#this cb has been a mess and not in a fun way

[babieken]

You know I'm starting to believe my sister (who jokingly believes that Wonho was styling Monsta X and now that he's enlisted, they've had to get new stylists) because the 'fits have been horrendous... (except o really liked yesterday's look, but like why did they have to dress the backup dancers in the same/similar colours and fits???)

That actually makes so much sense….🤯ur sister has connected to dots…

Godddd i KNOW!!! i didnt say anything yesterday bc i was too tired to complain but it was so dumb of the stylists to have their dancers dressed almost the same as monsta x…. Like half of BL choreo’s problem is having too many backup dancers in the first and now they’re dressing them similarly to monsta x so its near impossible and to tell them apart??? 🤡

[crissiebaby]

Itty-Bitty Crissie

Heyyo everyone! CrissieBaby has captions now! 💕💜💕💜💕💜

This has definitely been a long time coming and I'm so excited to move forward with this new format. We will begin alternating between story/art commissions and captions with sketches by CodiBaby on Fridays, which will be freely available. Additionally, captions will replace Interactive Story Saturdays as weekly premium content on the CrissieBaby SubscribeStar and FANBOX. Both Codi's Coloring Club and Crissie's Bookworm Club, along with all higher tiers will have access to these weekly captions.

That's all for now! 🥰🥰

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Itty-Bitty Crissie

“Pancake!” screamed Crissie with glee, throwing her arms around her favorite stuffed animal. Resting at the size of a football, the pink manta ray with glossy, turquoise dots was far from her largest plushie but that didn’t stop her from folding her arms over him every single night. Never would she have dreamed that the tables of tallness would be turned when it came to her and her fuzzy friend.

Enter the latest and greatest invention from the CrissBaby Diaper Company: a formula that temporarily shrinks its user based on the amount consumed. Was it odd for a diaper company to be dabbling in genetic manipulation? Perhaps but the marketing upside and potential tie-ins were too good to pass up on. After all, what self-respecting Little didn’t dream of fun-sizing themself?

Unsurprisingly, Crissie's hand was held firmly in the air the moment she learned about it despite the vast number of side effects that came up in trials. Filling a bottle with as much as the maximum single dose would allow, she plunged herself down to a mere six inches short, where a miniature CrissBaby diaper was waiting for her. Needless to say, she was beyond ecstatic and incredibly blushy when it came to her altitude reduction. Whether it was being made to have a tea party with her dollies by Codi or getting cradled like an actual baby by Miss Snorington, she was a flustered mess every teensy-tiny step of the way.

However, nothing would stand as monumental as the moment she was laid to bed in her crib, only to come face-to-face with her now massive manta stuffy. The pupils of her eyes turned heart-shaped as she hoisted Pancake up on one end like a mattress. Her body sunk into the mound of polyester-encased stuffing like a fluffy cloud.

Allowing herself to tumble to the bed with Pancake resting atop her, Crissie was asleep within minutes. The last thing on her mind as she nodded off was that she hoped to wake up no bigger than she was now. Funny enough, based on the shrinking formula’s test results, her wish might very well come true…for the foreseeable future…

💜 Artwork By CodiBaby 💜 💕 Story By CrissieBaby 💕

SubscribeStar: subscribestar.adult/crissiebaby pixivFANBOX: crissiebaby.fanbox.cc All CB Links: linktr.ee/crissiebaby

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Special Thanks to Our CrissBaby Diaper Company Investors: BlossomBitchDolly BlushyBen DD Exminister Gun1242 JFN LittlePissy PrincessKittenLizzi Strawberry Sweetsamantharebecca WH17N3Y & Three Anonymous Investors

[starburst2000]

I cannot reblog the post, so I'll copy-paste it here

I asked @discowormfan: "Everyone in the StEx fandom likes to shit on Pearl, while forgetting that the World Championship Railroad Race practically brought out the worst in mostly everyone. GB and eElectra were fixated on winning by any means possible, CB derailed Rusty in front of everyone, even Rusty himself finally decided to race after seeing Poppa almost killing himself by stressing himself out despite his old age.

Let's not even count the fact that the Rockies decided to remind Rusty to "stay in his place" after getting derailed by CB and beaten up by the other Diesels, instead of getting conforted in any way. After "Right Palce, Right Time", it almost seemed like Rusty was on the verge of giving up on even his whole life, and he would have done so, hadn't the Starlight Express itself interviened.

As for Pearl, she's firstly captured by Electra's magnetism, and then got with GB because she thought that he wanted her to have "just some fun", and only the aftermath of the Uphill Final helped her to open her eyes about the whole situation. She even blames herself during "Only You", thinking that Rusty lost because of her. This is some big ass MATURITY, coming from her.

But NO. Let's all get angry at this one specific character, just because she has trouble understanding others' feelings.

Any opinions?"

She answered:"there are a multitude of reasons why i think that pearl is a flawed but good person at heart, basically for all the reasons you stated. regardless on whether they act like this extreme in day to day life, gb, slick, cb and electra all do arguably worse things than pearl. they lie, cheat, betray, mistreat and bully all throughout the show, and pearl’s worst sin is having really low awareness of the feelings of the people around her. even if electra didn’t entice her, i can see why she didn’t want to couple up with rusty for a few good reasons.

1. he simply just isn’t what she’s looking for in a partner. that’s fine! she doesn’t owe a relationship to him just because he’s nice to her. also good on her for knowing what she wants in a partner!

2. (assuming they’ve known each other for a long time and are friends) pearl likes rusty platonically and wishes to remain just friends, because she doesn’t want their dynamic to change. also fine!!! i’ve had countless friendships where, while we were very close, they didn’t go romantic because we simply just didn’t want to alter our relationship and were fine being just friends.

3. (assuming the events of the show are when they first met) pearl literally met rusty like 5 minutes ago and doesn’t feel comfortable getting with someone who she just met, who is also REALLY insistent that he race with her. i’d be pretty apprehensive to get with that guy too.

she wasn’t even that mean to rusty when she rejected him, she didn’t go “EW NO GET AWAY FROM ME FREAK” and like spit on his face, she gently said “i’m sorry rusty, i know you have good intentions but you just aren’t what i’m looking for” yes it hurts, and sucks for rusty, but pearl is being very clear and kind to rusty while she friendzoning him. she was being VERY nice i think.

as you said, pearl wasn’t even aware that dinah and greaseball had broken up at that point, she even says “it’s only fun” implying that she only saw getting with gb as a temporary thing before moving onto another engine. could she have been a bit NICER to dinah rather than saying “STOP FUCKIN CRYIN BITCH WAH WAH WAH I DONT WANNA FUCKIN HEAR IT” yeah. could she have maybe ASKED why dinah was so upset at this? yes? was it still really messed up she hooked up with dinah’s boyfriend/girlfriend RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER AFTER THEY BROKE UP? yes very much so. pretty messed up of pearl, not cool. but is it THAT WORTH LOATHING her for? compared to how literally everyone else acts in this show, i’d say it isn’t.

hell, if you look at it from the perspective of her being a newly built coach, it gives a lot more understandability to why she acts the way she does. she was literally born yesterday and is still figuring out how the world works, and people are already pushing her around and trying to kiss her. i wouldn’t have the best sense of what’s right and wrong and identifying people’s emotions and seeing things from their perspective either if i was immediately thrust into an unfamiliar world just YESTERDAY and people are acting all crazy banana cuckoo around me either.

even if you don’t see pearl is a newly built coach and she’s been around longer than just like a day, i still wouldn’t hate her for being flawed??? because flaws are what make characters interesting!!! even people who’ve been around for a long time are flawed, it’s not just a young person thing. and it’s satisfying seeing someone recognize their own flaws and try to atone and grow from them, which pearl does!

she realizes that her unawareness of other people’s feelings resulted in her friend getting beat up, and she even says that “this wasn’t how i wanted it” her intent was to find love, but her selfishness only resulted in people getting hurt, and she recognizes that. she laments why she let greaseball blackmail her into staying silent about rusty’s crash (“whyyyy did iiiii, haaaaave to liiieeee?”) she feels remorse for seemingly costing rusty’s victory in the race, and ultimately becomes better because of it.

hell, even rusty is flawed! he’s stubborn, insecure, dependent, easy to give in, and i’d argue at the beginning of the show, he and pearl have the same flaw of being selfish in that they fail to consider other people’s feelings in spite of what THEY want (rusty doesn’t understand why pearl wouldn’t want to race with him, and is rather pushy when offering to race with her, and pearl wants to find her “dream train” and doesn’t understand how rejecting rusty, and getting with dinah’s significant other might make them upset), it’s just that rusty completes his half of the arc before pearl completes her’s.

might i reiterate, pearl’s biggest sins were having extremely low self awareness, and getting with dinah’s bf/gf. compared to greaseball’s cheating, mistreatment, bullying, beating up of racers, and cb’s everything, and electra’s cheating, pearl’s crimes are literally NOTHING when you put her against them.

now if you want to criticize how pearl is written that’s another thing, which i actually can agree with since i don’t really think of this show when it comes to “really great character writing, especially for the girlies,” i think there is a lot to criticize on that front, but saying pearl is this mean, vindictive bitch for the crimes of being really not self aware is complete poppycock.

anyways to answer your question yeah i agree pearl is pretty cool"

[ncisfranchise-source]

Alden Parker’s NCIS team just isn’t the same with Jessica Knight not on it.

Season 22, which premieres this Monday at a special time (8/7c on CBS), picks up some six months after Jessica bid D.C. (and beau Jimmy Palmer) adieu, to head up the REACT Team based out of Camp Pendleton.

Knight’s exit “kicked off a chain of reaction of changes for the rest of the NCIS team,” Katrina Law previews for TVLine. “We find Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) has gone back to his roots and is now on an undercover mission, and McGee (Sean Murray) is interviewing for a new job [as NCIS Deputy Director]. That leaves Parker (Gary Cole) sitting alone at his desk in the bullpen, staring at all of our empty desks.”

Ergo the season premiere’s title, “Empty Nest.”

Knight meanwhile is “fully immersed” in her REACT job, “at the very beginning stages of a huge personal growth,” Law notes. “For years now she has been happily cruising in the shadow of her very high-powered father, but the freedom and the strength that Knight finds in making career and personal decisions that are 100-percent her own, it’s quite liberating.”

On the flip side, “that also means that any mistakes, any regrets that she has, now falls squarely on her shoulders,” Law says. “She’s at a stage right now where you basically see her going, ‘I couldn’t make my dad happy, I couldn’t make Jimmy happy, so you know what? I’m just going to do my own thing, purely based off of my wants and needs, and not include anybody else.”

Speaking of Knight’s mistakes….

The season opens in jarring fashion, with her holding a clergyman (!) hostage (!!) in the REACT Training Center, and demanding to get a lawyer, to hash out the sticky situation. But unlike TV’s usual, tried-and-true in media res gimmick (where we’d then get a “24 HOURS EARLIER” chyron), Knight’s dilemma plays out in real time, with occasional flashbacks to how she got in this mess.

“All of a sudden we kind of start going back and forth between what happened that led up to the day, and it’s this whole, ‘What’s happening? Who’s telling the truth? Who trusts who?’ thing,” Law teases. “It’s quite exciting and unique, and a lot of fun.”

Amidst the hostage drama, might the season opener find time to give viewers a sense of where things stand for Jessica and Jimmy (Brian Dietzen), whose relationship was already getting a bit wobbly ahead of her decision to leave D.C. for San Diego?

“You will get a sense,” Law allows, explaining that Jimmy’s daughter “has been making sure that we have been staying in touch.” So, Victoria is on Team #KnightInShiningPalmer…? “Very much so,” Law confirms with a smile.

Meanwhile back in the big orange room, Vance (Rocky Carroll) and McGee will find their efforts to help Torres with his undercover op repeatedly stymied by a new character, Inspector General LaRoche (played by Castle vet Seamus Dever and a seemingly endless supply of mints).

Will Jessica’s puzzling hostage sitch somehow result in her rejoining Parker’s team, and on a full-time basis? Law is mum, but teases at lease one cliffhanger to come.

“We have some questions that are definitively answered” at the end of the season opener, she says, “but then there is one big cliffhanger that is going to take us throughout the season.”

[dykeseesgod]

what well its just that you havent spoken to me in years except to call me a faggot or to dislocate my shoulder and you know what else is missing besides an attentive listener a segue i suppose forgive my bluntness please dont hit me but i could giv two shits about you or your vacant mind or your morbid curiosities or your dead fucking dog so why dont you just leave i never dislocated your shoulder according to my doctor you did in shop class last spring you twisted my arm behind my back and said you wouldnt let go until i said and i quote i like to get it up the ass i was just playing around with you oh that makes me feel so much better you know through my screams and the searing pain i can definely recall hearing laughter any way i can contribute to the fun of the group we were just messing around with you fuck you cb id rather you say we beat the shit out of you because we cant stand you rather than youre just messing with me that implies light teasing or slightly oproprious behavior i havent eaten in the cafeteria in 2 years for fear of going home with some part of it smeared across my shirt i havent been to the bathroom on campus since my head got slammed into a wall i believe you were there i didnt do that well you didnt stop it either and the faculty doesnt care you know what im tired of hearing they only pick on you because of your own insecurities aw jeez mrs blank now that you said that my head doesnt hurt so much and people wonder why kids bring guns to school to shoot you fuckers down maybe youre not the bully but you stand idly by and watch and to me thats even worse so please just go youre being hostile and im just trying to have a conversation with you like a civilized i dont want to talk to you i just want to be left alone i dont need social pointers i just want an apology for the five minutes youve stolen from my day see this is why you dont have friends i think we both know why i dont have any friends oh dont be so melodramatic youre in here crying about a dead dog and im being melodramatic shut the fuck up about my dog ok or what youll hit me go ahead ill show you how people get hurt and dont run away to cry like a big fucking baby whats so funny asshole im sorry nothing i dont see anything to laugh at its nothing its just that i was scared of you for like a second im sorry no its ok i deserved it promise me you wont bring a gun to school i dont even know where id get one you were one of my best friends you all were i just dont get it can i be honest if its any consolation none of us knew what to say to you after your dad got arrested it was pretty awkward it was more awkward for me im sorry we werent there for you that means a lot see now youre being sarcastic again no i wasnt its hard to tell with you truce i wasnt fighting a war but sure truce are you i dont know ive never had sex so kinda hard to tell at this point what about my dad im not sure thats considered sex you remember how my dog used to howl when you played the piano yeah i always found it pretty annoying he was singing along what do you think happens to animals when they die they go to heaven you believe in heaven sure there has to be some reward for living through all this and you think there are animals there in heaven the wolf will live with the lamb the lion will lie down with the goat and the calf the lion and the yearling together and a child will lead them the cow will feed with the bear their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox the infant will play near the hole of the cobra and the child will put his hand into the vipers nest but my dog killed a living thing wouldnt god be mad he was sick cb he couldnt help it you know they say a dog sees god in his master and a cat looks in the mirror i hate cats me too

[cbsghostsmetasandtrevor]

CBS Ghosts - Baby Ghost Teasing for Trevor

CBS Ghosts - Pilot. Spoilers may be present.

The second scene we see of the ghosts is Trevor telling some story about his party days.  It’s quite the change from the solumn Trevor we see in the first scene.  It’s interesting to see the difference between his first and second scene - it’s also interesting to see the responses to Trevor’s story over the plan for Thor’s Cod Lecture.  

LMAO - Trevor is so performative. He's all excited. He's ready for making every enjoy his story and make everyone happy after the loss of Sophie.

Also, how cute is that bow? I love that.

LMAO - Hetty asking about Tara Reid, clearly she's a little invested, and Trevor's like 'how do you not know this?' - I'm surprised he hasn't info dumped on his favorite movies.

LMAO - the byplay here - Alberta teasing him about the kind of movie, Isaac asking what a movie is, again. Which means HE'S DEFINITELY EXPLAINED THIS BEFORE.

This is too funny. Trevor attempting to show what a movie is with his hands will never not make me laugh. Like he WANTS them to learn with him and tries to explain, meanwhile, Alberta, Crash, Flower and Pete definitely know what this is and just... don't help. Alberta makes it worse by teasing, and it's just so funny that the older ghosts are CLEARLY messing with him.

Especially, Sass....

Oh, boy. Trevor's not having it. He's tired of being heckled by the older ghosts - and literally is ALL of the older ghosts doing it.

First, Hetty, then Alberta, Isaac, Sass and finally Thor. He's just 'damn it, I hate being the youngest'. I feel you Trevor.

Poor Trevor. I wonder if they do this to him a lot or if they CHOOSE to do this to him because he was more down than they were after Sophie's loss.

Before we move on though - it is very interesting that the other ghosts seem invested in Trevor’s story - even if it’s to heckle him (like Hetty asking about Tara Reid, Alberta asking if it was silent or talking, Isaac asking about a movie again, and Sass asking about projection).  Given how bored they are and that Trevor “has been through this” & how quickly they adapt to TV and movies later on - it's clear that they have listened and they do understand.  They interrupt just to make it fun.  It’s almost like they’re teasing him just because he’s the baby ghost.  

We see similar instances of this later on - when they heckle him about spying on livings in “Spies” but then turn around and watch Trevor’s parents in “Trevor’s Body”.  We also see that even Thor who constantly says “landship” knows what a car is, but does it just to annoy Alberta & Sass.  

This is why the second scene is extra hilarious knowing that they’re just trying to drive him crazy.  It’s especially funny because he kind of acts like the baby - he’s used to the teasing and sighs heavily when he sits down, but he doesn’t let it affect him.  I think the reason I like this so much is because I get it - I’m the youngest of Five, I have a slew of nieces/nephews and now great nieces/nephews and I’m always the one being picked on - so it’s funny to see the found family dynamic with Thor as the oldest and Trevor as the baby ghost.  

I love it.  Side note - I totally love that he’s acting out what a movie is.

Weak applause but they are clapping. It's interesting that Pete's directing these 'club days' since he's the second youngest ghost. I wonder if this ties back to his 'peacemaker' side. Because as the peacemaker, he often steps in and maybe these club days and taking turns was a way to keep them all at peace.

Aw, Trevor's sad about this. He's like "I just wanted to finish one damn story!

I am laughing way too hard at these reactions.

Sass is OVER it, Alberta's like shivering, Trevor's just like 'God, why did I die here'.

This is especially funny seeing Sass and Alberta together thinking “god not cod!”  (Especially after the scene in Isaac’s Book).  

Anyway, I love how quickly they went from 'god more cod' to 'oooh, Landship' - Fun Fun.

Also, because I’m ALWAYS thinking about HMoney, I enjoy the fact that he’s mentioned Tara Reid multiple times before this first scene (He said they’ve been through this) and yet, she does it, again, in Trevor’s Body because she wants his attention.  Which may or may not have to do his sadness with regards to the opening scene with Sophie and/or because she’s a bit attached to him or likes him.  I still have some idea that the groundwork for HMoney was always there.  

Feel free to chat :)

[king-of-confections]

WHO RUNS THE BLOG?

Why, King Candy of course!

He is the main focus of the entire blog! Be it in-character or out-of-character. If you found this blog, I have a sneaking suspicion you already know a thing or two about everyone's favourite eccentric monarch & greatest racer, given the small fandom WIR has nowadays.

BUT WHO ELSE IS ALSO A PRIME FOCUS ON THIS BLOG?

Believe it or not, His Puffiness is not going to always be the center of attention... there's a lot more to Sugar Rush nowadays than ever!

Canon-wise... Sour Bill, Taffyta and the Turbo Twins are going to be present.

OC-wise... oh man, where do I begin?

Thiefling - a glitching malware the program built from Vanellope's code remains, mixed with Turbo's & cy-bugs. Appearance-wise, she's an amalgamation of cy-bug & Sugar Rush/TurboTime parts, she can turn into a whole candy cy-bug too!; personality-wise, well... you'll see a lot of resemblances with Vanellope, but that loveable usurped racer sadly does not exist anymore.

Because King Candy had torn up and ripped out Vanellope's code box, the game's sudden shut down ended up completely erasing her identity, she died as the game restarted- the Program simply re-built a new entity with the scraps. But unlike Vanellope, Thiefling proves to be an actual, real threat; she's not just a glitch, she's a malware. If she snoops in the wrong place (AHEM like a certain room full of very sensitive coding at the moment, or hypothetically were to cross a finish line on a racing kart) she could end up actually destroying the entire game, causing another, permanent, shutdown.

Thiefling lives to cause mischief on purpose, not with ill intent- but either just to survive or to have fun, she's still only a child despite being a malware; she steals (as her name implies) mainly food, tries to break into places to gain access to things that aren't hers (shiny trinkets), and she often attempts to disrupt the races. But she does not do so because she wants to race, she has a complete disinterest to do so- despite the King's palpable doubts, she simply lives to be silly and gaze at the wonders of her world. She's one of the rowdiest creatures there have ever been in Sugar Rush, she drives the king crazy!

Rotti -

Candybug - yet another amalgamation of bits and pieces from three different games by the Sugar Rush program, heavily influenced by King Candy's narrative of being the 'ruler' of Sugar Rush, the program created an almost perfect copy of Turbo and his royal persona, if it wasn't for the fact that this one 'double' of himself has absolutely zero recollection of TurboTime, and well- his appearence is a mess of King Candy and Cy-Bug; CB believes himself to be the 'true' King Candy that has been usurped by a fake, and because he is the true king- everything in the game obeys him by law- including the cy-bugs. He believes being part of an underground hive is enough proof that HE should be the true monarch (when in reality he's just half cy-bug and they recognize pheramones or something like that).

Tyrus - the original mascot straight from TurboTime...

Cy-guts - another amalgamation of human and bug, loose-cannon, self-proclaimed 'exterminator' of Cy-Bugs. She doesn't despise them, she has no reason to considering she's almost as feral as one, but there's just something in her code... something feral... yet strict and authoritative that demands her mission to be: KILL! EA̶T̷̪̄!̶̫̑━ Destroy all Cy-Bugs.

She believes the king of Sugar Rush to be a threat because of his insectoid half... and the King believes her to be a threat in return because of her recklessness and madness (oh the irony), believing she could end up harming his subjects.

Cy-berg - a bugged cy-bug (not pun intended I promise) that immigrated all the way from Hero's Duty! It fled to Sugar Rush as a baby once hatched, it's perpetually blue coloration instead of neon green made it stand out like a sore thumb, it has only been successfully blinded in one eye by Sgt. Calhoun.

Now fully grown and residing within Sugar Rush, the giant insect has been adopted into Candybug's hive; Berg's programming is completely unresponsive, bugged out really! This means that it does not respond to the average cy-bug program. It does not kill, it can eat but is not obligated to, and doesn't become anything when it does eat, it doesn't multiply and it doesn't respond to beacons of light. It just exists, a completely tame bug.

[jmagnabo92]

CBS Ghosts - Woodstone’s Hottest Couple Thoughts

There’s a new episode tonight - which means, I’ve got thoughts:

So... this episode was fun.  

I liked that all of the plots were ONE plot.  I also liked that change with Stephanie and the fact that she is SO GOOD at getting under people’s skin and she knows them SO well despite not being around them that often.

So, focus on each couple’s SL.  

Nisaac - they were pretty much in the background, and I don’t get why Steph wouldn’t use the whole ‘I killed him’ thing against them.  I really wish they hadn’t been left out of it.  I still want to know why Nigel’s blackmail wasn’t dealt with and the way he deliberately brought up the date troubles.

Jam - I was SO shocked that Jay didn’t tell Sam about his issues.  We’ve gotten hints (like in Ghost Hunter) and the way that he CLUNG to Freddie.  And I like that Stephanie brought it up - and I like that Sam tried to help her get passed Trevor before that.  Like Sam was ALMOST there until she pointed out “Steph has few options”.  ANYWAY, I love Mark being a business partner and I love that Jay’s going to get his own restaurant.  I really like Jay getting his own SL and seeing into his issues more.

Floor (?) - Flower/Thor -  Okay, I’ve never been a big fan of them, but I liked that they wanted to find things in common and owls are something.  Although I found it sad that they weren’t wanted for a double date, I totally get it.  ALSO I LOVED THOR cheating during Rock Paper Scissors.

Pete/Alberta - I really wish they’d stop pushing this storyline.  Also, Pete - that story about the “great” things in relationships was very sad and would’ve mad me quit.  And I liked that Alberta was still into D&D, they have something in common - if they want to do this, 

Steph/Ralph - I liked the way they found him, I totally expected that they would find him in the barn, but I liked this better.  She was actually fun all episode because messing with people is fun!  I really wanted it to be a game show episode but this was fun, too.  Damn she’s good.

Sass - is by himself, poor guy.  He was very small tonight but I loved how excited he was for the Drama and that Thor said he ‘made up a GF’.  That was hilarious.

NOW FOR THE MAIN EVENT (to me) - HMONEY

They were SO cute wanting to be all coupley and go on ‘double dates’ and I loved it!  I also loved Trevor running from Steph to point out he was dating Hetty.  It was very cute.  And then Steph got in his head - she’s right, Hetty was going to expect Tea Time every day, I’m sure.  And Trevor was never going to get ‘watching basketball’ or anything else - as Thor pointed out.  It was always going to be what she wanted.  

I did like seeing that they BOTH took issue with their double date.  That it wasn’t just Hetty being mad at him for it - I also think talking about tea for an HOUR is ridiculous.  I was worried that they would break up, but OMG I LOVED THE ENDING.  I wanted them to come out since Trevor clearly wanted it, but now, he’s like - I want to put the genie back in the bottle - AND THEY FOUND A WAY.  I LOVE THAT THEY FOUND A WAY.

And now, they can have a storyline where everyone discovers the truth one at a time and all sorts of crazy shenanigans.  That’ll be fun!  

Anyway, I LOVED THIS ONE.  And I can’t wait for the SL in Season 3 to continue.  

[ktofbvb]

My thoughts on CBS Tracker Episode One

Mild Spoilers ahead for Tracker Season One Episode One

The episode sets up Colter Shaw as a rewardist or someone who finds people with his information for money-reward things. He saves a woman who went on a multi-day hike and seemingly got lost and fell. Her leg is in rough shape, and she has mild hypothermia before getting the leading case of the episode of a missing 14-year-old boy. The case was interesting, with a good twist. The show portrays him as willing to break the law for his personal mission and go to jail. He has also been in court before, according to his lawyer. The cops messing up the time is unfortunately not shocking as a procedural show fan and someone who pays attention to the news. The kid could have very quickly been killed, or Colter himself and the cop would have been to blame for the deaths. The backstory is teased and not fully explained, which makes sense for a new show's pilot episode. The connection to his lesbian mom figures is something that I look forward to seeing being more deeply explored while his mother pissed me off. Her dismissing his concerns over his brother's involvement in his father's death felt abusive in a way, and while I want to know why she feels the way she does, my first impression of her was very negative. Overall, this is a new take on a procedural show that I have not seen previously, and I think this is going to be a fun show to watch as long as it sticks to its premise without adding too much stuff outside of what it seems to be.

[sanstropfremir]

are you ready? it's time for...

best stylings of 2022, first half!!

this covers my favourite stylings from january 1st to june 30th; which i am bolding and italicizing bc some people got on my ass last year about leaving things out when in fact they just did not read the title! so!! this is only half of the year!!

here's a rundown of the categories i'm using:

best overall - self explanatory: this covers cbs that were holistically well designed across the mv, music show stages, and any other promotional material that was released during the cb period

runners' up - this category is for ones that got it about half right; either they had a really good music video but the stages didn't match up, or they had really good stages but the mv was lacking. i also put mvs here that didn't get any other promotional materials

standout element - this is for one off stages or outfits that stuck out to me as being really excellent, but there wasn't the same consistency across the rest of the cb

ok, make sense? let's go!

best overall

i hate you - woodz

i'm not gonna mince words here, you all saw me go insane over this cb so there's no way it wasn't gonna be in first place. frankly i'm surprised i survived the promo period at all. i'm obsessed with the choice for them to shoot the mv in a modern art gallery (i THINK it might be the same one that cl shot her alpha performance video at last year) because i love when there's a meta acknowledgement of idols as artistic products and how they interact with different forms of art etc etc etc anyways here's all the links to stuff i went insane over you're welcome: mv behind, this jacket from its live, and honestly this one is about the backup dancers more than him but it's cute.

stages: mcountdown 220512, music core 220507, music bank 220506, the show 220510, show champion 220511

bsides: hijack the show 220510, show champion 220511

+

gingamingayo - billlie

they deserved to go viral for this, the mv is amazing, the styling is so consistent despite the fact that they did like a full month of promotions, and overall it's just a fun time. they set the precedent for all the ~quirky~ gg cbs that showed up after this. it has so much character and established the weird world that their story exists in, so even though it was very early on in the year, it claims one of my top spots.

stages: contour 220304, music bank 220318, inkigayo 220320, the show 220308

+

dice - onew

this was not a popular cb in my circles but too bad, i thought it was very fun and extremely well designed. great mv with a cute lil narrative and creative choices building on a very clear influence, plus some very fun costume pieces, some incredible stage design, and some gorgeous graphic design. 10/10.

stages: mcountdown 220414, inkigayo 220417, music core 220423

bsides: on the way music bank 220415, inkigayo 220417

+

bad news - tempest

an extremely strong debut that has definitely set a new tone for the incoming next generation of bgs for sure. everything about this styling is chaotic over the top mess reminiscent of early 2010s kpop mixed with a retro 90s feel that is always a joy to watch. we love to see a return to cheesy and bright boy group form and i have my fingers crossed that we're gonna start seeing it catch on beyond the flops in 2023.

stages: mcountdown 220303, music bank 220304, show champion 220309, the show 220308, music core 220305, music core 220312, inkigayo 220313, mcountdown 220317, music bank 220325, music core 2200326

bsides: just a little bit, bad at love

+

undercover - verivery

and i am including the japanese version in this, because it has the best outfit, which is kangmin's pink satin tracksuit that i may or may not think about every day. verivery doesn't usually catch my attention but i loved the prerelease single o from this album so it made me tune into the undercover cb when it dropped. this has been one of the few 'retro' stylings (there's been a myriad of 90s/00s revivals) that actually took some very recognizable silhouettes from the period and combined them with a contemporary flavour successfully and consistently. there's so much good texture and the sheer amount of satin they used is just (chef's kiss).

stages: the show 220503, music core 220514, mcountdown 220505, inkigayo 220501, music core 220521, music bank 220513, music bank 220506, the show 220517, show champion 220504, music core 220507, inkigayo 220508

o: mcountdown 220331, music bank 2200401

+

stupid cool - dawn

dawn once again proving that he and his team understand styling and fashion a lot better than most stylists working in the industy rn. he has such a strong sense of how to use silhouette and texture and i love how every new stage keeps you guess about what insane thing he's gonna wear next. this is also one of the few cbs where i actually think they should have just used the performance video for the final mv, bc its SO good. there's a few small things that i don't love which is why this doesn't rank higher, but there's still a lot that i do, so i kept from the runners' up category.

stages: mcountdown 220707, mcountdown 220630, music bank 220701, inkigayo 220703

+

devil - changmin

it was short but sweet, every look is a banger and i am going to include maniac and fever here as well, because it's also incredible. although all three of these songs have no aesthetic unity across them, this album very much was an exploration of genres that changmin is interested in and creating characters to embody each of those songs; we have the american gothic corrupt preacher with devil, the classic rock besieged horror heroine with maniac, and the capitalist victorian villain from an alw musical. i'd also recommend watching the jacket shooting behind to see more details from the looks in the concept photos, bc those are also excellent.

stages: music core 220115, inkigayo 220116

bsides: fever performance video - dgg

+

bring it on - oneus

bring it on had so much fun character and a great series of prologue films as well, and i feel like it didn't get the love it deserved. there are so many things happening in this mv and it's very busy visually, so for them to be able to keep it coherent despite the sheer number of sets is impressive. rbw has great creative teams and it's no surprise that a oneus mv ended up in my top ten.

stages: music bank 220520, inkigayo 220522, show champion 220525, mcountdown 220602

+

grey suit - suho

i might not have loved the title track as a song, but the mv is fucking gorgeous with some profoundly beautiful shots and like with changmin, the album as a whole is fantastic work and he produced a similar style goofy fun bside mv for hurdle that ended up being his go to concert song this year. both have really consistent design and colour palettes across the two of them, even though they're two totally different styles of song, which is a detail that i really admire. and the concept photos were gorgeous as well.

stages: music bank 220408, inkigayo 220410

bsides: hurdle mcountdown 220407

+

daydream - highlight

fantastic cb from them and excellent album in general, with some unusual silhouette choices. and they fully produced their album medley as well, which i don't think i've seen a group do to this same extent. it's beautiful, i highly recommend watching it. highlight has been quietly flying under the radar since their first post enlistment cb last year, and as the hag fan that i am i'm going to continue to remind everyone that they exist and are doing some of the best quality work in the industry atm.

stages: music core 220326, inkigayo 220327, music bank 220325,

bsides: night fog music bank 220325

+

runners' up

heart burn - sunmi

honestly this should rank higher bc it was such a good cb and everything about it was so well done, but there was just too much that came out this year and i had to bump some things down just because of quantity and the fact that tumblr limits how many links and videos you can put in a post. so please know this was in a top spot in my heart.

+

invu - taeyeon

i wrote a post about invu already so i won't expound on it more, but it got knocked down to runners' up just bc i didn't love all the looks, but i did love a lot of the dedication and thought and engagement they put into the cb as a whole.

+

dududu - tan

also already wrote an entire post about this styling, i love it i'm obsessed one of THE best debuts of all time etc etc etc you've heard me yell about them many times already. although i have to issue one addition: for some reason i didn't include inkigayo 220403 where they gave jiseong a gorgeous blue crushed velvet suit.

+

again - nu'est

this is only here because they never did any performances of it. the only group that's ever done anything good with hybe money and what did they get for it??? the nu'est disbandment is easily one of the most gutwrenching things to happen to me and it's double compounded by their disbandment song being called 'again'. what a fucking cruel joke. anyways this mv is fucking gorgeous even if it makes me feel like i'm eating broken glass.

+

epitaph - tvxq

yes this is a japanese release but they haven't done a korean cb in like four years at this point so i'm taking what i can get. incredible set design, great costuming, who doesn't loves some hot tall vampires?

+

feel my rhythm - red velvet

the mv is 100% the standout element here, it's so unbelievably detailed and full of art references. however i didn't love all of the costuming so the stages didn't really stand out for me. ok that's a lie, i really liked the styling for music core 220326.

+

love - monsta x

could i have told you what the concept of this cb was? no. was it chaotic and very fun to watch anyways? absolutely. i present to you: versace. kihyun's obliques. whatever this lace suit nonsense is. idk what a 'vibe' outfit is but they should have done a stage in them.

+

skinz - onlyoneof

i've talked about the mv for skinz before, but there have been a couple of stages that are just kinda batshit crazy, like whatever the hell is happening here, and this 220114 music bank with the cropped puffer jackets and kb's tshirt bodysuit. i'm not even convinced what kb is wearing here is even considered a shirt. honestly i could have ranked this cb as a whole higher because there were just so many weird suits and i did like the mv, but i did have to limit this list at some point.

+

cupid - dkz

we love a cb of just guys being dudes! i actually do like the mv but it doesn't tie as well into the stages as i would like, so it doesn't get the full honours. but i would like offer you a selection of: pink, jonghyeong's xxxxl shirt, kyungyoon looking like a caricature of a kid in the early 90s, and kyungyoon's sexy lil cropped green bomber jacket

+

11:59 - apr project

these are all former trncg members (a third gen bg that disbanded due to an abuse and mismanagement lawsuit) that are redebuting in a new group and honestly? good for them. this mv was made with about $30 but it's one of my favourites of the year specifically because of the context and the moment at 2:41, which is SUCH a strong image and not one i was expecting. this was one of my soppy emo ballads of choice this year. also wolf baby revival when.

+

standout elements

memem story films - purple kiss // memem is probably the weakest of purple kiss' title tracks in terms of both sound and design, which was bound to happen eventually. however the story films are PHENOMENAL and i absolutely recommend watching them (plus bonus recurring character cya!): #1, #2.

creature - e'last // once again, e'last with an excellent showing of dedication to the man crop top agenda and guys bein' slutty for no real reason. show champion 220511, music bank 220513, show champion 220504, the show 220503

beauty inside - nine.i // i love these denim suits with loopy flowers and shapes that match the flower petal motif in the choreography.

x-ray - ghost9 // these sparkly vampire outfits that never appeared in any of the other styling or design but fuck supremely.

tank - nmixx - costumes that accentuate the choreography? in my jype styling???

---

part two will hopefully be up in few days!

[awrkive]

Dee! Idk if this has been mentioned yet but I’m curious how you got into bts, which era, when you became an army??? Seeing some of your responses do go way back when it sounds like you’ve been a fan for a while!! I’m also similar where bts is for sure my ult faves (I honestly don’t know how multistans do it, huge props to them!!) but I still love listening to kpop and krnb music wise

Also choosing to avoid all the drama is a must to preserve our mental health… it honestly benefits no one… and I totally agree that it’s my least favourite thing about being into kpop… literally years taken off our lives cause of this bs

🦦 anon x

since 2016!! i actually keep on messing the answer for this question bcs ive always thought i became a fan in 2017 but it was actually during hyyh young forever era when i started tuning in so around mid-2016 would be more accurate. i remember stumbling upon the dope mv in early 2016 and they were the first kpop group i knew of lol and i have been interested since then. my first cb tho where i actually started engaging in the fandom was wings!! all those teasers and fan theories were so fun omfg i missed it so much 😭 and then everything is history!!

multistans fascinate me tbh i cannot even keep up with bts and they only have seven members which i think is a small number for a kpop group SJFHDJSHFSHDFJHS

and tbh its not only in kpop where drama is abundant. every single fandom has drama in it (take it from me who has been into a lot of fandoms like from shows to actors to western singers etc ive been EVERYWHERER EHJFSEGFJHDS) and best believe that the best solution is to not actively engage in the fandom and just interact with the ones that you like! im not on army twt anymore or stan twt in general, but i still keep up with the friends i made there lol and i have friends irl who i met thru army twt and were still friends even tho weve all tapped out of the fandom scene JHFGJDSF there's a FOMO aspect to it ofc that can be hard to rid of esp when ur new, but like eventually u just get over it. it would be so questionable if uve been a fan for more than 5 years and ur still engaging in twt discourse 😭 id just assume u have nothing going on in ur life 😭😭 its so so easy to not care when ur busy abt something else (yes this is the nicest way i could put the "touch some grass" phrase SHFGJ)

[blogger360ncislarules]

Rescue: HI-Surf (Sept. 22, Fox)

Surf’s up — and dangerous — in Fox’s newest first responder drama, Rescue: HI-Surf. Set on the idyllic beaches of Oahu’s North Shore, the series follows a team of hardworking lifeguards — from veteran Em (Arielle Kebbel) all the way to new recruits Kainalu (Alex Aiono) and Hina (Zoe Cipres) — as they dive headfirst into the deep end to save tourists and locals who get swept up in the island’s ever-changing tides. “I really wanted to make a show that wasn't just set in Hawaii, but that was actually about Hawaii. It's about the people who call that place home,” creator Matt Kester explains. “It's an exciting show with all the rescues, but there's also a lot of great drama and really great character relationships that we’ll be playing out over the first season.” —Emlyn Travis

Sullivan's Crossing (Oct. 2, The CW)

Back to Sullivan's Crossing we go. Season 1 of the CW drama series left off on a cliffhanger with viewers wondering whether Maggie (Morgan Kohan) is pregnant and if a romance with Cal (Chad Michael Murray) is in her future. Murray says that season 2 delivers more about Cal’s dark past ... and his future. “Cal is starting to realize that Sullivan’s is his home,” Murray says. “Just when you think you have the entire world figured out, we turn over another stone and you realize that these characters' pasts are far darker than we ever assumed that they might have been.” But have no fear, this season has some light too. Murray teases a scene later in the season where the boys of the Crossing compete in a friendly game of ax throwing. “It was just fun to step aside from the heavy weighted drama at the Crossing.” —Calie Schepp

Tracker (Oct. 13, CBS)

The Shaw siblings aren't messing around when Tracker returns. Although the mystery of what Dory (Melissa Roxburgh) is up to with her father’s files will be explored a little later on, Russell Shaw (Jensen Ackles) will make an appearance early in season 2. “He comes in at the highest point,” showrunner Elwood Reid teases. And it isn't a proper Shaw brother reunion without at least one family secret. “There’s a secret that is revealed about their father in the first episode that lands with both brothers,” Reid says, “There’s a memory you’ll see that Colter doesn’t have that his brother does about Colter and their father.” Now that the brothers are on better terms, perhaps they can actually compare notes about their childhoods? —A.Y.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (Oct. 17, CBS)

Spinoff series Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage picks up a few months after the events of the Young Sheldon finale, which saw the death of Georgie’s dad. Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) are still grappling with the loss, and living with her parents and their baby all while trying to navigate inner-family politics and figure out their future. And while fans of its predecessor can expect lots of familiar faces — such as Will Sasso, Rachel Bay Jones, Zoe Perry, Annie Potts, and Raegan Revord — executive producer Steve Holland says he hopes audiences are just as excited as he was to dig into a different part of the Big Bang Theory television universe. “This is the first time in 18 years that we're not writing for Sheldon, and Sheldon's a great character and I'm so proud to have been a part of writing that character, but this is a different show,” Holland says. “I don't have to keep Googling science facts anymore or trying to pretend that I know what I'm talking about. This is a much more, I think, relatable family show. These are different characters. It's the same world, but the slice of this world they inhabit has a different flavor to it.” —L.H.

Ghosts (Oct. 17, CBS) Three seasons in, Ghosts has a big paranormal sandbox and in season 4, they’ve invited the hilarious Mary Holland to play. In last season’s finale, a vengeful spirit kidnapped Brandon Scott Jones’ Isaac, moments after he left his fiancé jilted at the altar. Holland is that vengeful spirit, the most puritanical Puritan, Patience, who “was actually kicked out of her village for being a bit too much, so even by their standards, she's a lot to deal with,” says co-showrunner Joe Wiseman. Patience has it out for Isaac since he abandoned her to the dirt by letting go of her hand so that he could sneeze. “She's been wandering for 130 years or something like that, so she's a little upset,” Wiseman reveals, “but she's going to spend a few episodes at Woodstone and is going to mix things up there.” —L.F.B.

[galaxythreads]

Thanks for the tag @toffeeanddragons!! I was looking at your list and nodding because I adore all of those characters too. DAPHNE BLAKE MADE THE LIST AND SHE DESERVES TO BE THERE. Love that woman. Legend.

To be clear, this is not listed in order of importance to me, because I couldn't ever declare a favorite character, but this is just listed as they came to mind. XD

1. Loki (MCU)

this loser ^ has become a central part of my personality and I hope he regrets that. It's kind of hard for me to put down into words how much he means to me. He's like my best friend, honestly. If I regularly beat up and tortured my friends. Putting him and Thor together and wrestling through their emotional mess has been one of the best parts of my life. Jokes aside, I can honestly say that Loki has saved my life in more ways than one, so I owe him a lot. Even with all my frustrations with MCU in general, and my waning desire to write fics for MCU, he's always going to be important to me. <3

2. Riley Poole (National Treasure)

I think I was like...er, six months old when the first movie came out? but I re-discovered my love for these films when I was 17-18? and they've become a stable comfort for me. I've been extremely stressed the last few days, and I think I've had the second movie playing on repeat in the background for hours and hours. I think I've seen it six (?) times in the last three days. Anyway, Riley is just so tired, hopeless, and grumpy and I adore sarcastic characters that are actually way more important to the plot than they first appear to be. And, honestly, I am a sucker for found families, and the fact that everyone refers to Riley as Ben's family in the second movie just makes me want to bite something because THEY ARE FAMILY. I want to write a fic for National Treasure so badly, lol. Riley is me in an action film. He's like if a smol Tony Stark got adopted by a historian.

3. Ahkmenrah (Night At the Museum)

AHK.MEN.RAH. dude I am obsessed with this man. I adore him. I can't even express how much I adore him. He's just so soft and kind even though everyone is terrible to him. He's got a core of steal and has no social aptitude, communicating in a language that's thousands of years older than his, a golden child that got murdered by his brother, and the tablet his parents made him have trapped everyone in a cycle of rebirth for thousands of years and---Ahkmenrah greatly deserved to be further explored in the NATM series. Fun fact though -- to this day, I'm absolutely terrified of dinosaurs, and when I saw this for the first time when I was like (6?), it traumatized me so badly I couldn't watch it again until I was like 15. For the entirety of my childhood I considered this, a comedy, to be a horror film. I also want to write so many fics for NATM, and I have this glorious one with him and Kahmunrah that has existed in my head for years now and I should just write. I also based one of my ocs off him so hard, lol.

4. Nancy Drew (CBS Nancy Drew)

my 18th year of life was absolutely terrible, and I say that with confidence, and Nancy Drew was a saving grace to me. I initially didn't like that they made it more of a SPN knock off than stayed true to the books (of which I have read all of them, so I know of what I speak, Bess and George are cousins and besties, okay?), but this Nancy is just so beautiful to watch. She's an extremely well-written character with flaws and failures, but a core of steel, loyal to a fault, and her desire to help gets her into so much trouble. Watching her overcome her adoption/sort of kidnapping and grow close to the Drew Crew andRyan was wonderful. I could talk about this show forever. Season 2 supremacy. Also the writers are absolutely iconic in that they never gave us Ace's last name in canon because they didn't want to get sued by the Hardy Boys franchise.

5. Joan Watson (CBS Elementary)

This woman is like my sister and my mother all wrapped into one, lol. I started watching Elementary in s6, and I was going through a lot of family problems at the time, and I remember looking at Joan and going, man, I want to be like her. I had lots of examples of people I didn't want to be like, but Joan was this steady presence. the way that she treated Sherlock and the people around her, with never ending kindness and support, was just really, really nice to see. Like, I love Sherlock in this adaption, but Joan means as much to me as Loki does. She's just such a beautifully written character and I adore watching her beat people up.

6. Katniss Everdeen

Parentified child ✅

In charge of keeping sister alive ✅

lived through multiple life and death situations where someone's life was in your hands ✅

ptsd ✅

Katniss is me, lol. No, but for real, she is one of the best characters I have ever seen, and she is the best depiction of actual PTSD in a fictional person. It was so, so relieving to see someone struggle through the same crap I have and to know that she came out the other end okay eventually.

7. Hiccup Haddock (How to Train Your Dragon)

without httyd, i wouldn't be a writer. The first fic I ever read was for httyd, which eventually led me to wanting to write some myself and flash forward and here we are. I also owe my life to this franchise, and I think I internalized Hiccup into my personality, or at least downloaded like 90% of it, because holy crap he and I have exactly the same sense of dry humor. He's just...such a good protagonist. I think that they really poked and cracked him open in Race to the Edge and it was really fun to explore new sides to him.

8. Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

I couldn't stand Sokka at first, lol, but he grew on me. I STILL don't think he's very funny, but I love studying him like a specimen trapped beneath a microscope. He has one of the best arcs in the show. Like yes, yes, we can talk about Zuko forever, I can talk about Zuko forever, but SOKKA. My boy SOKKA deserves an equal amount of poking. He has anxiety. He's depressed. He tried to leave someone for dead, once. He copes by eating and cracking jokes. He's important to the characters becuase the only one with a freaking brain cell, what the heck MS. I'm-going-fight-a-bender-with-fifty-years-of-experience-on-me-Katara? ???

9. Neal Caffery (White Collar)

Peter Burke was right, though, because the hat is stupid. I think I've got a thing for smart men that do crime because like half the people on this list are that. No, wait I've definitely just got a thing for smart people who do crime. (crime anything my beloved, tbh, a movie/tv series says someone will commit a crime and I am THERE) Anyway, Neal is an interesting character to poke at and I adore the fics for this fandom. While the show frustrates me on a level that's hard to describe in any language, I will take this helpless crime boi and run. Also watching him and Mozzie interact is one of the greatest things on this planet. He's just so genuine and kind and his charisma are used (mostly) for good, which is so nice.

10. Wen Kexing (Word of Honor)

I named a character in my og series off of this man. I adore him. Committing crimes. Childhood trauma. Revenge fantasy. Murderous. Parentified child. Smart. Gay. Line between sister and daughter is so blurred it's impossible to tell. SO MUCH CRIME. He deserves to (and does) get away with murder. He is literally "i show up where you are and act like it's a coincidence because I don't know how to make friends" personified. I wish that I understood the native language of this show. I want nothing more than to understand without english subs. Amazing performance from the actor. The CGI in this show is so awkward it makes me want to tear out my eyes. *happy sigh*

no pressure tags!! @thot-son-of-odin (i bet I can guess at least one character on this, and his name rhymes with bor and he once decapitated his grandfather) @fanfictasia @chemical-processes @newobsessioneveryweek @elly-hiddlesherloki @tori-artemis @siarrawrites

10 Fandoms, 10 Characters, 10 Tags

Thank you so much @idle-brit for tagging me!This was lots of fun :) 💖

My tags: @delyth88, @elymusplant, @galaxythreads, @chemical-processes. No pressure to answer, of course :)

1. Loki (MCU)

As much as I love everyone on this list, there is absolutely no competition for number 1. Loki has been my favourite character of all time for nearly 6 years now (because clearly the best time to join someone's fandom is after they've just been murdered), and is showing absolutely no signs of being replaced anytime soon. I have a Loki blog, for god's sake. The brodinsons are my favourite relationship in any kind of media, ever. I love them so, so much. Loki's a million different things and feelings, all at the same time, all fighting with each other, which makes for a wonderfully complex and nuanced character. Also, he's hilarious. Look at that eye roll. This is a man who hates his life, which makes me feel better about mine. Thanks, Loki.

2. Klaus Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy)

As will become obvious throughout this list, I love me an emotionally traumatised crazy person. Klaus is that. One of the characters who makes me laugh the most, ever, show-stopping dress sense, and a bucketload of unresolved trauma which goes largely ignored by Klaus, the other characters and the narrative itself? It was love at first sight. Their banter with the other characters, especially Ghost Ben (rip) is one of my favourite aspects of the show. Here's to hoping that Klaus won't be getting the Allison treatment in season 4!

3. Pippa Fitz-Amobi (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder)

I binge-read the entire AGGTM series earlier this year, and instantly fell in love with it. Pip is one of my favourite protagonists ever. Impossibly clever, compassionate, obsessive, badass, and a teensy bit unhinged. What's not to love? I would die for her. I'd say that I'd kill for her, but I think she's got that covered. I think she's written in a very realistic way, firstly as a genius 17 year old girl who doesn't really know what she's getting into, and later as a haunted individual who wants to stop investigating but can't. The way she politely knocks on people's front doors to dig up their traumas, accuse them of murder and all-round ruin their lives is everything to me. She is my blorbo. I am so, so excited for the show to come out, and I'm sure that Emma Myers will do a wonderful job as Pip!

4. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

One of the best-written characters, in one of the best-written series ever. Reading from her perspective is such a delight- she's endlessly suspicious of everyone around her, constantly on survival mode, trusting very few people and relying on exactly no one (to begin with, at least). She's a random teenage girl, from the poorest district, and she wins the Hunger Games. She's so mentally unstable that she has to be sedated, and still she's made to be the face of a rebellion. She's rude, and kind of unlikeable. She adopts all the weakest tributes, at risk to herself, knowing that they won't win. She's doomed to fail by the narrative. She's the it girl of 2010s dystopian YA fiction. Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress, who does a beautiful job portraying the depth and conflict of Katniss in the films. The themes and social commentary of the Hunger Games is one of its (many) strong points, and I am so so glad that people are talking about it again, because it is my favourite book series out there.

5. Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family)

I have no idea what to say about this man, I just love him. He just like me fr. What an icon. Impeccable music taste. I've started saying, "no my god" now, and nobody understands what I'm talking about. Even in a sitcom, my favourite is the one with issues that he refuses to talk about or fix. The episode where he's trying to hide that he dressed up as spiderman makes me cry-laugh. Claire's speech at his wedding makes me just cry. He's not a perfect man, but he's certainly better than everyone else.

6. Shin Tsukimi (Your Turn to Die)

My favourite cringefail loser! I said Katniss was doomed by the narrative in a metaphorical way. This idiot is actually doomed.

No but in all seriousness, I do really love him. Before the beginning of the game, he was just a relatively normal young man- but, when confronted with the inevitability of his own death, he made himself into a monster to survive. He has a violent vendetta against the local badass teenage girl, who is traumatised as hell already and does not need Shin chipping in as well, thank you very much. I love his relationship with Kanna, his biological sister; how he uses her, manipulates her, and still cares for her so much that he dies for her with a smile on his face in the Emotion route. Conversely, in the Logic route, his actions are a direct cause of her death, and I just love how much YTTD hates siblings. I hope that his past with Midori is explored more in either a mini-episode or the final part of the game, because I find it sooo interesting. I'm super excited to see whether he actually has no chance of survival, or whether he makes it out, against the odds, on one of the routes. He's a bit useless, so I won't get my hopes up.

7. Rue Bennett (Euphoria)

I think it goes without saying that Euphoria has its issues, lol. Sam Levinson is an idiot. While a lot of the show (especially season 2) feels shallow and like it doesn't care about its characters, Rue's storylines always have heart and depth and I am so invested in her arc. It's no wonder that Zendaya won 2 Emmys for this role, because her acting is phenomenal! Rue feels so real to me, in the way that she's trying so hard to stay sober but she falls down and relapses time and time again. Recovery isn't linear, but she's getting there, and I adore her with all my heart. Her relationships with Lexi, her mother, her sister, and her sponsor, Ali, are my favourites, and the healthiest for her, in my opinion. Her brief friendship/ romance with Jules may have kept her more solidly sober than anything else in the show, but Jules (understandably) cracks under the pressure of Rue's mental health, and can't be there for her. Rue needs to heal for herself, which she appears to be doing at the end of S2.

8. Max Mayfield (Stranger Things)

Duffer brothers, please just let her be happy.

Despite only being introduced in Season 2, Max has, in my opinion, had the best character development out of everyone on the show. Her growth from someone standoffish, rude, and uninterested in the group (maybe I'm being a bit harsh. She was, like, 12) to someone who is willing to risk her life to help her friends and Hawkins means so much to me. The scene in "Dear Billy" (S4, Ep4) where she escapes from Vecna remains my favourite in the whole show and will probably be burned into my brain forever. Her relationships with Lucas and El are very sweet, and some of my favourites in Stranger Things. Her final line in S4, after all her struggles over the season, being that she doesn't want to die literally breaks my heart. I hope she gets some degree of a happy ending in the final season. She was my first profile picture when I joined this hellsite, and I love her a lot.

9. Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)

The shenanigans that this girl gets up to never fail to make me laugh. The bit where she accidentally dyes her hair green and then has to hack it all off makes me feel awful for her, but. it's hilarious. Sorry, Anne. Her friendship with Diana is so sweet but also so funny to me because they really are the most chaotic duo of the 1880s. The scene where Anne accidentally gives her alcohol instead of fruit juice is so mortifying but so, so funny. Amidst all of the insane situations that Anne gets into are a lot of really heartwarming moments and relationships. Matthew and Marilla adopting Anne, even though they wanted a boy, because she's so endearing and alone in the world is probably what made me who I am today. I still haven't gotten around to watching Anne with an E, but I've heard it's amazing. I look forward to watching it when I have the time :).

10. Daphne Blake (Scooby Doo)

My first ever favourite character! Another one who I don't have a tonne to say about. She's an icon, she's a legend, and she is the moment. She has done nothing wrong, ever. She knows martial arts, so watch out.

Honourable mentions: Thor (MCU), Finnick Odair (The Hunger Games), Gretchen Weiners (Mean Girls), Jake Peralta (Brooklyn 99), Maurice Moss (The IT Crowd), The Eleventh Doctor (Doctor Who), James (The End of the F***ing World), Ali Abdul (Squid Game).

If you read all of this then thanks, and have a great day!

[dotthings]

The set of CW cancellations was definitely a bloodbath. I’ve been following tv/media news for a long time and rarely have seen that ruthless of a clean-out. I get why people are upset, and they should be mad at that network and the studios, because they made this mess. Years of letting things be a PR tire fire, loss-leading practices—I recognize that there are good creatives trying to tell the best stories they could inside a messed up system, but the cuts were to the lowest performers. It wasn’t targeted to scrub the network of diverse series. And a reason I boycotted CW for a year was poor practices across the board and while I acknowledge there were shows in that previous gen of shows that had some inclusion, I was frustrated with how the diversity they had was treated, and with some tokenism, combined with the Dare to Defy virtue signaling when the content wasn’t living up to it.

I know people have lost characters and stories they loved though so I’m not trying to put down those series, this is just my perspective on it.

The reason I ended my boycott is the sale. It was knowing some accountability would have to happen, because unless CW did repairs, it wouldn’t be worth much to a new owner. Also I acknowledged, during the year when I touched nothing on That Network, there were a few shows where I felt bad about not being able to support them yet, that looked appealing to me.

The next gen of shows imo are doing better. A deeper level of inclusion, more intersectional, and the stories are strong.

Here’s an article unpacking what’s behind the cancellations. This gives an explanation of the business model and the role of streaming and how the market has changed. Those cancellations were studio decisions. Studios are looking at big hits to their bottom line in the streaming wars. Viacom/CBS and WB, the co-owners of CW can no longer afford to let their lowest performers keep being renewed without more careful programming choices, and it can’t afford the perpetual PR tire fires, the accusations of tokenism, the cycle where diversity was there, then the characters removed, or the relationships handled badly. I know it’s a fine line between genuine attempts at diversity and not everyone enjoys those stories and actual tokenism. Also keep in mind CW does not actually exist as a network the way bigger networks like ABC, NBC etc do. It lacks its own studios. It was only ever a cheap shared platform for Viacom and WB to make some money. It was a delivery system. Media companies currently prefer to have their shows on their own wholly owned streaming platforms (or their own actual full broadcast networks), it’s more profitable.

In my opinion, the next gen of shows are doing better and I’m allowed to say that. The purpose behind ending the boycott was to do targeted support of the kinds of shows I’d like to see more of and I’m liking them so far.

So here’s a remind of the series I’m supporting.

All American — all black leads, LGBTQ inclusive, and so well done you’ll keep wondering how this is even from the CW network (I’ll be watching All American: Homecoming once I’ve finished catching up on All American, sounds like it is equally inclusive, same thing with all black leads and LGBTQ). Much like Friday Night Lights, the football backdrop is the delivery system for genuine, dramatic stories. The show tackles (pun intended) a variety of issues and offers pov not often seen on network tv, and awareness of the role of community. (AA technically is a slightly older gen of shows, it started in 2018, and so many of us slept on it, but is part of new gen approaches on the network)

Kung Fu — all Asian leads, with a female lead chosen one warrior character and LGBTQ inclusion. Similarly to AA, offers neglected povs, the role of community. Also a very fun magical warrior girl narrative that puts twists on established tropes for the genre. (New gen of shows, started in 2021)

Nancy Drew — while the titular character is white, the ensemble emphasizes PoC and LGBTQ. I really appreciate its narratives on mhi and self worth. Spooky small town vibe with ghosts, a sense of local history, and multigenerational secrets. (a bridge between old and new gen, started in Fall 2019, but approaches match new gen)

New upcoming series:

Tom Swift — can’t really assess until I’ve watched it but the backdoor pilot for this on Nancy Drew and all the press so far looks very promising. All black leads. Titular character is a black gay man who will have multiple male love interests. Also features a woman of color and a trans man playing a trans man among the leads.

Gotham Knights — again, I can’t say for sure until I’ve seen it. The dc far on CW became increasingly disappointing to me, as a dc fan. This sounds promising tho, with PoC and LGBTQ rep among the lead ensemble, including nonbinary casting. (I realize Misha playing Harvey Dent is a huge draw but I’m seeing comments that erase how inclusive the young group of lead heroes are while people complain about one of J2M being on board). Anyway, this is a diverse batfamily show and is ahead of Titans on HBO Max (the other batfamily linked live action series WB is running now) in LGBTQ inclusion.

The Winchesters — SPN’s terrible rep on inclusion is overshadowing this. But I’ll point out showrunner Robbie Thompson created Charlie Bradbury and Eileen Leahy and is someone who cares about inclusive povs in storytelling, especially centering female pov. Jensen and Danneel’s production company, Chaos Machine, hired Renee Reiff, founding member of Out in Hollywood, as their director of development. While a series premise on John and Mary Winchester’s love story gets side-eyes even from fans who are supporting this SPN prequel, we’re also excited about the diverse characters. I’m delighted this seems to be the start of more inclusive expanded SPN universe. It features two women of color as part of its regular cast from the jump, and one of its leads is a bi latino man, played by a nonbinary latino actor.

I shrivel a little inside every time I see comments about how the “new conservative ownership” is getting rid of all the diversity, allegedly. That’s an erasure in and of itself. Believe me, I get why people are angry, they should be. CW has been a systemic mess for years and now fans and creatives are paying a high price. Not blaming anyone for never wanting to go near that network ever again, for anything. But some fans take that stance yet signal boost only content from their favorite, shame other fans who are genuinely supporting the next gen of diverse fare just for us showing up after boycotting, and some who claimed the entire network and all its shows are garbage during the boycott turned around and suddenly started evangelizing for the older gen shows that were cancelled. While ignoring the diversity of the new gen of shows.

[cbsghostsmetasandtrevor]

CBS Ghosts - Hello! - The Ghosts' Solution

Warning: Spoilers may appear.

I love that Isaac’s just like “Okay, Troops” as if they’re his army under his command.  I wonder if he just REALLY loves being the leader. It’s especially funny in a few gifs.

LMAO - Thor: Unknown waters are dangerous - unless Cod and Hetty starts off like “Yes, he must know - he’s a traveler” then two seconds later - “Damn it with the cod!”

At this point, Hetty (like the four older ghosts) have heard about Thor fondness for Cod for over a century and it’s like hearing my dad’s stories about the marines - fun at first, now boring.

I love the cod reactions through the show. Not just for Hetty, but all of them.

Anyway, I love that she makes the same face EVERY time she hears it.

I love that these four are just looking at him like - WHAT?  Why are we listening to this man?  Also, going to note Trevor’s sitting position because damn - how long did it take him to learn how to sit so he’s covering himself?

Do the others appreciate his efforts? I would hope so.

Isaac’s a humble bragger - or just a bragger.  He’s just like “Yes, I’m awesome” - oh Isaac, you forget who you live with.  

I do like that Pete’s just intrigued like “Oooh, interesting.” I wonder if Pete is the one that everyone just info dumps, too? I feel like he's definitely sat there and listened to Isaac's stories.

I LOVE SASS - OMG!  Isaac’s bragging (and perhaps Trevor, Flower and Alberta haven't heard this bit before) until Sass goes “you’re a dumbass - you didn’t win, you surrendered.”

I love how Trevor and Flower slowly turn to Sass like “did you really just say that?”  It’s interesting because this tidbit reminds us that Sass was THERE when Isaac’s life was happening and WATCHING.  I like to think that Sass pulls shit out of his ass - half true, half untrue - just to mess with ‘the Captain’ Isaac.  They’ve lived together WAYYYYY too long.  

Also, love Alberta’s little laugh.  It’s so fun seeing their reactions. 

LMAO!  This is SO FUCKING FUNNY.  

Isaac - it worked!  

Sass - yeah but you died two weeks later.

Isaac - it worked, damnit!  That was the point.

It’s just so funny because Sass is clearly having NONE of bossy Isaac and sassing him (pun intended) and Isaac just - doesn’t know how to deal with that. It’s like he’s not used to this despite the fact that he’s been living with Thor & Sass for 250 years.  Like - dude... you should expect this.  

IDK I love it because it makes me wonder how they survived the last two centuries with each other or it’s like brotherly teasing at this point.  Either way, FUNNY.

Also - they all know you’re good at talking, Isaac, they’ve heard it a lot - they’ve LIVED (Afterlived)? with you for YEARS - Centuries in Sass’ case.

I love that Thor & Hetty are next to each other in this scene.  Just because Thor is SO FREAKING EXTRA and Hetty’s like - you have a point until - Woah there buddy!

Like she probably agrees with him until he goes a step too far and then she raises her hands as if to stop him gently.  

Also, does anyone else wonder if Thor isn’t interested in talking because he was abandoned?  Like maybe the 500 years he lived alone made him more bitter and violent and unwilling to compromise or talk things out? Aw, poor dane-murdering viking - I feel for you, Thor.

LOL - I guess we know who Alberta struggles with at times - Thor, which makes sense because he’s very violent at times.  I love how she looks at Sass&Flower like “You two should be able to calm him down.”  

I wonder if they’ve ever talked about that / used Ghost Court to make him chill out - I mean, it’s not working, but...how many times has he been banished?

Sass looks so over it - he’s been with the guy for 500 years, so at this point...

Flower’s like “let’s change the subject”...

Also, Trevor’s just like a puppy - he’s looking at Thor & Hetty concerned and then at Alberta like “Oh, yeah, something should be down about this.” and back at Thor & Hetty like “well, not me”.

Flower’s on the side of keeping the livings - probably because their afterlives have been SO boring, while the older ghosts argue otherwise.

This is very interesting - Thor, Isaac, and Hetty are hardcore against the livings staying because “they’ll be overrun” BUT Sass seems indifferent, while the younger ghosts are game for it.  

Just like in the pilot, no one’s stances have changed.  This is interesting because Hetty seemingly grew attached to Sam in the day she was there, but it’s also possible that Isaac got in her head about the hotel.  Not that Isaac’s manipulative, but Hetty (aside from in DP) pretty much defers to men - particularly Isaac, in the first season.  She doesn’t really start to realize that she can and should voice her opinions until the Vault, which is a turning point for her.  Although there was leadup to that moment - standing up to Elias was HUGE for her.  

Anyway, I digress.  You can see that she’s obviously been listening to Isaac because of what he says next.  

This is an important piece of dialogue.  Why?  Because Sass’ sass of Isaac earlier was just funny in a brotherly - we’ve lived together way too long way - but HERE is where Sass shows that YEAH, he’s learned to live with Isaac, but he has a rightful chip on his shoulder given that Isaac was fighting for the right to be a country from the people who invaded Sass’ people’s land and took it from them.  

I really wish the show went into the likely underlying issue with Sass & Isaac - if I recall correctly - we rarely see these two alone together.  They certainly don’t seem to be close or even all that friendly at times. 

Given that we later learn that before Pete died, no one compromised on anything and they fought ALL the time, you have to wonder if this was and still is a problem not yet, resolved.

Speaking of Pete...

He’s SO USED TO STEPPING IN AS A MEDIATOR that he jumps in before Isaac can even think of a response - we don’t even see Isaac’s non-verbal reaction because Pete jumps in so quickly. 

Also, I wonder how long he’s been thinking about this?  Since the scare?  All night?  During this convo?  He seems very well prepared.  

Finally, it’s a great idea for a peaceable way solve the problem.

Awww, of course the youngest is the first to be like “Yes - this is awesome”.  He says he likes it because ‘hot chick stays’, but I also think he just likes the idea that they would be less bored with young livings around.  He’s quick to learn their names AND he mentions “No hotel” because he knows that he should agree with the older ghosts’ opinions that hotel is bad.  Personally, I could see Trevor loving the “hotel” since it would bring life and fun to the house he’s been stuck in for decades - totally bored.  

I also think that he felt a connection with Sam (and it's already turned into more of a crush) since she talked to him (albeit briefly) and the vase is the reason she can see them.

And naturally, he agrees with Pete - who was the only one to side and support him when Hetty accused him of murder.

Awww, I love that Alberta ponders the possibility and then sides with Trevor - and HE’S SO HAPPY.  He’s like “yes, I have a buddy”.  We don’t see much of Trevor & Alberta, but I can imagine as the 4th youngest (and therefore on the young side) that she bonded with him more than the older four despite being with them longer.

Especially because they have similar party pasts, and Alberta's not afraid to be involved in dirty dealings or sex conversations - she's as much of a voyeur as Trevor is and it's clear early on.

Also, it’s interesting that it appears 4 vs 4 - young versus old.

Sass is the only one to not say one way or another what they should do or if he sides with youngest or oldest ghosts, BUT in a future Episode he says that he “Always takes the opposite of Trevor’s Side” so we can assume that he’s with the Oldest ghosts.  And in order we have the 3 older/oldest ghosts say negative - Flower start the positive train and now Alberta’s saying it too.

It’s so fun!  

Also, he fist bumps her shoulder and smiles so happily at her as he listens to her discuss the positives.  :)

OOOOOH!  Okay BIG SPOILERS HERE: 

DAMN HETTY - you’re HARSH here.  You could just let it go, you could just support her or ignore her statement, but you KNOW she was murdered, Hetty!  You were THERE and know who did it!  Like WHAT???  WHY would you straight up gaslight her into believing that she died of a heart attack?

Honestly, the gaslighting here is SO HARSH and unnecessary.  Why are you protecting them???? Imagine if this had been the thing that kept Alberta from being sucked off - that would be TERRIBLE.  And even though it wasn’t... to possibly be the reason Alberta’s stuck... 

Ouch.  Anyway.  I’ll probably keep track - how many times does this come up and how many times does she attempt to gaslight Alberta into believing otherwise?

Also, one other note - why the F does Alberta WANT to be murdered?  Who wants to be murdered? People get murdered for non-fabulous/famous reasons... like most serial killer victims.

Okay, some notes here:

Alberta, there’s nothing wrong with heart attacks.  Okay, your Buddy there next to you died of heart problems... he’s literally SITTING next to you and you’re like “I’m not that lame” WOW, Alberta.

Second, Trevor’s gone from smiling and happy to concerned about the fighting to looking at Alberta go on about how ‘lame’ heart problem deaths are somewhat tensely - upset.  Knowing how he died makes (as mentioned above) this statement kind of callous.  

Now, the interesting thing about this is that his death is only ever mentioned 1 time.  During Trevor’s pants.  He, unlike Pete, Flower and Alberta (the youngest ghosts), never talks about his death.  And seeing this - that look on his face as he looks down at her as she talks about how her death had to be better than that - had to be the reason he never talks about it despite claiming that it was a party and he was legend when it happened.  The way he show boats about his death is TP makes me think that he wants it to have been better than it was - partially due to this.

I would give Alberta a pass for ‘potentially not knowing’ because she wasn’t there but neither was Hetty and Hetty’s the one to make the statement that ‘his heart exploded’, so they DO KNOW.  So, no pass Alberta.

Third, Hetty like ruffles herself weirdly when Alberta goes into her “my death rocked” theory, and it’s only been a theory for 90 plus years, which intrigues me.  Is it because she knows that Alberta’s right?  Is it because Alberta’s doing that thing that the older ghosts get annoyed by (the talking / joking about their deaths) that the youngest ghosts minus Trevor do? So many questions.

OOOH, interesting - he’s the ONLY one not to of the four youngest main ghosts...  Is it because of this Alberta/Hetty exchange?  Could he feel like it wasn’t fun or cool enough to talk about?  Aw, poor Trevor. He always wanted to be the popular/cool person and essentially he died in 'the lame' way instead of a cool way, according to Alberta. That has to hurt. Especially since the younger ghosts have 'cool' deaths:

Alberta - murder

Flower - bear attack

Pete - arrow by child

Steph - chainsaw killer

and then, Trevor... took two pills and made his heart explode, no wonder he doesn't do that 'joke - talk about it' thing. Awwww.

Sorry, he distracts me.

Lastly, is PETE.  As we see below - he is once again the peacemaker.  We don’t know if Hetty had another retort, but what we DO know is that Pete jumps in quickly - just like with Isaac/Sass - and offers some comfort.  

What’s interesting about this comfort is that, at first, it seemed obvious that he was comforting Alberta about the possibility of her heart attack being her death (this makes sense given his crush), but NOW, I'm thinking - he’s offering TREVOR comfort.  He wants TREVOR to feel less sad about his death, since he went from smiling and happy to upset at the topic.  Trevor’s only been dead 20 years, so maybe he hasn’t gotten to the whole ‘mock my death’ part of accepting death like Alberta, Pete, and Flower.

OOOOh, could that work???

There’s stages of accepting ghost life / your death.

1. Don’t Talk about it - even though you’ve accepted it.

2. Joke about it because well, what else can you do?

3.  Refuse to acknowledge it unless you have no choice.  

4. Accept it but don’t go out of your way to bring it up.

Ah, Pete, making jokes about the arrow. He does this probably the most. He and Alberta are in love with talking about their deaths. Match made in purgatory? JK

LMAO. FLOWER!  WHAT??? HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW - like it's so obvious!

HAHAHA. Sass is so like ... these dumb idiots - why am I stuck with them?

LOL - Pete’s like “Uh, the Fuck question is that?” - Okay, he’s nicer than I am about it, but he’s like “Hello, obvious!” LOL.  

ANYWAY.  End of this scene!  It was fun - I didn’t realize how much I could about just one scene but there was a lot of little tidbits about the characters in just the one scene that make A LOT more sense given the future episodes and how things tie together.  

I love it.  Anyway, this was fun (I feel like Tigger) 

please feel free to reblog and come talk to me about this! :)  OR Send asks :)

Thanks!

[tinalbion]

Why You Should Check Out Joy Ride (2001)

Well, hey guys! This isn’t my normal thing to write but I was easily convinced by the amazing people in the Freddy/Slasher discord I’m in, and I got someone else into Rusty Nail, too. I figured it was the LEAST I could do since I’ve been super into these films the past while now, if you couldn’t tell.

**I will happily make a post as to why you should watch Joy Ride 2 Dead Ahead, my personal favorite, in a separate post here!

Joy Ride (2001) is a horror thriller film that stars the late Paul Walker as Lewis Thomas, Steve Zahn as Fuller Thomas, and Leelee Sobieski as Venna Wilcox, Lewis’s childhood crush. 

While traveling from California to Colorado to pick up his childhood friend and crush, Venna, Lewis is guilt-tripped into making a stop in Salt Lake City on the way after he learns his estranged older brother Fuller has been arrested yet again. Lewis bails him out and Fuller tags along for the trip. At a gas station, Fuller has a CB radio installed in Lewis' car as ‘an olive branch’ and the two begin listening in on truckers' chatter. Fuller coaxes Lewis into playing a prank on a truck driver that goes by the CB handle Rusty Nail, telling him to pretend to be a woman named Candy Cane.

Now you can SEE where this is going to get rough, this poor guy is just minding his own business and getting catfished by bored brothers on a road trip, which makes you feel bad that this trucker was pulled into this situation in the first place. It’s a slow build and really pulls you in with the voice of Rusty Nail, who is voiced by Ted Levine, who also plays Buffalo Bill from ‘Silence of the Lambs’ which was a nice touch because his voice is iconic and really draws you in. His actual body actor is Matthew Kimbrough.

It’s intense and really keeps you on the edge of your seat as you get sucked into the story of these guys really making Rusty look like an absolute fool, and how he’s going to deal with it.

So, they set up a meeting with Rusty Nail in a motel where Lewis and Fuller are spending the night; they tell Rusty Nail that Candy Cane will be in room 17, the room of an asshole of a businessman with whom Fuller had an unpleasant encounter at the check in desk, and the brothers listen from room 18. When Rusty Nail arrives, an argument and sounds of a scuffle are briefly heard.

The next morning, Lewis and Fuller learn that the police found the businessman on the highway, with his lower jaw ripped off. Lewis admits they were involved and Sheriff Ritter accosts them for their role in the incident, but lets them go. Back on the road, Rusty Nail is heard again on the CB radio looking for Candy Cane. Lewis reveals to him that he is Candy Cane and they were just having a laugh, so Rusty demands an apology, but Fuller just blatantly insults him instead. Rusty Nail then notes they should get their taillight fixed, indicating he is following behind them.

Already this demonstrates the realistic fear of pissing off the wrong people with the right connections, and you can already feel the unease you get when you’re driving too close to a semi, what if that was amped up ten fold when you’re target by a semi driver who’s been wronged and made to look like a joke. You wouldn’t wanna be driving on that highway anymore.

Rusty Nail then shows up in his truck and, as he slowly crushes Lewis's car against a tree, Fuller hysterically apologizes. Rusty Nail drives away, declaring his actions to be simply a joke.

“Funny, I was just messing with YOU.”

Believing themselves safe, the brothers arrive at the University of Colorado and pick up Venna. They stop at a motel and, as Lewis falls asleep, Rusty Nail calls his room, revealing he has noticed Venna has joined them.

It has some fun misdirection, which if you’re an avid horror movie fan, you can pick up on early on, but it’s still a super fun film to watch either on your own or with friends. It’s got some funny lines said by the main characters and our beloved driver, Rusty. 

It’s really fun to add to the mystery since you never see the driver’s identity until the last ten minutes of the movie, and even then they tried their best to cover his features with shadows and lighting. I love the way they went with this and it adds so much to the viewing like it could be anyone in any truck! You never know!

The first one is on Hulu right now, but otherwise, you can buy/ rent them on YouTube if all else fails. It is 100% worth it! 

I don’t wanna give too much away, all I can say is you should definitely watch it for yourself and see how you like it!

It’s one of those early 2000′s films that did well enough but a lot of people hadn’t picked up on, but it’s criminally underrated and a super fun time!