on the spot. God damn.

And seeing Duke and Peanut, the two goofballs of team fixer, ruthlessly execute all those enemy soldiers, man. You forget these guys have been fighting for so long. They’ve very clearly killed a lot of people before. They’re soldiers. It makes me wonder if the time the spend cracking jokes and trying to have fun is their way of coping with taking so many lives.

Which makes Target’s hesitation all the more powerful because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He’s never taken a life like this before and he’s freezing up. This is his first real mission, one with consequences, one where lives are being taken.

That’s gonna be a point of contention later for sure. I can see Target not wanting to kill anyone and it gets someone hurt. He’s a bleeding heart and that’s a dangerous thing on the battle field. But he also clearly cares for his friends, so whether he ends up killing someone to save them or watching one of them get hurt because if him, Target is gonna have a crisis over his place in the military.

And then fucking Pops being the man on the scene. The way he gets everyone in order, gets everything organized, so easily places everyone where they need to be. No wonder he’s a feared war vet. (Also, the shot of Pops shooting the enemy soldier and blood splatters on the camera? Peak. Oh my god. I’m watching this episode over and over again I swear)

Like, all the tidbits we get of them interacting on base are so…mundane? Domestic? Normal? That you think they’d all be incompetent in the field but they’re all amazing.

And that’s only half of it!!! There’s the ai and Lilly and Wes and Lilly and Target and Peanut being a good guy while also being ridiculous!!! This episode is so fucking good I can’t even get all of my thoughts out about it!!! It’s just.

Great job. Seriously. Everyone worked so hard on this episode and it shows. This show makes me so happy and it’s so clearly loved and AUGH MORE PEOPLE NEED TO WATCH IT.

[kalisseo]

clone high season 2 episode 8

this post has been the hardest to make for me, I've made three drafts that were so messy that I'm just making a fourth one but I really wanted to talk about this

I've been meaning for months to make this post I just didn't bc idk I'm #lazy but I'm finally writing it

so yeah, this fucking episode ohmygobbbruhhhhh

// cw for sa , grooming and mentions of sex (basically everything that involves talking about this episode)

i want to start with saying that I'm not against any form of art using heavy topics like sa, not everything needs to be easy to consume, but everything needs to be treated with all due respect, something that clone high didn't

my general opinion is that this episode shouldn't exist in the first place, I can think of a few ways that it can be replaced with another plot/themes/ideas and still work out. and the fact that it was watered down a lot too, and they deleted another weird plot it's just. UGHHH, scary to think that even watered down it's so bad, the storyboards are so much worse

we all know the original show and love it, but it had many inappropriate weird jokes about the clones, and the reboot is supposed to be the modern and respectful (woke, if you will) clone high, so why make something so much worse than those jokes?

saying this about the reboot because I think it's pretty obvious that's kinda the intention, the meta comments in the sleepover ep and random stuff in the show, like the sea-men song in the same fucking episode, but whatever this is just my very personal view so idk

well it's easy just because they hate abe with a burning passion

overall, i feel like the reboot was way more explicit with the sex jokes (joan's dream about abe, the abe anxiety scene where joan and jfk are just doing it but with clothes THE EYE SEX SCENE IN SEASON 3) which is just unnecessary

"oh but teenagers have sex haha!! those are just jokes!!" jokes that are not even FUNNY, and just uncomfortable and totally unnecessary

and the blackmailing plot is just another example of this, the worst one, because this involves a heavy and delicate topic like sa

like I said, I'm not against media talking about these topics, but clone high simply shouldn't talk about it

it's a COMEDY, a PARODY, and even though these genres can deal with these topics, it's only if it's WELL EXECUTED, and with all due respect, something that clone high didn't. Also clone high never got too serious or deep about this kind of stuff, so again, it's just another uncomfortable unnecessary thing

I'd say that it's just a joke, but it doesn't even feel like it, it doesn't even feel like it's supposed to be funny (maybe one of the many failed attempts of this show at being funny) it feels like the clone high writers just think they put abe in an awkward situation, when in reality it was a traumatic event, it wasn't treated with respect, and more like something bad but not traumatic that happened to abe, saying this because it wasn't even acknowledged, just like two times, and again it felt that way

overall the whole episode is weird and sucksass (i guesss kahlopatra is the only normal thing), completely unnecessary and could've been easily replaced with other stuff

want joanfk to get back together? ok but why with sex? why is their whole chemistry just sexual chemistry? Why not make a valentine day episode instead? scudworth can make potions or serums or whatever those liquids were, why not make a love potion so they fall in love again? why not just , you knowww try to make them get back with NO sex involved

and why is abe obsessed with his virginity?

want topher to get in the way of joanabe? ok but why like that? the blackmailing plot could've even been funny if only the material was different. why not Topher took an ugly photo of abe instead? or why can't he just be there and ruin the moment for joan and abe? the whole virginity thing and convincing him to have sex with the teacher it's just unnecessary

and I get it, Topher's a freak and an asshole, and many people say this is ooc, but if it's ooc or not it's rather irrelevant. to me, the important thing is that the idea could've been executed in a different and better way if they wanted to portray topher like an asshole

the writers just wanted something to get in the way of joanabe, and topher was the most viable option, and I like the idea of him just being there ruining everything but again, using sa was completely unnecessary and weird

might make another post about this, but I want to say first that when posting about canon, I've always imagined that topher did blackmail abe, but with something like an stupid ugly photo of him picking his nose

whatever, if you hate this episode bc it's weird you're totally right and if you hate topher for this I totally understand you

this version ended up being a mess too but I don't feel like making a fifth one ❤️ might make a pt 2 who knows feel free to add your own points in the comments or reblogs

[nochi-quinn]

legend of vox machina season 3 episode 7: cloak and dagger OR cool backstory still murder

it's....ripley's turn for a traumatic flashback cold open?

THESE motherfuckers

that one motherfucker in particular

literally not one thing about this was necessary

maybe random but it is nice they got another east asian actress (kimiko glenn) to voice baby!anna (adult!anna is kelly hu)

has anybody here learned anything about going after people for vengeance reasons (no)

b i l l i a r d s

(that was for me and like six other people)

"trinket, I'm leaving you behind because the animators refuse to animate you for a second longer than they absolutely have to"

"allura can't teleport us because we might end up in the ocean" I understood that reference

"I'll ancient ruin your bend"

percy COULD tell her that vax already knows, but that would require acknowledging that vax already knows

little leafcutter ants!!

angry fruit chomp

me setting off the traps in the hag's lair in bg3

just throw a pair of boots in the gas hole, it's fine

"I just always wanted to say that" "well, it sounded really cool"

DRAMATICALLY LIT LOVE CONFESSION MY BELOVED

VEX SYMBOLICALLY STEPPING BACK OUT OF THE LIGHT MY BELOVED

speaking of gas holes

aw, xray didn't tell me who voiced elaina, I gotta wait for the end credits

I don't think you can Diplomacy two people at once, percy

where'd she get a scryball

"I was going to be a clockmaker, once"

oh, she's crazy crazy

'CAUSE SOME SCARS NEVER FAAAAADE

this is just. this shot. chef's kiss, etc

mala: joy buzzer, JOY BUZZER

oh fuck off zerxus

"the truth is in your blood" hey what the fuck does that mean

"vax makes that look so easy"

the double orthax hand is so cool and I hate it so much

this is greater restoration, ig? but with her blood?

I reiterate: what the FUCK does that mean

"did I hurt you again?" I missed that the first time, now I'm gonna cry

not his coat

I guess he'll have to replace it with a cloak of some kind

NERD used BASIC CHEMISTRY! it's SUPER EFFECTIVE!

y'know I think percy could have one more vengeance. as a treat.

ripley says fuck your redemption arc

I think the instrumental version of this would have been better, it's a beautiful melody but it didn't need lyrics

like even with lyrics it's a good song but not here

or maybe I have APD and hate dialogue overlapped with lyrics

anyway everybody thank marisha for the emotional damage

no elaina credit but the wiki says it's laura so I'll believe them

mark strong as "assembly mage", bc you get definitely get mark strong to play a one-off character with one line

it sounds like a filk, is what it is, lyrically it sounds like a fansong and it's off-putting as hell.

being the executive producer's brother-in-law means you get your filk put in the show

[sirenthatmakesyouwantcake]

these are my thoughts on interview with the vampire episode 6 season 2

(3:47) ooh, maybe we’ll finally get some talamasca backstory (4:46) and even how claudia died

(7:00) well their relationship is going down hill

(7:56) this is an english theater santiago, no french

(28:04) noooooo, they are sitting in separate chairs now, i cant survive with them like this, i need then to have a good relationship.

(29:17) louis is

(32:34) is theri (mostly louis) only solution to every problem in france sex? Like, louis isnt talking to armand when he has a problem, he's just horny)

(34:41) maybe they wont have a toxic relationship, possibly the only main characters with out

(42:22) maybe theyll all make up. Thats probably wishful thinking, but like, if they would all share everything together, they might just.

(46:26) armand is looks so adorably at louis, assad zaman got the look so right for that seen

(47:01) i dont think i can handle what i know is about to happen, i know how this ends, but im still not prepared.

(49:04) How could he! How could he do this to us! The four of them could have lived happily but no, santiago had to go and fuck it up! NO. HOW DARE LESTAT, HES THE MOTHER FUCKER WHO MESED UP EVERYTHING! AND HOW DARE THE EXECUTIVES GIVE US THIS CLIFFHANGER, I WANT MORE, I NEED IT, FOR REAL THIS TIME.

Sam ried is back, as much as i dislike lestat rn, im still happy to see him

Armand is so manipulative, every time i think he has changed or is getting better, he goes and shows us that he's still just as messed up, louis at times too, he is not as bad but like, he really needs therapy too. Maybe they should all go to therapy together, and not just sit there traumatizing Daniel again.

I was talking to @certainunkownlove2 about armands hair, i think i like theatre des vampires armand is my favorite

links to other posts

S2E1 S2E2 S2E3 S2E4 S2E5

[silencefromafar]

I couldn't agree more with you. I'm not entirely hating their fight, I was so excited to see it, but in the end, it dragged on, and it was filled with cumbersome elements (pointless shapeshifting and swinging swords with no damage inflicted), and there was no emotional payoff.

I was waiting to see their "cosmic connection" being acknowledged by both characters, but it's like the writers categorically refused to make Galadriel admit for one second that what they had was real, which would make their bond even more horrifying knowing who Sauron is and what he has done and will do.

Sauron torturing and killing Celebrimbor was devastating, it was beyond traumatizing, and yet Celebrimbor pierced Sauron so thoroughly he made him lose control, and they both cried. It was a gut punch, but it was emotionally satisfying.

I didn't feel that with Sauron and Galadriel, and I don't care that Charlotte Brandström said that Galadriel and Sauron 'love' each other, and I say that as someone who enjoys haladriel (doomed lady of light/dark lord dynamic). Show, don't tell.

I understand my take is very unpopular, but the "heal yourself" line really sounded like a "go fuck yourself", and I don't think it was earned at that point, not truly. It's cliché, but I think even the "over my dead body you shall have my ring" would have worked better than that line. :/

Hello there, Nonnie! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I love this kind of insightful exchange. If you're the same Anon from the previous ask then thanks for coming back!

"No emotional payoff" yeah, I couldn't have said it better, my friend. But that's not exclusive to the Saurondriel reunion: most character arcs and storylines were concluded the same way (notable exception being Celebrimbor and Annatar). After rewatching the last two episodes and picking scenes apart I'm mostly certain that:

There were reshoots;

They filmed a LOT more content than what was aired, and that missing content left clear gaps in the narrative;

Many scenes that made it to the finale were done in a hurry, including most of Galadriel x Sauron fight and, I believe, the Stranger confrontation with the Dark Wizard;

The good points of the Saurondriel reunion are drowning in a sea of uninspired action gimmicks and stale dialogue;

Either they genuinely didn't know what to do with the Saurondriel confrontation (hence the uninspired and recycled dialogue) or they decided (or were pressured) to tone down from what they originally intended to do, leave things as ambiguous as possible and not commit to a clear path (hence all the narrative mixed signals and tentative hints of elrondriel);

The Galadriel we got in the finale was, for the most part, Young Adult Action Franchise Protagonist Galadriel. She stood out from the emotional backdrop like an incredibly 2D sore thumb made from witty remarks and don't f*ck with me attitude;

All of the above leads me to believe that the showrunners and writers are having real trouble with all the different storylines. They might know what story they want to tell, but they surely are struggling with pacing, development and execution within the screentime they have available. Some external factors might be weighing down on the narrative decisions as well.

P.S.: I hate the 'heal yourself' as well. It's not about the idea in itself, it's all about setting and delivery. There are better ways to convey the message than with that 'Pwned! Galadriel out! *mic drop*' cringe approach they went for.

[felixisourayofsunshine]

I realised that I had this in my drafts for quite some time. Appearantly I forgot to post it. I am gonna modify it and post it now cuz we NEED to talk about this...

Okay so i just watched the interview of the miraculous ladybug writers about the end of season 5............. and my god I am so annoyed right now....

what do you mean that Gabriel was a hero??? as much as i know about a hero, heroes donot go around destroying cities,fighing teenagers,taking advantage of people's vulnerability. That man physically and mentally tortured his own son for years, Yeeted him across Paris, forced his girlfriend to break up with him by emotionally blackmailing her, seperated his son from the girl he loves, and what not. I understand that he was in grief and sorrow due to his wife's death , ok you can turn into villain due to that but that doesn't give to the right to treat your son like this. So what? By sacrificing himself for the wish HE wanted to make he became a hero? What logic is that? Imagine making a statue of a fucking villain which is taller than the heroes'. And the lady in end of the episode was not Emilie but Amelie wtf huh? You are telling me that all those years of being an insignificant character she still remains insignificant? You want me to believe that the terrorist who destroyed not only Paris but traumatized them of life, destroyed teenagers' lives, enslaved his own son for years is a hero? NOT HAPPENING!!

Also they had planned from the beginning that Chat was not gonna be in the final fight with Hawkmoth... Great you proved that to you his character was useless from the start. You guys have been neglecting the poor boy since the very begging , y'all are just too biased towards ladybug. Why name the show Miraculous: Tales of ladybug and Chat Noir just remove his name from the title at his point. Believe me or not Adrien has much more potential as a main character than Mari. I am not hating on her or anything but my girl just doesn't know how to deal with pressure well, and again it's just the product of poor writing done on her. I just hate how biased they are towards Mari that they tend to turn a blind eye at Adrien at times.but you don't even give him enough screen time even though he is supposed to be the main character along with ladybug.

And about their poorly written character.... let's just take Chloe for example, my girl is the most inconsistent character in the show. Till this day they can't decide whether to make her good or bad. She starts as a bad person, then tries to become good, then turns bad again, also team up with Lila (and just WHY would you do that ) and in the end becomes bad again. Choose between good or bad, she is swinging between being good or bad, settle with one thing for goodness' sake.

Also while we are at it let's talk about the poor writing of the show. They just don't know how to execute ideas. Now they mostly rely on timelines all the time.They just think "Oh this idea seems nice but we don't wanna change the show much, ohh don't worry we'll just make it an alternate timeline!! Problem Solved!!!". This is not the right thing to do . They hype us up by showing us something and then in the end they just reverse the timeline.

And how on earth was it Mari's win? In what sense is it the hero's win if the villain reaches his goal? And let's just not talk about the trauma this all gave Mari. She just carries too much burden on her shoulders... Only she knows that the person they are now calling a hero is actually a villain.

And finally, 8 damn years, it's almost been a decade since the show started and we still ain't got no reveal? C'mon if you can't even let the reveal happen in five season then how much longer it will take to reveal themselves? are you even planning to let the damn reveal happen or will just end the show after I don't know how many more seasons without letting them reveal themselves?

#justiceforourcatboy

[marley-manson]

Xena season 4 finale(ish) post, warning for spoilers for certain mutuals who are currently watching the show, or anyone else.

FANTASTIC climax to Gabrielle's arc this season, good god. When she throws that fucking spear... chills. This is another contender for favourite Xena scene of all, it's so incredibly effective. The way these last few episodes have really hammered down Gabrielle's pacifism with her arguments with Amarice, her choice to let Brutus go instead of having him executed, her stupid powder and non-lethal fight shenanigans, the return of Eli in this episode - and it's all there just to make the moment where she picks up that spear as impactful as possible, and it works. Even her first kill and that fallout all the way back in season 3 now feels like it exists just to set up the emotional impact of this scene, it's that good.

And god the scene itself is amazing to watch. The way she mows down soldier after soldier as brutally and efficiently as possible, the way she visibly shifts from fighting to protect Xena to lashing out in frustrated rage as she realizes that escape is impossible, her lack of regret afterwards. The cheffest of kisses.

This episode was fantastic in other ways as well. I love that the show makes it clear that Xena only lost here because Callisto is a fucking cheater lmao. She would've killed Caesar when she intended to if Callisto hadn't intercepted her chakram, and she would've escaped the prison if Callisto hadn't broken her back. Caesar didn't defeat Xena, Callisto did, and only because Callisto has ghost magic going on. And that's very fitting too, because if it was just Xena vs Caesar it might've felt a little thin for an epic conclusion - but with true fan-beloved archnemesis Callisto involved, it feels appropriately impactful. Also love that Xena intended to just quietly assassinate Caesar lol. Circumstances are a little different than The Debt, since Caesar did declare his murderous intentions first, but the vibes are similar and I love them.

Also Caesar's sexualized vulnerability in this ep sure was a choice, but a good one imo - the sex nightmare (including a prolonged shot where they're positioned to mimic gender-reversed missionary) as well as Callisto getting handsy with him. And again like, idk exactly what the intent was here, but the vibes do feel like a call-back to his dubconny sexual encounter with Xena, and the fact (? taking their exchange in When Fates Collide into account, when Xena says she must've been his worst nightmare) that he was/is afraid of her. Idk, it adds a nicely complex layer to their interactions and mutual enmity, not quite undermining Xena's resentful hatred, but suggesting it's a two-way street, and for a good reason, especially with v traumatized Callisto drawing a parallel between the two of them in how Xena fucked them up. And given that they both simultaneously die by each others' hands-by-proxy in a pair of intercut scenes at the end, it does fit this story nicely. Both achieve a cathartic, and arguably deserved, vengeance.

Idk if I can say that was the intent definitively, I mean, the show also just has a hard-on for dominant women lol, it doesn't frame Xena as an actual rapist at any point, and it certainly hasn't made an impression on fans either based on the fact that I've like, never seen this dynamic between them discussed before. But Caesar waking up in terror after dreaming about Xena fucking and then stabbing him - in a context that suggests this is a recurring nightmare, given Caesar saying "dreams" plural and the fact that he hasn't even seen her recently - sure is a striking image to start us off with and contextualize Caesar's obsessive hatred, yk?

Oh man and finally I adore Callisto in this ep, and not just because she looks good with short hair lol. Also like, that shot when Xena and Gabrielle are being brought out to the crosses and she catches a snowflake on her tongue like a delighted child might be my favourite Callisto moment of all <333 And speaking of that moment, the direction and editing of this episode was also just amazing. Beautiful, many striking images, excellently paced.

Basically this was a nearly perfect episode, extremely satisfying and poignant and engaging and intriguing, and if it had actually been the end of the series it would've been a very fitting end. In some ways seasons 5 and 6 almost feel like bonus seasons lol, take them or leave them, with this as the true thematically resonant and emotionally satisfying ending.

[utilitycaster]

I keep thinking abt your "'must a story have conflict?' Yes actually hope this helps" posts in the context of laudna and imogen because like. Their shippers keep saying like. "You just don't UNDERSTAND the beauty of their Perfect Relationship, the bond that Traumatized People have that makes them In Tune, so sad how you will never understand love or being with another etcetera etcetera" and it's like. what the hell are you talkinf about (they're usually the kind of ppl with weird and bad narrative ideas re: their traumas so uwu sad everyone is against them). Don't we want this relationship to be healthy and beneficial to both of them? Don't get me wrong, I love Toxic Girl Yuri fucked up tragic relationships as much as anyone else but shippers pretty clearly aren't angling for that kind of story, and neither would the trajectory of the campaign support it. The onscreen dynamic isn't even spicy enough to HAVE toxic codependency it's just. There.

what's funny is that actually my favorite era of their relationship was the "we transcend labels, you and I" thing Laudna said to Imogen. Partly bc personal aro feelings but also because THAT felt like genuine no expectations support to fall back on. The idea that they could just Be and always be It wasn't ASKING for the kind of dynamicism of a romantic relationship such and such, but now with the girlfriends thing, it feels like now there should be WAY more than what's been happening. Does any of this make sense?

Hey anon,

So I largely agree (will cover the one point of not entire agreement below). I do want to note that if you're the person who's sent me other questions recently on this topic please feel free to DM me! I think it's valid to want to voice those frustrations, and I get not wanting to do so publicly (though I think the harassment on Tumblr at least has largely died down) but also to be completely honest I have been fully in a Nein and Candela headspace with a handful of exceptions mostly relating to wiki stuff so I've been answering these anons but I'll admit it's not where my thoughts have been re: CR stuff for the past few weeks.

Anyway, I can understand the desire for a QPR or simply close friends for Imogen and Laudna! I am not aro myself, and I do enjoy a good romantic plot, but I'd rather have a well-executed story with no romance than a good story slightly marred by poorly done romance. However, it's actually really interesting to me (in a good/neutral way) that you recall it as "we transcend labels" because the actual quote (3x49, 4:52:57) is "We transcend words, you and I" and I could not stand that because my frustration has again always been that they spend a lot of time talking, and absolutely none of it communicating; they have never transcended words, they have simply not fucking used them well. More generously, I think a relationship in which a couple is on such a wavelength that they do have a sense of how the other feels without needing to talk (or read minds, in this situation) can be aspirational in real life, though again, I don't think that's actually what's going on here; but even if it were, that is not remotely interesting to watch. I truly do not give a shit in the end if relationships on the shows I watch are healthy or unhealthy provided the narrative knows what it's fucking doing and I think people who are obsessed with unproblematic wholesomeness are frankly suspect, but man, either be toxic codependent yuri or be two people trying to understand each other, instead of two people who seem to only occasionally remember that they are important to each other, and never seem to remember why.

But yes, the fact that virtually nothing has changed despite a relationship upgrade, especially in light of the relationship losing my interest as a platonic thing 30 or 40 episodes prior to them becoming a romantic couple is now thrown into more stark relief because you'd think something would change. Like, that's the thing. There was no romance; there was no plot. While I think the people who insisted from the start that CLEARLY they were already dating are the kind of people who would unironically ship my mop and broom solely on the basis of them leaning against each other next to my garbage can, at least if they had already been dating from the start a lack of forward momentum could be somewhat forgiven. I say somewhat, because Veth and Yeza were married from before the campaign or, for a platonic option, the twins were...twins from before the campaign, and both those relationships were still infinitely more complex and ever-changing and thoughtful over the course of their respective campaigns than whatever Imogen and Laudna were doing; it still, to be clear, would have been dishwater dull. But it would have been forgivably so; I would have simply politely lost interest episode 5 or whenever and moved on without saying much, whereas now there's a series of increasingly lowered bars in their wake.

So anyway, yeah. It sure is There.

[brunosreviews]

Magical Girl Site Review

Hello!

In the spirit of the anime (which is what I'll be talking about since I just started the manga), I'll start with some trigger warnings. This anime has TWs for: bullying, family-based abuse, murder, blood, gore, and general nastiness. You might want a good stomach to handle it. I'll be keeping it almost 100% spoiler-free, and I'll warn you clearly if something is a spoiler. There's a TL;DR at the end, too :)

I went into this anime so blindly that I didn't even bother with the opening for the first 7 episodes (which I actually recommend). I'd only heard it was "trauma/gorebait" and "really bad," so I expected absolutely nothing. It surprised me for the better, although I can't say it's a perfect show, or recommend it freely. It's got a very specific target demographic, which I happen to fit. You'll fit it too if you like Magical Girl Raising Project (the light novels especially) or like Madoka but tend to darker types of media. Or if you're traumatized and indulge in fucked up content to cope. Overall, if you don't mind messed up concepts being thrown at you on a twice-episodic basis minimum, you'll be mint. I love horrible things, so it's fine by me.

I won't go episode by episode, although there's only 12, but I'll say the first one was hard to watch. I see why people find Aya Asagiri a whiny MC, but I just felt really, really bad for her. The situations she has to go through have and continue to happen to people, and it's horrifying to think about. That goes for most of the girls' backstories. When the plot starts going (I remember it happening in episode 3), things quickly pick up, and you're thrown in a strange world where the show will constantly ask "wouldn't it be funny if..." and then executes its magic. You could absolutely make a drinking game out of it, it happens like three times per episode, and sincerely once you're willing to suspend your disbelief (which I'll admit, does come easy to me), it's incredibly fun.

The plot feels like a telenovella, in the best way, where the magical girls are directly involved. The concept of the show is also great, and many have given it its due respect, even if they disagree with the execution: a strange site that gives magical weapons/trinkets ("sticks" is a stupid word) to miserable girls to feed off their despair. I also thoroughly enjoyed how clear the toll for using the weapons was, although I wish it would have been a little more consistent, although it's consistent enough, and it does up the stakes.

Character-wise, I was happily surprised once again. Aya gets built up slowly but surely: she's more than a random punching bag, unfortunate soul. It was heartwarming to see Tsuyuno and her bond, and I loved how the show let them have their genuine emotional moments without undercutting them with a joke or with some shock gore. Before you comment THE controversial spoiler, I will get to it at the end of the review, so I urge you to be patient.

I also deeply enjoyed the other magical girls. Nijimin was perfectly introduced, and I loved her instantly, as well as Kosame Amagai and her group. Something else to note: canon trans girl character (Kiyoharu Suirenji)! I saw someone online saying the show was transphobic. As someone who is trans himself, I believe that you must not have actually watched the show if you say such things. Her character, although it didn't get much screentime, is really fun, and her interactions with others were a blast to watch.

I have to confess: I love Kaname Asagiri, or "the brother" as I called him for most of the show. He's Light Yagami if Light Yagami were more of an abuser, and also didn't need the Death Note to go batshit. I was pleasantly surprised when they gave him screentime. He's a horrible, delusional, narcissistic human being, yes, but he is hilarious and only becomes more so as the show progresses. Not only that, his japanese VA gives it his all: he clearly cares about his performance, and he stands out as one of the best VAs of the show.

Speaking of VAs, I must mention Nana's (or, Mx. "Poor unfortunate souls" site admin). He immediately stood out to me since I recognized him from voicing Mayuri in Bleach, and he barely changes his delivery here: it works wonders. Every line he delivers is perfect, unsettling, scarily playful, and terrifying. I replayed scenes just to hear him say the lines again. This VA is one of the reasons I loved the show.

I enjoyed the show's ending, and I was flabbergasted when (minor spoiler) they genuinely played a beach episode seriously, but I can't even pretend to be mad with how much enjoyment I got out of it. I won't comment further to keep it spoiler free.

The writing of the show is not the best. There's a lot of exposition dumps, the dialogue doesn't stand out positively most of the time (the contrary), and the "wouldn't it be funny if" twists could get tiring. They didn't for me, but I'm biased, and I see how they could be annoying. Despite this, the concepts, drama, and characters are enough to keep the show afloat for me. And while it is very edgy and bleak, I appreciated that they know when and how to tone it down, prioritizing the emotions of the scene over pointless shock value.

I've also seen people complain about the designs of the magical girls, which, again, is a very fair criticism. Clothing wise, they're bland, and the "sticks" look silly. The eyes changing is a nice detail, as well as the little sign they get, but that's about it. Could be better. I fully believe Magical Girl Raising Project has the better designs by far: I find almost all of them if not all to be outstanding and gorgeous (again: read the light novels, please, the anime does not do any of it justice!).

The powers were also quite bland, and except for Nijimin's, none stood out to me. They were all pretty eh, but I didn't really mind. Once again, MGRP has the superior powers by far (much more creative in idea and in execution).

Lastly, a few words on the tone. While I know people find it too bleak to care (and I understand why), after the first two episodes, I had a fucking blast. It's a surprisingly funny show. Also important is the fact that for a while, you have to treat it like a horror show where magical girls are incidental, not crucial. This changes later on, but is worth noting. While things are dark and bleak, the humor and suspense make it worth it for me. And no, I didn't mind the really dark comic relief on the brother. He is pathetic, and I like making fun of him.

Now, THE manga spoiler everyone brings up (this is not in the anime!). Yes, apparently Aya and Tsuyuno are long lost twin sisters, and apparently they continue being girlfriends after realizing this. My opinion on it: The twist is cheap, but I don't give a fuck about the incest. It makes sense for characters as damaged as they are to continue together after realizing. I'm not scared off by fictional incest. You do you, though.

-

So, TL;DR (finally!): If you like dark magical girls, traumatic backstories, have a strong stomach for depressing shit, and can put up with its very real cons, this show is very worth it. I watched it in two night sessions, and it got me genuinely excited. I can't recommend it easily, but if it appeals to you in any way, I think it's worth giving a try.

Thanks for reading this far into the post! Please tell me what you thought of the show or my opinions of it!

Much love,

Bruno.

[nitw]

hello tumblr user nitw

i am a person who enjoys the game night in the woods very much. i am also a person who experiences similar dissociation/derealization/delusions/unreality stuffs (idk what it is i'm not about to get diagnosed) that mae does, and the ending of the game always triggers those stuffs for a few days afterwards. (i still come back and play even though it gives me psychic damage because that game is so Fuckjng good)

so. my question is. will i be hurt by echo vn? i know there's horror (i think?) but idk what kind of horror, i wanna go into it as blind as possible, is there like? unreality horror? mental illness horror? i think i will play it anyway, i just wanna be warned. is there like a list of trigger warnings somewhere

HI HI HI i'm honored you chose to reach out to me about this !!

to put it simply: yes, the whole echo franchise IS horror at its core and a big amount of that horror DOES stem from themes of dissociation, hallucination, and loss of identity.

the only reason i can really handle echo myself is due to the lack of traditional jumpscares. nothing's gonna make a super loud noise while a scary face launches at you or anything like that! but the writing and execution of it all is still terrifying.

the main character of echo in particular, chase, was traumatized as a kid and has been prone to dissociating and hallucinating since. he also frequently gets sleep paralysis doubled with extremely intense nightmares. as the game plays out mainly from chase's point of view, these episodes are described in very explicit detail, and often the visuals and audio of the game will change in subtle ways to match what he's experiencing. most of what makes echo scary is how good it is at making you feel like you ARE in chase's shoes, even something like an awkward confrontation with his friends can be sooooo uncomfortable because of how well it's written.

some parts of the story also delve deep into gaslighting and feeling like you can't trust yourself, that could definitely also fuck with some people.

honestly, from what you told me, this might not be the right game for you!!! there's a lot of other things to be said about echo's horror and generally sensitive content, but i think the rest just boils down to your own tastes in horror, which is a whole different conversation. PLEASE keep these things in mind if you consider checking out the game!!!!

[thoughtfulzombienerd]

okay, I know I don't usually post this type of content, but it's something that's really starting to bother me .

Well, I know very well that this happens in other fandoms or in the community of this specific subject, but this post will be specifically for the Mortal Kombat community. getting straight to the point, I follow this wonderful blog @starsurface and she not only makes content for mk but also for other fandoms, but anyway, her blog is just about age regression and I understand that many people may find it strange, I thought it was strange at principle, but after some research I realized there was nothing wrong with that , but the problem is that people confuse it a lot with a kink called age play and instead of doing research and making sure if they are the same thing, no, they prefer to make hateful comments . So I would like to make it clear once and for all

What is Age Play?

Age play is a form of sexual and/or non-sexual role play in which one or more consenting adults pretend to be an age different from their biological one. An example of this is the caregiver little/middle dynamic (CGL), in which one partner acts the role of a caregiver, while the other acts younger than they are as a “little”. Though it’s common to come across age players that take on younger ages, ones that take on older roles do exist.

What is Age Regression? 

Age regression is when an individual psychologically returns to a mental state that is younger than they are. The age a regressor goes back to can differ from a few years younger to complete infancy. The regression can be voluntary or involuntary. When it’s voluntarily, it’s usually used as a way for the regressor to relieve stress, regulate emotions, and/or deal with past traumas, such as in age regression therapy, by returning to a safer state of mind. On the flip side, when agere (age regression) is involuntary, the mental headspace that the regressor experiences can vary from fun to traumatic, and usually these episodes are a sign of a mental health condition such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or borderline personality disorder, along with a list of others. 

Age Play and Age Regression definitely have some similarities in their definitions and even sometimes in their physical execution; nonetheless, they are not the same. Age play, for instance, is for adults due to its connections with kink; while age regression can be participated in and experienced by any age; on account of it being a form of therapy/coping mechanism (though some use age play to cope as well). With the mention of minors being able to take part in regression, it’s worth noting that age regression is not sexual at all, unlike age play. Age play can be sexual and/or non-sexual because the person/s involved is/are playing as an age; whereas age regression, even if it’s between adults, is never sexual because the individual involved is mentally regressing (usually to the age of a minor). In other words, they can not give consent.

I copied these explanations from websites that talk about this subject, but if you don't believe me, that's okay, I have photos

So please, if you don't know what you're talking about, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

[im-out-of-it]

I think this is part 15 of season 2, episode 12 IM OVER THIS JACE SHIT FOCUS ON MALEC INSTEAD “you are not your own” CONTINUED

198. funny how in season one jace is like I don’t know who I am and now he does I guess

199. and by birth right, she means you’ll get a promotion over someone (Alec) who actually deserves it and now she will hand you everything you could want. I really don’t care if jace has trauma, he has so much privilege and gets everything handed to him. at least Alec makes mistakes and works through it and doesn’t get things handed to him. it’s been a second of this scene and I already hate it

200. and yes it vexes me because jace gets everything handed to him and they’re like “oh you’ve been through it” and excuse all the terrible shit he did. tired of him getting a pass because of childhood trauma. YOU ALMOST GOT MAGNUS KILLED TWICE but fucking go on, get a promotion you don’t deserve. literally imogen would’ve happily let him die if he wasn’t a herondale and now he’s the greatest thing she saw

201. now I can upload all the gifs I forgot let’s start with Alec

202. I love these

203. past episode of Magnus + his past

204. the show acting like Magnus would have Alec as A. Lightwood in his phone when it was Alec in season one. please 🙄 THAT IS ALEXANDER ONLY

205. just a few other ones I missed

206. I rewatched episode 6 so Alexander season 2 count is: 18

whooooooo that is it for the gifs. I originally thought I would have more but I think I’m overthinking it

207. let’s wrap it up. what I like about this episode: Alan and Harry’s acting is top notch. they have the vulnerability and the essence of Magnus and valentine down. I like the idea of the body swap but it’s poorly executed. seeing someone as famous and powerful as Magnus getting thrown into valentines body and having to convince Alec that he really is Magnus is a major feat to pull off. I love seeing Malec reunion and watching Magnus finally be free. I do like the Sebastian stuff but I don’t feel it was necessary to overboard us with all of that plus the Malec stuff. Matt also killed it as usual. I’m sure he hated every second of this lmao

208. I have more stuff I don’t like: this whole storyline. it should have been longer. Magnus and Alec reunited is literally not even five minutes long. they hardly have a discussion about it. Magnus and his trauma deserved to have more screen time. it’s just not enough. too many things are happening at once. Izzy, Simon, Raphael, clary, jace, Sebastian- when the sole focus should be Malec and valentine. you can’t just throw something major as a traumatic experience, tie it in an episode and say done. Alec is done wrong in this episode, it seems very out of character to not believe Magnus and I’m really tired of the “I trust jace more than anyone” Alec. if Alec should have asked for advice, it should be Izzy. this storyline with Malec is in bad taste in my opinion

209. I was never a fan of Simon + clary and they have short scenes but I don’t feel that was handled well either. Clary basically lied to Simon and he’s like hey that’s okay!!!!!!!!! I seriously don’t get why Simon is attracted to her in the first place

210. Izzy Raphael Simon stuff was badly handled. Izzy intentionally hurt Raphael and then they end up trying to make Raphael the bad guy. he had every right to be upset. Izzy’s addiction storyline is also kind of a joke when you think about the show timeline is supposedly two-three months. addiction doesn’t work that way. it’s a long process. there are important themes in this episode: trauma addiction guilt and they aren’t handled well. Alec will feel vastly guilty for the part he played in Magnus’s trauma.

211. I think this would have been great to have Alec turn around and say “Jace just stop. Magnus has almost died twice because of your stupidity and you’ve been a self conceited tiresome dick for years. I’ve had it. I’ve made amends with clary and you haven’t done anything to earn my forgiveness for how you treated me. you get to carry on while I deal with the consequences. you and clary treat me, Izzy, and Magnus awful while we do everything for you. this is a one sided parabatai bond and I’m cutting it. I will no longer do things for you so good luck the next time you fuck up. also go fucking apologize to Magnus for harming him so many times and apologize for Izzy for being a shitty person. good riddance, now LEAVE OFF YA GO”

and I really hate how imogen is “now you’ll see what it’s like being family and you’ve had everything taken away but now you get everything” when this dude had everything before. he has Alec and Izzy constantly saving his ass as well as Magnus. Clary is obsessed with him, Simon protects him- which if you bullied me and tried to undermine my friendship/relationship- I’d hate you. even Maia gets over her jace hatred. literally no one is allowed to hate jace (and clary) and has to love jace at all times. yeah his parents are dead (but so was Harry potter’s and he wasn’t as insufferable about it) but he has all the support he could desire. WHAT MORE DO YOU FUCKING NEED

Alec has put you first before his own fucking boyfriend. Magnus has almost died twice because of your stupidity while Alec has almost died three times because of you. my problem with Jace (well I have many) is that he never feels bad for his actions. with the soul sword, he feels bad for half a second and then goes on his way not even minding that hundreds are dead because he didn’t use his brain. all the stuff he did with valentine and he didn’t face any punishment for it. he never faced any punishment for anything. downworlders revolt and the clave makes the downworld the issue as if they shouldn’t be mad that their family and friends died. but hey, jace is a herondale so he can get away with anything. he could literally be a mass murderer and the clave and everyone else would protect him and excuse his actions

212. id honestly give this episode a 5.6. I want to like it but there is so much wrong with it. it’s just poorly executed like all of CC’s books. no wonder Matt hates it lmao it does have good parts but it’s just a migraine to watch honestly

ALEC SHOULD HAVE KNOWN SOONER

MALEC DESERVED MORE SCREEN TIME

AND BETTER TREATMENT

SHUT UP ABOUT JACE ALREADY

I don’t mind Sebastian but LEAVE CLARY GO

IZZY MAKES ME MAD

AND THAT ADDICTION STORYLINE IS POORLY DONE

212 is the number!!!!!! and yes, that is season 2, episode 12 combined!!!!!! episode 13 is next and I’m honestly stoked because it’s going to be a bunch of racist and homophobic shadowhunters get mad when the downworlders finally say hey I’ve had enough of y’all killing my friends and family. and the writers have Alec messing up AGAIN. SERIOUSLY CUT THE MAN SOME SLACK ALREADY. but he goes back to natural show Alec and says you know what, fuck you! my relationship has berthing to do with it because I’m not a shitty fucking person. but thank you for joining Magnus and valentine got switched and it wasn’t done properly and make jace go away already I don’t care about him and I’m sick of herondales discussion post. I’ll be starting episode 13 hopefully tomorrow!!!!!!

MAN I WENT OFF BUT BITCHFEST WILL CONTINUE TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU