#this foreshadowing is too good please let us have a season 3

[swan2swan]

Yasammy Week Recap:

Day 1: "Hurt/Comfort"

This one was basic and simple; me just starting out. I probably could have done better, but, hey, Yaz literally comforting Sammy to calm her down from a full-blown panic attack works. As a sidenote, it's incredible that the writers had Panic Attacks be a Yaz Thing, and then brought her back to show that she's currently the Best Qualified on the team to deal with them (and fixed up her relationship issues with Sammy in the same blow, it's SO CARTOONY but perfect, I feel like we don't get these one-episode resolutions that often anymore).

Day 2: "Firsts"

This was a fun one, and probably the only one that I actually had some mental tryouts for. First kiss? First meeting? First teamup? There were so many choices...but this one felt right. Yasmina admitting that this is her first time having feelings for someone of the same sex (and the word "crushes" clearly means that Sammy's her first partner, too!).

Day 3: "Prom"

This is where things started falling apart, obviously. If we'd been given a proper five seasons with all sorts of Lost-style flashbacks and fantasies, I might have been able to pull something legitimate out. But also...Sammy said the word "prom", and also let it slip that she either loves fancy dresses or loves girls in dresses...and you know what? I count the latter as a point toward Yasammy.

Day 4: "Proposal/Engagement"

I don't remember how my brain wandered over to this, but I do know that I was lying down in bed at that time, because I literally sat bolt upright. My eyes snapped open, and I leaned up to secure all of that brain juice, as I realized the famous "Alan Grant uses two female buckles to tie himself in, foreshadowing the female dinosaurs finding a way to breed" could also have some WLW implications. It was a good joke, and you know what? As Sammy Gutierrez said: "It's beautiful, and we should be proud."

Hopefully, if the same prompt comes up next year, I can use a gif that actually includes the literal characters, and not metaphorical versions...Chaos Crew, please.....

Day 5: "Track Meet"

I think I was walking home when this one clicked in my mind, and I think I did a little hopskip and a dance. I was initially considering something like the two of them running for their lives together, or Sammy telling Yaz that she needed to rest to win gold medals in the future...but then, I thought about wordplay. I wondered if they were ever standing in dinosaur footprints, or tracking something. Then I thought about train tracks, and realized...yes. YES. This was perfect.

Had this not been available, I think I might have played with Yaz's scene where she uses running to realize her love for Sammy. Which is just a beautiful metaphor and a wonderful scene. Gifset's coming soon, by the way, I have the whole thing captioned.

Day 6: "Baking"

For every peak, there's a valley. Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, you lose. This was kind of a loss, because the girls sadly don't do any baking together. I considered the part where they're throwing the chips into the fire (TOXIC FUMES, GIRLS, DON'T DO THIS AT HOME, KIDS), but that's not really "baking". Furthermore, the Powers That Be chose to deny us any cooking escapades on the island, and while Sammy certainly bakes pies, Yaz is never present during those scenes...and, yes, I checked, and she never mentions her girlfriend while doing so, either. She only talks about her while fetching lemonade, which is different. Thus, I found myself in a sticky situation...which was kind of like the weather this month! So, it felt appropriate to use the concept of "baking in the sunlight on a hot day" here. I do like Sammy's silly little wave, and Yaz looking pityingly over at her.

Day 7: "Free Day"

This one, well...it ended on a bit of a sad note, but I was looking for something I had already set up. The caption is "Free Day", so I didn't want to put any work or effort into this. And while browsing my files, I saw that this one had the word "date", which is close to "day", and "expiration", which is the end of something, so...it felt apropos for the finishing touch on this beautiful week.

[thegeminisage]

tos ep rewrites/stid rewrite for the wip meme!!!

HIIII ty for asking

this isn't technically a fic per se, it's almost like a half-fic half-meta kind of deal - essentially it's an outline of what could be a fic if i had more time and patience. i did this for the first tos movie here and had a lot of fun doing it, and then i also did a small rewrite of "tholian web" here, and i had SO MUCH FUN DOING THEM but then i got side tracked and haven't done anymore. my plans for other episodes/stid are vaguely as follows:

the enemy within - loved this one conceptually but the crass rape jokes left a real sour taste in my mouth. i'd have less of that (or, if i had it, take it seriously) and more shenanigans where someone can't tell the two kirks apart because. they're both the real kirk!! that's the real point of the episode, right?

the conscience of the king - frankly, there was too much shakespeare here, even though it will always be my fav trek episode of all time. i also thought the lenore thing, while a great twist, could have been a little less "but kirk really secretly loved this woman 20 years younger than him!" and more "man this is crazy fucked up that is trying to honeypot this very young woman and surprise she is doing it back to him." more foreshadowing and drama, you know? the tos version wouldn't have to be gambler's knife but it could be something more than what it was considering the huge effect it had on fandom - i always kinda wished it had the vibes that obsession did.

the galileo seven - i thought this episode treated spock like he was kind of stupid. "why is my first command failing when i've been an asshole to everybody?" he has a human mother! he knows how emotions work! he is not stupid! i also thought there was a missed opportunity: they all talked about how callous it was for him to be picking a man to leave behind to lighten the ship, and he was so obviously going to choose himself, but it never went anywhere. let's do him more justice!

metamorphosis - let's chill with the horrific misogyny and have more fun with the accidental parallel kirk made in his really cool speech. like fuck it this is my edit let's just do spirk

mirror, mirror - this one is actually perfect as it is but i wish we'd had more time to se what the mirror kirk & co were doing in the prime universe.

journey to babel - this one is great but i don't think it takes either of spock's parents to task enough for him turning out like that. also, they tricked us into thinking amanda was the good cop in aos and then have her slap him in tos but then acted like that was just fine? girl, let's get into it

the paradise syndrome - i just want this episode without the heinous racism. please please please. easily easily EASILY my biggest trek disappointment ever

requiem for methuselah/the enterprise incident - these two go together as part of a more complex story based partially on the fact that they originally wanted kirk's breakdown in the latter episode to be a real result of the various um things that happened to him in season 3 and partially by the fact that requiem for methuselah WAS my november 5th and i am being completely serious. i didn't think i would ever feel that way again but i did at the end of that episode. you can read about the general idea here at the end of @maulthots close encounters powerpoint which i helped a little bit with.

honorable mention to episode premises i would have loved in a different context - lights of zetar where spock is the possessed one and an episode totally unrelated to wolf in the fold, the funniest tos ep after tribbles, where an enemy who feeds on fear jumps around the ship possessing people. that could have been great had it been in a serious episode and not been played by piglet's voice actor

and finally, star trek into darkness...everything about this movie was bad, except the warp core thing which was accidentally very very VERY good. so i'd rewrite it from the ground up, starting with recasting khan, because that was just a hateful thing to do. i don't have very many concrete ideas on this yet except you'd HAVE to get assad zaman for khan, right? because he can do that thing where he makes his eyes shake? he would have rocked it.

let people send you an ask with the WIP title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

[be-side-my-self]

Rewatch of Only Murders In The Building to prepare for season 4 (III)

<Part I> // <Part II>

Block #OMITBRewatch if you don’t want to read notes that will have spoilers up to seasons 3. Just to make it clear, while quoting, I use M, O, C for the main characters.

Also I'm putting this under a read more because it gets long.

S1 E9

Jen is freaky...

"Mable is gonna be looking at me with those damn Cocker Spaniel eyes. "

Oh! I like Pataki. She is so cool!

C: "Everybody loves Sazz."

Love how everyone thinks, that Sazz is Charles xD

Also Oliver just moving in with Charles.

It is kind of sad, that Jan is pushed to the sideline because of Sazz.

But Sazz is right, they ignored the motive... and yeah I remember.

Bunnie "First... Tim Kono's death has now been ruled a homocide and, apparently, one of you jerk-offs did it."

Bunny: "By a show of hands, who here thinks our building would be better off without these three fuckwads?"

Bunny: "The rest of you, in case you are a murderer, STOP MURDERING!"

So, how fucked up is it that you can lose your own apartment because enough of your neighbours don't like you? A place you own and still have to pay for?

It's sad... the whole breaking up of the trio...

Oscar: "See you, Ollie."

Sazz is great! But she is only half-right about Jen being the girl for Charles.

... oh that is so bitter, that Jen again gots sidelined.

Meanwhile Mable and Oliver solve the case.

S1 E10

Just 23 seconds...

Jan is freaky... but Kono was apparently a real beast too.

C: "What's going on?" M: "So, funny story..." O: "YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH A MURDERER!"

... wow Oliver is as tactful as a sledgehammer XD

Also ... the scandal! The age difference! In both directions! Don't let the anti's hear!

Yep... it's her handwriting all right. The same handwriting as the suicide notes, and the threats on the doors... my guys...

It is always a good idea to compare the notes.

I remember being annoyed about that the first time watching too.

It's cute that Charles always thinks the best of people.

C: "Can we not talk about Tim Kono right now?" Jan: "Of course. What do you wanna talk about?" C: "That I think I'm falling in love with you." Jen: "Oh. Well, that is interesting." *Long Pause that is totally not ominous and watching Jen's expression is not alarming at all.* Jan: "Because I think I'm falling in love with you, too."

Kinda awkward...

... Charles is confronting Jen...

Jen is freaky. Really freaky.

M: She's a poisoner... who uses a label maker?

"Jan's Lil T🖤xins"

O: "The saddest thing about this is that if Jan weren't a murderous maniac she'd be perfect for Charles."

lmao Charles is amazing, he figured out that it's a recording, he figured out the writing! He is the saving grace!

Of course she stabbed herself.

Jan is a freak.

Jan: "This is definiatly one of my rougher break ups, charles. I really did fall in love with you. Sadly, I will not be seeing you bas-sooner or later."

Siri is so stupid.

"Okay, playing "Fields of Gold" by Sting."

How no one is going to help Charles... but Sevelin is really cute!

HOW aBOUT YOU PULL THE FIRE ALARM?!

Love how Oliver knows how to stop "the thing" but has no words. And it's still working.

Charles speech is so good... so heartfelt! And in reality no one hears it. (slurred, garbled nonsense)

Good thing they managed to punch down Jan.

Bunny: "Oliver. It seems due to the events of tonight, there's been a reversal in sentiment regarding your tenancies here at the Arconia." O: "Oh, please just say it, Bunny. 'Welcome back you sexy thing!'" Bunny: "I'll get you gone sooner or later. You're all idiots!" M: "Hey, Bunny. Congrats. You're the most hated person in the building now, you cranky old bitch."

And that is called foreshadowing.

Yay, Willy and Oliver made up!

Mabel and Oscar are a cute couple.

Charles, contacting Lucy... and she answers!

*Charles recording the last lines of the podcast* M: "That was amazing." O: "I mean, I just... That-that's the best performance you've ever given. I have nothing left to teach you." C: "Really? So I can finally add 'voiceover acting' to my resume?" O: "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Some lose ends... indeed... I know we met the next murderer already.

Aw... you two are already besties.

And we're back at episode one.

That is an incredible wrap and an incredible transition that makes you want to watch the second season instantly. Which we will do!

All three get taken into custody, because it looks like Mable killed Bunny.

Cinda Canning is such a bitch. You instantly feel sorry for Poppy.

S2 E1

That other detective is a real cliché. And a dick. Forgot his name, I'll add it alter.

Lmao, Mabel is correct. No murder weapon.

C: "Oh my god!" D: M: "Oh my god!" D: O: "Oh my god!" :D

Oliver lives for the attention.

O: "Like your beats?" M: "Huh?" O: "It's a callback."

M: "I need a life, away from death. "We should all just be a little bit boring again" O: "Can I just say something? I'd rather be dead than boring!"

Charles would watch people play chess in the park, Oliver would go have brunch.

I mean, come on... who called the cops? Who knew that there is a dead person in Mables apartment. That would be the question I'd ask as a detective.

#bloodymabel

user: goaskalice!

Alice is a great character but I really want to know what exactly happened with Oscar.

The mural is great!

O: "Well, hello there Amy Schumer."

Amy: "Would you ever consider selling me the right to the podcast, so I could turn it into an 8 to 10 episode streaming series with exclusive internet content, leading to gamification?"

Is there exclusive internet conten of "Only Murders in the Building"?

Uncle Brazzos

The short hair looks good on Mabel.

Alice is weird.

She never said it's not a cult.

"I'm Cinda Canning, bitch." - "Girl, you crime is showing." - "Tune in weekly as our investigation unfolds weekly."

American knitting is so different to our european? german? knitting.

O: "We need to go full "OliMabel" here." M: "What the fuck?" C: "What?" O: "OliMabel! That's our ship name. All our names put into one." C: "Where is the 'Charles' in 'OliMabel'?" O: "The Charles is silent."

... of course people ship them and it's an awful thought xD Also OliMabel for the OT3 is a BAD ship name. The shippers should be ashamed. Call them Murder-Trio or Podcast-Shipping... though Podcast-Shipping might be any of the main three with Cinda. CharOliMa would still be better... really fictional fans are always so weird. And that says something. XD

Bunny: "Fuck off, Oliver."

Time for a call back to Ace Attorney.

M: "Bunny had a bird?"

Bunny was a freak.

I actually like the friendship between Bunny and Uma... also Howard, kinda.

Uma: "There should be a naked man on this wall! Where are the balls, Howard?"

That old Elevator is really cool.

C: "We find the painting, we find the killer."

And so starts season two.

Charles: Come here right away Charles (Old): Come here right away

There is the painting. And it shows Charles dad... but I don't see any balls.

S2 E2

Archibald (Bunny's grandpa and the arcitect) was a freak!

Charles dad was old when he had Charles.

M: "The painting is called Savage."

Guys, I'm not native speaker but the word "savage" has a meaning and especially in an erotic context it is probably a double innuendo considering that one of the models was named "Savage".

Thanks Howard.

IT TOOK ME UNTIL NOW TO SEE THAT BUNNY IS WALKING HER BIRD, MRS GAMBOLINI, IN THE INTRO! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Uma, screw off tops on wine bottles are not a sign of low quality wine. I don't think they even sell new bottles with cork, And wine maker agree on this. it's a bit cheaper and better for the environment.

Nina Lin... last season she was not that pregnant. Time passed.

Uma and Bunny were such good friends.

"I am Leonora Folger. The mother of Bunny."

O: "Please, be cool." C: "Hey, who is cooler than me?" M: "Everyone."

People who hate us: Uma, Teddy Dimas, Theo Dimas, Jen

Charles putting himself as a possible suspect.

Alice: "Um, yeah, we all work back here. Some... Sometimes, I like to cry back here because I'm a fraud. It's a multipurpose space." ... ah... the artist expierence and self depricating jokes. How awkward.

Even during the first run I did not like Alice. She came off as somewhat weird... I don't like the self depricating and sometimes her comments are off-handed also that other thing she does at the end of the season... so yeah. I was willing to cut her some slack but she is awful. Great character though! And of course Cara Delevingne is doing an amazing job!

Alice: "I've been hideously blocked for a year, stuck in the past, no moving forward. Do you ever feel that way?" M: "Yeah, all the time." Alice: "Hm, stupid question. Of course you do."

I like to draw but honest to god, I don't get art.

OF COURSE THE PICTURE IS GONE!

Amy: "Hey Putnum! Never touch my dumpster art."

Amy: "My pesky lawyers tell me I can't make deals with murderers...again."

I don't like Alice humor even though it's not so far off from Mables.

Well, there is the kiss.

Amy is a freak. Lmao

Love how the police did not give a fuck about a small boy.

Call back to Ace Attorney.

[itsdappleagain]

Hi, if you're still doing the CS character ask game, Dr. Bellum, Maelstrom or Roundabout? (I really like the Vile faculty haha, sorry if this random)

Hello new mutual!! Nice to meet ya! I sure am thank you for the ask :O Dr. Bellum

How I feel about this character: SHE'S SO....,,,,she has nuclear launch code and missile information pulled up at the same time a cat videos and pie and she' so silly and she'd orchestrated some of the most deadly capers in the series and she's married to a woman All the people I ship romantically with this character: cleo <333 My non-romantic OTP for this character: sorry her and maelstrom is so funny he's just like doctor fucking bellum please vote on shit im going to fucking kill you My unpopular opinion about this character: ahhh i don't know if i have any unpopular ones i like her sm she's so silly. like she's literally got carmen strapped onto a table gagged and struggling and she's just like "dw this wont hurt :)))))))))))))))) btw we aren't changing u back to ur deadname ok?" One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: she kind of got her out-and-about caper in the himalayas but i think it would have been fun to see her out and about MORE. she could do such THINGS unsupervised.......

Maelstrom:

How I feel about this character: so unnecessary i love him. he's like if a theater kid watched silence of the lambs too much All the people I ship romantically with this character: mmmm no one really actively. i wont turn down a good interfaculty ship with him or whatever if it pops up but ehhh My non-romantic OTP for this character: him with any of the faculty is SOO FUNNY he's just constantly like ohhh my fucking god im goig fjbf to fucking kill these people dr bellum please vote coach brunt its literally our vile logo its not a lion cub licking its balls coach brunt im going to leave you to drown coach brunt My unpopular opinion about this character: idk if this is unpopular but maybe just little known. duane said he wanted to have a scene where mael got captured and julia came in to interrogate him but he ended up psychologically manipulating her and more interrogating her than she did him....ogh can you imagine One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: that scene i just mentioned, really. also i think it was cool that he got to have his pale skinny jeansed ass in the wild for s4 so im good with him

Roundabout:

How I feel about this character: fail loser (affectionate). no but he was set up to be SUCH a cool character. he was shadow-san's replacement that had been built up to for the whole season, he'd been foreshadowed since S1 EPISODE 3, he was the reason VILE could remain hidden and impervious, he had a sword in his cane, he GOT CARMEN ARRESTED. ARRESTED ARRESTED. and then he himself just got tricked with like no episodes otherwise and was like aaughh nooo dont mindwipe me look neal the eel neal the eel and then rotted in a cell for another whole season. what a letdown All the people I ship romantically with this character: same thing as i put for mael....no one but i enjoy a good interfaculty ship when it comes around My non-romantic OTP for this character: idk he's just funny with a bunch of people. "i took fencing" and then shadowsan is like "yeah? i used to be in the japanese mafia, you bitch" My unpopular opinion about this character: again not sure if its unpopular but if you couldnt guess already i think he's such a letdown. i think they should have let him win instead of carmen just girlbossing her way through everything immediately. i think he should have been like. idk AN ACTUAL THREAT One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: i guess ive already stated most of everything above

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 2x13 Armageddon Game thoughts (rewatching, so possible future spoilers)

Julian does seem to like monologuing XD

Miles giving Julian all the credit and Julian being so reluctant to accept it - my heart, I cannot!

"I suppose another day won't kill me" ...but it almost will! Foreshadowing!

Miles saving Julian when he had been well-hidden and Julian very much wasn't!

These officials are very good at lying, I'll give them that

Callback to Miles' defence of rations earlier in the season XD

Oh, he's ever the doctor and I love how consistently that shows

And I love it how Miles' experience is coming out with him knowing that the best thing is not to move

Aw, Julian biting his lip after offering to help: knowing he's an augment, this can definitely be seen as him deciding to put a more unusual skill he shouldn't have out there, possibly rising exposure, for it be dismissed

I'm glad we're shown how upset and shaken the crew are at the news of death. Their faces in Sisko's office are just... <3

This whole conversation Julian and Miles are having about women isn't quite banter, but it would be if they were friends. I really don't know if Julian is winding Miles up on purpose to get his mind off the situation, knowing what he's doing, or if he is just an idiot.

( Though ngl, my Julian/Miles addled mind is reading this as Julian totally overcompensating to cover up his massive crush on Miles by going on about women.)

Doctor Julian is best Julian

KEIKO MY BELOVED I wish you didn't have to feel this way

I am SO curious what is in Julian's diary. I suppose even in a diary - especially presumably one on a PADD - he wouldn't even hint at his augmentations, given the risk of discovery.

"I suppose I should send them to his parents..." - No, you reallly shouldn't.

I love how proud Jadzia is whenever Quark is thoughtful. That expression definitely feels like she's showing off to Kira: "See, Ferengi are actually good too!"

Also I'm noticing far more snippets of Jadzia and Kira just hanging out and supporting each other and being friends <3 Not sure why I didn't see this ship before but it has my entire heart now.

Keiko persuading them the footage is suspicious is all so much funnier knowing she's wrong about the coffee. Although WHAT a good job she was!

Huh, initially Miles was describing the components to Julian (dark blue coil beside the green cylinder), but now he's moved fto calling them by name (subprocessor, RFoscillators). Either Julian has faked learning quickly otr let on how much he knows about electronics.

Julian really doesn't want to listen to Miles' thinking he'll die - but even less to Miles talking about Keiko...

Oh, I've just remembered why they tried to kill them!

"The T'Lani and Kellerun have finally made peace" - and boy, what a way to ensuring it survives, iirc....

Julian's complete bafflement at the lengths they were willing to go. He cannot understand killing innocent people at all!

"I'm sorry I didn't get us home, Chief." And he probably feels responsible, too, seeing that he ended up being the one to make the radio and contact the T'Lani.

"You did your best. It's been an honour serving with you." MY HEART.

Oooh, not home and dry yet, a space race!

I can't believe they'd risk a BIGGER war against the Federation to protect their peace?! They're not thinking this through very thoroughly, are they.

Idk why, but this fight scene has very TOS energy to me

Clever clever clever! Took me a second to figure out after the runabout exploded, but I got there before the T'Lani did so I'm pleased with that :P

Oh, Julian's so genuine and sweet, he just wants to be friends and have Miles like him

I can understand your time alone with him being hell seeing as you were dying, but you're definitely overexaggerating how bad Julian was, Miles

That reveal is still a favourite. What a twist XD

O'BRIEN: You know, I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee right now. KEIKO: Miles, you never drink coffee in the afternoon. O'BRIEN: Sure I do. KEIKO: You do?

I really love this episode. What a banger.

[e17omm]

Alright Natlan Act 5. Lets see if they can keep the momentum from Act 4 going (though that story quest for Mauvika has me concerned...)

Starting off with a 2 day wait. Why? Like, I dont get what this adds. Does Hoyo think anyone would not just use the timeskip feature for this?

JUST LET THE TRAVELER SPEAK PLEASE

Boo let me see what Mauvika was starting to paint. Though everyone still uses stock animation and they have to do awkward camera angles because nobody can hold anything, having a draft of a drawing is too much to ask for I guess.

You know how great it would have been to see Casca ACTUALLY holding a fishing rod? They gave an NPC a 2D picture, why cant Casca get one unique animation for this Archon Quest?

You're telling me the Traveler could barely remember anything of his dream at all when he woke up, but he can remember all details about it at the feast?

I dont get the point from a writing perspective of having everyone say goodbye individually and robotically walk off-screen, but Ajaw in a box made me chuckle for a moment.

Natlan's Archon Quest has NOT been long enough to justify a trip down memory lane.

You can definitely trim the fat on the dialogue in this quest.

There's so much stalling in this quest...

Okay that Ayo scene was good but god damn I got it the last 7 times you said we have to save Natlan and the Night Kingdom!

THEY SAID IT AGAIN. OH MY GOD YES I GOT IT WE NEED TO SAVE THE LEY LINES I GOT IT I GET IT I GOT THE CONCEPT NOW STOP PLEASE.

THIS QUEST STALLS SO MUCH. I NEED TO WAIT ANOTHER 2 DAYS? WHYYYYYYYYY Literally is there anyone that doesnt use the timeskip feature here?

Fucking great. I dont know how to pass the hole with the animal. I try to leap and its not doing anything I cant get past. You have tutorials for everything Hoyo yet they all suck ass.

There is fucking invisible platforms what the actual fuckl.

Yes this moment gets 3 fucking notes. YOU TYPICALLY PUT SOME MARKER FOR INVISIBLE PLATFORMS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO PASS AN AREA.

WELL HOYO, WHERE IS IT??? WHERES THE INVISIBLE PLATFORM REQUIRED TO PASS THIS GAP.

I tried everything. the guide, all buttons on my controller, tried double jumping, nothing worked because there is an INVISIBLE PLATFORM YOU CANT FUCKING SEE. This is just bad level design.

"Follow the guidance" on a straight path.

Place is pretty though.

.....

....

....

Wow that sucked. A boss that attacks so much you cant dodge them due to the dodge cooldown. A boss where most attacks overshoot you if youre in range to attack it. Its incredibly scripted every step of the way. You cant die. You repeat the exact same thing three times in a row with the same cutscene every time, into the same scripted move.

They didnt even have the balls to kill Mauvika after foreshadowing it and setting it up.

So I just sit there mashing B because I cant die and I cant dodge the boss' attacks and most of them overshoot me because I am in range to hurt the boss. I cant even see half of the boss because its big like every other boss.

So there's no good gameplay, no interesting boss mechanics, you just sit there mashing attack until a cutscene plays.

At this point Hoyo just wished they made Genshin Impact a seasonal anime instead. Im not exagerating here either. I beat the final boss of Natlan by just doing donuts on Mauvika's bike between all the cutscenes.

Im kinda sitting here wondering if this is a gotcha moment.

I kinda dont believe that they would withhold Pyro Traveler for 3 patches and then end Natlan on us eating food at 3 seperate times and then defeating the final Abyss boss in a cutscene.

Imagine if after Everlasting Flames, Kiana had to slowly walk through a crowd of NPC's, take pictures several times with them, awkwardly use a virtual pen to write her name. That's what I just went through.

Fortunately Citlali just rushed up to tell me something important. I hope the world is ending because if this is actually how Natlan ends I wonder if and how Hoyo thinks this is a good story or gameplay.

AAAAYYY Mauvika might still die! The Night Kingdom problem seems to still be here so maybe this is that gotcha moment.

Doesnt excuse the awful bossfight and 6 minutes of walking and taking pictures with NPC's, but you know, quest still isnt over.

( O.O)

Okay. This quest still has a chance to be good. At least half of it, or the last part, idk.

..............

.......

...................................

They fucking killed Capitano instead.

It was a great end for him, dont get me wrong, but I cant fucking fathom that the Ruler of Death went "the curse of immortality must stand, go ahead lol" and let Capitano die.

The actual fuck is the Heavenly Principles up to? People in Teyvat can do whatever the fuck they want!

the setup that when we get to Snezhnaya we will instantly be at war with the Fatui better be a red herring. Its so obvious but makes no sense because we still dont fucking know what their goal is! Rebel against the Heavenly Principles? You can literally do whatever the fuck you want. Destroy Teyvat? Then why did half the Archons willingly give away their Gnosis? Save everyone from the Abyss? Then why the fuck are we fighting the Fatui?

Im literally just playing this due to sunk cost fallacy. "I'm in this deep, might aswell play the next Archon Quest."

Overall this story sucks fucking ass. Nothing has an effect past the current region, everything takes fucking forever to progress. Some things get a drop of story every year like the Abyss Order and our fucking sibling, the Traveler barely has any development or agency as they just follow their sibling's words even after learning that while they aren't from Teyvat, their "sibling" is. And when things that violate the Heavenly Principles happens and the Unknown God does fucking nothing, it makes me wonder why they ever bothered to trap us in Teyvat to begin with, since they clearly prefer to go to bed and ignore all problems.

Individually most regions' Archon Quests are fine. Inazuma's is still missing an entire Act and Fontaine literally only works in isolation because otherwise the solution is just to evacuate everyone to neighboring countries, but that's outside the Fontaine location and thus dont exist.

And the gameplay is simply way too basic and Hoyo doesnt want to change it, which makes the bosses they create not work because the combat system literally isnt made for it.

[fanbun]

I’m thinking about the ending of WOY Season 2 because it’s one of the most exciting things in the whole series. AND HERE’S WHY.

In the episode “The Waste of Time” there is a quick shot of a character called Monkeyboy when Wander & Sylvia are going back in time. The shot is implied to be from an event that happened before the start of the series. Frank Angones confirmed his name and revealed that he was intended to play a “big part” in season 3.

The character’s relevancy is further established by the cliffhanger ending of season 2. An American flag can be seen on both the escape pod from the ending and the monkey’s astronaut suit. Those are some strong parallels that I’m sure most people in the fandom have picked up on by now. It’s hard to ignore because we have NEVER seen evidence that Earth exists in the show aside from these two instances! That alone makes me excited!

But wait, there’s more! The final shot shows green electricity coming out of the crashed escape pod, along with monkey noises that transition into Hater’s evil laugh. This leads me to believe that Hater’s origin story is somehow tied to Monkeyboy. And revealing something big like that about a main character would be totally new territory for the show! One popular theory is that he IS Monkeyboy, or was. I can see that being true since Craig McCracken has a track record with villainous monkey characters.

This may be purposefully misleading, however, because how could Monkeyboy play a big part in season 3 if he was only found within Hater’s backstory? Another theory I have is that Hater and Monkeyboy knew each other at one point, exploring space together, until Hater betrayed him. That way Monkeyboy could show up to take his revenge against Hater in season 3. He looks fairly pissed off in that one image we see of him.

Maybe in the past they were both monkeys or maybe Hater was a human astronaut with a monkey companion. There are many possible ways it could go, but even putting aside all the fan speculation, I love that this new character is based on the actual history of space travel. From 1948 to 1993, monkeys and chimps were routinely launched into space by the USA. It was incredibly dangerous for the animals involved since they were the first to test the equipment. Looking back at the screenshots, I wonder if the spacecraft that Monkeyboy (and maybe Hater) was in simply malfunctioned or if there was another element at play.

[the-french-belphegor]

I spent. WAY too much time on this ultimately fruitless endeavour because - shockingly - a cartoon showrunner/concept artist I am NOT :P But whooboy, it was fun. So without further ado, let me present to you The Mummy: The Animated Series that lives in my head! 🥳 12 episodes, 20-30 minutes each. And PG-13, for obvious reasons.

(I know there’s already an animated series. I watched it, back in the day. This is essentially the first film as a cartoon. If I manage to gather the necessary scraps of my brain I might do a season 2 for assorted Carnahan-O’Connell shenanigans between movies and a season 3 for The Mummy Returns. Maybe next year 🤞)

Also please note that it’s just me messing around with storylines and characters from one of my very favourite movies. It’s not, y’know, serious (as can be shown by my inability to draw natural-looking postures - and LEGS, AARGH). I had a lot of fun making this and I just want to share it :o)

THE MUMMY: THE ANIMATED SERIES 2.0

Season One (the only one for now)

Ancient Tragedy

Cairo, 1923(*)

Roped In

Along the Nile River

The Legend of Hamunaptra

Firefight by Firelight

Cursed

Dogged Survival

Sacrifice

All That Glitters

Only the Beginning

(EDIT: I changed 1926 to 1923 to have a little wiggle room later!)

Episode summaries below the cut!

Okay, so each episode except the 1st and last has character-related flashbacks that tie the episode together and explore the characters by showing us little vignettes of their pasts relevant to their current situation/state of mind. And I thought it’d be nice to have little nods/foreshadowing to The Mummy Returns, even though the whole reincarnation aspect is, frankly, a mess. Onto the actual summaries now (basically a lot of ideas thrown together).

Ep. 1: Ancient Tragedy

The whole episode is set in ancient Egypt and explains the Imhotep/Anck-su-namun/Seti triangle (or Seti vs. Imhotep/Anck-su-namun). Essentially the prologue of The Mummy: setting up the star-crossed lovers, Seti, Nefertiri – the relationships between the cast: Seti being a good father but possessive and controlling of Anck (as his favourite mistress); Imhotep and Anck kill him, she kills herself, the Hom-Dai is performed. End on the 1st film’s title sequence. No flashbacks.

Ep. 2: Cairo, 1923

We track Imhotep’s sarcophagus and Hamunaptra for a bit, then zoom out in time for a (short) history of Egypt and Egyptians. The montage includes a brief early cameo by the elder Carnahans, then the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, before ending on 1923 Evy. We’re shown her being a librarian and a scholar and wanting to be an archaeologist/Egyptologist. She’s excited because she expects an answer from the Bembridge Scholars; we see her get it and be disappointed and briefly disheartened. Introduction to her relationship with the Curator, Dr Bey, and the museum attendants (Abdul, Mohammed, Bob). Bookshelves dominos. The Curator is NOT happy. Lull; enter Jonathan with the puzzle box he found “in a dig down in Thebes”. Evy works it open. They find the map. Adventure calls!

Flashbacks: Evy (childhood/education, mixed-race heritage/her and Jonathan’s parents, daily life and work, setting up her passion for ancient Egypt)

Ep. 3: Roped In

Dr Bey studies the box (internal “oh crap”), then conveniently burns the exact location from the map. Evy won’t be deterred; she pries the truth from Jonathan, and they head to Cairo prison. Meeting with prisoner!Rick. Conversation re. Hamunaptra. Jonathan gets socked in the nose, Evy takes over, Rick gets a little too close. (Doe he necessarily have to kiss her? Maybe grabs her by the blouse instead?) Evy haggles with the Warden. Hanging and immediate aftermath. End on Rick limping home, bruised and battered but alive. “Okay, so I’m doing this. Back to hell.”

Flashbacks: Rick (Foreign Legion, Beni, Hamunaptra, finding the box, a whole lotta trauma)

Ep. 4: Along the Nile River

Cairo Docks. Evy’s and Jonathan’s shock at seeing the new and improved Rick O’Connell. Introduction to the American party (Daniels, Burns, Henderson, the Egyptologist/Doctor Chamberlain) and Beni, whom we’ve seen in Rick’s flashbacks in episode 3. Meanwhile, the Curator meets with Ardeth. We get a sense that Hamunaptra is Very Dangerous for all humanity; both Westerner teams have to be discouraged/stopped before they get there.

The voyage starts peaceful. Card games, friendly rivalries, conversations: Evy and Rick (he starts apologising for the kiss but then puts his foot in it), Rick and Beni. The Medjai attack, the boat catches fire. The map is lost but it turns out the puzzle box is actually a key. Both parties survive, though on opposite sides of the river.

Flashbacks: Ardeth (introduction to the Medjai, context, ancient duty to protect the world from the Creature, training)

Ep. 5: The Legend of Hamunaptra

Our Heroes (plus the Warden) regroup, buy camels, supplies and clothes. We see Rick’s own “oh” moment when he sees Evy. Conversations, getting to know each other and showing relationships old and new (Evy/Rick, Jonathan & Evy, Rick & Jonathan). The trip through the desert, the race to Hamunaptra. Evy’s triumph. Ardeth and the Medjai keep an eye on them from a distance; Ardeth is reluctant to shed more blood, but knows he will probably have to in order to keep the Westerners from unleashing the Creature.

Two digging operations are set up: the Americans+the Egyptologist+their diggers on one hand and Evy+Rick+Jonathan on the other. They meet by the statue of Anubis, tension rises (and guns), Evy de-escalates. Later, the Americans’ diggers find a booby trapped chest that kills three of them. It contains the Book of the Dead (the Egyptologist is awed) and four canopic jars (the Americans are delighted). Evy, Rick and Jon find Imhotep’s sarcophagus, but before they can open it the Warden finds flesh-eating scarabs and they crawl all over and into him. End on the Warden killing himself from the pain, to the trio’s shock and horror.

Flashbacks: Evy (studying, getting her degree with her family’s support, coming up against sexism/racism)

Ep. 6: Firefight by Firelight

The aftermath of the Warden’s and the diggers’ deaths. Rick and Jonathan bury the body, helped by a foreman from the Americans’ diggers team (who says the right prayers along with those for his colleagues). The Medjai attack the camp. There are victims on both sides. Evy takes a rifle (then picks up Rick’s elephant gun – not a wise move), Jonathan a bottle and a gun. The Americans defend each other through the shootout while Chamberlain hides in his tent (and Beni disappears). Rick and Ardeth come face to face then to a standstill. The Medjai leave with one last warning, “Leave this place or die.” Everybody breathes, shocked. Jonathan, then Evy and Rick polish off the Warden’s whisky. Evy is A Librarian. Rick is smitten. End on her passing out.

Flashbacks: Jonathan (growing up between England and Egypt, picking pockets and various illicit hobbies, being a sniper during WW1)

Ep. 7: The Book of the Dead

Everybody is hungover (except the Egyptologist). The Americans open the chest (Beni scutters away before they do); Evy, Rick and Jonathan open Imhotep’s sarcophagus. Spooky shit. That night, Evy sees the Book of the Dead with the Egyptologist and “borrows” it. She reads from the Book and wakes up Imhotep. Mayhem ensues, plus locusts, which leads to underground nightmare. Burns loses his glasses then his eyes and tongue to The Mummy. Imhotep sees Evy: she looks/feels familiar, until he recognises Nefertiri reborn (and is delighted that she doesn’t remember). (Nefertiri’s design should have elements of Evy but still look like an ancient Egyptian woman.) He decides to use her for a human sacrifice because poetic justice, since she set the Medjai on him and Anck. Rick then Jonathan find her and see Imhotep. Screaming, guns, a whole lot of running. Ardeth and the Medjai catch them when they come out (the Egyptologist hid the Book of the Dead in a bag, out of sight). They all leave in a rout.

Flashbacks: Imhotep (Anck, Seti, Nefertiri, being a respected High Priest of Osiris and desperately in love with Anck)

Ep. 8: Cursed

Turns out Beni was left behind: we see a scene with Imhotep who can finally communicate with the living and search for the canopic jars (no broken one, there’s just 4 – and NO HEART). Evy and Jonathan want to head home (their flat in Cairo) while the Americans want to 1] take care of Burns and 2] hightail it out of there, but Rick uses old connections from his Legion days to drag all of them to Fort Brydon. (Establish the cat – the Fort’s mascot, an old moggy now too old to chase mice.) Burns is made comfortable (as much as the poor man can be), Daniels and Henderson are shaken and look for a way out, the Egyptologist takes the Book of the Dead home to study.

Rick wants to go, Evy wants to stay, they quarrel. Rick goes to the Sultan’s Kasbah (closest bar to the Fort), finds Jonathan (and Winston, regular customer and old acquaintance of both Rick and Jonathan), then the Americans join them for a drink. Led by Beni, Imhotep finds Burns and drains him. Liquid turning to blood, thunderstorm of hail and fire. Everybody rushes back to the Fort, stumble on Evy, Beni (who scrams), then Burns’ corpse. The cat moseys in, scares off Imhotep. Well, crap. It’s not over after all.

Flashbacks: the three Americans (when/where they met (possibly WW1?), hearing about Tutankhamun’s tomb and its treasures, easy money to be made, character exploration)

Ep. 9: Dogged Survival

Evy takes the survivors to the Museum, where they find Ardeth and the Curator deep in conversation. Introductions, exposition; Evy says Imhotep mentioned Anck then called her Nefertiri; there’s a knowing look between the two Medjai but they only say Imhotep won’t wait to find out if Anck was reincarnated and instead needs a fitting human for the sacrifice. Someone mentions the Book of the Dead; Ardeth says he was looking for it. Evy points out she saw the Egyptologist smuggle it back to Cairo with him. Darkness falls.

The group falls back to the Fort, Daniels and Henderson aware now of the target on their backs. Rick figures the Egyptologist has one too (although not Beni, because he wasn’t there when the chest was opened). He and Jonathan go retrieve the Egyptologist at his place while the Americans “guard” a fuming Evy. Beni got there first; Rick & Jonathan find him in an empty flat looking for Chamberlain and the Book, but both are gone. Imhotep kills Chamberlain just outside his house and takes the Book. Then he sneaks into the Fort ahead of Rick and Jonathan, kills Henderson, and goes after Evy again. Rick, Jonathan and Daniels arrive just in time for Rick to brandish the old cat at Imhotep, who bails. It’s back to the Museum again, Evy back in the lead, looking for the stone tablet/wall fragment about the legend of Hamunaptra she knows can help them find the Book of Amun-Ra. She makes her own (correct) translation (“Take that, Bembridge Scholars!”). End on Imhotep (and Beni) outside the Museum with a throng of thralls. Cliffhanger.

Flashbacks: Rick (growing up poor, family move to Cairo then orphanage, learning to rely on only himself)

Ep. 10: Sacrifice

Action-packed chapter! Car chase through night-time Cairo, pursued by Imhotep’s thralls. Loosing Daniels, crashing the car, coming face to face with a fully regenerated Creature at sunrise. Imhotep is polite to Evy, calls her “my Princess”, which confuses her. (She gets a flash of him as he was, solemn, regal, trustworthy, before everything went to hell – which confuses her even more.) She goes with him to save the others, he orders the hypnotised people to kill them anyway. The Curator sacrifices himself so they can escape through the sewers. We see them ask Winston for help; he’s only too happy to, especially if he doesn’t make it back. The plane catches up with Imhotep’s sand tornado near Hamunaptra, Imhotep brings it down. Winston dies, Evy despairs. End on Rick, Ardeth and Jonathan paying their respects to Winston and walking to Hamunaptra.

Flashbacks: Ardeth (his family, growing up a Medjai and being elected a leader on the battlefield, relationship of mutual respect with Dr Bey, the lore of Hamunaptra/the Creature)

Ep. 11: All That Glitters

Rick, Ardeth and Jonathan sneak into Hamunaptra, taking a shortcut through a stone wall; during a break, Jonathan picks up a scarab. (Bad idea.) Screams of pain, gunshot as Rick kills the bloody thing – Imhotep knows they’re here. He wakes up mummies (who used to be his priests) and sic ‘em on the trio. Then he knocks out Evy when she tries to escape (the gunshot gave her hope again) and tells Beni he can help himself to the treasure. The trio, pursued by mummies, finds the statue of Horus and the chest with the Book of Amun-Ra. Ardeth runs into the horde of mummies to buy time, Rick and Jonathan grab the gold book. Evy wakes up tied up on a stone table next to Anck’s mummy, Imhotep starts the ritual and lifts a knife – enter Jonathan with the Gold Book, drawing Imhotep to him while Rick frees Evy. Now the trio is reunited and has a supernatural weapon�� Except the living but still mindless mummy of Anck springs up behind her! Cliffhanger.

Flashbacks: Jonathan (magpie tendencies, Classics education/able to read hieroglyphs, readjusting to civilian life after the war, career gone down the drain from trauma and booze after WW1 and the elder Carnahans’ deaths)

Ep. 12: Only the Beginning

Big fight between Rick and mummies while Evy vs. Anck and Jonathan vs. Imhotep fight/play hide and seek (kinda). Jonathan reads from the book (the wrong spell at first), Evy gives him the last word, mummy elite soldiers kill Anck just in time. Livid, Imhotep tries to strangle him; Rick slices Imhotep’s arm off, Jonathan shows the key he picked from inside Imhotep’s robes. Last fight while Evy finds and reads the right spell, Imhotep’s soul gets dragged into the Underworld (making him mortal), Rick kills him. “Death is only the beginning.”

…Beni comes back for seconds after hefting a bag of gold stuff onto a camel and triggers the switch. Everything starts to come down, the trio gets out in the nick of time, Beni is just a little too late.

Breath. Ardeth turns up alive, yay! Big Damn Kiss between Evy and Rick (with nose boop), and the trio rides into the sunset (on camels formerly owned by (dead) diggers). Two foreshadowing elements: Evy getting another brief flash of Ancient Egypt and a shot showing a bag of Beni’s loot tied to the camel’s saddle.

The end (for now)!

“Art” notes:

I’m not good at actual likenesses and I canNOT for the life of me draw buff people (sorry, Imhotep), but I did have fun designing the characters :D The good guys all wearing/carrying something blue was a complete accident but I ended up liking the idea.

Also, skin tones! Since it’s a made-up cartoon we can have character designs based on the actors but which also reflect the characters themselves. So Evy and Jonathan are a little darker than Rick (in later seasons Evy becomes an archaeologist/explorer more than a librarian, so she gets more tanned than Jonathan, who spends a lot more time in England). And Beni has grey/blue eyes and fair skin, like Kevin J. O’Connor, because (despite the fez) he’s actually Hungarian. (I’m fairly sure his last name is a nod to Hungarian-born actress Zsa Zsa Gabor.)

For comparison:

That’s it for now! If you have ideas, thoughts, things you want to add or would like to see in a Mummy cartoon, go for it! I can’t wait to hear them :o)

[lightfulonion]

top 5 serirei moments go

This is a great ask because i really dont have an answer ready jkhskda

Ok! These are my top five serirei moments! I have taken into account the anime, the hot springs OVA, the manga moments that didnt make it into the anime or that havent aired yet*, the official art which probably isnt canon but i cant NOT include them, the fanbook and the omake that i have read ...

*i am an anime-only but i read spoilers so i have only approximate knowledge of whats going on manga-wise lol i havent read everything tho so my opinion is not as well-rounded as id like yet but i made an attempt with what i know thus far (which is enough tbh). i have spoiler warnings wherever i deem necessary but please tell me if i need to add something!! what i included from the mp100 fanbook doesnt contain any spoilers, most of them are related to what we've seen from season 3

Anyway here we go!!!

5.

JK JK JAKSJAKKKALDKJALSJD

I am obviously not counting that since it technically ISNT a serirei moment because Seri isnt present. Obviously. That's the reason.

For real now:

5.

Reigen seeing Serizawa for the first time is a moment ingrained in me because the very first thing that Seri did was protect him using his umbrella aka his only source of comfort and security???? while he went against the one person who he thought understood him??? i dont know if it was meant to be read as an exchange of sorts or as a metaphor or as foreshadowing or all three but it's so incredible..

(spoilers, probably? --->) i think in the manga at some point Serizawa got an umbrella and it was clear instead of white or any other color, so when he was using it he was visible and so many fans were saying that this is a metaphor for him not being afraid anymore and standing on his own two feet as a person :'( anyway this is sort of irrelevant but it's kinda related to Reigen too (i think the umbrella was a gift from him??) And the fact that in the anime he uses the cards Reigen gave him as a weapon opposed to the umbrella Touichirou gave him....... (<----end of spoilers)

Also this tweet seems relevant and lives rent free in my mind

4. from the mp100 fanbook

the farting chair..... i cant like a pairing without them being absolutely ridiculous. Reigen doing whatever ridiculous thing he's doing and Serizawa being either "hm. sure." or "??????" is so funny to me. them going to the bar and getting drunk together and Reigen showing him a trick with Seri responding "i have a test tomorrow Reigen-san.." in contrast to what we've seen in the anime so far with Reigen being dramatic and actually impressing Serizawa is so good....... what do you mean this is more than one moment.......

3. (from s3e9)

this and the way they framed Reigen's wait-youve-never-liked-a-girl meltdown and then moments later showing him googling "how to ask girls out" must be an indicator for something (🤨🏳️‍🌈⁉)..... Also the way Reigen lets himself be a little vulnerable in front of Serizawa shows that he trusts him and that's weird since he is so guarded all the time while trying to show how great he is.. I like that he has someone he can share things with and maybe even be himself with

(the above are from this video)

2. the famous moment they cut-off from the anime (specifically from s3e9) (after no3 chronologically)

when i first saw this i was so sure there was something going on canonically that will slowly unravel. i have only seen bits and pieces of the manga but i still feel there is something here. its a small moment and then it changes scene back to mob. considering this being a little later from no3 it makes you wonder if its building up to something or not?? (the answer is its not but still. behind the scenes maybe?) Moreover Reigen's desire to be a good partner makes me??? I cannot explain correctly what this makes me feel because writing this made me both want to cry AND want to make that one meme with timmy's dad (since it couldn't make it into the anime)

1.?????

whatever??? this is???

I first saw this a year or something ago and it still mystifies me to this day... what was the purpose of this? what is trying to convey?? is this supposed to attract the male-loving fans of mp100??? i literally cant NOT read this as gay... it makes me lose my mind every time i look at it. They are literally gay married... (spoilers----->) they even co-own spirits and such at the end of the manga as far as im aware........ (<------ end of spoilers)

there is no way these guys are heterosexual, i think i drove my point home

There are so many things i like about their dynamic and canon didnt show us as many things as i wish it did (how reigen employed serizawa, what happened when they went for drinks and ended up both drunk etc etc) I love them both and I'm glad that they got to meet and work together in the manga and i got to read about it!!

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE ASK!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

[oswinsdolma]

Yes, it's nearly 2.00am (because that's apparently the only time I have inspiration to write essays) but I've been thinking a lot about this lately and wanted to get it off my chest, so here you go:

The main goal of Merlin becomes disturbingly fractured along the way, which opens up the gaps for the prophecy to seep through instead of following the expected channels, but it can essentially be boiled down to three key elements 1) build albion; 2) decriminalise magic and 3) save Arthur, but when all is said and done, we never really see any of those objectives achieved.

Now, there are a few reasons for this, both from a writing perspective and a plot perspective. The first, and one of the most obvious, is that this show loves irony. I won't go into a lot of detail here because I've already written a whole ass essay in this very subject, but in a nutshell, you can look at this from two perspectives: firstly, it's important to establish that this technique is purely about the angst: it's the writers' way of provoking a reaction from an anguished audience, but it's foreshadowed just enough to make it more painful than it is shocking. Alternatively, there is the more plot motivated irony in that it genuinely makes a good story. Irony is a technique that has been used for thousands of years, not just because it provokes a reaction from the audience, but because it allows you to explore your characters in greater detail than before, riddling them with hidden juxtapositions and internal conflicts that are never resolved quite in the way you expect. The irony in Merlin is the epitome of this, with the whole motif of Arthur needing to die for his reign to begin. It is a classic example of the simultaneous despair and hope that mocks you from the shadows.

Following this, there is another force at play that deals with half truths and seemingly imperfect contradictions, and that's prophecy. It's not really a secret that I have very strong feelings about prophecy and its effects on all the characters, Merlin in particular, and the fact that fate and destiny are such key themes in Merlin both makes perfect sense and wants me to smash my head into a brick wall. Prophecies are another common trope that often go hand in hand with irony (think Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, The Iliad, all that doomed hero shit that I inexplicably adore), the key to their influence over the plot often lying in how they usually come true in the most unexpected of ways. This links back to that initial theme of irony, but this isn't what makes me angry: what is infuriating is that prophecies tend to come true, no matter what, and most of the characters seem not only to know this, but to let it take their autonomy over their respective fates, driving them to disaster.

Let me elaborate: especially in season five (I'm assuming just for the added fall at the end), Merlin talks a lot about how "one day, things will be different". He tells sorcerers that one day they won't have to hide. That one day, they won't have to live in fear of who they are and what others think of them. And Merlin is right: while it is not explicitly stated, it's generally established that this is one of the things Merlin should actively be working towards. But here's the kick: except for a few specific circumstances, when has Merlin ever actively tried to change Arthur's mind about magic? Yes, he has taken a few opportunities, like with Dragoon saving Uther's life, or with the Dolma's final request, where he has encouraged Arthur to rethink his choices, but otherwise, his support has been lukewarm at best. Instead, his primary concern was always saving Arthur, so he can become the king the magical world hoped he'd be, but he left out a crucial part, trusting in the prophecy to fill in the gaps. He knew it would come true, but it was, almost predictably, in the one way he never dared to expect.

And in a twisted way, there's that thread of irony again: Merlin thought he was saving Arthur so he could one day become the king who would see magic as a force for good, but instead, he created someone who was merely a survivor. It was Kilgharrah who said it first, and he who would mention it last: they are two sides of the same coin. But as willing as Merlin was to give his life for Arthur, and vice versa, he was never really ready to give him his mind.

Another interesting thing to note is Merlin's fixation on the "Saving Arthur" lens of the prophecy over the "Restoring Magic" part. Now, there are a ton of ways you can look at this, depending on how far along the scale of Queer Analysis you are, so I'm going to try and address a couple. At one end of the scale, you have the fairly simple and very believable "merthur" take. This basically boils down to the fact that Merlin and Arthur may or may not be deeply in love with one another, and that drowns out any voice of reason that may unfold. This is actually fairly canon compliant, particularly looking at incidents such as the Disir, when Merlin chooses Arthur over his and his people's freedom, though that choice was clearly, in hindsight, misadvised.

At the other end of the spectrum, there is the idea that it is the work of Kilgharrah, Gaius and other responsible figures in Merlin's life when he was new to his role in destiny, who reiterated at every occasion that Arthur must be protected at all costs. This may have ingrained into Merlin's thoughts and influenced his decisions from here on out.

Between those two points, there is a grey area, and I am of the personal opinion that neither extreme entirely satisfies the situation. For me, I think the characters in question are far too complex to have such simple motivations, and that the true reason lies somewhere between the two: Merlin undoubtedly cares for Arthur, and while at the start, his actions in protacting Arthur may have been driven by other (largely superficial) motives, over time, their mutual affection blossomed to the point where certainly the more personal quests were motivated not by need, but by love. However, there is a divide here, and while the line in the sand smudges from time to time, it never really disappears: a lot of instances in which Merlin is trying to help Arthur are entirely overshadowed by destiny, and in time, Merlin comes to accept that Arthur and Destiny are, in fact, one and the same, and this is where that ever-present tragedy lies. For all he truth in here, Merlin doesn't get everything quite right: he sees Arthur as a balance that needs to be protected, without fully realising that he doesn't just have to keep the sides of his equation in equilibrium, but he actually has to start solving them if he wants them to endure.

Having just said all that, sometimes I decide to fuck over complexity for a few hours purely because I am a shameless merthur hoe.

Also, can you take a moment to please note that this last section is highly subjective and it is completely up to you as to what you decide!! This is just my opinion and you're welcome to agree or disagree at any point.

So, aside from the Angst Factor™ and twisted character development, why was the main goal never fulfilled? Unfortunately, that is a question far cleverer people than me can only speculate, as the writers alone know the answers, but I'm going to give my opinion a shot. Honestly, there is something beautifullly poetic about something that never ends, or ends when there could be something more. Humanity has struggled with endings-and beginnings- since it learned truly how to think, because that kind of finality, that inkling that there might have been nothing before and after something else is incomprehensible. In leaving Merlin in a place where the next point was uncertain, the writers left the story open for us. In depriving us of that catharsis, they effectively made sure that the story would never be over, not until we want it to be. And yes, it was painful. I can't think of an ending that was more heartbreaking than that curious mixture of closures and openings all at the same time (hell, I could write a whole essay based on this concept alone!), but it was also a gift, ironically like that of the prophecy itself in that we can choose what we want to do with it, safe in the knowledge that there will be a happy ending again, one day.

In summary, we might not be left with catharsis in the way we wanted. We might not have got the happy ending that could also have stretched on and on indefinitely. But we were left with something else, something equally beautiful as closure, but in the complete opposite way. Amongst the remains of allwe had hoped to build, Merlin left us hope.

[fanficmaniatic]

The "Anti-Chat" Theory.

(Which is also why Chat Blanc 2.0 wont work and why Ladybug needs to be akumatized).

This is a turducken on my thoughts for S4 and the future of the show so just roll with it.

So, Season 4 has been wild so far, and if clues given by the writers and people involved in show are any indication, this is only the beginning, we are in for a bumpy ride and things are just going to keep getting worse.

In all the discourse revolving season 4 something that we are all mentioning is how “Chat Blanc” is still a thing and there is no guarantee it won’t happen again. If anything it now seems more likely Chat Noir will get akumatized considering the imminent Ladynoir fallout, and how Adrien is still living with his Father, as his isolation keeps getting worse. And though I am always In for some good Character angst, and I feel like it is necessary for Adrien to know about Chat Blanc, and/or for Chat Blanc to reappear, I don’t think Chat Blanc 2.0 is something Adrien nor the show needs right know.

This theory has many parts, I promise it all ties neatly at the end.

First things first, I may be a little biased, Chat Blanc is an episode I really enjoy. I love Time Travel shenanigans, and I was dying to see Adrien finally find out about his father. The heavy consequences of the episode were obviously erased, but the impact of it all still remains trough Marinette, whom we see in the episode ‘Sentibbubler’ is having nightmares about the whole thing. But still, I love the episode, and I really don’t want an “Stormy Weather 2”… which is an episode I heavily dislike, compared to THE BEST formulaic episode of the Whole show, a.k.a “Stormy Weather” a.k.a My favorite episode. So yeah, this whole first point is just me REALLY not wanting an episode called “Chat Blanc 2.0” But there is more to it, and is the fact that I don’t see how it could work out.

“Chat Blanc 2.0” is unnecessary, and the reason why is that bringing him back wouldn’t actually do anything besides perhaps bringing Ladynoir further apart. Ladybug still CAN’T know Chat noir’s identity, (Let’s be honest and admit that’s prolly s4 finale OR happening during s5) so the show would go out of its way to make his dialogue as plain as possible without mentioning his father being hawkmoth. And yes, I do realize that Chat has been bottling his emotions and it all is likely to come out during THE ladynoir fall out… But people are ignoring the elephant in the room which is that Chat Noir DOES NOT fight Ladybug.

I promise this is relevant.

Chat Noir, unless mind controlled, would never attack Ladybug. The most clear example of this is in “Gamer 2.0” when he straight up says “I could never bring myself to fight you” as he sacrifices himself for her, that added to their classic “Is us against the world, My Lady” every season finale, and Marinette’s “In case something happens to me” In ‘Optygami’, it all could pretty well be a foreshadowing of a Ladynoir fight, where Ladybug is akumatized, and Chat has to willingly fight her. Yes, one could argue that he did fight her during ‘Chat Blanc’, but it could also be read as more of him trying to make her listen.

Where am I going with this? Chat Blanc 2.0 would be unable to bring the nuance the story needs right now. Chat Blanc still wouldn’t fight his father, because I doubt they won’t leave that for season 5. Chat Blanc still doesn’t have a motive to actually fight Ladybug. But the most important part is… What would happen at the end? What would be the change? What conversation are we having? What would be different than what we got in the original Chat Blanc?

To be fair, maybe I am wrong, maybe it can work out, this is just a theory. Maybe all the things I crossed out as impossible will actually happen, but I have been watching the show for 6 years, and If I have learned something about it, is that it is a slow burn, in ALL the aspects.

So yes, I believe Ladybug/Marinette needs to be akumatized, but I also think that Adrien has to learn about Chat Blanc, and that Chat Blanc needs to reappear, having a bigger Role than just a nightmare. So… how does that tie with everything I just said? Easy, the “Anti- Chat” Theory’

So you probably remember “Anti-Bug”, one of the best episodes from season 1, where Chole tries to help Ladybug, she doesn’t listen, and Chloe ends up being akumatized into “Ladybug but evil” … In theory, that is the deal, and is no wonder I am picking Felix Graham De Vanily to fill this role.

From an animation perspective, Felix is the obvious choice, he is identical to Adrien, and if following Anti-bug’s logic in costume desing, that would mean they can reuse Chat Blanc model with no alteration needed.

Now, How would this work? By giving Ladybug a jump scare. She thinks she has to live one of her worst nightmares again, to then find out “Oh… This is not Chat Noir” while still creating enough tension, by looking scared and distraught, that she HAS to tell him that she is scared of him being akumatized WITHOUT actually needing to mention the alternative timeline. This gives Chat noir the chance to lash out, once he realizes this is part of why ladybug is keeping him away, which can lead to Ladybug’s future akumatization.

Why this way? And please hear me out. Chat Noir NEEDS to let his emotions out, and I don’t think lashing out at ladybug is the best way but I see it as necessary. Adrien needs to take on more responsibility while being Chat, but he also needs to learn how to healthy express his emotions, because he is not allowed to do that in his current situation. Ladybug being akumatized because she feels guilty about Chat Noir allows Adrien to do BOTH. Because to save Ladybug he would have to realize “My emotions are valid, and is okey to let them out, but the way I did it was not the right one”, and both Ladybug and Chat Noir would have to apologize because this whole thing is not miscommunication… is a misunderstanding of their partners character. Ladybug needs to relay more on Chat and Chat needs to take on more responsibility… it won’t happen if Ladybug is the one that needs to save Chat Noir.

Adrien needs to realize that he needs to save himself, and that there’s people outside of his father that care for him. Ladybug is this figure that he looks up to and Admires, and is from a side of his life that his father has no control over, (At least from his perspective). So if she forgives him, if they are able to fix their relationship he will realize that things can get better.

Now, going back to Anti-Chat… his deal is way bigger than just bringing The Ladynoir fight… Is about setting up seasons 6 and 7.

What do we know so far? The Love Square and Gabriel’s Hawkmoth is going to come to an end by season 5. Which has left many fans wondering “Then what is happening on seasons 6 and 7?” And the best answer we have so far is in the episode “Timetagger” where Bunnix reveals that there is a whole team of miraculous holders fighting the Hawkmoth of the future, which is by the same episode confirmed to not be Gabriel Agreste. Besides this, I think it is safe to assume that the specials are quietly setting up themes that could come back In seasons 6 and 7.

Now, when speaking about characters that could be future villains the fandom seems to have its collective mind set on two individuals: Lila Rossi, and Felix Graham De Vanily.

Besides ‘Rocketear’, (E17), ‘Wishmaker’ (E18), and the special ’Shadow Moth’s last attack’ (Eps 25&26) we don’t know the names of the episodes of the second half of the season, which is really uncommon for miraculous ladybug, and the reason they gave us as to why is “You would know who is akumatized based on the names”… Which AGAIN, is really uncommon for ML. If you have been in this fandom for a long time you’ll realize that most people working in the show don’t really seem to care about spoilers. Now, this is kinda a conspiracy theory, but If you saw that there was an episode called “Anti-Chat” would you have assume it was any one other than Felix?…. No, right? That’s what I though. Miraculous has proven that it is good at subverting expectations, so when they are pointing at something (like a Chat Blanc 2.0 episode) it may not be as we want or suspected it to be. So I think an Anti-Chat episode makes a lot of sense.

Now, Why am I saying that this can set up future season? Buckle up, pals, here we go. What do we know about Felix?

He is evil, or at the very least seems to be ill-intentioned, if his attitude and look at the end of his episode is anything to go by.

He is after jewelry. Which, yeah, was only shown in that one episode he appeared, but this could pretty much be a foreshadowing of him later on going after the miraculous.

We know that he is bound to appear 3 more times

For this theory to work, I need it to happen in episode 22… Yes, the feared 100th episode of the show. It is not as important why Felix is akumatized, but what is happening WHILE he is akumatized.

Besides what has already been discussed, with Ladybug being scared, Ladynoir should not be able to work together. They are tumbling on each other because Chat Noir feels like she doesn’t trust him, but Ladybug NEEDS his reassurance right now, which he wont give.

This, is directly parallel with what is happening between Anti-Chat and Shadow Moth. Because Felix, even though he wants the miraculous, he won’t let himself be bossed around. He is demanding things from SM, and like in Robustus, Anti-Chat tries to, not just take Ladybug’s and Chat noir’s Miraculous, he wants to destroy Hawkmoth too. Which will lead to Shadow Moth being the reason he gets de-akumatized, instead Ladybug and Chat Noir saving him... bringing more fuel to the Ladynoir fire.

Now, Why should Felix have an attitude with Shadow Moth? Well, my friends… Do you remember, years ago, when the producers of the show said “The peacock miraculous holder will make Hawkmoth look like a baby”…. That’s not Mayura. Nathalie is a great miraculous holder, and she is really clever. But instead of making Gabriel look like a baby, she makes him look smart because he has someone like her on his team. What I am saying with this is that Felix, will suspect/ figure out Gabriel is Hawkmoth at the en of Anti-Chat, and that he will get the peacock miraculous during “The Last attack of Shadow Moth.” Thus, setting up a villain for future seasons.

This makes Felix 3 appearances be: In episode 22 (Anti-Chat), In episode 26 (SM last attack, part 2), and during S5’s finale. Felix situation will be much like Lila’s during s1 and s2 where she was introduced at the end of the first but not used until the end of the second.

Conclusion:

Felix Graham de Vanily has the potential to be a future villain and bring the Ladynoir conflict to finally surface.

And to clarify, The Ladynoir conflict, just like this Felix theory, is not something that will, nor can get resolved in one episode. If anything the fight will be around the end of season 4, and it will get resolved during season 5.

But again, this is just a theory, and I will probably be death wrong, but who knows?

[zozophoenixxx]

Serotonin Booster :D 🐉

How to train your dragon edition

Here are some things I had forgotten or little details I just noticed on my rewatch, maybe even Unpopular Opinions 🤭👀

✨Race to the Edge ✨

SEASON 5

Meatlug and Toothless messing around in ep1 when Hiccup and Fishlegs are trying to figure out how to stabilize the island 🥺

I remember when I first watched this I was actually in bio and hearing Ruff and Tuff talk about symbiosis was like " WOW IM LEARNING THAT" 😂😂😂

Symbiotic relationship - symbiosis is the interaction between organisms living in close physical association to the advantage of both

It can lead to -> parasitism - a non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species where the parasite benefits at the expense of the host

- Hookfang and Snotlout have a parasitic relationship JAHDHAHSHA

wait I like that instead of calling a relationship toxic now imma be like "this shii is parasitic peace out ✌🏼️"

HICCSTRID FOREHEAD KISSES OMG😭

I like how Barf and Belch are incredibly strong, I feel like it's a fact that's usually ignored about them

Astrid: *talking about Garf* that dragon has a lot of fight in him

Hiccup: *while placing his hand on her shoulder* he's not the only one

I can't ok I love them too much 🥺

WAIT I JUST NOTICED THE FORESHADOWING WHEN THE TWINS WERE REFERRING TO JOHAN AS A PARASITE OMG 😳

THE BETROTHAL NECKLACE 😭😭😭

Fishlegs licking Astrid's hand is hilariousss nonono it's just that scene in general when Fishlegs is trying to help Astrid find the betrothal gift for Hiccup and she judo-flips him and then sits on him like 🤔

Sandbuster - doesn't like the light. Lives underground.

Astrid riding Toothless to save Hiccup. Just badass.

Hiccup giving Astrid the betrothal necklace and telling her that it's ok that she didn't get him anything bc she's the best gift in the world 🥺

And their hug and the way he moved her out of harm's way whenever Snotlout threw the sword

Still sad abt Shattermaster being replaced by the Triple Stryke

I really liked ep3 whenever they were in Berserker island bc we got to see them actually fighting in battle without their dragons it was pretty cool

The beginning of ep4 is also hilarious I can't with Astrid and Snotlout fighting and then also Astrid beating him up JAHDHAHSHA

- I also always wanted to know what Snotlout said to her 😭😭😭 all of them were just extremely concerned and shocked and Snotlout even had to leave the Edge UGH AHZHZHAG

Atali and the Wingmaidens 👏🏼🤩

"Males would neither understand, nor would they be helpful." Atali is a queen

Vanaheim - the last resting place of all dragons

"Sadness is a matter of perspective. It is how you choose to view something that makes it happy, scary, intriguing, or sad"

Ok so is Stormfly a tracker-class dragon or a sharp-class dragon?

Sentinels - Know all the dragons so they know how to deal with each of their tactics. Run Vanaheim. Have never encountered night furies. Good trackers. Blind. They tend to the island

OMG I FORGOT THAT VANAHEIM IS THE SKELETON OF THE KING OF DRAGONS

HAND HOLDING AND KISSES UFFF THANK U

Hiccstrid kiss count: 3😘

It's the way it's so realistic too, the way he smiles at her, the way he holds her hand and looks at her, the way she puts her hand on his chest and he lightly touches it with his free hand I just can't they're too perfect

Snotlout's excitement to see that Fishlegs was Fishlegs again and not Thor Bonecrusher- I mean the dude went running towards him🥺

I love how Hiccup just knows when Astrid's thinking about something

SPARRING HICCSTRID UGHHH I LOVE THIS SCENE

The way he's just in such a good mood afterwards 🥺

The scene leading up to the moonlight flight in ep7. I love them so much.

Hiccstrid Scene: ep7 min 5:42 -> 7:24

Meatlug's shot was the first to free a Singetail from a dragon flyer

Just realized that Johan not being able to get Hiccup's oil was probably also part of a plan to get them away from the edge to attack

Ok but Snotlout actually taking the initiative to be the leader while Hiccup and Astrid were away

The edge 🥺and when he destroyed his own Hut 🥺 I can't 🥺

I love how Mala and Throk were both trying to put the gang in a better mood

Silicates makes Meatlug drool

Tuffnut's Spanish is amazing we love to see a bilingual king✋🏼👑

Just realized that Krogan's name is well... Krogan. I never actually paid attention to the dude.

OMG WE GET TO SEE DRAGO IN THIS SEASON THIS IS CRAZY

I really like the twins in the Wings of War Episodes, the way they attempt to speak Spanish and start pronouncing the Rrrrrrrrs

Spitelout too lmao the way he helped Hiccup 🤩

It was also Spitelout the one that figured out that the Singetails don't like the altitude

I really love how Hiccup actually found a way to fight the flyers without hurting the Singetails, OMG IT REMINDS ME OF AANG when everyone was telling him to just kill the FIRELORD he found the right way

Tuff has a feet fettish

Stormfly and Garff messing around is too funny I love them sm 😭

Snotlout can be so sad sometimes

The twins singing >>

And that hug between Stormfly and Garff, they're just adorable 🥺🤧

HAHDHSHAHA THE WAY ASTRID LOOKED AT FISHLEGS WHENEVER THE SLITHERWINGS SHOWED

Slitherwings - very poisonous dragons! Even their skin is coated in poison. Like snake appearance. Not much is known about its poison and how it works but there is an antidote -> combination of angel fern root, pine sap and Slitherwing venom. The skin coating protects them from Garff's amber

Stormfly is such a badass omg I love her sm the way she protected Garff

Garff is an excellent shot according to Fishlegs

Fishlegs telling Astrid to look at him is just adorable, the way he wanted her to feel better 😭

Have I mentioned how much I love lil Hiccstrid moments? They dont even have to be romantic but just them? Like he just lightly touched her shoulder and told her to be strong and be there for Stormfly 🥺

Snotlout actually being worried about Astrid 🤧

I will never get over Astrid and Stormfly's relationship and how close they are, they would do anything for each other and Astrid just proved that by going up to the Slitherwing and PUNCHING THE LIL SHIT just to get Stormfly the antidote. AND WHEN SHE STARTED CRYING!!! As Tuffnut said "no one has ever prepared us for something like this"

And the Ruffnut being there for her and protecting her 😭😭😭

Astrid can actually draw

Still pissed about the fact that Hiccup never knew Astrid got poisoned NOW I NEED TO READ A FANFIC ON IT

That scene in Snuffnut [ep11] where Throk arrives to take Ruffnut as his wife is too funny. The way Astrid is pissed since the beginning and both Hiccup and Fishlegs are like "umm nope" AND WHEN HICCUP TAKES ASTRID OUT OF THE SCENE AND ALL YOU CAN HEAR IS HIM SCREAMING AND THESE RANDOM NOISES 😩😩😩😂

It really bothered me that Astrid had to stay behind in Looking for Oswald... And Chicken [ep12] just to take care of the twins when we could've had some Hiccstrid 😩😭 but it makes sense because Astrid is the only one Hiccup can actually trust on to keep things under control because even though Fishlegs is kinda sane neither the twins nor Snotlout would listen to him and Snotlout would definitely join the twins or just make things worse somehow. I mean they've both proven themselves to be fully capable but well- yk... Astrid is just Astrid

Astrid and Stormfly's faces whenever the twins said they needes a dragon that loves tracking and chicken😭😂😩

Chicken covering her tracks and Snotlout as narrator 😂

Omg Dagur saw Oswald's dead body... He even had to bury him and wow-

Grim Gnashers - hunters that prey on the sick dragons in Vanaheim.

Chicklet🐥🐥🐥🐥

SNOTLOUT'S TAN LINE OMGGG

"Please let me hurt him. Please? Just-- just a little?"JAHSHAHAJAJ I LOVE AGGRESSIVE DAGUR

Fishlegs saying that "Snotlout can actually be pretty handy in an air battle" is so true. Like we mostly see Snotlout as this dumb, sarcastic, rebellious dude who doesn't care about anyone but himself and but that's actually not true he's actually caring and will fight for the ones he loves but he won't say that because he cares too much about what others think of him 😭

I really dislike Johan sm u guys don't understand like I used to like him and feel bad whenever ppl cut him short but ughhhhhhh it's the subtle things too like him telling Heather to give them the dragon eye, him screaming in Snotlout's ear, not extending his hand to grab Heather, and him putting his hand out to "grab" the lens but just causing Snotlout to drop it

The way Heather jumped to get Windshear and the way Windshear kept telling her to leave and save herself

Archipelago gold = The clouds of corn = pop corn

I can't believe I'm about to start season 6 this is actually so sad

[mcd-ms-rants]

sorry for the delay I’ve been really busy lately but it’s here now!!

STUFF I DIDNT LIKE ABOUT PDH SEASON 1:-

• ya theres nothing good to mention here

• Before the door opens Aph keeps mentioning a crowd that doesn’t exist. where is the crowd?? When the doors open she says k let’s go with the crowd now- girl I hate to break it to you but you’re the only one moving

• I JUST NOTICED THIS but when Aphmau uploads her pic on instagram she’s got 283000 on there. wayyy to many for a homeschooled loner who just has this one online friend. we get it she’s the protag but please

• LAURANCE MY BELOVED

• finally a season where he actually exists

• this school has enough budget to continually replace broken windows in the werewolf class but not enough to get a sane principal or a decent healthy plotline

• sdhjshdh pdh zane’s voice

• KC. WHAT IS HER CHARACTER HERE. also technically since Aphmau and Aaron are real people in the aphverse she’s shipping real people?? And shes been shipping them here in pdh, where they have almost a four year age gap which is NOT HEALTHY. Not to mention that as always she has like no character development

• SPEAKING OF THE FOUR YEAR AGE GAP WHAT WAS THAT. we get it it happened the same way for you irl you wanted to promote aarmau as the main ship but let’s be real there were SO MANY WAYS that could’ve gone better. they could’ve had a smaller age gap or gotten together after pdh when their both more mature and understanding of their own wants and needs in a relationship. Putting it here, where aphmau is completely oblivious and innocent and aaron is gonna graduate by the end of the year ISNT HEALTHY and MAKES NO SENSE from a plot standpoint. also I’m pretty sure Aaron was held back a year WHICH MEANS HES 18-19 AND TRYING TO GET WITH APHMAU WHO IS 14-15!!! YA WTF JESS??!!

• I’m sorry lmao the knocking when Aphmau discovers Aaron is fc

• Dante is a cheater and this is also somehow ok. why doesn’t Travis or Aphmau tell him it’s wrong. how are they good friends if they let him do it even till mys s2 and don’t say anything even after that

• Vylad is a whole mood right there

• that weird dream that Aphmau keeps getting of ??irene?? telling her to confess to aaron makes no sense but was probably foreshadowing mys s4, s5 and s6 since I’m pretty sure aaron was a werewolf in the dream and aph was using the irene voice tho idk if jess thought this far ahead from here itself. any other theories that you all have??

• lol Zane is on FIRE at the ro’meave dinner he’s not gonna let Garroth have anything and i love it

• tho garroth kissing aphmau without consent was probably not the best way to get your feelings across just sayin :/

• same with laurance honestly,,, stop kissing her randomly thanks

• why does Aphmau keep leading garroth and laurance on like that?? It took like 20 episodes for the guys to put their foot down and for Aphmau to realize what she was doing had bad consequences

• I miss jeffory this is one of the rare moments we get to see him

• Gene calling Aphmau kitty could be taken in a number of ways and each one gets progressively worse. she’s uncomfortable with it that’s clear and i feel like this shouldn’t have been the way gene showed that he wasn’t nice

• Aphmau constantly gets meif’wa to follow her for mouse toys. why are they treated this way?? can I call that meif’wa racism?? why are they portrayed as (somewhat) airheads who love mouse toys and will do anything for them can we portray them in a nicer way with yknow actual unique features of their own

• teony is so underrated but I love her she’s best girl

• all of Aphmau‘s friends are ok with aphmau getting closer to Aaron like DO NONE OF THEM SEE THE AGE GAP

• it would’ve been nice to see janus and lillian some other characters that werent best friends with Aphmau. yes there’s Zane and Gene but they’re antag for like one episode each and you can’t seriously tell me that the whole of the remaining school body loves Aphmau and is on good terms with her

and thats about it. as always if I think of more points I’ll edit them in

no I did not put too much jo9 content, you’re too much jo9 content

thanks for reading!! <3 <3

[carlando]

“Season 4’s Development with Buck & Eddie”

Focusing on where they are in terms of emotional growth and some insane amount of foreshadowing, I present to you my evidence. An introspective essay that’s paragraphs long but if you need insight and hope for next Monday, please read this! <3

Starting off with Eddie, his main story these past thirteen episodes have laid the groundwork for him moving on from his past; his former life entirely. Bobby talks about moving on after Eddie reconnects with Ana.

People keep seeming to forget the first part of what Bobby said, “So focused on what you don’t have, you miss out on something real.” Half conjecture, half fact but this is about losing Shannon and about his inability to move on at all. Period. He’s been stuck. Christopher is without his mother, and they’re stuck.

Ana is a real possibility in Eddie’s eyes. She’s intelligent, good with kids, from a similar background, knows Christopher and is someone the world would expect him to fall for. She could be the answer to his problems, the mother figure to his son. The one to watch Christopher while he works, to adore the kid, to play video games with him, to protect him from harm, to understand Christopher. Oh, wait - that’s what Buck does?

Christopher didn’t give Ana a chance until Buck promised him that he’d never abandon the kid! And then; the words that pushed me off my darn rocker, “Just make sure you’re following your heart, not Christopher’s, okay?” Is it because Carla knows that Eddie’s looking for what the world expects him to have and not what he actually yearns for?

Eddie believes Ana is his chance at happiness because of what she represents and how everyone else would see her in his life. Eddie Diaz is not in love with Ana Flores. (Sorry, girl.) Moving on to Buck, oh boy. Like these past thirteen episodes for Buck just felt like a tremendous growth period.

By getting past that shared childhood trauma with his sister and emotionally distant parents who basically revealed that he was their answer to saving their dying son’s life and when he wasn’t useful - they decided he wasn’t worth the time and he became reckless to gain their attention.

Besides the fact that Athena, Bobby, Maddie, Hen, and Chim care about him, he still feels alone. They have families that matter more. He’s got Albert and that three-day-old pizza that’s still in the fridge; and sometimes not even that. He'd have Christopher and Eddie, but they've got Ana now. And then, Buck is alone again. He reaches out to Taylor, but she doesn't want romance. Buck's okay with that. The time he used to spend with Eddie and Chris is now spent with Taylor. He finds himself happy to have a friend, again.

“About how I hide my true feelings from others,” Buck said to his therapist. Elaborate, please just, explain it Evan! Explain yourself! Obligatory warning that Evan Buckley is feeling lonely and unloved and the two people who he is closest to have someone new in their lives. He feels like no one needs him.

“It’s like the universe is screaming at you, and you refuse to listen.” (Buck to Eddie) “You ever think you just need to be patient, and let the universe come to you?” (Taylor to Buck) God, I wonder. Buck is in need of someone to love him and Eddie is looking for someone to love. This is as clear as day.

Just these past episodes, Eddie has been there for Buck at every step when he found out about his older brother and when dealing with his parents. Buck was the first one he told about Ana. Eddie felt left out when working with Buck and Taylor. But Buck’s the first one to help Eddie get to Charlie. To run to help without even putting on his uniform first. Really, what Carla said has Eddie questioning everything.

And then the world stops, no, everything’s off because Eddie is standing not five feet away from him and they’re staring back at each other - there’s blood on Buck’s face and it’s Eddie’s. Eddie feels his shoulder begin to bleed, his entire body taking the force of the bullet. And they can’t take their eyes off the other, because it’s not safe. It’s not safe.

Everything makes sense now. Eddie knows where his heart is. Buck knows he’s not alone, and he’s at risk of losing his best friend. Eyes still on the other, deaf to the noise. Buck can’t move, he can’t get to the person he cares about most. So, Eddie tries to reach for Buck and he can’t because he’s dying. He’s following his heart but it’s too late to get there. They know, and it’s too late.

“There is no one in this world I trust more with my son, than you.”

Buck is not going to let his best friend die. No moving back to Texas because it makes no sense for the character, and Ryan is filming in S5. So, even if after surgery, Eddie has retrograde amnesia and forgot he realized he was in love with his best friend you still have the privilege of knowing that you are not a clown and yes, as of S4, Eddie Diaz and Evan Buckley found the universe in each other. Tim Minear, this is your game to win.

[anasticep]

Why Julie and the Phantoms is a masterpiece of a show. Part 2. Heroes and Villains or Let that foil shine

NOTE: Thanks again for your kind response to Part 1. I never expected that. It being my first tumblr post and a first meta in quite a long time I was blown away. I read all the tags, some were really hilarious. About having more than one brain cell xDDD I laughed so hard. It means a lot.

NOTE2: Please remember that the gifs are made by me, so don't crop, edit or give as yours.

Part 1.

Before diving into meta, I have to mention that the Villain of the story is actually one of the best in the decade. He’s cool, evil from the start, we understand his motives and we certainly are not supposed to love and make excuses for him. The writers made sure of that. So back to the main topic.

A foil is a character who contrasts with another character; typically, a character who contrasts with the protagonist, in order to better highlight or differentiate certain qualities of the protagonist

Foils in literature are not necessarily antagonists. A friend can be a foil or sometimes even a thing, a song. Whatever can make a good and real contrast to the protagonist. But it’s not very simple to use this author’s device and not fall down a deep hole. Because you have to make sure you did just the right amount of work to make it understandable for a reader, the things you want to contrast are definitely there and still you don't waste a character. On TV it can be even harder given limited air time. And, well, I don’t come across this device being used in full very often nowadays. It’s usually good and evil fighting for the plot. That’s why I personally appreciate JaTP so much.

Caleb is clearly a foil to Luke. As much as I’d love to say that Julie also has one, that’s not entirely true, at least not this season. Carrie is not her foil though it may seem so, and I really think that’s cool as Julie’s journey is being presented through her own demons and I'm going to cover that next. That being said, of course Caleb doubles as an antagonist plotwise, but I personally consider him being written more as a contract to Luke so we could see and appreciate his character and journey better.

1. Origins

Caleb and Luke have extremely similar backgrounds. They are both natural performers. They know how to deliver, because c’mon, “Now or Never” is something and so is “The other side of Hollywood”. Stage is their natural habitat, their element, power. Although they channel this power from completely different places.

Let’s start with our little ball of energy. It’s emphasized TWICE that he doesn’t care about the money aka the physical side of art.

All Luke wants is to make music. Connect with people. He is so happy just to be heard despite him loving to perform. Making music is what makes him feel alive and basically that’s enough. I think if there was no “hologram” magic at all, Luke would have still been extremely happy to make music with and for Julie. Because that’s the way he is.

But Caleb doesn’t know that. He knows, and I’m standing by that, right away that Luke is the one to aim at. Because we always feel the similarity in people. If Luke said yes, Reggie and Alex would have followed. So Caleb recognizes the passion and shoots at them what he thinks is appealing. And, oh boy, he delivers.

“The Other Side of Hollywood” is a perfect song to emphasize Luke and Caleb being foils for each other. Follow me here:

But these lines come from very different places. For Caleb the only thing that matters is himself. He owns the show, he IS the show. It’s about being famous, drowning in applause, admiration. Look at how he performs. Confident, yes, but still very much in control. He must keep his perfect face. No flaws, no real emotions, no real connection (Did you miss ME? I did too // This band is back). Whereas Luke is simply living the best time of his life each time he performs. Is it just jamming? Bring it on. Doing fun riffs? He’s all for it. He doesn’t care how he looks (though who could deny gorgeous sweaty Luke), he owns the show just because he is a natural.

So back to the business. Caleb immediately puts the boys in his own shoes:

On the other side we live like kings // Your soulprint on the walk of fame on the boulevard of your wildest dreams // I got your glamour, got your gold, got all you’ll ever need

And, I mean, he is not that wrong. You can see the appeal on the boys’ faces. They are young, passionate, handsome, talented musicians. Of course they wouldn’t deny fame. Of course they would want all that to some extent. And Caleb is very sure he pulled the right strings.

Watch me make a move, I’m your number one choice

Also I have to mention, as we are talking about TOSOH (IKEA name again) and it being a foil for Luke, thy lyrics still don’t forget about what is important for Reggie and Alex (we’ll talk about that just a bit later):

Welcome to the brotherhood -> Reggie

Where you won’t be misunderstood -> Alex

Then again, lots of foreshadowing in the song, if you listen carefully the lyrics are stressing the true colors of the offer:

A tomb with a view

Man, what a metaphor. I would have run out of there the minute I heard this line. But our boys share one brain cell (I can’t get over how funny this is) and it’s currently taken by Julie, so I don’t blame them.

Disappointment is huge. Caleb read it all wrong. So we are moving to the next point in our Heroes and Villains essay.

2. Recruitment

It’s very cool that Caleb offers the boys to join his band right after Luke offers Julie to join Sunset Curve. They both are going out of their ways to get that (although have different budgets apparently. But look, they live in a garage). Luke made a hit with a bunch of Julie’s not very well structured lines (I love Flying Solo with all my heart as a song, but as a poem it just looks weird to me) to impress her, and we all saw the show Caleb had thrown to impress the boys. Plus food. And fancy dancing. But here is where contrast comes again.

Caleb offers to join the band, yes, but only as backup singers. It’s his show, remember? It’s only about him. He doesn’t care if they are even good. He wants their magic under control.

Share the spotlight with ME / How do you like MY new band?!

Luke offering Julie a spot in the band is a completely different story. He saw what she is capable of. He instantly knows she must be the key to a new sound, a new level. And he, a natural performer, frontman, lead guitarist, steps back and gives the spotlight to Julie. To think about it, he could have just got her magic under control by giving her simple lines, incorporating piano in the songs and that’s all. They would be visible, he would still be a center of attention, and Julie herself wouldn't mind that much. But that’s not who Luke is. Yes, there is a funny scene of “Hey, I’m your lead singer” and “you don’t have to be mean”, but it’s just messing around. Because right after that he finishes Flying Solo, writes several other songs with Julie, seeks her approval of Sunset Curve songs and basically follows her around like an adorable excited puppy.

Moving on and back to the rejection. Again the writers are mirroring them. Julie quits the band & the boys decline the offer. What does Luke do? Well, he tries the way he knows: books a gig, makes Reggie and Alex sing in perfect harmonies and does his puppy eyes thing. And it doesn’t work. And Luke goes to reflect and then probably try to come up with a plan. But something tells me he would not have haunted Julie until she joined them.

What does Caleb do after the initial rejection? Puts a cursed stamp that leaves them no choice but to join HGC. You don’t need to say more.

But in fact the more I think about it, the more I suspect Caleb also not possessing enough mental capacity for a human being. Like, if it wasn’t for Willie, how would they even know? Has Caleb planned to simply show up one day and casually explain? Look, foils in everything.

“You’re in a tough spot… So, you wanna join the band?” | “Looked like it hurt… you know where to find me”

But we sidestepped a bit.

3. Pulling the strings

After the song Caleb comes out to consolidate his success. What he does is clever and, btw, that’s the only time he becomes Julie’s foil. They are stating basically the same thing.

Again, Julie is concerned about the band and the boys, while Caleb is only concerned about having them under control. But they both are pulling basically the right strings.

What is interesting, Caleb actually impressed the wrong person (and that person is our sweet Reggie). Luke follows the string Julie pulled. Although the offer is tempting, he insists twice that they are in a band already directly to Caleb and then in Eats&Beats he says "It's like Julie said, we have a new band, a new sound». No matter what Caleb promised, Luke is not affected at all although Caleb’s offer is a very-very safe choice.

Speaking about using friends as foils, Alex and Reggie also serve as contrast characters for Luke at some points. Luke’s indifference to money is first stressed through Alex who is clearly the chief accountant for the band. His lines about not getting tips, living in a garage and «it’s a little bit about the money» are waved aside by Luke. Reggie is clearly the most affected by the whole Bobbie thing. His lines «I don’t care what Julie said, I’m glad we scared Bobbie», «So we’re gonna forget about getting back at Trevor?» are getting a clear contrast by Luke’s «It’s what Julie said, we have a new band, a new sound» and «He has to live with that guilt».

While editing the article I realised a very cool thing I haven't noticed before. How badly Luke wants to go on tour. And again that's another thing Caleb offers as if reading his mind. That's actually brilliant, to think about it.

Caleb is a VERY good reader. He tests the waters with a speech about disappearing from stage and going around the world and all dreams coming true. Still he doesn’t know the boys and especially Luke, so his phrase “no real connection” doesn’t register that much.

But he learns. Remember the lines I’ve marked before?

Reggie is afraid they will not be together after they cross over. He is in desperate need of a family. So wouldn’t it be nice to spend the rest of your afterlife with your brothers? (Reggie's main insecurity is loneliness, feel of a broken family. That's why he is the most concerned about crossing over. Will his family stay intact?)

Alex is insecure, and not being understood by the people closest to him will always hit hard. So welcome to a place where you won’t be misunderstood. And actually we know there is a guy you like and find comfort in. (Alex's insecurity is growing up in times when he could not truly be himself even with his family and for sure not believing he would ever be able to find someone meant just for him)

That mirrors the whole Luke’s beach speech perfectly. Only comparing them we can truly appreciate why Luke is the leader. He shuts down his own demons to make Alex and Reggie remember that they are not alone (“and I believe in you”. sorry. Olicity fan).

Caleb makes them suffer to get what he wants. But this time he is careful with the words aimed at Luke. Yes, he repeats his words about vanishing and applauses BUT he makes sure that his words about CONNECTION are the key words for Luke. Intense look, calming voice, touching - these are all elements of hypnosis. And Luke is in a daze. (Continuing the parents' thing, for Luke the main insecurity is not managing to connect with his mom. Maybe that's such a big thing for him: through all these people he wanted to find that connection with her)

4. The Hero’s journey

That’s the best part actually but I won’t be saying anything new or that you don’t know. Luke is made of lyrics and music. That’s his soul, heart, that’s the feeling running through his veins. He doesn’t need anything other than that in his life. Playing for eternity is “a gift no musician would ever turn down”. But he actually does turn it down. As well as his dream to go see the world with his band (is there covid in jatp universe?). He is the one who resists the hardest to the pull. Luke, who always has a guitar in his hands, doesn't want to play. Because it’s not only about the music now. He has this amazing girl in his afterlife who was willing to accept them for who they were, helped Luke battle his own demons, eased his pain and made him open up. And it doesn’t make sense any longer without her anymore. “And you’re a part of me now till eternity”.

Caleb, being Luke’s foil, completely misses the whole point of connection. It’s not in his nature. His house band are just recruits (Just so happens you’re in luck we’ve got a vacancy). For Luke his band is his family (We are the only family we ever gonna need). The Connection theme is one of the main in the show. And it’s so cool to show it focused through Luke whose best way of interaction is a touch. But not being able to touch Julie Luke has to find other ways, although it’s not that simple for him. And Julie backs that up: We connect in so many other ways. They literally touched each other's souls. Without knowing she put a stamp of her own on Luke, Alex and Reggie. They’ve never felt loved enough, appreciated enough, supported enough. They’ve only had each other. And Julie’s stamp is love. And for Luke (as well as Reggie and Alex) from now on this girl is worth dying for all over again.

_______

So yeah. I hope you enjoyed it, as I for sure enjoyed writing. There is gonna be a part 3 about Julie and a few honorable mentions of parallels of the Pilot and the Finale (I hope at least to do all that). I’ve also figured very very cool connections in the songs and I can’t wait to share.

Also as I was heavily speaking about The Other side of Hollywood, @catty-words has a wonderful meta on rain metaphors here (sorry for tagging, if you don't want to be tagged), check it out if you somehow missed it. It's super clever.

[frederickthegreat]

my thoughts on TUA season 2

(spoilers, obviously)

- opened with Klaus and Ben, my kings. Klaus’s hair looks so weird straightened while short 

- AWESOME opening soundtrack 

- seeing all their powers so controlled makes me wonder how they leveled up to that skill in the alternate timeline. like the only time we saw Klaus use the powers of other ghosts in the correct timeline was when two of them caught him falling out of the sky. however Diego did end up controlling bullets and Allison used her voice to technically kill one of the Swedes

- the homeless man screaming Allison’s name alongside Luther... funny shit

- big teddy bear Hazel

- Elliot was fucking awesome i think he was a great addition as a side character. rip tho :(

- honestly i don’t understand why Diego would WANT to save JFK. like it’s not that big of a deal. does he not understand what messing with the timeline can do??

- Lila... impeccable

- Sissy and Vanya... impeccable <3

- yeah and fuck u Carl

- ugh, Klaus’s beard. disgusting <3

- Ben and Klaus definitely act like they should be, given that they’ve been stuck with each other for over a decade. i’ve seen some people calling Klaus an asshole for not telling his siblings about Ben, which is completely understandable (cause he was an asshole), but I’m guessing it was because he was afraid? that sharing Ben with his siblings would mean that he would lose him to them, or his siblings would find him selfish, or they would ask something of him that he couldn’t give. if that makes sense

- that ghost bitch comment was funny tho 

- to the guy who called Klaus pretty boy at the bar: sir you don’t know what you’re getting into

- Raymond!! he’s such a sweetheart, i really liked him in the show. i’m really happy that Allison has found a bit of normalcy (as normal as the 1960s Civil Rights movement could be). it shows how passionate she is about what she believes in: even though she knows the movement is far from over, even back in 2019, she’s not gonna abandon it

- Allison staring at the moon every night: either thinking about Luther or how the moon blows them all up. maybe both

- of course Luther would be working for Jack Ruby

- awesome cinematography during the mental asylum escape 

- yeah it makes sense that the Handler would still be alive. she was a cool villain. although it would’ve been awesome to see how evil a fish could be

- Diego’s plan was pretty stupid. that’s my boy

- honestly they revealed how Klaus started a cult really well by having one of his followers find him at jail. Klaus, ever the musical aficionado, of course writes his scripture based off of pop songs

- Raymond and Klaus meeting!! that was cool to see how their paths connected

- Lila painting Elliot’s toenails green. ugh i love that crazy bitch

- i LOVE how they incorporated the umbrella man!! tbh i’ve always believed he was the one behind the assassination. Lee Harvey Oswald was framed 

- honestly a bit understandable that Luther was planning on killing Vanya? cause he had no idea who she is now, but them reuniting was actually really sweet. he’s grown up so much

- the Swedes and their cats.

- the Umbrella company building with the nuclear family mannequins... creepy, awesome shit

- baby pogo baby pogo baby pogo baby pogo

- shanked diego shanked diego shanked diego shanked diego

- did anyone else get vibes from Klaus’s episode opening that he was an escort to the old woman? like how he was being shown off at her arm or something and getting out of jail from a call from the governor. idk maybe the lady was just very taken with him, as anyone would be

- Elliot, our helpful king

- Allison and Klaus’s reunion was so sweet!! i’m so glad they got to interact so much more in this season 

- Ben getting Raymond out through a haunting... hilarious

- sweet intimate moment between Lila and Diego

- Ray meeting Luther was hilarious, but i do feel for the poor guy. i mean i’m not in love with my adoptive sister but still

- the sit-in was really well done and beautiful while terrible. the ‘riot’ that ensued was very appropriate for today’s setting 

- D-Dave

- honestly i was scared that Klaus was gonna be overly attracted to him or whatever, which would be weird cause he’s years younger than Klaus, but honestly, at the core he just wanted to save Dave’s life. even if it means never meeting him in a different timeline. he truly loved Dave. and that ptsd flashback was done so well

- i knew Lila wasn’t trustworthy but i didn’t REALLY expect that! 

- Vanya and Luther talking with each other, Luther admitting the apocalypse wasn’t all her fault. beautiful

- the Majestic 12 reminds me of the conspiracy theory that only a few families control basically everything in the world. the Majestic 12 may be based off of that, idk

- idk about everyone else but Klaus’s scorpion and the frog story made total sense to me! frogs ARE bitches

- the diner scene.... ugh. it really shows that the two of them did fall in love and they did stupid in love things, like talking about their family, about why Dave wanted to join, favorite colors, favorite foods, etc. however that’s seen later on when Dave visits the compound

- yes it’s very disheartening when Klaus is attacked, but honestly i think it had to happen, just like the riot had to happen. the 60s weren’t a fun time for lgbt people and poc. it was only going to be a matter of time before the show HAD to acknowledge the consequences of Klaus’s ‘flamboyancy’ in 1963 Texas. it doesn’t make it right or easy to see, but it’s realistic. 

- it also makes sense that Klaus fell off the wagon after experiencing something like that. yes we all would’ve liked him to stay sober, but sobriety and recovery aren’t linear. 

- Allison is so happy with Ray can we please drop this pseudo-incest plotline let’s MOVE ON 

- Texas Grace ! who is not actually Grace rip (i think? i was a bit confused lol)

- the scene with Harlan running off was really upsetting but we got to see those weird light particles that we saw in the first season

- Pogo Pogo Pogo Pogo

- Klaus being a dick to Ben again, as brothers do. i do feel bad for Ben though it must be sooo frustrating. that scene with him and Allison was really sweet and funny tho

- i just have to say that Luther and Diego are so fucking funny this season it’s awesome. like there are a LOT of good lines overall by everyone but they’re hilarious. “At least he didn’t shank my ass” “no bro, he shanked your heart”“Dads part of a sinister CABAL that’s plotting on killing the president.” “a caBAL?”“You two still a thing? *leans in* do we need to talk?” “No, she’s married.” “Woah dude... that’s rough.” and countless others

- the sibling reunion!! 

- Klaus really does get left out of everything tbh

- Ben :(

- sisters and Klaus!! that was so awesome to see. and Klaus’s hairpins, Vanya saying she’s gonna tell Sissy she loves her, their dance sequence, Klaus calling Allison out on that incest. beautiful

- the fucking Swedish cover of Hello was PERFECT i mean i was sad for the Swedes but it was hilarious. there were a couple beautiful shots of the boat on fire though

- god it must’ve been so traumatizing for Allison to be thrust into such a hostile place with no voice and no way to contact her family

-  idk about you guys but long live Team Zero

- calling Ben that he was becoming their father was a bit uncalled for 

- the fact that Klaus didn’t help Dave’s chances, and in fact escalated Dave’s own timeline.. his trembling hands... robert sheehan is an amazing actor

- the Black president bit lmaoo loved it

- the way Reginald spoke to Diego.. i’m gonna throw hands with an old man

- Klaus LITERALLY looked like he was having a seizure and they all just... played it off?? 

- poor, poor Carl. nah fuck him lol

- that bloody opening scene was awesome! and thank god Five got to say fuck. the fact that it was about a candy bar makes too much sense

- Robert Sheehan acting as Ben: amazing showstopping spectacular he’s so talented

- the whole multiple Fives and Luther bit was honestly really funny, and i immensely respect smaller Five over bigger Five. 

- yes Klaus, you survived a family of seven. you got this

- not sad about Carl dying one bit!

- Ben... that was such a beautiful scene. not just the content of the scene, but the cinematography. Ben fading away... Vanya hugging him... ugh. the main takeaway i had from that scene is that at the core of it all, Ben and Klaus love each other immensely. they have a weird, dysfunctional, fucked up relationship, where Klaus is an asshole and Ben definitely shouldn’t of possessed him without his consent, but they’re still brothers, and Ben forgives him. 

- oof Ben’s funeral was hard. also was it just me or did Klaus’s kid actor sound weird? like it sounded like Robert was dubbing his lines 

- all the siblings back together again!!!! Klaus going with Vanya to save Harlan!! Vanya telling him Ben forgives him and that it wasn’t Klaus’s fault Ben got stuck with him!! everyone in the car!!! be still my beating heart

- yeah didn’t see Lila having powers coming tbh. i really feel bad for her she’s had such a rough and traumatic life, especially with the Handler as her only parental figure

- the Swede brother and Five putting down their weapons: “enough.” the Swede wanted revenge for his brothers - an eye for an eye, but there was a mutual understanding between the two of them: they would do anything for their family. if the Swede hurts one of the Hargreeves, Five would never stop coming after him. i thought it was very beautiful 

- mmm Reggie’s foreshadowing coming into play. proud of u Five

- the ending was so beautiful. everyone got closure in some type of way. except now Klaus is alone with nothing but his dog tags :(

- EMO BEN HAHAHA WTFFF?? is Lila in the sparrow academy? why was Ben’s portrait over the mantle piece? did Five disappear?? is the sparrow academy just older versions of the siblings who stuck around?? so many questions

FINAL THOUGHTS

- Ellen Page’s acting consistently blows me away. she is amazing 

- beautiful cinematography, funny writing, pretty good acting. i didn’t like the soundtrack as much as i did the first season’s, but some of it wasn’t bad.

- i’m glad ben got peace, but i’m also glad justin min isn’t gone for good. his social media presence is too vital for us

- i swear to god if they keep treating klaus as a joke and don’t let him get any actual development like everyone else had (he barely got closure with Dave, he reconciled with Ben through a second party) next season, i’m gonna riot. PLEASE i want to learn more about his powers now that Ben is gone. what happened to seeing tons of ghosts when he’s sober??

- Luther and Diego were probably my favorite duo of the season, I’m so happy that they’ve reconciled and are bonding more. 

- just seeing Vanya grow and be happy was amazing 

all in all, really wonderful season. i probably liked it better than the first one. now it’s time to consume fanfiction and maybe finish my own (check out “god doesn’t want him and neither does the devil” on ao3!)