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chainofclovers · 3 years ago

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Ted Lasso 2x8 thoughts

I am so lucky that the creators of Ted Lasso decided to make this entire show specifically for me. #blessed

If last week felt like a bit of breathing room (albeit tense, poignant, character-progressing breathing room) with distinct narrative lines, this week’s episode was a chaotic yet tightly-written swirl of pain and hope and sadness! No neat subject headers for this one, y’all. Just my brain and heart in the inadequate form of a bulleted list. It is the medium available to me at this time.

I am going to remember the moment when Ted calls Sharon and tells her his father killed himself for the rest of my life.

(I could say a bunch of stuff about his face and what he says and how he tries to hide his tears from Beard right after and how insanely much I adore this character and ahhhhhhhh but I’m just going to leave that scene there in our collective memories.)

Jamie. JAMIE. Higgins has given some great advice about love on this show, but his musings about his up-and-down relationship with his own father were not helpful in the context of Jamie’s dad, who is an abusive piece of shit. I really adore that all of the main AFC Richmond staff members are realistically a bit hit-or-miss with their advice and life philosophies (some are mostly miss this season, of course).

And I am completely in awe of the moment when Jamie punches his father. The way he just stands there after Beard kicks his dad out of the locker room. The way you can hear a pin drop. And Roy—Roy who is learning in so many areas of his life about his influence on people, learning that the things he needs aren’t necessarily the same as the things other people need—is the one to cross the room and hug him. Hold him, really, with the tenderness Ted used when he hugged Rebecca outside the gala in 1x4. God.

I’ve thought a lot about how s1 was about giving people a soft place to land. There’s always an angel there when you need one. There’s always an opportunity to be kind. If you look for someone, you find them. If you look for the good in someone, you find the good. And as everyone works through their individual journeys in s2, that can’t always be the case anymore. But there are still so many moments of angels on this show, and it’s not about chance and serendipity and fate [not that it was about that in s1] but about the effort it takes to become someone who can be there for someone else. Or who can be there for yourself. I’m so proud of Jamie for physically fighting back against his father. I’m so proud of Roy for being the one who recognized what Jamie needed.

I have every feeling in the world about how Ted is almost totally frozen both times (s1 and s2) he witnesses Jamie’s father abusing him. In s1, he was still there for Jamie after, and I have every reason to believe he’ll be there for Jamie after this incident as well, but that frozen stance HURTS. He’s in so deep with his pain about his own father that it’s like he physically cannot snap out of it to act in the moment. It seems entirely outside of his control, and it breaks my heart, because Ted wants so badly to be a good father, a good coach, a good friend, a good partner, a good patient. He’s there for people in all kinds of ways, even in his current less-than-capable state. He takes care of Sharon post-concussion and even gets her a new bike! During the disastrous match at Wembley his coaching is ineffectual and everything is chaos but he’s the last one standing on the pitch! But this really awful thing keeps happening to Jamie and Ted is just…frozen in the face of it. Like one of those nightmares where you’re running in place.

The frozen-in-place nightmare also kind of applies to the way the total separation between Ted and Rebecca feels, too. I have never for a moment doubted the writers�� intentions in setting these characters up as soulmates on parallel journeys, and I’m actually really digging (on a story level) how disconnected they are right now. It is IMPRESSIVE that their absence in each other’s lives feels like such a glaring loss, one we cannot forget even as there are so many other things happening onscreen. It is 100% not just shipper goggles making me process information about Ted while thinking about Rebecca and information about Rebecca while thinking about Ted. I know there are a lot of really angry and frustrated people in the fandom right now (both T/R shippers and T/R antis and non-shipping fans who don’t get why s2 is different from s1) and while I understand being frustrated by choices characters make, and frustrated by the feelings the show makes us feel that we just want to feel more of or less of, I continue to agree with pretty much every narrative choice happening right now.

Agreeing with the narrative like this?! This is such a unique experience for me as a viewer—to feel like I’m on a ride that is at once absolutely wild and incredibly sensible and well-crafted, and to feel simultaneously completely invested and anticipatory and speculative but also totally willing to trust where it goes. I long for Ted and Beard to really talk. I long for Ted and Rebecca to stop missing each other. I long for Roy to have a serious conversation with Ted about what’s happening with him. I long for Keeley to find a vocation, something that drives her beyond her projects. I long for so many things! But I wouldn’t long for them if this show was less good. If the show was less good, I wouldn’t have a wish list a mile long because I wouldn’t be so attuned to the details and potential lurking in every scene. THIS IS SUCH A GOOD SHOW, I CANNOT HANDLE IT, I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

(To that end, a great deal of the Ted Lasso tag and so many Twitter reactions reactions to the show feel super stressful right now and I am kind of just trying not to look?! I love this fandom so much because of the amazing conversations that happen and because of brilliant fic and because there are some awesome people I never would have encountered were it not for this show. That little bubble is wonderful and I’d stay in this fandom no matter what in order to keep experiencing those things. But fans’ catastrophic reactions to every little thing that happens, every little choice a character makes that isn’t the “perfect” choice? The takeaway that the writers—on this show of all shows—wake up in the morning ready for another day of torturing shippers rather than another day of writing a beautiful story they genuinely want to write? I do not enjoy those parts at all. I would like to opt out of those parts. I’m having such a magical experience watching this show and talking about this show and listening about this show and writing about this show with a variety of people who feel all kinds of ways. I truly wish I could somehow transfer the energy of this experience onto all the people who are hating it right now. I don’t mind at all that people are having vastly different reactions to this show and are sharing their honest feelings, including the really angry ones (I can appreciate something and disagree with it!), and I get that sometimes the language of fannish reactions is intentionally, ironically hyperbolic. But there feels like this very serious trend of people legitimately thinking writers on this show are targeting shippers and have lost respect for their characters, and I just feel like an alien from another planet when I see that stuff. I guess I just feel like people make art because they want their art to be visible to other people and to themselves, but that doesn’t typically involve specifically catering to or torturing a subset of that audience?)

I am more fascinated by Sharon Fieldstone than ever before. I have been running through every single action with her and Ted so many times. The confirmation that she’s living in club-provided housing (that could not look more different from Ted’s club-provided flat). Ted clearly noticing the many bottles. Sharon’s face while she tries to casually recycle them. (Sharon could legitimately have a more problematic relationship with alcohol than Ted does, and I find that extremely interesting and am very curious to find out what happens there.) Sharon leaving him voice notes while she’s concussed, probably because she’d been thinking about him shortly before the accident. The way Ted calls her and does all the funny voices and it’s not frustrating like all the times he uses his silliness and allusions to deflect during their prior conversations because this time, those behaviors are just a part of him showing care for another person. The way they stretch each other, and Ted is still wrong about the things he’s been wrong about, but they both grow all the same.

While it is pretty much impossible for me to imagine that this show would include an actual romantic relationship between Ted and Sharon (it would be beyond unethical even if they could write it well, and Sharon in particular is so professional and committed to her work, and it would erase so much of the powerful message about the importance of seeking therapy from a professional who is not your friend or partner, and I would totally hate it), watching this episode was the first moment I had this queasy little feeling that it’s possible that Ted could end up developing really complicated feelings about Sharon since, at this point, he’s been honest with her about things he’s hardly spoken about before and you can really form an attachment to people you feel safe with in a new way. (I mean, I’m sure Michelle knows what happened with Ted’s father, but I’m not even certain if Beard does.) He’s so broken right now, and Sharon is such a great person and so different from anyone else in his life (even though Rebecca is also different, and Beard is also different, and Roy is also different, and so on), that I could see things getting really fuzzy for him. I continue to have faith in the way the storylines on this show are handled. I’m just. Putting this here.

(In saying that, though, I also wanna make it really clear that I don’t just automatically assume anytime a new female character is introduced that they’re going to end up becoming a romantic complication. Like, Phoebe is allowed to have a teacher who is an attractive woman and AFC Richmond is allowed to have a sports psychologist who is an attractive woman and Keeley is allowed to talk to Jamie Tartt without it threatening what she has with Roy and all these people can exist as human beings without the introduction of romantic drama.)

Isaac gives every player one haircut per season, OH MY GOD. The JOY during the haircut scene. YES.

KEELEY AND REBECCA. Their text thread. The affirming video call right before Rebecca goes into the restaurant. The way Keeley sits all snuggled up against Rebecca in her office.

I was pretty thoroughly spoiled for the Sam and Rebecca plot through 2x8, and I was bracing for something far more problematic and tortured than what happens in this episode. The words I would use to describe their scenes: awkward, cute, cringy, and understandable. There are a million reasons why this relationship isn’t sustainable, but I felt completely understanding of both their choices here. This show has a lot of thesis statements, but I keep going back to the idea from 2x1 that there are people who enter your life to help you get to the next point, and I think it’s entirely possible that Sam and Rebecca will mutually be that for each other.

I find comparisons between Rupert and Rebecca super upsetting. There are absolutely meaningful things to say about the irony of ending up in a situation with an uncomfortable resemblance to certain taboo elements of an ex’s situation. But that ex is abusive and manipulative and cruel and Rebecca has exhibited NONE of those behaviors, and it makes me really sad to think that people feel that the writers on this show have betrayed Rebecca in giving her this storyline.

As always, I reserve the right to keep blathering about this show. I’ve had a headache for a couple of days, but my head is also so full of 2x8 thoughts that I couldn’t keep them in even if the circumstances for writing this were not ideal. I kind of hate that I’ve included frustrated fandom thoughts within the analysis of what I felt was an absolutely gorgeous, complicated, heartbreaking, near-perfect episode of television, but if ya can’t be a little dramatic on your own tumblr while you’re feeling raw and under the weather, where can ya?

#ted lasso #ted lasso s2 spoilers #meta by me #ted lasso 2x8 #a lesbian watches ted lasso #cw: suicide mention #cw: alcohol abuse mention

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hellsbellschime · 3 years ago

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Ok, so I’ve always noticed some of the racism on TVD , most notably the treatment of Marcel and Emily, and the founders day parade episode (which, as a Virginian I have to say that the episode made me low-key ashamed when I re-watched it years later). But it took me a while to catch onto the racism on Bonnie‘s character. I was wondering if you have done a meta about it and could link me to it, or if you could do one?

Well it only took me like a year but here ya go!

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Despite the fact that The Vampire Diaries is a show that was ostensibly created for girls and young women, the show undeniably seems to lack a certain level of respect or basic interest in its female characters. And while every single significant female character demonstrates that misogynistic point of view in one way or another, one of the most unique, distinct, and apparent instances of The Vampire Diaries' sexism is on peak display with one of it's leading female characters, Bonnie Bennett.

Bonnie obviously occupies a particularly interesting role in the series because she's the only black leading character, and it's also hard to miss that The Vampire Diaries universe has a pretty apparent issue with it's non-white characters as well.

The race problem on TVD expresses itself in a few different, extremely blatant ways. The most obvious issue with people of color on The Vampire Diaries is that those who are actually PoC within the narrative itself are typically pushed to the sidelines and relegated to supporting players at best, but there is also an issue with presenting PoC performers who are white-passing as white characters.

None of the PoC characters in The Vampire Diaries get very good treatment, but the series seems to be exceptionally problematic when it comes to its presentation of black characters. While black people arguably get more representation than any other non-white characters in this fictional world, they are almost all outrageously attractive, extremely light-skinned, and conveniently lacking in any emotional needs or inner life that needs to be addressed within the narrative, seemingly designed to show up, perform whatever service is necessary, and once again fade into the background if not just be killed off entirely.

This is an issue with every black character in the series, but given that Bonnie is the most significant and prominent in the series, it comes as no surprise that she was affected the most intensely by these biases. It's one thing to be a black character, it's one thing to be a female character, but being a black female character in the TVD universe is exceptionally crippling. But how exactly did the misogynoir of The Vampire Diaries completely neutralize Bonnie Bennett as a character?

Bonnie was mistreated, dismissed, and outright ignored in many big and small ways throughout the course of the show. But, a lot of that treatment can be pretty easily sorted into a few categorizations. The Vampire Diaries went through a pretty seismic shift from the start of the show to the end, but it has always been a series that falls primarily into two genres, the supernatural thriller genre and the romance genre.

The show pretty clearly transformed from a show that was firstly a supernatural story with a romantic subgenre into an almost entirely romantic story with a supernatural backdrop, but it's safe to say that the vast majority of the plotlines were either focused on magic or love. And, it's not particularly difficult to see how Bonnie was forcibly excluded from a predominant storyline in each genre, even when it made absolutely no sense.

Bonnie was a completely inexperienced witch at the start of TVD, so her cluelessness and powerlessness made a certain amount of sense at that point. But by the end of season 2 at the very latest, it seems fully established that she is one of the most powerful living witches in the world, and for the bulk of the series it is plainly acknowledged that she is one of the most powerful witches who ever lived. Which is exactly why Bonnie's position in the narrative is baffling.

In quite a few instances, Bonnie's magical abilities seem to be somewhat inconsistent, at least in the sense that, if she can solve some of the biggest problems that the Mystic Falls gang is confronted with, then it's very odd that she can't solve the others. And while plenty of characters in TVD are occasionally used as plot devices rather than characters, Bonnie seems to be the one who is specifically designed to show up, fix what needs fixing, and then become set dressing once she's no longer necessary as the mystical solution to every unsolvable issue.

And this is actually a significant problem with the witches at large, but of course is most recognizable with Bonnie because she is the most prominent witch. While not all witches are women of color, it seems like they are far more represented in that faction of the magical world than in any other. So then, it's interesting that the witches are presented as servants of nature who are meant to selflessly restore order to the world without actually using their abilities for their own personal gain.

Of course there are plenty of witches who appear to use their powers for themselves, but still, it's incredibly meaningful that the lone black main character in the series is constantly sacrificing herself for the sake of the otherwise entirely white cast of characters. It's even more meaningful that she seems to willingly put herself in the line of fire every time, and it's also extremely telling that she suffers and even dies without complaint for the sake of other people.

And while TVD has never been the kind of show to linger on emotional moments for too long, Bonnie seems to stick out like a sore thumb in this circumstance as well. Most of the main and even supporting characters have moments where their pain is acknowledged and at least has a second to breathe, but there are quite a few situations where Bonnie should be upset but isn't, or where her emotional journey as a character literally takes place off screen.

This lack of acknowledgment and nearly complete omission of an internal emotional life that doesn't involve sacrificing herself for her friends only further makes Bonnie feel like a plot device instead of a character. And, while no character needs a romantic relationship to make their character complete, it is incredibly relevant that, on a series that was built largely on a foundation of romance and arguably became a completely romantically driven show by its end, only one of the female leads was pretty much never presented as a viable love interest.

Nearly every character is either threatened or charmed into doing what someone else wants them to at some point during The Vampire Diaries, however, Bonnie's charm-to-threaten ratio seems to lean very heavily in favor of threatening. That in itself wouldn't necessarily be a huge issue, but it seems to punish Bonnie in a way that is so severe that it's completely illogical.

Trying to intimidate Elena or Caroline, people who at best have the strength of a baby vampire and at worst are as powerful as a normal human, makes sense. But trying to strongarm the most powerful witch in the world instead of just convincing her to do what you ask seems like an incredibly dangerous and completely baffling decision.

And yet, that is how Bonnie is forced to do nearly everything that she doesn't want to do in eight seasons of the series. By the end of season 2, TVD has canonically confirmed that Bonnie is powerful enough to destroy Klaus Mikaelson, and yet people like Klaus, Katherine, and even vampires as young as Damon get Bonnie to do things by simply bullying or even assaulting her into doing it. And what does Bonnie typically do in response? Absolutely nothing.

At a certain point, the consistent contrast between Bonnie's mystical strength and the way that people treat her in order to use that strength becomes a pretty gaping plot hole. And while it's not unheard of for someone to try to sweet talk Bonnie into joining their team, it is almost always done by a character who is far less powerful than she is and who is completely irrelevant to the narrative at large.

In contrast to characters like Elena and Caroline, the distinction between them becomes even more obvious. Perhaps a thin argument could be made that because Elena is a doppelganger that makes her a tad more unique, but when one of the most powerful creatures on the planet was wrapped around Caroline's finger, it really begs the question, why wasn't anyone ever as invested or even obsessed with Bonnie as they were with the other two female leads on the series?

After all, Elena's love was consistently treated as if it was the greatest prize that anyone could possibly win, and the two male leads were completely obsessed with her and willing to do anything they could to try to win her over. And despite the fact that Elena was at the center of the love triangle that was a significant driving force behind the story for the entire series, she still managed to score a few love interests that weren't Salvatores throughout the show's eight seasons as well.

And, while Caroline was actually treated as more of the reject love interest in comparison to the unattainable Elena, her record with romance is also incredibly varied. Even though she was portrayed at best as the consolation prize and at worst the abuse victim, she did have some sort of romantic relationship with the two male leads in the show. Or at least, that is how The Vampire Diaries chose to portray it.

In addition to her horrorshow with Damon and her incredibly brief marriage with Stefan, Caroline is also a love interest for Klaus, Matt, Tyler, and disgustingly, Alaric. Arguably the only main male character who doesn't serve as Caroline's love interest or potential love interest at any point is Jeremy.

Although this laundry list of love interests can be partially excused by the fact that Caroline is characterized as someone who wants to date a lot, the contrast bet0ween characters like Caroline and Elena and characters like Bonnie is astonishing.

Over a nearly decade-long run, Bonnie's only legitimate leading men are Jeremy, Elena's kid brother who Bonnie will willingly die for but who also prefers a literal dead person over her at one point, and Enzo, her epic love romance that comes about at the very end of the series in a relationship that almost entirely develops off-screen.

Of course, female characters do not need love interests to validate their characterization or very existence, however in an environment where every single barely significant supporting character seems to get at least two love interests, it's incredibly telling that Bonnie Bennett gets two important love stories in eight seasons of storytelling.

It seems even more relevant that the show seemingly went out of its way to sidestep almost any and all opportunities for romance in Bonnie's character arc. Whether it was Kol, Kai, or Damon Salvatore, there were quite a few instances where there was a clear and easy route to develop a love interest for Bonnie in a way that made sense and had a pretty solid amount of audience support, and yet the series always went out of its way to avoid it.

In stark contrast, Caroline is still seen as a viable option for a burgeoning love story when she's pregnant, and Elena is an acceptable love interest when she's literally unconscious. And yet, in a series that began with romance as its secondary genre and that evolved into a romance series with a supernatural backdrop, Bonnie is supposedly not as appealing of a love interest as Elena and Caroline regardless of any circumstances, no matter how insane.

If these issues existed in a vacuum then they might be excusable, but considering how poorly The Vampire Diaries treated its female characters and black characters, it's pretty much impossible to avoid the reality that Bonnie Bennett's entire character arc was likely hamstrung by the fact that she was a black girl.

In any reasonable circumstances, Bonnie would have arguably been at the center of every single supernatural storyline, and she logically would have been a far more appealing love interest to any powerful characters in the series. But instead she spent the vast majority of her screentime with her inner characterization ignored, her personal development unexplored, and serving as little more than a glorified deus ex machina who didn't even want her friends to bother mourning her when she literally sacrificed her life for them.

Representation was always an issue in The Vampire Diaries universe, and unfortunately it seems like Bonnie was the definition of their token black character. Although the series had eight entire years to course correct and had many seasons where they were desperate for new ideas and decent character development, the racism and misogyny of the series seemingly prevented them from ever tapping into the enormous untapped potential of someone who should have been one of their flagship lead characters.

#bonnie bennett #anti tvd #anti the vampire diaries #misogynoir #racism #sexism #misogyny #tvd #the vampire diaries #bonnie bennett meta #anti tvd meta #tvd meta #meta #my videos

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brooklynboysficrecs · 4 years ago

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Ria’s Top 10 Canon-verse Fics

So, I’m a little surprised I’ve held off on doing this particular Top 10 as long as I have, if only because this does cover the majority of stucky fics that have been written. It also contains some of my all-time favorite fics, which I will be screaming about below. You’ve been warned. But anyway, this is getting down into the nitty-gritty of why I love stucky -- the original ‘verse, with the original storyline (although there are a fair few canon-divergent fics in here, I’m sure). Pure, unadulterated Steve Rogers loving Bucky Barnes. What more can you ask for, honestly? You could ask for it to be legit canon, but lmao, no, we don’t expect things like that, especially not from the MCU writers. Also, some of the fics I might’ve included in this list are recced in an ask I got a while ago, so go check that out for some mostly-canon angst. Regardless, here are my personal Top 10 canon-verse fic recs:

1. Ain’t No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) by spitandvinegar. Alright, buckle up friends, because this is the end-all, be-all of my favorite stucky fics. I have reread it probably four or five times in the four years I’ve been in this fandom, and it hits me just as hard every single time. This is canon-divergent post-WS, where Bucky’s come-down from his Hydra conditioning is accompanied by a drug addiction and two smart-mouthed kids he rescued from the streets. Steve literally loves nothing more than he loves Bucky and he is determined to bring Bucky home, kids included. There is just -- so much I love about this story. I can’t possibly fit it all into a little blurb. But this is my favorite stucky fic, hands-down. It’s a must-read if you can handle the incredibly sensitive topics it covers, which means it’s not for everyone. But it has my highest seal of approval.

2. Perilous Underside of the World by eyres. I reread this recently because I was in the mood for both angst and badass Bucky, and this delivered in spades. Steve’s been kidnapped and held captive by Ross for months, tortured and experimented on, and it as devastating as it sounds. Cue Bucky and the rest of Team Cap coming in for a rescue mission and an adrenaline-filled adventure through the Antarctic wasteland. The summary says it all, honestly: Steve throws a snow-mobile at a helicopter in this one.

3. Steve Rogers at 100: Celebrating Captain America on Film by eleveninches, febricant, hellotailor, M_Leigh, neenya, tigrrmilk. A lot of fics are enhanced by visual media, usually some type of fanart, but few are incomplete without it -- this fic is one of them. It’s a look through in-universe media depictions of Captain America over the years, with real-life casting and amazingly done posters for the movies. The various Avengers are there to react to it all and it’s nothing short of glorious.

4. Came Back Haunted* by Brenda. You guys should know how much I love Brenda’s writing, since I waxed poetic about it when I was doing the rec for Prince Charming, but I’m going to say it again: I love her writing. And this is yet again another fic series that will tear at your heart and stitch you back together again. It features, among other things: Bucky and Thor friendship; a road-trip; dark Steve; and bearded Steve! All good things. It’s been a while since I’ve read this, but I’m pretty assured there is much angst to be found here as well, plus the requisite happy ending, because, as previously mentioned, I don’t do unhappy endings.

5. Tender is the Ghost* by Hark_bananas. OH WOW. Okay. So. I started reading this series right before the second part had been published, and I just. Fell in love with it. The first part is set right after Bucky turned himself into SHIELD, and it features Steve and Bucky re-learning about each other (and themselves) through a closed door, considering Steve isn’t allowed to see Bucky face-to-face. And the second part picks up once Bucky is ready to go home with Steve, and it’s. So sweet. Bucky and Steve recovering, together, and finding love along the way. Bucky loves plants. What more could you ask for?

6. Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail* by owlet. I think this is probably one of the most popular series in this fandom, and for good reason. It’s Bucky setting himself a new goal after the fallout of Project Insight, and that goal is a protection detail for Steve Rogers, well before he has his memories to back up the need for such a thing. Bucky and Steve don’t get romantically involved until much later in the series, but their friendship is a thing of beauty in this, as is Bucky learning how to be human again, through coffee, grilled cheese, and The Olds, the elderly neighbors he comes to care for while he’s watching Steve’s back from across the street. I adore this series and I think most people would be hard pressed to find anything they don’t like about it.

7. The Blood Will Dry by castiowl. There are clones in this one. It might be the sci-fi nerd in me, but honestly that’s enough information to hook me already. But this fic is a fantastic, gripping read from start to finish, and the clones are only a part of that. It’s another fic that written right after The Winter Soldier came out, and so it has a lot of the hallmarks of that era: Bucky dealing with his conditioning, coming back to himself and Steve, Hydra-hunting missions, some kidnapping, unfortunate throwbacks to torture, and Steve having to figure his own shit out right alongside Bucky.

8. To Stop My Mind From Wandering by Lynchy8. This one is a little shorter than the other fics on this list, but it’s still one of my favorites, and for a much different reason than the others. This is Bucky and Steve separated for the majority of the fic, with Bucky taking up residence in Steve abandoned apartment while he’s off being Captain America and also looking for Bucky. Bucky does home repairs for Steve. Steve broods and worries. Bucky heals on his own terms and it’s lovely. And the ending is very sweet when Steve finally does come home.

9. despite the threatening sky and shuddering earth (they remained) by praximiter. AKA The Mask Fic. Which. Jesus Christ. This should’ve gone in with my angst fic recs, because this will hurt you, in the best possible way. Bucky’s mask doesn’t come off, and so there’s no pivotal moment of realization for Steve, no hellfire determination to ensure Bucky survives their fights against all odds. But he’s saved regardless, and the rest of the fic is the team trying to communicate with him, learn his story, all while Bucky can’t speak and the mask physically cannot come off. Like I said, it’s a recipe for Pain, but the pay-off is more than worth it, in my opinion.

10. waiting for the winter by coldhope. Also just recently reread this one, and I loved the progression of Steve and Bucky’s relationship here as well. It also has Bucky befriending all of the Avengers, not just Natasha or Sam; getting to see from other characters’ POV how their perception of Bucky changes as the fic goes on was so interesting, since it’s not something I’ve seen done in many fics. Which also might be a personal thing on my part, who knows. Anyway. Good fic. Steve and Bucky don’t take forever to figure out their feelings, but they do take a while to get on the same page with each other, which should surprise absolutely no one who has ever read a stucky fic before.

*series, not individual story titles

#stucky #stevebucky #fic rec #canon-verse #canon-divergent #top 10

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lover-of-trash-and-people · 4 years ago

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bittersweet netflix shadow and bone finale (s1 e8) rewatch; accoutrement: white wine with ice cubes in it (no YOU'RE a mom drink shh)

my wine's like fruity I love her

light and darkness title card we love to see it

Inej looking at Alina before she goes below deck to hide <3

okay that 'what can you really do on your own' was like not fun that shit hurted

okay but Jesper's 'not enough'? <3

oh no my baby Zoya's first inkling that Darkles does not really care

omg Helnik just appeared and I remembered how much heartbreak I have to face in this episode

gods I love Danielle as Nina so so much

'this can't be it' said she with her pleading smile with downturned eyebrows MA'AM I-

don't break my dumb little heart

I might hate Calahan's little accent but they're making me tear up

oh gods I literally cannot keep a hold on myself when Dani's accent bleeds through with full force, it's like she comes more alive or smth

'I will keep you warm' SIR WHAT-

I am surprised they showed a leaning in for a kiss so soon but I'm not mad about it

her little eyebrow twitch at 'what are waffles'

when that rando said 'i hunt slavers now' a dread settled into me because I knew what was about to go down

Matthias looking somberly at the stuffed wolf's head </3

I am so incredibly entranced by this exchange between Fedyor and Nina and what it represents, it's very interesting that they pushed up their storyline to match with the timeline

damn it's kind of jarring to be back in the Fold

'REMEMBER WHO'S DRIVING'??!!!! *you better stop* meme, *i am, disgusted* meme, *oh wow, oh wow* meme

Mal you fucking idiot you could never take the crows by surprise

the music rising as Kaz starts explaining his thought process, fucking perfection

haha Mal bitchass Inej caught you

'Because if he isn't with Kirigan's crew, he's with ours' WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREAMED

'And why would we destroy the Fold? It's the greatest weapon we've got' valid point at the moment but you know I don't necessarily agree with your methods

the use of the light tunnel in the show instead of Alina just being a super flashlight in the books is quite an interesting addition as well

is this an inappropriate time to point out how pretty Ben Barnes is

okay I kind of love the depiction of the shadow powers okay sue me

'they are traitors who tried to kill you' why are you suddenly making valid points despite having kind of committed low scale genocide

'i never said I was smart' YES MAL BE THE VOICE OF HIMBOS EVERYWHERE

Kaz's face going from 'can you believe this idiot' at Mal to 'fuck me I'm gonna do the same thing aren't I' at Inej

'For who would oppose us now?' *himbo romantic rival appears out of nowhere and shoots at him* god I love this show

him standing calmly in his ridiculous all black attire after nodding at his soldier to stop the himbo in his tracks, i fucking can't

could she summon light without the Darkling making her after he put the collar on her until the uhm moment in the books? idts but in the show she can hmm

'only because I'm not in the game' you tell him Jesper

not me snickering at 'you'll be seen not as a saviour, but as a heretic' LMFAO

'Shame. I'll have to give that speech again now.' THIS SHOW IS A FUCKING COMEDY AND YOU CAN'T PROVE ME WRONG

YES LET'S FUCKING GO SULI SOLIDARITY

Darkles casually whipping the Cut out like a shuriken or a throwing knife at Jesper because he shot at him lmao I can't

INEJ FUCKING GHAFA STABBED ONE THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THAT WORLD AND THAT IS VERY TELLING OF HER POWER

that moment where you actually think that affected him despite having read the books and watched the show

and then he has to go and fucking say 'it will take more than this' and I can't be help but be a little bit impressed at this old fool's resilience

throwback to when he said 'the king is a child' sir you make some valid points sometimes and it does make it difficult to hate you

I would just like to inform everyone that it is currently 6:09 am IST and I am sipping my second mug of wine while watching netflix sab for the second time instead of doing my three papers that are due tomorrow

I'm sorry but Inej jumping to check on Zoya after she gets knocked over by the volcra? first class display of solidarity and sisterhood as well as Inej's inherent kindness

Kaz jumping in front of a FUCKING VOLCRA AND STABBING IT WITH HIS CANE to save Inej, you best believe love is true, kids

god the volcra are so ugly and gross, they did such a good job with them

they kind of remind me of these creatures (I think they might have been called Hollows or smth) from the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children movie

STAG VISION TIME

despite my dislike for the callous nature with which the stag plotline was handled, I kind of dig the stag vision scene

'It's just me and you now, Alina. And we're all we need, anyway.' I actually feel bad for this old fool simping for this wonderful gorgeous powerful woman despite lying to her and manipulating her and exploiting her power

okay 'I never needed you' *stabs the bone fragment out of his hand* beautiful power move I fucking love you so so much

alright ben looking like ✨ that✨ not only in physical pain but also emotional pain at what the Darkling clearly considers another betrayal from this girl he wants to give the world and maybe? loves? maybe? or at least has feelings for makes my fucking heart hurt while simultaneously soar at Alina taking back control and reclaiming her power as her own and stepping into her own

'how do you claim such power' okay could have had better dialogue there writers

the fucking score lifting as she says 'you cannot claim what was not given to you' good people my heart is full

one day I'll talk about my defense of the chosen one trope because god damn I kind of love it

hmm I wonder was that brief hesitation that we saw on Alina's face due to her thinking about the 'you chose to betray our people' comment or the 'i was trying to save us' comment because that will define some of her actions in the later seasons (hopefully god if we get some, I honestly don't know what with this stupid brownface debacle)

I'm not saying talking about brownface and pointing out that it is wrong (for further context, I am actually brown) and harmful is stupid btw I'm talking about the incidents involving brownface in question

I don't wanna talk about this anymore but I might feel like I need to and end up posting about it idk

goodness Ivan actually believing in this cause makes me so sad because he too has been victimized by the system that ostracizes Grisha and he has every right to feel the way that he does

Ben actually fighting in that ridiculously heavy cloak and kefta when he's about to turn 40 this year makes me super impressed because I as a 19 year old sometimes wake up with muscle pulls after weeks of inactivity it's weird idk

also I understand that this Mal Darkling fight is completely fanservice and serves nearly no purpose to the plot in general but like I? love it?

'I don't have to kill you Darkling. Your past will do it for me' YES HIMBO GO OFF YOU TELL THAT OLD MAN GODS THAT WAS SEXY AS FUCK

maybe it's because I know Darkles will survive and will come out of it more powerful but I can't get myself to feel bad for him at the moment

Inej and Mal tearing up at Alina's condition made me almost feel something despite it being super obvious she was gonna be fine and save their asses at the last moment

HER POWER

a solitary Kaz in spotted on the western side of the newly expanded fold in his signature all black emo boy look

okay but the crows with zoya and malina is such an adorable team? I literally love them so much?

INEJ'S FUCKING SMILE AT ALINA GIVING HER THE DAGGER AND KAZ LOOKING AT HER AGSGSGSHSJSJSK MY HEART CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE

SHE KNOWS JUST WHAT TO NAME IT WELL GIRLIE I KNOW IT TOO AND MY FUCKING HEART IS LITERALLY GONNA BURST

okay I know they had one interaction but Mal and Jesper would be besties in another universe

Kaz glaring at Jesper when he answers ''course not' to Alina's 'will you still be trying to kidnap me?' tell me one fucking adaptation that got the dynamics between characters this perfectly

okay why do I love that Alina kept the jewellery as maybe a small nod to she has the wits to, um, you know, I don't wanna say steal, but, um, yeah, steal it because she knew she would need money to survive on the run

oh Jessie I love you so much I wish you hadn't said those things on you ig story about the brownface

it's like every single celeb I grow attached to god's like nope that one is going to do or say something problematic (hey btw im not reassigning blame to god for stuff people have done out of their own free will, 'twas a joke)

AAAAAAAH them saying 'the deal is the deal' in the show even though they didn't have to but like they did and I love them for it

Inej literally not being able to not stare at Kaz's face and smile after this <3

'I didn't expect it to burn at all. But it can be destroyed in the end. Just like him' babe you're not wrong but like um just you wait

god Mal being on supportive boyfie mode is well, absolutely adorable, obviously, but I wish we got to see more of him as a person outside of his attachment to Alina

kaz my little demjin I wish you hadn't have had to suffer so much to meet the crows and find your calling

fastforwarding Zoya's arc is also an interesting choice to me

I wish the hug hadn't been done though, it didn't feel earned

maybe Alina awkwardly and half-heartedly (remember, at this point the alliance is fresh and they still don't entirely trust each other) reached for a hug and Zoya avoided her? and then the rest of Zoya's lines followed? that would have made more sense to me at least

I love Sujaya as well, she brought life into Zoya with whatever little screentime and scraps of writing she got

inej asking kaz 'what's your angle?' beep bop bleep morp I sense another incoming embarrassing love confession

'but we do need you' *stares at her face intensely* 'I need you' ah look at the clock, look's like it's time to screech and flap your arms like you're a volcra because you're incapable of containing your emotions

NO YOU CAN'T GO DIRECTLY FROM KANEJ PROGRESS TO HELNIK BREAKUP (TEMPORARY, MIND YOU)

helnik my loves you don't deserve this I'm so sorry for both of you

Matthias fucking smiling ruefully while he says 'this was... just a cruel joke all along' THIS IS NOT FUCKING OKAY

omg hellgate

AAAAAAAAH NINA IS ON THE SAME FRAME AS THE OG CROWS I CAN'T HANDLE THIS

CAMERA PAN FROM KAZ SAYING 'JUST HOW THIS ALL STARTED... WE'RE GONNA NEED A HEARTRENDED' TO NINA OVERHEARING HIM AND LOOKING OVER?????!!!!!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING THIS TO ME?!

Nina genuinely being curious as to the status of the sun saint because she obviously still cares

Also, 'But she is a Saint' okay Kaz trying to earn brownie points you have succeeded

DID THAT SAILOR JUST SAY 'GOED MORGEN FENTOMEN' TO MALINA BECAUSE I AM NOT OKAY WITH THEM JUST THROWING THAT IN MY FACE ALL OF A SUDDEN

gods I know I'll probably see them again but my heart is full of sorrow as my eyes drink in the sight of my crows for the last time for a while

I know people were annoyed at the meadow flashbacks but guess what? as a darklina, I loved them

'now that the Darkling is dead' could have phrased that a little differently my dudes that line needed to hold more weight

am I glad that they showed Darkles in this state with his nichevo'ya as a tasty little cliffhanger despite not being entirely true to the source material? maybe but only because Ben Barnes saying 'follow' and the nichevo'ya doing exactly so sent a chill down my spine

well, that's it for now, I'll have to move on I guess, get back to my real life which I'm obviously not ready to do

thank you to whoever actually read these things

I probably should have just made reactions or commentary videos instead but I'm lazy

my tumblr will probably go into inactivity once more as I emerge from my stint in the grishaverse

it was quite short (less than 2 months), considering the length of my other obsessions but it was definitely more intense than the other ones

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vanessakirbyfans · 4 years ago

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Vanessa Kirby suggests we meet on the Mall, the central location for her on-screen triumph as the young Princess Margaret in The Crown. I’m standing outside the shuttered Institute of Contemporary Arts when she strides into view, a slender, leggy figure with bleached hair and brilliant blue eyes, clad in trademark black, but for her gleaming white Converse trainers.

"I haven’t been here since we were filming!" she marvels through her mask, gazing up the processional avenue towards Buckingham Palace. "I was whizzing up the road on a motorbike, holding onto the back of Matthew Goode [as Antony Armstrong-Jones] and feeling so exhilarated about what on Earth was happening to my life – being in a job I loved, playing someone I loved."

Her ebullient mood was dented when Margaret’s handbag, into which she’d put her own phone, was blown away from between her feet, and an opportunistic passer-by ran off with it. "By the time I could check Find My iPhone, it was already in Leicester Square," she says. "Of course, the costume department were furious because the bag was vintage and a one-off." We both laugh, rather ruefully, for such anecdotes already seem to belong to a more carefree time. This bright, crisp lunchtime in lockdown, the Mall is all but deserted –there would be no need for roadblocks or filming at dawn today – while the roles Kirby is here to discuss are light-years away from her embodiment of a pampered royal party girl.

The morning of our meeting, Pieces of a Woman has launched on Netflix to rapturous reviews and critical acclaim that has seen Kirby, in her first lead role, picked as a front-runner for the award season’s most coveted best-actress gongs.

It is not, however, an easy watch. Kirby plays Martha, a first-time mother whose baby dies moments after being born; the film follows Martha’s subsequent disintegration, alongside that of her close relationships. Her labour, which comes at the start of the film, is some 26 minutes of one unbroken take that manages to be simultaneously intimate and menacing as the camera swoops around the apartment and hovers beside the traumatised protagonists.

Kirby’s performance is astonishingly unselfconscious, which is the more surprising since she never went to drama school (turning down the offer of a place at Lamda in favour of stage roles at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre) and says she couldn't bring herself to dance in front of her friends. "I’m the one who sits in the corner and watches." She describes seeing herself on-screen as "disconcerting", and "not a very natural human experience", and indeed even finds making Zoom calls a trial. "There’s nothing to hide behind!"

For Pieces of a Woman, the director Kornel Mundruczo decided that the birth scene would be the first to be shot, she tells me, as we stroll around St James’s Park, conducting ourselves like a couple of spies in a Le Carré novel. "I knew I’d have to be naked, and literally open my legs and give birth in front of a group of strangers I’d only met that morning. I was actually quite thankful – I thought, the rest of it’s going to be a lot easier."

In fact, she says, she found herself swept away by the emotion of the story. "Normally, it’s so hard to forget there are machines in your face, but I had no idea that a camera was even there." Was it traumatic to act? "The first time we shot it, I was literally sobbing for 10 minutes afterwards. I couldn’t get out of it. My brain was telling me it wasn’t real, but my unconscious didn’t know the difference, especially with having a real baby in my arms.

"Kornel came over onto the bed and held me so tight. He didn’t let go of me for five minutes, and he said, 'Just remember this feeling.' That really helped me for the rest of the movie, when the character doesn’t express anything, but almost has to be doing the howling without speaking a word."

Kirby took her research seriously, even asking a mother-to-be –a total stranger – to allow her to be present in the delivery room at the birth of her son in a north-London hospital. "I remember every single second of it," the actress says emphatically. "I was there, glued to my seat, for seven hours, not even a loo break! I was just amazed, in awe. I saw a woman completely surrender and go on this spiritual journey, which involved indescribable pain, clearly, but also ecstasy. It gave me a whole new respect for women and how powerful they are, and a new empathy for men, because they feel so helpless. And obviously, seeing the baby come out was the most incredible thing in the world I’ve ever seen, by far. After he was born, all of the mother’s colour returned, she looked like an angel, she had a kind of holy glow." Bathetically, it was only then that the couple recognised Kirby. "They were going, 'Oh my God, it’s Princess Margaret! This is so weird!'"

The experience has given her a new philosophy on life, she says. "I was watching the mother go through these contractions, which were excruciating, and the pushing, and then there was a moment of calm, and of expansion. And so, when I’m going through things in my life, I say to myself, this is like a contraction, surrender to it, because there might be something born from it. Sometimes we don’t want that; when we’re feeling something horrible, we want it to pass as far as possible. I’m teaching myself to allow it to be there and not resist or push it away, and that’s because of that woman."

But her character’s storyline also demanded that Kirby understand the experience of stillbirth. A friend introduced her to a woman who had lost her baby Luciana under eerily similar circumstances to those in Martha’s narrative. "She shared everything with me." They have become close friends, and the film’s ending is dedicated to Luciana. Kirby continues to work with Sands, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity, and is voluble in her admiration of the Duchess of Sussex and Chrissy Teigen, both of whom have recently spoken out about their own experiences of miscarriage.

"I feel so close to them and so proud of them for breaking that silence," she says. "Meghan is probably the last person who would feel comfortable sharing her very personal, intimate feelings. It’s that courage that I want to continue to honour. What they’re saying is, if you’ve been through it, we have too, we share your story. I think that makes you feel less lonely. But one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, which is far more than I knew about. Society finds it difficult to hold space for that kind of pain."

Her parents, to whom she is very close, have both seen the film and wept throughout, she says. As if on cue, her phone pings, and her eyes soften when she checks the message; it’s a childhood friend who herself miscarried, getting in touch to say how much the film has meant to her.

The integrity of Kirby’s performance has already netted her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. "It doesn’t seem real," she says. "I have it in its case – I wouldn’t have it on display, it looks like a football trophy – but occasionally I glance at it and think, 'Did that really happen? Or did I make it up in a weird dream?'" In a similar vein, she is reluctant to engage with the Oscar buzz surrounding her. "I don’t even know when they are," she admits. "My 13-year-old self would have a heart attack. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it!"

Kirby’s other film, The World to Come, is set in mid-19th-century America but touches on the same themes of bereavement and redemption. The central character Abigail, played by Katherine Waterston, has also lost her young daughter, and in her grief, turns away from her husband to have an affair with Tallie, her free-spirited, flame-haired neighbour. "I was glad I was playing Tallie rather than Abigail, because it might have been a bit too much," Kirby confesses – though without giving away spoilers, that role is pretty traumatic too...

The screenplay is taken from the short story of the same name by Jim Shepard, which was inspired by an entry he found in an antique diary: 'My best friend’s moved away, and I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.' "It was one woman’s voice, like an echo from the past, and we’ll never know who she was," says Kirby. "The World to Come really educated me about what life was like for women not that long ago. They didn’t have a choice about anything they did with their time. You were owned by the house, and the man, and you had no freedom outside that. The best thing about doing this mad job sometimes is having your ignorance illuminated. I gravitate towards things that push beyond my experience, I want to go to places I don’t know, I’m not familiar with."

The experience of making both films has changed her profoundly. "I can’t do anything unless it means something to me now," she says. "It’s a better way to work, because you’re not focused on yourself at all. So maybe I’ll only work once every 10 years!"

To ensure that this is not the case, and in order to find more untold, female-led stories, her ambition is now to set up her own production company. "Even a few years ago, a film about a woman losing a baby would have been unthinkable. There are so many voiceless people, and I have a voice in this industry, and I want to make sure the tribe is represented properly."

It is undeniably awkward, therefore, that her male co-stars in the films, Shia LaBeouf and Casey Affleck, both of whom play violent, abusive husbands, have been called out for their treatment of women. In December, the British singer FKA Twigs filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf, her ex-partner, alleging that he "hurts women. He uses them. He abuses them, both physically and mentally". While LaBeouf largely denied the accusations, he admitted in a statement to The New York Times: "I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say."

Meanwhile, Affleck was sued by two female crew members working on his 2010 film I’m Still Here, one of whom accused him of sexual harassment. He denied the allegations, and the lawsuits were settled out of court, but he later told the Associated Press: "I behaved in a way, and I allowed others to behave in a way, that was really unprofessional, and I’m sorry."

Kirby is understandably reluctant to get into any of this. "I can’t comment on a legal case that’s going on in someone’s personal life," she says. "I feel really protective of Pieces, so that’s what I want to speak about. Because it came out at eight this morning, all I can think about is the mothers I spoke to, and wanting them to be my focus. I just know my job is to honour them."

Perhaps counter-intuitively, starring in Pieces has awakened in her the desire for a family of her own. "It’s definitely made me want a baby, for sure," she says; but she hasn’t currently got a partner, having split up from Callum Turner (Frank Churchill in last year’s Emma), whom she met when they co-starred in the 2014 film Queen & Country. "This year has made me think a lot about the home I want to create. I like the idea of inviting someone into a space that’s mine, preferably before I have kids."

In the near future, however, Kirby has nothing on her plate except for getting through a third lockdown. "I’m free as a bird! I’ve read a lot of stuff, and said no to a lot of stuff..." She currently shares a flat in Tooting, south London, with her sister Juliet, an assistant director, and two friends. "I was just about to move out to live on my own in north London – my God, I would have been so lonely! My sister saved me. It was so nice to have routines together. We were trying to take a bit of exercise, cooking together, watching films that made us feel better, drinking wine on Friday nights..."

By now, having circled St James’s Park several times, we are strolling back towards the Corinthia Hotel, where Kirby has a full programme of Zoom interviews lined up for the afternoon. "That’s why I’m so happy to have actually had the chance to go out and meet you in real life," she says enthusiastically. "It’s funny when everything in your life closes down, and you have to sit with yourself, and you suddenly notice all the things you have and you’re grateful for. I hope that feeling never goes away – I will never underestimate how lucky I am."

#Vanessa Kirby #Pieces of a Woman #The World to Come #Interview #Articles

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booksbookandmorebooks · 4 years ago

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Emma in the night Book review.

Hello there my lovelies, I know its been a little while since I last posted and I have honestly missed doing this so much, so thank you to anyone still here and still supporting me, it means the absolute world.

As everyone is fully aware 2020 was an awful one but hopefully this year we can aim for a little more positivity and happiness, which is why im back today with a review of my first read of this year and bloody hell did I pick a goodun! So this is my first review for my first book of 2021, enjoy!

The writing style

One of my favourite things about this book was the different points of view you get to experience and how well they mesh together. For example, we are told very early on that the events Cass is recalling aren’t exactly what you would call accurate and that she has spent months planning and creating this false narrative in an order to manipulate the people she's describing them to (which in itself is something I always get drawn into, the mystery and the need to figure out the characters motives and intentions along side the biggest question of all WHY?! Which is a question will find yourself screaming at the pages) This is made very apparent from the use of the choppy and restrictive way that these scenes are written. Wendy also somehow manages to create a feeling of desperation and messiness whilst having the characters maintaining such a mellow and collected exterior, you know the calm before the storm! Which is such a jarring feeling but one that realty captured and immersed me. A feeling I don’t think is easy to convey through a book format. That in itself is a testament to Wendy’s talent as a writer.

When you compare Cass’ chapters and inner dialogue to detective Abby’s they are so different but when they are looked at side by side they create a very interesting contrast that as I said before works so well, while there is a calm chaos to Cass’ words there is in turn a very structured and balanced feel to Abby's, almost a little detached like you were reading sections cut directly from a police case file. Through this constant difference in characters POVS the story flowed flawlessly and at the perfect pace for a thriller book.

The climax of the book was not just shocking but also depicted so well in how the writing matched the pace of the reveal, the whole book alternates between cass and Abby with each chapter assigned to one of the characters but towards the end you see that the different POVs are whittled down to single sentences or just a few paragraphs that get shorter and shorter as the tension builds, creating this intense feeling of panic, alert and fear. A method that I swear had my heart physically racing at the end! It was like watching a classic cat and mouse scene play out in my hands/

I also have to mention that very last chapter. I'm sorry for waffling on but please bare with me. For a book based around secrets and deception the ending was that of a perfect one because of its ability to make you feel like after reading it you now share a secret with Cass and you are now part of this extremely messed up story and family, you have this understanding of her whole character and her motives which really brings everything full circle.

The character development:

The character development in this book is one of the best ive seen in awhile with each character being incredibly layered and yet undeniably flawed. Its done in such a human way that it doesn’t feel too far fetched like some thrillers ive read in recent years. Ensuring that all of the emotions tied in with said characters hit 10 times harder than that of those very basic 2 dimensional characters, even the worst people in this story have a difficult background or some type of abusive past, just a catalyst for their behaviours and characteristics and by gradually being informed of them you and being given the bigger picture you almost create an individual relationship and opinion on them ranging from hatred to pity. We get amazing development in every single one even the seemingly unimportant ones because even they are given enough backstory to still secure a connection of some kind with them, something I know we can all appreciate as readers.

The relationships.

The main relationship ill focus on is that of the sisters Cass and Emma. I know there are a lot of relationships in this book that over lap and intertwine in really interesting and sometimes awful ways but as these two characters are the basis of our main storyline it makes a little more sense to focus the attention on them

As a huge plot point throughout the story we see that due to the actions of their mother and her lack of genuine maternal instinct and well, love we see the girls in this constant battle of who can earn their mothers love trust and affections first. Which was so heart breaking to read, through their mothers constant manipulation and abuse we see them fighting the resentment and distance that they know is growing between them and sadly a lot of the time losing because of Mrs. Martins influence and involvement. Its very obvious when reading about their mother that her abuse is based around the fear she feels at the idea of any kind of alliance that the girls could potentially form with each other, god forbid they turn against her and out her as a bad mother! So she decides its easier to create a wedge between the two of them by openly favouring one over the other which unfortunately results in a lot of cruel actions from Emma direct at Cass, creating another toxic relationship and situation for the girls to live in. Although we do get the occasional glimpse at these really beautiful and raw moments of sisterhood and love they share deep down. After seeing so much pain in their story it made these moments just that little bit more special and down right beautiful which was a part that i especially adored.

The themes:

In its relatively short amount of pages this book manages to explore a huge variety of themes from love and obsession to betrayal abuse and manipulation, which lets be honest is everything you want in a good thriller book but usually when a writer takes on this many themes I always find some of them are either touched upon very quickly then dismissed and never revisited or thought of again or done so badly with such a lack of care that its obvious they were just included for the author to be able to say they've hit all the key themes a reader would expect a good thriller to hit. Yet Wendy manages to not only explore all of these and more, but manages to do it well and so subtly you don't notice until you sit back and think about them all which to me just shows a writers real talent.

The psychology:

Another huge part of this book and something I adored were the analysis parts of the book, the in-depth look into narcissism and its effects on the children it surrounds. We are constantly listening to Detective Abby explaining and exploring the characteristics of the people Cass is talking about in her chapters, exploring the connections and the risk factors associated with such a serious disorder as narcissistic personality disorder. I found this to give the story and writing some real merit, it felt like i was reading a psychology book and getting down to the real science of why characters work the way they do and giving the reader a chance to explore it themselves instead of just being told this person has this which is something I cant stand in books. Instead of investing time and effort into helping guide you to a conclusion or even showing you they just tell you this is how it is and expect that to be enough. So frustrating! None the less, this is something I haven't experienced in another book and a technique I hope to see more of!

Similar books:

When reading this I got very strong sharp objects vibes, the fractured relationship between families, focusing on mother and daughter, a highly manipulative mother, an obsession with public facades and the desperate need to keep up appearances and so much more! If you liked sharp objects you will love this, as Emma in the night has all of the important story beats and intrigue that sharp objects has but more intensity and a faster paced story something I felt was missing when I read SO’S.

Over all I adored this book, as you can probably tell and considering it is my first Wendy walker book I can safely say i have fallen in love! I can promise you now this will not be my last read from her collection. I was captivated by her story and her writing which is why i couldn’t recommend this more!

A very very easy 5/5.

so that's it, thanks for reading my review, i really hope you enjoyed it! sorry if I waffled at all its been awhile since ive written any reviews and am still getting my bearings with it again so please be patient with me. Hope you have a fab week my lovelies, Bye!

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scripting-life · 4 years ago

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FFVII: returning to my first love

*peeks out of the corner of my lurking spot*

Hello? Anybody out there? It’s only been, oh you know, four-ish years since the last time I’ve posted anything here. I apologize in advance for anybody who’s still following me from my Castle days. If you couldn’t tell from my extended absence, I’ve mostly moved on. Castle and Beckett were fantastic characters that let me to play with some deep-dive analyses, and Castle will always hold a special place in my heart as my comfort show and my first real and extended experience with online fandom. I’ll always be grateful to the community I’ve had the joy of interacting with (or, the community with which I’ve had the joy of interacting, as Castle would correct me my dangling preposition).

I honestly didn’t think I would ever have reason to come back to Tumblr after Castle ended. But the FF7 Remake has returned me to my very first love--when I was young and innocent and before I knew anything about OTPs or ship wars. I’ve been back lurking for several months now and seeing all the fanart/fanfics and fun theories and analyses has reignited my enthusiasm for the FF7 franchise. It’s also fun coming back to this franchise with a more mature understanding of the themes/concepts that completely flew over my head as a young preteen.

(This ended up being super long, so the rest is below the cut to spare everyone the pain of scrolling. Apparently, my rambling tendencies have not changed at all. lol.)

When FF7R was officially announced (five freaking years ago!), I was filled with apprehension. FF7 was my first taste of a “grown-up” game. I was 11 and played my brother’s copy of the OG on PC in 1-2 hours spurts on the weekends when I visited his apartment. It took me months, if not years, to finish the game (I ended up stealing his copy to play on our computer at home...lol), and I was so blown away by it. I remember the exact moment I finished it and how I was literally shaking as I watched the ending FMV.

Later, when I found out my brother had a copy of FF8 (my poor brother was so accommodating to his annoying little sister...haha), I was so excited to play, in large part because I thought it would continue the story of FF7. Young, naive me didn’t understand the numbering conventions of Final Fantasy titles. I was madly theorizing and breaking my brain trying to find connections between the two games’ plots and had literally played through more than half the game before I finally realized the storyline of FF8 had absolutely nothing to do with FF7. I was sorely disappointed, and I think that has somewhat tainted my appreciation of future titles. Not to say I haven’t enjoyed the subsequent FF titles, but I think a little part of me is always comparing them to that first experience of wonder and awe that I had with FF7.

I discovered fanfiction in my teens and starting writing FF7/Cloti fics in college. Aside from interacting with a few fic writers at the time, I was not involved in any online communities, so I kept myself pretty free of any ship war drama and the like. When I did research for my fics, I’d sometimes see shipping sites and theories where I didn’t always understand the logic of how certain conclusions were reached, but frankly, I didn’t much care and didn’t realize that Clerith vs. Cloti was such a touchy subject. I was peripherally aware that some sort great LTD war was waging, of course, but it didn’t really touch me. I stayed in my Cloti shipping/fic-writing lane and was probably a lot happier for it. And, to be honest, based on FFN’s listings for FF7, I felt like I always saw a bunch of Sephiroth/Cloud fics and thought that was just as popular as the more conventional ships.

Graduating college and entering “real life” pretty much ended my FF7 fanfic-writing journey. In the intervening years between college and the release of FF7R, I haven’t gone back to the OG too much. I’ve played almost all the Final Fantasy games since then, and I always enjoy getting my FF7 crew fix when I play the non-canon mobile games or the Kingdom Hearts franchise. But FF7 was a happy part of my teenage years, and I was content to think on it with sweet nostalgia.

Remakes, in recent experience (*cough cough* Disney, why?), have been hit or miss, with a lot of misses. It’s hard to strike a good balance between catering to nostalgia and delivering a fresh product, never mind the change in social mores through the decades. I was so afraid FF7R would screw up my memories, especially since I wasn’t the biggest fan of Advent Children. The graphics were great and the action scenes were fun, but the story felt like a let-down. Cloud, in particular, felt so different (and yes, moody) from where we left him after the OG. I understand now that a lot of his character motivation was better explained in the On The Way to a Smile novels, but back then, I just felt like AC came out of nowhere.

Btw, because I see this question a lot on other blogs when I’m lurking, I’ve ALWAYS thought that it was very clear in AC--even without reading anything else--that the reason for Cloud’s depression was due to guilt and not because he was pining for Aerith. The only reason I didn’t like his characterization in AC was because it felt like it came out of nowhere since AC is set 2 years after OG and by the end of the OG, he seemed to be in a pretty decent place mentally and emotionally. That being said, I can absolutely understand why some traumas resurface years after the originating incident and how times of peace might actually be worse because he is no longer solely focused on saving the world, but I was just surprised and a little bummed that this was the direction the devs chose to take AC at the time. Now that I’m older, I do better appreciate the complexities of Cloud’s mental state and the fact that they depicted a hero with lingering mental health issues is actually pretty awesome. I’m drawn to characters that have flaws--sometimes serious ones--but try their best anyway. Hence, why why Tifa Lockhart and Kate Beckett are some of my all-time favorites.

Anyhow, that didn’t stop me from pre-ordering FF7R, of course. I avoided reading any reviews as I didn’t want my first impressions to be swayed, and boy, was I happy that I went in mostly blind. That sense of awe really almost felt like playing the OG for the first time again, but somehow more. The combat system is incredibly fun and the world-building is nothing short of incredible. The variety and abundance of NPCs gives the game so much flavor and the locations have been rendered so well. As I’m going through areas like the Sector 7 train station and Wall Market and Aerith’s house, I can almost superimpose the layout from the OG in my head, but now it’s in 3D and so rich and full. It’s obvious that a lot of attention was paid to details, and I love all the head-nods and homages to the OG.

And oh, the characters!

This is the Cloud I’ve been wanting to see in glorious HD and the Cloud I remember from the original game: all awkward, dorky trying to be cool, socially inept, mentally unstable, abrasive-at-times, reluctant to act depending on who’s asking, wannabe hard-ass who’s actually a big softie inside Cloud. I remember reading an article a few years back about how the devs basically redid Cloud for the Remake because they wanted him to go back to his dorky roots--which ends up making him closest to his personality in the OG than his appearances in other franchises--and I was SOOOO incredibly happy to hear that. I was so sick of the way Cloud was constantly depicted as this cool, broody McBrood in his cameos when he was a pretty big dork in the OG. (Anybody remember him doing squats in the Highwind when Tifa says it’ll be lonely with just the two of them and Cloud responds that he’ll make enough noise to make up for it? Like I said: cute, but a dork.)

I WAS surprised by how comfortable and sweet and touchy (so very very touchy) the devs made him with Tifa from the beginning. That initial scene of Cloud being such a smooth operator giving Tifa the flower had my jaw-dropping and every single flirty interaction after that (and there are many) had my Cloti heart overflowing in shock and bliss. Throughout most of my years as a Cloti shipper, even though I believed Cloti was supported by canon and pretty clearly together, I was also under the impression--mistakenly or not--that Cloti was the minority ship. So for Square Enix to make it so blatantly obvious that Cloud is really into Tifa at such an early stage has been an unexpected gift.

Also, they’re just really hot together. (Clotiscrew tunnel--be still my heart!)

As for Tifa...oh, what wonderful character development we’ve already gotten for Tifa. Tifa has always been one of my all-time favorite characters ever since reading her character blurb in the OG game manual. Initially, as a child, it was because I saw so much of myself in her. She was outwardly bright and optimistic, but tended to hide all of her stronger feelings inside. She fought with her fists, and for someone who was a tomboy growing up who liked playing contact sports with the boys, I connected with her in a way that I had never been able to connect with other female protagonists who were primarily back-row specialists. (I also aspired to grow to her listed height of 5′4″, which alas, did not happen...lol).

I love how the Remake delves into more of Tifa’s moral conflict between the destruction that she causes as part of Avalanche and needing to do something to stop Shinra, and yes, even seeking revenge. They touched on this in the OG lightly, but the Remake really hammers it home. She’s perhaps the most conflicted character in terms of motivation in Part 1. That scene with the Shinra manager on the train is actually one of my favorite scenes of her because it highlights that tension. The elevator scene, if you opted for it instead of the stairs (or if you did one, saved, and reloaded to do the other one, like me), is also underrated in terms of how much it reveals about Tifa’s inner struggle.

On this point, I also appreciate that the Remake has the characters reflecting on the damage they’ve both indirectly and directly inflicted--the Avalanche team all do this to a certain degree. In particular, Jessie’s constant inability to figure out what she’d done wrong with the bomb to cause such a massive explosion and her remaining feelings of guilt during her death scene (”they were my victims” ouch!) were heart-breaking.

Aerith’s depiction was another pleasant surprise. I’ll be honest; I didn’t much like her in the OG. She was too pushy and willfully oblivious to the point of being mean at times. In the Remake, much of her sometimes too in-your-face playfulness was kept--perhaps still a little too much--but I appreciate the nuance that they gave her. The train graveyard scene tells the player that she didn’t have friends growing up, and I think that partially contributes to her lack of social tact at times. The other factor that gives her personality more nuance is the hint of special knowledge that affects how she interacts with the rest of the group. It gives her additional hidden motivation and adds to her mystery for new players while simultaneously pulling at the heartstrings for old players who get the impression that Aerith is somehow aware--to a certain, unknown extent--of her own fate.

I also appreciate that Aerith is more grounded as a real person than as some sort of revered being. I do blame AC for some of that. When you have the power to cure a fatal disease from the afterlife and send the dead back to life, it gets into some godlike territory. Maybe it’s a fair depiction of her powers as a Cetra, but I just get the feeling that Aerith herself wouldn’t really appreciate being made into this goddess-like figure. Remember that her character blurb in the original game manual implied that she was more interested in earthly things (i.e. the love triangle) than in exploring her own powers. I personally think that Aerith used the “love triangle” in the OG as a form of escapism from the weight of her burdens rather than genuine interest, and I just think she’d want to be thought of as a person rather than as a god. One of my favorite scenes for Aerith is when she and Cloud are traversing the rooftops and she slips on the ladder, letting out a simple, “Shit.” It humanizes her in a way that combats some of the ways she’s sort of been deified in the last 23 years. Also, Aerith wielding a folding chair like it’s WWE never fails to make me laugh. Overall, she just comes off as a more reasonably flawed and--as a result, to me--a more likeable character in the Remake, and I do very much like her now.

Barret is pretty much the exact larger than life character I imagined in my head, only somehow even better, and I really love how expressive and emotional his eyes and facial expressions are. His scenes with Marlene are truly the cutest thing ever. Red XIII is a big, furry ball of sass, and I need so much more of him in the coming parts (Cosmo Canyon still wrecks me to this day). The interactions between the Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie are incredible, and they really feel like people who’ve been friends and basically each other’s family for years. The Turks and Rufus are pretty much as cool as I imagined them in the OG.

There’s still so much more I haven’t even started touching on about the Remake, and I think that’s why I’m finally posting this now. I just can’t contain my love for this game any more, and I really really need a place to express myself. I don’t know if anybody is still reading, but I appreciate having the opportunity to finally gush about this game and franchise that I’ve loved so much for pretty much two-thirds of my life.

#ff7r #final fantasy 7: remake #cloti #cloud x tifa #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #final fantasy vii #final fantasy 7 #ff7 #aerith gainsborough #jessie rasberry #barret wallace #red xiii #for the love of the game #personal experience #not sure i'm ready to wade back into fandom life #but i really needed to gush #oh man i forgot to mention the cats #how could i forget the cats?!?!?

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soleilpirate · 6 years ago

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Book plot vs Showrunner Choices; a novel. (That’s a pun!)

I had some ideas while discussing Sansa’s arc in S6 and 7, in comments on someone’s post. It got me thinking about one of the biggest things that irked me during those episodes, and those are the things that WEREN’T onscreen but SHOULD have been. Firstly, the comments from me:

I personally think D&D add a lot of unnecessary drama to a show that already has plenty of tense plot lines going on. Sansa trying to undermine Jon in S7 was so dumb. To to extent they carried it anyway. This is one of my worries for S8, that they will pull more unneeded shenanigans!

The OP’s response:

But afterwards Sansa is reassuring Jon's possition as KITN to the other lords, that are rightfully distressed for Jon's absence. The problem is indeed the direction of the scenes, because she's being antagonized by Arya, and Jon felt hurt for her honest contrubution, so for our eyes, the audience she's being pictured as villainistic. And that's an easy way to manipulate us, even if Sansa's actions say completly the contrary.

Me again:

Politely disagree re: Sansa's motives. The scripts tell us that she DID expect the Lords to crown her and she did want power for herself. I don't fault for this AT ALL especially given the abuse she suffered. She wanted power to protect herself and her family. It's really too bad the conversations she evidently had with Jon regarding his death and resurrection were off screen. The Lords should have been either agog at him rising OR trying to behead him

Also, the news about WWs and the AotD is a big deal. Would have been nice to see Sansa processing that info. Alas, D&D scrapped that in favor of politics and drama. Signalling there will be more such antics next season.

Now to get into the nitty gritty of what this made me think about!

When adapting a book to tv show/film, the biggest question is what will we leave out and what will we put in. Sometimes, the difference in the two mediums is drastically different. The two best example that I personally know of and experienced is the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. I was involved in MANY discussion about what they SHOULD have put it in vs what they DID put in. Most notably I was personally irked by how they changed the storyline of the Ents, and drastically shortened Saruman’s descent into evil. Did quibble a bit with how they elevated Arwen’s storyline and put her in places she never was (*coughwithAragroninthewildernesswithhobbitscough*) BUT I see now that this was necessary for the GA to understand she was his love interest. If she was not visually built up, then the ending of Aragorn marrying her would have come out of nowhere.

Movies and tv shows are VISUAL media. They can ONLY show, too much exposition becomes obvious and painful for the audience. Like Arwen being fated for Aragorn. In the books, he thought about her a lot and they wrote occasional letters. He dreams of her a few times. This is more difficult to show. So she gets brought to the forefront more and memories become flashbacks of their time together in Rivendell.

What showrunners and movie makers choose to leave out, alter, and the scenes they DO choose to put in, have to contribute to the plot and to endgame. In Game of Thrones season 6, Jon and Sansa are reunited at the Wall, JUST after he is resurrected and about to leave the Wall permanently. It is an incredibly emotional and beautiful reunion that I am pretty sure every member of the fandom enjoyed and got teary eyed over!

Now, at some point Jon told Sansa that his men murdered him and he was resurrected. I frankly feel that glossing over his miraculous rising was a disservice to all fans. Ned Stark beheaded a man who left the Night’s Watch even though he was warning them of the coming White Walker threat. Every single Northern Lord Jon and Sansa met with should have been either trying to cut his head off OR in absolute awe at him walking around alive. Shit, SANSA should have been more awed that her brother was alive after being stabbed literally to death!

Why they skipped this is a mystery to me. My best guess is that they preferred to stir up Northern politics, sowing seeds for season 8. I am 99.5% sure that Northern dissatisfaction is going to rear its head this spring. The OTHER reason I believe they skipped onscreen references to Jon’s resurrection, is because then it can be part of the flirt and dance he and Daenerys do in season 7. She is so CURIOUS about Davos’ reference to him “giving his life for his men” and the pay off of her seeing his scars and realizing it’s literally true, is beautiful and builds towards their relationship.

I have to talk a little bit about deviations from the source material that the showrunners take, specific to Daenerys’ storyline:

In the book Daenerys repeatedly refuses to marry Hizdhar and open the fighting pits, she is advised multiple times to do both. In the show she takes highborn men to her dragons and feeds one to them. Why? Do the showrunners think she is badass doing that? Do they want us to think she is turning evil?

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I don’t like this scene. I think it’s problematic for Daenerys. The age old question of, “Is it better to be feared or loved?” I personally always answer with love. Though at times even I have chosen fear to “rule” as the faster option. I note the things Daenerys is saying as she feeds this man to her dragons. She talks about disciplining her children, about never giving up on them. She’s talking about the dragons, obviously. But is she? The slaves call her their word for “Mother.” By becoming Queen of Mereen she has become Mother to all the people there, even the slavers. Is she killing one man as an example to the other slavers of what could happen if they don’t adapt to a new and better (slave free) world?

Certainly, she did by those actions show the highborn families, who were slavers, that she was NOT KIDDING when she said slavery was at an end. So, if killing two slavers saves the rest of the city and maybe even all of the renamed Dragons Bay from death and slavery, is it worth it? It’s a question we are clearly meant to ask ourselves.

She burned Randyll Tarly and his son Dickon when he chose to stand with his father even though his father clearly didn’t want him to.

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Is this more examples of badassery? is it similar to her burning on Master to save the rest? Two people died, and the rest knelt. And lived. Very little destruction. To quote another fandom of mine, “The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” I am quoting that tongue in cheek by the way, I know it is meant to apply to self sacrifice and the importance of one to the many.

Anyway, debate time! What do you, the Game of Thrones fans, think of this comparison? There’s certainly a lot of criticism aimed at the changes D&D made to GRRM’s plot. But changes from written to visual media are necessary.

Discuss!

#game of thrones #book plot #show plot #plot differences #a song of ice and fire

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everymomentisamagicmoment · 6 years ago

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Disclaimer: this is going to be long so if any of my followers aren’t into casualty then please skip and ignore my ranting.

Right I’ve got a lot of thoughts here so hear me out:

This entire storyline has been so incredibly frustrating and it’s only gone from bad to worse. It hasn’t been about the domestic violence, or the relationships Ciara has had with Dylan/ Joel it’s been entirely about Dylan and Joel ‘competing’ for Ciara’s love by constantly putting her down about her relationships with the other. Long story it’s been them fighting with each other.

Dylan’s actions may have come from a good place - but it was a place that was good for himself. NOT for Ciara. He’s been so entirely blinded by what he wants but cannot have that he’s put Ciara in incredibly dangerous situations. Especially seeing as you’re all so keen to point out that he was the one who acknowledged the domestic violence situation in the first place, why the fuck would he then do things that would risk leading to further retribution from Joel - which it did on multiple occasions.

Connie was right in saying that the decisions and the actions HAD to come from Ciara and there was nothing the could do until she was ready. Bulldozing in with no proof could have had serious consequences and forcing Ciaras hand into making decisions is even worse. They took action when they could and did it through the proper channels so that Ciara could get the help she so desperately needed. Dylan careening in like a bull in a china shop telling her she has to leave Joel etc etc ruined any chance she had of getting professional help.

Which leads me to my next point. Dylan is not in the right position or mind frame to help her. At all. As a professional doctor who has seen this situation multiple times he should have been able to recognise that. I understand love makes you blind and worry makes you do questionable things. BUT my main issue here is not that he was so worried about her he was trying to get her to leave Joel and seek professional help. He was trying to get her to leave Joel so that she could be with him.

This entire storyline has been about Ciara being controlled from all directions and never being allowed or even prompted to make a decision herself. It’s toxic. It’s controlling. It’s manipulative. And it makes Dylan just as bad as Joel. Controversial? I think not. Because someone doesn’t have to have the physical scars of abuse for the abuse to be there. Dylan has emotionally manipulated Ciara. Albeit unintentionally, and because he thought he was doing the right thing. But that’s exactly what Joel was doing. I can already hear the people reading this thinking ‘well how did he emotionally manipulate her because he loves her so much and all he wanted to do was help’. I could be here all day listing reasons. But most prominently? Shutting himself in an elevator with an emotionally vulnerable woman to try and convince her to be with him. Harassing her with phone calls and in the latest episode physically following her around the hospital when she didn’t want to talk to him. Trying to force her to do things his way instead of - like Connie did - referring her to the proper authorities to get proper help! Continuously talking to her the way you would talk to a small child or a pet. Telling her that if she didn’t come out of the toilet he was going to get in there with her???

Not once has this been about Ciara being okay, or the consequences of domestic violence. It’s been the Dylan show. About what he wants. What he feels. What he thinks Ciara should do. She has just been an accessory to his pain. THIS IS NOT THE MESSAGE CASUALTY SHOULD BE PROMOTING. Casualty and Dylan fans are out here romanticising their relationship and it is entirely the wrong message to be putting across. How Casualty went from portraying Alicia’s rape storyline so beautifully to messing this storyline up so badly i will never understand. They’re promoting the message that it’s okay for people to control your every move if they love you. Promoting the message that the love of another person is all you need to walk away from abusive relationships. Promoting the message that it’s okay for people who love you to be obsessed with and control every single move you make.

Dylan’s methods did NOT get Ciara to walk away from Joel. Dylan’s ‘methods’ left her with no other choice because he physically got in the way of her receiving proper help. Which is exactly the storyline casualty should have been portraying. An emotionally vulnerable woman getting support from other women who understand what she is going through, are not emotionally involved and trying to manipulate her decisions, and can help her. A storyline that could actually portray a sense of hope for the people out there watching who are suffering in the same way. Not making them feel like they have to stick around to save people.

Dylan’s actions may have come from a good place, but that doesn’t make them right and it certainly does not make them justifiable. To promote this storyline and these actions is not good at all and you seriously need to look at yourself if you are. Because this. This is fucked up.

I know people will have thoughts on this and it will probably be controversial, please feel free to add to this. But it needed to be said so here it is. But please don’t try and come on this post and defend Dylan or this relationship. Because if you can read this and still have those thoughts then I don’t have time for that. Finally, before I get accused of sitting behind my computer anonymously throwing hate at Dylan. I’m Tasha, 20 and my ask box is always open :)

Editing this to say that the domestic violence hotline number is 0808200247 and that they it is a freephone number open 24 hours with translators available if English is not your first language.

#bbc casualty #this is very long im sorry

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yourdailykitsch · 7 years ago

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Dylan O’Brien And Taylor Kitsch Talk AMERICAN ASSASSIN And Modern Action Movies

American Assassin is the latest entry into the action boom that’s taken over genre cinema. An introduction to Vince Flynn’s counterterrorist operative with an axe to grind, Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien), Assassin could be the first entry in a new franchise looking to fill the void where Tom Clancy’s ace boy scout, Jack Ryan, used to be. His foil is the mysterious “Ghost” (Taylor Kitsch), who was trained by the same violent guru (Michael Keaton) who taught Rapp how to hunt. Michael Cuesta’s picture is a dad rock greatest hits compilation, where three familiar archetypes show down to the death.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Dylan and Taylor, where they talked about training for the film, and how they were careful when tackling terrorism within genre cinema trappings…

Birth.Movies.Death: Thanks for taking time out here with us.

Taylor Kitsch: No problem. Austin is home. You guys are home. I’ve had so many great memories here. Dylan have you watched a movie at an Alamo?

Dylan O’Brien: Nah.

TK: It’s amazing. Grab a beer immediately. [laughs] They bring it to you at your seat.

DO: Shit. That’s awesome.

TK: This is the first time they’ve hosted a screening of a movie I’ve been in, though. So I gotta give ‘em some shit for that.

BMD: So, American Assassin is part of this new resurgence in the action genre. What do you think people are responding to that’s allowed action movies to come back in such a big way?

TK: I don’t think we ever sign on in terms of just what genre we’re working in, but I know that this film is very “grounded”. That’s a big part of what I think audiences are gonna get out of this movie. No offense to John Wick, but the gun work in that movie…it’s almost surreal at times. It’s crazy.

But that’s part of the pulpy appeal to John Wick. That’s not to say we’re not making pulp, but [American Assassin] is probably a bit less “escapist” than something like John Wick.

DO: These are very real world topics we’re dealing with in Assassin, but we’re doing so in a way that’s entertaining. But there’s a bunch of training that goes into our motions and movements in the shoot out sequences. We trained a bunch with two and three gun experts to get our characters down just right. Plus, we’ve built this very personal story inside the narrative, where we meet Mitch, and we get to know what drives him. It’s an intimate relationship, too, between Mitch and Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton).

TK: That’s a huge part of what makes this movie work so well. There’s this triangle between me, you, and Keaton’s character that really creates this tension that you can feel in the whole film.

BMD: Now, you call the movie “grounded”, and the author (Vince Flynn) prided himself in the level of detail he’d bring to these stories. How did you both work to bring that authenticity to the project?

TK: Working with the guys who actually do this stuff. We had a special operative [note: who both actors referred to as “Yost”] who we worked with the whole time while we were filming, and who was making sure every move we made felt real.

DO: He’s the real hero in this movie. We would’ve never been able to do this without him. It was a real priority for us to honor this community of individuals who do engage with this type of counterterrorist activity in the real world. Sometimes, the only way the public has to engage with these guys and what they do is through film, so it’s our job to bring the details of their profession to the screen as accurately as possible. Even if its something as simple as how you walk into a room, we wanted to get that right.

TK: I remember, I had to work a couple days with one of the consultants who, you know, obviously wanted to get on screen with me. But they’re not the best at understanding that every single movement you make has to look a certain way or else the reality of what you’re trying to create is going to be lost. It looked so bad, though, that I’d go to [director, Michael] Cuesta and say, “hey, we gotta work on this”, and he’d send Yost over to give a quick five-minute primer on how to even grab a gun. [laughs] Because we wanted it to be real, but he was doing it so badly that it was taking me completely out of the scene!

DO: There’s a piece of the movie that we completely designed after Yost – it’s a moment that occurs at this local gun range where [Mitch Rapp] is putting himself through this kind of personalized training – where I cross the line and take my gun and start firing at all the targets, to really try and make a point of how serious I was regarding my mission. That was all Yost. He designed that scene.

BMD: So, how was it working with Michael Keaton?

DO: Who?

TK: Terrible. That guy is just so full of himself. [laughs] No, his involvement was what got me to sign on, to be blunt. I have a great admiration for the man…

DO: Oh, it wasn’t to work with me?

TK: No. All Keaton. But seriously, I was doing Only the Brave with [producer] Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and he came over and told me Dylan was on board, and we got Michael Keaton, and there were some other key crew members, but that’s all I really needed to hear.

BMD: But what about Dylan? His feelings seem hurt here.

TK: He was alright, I guess.

DO: That’s fair.

TK: No, it’s broad strokes for me to discuss – but one of the main reasons I gravitated toward this whole idea was the notion of an American citizen planning an attack on his own country, and the relationship “Ghost” has with both Dylan and Keaton’s characters. But with “Ghost” not being in the book, I got to create him from the ground up, and a lot of that honestly came from being able to work with both these guys, and it was just really incredible. I loved doing that.

DO: And there’s no bad guys in this movie. Nothing is done without reason. Once you learn the background of “Ghost”, and why he’s attempting to perpetrate the attack on America, you actually understand and sympathize with him as much as you do Mitch.

TK: The trauma that “Ghost” goes through mirrors what Dylan’s character goes through. But then you have Keaton in the middle; dealing with both of these men and the pain they endure that really creates this intimacy.

BMD: Now, I want to be sensitive when asking this question: but making a movie about terrorism, and especially an American committing an attack against his own country, were you ever really sensitive about that storyline?

DO: Yeah, absolutely. It was our first concern. A lot went into the decision as to what we were making. Terrorism is always going to be a very sensitive topic to fictionalize. But American Assassin doesn’t have an agenda. It’s not trying to make a grand statement or take a side in the war against terrorism. Yet we are still trying to convey a level of “grounded” understanding regarding its real world consequences. We’re commenting, but it’s not the focus of the film. In the end, it’s about relationships.

BMD: Do you hope for Mitch Rapp to get his own franchise? Did you even approach it with that mindset?

DO: Well, it’s like sixteen books or whatever. So, there’s definitely a potential…

BMD: Also the potential for you to be replaced by Ben Affleck in the future.

DO: If I’m lucky. Old Ben Affleck and play Old Mitch Rapp.

American Assassin is currently playing in theaters. Get your tickets

#taylor kitsch #dylan o'brien #American Assassin #interview

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bartsugsy · 8 years ago

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Have you recovered from Thursday's episodes yet? I have mentally binned the one from Friday from my memory as best I can. I wish Sharon hadn't included the scene where Robert pulled Rebecca up off her chair, what the hell was that. Surely there was another way for her to trigger a reaction so that Chrissie could blurt out Rebecca was still pregnant ugh. Maxine is subtle in her script writing and then it feels like these other writers come along and bulldozer over everything

Hey anon!

I honestly didn’t mind Friday’s episode. Ok…

this became…. obscenely long…….

The pub reveal felt sort of clunky in a ‘suddenly everyone relevant is here at the pub to learn of this news!’ sort of way, but it’s a soap, so…. you know. It was like… CAR CRASH HORRIFYING AND AWKWARD TO WATCH AND I GET LIKE… SECOND HAND HORROR IS THAT A THING i just fuckdigndnf scream like it hits A LOT OF MY WEIRD SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT BUTTONS AND I CANT i’m literally rewatching now and cringing at robert and aaron having to both suddenly deal with this realisation in full view of a packed pub i’m !!!!!!!!!!

It feels like the point was to sort of… make Robert extra terrible to Rebecca (not hard, he’s usually pretty terrible to her these days lmao) and have Aaron find out about the baby all at once, so that it hits him like a slap in the face, that this isn’t going to be as easy as he thought it was when it was just him and Robert alone in a room together. It’s so often been so much easier for the two of them, when it’s just them in a room.

The one thing that I wasn’t a fan of was Victoria’s non-reaction. Because. Really? idk why are these reveals never as juicy as I want them to be smh. Also I still don’t get Chrissie being so gung ho about the baby given it’s Robert’s and given her relationship with Rebecca and so I’m assuming it must be for a specific plotty reason (bc the state of the white sisters’ relationship is always reliant on what the plot needs) and I’m really wondering what that is??? i’m 100% suspicious.

lawrence on the other hand was 110% #relateable

ALSO aaron’s reaction to finding out about the baby was as relateable as chas’ reaction to finding out about the Incident - i.e. i felt my soul laid bare on screen that day

Ryan and Danny were both amazing and that bathroom scene was a work of art and I will cherish it til I die like THEIR PERFORMANCES IN THAT SCENE??????? LITERALLY STUNNING?????????????????? OH MY GOD?????????????? WHEN YOU THINK RYAN AND DANNY CAN’T DO ANY BETTER THAN THURSDAY AND THEN THEY DO THAT??????? bye. also i’m literally both of them. it’s like me talking to myself about this storyline. we are all one.

anyway that scene was perfect and NEEDED for this episode and so i really can’t trash it all that much because damn

The Aaron and Rebecca scene is…. the funniest most absurd thing I’ve ever laid my own two eyes upon………. she just…. how…. does anyone think she has a leg to stand on?????

Ok. Here’s my thing. It is 1000% Rebecca’s right to have this baby if she wants. That’s fine. She’s gotta do what’s right for her. However, awful as Robert treats her and much as she now rightfully seems to hate him, she has to understand that this decision to have this baby affects Aaron’s life as well. She shouldn’t let her choice be influenced by that at all but, given that this is someone she professes to “like”, she… she slept with his husband and she’s having his baby. She took an active part in helping to destroy his marraige. Unintended consequence or not, that’s still the absolute reality of what happened and as much as, again, I don’t think she should change her mind or her stance on anything Robert related, I still think she should at least be able to recognise her part in Aaron’s pain? I just…. you would think she would be even slightly sympathetic to that? But that last scene sort of came off as her trying to make him see the light - “look how similar we are, we’re in the same boat, it’s us against him”. The show literally couldn’t make it clearer that Aaron and Rebecca don’t have the same relationships with Robert if they had Rob make a flipping shrine to Aaron in his basement next to a burning effegy of Rebecca at this point (….just look at this entire episode), but Rebecca thinks it’s the same thing. And yes, she seems to think she’s doing right by Aaron but.. idk, how fucking patronising can you be? How unsympathetic can you be?

Again - I really do think the point was to really have Aaron question whether he can really forgive Robert and put that seed of doubt in his mind but

sigh

Rebecca.

Also idk if it’s because we know what Aaron’s agression looks like and it wasn’t that heartbroken yell at Rebecca, and Rebecca does not know what it looks like, but her cowering and making him feel bad about yelling at her…. like….

she slept with his husband??????????????????????????????????????

I STILL DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TREAT THIS AS A SHITTY THING TO DO BC IF MY MATE DID THAT TO ME I WOULD SURE AS HELL SHOUT AT THEM, PREGNANT OR NOT WHAT THE FUCK but as im a lesbian i doubt they’d be pregnant tbh but still WHY CAN’T HE YELL AT HER? SHE STILL ULTIMATELY CHOSE HER FEELINGS FOR ROBERT OVER WHATEVER VERY MINIMAL REGARD SHE MIGHT HAVE HAD FOR AARON’S (AARON HER FRIEND AARON WHO SHE LIKES) MARRIAGE and it’s….. it’s really annoying

and rebecca acting like that shout is…. robert’s fault….. when….. even if aaron was acting agressive…. aaron’s agression issues go back far far before robert even came into the picture….. and robert isn’t responsible for the way aaron reacts to things much in the way aaron isn’t responsible for robert’s reactions we literally just had a massive double bill discussing these exact faults. like, it just hammers home how much she really doesn’t know him.

and like. robert and rebecca were both there. they were both responsible and they both had relationships with aaron. robert has more to apologise for but that doesn’t mean rebecca should be treated like an innocent god damn petal (regardless of whether she genuinely belived rob and aaron had broken up four hours before they did it or whatever… i mean…….. honestly…………)

and potentially all just a way to make sure aaron doesn’t shout at her again? or just to foreshadow whatever the fuck is happening next week. who knows.

Anyway.

What I’m saying is, I think the whole point of this episode was to show that Aaron and Robert’s problems aren’t magically fixed because they spent a day finally talking about their problems. Growing and changing has never been that easy - they’ve taken the first step and admitted to it, recognised their issues but… I think this is just a signal that they still have a lot of work to do and they aren’t going to be in a good place for a while. They’re both going to be trying to work through it for some time. Which is good.

Like. That whole first scene, with them being cheerful but kind of awkward and stilted was just them trying to move past things a little - but this episode was a big neon sign that it’s never gonna be that easy. Long standing problems like theirs don’t just disappear.

ALSO ALSO final note on Maxine (and Sharon I guess, who wrote this ep - and I really wasn’t a massive fan of the writing because it did feel like a mess and it took me a few watches to sort of understand what was happening, but whatever) - because I just… I don’t think every episode that Maxine doesn’t write is doomed to be bad lmao. And I don’t think Friday trampled over them either.

Personally, the reason I love Maxine like she was my own daughter is because she is the exact opposite of subtle. She doesn’t do subtle at all, she spells out everything in black and white and you don’t have to work for it - which I appreciate a lot, to be honest, because who wants to work this hard for a soap???? LOOK AT HOW LONG THIS POST IS???? WHY??? lmaoooo, maybe that’s just me. idk, i just appreciate her blunt approach to writing dialogue and her big love of parallels and callbacks bc it satisfies my inner theorist. plenty of other writers have their strengths when they write robron and plenty of other writers have written beautiful stuff for them, but i like that they give maxine the big stuff if only because i know that she’s gonna try and cram as much shit into there as possible lmaooooo. she makes the most of it.

and by that i mean…. i’m never really left thinking “am i reading too much into this or is this just an accident of the writing that i’m picking up on?” with maxine, like i do for a lot of other writers. like friday’s episode - am i meant to see the rebecca/aaron conversation as firm proof that rebecca doesn’t know aaron but has made a lot of judgements on him and assumes he has as little agency as she does when it comes to robert, based on her terrible terrible relationship with and treatment by robert? or is that just something that i can see from the episode, knowing the characters like i do, that was never intended to be there and won’t be a plot point. with rebecca, especially, it’s hard to know what we should be purposefully pick up on and what is just bad and sloppy writing by literally every single person involved.

I just never feel like I have to write mountains of essays about character motivation and storytelling when Maxine is at the helm of an episode.

i do think she’s one of the most consistent at writing them (though idk whether that’s because she gets the good episodes or it’s just her clear love for them as a couple that leads her to being extra careful with them, it might be very chicken and egg haha) and she handles episodes that could fall apart in some writers hands very very well (my main example for that is always the lachlan trial episode, which i just think should have been an utter trainwreck but ended up being one of my favourites. it’s just incredible to me that she made it work that well, during a time when robert is actively lying and the show itself was SO BAD ON ALL COUNTS???? her ep was like the turning point into ‘not horribleness’ again and i don’t know how she did it. the entire plot was ABSURD. she just made it work.)

(plus it seems like she writes loads of casual affection into episodes and that makes me happy)

idk. I guess I’m saying that there’s a reason I genuinely look forward to Maxine’s episodes, but also… all is not lost and i don’t think she’s the only one who is gonna save us here. we’ve got other people who will help us along the way lmao.

(i’m getting serious de ja vu with this whole sentiment did i write this back in november as well or is that my brain playing tricks on me?)

#I’m keeping my gob shut about the way things led to Chrissie blurting out about the baby bc i’m not sure it’s that out of character going by #past events #anyways #ed #emmerdale meta #sigh when will i shut up hmmmm #robron #anti rebecca white #i guess?#answering anons

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bluephoenixdruidicprincess · 8 years ago

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Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 6 -- The Iron Sisters -- Review/Discussion

Shadowhunters Season 2 Episode 6, The Iron Sisters, was a pretty enjoyable episode despite the episode being made completely of B plots that didn’t really push the overall plot forward. This episode’s purpose was primarily to be an info dump episode. People don’t generally like info dump episodes because they typically have very little action and there’s usually a whole lot of talking involved. But they are necessary in tv shows, particularly if it’s a supernatural type show. We don’t actually live in these supernatural-based type worlds so sometimes we do need an info dump episode to explain things that a show couldn’t otherwise show us in an action episode.

This is going to be an honest review of my thoughts and feelings regarding this episode. If you’re the kind of Shadowhunters fan where you only want to hear positive things about the show, this is not the place for you. If you decide to stick around and get offended by what is said, then that’s on you. I warned you. Just know that if you send me any rude comments or messages, I will 100% ignore you. I find that’s the best way to deal with bullies. I work 14 hour days. Do you really think I want to waste my incredibly valuable free time dealing with derogatory comments? Hell no. This review will consist of my honest opinions. Opinions are never right or wrong. I’m not telling you how to think and feel. I’m telling you what I think and feel. So please, let’s discuss with dignity and respect. If I’m critical about the show, it’s only because I want it to get better. There is, in fact, a difference between hating a show and being critical of it. I am not hating on Shadowhunters; I am being critical and analyzing the flaws as I would with any other show. There are positives but there are also negatives. It’s great if you want to promote positivity with this show but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t acknowledge the things that are legitimately wrong with it. There will be spoilers for the show and spoilers for the books and movie.

Info dump episodes don’t always have to be bad. If they’re done right, they can actually be pretty entertaining. Shadowhunters Season 1 Episode 6, Of Men and Angels, is an info dump episode but it was a badly done one. It’s really bad when after the info dump episode, you’re even more confused about the characters’ backgrounds and the show’s plot then you were before. Of Men and Angels is an example of what not to do on an info dump episode. The A plot was a mess and the B plot was dumb and didn’t make sense. However, good info dump episodes do exist. Teen Wolf Season 3A has a really great info dump episode. It was really interesting. In that episode, you’re being told two different stories but you’re actually hearing these stories from the perception of the villains. It may not initially seem like it but both of these stories are actually fueling the main plot. Based on who is telling the story, you’re hearing these stories based on two unreliable narrarators and by hearing these two different stories with bias on both sides, you actually get a very clear understanding of what actually happened and how these stories affected the plot, how the characters came to be in the situation they’re in. The stories, when hearing them separately probably wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense but when you hear them together, it’s fantastic storytelling. I just thought it was a really interesting way to go about an info dump episode and it is one of my favorite Teen Wolf episodes to date. This week’s Shadowhunters episode didn’t really do that. As I said, this episode was just a grouping of B plots which ordinarily wouldn’t be so bad except these B plots didn’t really fuel the show’s overall plot in any direction. I would’ve preferred if there had been some way for the show to tie these B plots into the season’s overall plot. But there was still a lot of enjoyment to be had in this episode. The character moments, as they have been for the last few episodes, were great. It’s continually becoming a positive about this show now. These characters are becoming more complex which was something they severely lacked in Season One. There are so many great character moments on a consistent basis that I’m enjoying the show now just based on that. Whereas before, I was only watching this show out of an ill-conceived hope that the show might get better. The pacing has also drastically improved. We only have a few storylines driving this episode which is a good thing. When this show tries to do 5 or 6 different storylines an episode, that’s when the episode feels like an assortment of non-connecting scenes glumped together. There are still some weird plot issues going on but for an episode made entirely of B plots, this was still very enjoyable.

Clary and Izzy Meet the Iron Sisters

We finally get an explanation of what the Iron Sisters are in this episode. They’ve been casually mentioned in a couple of episodes with no real explanation of who they are. I know who they are because I’ve read the books but I can only imagine how confused non-book fans are regarding them. But we got an explanation in this episode so it’s all good. Clary is still mourning the loss of her mother but asks Izzy to let her go on the mission to meet the Iron Sisters. I can definitely understand Clary’s need to go on a mission. She needs to distract her mind. I did think that it was weird when Izzy asks Clary how she’s faring, Clary says she’s making it and Izzy tells her it’s going to be okay. I thought it was a bit odd for someone who still has both of her parents to tell someone who just lost a parent that it’s going to be okay. Don’t get me wrong, it’s exactly what you should tell someone who’s going through this but it matters who is doing the telling. I don’t think it carries a whole lot of meaning for Izzy to say it. Jace, on the other hand, who has lost a parent, it would make a whole lot more sense. Simon, who has lost a parent, it would make sense. Magnus, who has lost an incomparable amount of people, it would make sense. But Izzy? It just felt like a cheap use of the line.

Izzy goes and asks Aldertree to let Clary on the mission and Aldertree asks Izzy to spy on Clary for him in exchange for more yin fen. I have seen an incomparable amount of posts from people saying they hate this yin fen plot line, that they find it disgusting and I’m just going to say this. GUESS WHAT? YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ENJOY IT. Nobody likes seeing their favored characters in a drug addiction plot. It’s heartbreaking to watch. The benefits of a drug addiction plotline aren’t for the audience’s enjoyment, it’s to push the character in a direction that will (hopefully) make the character stronger. Do you think I enjoyed watching Spencer Reid, my favorite Criminal Minds character, go through his drug addiction? Definitely not. But the person he became when he came out of it, made it all worth it. He became so much stronger and better because of it. There’s this episode seasons later when he’s exposed to anthrax and he actually refuses pain medication because he doesn’t want to risk falling off the wagon again. Do you know how strong you have to be to turn pain medication away when you’re dying from anthrax? So no, I don’t like watching Izzy go through this addiction but she’s going to become so much stronger from it as a result which is what I do want to see. Characters need to face adversity. That’s what makes them compelling. No one likes a Mary Sue or a Gary Stu character (perfect characters). They’re boring as hell and unrelatable.

Clary and Izzy arrive at the Iron Sisters Citadel via portal and I’m questioning why this “taskforce” mentioned in the previous episode only includes one person. Izzy asks to lead a taskforce but she was originally the only one going? Who was she planning on leading? I don’t think you can legitimately call one person a “taskforce.” How does that make any sense? Why would you only send one person on a mission without any backup? I also feel the need to question Aldertree’s logic on getting Izzy to spy on Clary. Aldertree knows Izzy and Clary are friends. How can he be so certain that Izzy is actually going to tell him the truth? I would totally lie to that douchebag and not think twice about it. Wouldn’t he be much more suited to send another couple of shadowhunters onto this taskforce to spy on them both? Clary and Izzy are friends, yes. But Clary isn’t really friends with any of the other fifty shadowhunter extras this show feels the need to include without actually including them. And yes, I am going to bring up these shadowhunter extras every single review until they actually become relevant. I just really hope these new showrunners can finally find a way to incorporate these extras into the story that actually makes sense. Right now, they’re just a plot hole. Sending a couple of extra shadowhunters could help Aldertree with understanding if Izzy can actually be trusted to be his spy. None of these other shadowhunters seem to have any warm and fuzzy feelings about Clary. They certainly won’t feel compelled to lie to Aldertree about her. I’ve accepted at this point that Aldertree is probably a bad guy but now he’s just being an idiot. And I don’t like my villains to be idiots.

The Iron Sisters tell Izzy and Clary that in order to get the answers they need, they will need to go into the citadel and to do that, they have to go through a purity ritual. The ritual, if it finds any demon properties, will eliminate those demon properties. Izzy is at first worried that Clary isn’t going to make it through because she’s worried Valentine may have experimented on her with demon blood just as Jace was but it turns out those fears were unfounded. I also don’t know how it’s become common knowledge that Jace has demon blood. Valentine told Jace and Jocelyn told Clary and Simon. Really, no one else should know. This isn’t something you want to go blabbing to everyone. It feels like everyone and their mom knows about the demon blood thing. Maybe there really is a twitter feed at the Institute. As it turns out, Izzy should’ve been more concerned for herself in regards to this purity ritual. I don’t think anyone was surprised when Izzy couldn’t get through the ritual. We all know that yin fen has demon properties. Clary thinks Izzy couldn’t get through it because of the demon wound but after Clary leaves to go to the citadel, one of the Iron Sisters tells Izzy that the reason she couldn’t pass the ritual is because the yin fen is polluting her entire body. Then this is the part where I got a little mad at the writers. The Iron Sister tells Izzy that yin fen is vampire venom. Yin Fen is NOT vampire venom. It comes from a very specific demon. Whereas in the previous episode, I thought it was super interesting that yin fen was being brought into the story, now I just feel cheated. It was super interesting because I know what yin fen does and how badly it could mess up Izzy but I just don’t think vampire venom is all that believable or threatening. If vampire venom is what the show wants to make yin fen to be, than I sincerely hope The Infernal Devices is never made into a tv series. Because it doesn’t make sense. Spoilers for The Infernal Devices ahead. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read anything in italics.

If this is the same yin fen that Jem got addicted to, at one point in the series they ran into a problem because the villain was buying out all the yin fen so Tessa would have no choice but to go to him. If yin fen really is vampire venom, they could simply have gone to a vampire to get this drug.

So yeah, it doesn’t make sense and considering how much I adore The Infernal Devices, I think I have every right to be angry about this, to feel cheated about this. The writers had a chance to take this plot point in a really interesting direction and they chickened out. And also, if vampire venom is flowing through Izzy’s veins right now, does this mean that if she were to die, she could come back as a vampire? She would have to have vampire blood in her system but she already has the venom someone would get from being bitten. Is that the turn they’re planning to make with Izzy? Is Izzy going to become a vampire? I hope not. That doesn’t sound like anything Izzy would ever want for herself. I’m pretty sure she’d prefer to die outright. But in this scene with the Iron Sisters, I did enjoy this total look of despair on Izzy’s face. Her entire life, all she’s ever wanted was to meet the Iron Sisters and when she has, she’s completely, unwittingly disparaged her name in front of them. They will forever see her as the shadowhunter who has demon properties in her blood. They’ll never even consider taking her in as one of their own now. It was a really moving moment for me to watch.

Clary goes into the citadel and the Iron Sister she’s talking to is revealed to be Luke’s sister, Cleophas. Cleophas tells Clary that Luke is in more danger than he could possibly imagine. That the soul sword has the ability to make people tell the truth but it also has a different purpose. That it can be used to kill everything in the world with demon blood which includes all downworlders. So Magnus, Luke, Simon, all of them would die. This is a use that does not exist in the books and I kind of hope this is just a story and not the sword’s actual purpose because that doesn’t really make sense either. If this sword has this ability, why wouldn’t they just “clean house” every few hundred years or something? I get that it requires a “special” being to use it and that is also another plot hole. If this secondary purpose really is for real, how would they know if there’s even someone alive at the time they need to activate the sword? I get the feeling no ordinary shadowhunter will be able to activate it. I’m also hoping that it’s not Clary who is destined to activate it because that seems a little too obvious at this point. Since this is a use only the Iron Sisters seem to know, how does Valentine know about it? And if the angels had the power to do this themselves, why don’t they? Why did the angel, Raziel, waste its precious blood giving it to shadowhunters when the demons could be smote so easily? There are just a lot of plot issues that could come up with this sword’s new ability that I really don’t think the show is going to take the time to explain. And if it can’t be explained, it probably shouldn’t be in the story. And to be perfectly honest, this feels incredibly “chosen one” cheesy. And it’s the kind of cheese I don’t like. Clary leaves the citadel and tells Cleophas that she drew a rune that isn’t in the shadowhunter records. Cleophas also looks genuinely surprised by this as is Izzy who is eavesdropping. You would think that someone who couldn’t pass the purity ritual would be watched more carefully while they were on sacred grounds but whatever. Izzy knows now and it’ll be really interesting to see what she does with this information. Clary initially thinks that her mother sent the rune to her and Cleophas tells her that when we die we don’t become angels. Clary asks what does happen and Cleophas responds that the answer to that question escapes both shadowhunters and mundanes. I thought that was a really great exchange between the two. Clary is still desperate for her mother to be out there in some way and Cleophas is essentially telling her to accept that her mother has moved on and is really gone. Izzy and Clary leave as well as Cleophas but not before Cleophas stabs another Iron Sister and reveals a Circle mark with her stele. Now, I get that showing the Circle mark was meant for dramatics and all but I have to ask. What was the actual purpose of revealing the mark? She’s kept it a secret for this long. On a practical level, why did she suddenly allow it to become visible? There really was no point to it. I’m sure everyone and their mother is going to think that Cleophas is going to go off and tell Valentine about Clary but I’m going to hope the show is going to go another angle with her character. I kind of want her character to be a little more complicated than that. I would totally expect the Season One writers to write her as Valentine’s lackey but I have higher expectations for these Season 2 writers. Just because she used to be a Circle member doesn’t mean she’s still in cahoots with Valentine. Yes, Hodge was but the Lightwoods also were and they’re not anymore (at least not yet, with this show, you never know what they’re gonna change). So let’s not discredit her yet. I am interested to see what’s happening with her in the next episode.

Finding Luke

We finally get to find out what’s been going on with Luke. Luke has seemingly disappeared off the face of the planet for the past few episodes so it was nice to finally see him come back. He has apparently been off transforming in the woods while dealing with his grief over Jocelyn. Simon is trying to find him but most of the pack has given up on trying to find him. All except Maia. You might remember her from Parabatai Lost. She was one of the wolves trying to kill Jace. She meets Simon and these two go off to find Luke. Their chemistry felt really great in this episode which is a good thing. Their relationship is relatively important in the books so the actors should have a decent amount of chemistry. I did feel like their first meeting felt a little forced. I found it a bit odd that Maia would be so willing to trust a vampire (her kind’s sworn enemy) right off the bat but okay. Whatever. Maybe they bonded over the fact she tried to kill Jace. Their interactions were a lot of fun in this episode and we actually had a flashback scene that didn’t totally suck. I know, who would’ve thought this show could actually execute a decent flashback sequence. The flashback scene didn’t feel forced and thankfully they kept the same actress for it. It felt very organic and fluid in the story. It was about Maia and what happened after her first Turn. She met Luke and she doesn’t really understand what’s happening to her and I thought it was a really moving scene. She felt both vulnerable yet strong at the same time and I enjoyed it. And it also really helped sell the kind of bond she has with Luke. Luke has been getting so little screen time lately that it’s helping to hear about his relationships with other people to reinforce his character and what his character stands for. They eventually find Luke in a forest as he’s about to chow down on some campers. Simon is able to stop him in time with a story about how he (Luke) made Clary feel better about herself after her hair had to be cut short because she got marshmallows stuck in it. I don’t know how I feel about the marshmallow bit. I’ve never heard of anyone cutting their hair so short they were afraid they looked like a boy because they got marshmallows stuck in it. I think a long shower would’ve been able to take care of it. If they wanted this kind of character empathy, they would’ve been better off with the “chewing gum in hair” story. I also have to question if Luke chowing down on these campers would’ve been any great loss to the world. They hear Luke growl (loudly) outside the tent and they think it’s a deer? As far as I know, deer don’t growl. And if they do, I certainly don’t think they would sound like that. I guess it’s true. Sex really does make you stupid.

Luke transforms back and I loved the character interactions he has with Maia and Simon. Those were great as well. Like I said, great character moments.

Jace Drama

You know it’s not a real Shadowhunters episode if we don’t have some sort of underlying Jace drama going on. Jace is having to deal with Aldertree not trusting him. And really, can he blame Aldertree? In the City of Bones, Jace did say he could never blindly swear allegiance to the Clave. How did he not think that that was going to bite him in the ass later? But Aldertree is also being his usual douchey self, as well. It’s now what I expect of him whenever he’s on screen. It’s so disappointing. I wanted there to be a little something extra to his character but no dice. Aldertree is essentially trying to chase Jace out of the Institute for some reason. I assume there is some sort of plan in mind for this particular plot point. At first, he tries to get Jace to go by making things unbearable for Jace like putting him on ichor duty. But then he tells Jace that if he doesn’t leave, he’s going to show everyone a clip of Jace at the City of Bones where he admits that he can’t swear complete allegiance to the Clave. This was a good little manipulation sequence. The people at the Institute already don’t trust Jace and I can understand Aldertree’s surface stance on this. It is his job to protect the Institute and the people who work there. He can’t really protect them if he has someone within their ranks who can’t completely swear allegiance to the Clave. Although, I don’t particularly understand why these people began to mistrust Jace in the first place. He’s supposedly been living with them for the past 10 years. When you know someone for that long, live in close quarters with them, you develop a bond. But maybe they didn’t like him to begin with? Considering what a cocky doucehbag Jace was in Season One, this could very well be the case. And I also don’t understand how this “clip” exists. The City of Bones is a cave. How were they filming this? There were no wires in that cave. Where would they get the electricity? That was really good film resolution for a camera phone. When the show throws stupid stuff like that at me, I can’t help but to laugh at it.

But Jace ultimately decides to leave and asks Magnus for a place to stay. I am beyond excited for this plot point. This isn’t how Jace comes to live with Magnus in City of Ashes but I’m fine with it. I do like how the show is finding ways to incorporate elements from the books, it’s just being done a different way. The Jace and Magnus roommate angle has some of my favorite scenes from City of Ashes so I’m really excited to see it. I really hope this is the point Jace is actually going to get some of the book Jace snark his character has been missing. Dom does a really good job at portraying emotional and angsty Jace. I’m just waiting for him to make me laugh.

Malec First Date

Yup, it’s finally here, guys. The Malec first date happened and it didn’t disappoint. I really liked it. Magnus kind of misleads Alec into thinking something’s wrong in order to get Alec over to his place. Magnus tells Alec that he needs to take some time for himself and I really liked the exchanges in this scene. Really, any Malec scene in this episode was gold. It was so great, so relatable. It was, by far, the best part about this episode. Alec agrees to go out and they end up at the Hunter’s Moon. That’s the bar in Parabatai Lost where Jace met Maia. I’m thinking this is probably a downworlder hangout spot. I also loved the fact that Magnus reveals to Alec that he’s been hustling him in pool this entire time and Alec is all, “okay, game on.” This is what makes the Malec relationship fun. It’s not really about all the romance bits. At least it’s not for me. It’s about these two people just hanging out and having fun. That when they’re with each other, they’re free to be themselves. That’s what I’ve always liked about them. I don’t care how many kisses or how many make out scenes we get, I just want lots of scenes like this.

The two eventually make their way back to the bar and they have the conversation that no one looks forward to on a first date or whenever this conversation pops up when you’re interested in someone. And that is, “the ex” talk.

And I’m going to say this right off the bat because I feel compelled to defend book Alec. Book Alec was not bi-phobic. He was not slut shaming Magnus. At least, I didn’t interpret it that way. He was just caught off guard. Alec, for the most part, is relatively innocent. He’s been living at the Institute more or less sheltered from the world and how it actually works in regards to relationships. Magnus is the first person Alec’s ever dated. Alec has been closed off from the dating world. He hasn’t been exposed to a whole lot of different things so as a result, when something different presents itself, he reacts badly. He’s a man of routine. So when he found out that Magnus had once dated Camille and subsequently learned about his prior relationships, it was not due to biphobia nor was he slut-shaming. It was just shock at being with Magnus for as long as he has and just now finding out about all of these other relationships. Did he react badly? Certainly. We’re all entitled to react badly when we’re surprised but that doesn’t make him bi-phobic. He let himself believe that Magnus was one way and then learned suddenly that Magnus is actually a different way. It was a wake-up call for him and made him really think about Magnus’ past. He was also not slut-shaming Magnus. He was questioning his own worth to Magnus. Magnus has had all of these great relationships over centuries. How can I possibly measure up and matter in the greater scheme of things compared to these past loves he’s had? When we get involved with someone, we all want to be that one important person to them. To realize you might not be is really hard to reconcile. Especially when you’re involved with someone who has as colorful of a past as Magnus. It also didn’t help that Magnus was completely against talking about his past. I always felt this was a very real interpretation of what can happen with a mortal being in a relationship with an immortal. And it’s very rarely explored when these relationships do pop up. This is a really difficult thing to realize and overcome and I enjoyed reading about it. It was hard to read but I still enjoyed it and I’m also happy that it’s still something they haven’t completely overcome when City of Heavenly Fire ended. They’re still having to deal with the fact that Alec will eventually die and what that’s going to mean for Magnus. I’m glad there wasn’t some sort of easy fix to the problem. Now, keep in mind these are my own opinions regarding Book Alec and how Cassandra Clare chose to represent them. I will not argue with anyone about this. I will not respond to anyone who disparages the books or the author. If you think this show is the most fantastic thing on this planet and is far better than the books, than that’s your opinion. I will respect that. I expect you to afford me the same respect. Anyone who cannot do that is not worth my time and will be ignored. Let’s act like adults and not 10-year-olds, okay? Unless, of course, you are a 10-year-old…then go ahead and disparage…I still won’t respond to you but whatever.

But anyways, show Malec is being done a little differently which I do enjoy. I love reading alternate universe Malec fanfictions because those stories get to explore different versions of Malec. So I have no problems with Malec being different from the books. I just want them done well as they are one of my favorite OTPS. It also helps that this conversation is happening much earlier in the relationship than it did in the books. So their relationship drama is probably going to be geared in a different direction. I really liked how these two handled this conversation. Magnus asks Alec if Lydia has been his only relationship and Alec confirms his suspicions. Magnus is understandably flabbergasted but is still very accepting of Alec. I really liked his line, “You’re just so…innocent.” Because if I had to describe Alec in just one word, that is the one word I would absolutely use. He is very innocent. Alec then asks Magnus what his number was and I thought that was also handled very nicely. 17,000 seems a little absurd though. How can he possibly remember and count that high? I thought it would’ve worked better like this:

MAGNUS: 17

ALEC: 17? That’s not so bad. Oh wait. 17 this century?

I’m not slut-shaming Magnus so don’t take it that way. I just think it’s a little absurd that he can remember 17,000 lovers.

The two eventually walk home where apparently neither said a single word while they try to understand the implications of the others’ respective love lives. When they get back to Magnus’ apartment, they both agree that maybe this relationship isn’t such a good idea. This was a really great scene. Alec goes to leave but ultimately turns back with, “It doesn’t matter to me how many people you’ve been with.” And Magnus responds with, “It doesn’t matter how many you haven’t been with.” It was a fantastic exchange and then they kissed only to have the moment interrupted by Jace which was also a really great moment, too. And we all know how I feel about Jace showing up there. Beyond excited for what’s to come.

All in all, I’d give this episode a B. There were so many great character moments but I only wished that all of these great character moments could’ve connected to the overall plot. I’m still waiting for the show to wow me in that respect. Once the overall plot starts getting more consistent, this show might make it into an A rating for me. The characters are going great, the pacing is better, the dialogue is feeling more organic. It’s just the plot that needs to catch up. I am really excited to see Jace and Magnus as roommates. I will forever be optimistic that Izzy’s drug addiction plotline is going to go interesting places. I just hope the show won’t “chicken out” with it. If they’re going to do this plotline, they need to go all in. As always, I hope the new showrunners keep up the good work with Malec. I really hope we get some snarky Jace scenes. They released a deleted scene where Jace actually felt like the cocky, charming Jace we know from the books so I know these writers can write him. In a main character, yes, I want them to have emotional scenes but I also want them to make me laugh and that has just not been happening with Jace which kind of disappoints me. But I have a lot of faith in these writers. Just with these last few episodes, the show is so much better than Season One could ever hope to be.

Well, that’s all I have. I would love to hear your thoughts. Did you like this episode? Did you hate it? Do you agree or disagree? Just be respectful is all I ask.

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters review #shadowhunters season 2 #the iron sisters #shadowhunters discussion #shadowhunters the iron sisters #malec

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miscellaniaofself · 5 years ago

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Unpopular SPOP S5 Opinions

It seems like for the past week, about 85% of my internet time has been filled with people being absolutely ecstatic over She-Ra. Multiple people sent me messages, clearly expecting me to also be over the moon. And like, I get it. But I just don’t feel the same way. To be entirely honest, season five was my least favorite season. Maybe it’s partially because I was tired while watching most of it, but that definitely doesn’t explain everything. It was still REALLY good, but it didn’t quite land with me, and I want to talk about why. Please don’t try to come at me - as one person already has with “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT” - I’m talking about my opinion. We can disagree.

Warning that this will be spoilers all the way down, so if you haven’t watched every episode of season five and don’t want to have everything spoiled for you, don’t read the rest of this.

I do want to start off by talking about things I actually really liked about this season before I delve into the shit I didn’t care for. For starters, I’m so glad that we finally got to see a Catra redemption arc. It wasn’t surprising to me at all, given the end of S4 and things Noelle has said, but still - it was nice. I’d spent four seasons caring about Catra like she’s a real person, so it’s nice to see her on the road to healing. Also, I’m glad we got to see substantially more of Catra purring. Horde Prime was appropriately creepy and I fucking LOVED the body horror aspect that came with being under Prime’s control. The fight between Adora and Catra? Sick as hell.

I also really liked that we got hints that Scorfuma (which Lauren and I were lowkey shipping before the two of them even met) was happening. Melog has my entire heart. I was in no way prepared for Horny Entrapta, but it amused me greatly. Speaking of which, I’m officially no longer alarmed by Entrapta.* That scene with Mara that I keep seeing gifs of fucking destroyed me (a type 2 ENFJ Hufflepuff recovering from a martyr complex). The message of this season was SO important and the plot was fabulous - but I’m not here for the plot and never was.

My favorite thing about fiction (both as a creator and a consumer) is characters. My favorite thing about She-Ra was that we got to know and become deeply attached to a wide variety of amazing characters. It helps that many of these characters are either queer-coded or canonically established as queer. In season five however, most of the secondary characters were essentially out of commission. I realize that in order to sufficiently raise the stakes, at least some of the characters in the Princess Alliance needed to get chipped and have their characters supplanted by Horde Prime’s purity programming - but I didn’t care about what the plot demanded. I wanted to see more of Mermista, Scorpia, and Micah - and especially how they interacted with each other.

Then there’s the Horde trio (Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio). I appreciate that there were mentions of them sprinkled throughout the season - but I both wanted and expected to see more of them. Over the course of the series they were slowly built up to be just as prominent secondary characters as anyone in the Princess Alliance, but in season 5 I don’t think we see them at all. Season four was mainly about how the Horde members (aside from Hordak) weren’t so different from the Princess Alliance members, which seemed to me to be setting them up to work with them in the final season. At least some members of the fandom - myself included - fully expected the last season to involve literally everyone working together to beat Horde Prime. Maybe the writers thought that since Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio had already left the Horde that their storyline was wrapped up? But that definitely wasn’t my impression at the end of season four.

Speaking of areas where I really expected something, but nothing happened: Shadow Weaver. I’m incredibly relieved that neither Catra nor Adora forgave her and of course I’m happy she’s fuckin dead. But it’s very weird to me that she went from being a horrifying, deeply antagonistic figure who had a shit-ton of power and wanted to obtain more to...someone who just kind of hangs out and occasionally tempts people to the Dark Side like Darth Vader with a moving target. I fully expected her to make a last minute power grab and probably become a huge threat again by the end of the final season. And/or for her to have a karmic death. My dream scenario was that Scorpia would fuck her up, considering that Shadow Weaver used Scorpia’s own runestone to inflict pain on her and Catra. I didn’t think that was likely to happen though, since it’s so specific - but I would’ve been happy with someone else dealing her some karmic blows. But instead we get her being lightly roasted by Catra and Adora before pulling a heroic sacrifice and having her last words be “You’re welcome.” What a bitch. Now, I do think it’s interesting that Shadow Weaver’s death demonstrates the idea that sometimes abusers genuinely care about those they abuse(d) and are just EXCEEDINGLY bad at showing it - but still. It feels to me like Shadow Weaver as Threat was another thing that was built up but never actually played with to a real extent.

Speaking of Shadow Weaver’s abuse, it’s time for my single most unpopular opinion about She-Ra, which has basically always been my most unpopular opinion about She-Ra. I don’t ship Catradora. Obviously (I would hope) it’s not because of the gay shit - they’re both very clearly queer-coded. It’s not because I have anything against the enemies to lovers trope. Confession time: I was complete Zutara trash back in the day, so I fuck with that sort of dynamic. I

actually did ship Catradora for most of season one. I absolutely lost my shit during “Princess Prom.” But then I saw “Promise” and had a mental shift to “HOLY SHIT no they’re sisters.”

I viewed seasons two, three, and four with that lens. I rewatched most of those seasons with that lens. I walked into season five with that lens. And then Those Lines started creeping in and my watching buddy was getting more and more hype as I felt an increasing level of confusion and low-degree panic. And then they smooched and my brain pretty much broke.

To be clear, I’m not anti Catradora. I don’t have that tag blacklisted on Tumblr the same way I do Reylo. I somehow seem to be literally the only person who viewed them through a sisterhood lens and the show never actually uses sibling terms to refer to them (*cough cough* UMBRELLA ACADEMY) so I don’t see it as a gross incest ship the way I otherwise might have.

As someone who’s very unlikely to ever see representation of my own sexual orientation(s) - I understand how important the representation is to so many people.I understand why people are excited and I don’t want to put a damper on it

Here’s the thing though. I know that Noelle and Co. wanted to tell a narrative about abusive family dynamics. I know that they wanted to tell a lesbian love story. Those are both important and lovely stories. But I feel weird about how they intersected. They could’ve had one character to perform the Catra-As-Sibling role and another to perform the Catra-As-GF role. But they combined them and that’s weird for me.

And I really just don’t appreciate the idea everyone seems to have that just because I’m queer and love Catra that I naturally must ship Catradora.

I feel like doing a rewatch of the entire series might help me do a factory reset of my brain and make that aspect of the show less jarring for me, but I don’t know.

Also, WHY did Glimmer and Bow get paired up? Again, not a bad ship. Just a weird one in my eyes. And it sort of feels like the writers wanted to pair them together just for the sake of having two members of the original heroic triad get together. Because Bow is definitely gay and THAT is a hill I’ll die on.

*-Until like, midway through season four she really unnerved me since I dated a number of people who bear a lot of similarities to her

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girl-outta-hell · 5 years ago

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{{ Questions for Canon Muses

{{ Found the questions here:

https://fallxnprxnce.tumblr.com/post/160809400830/questions-for-muns-of-canon-muses

1. What is the biggest headcanon deviation from the canon material that you have incorporated into the way you write your muse? Why did you come up with it? I am incredibly attached to canon, so I try not to deviate from it, as much as possible. There is one detail, which doesn't exactly deviate from canon... but I took a little detail from the comics and twisted it into something freshly agonizing.

In the original comics, Raven's mentor and all of Azarath's spiritual leader died (of old age) when Raven was 10. Now, considering the DCAU movies, 10 looks to be just about how old Raven was when she brought Trigon to Azarath... so I kept the comic!canon that Azar died when Raven was 10, but headcanon that rather than dying of old age, she died alongside all the rest of the Azaratheans by Trigon's hands.

As for what possessed me to conclude that, I have no idea whatsoever, and can only point in the vague direction of "I Was Trying to Figure Out How Old She Was", and then it just kinda clicked.

3. What is something that was never addressed at all in the canon material that you have independently developed for your muse? Raven's methods of coping with having an abusive parent literally attached to her head? I think we'll be seeing some Conflict of That Nature in the upcoming movie, but as for the daily struggle, that’s all me.

4. Have you made any outright changes to the canon material in order to write your muse the way you wanted (entire scenes you chose to omit, chapters you say never existed, things you assume were never said, etc.)? I say I take comic canon into consideration to fill in the gaps where the movie doesn't address canon fact... but when I say "comics", I pretty specifically mean the New Teen Titans comics, and even THEN, I intentionally and specifically don't count anything after, oh, maybe 1989?, during or after the Wildebeest / Titans Hunt storyline. Aside from being confusing and convoluted, I've just never felt compelled to address that story in anything I've ever touched.

(Besides the over-arching and undeniably canon fact that Raven is really hard to kill in such a way that she’ll stay dead-forever. I keep that. I love that about her.)

But the absolutely WORST comic canon that I absolutely REFUSE to acknowledge as ANYTHING other than a terrible fanfic is definitely the Sons of Trigon plot from the 2008 issues of "Titans". Vast potential for phobia triggers aside, Raven was so terribly out of character, the story was poorly written, the writers ignored everything Marv Wolfman had ever written (Trigon HIMSELF said Raven was his ONLY heir! over and over and over again), mathematically it just didn't work (there's no way between that time and the time of Titans that Trigon had 6 more grown-adult kids), The NOTP was there and they laid it on out-of-characteristically thick, the fact that I put more effort and development into my own canon-compliant OC than whoever wrote those comics (who didn't seem to bother reading ANY of Raven's history with Trigon), just... so many reasons. I despise that story and will never lift anything from it as any kind of inspiration. You ever want to get me Instantly Salty, just remind me that story was published by Actually Factually DC Comics. I'm disgusted.

5. What is an aspect of your muse’s canon material or canon existence that you never had the opportunity to explore but really want to? Ah, much better! Truth be told, that's what I write fanfiction for, so most of the answers I could put here have already been penned (whether it's in a file or actually posted). Things like, what if Raven DID have a sibling? Can she fall ill from MAGICAL things? How does she cope with the guilt of everything she feels is her fault? And of course, the 80's comics dedicated an entire issue to exploring her upbringing in Azarath, so that has already been explored quite explicitly. And even on the fluffy side, JLvTT explored her actually Having Fun, which was super nice to see and warms my heart... but, you know, A Happy Raven could always use more exploring. c: Not just in "distraction" either, but comforting her? Heal The Child!! I can and I will address her grief and loss and SEE her HEALING! Not just healing other people, but HERSELF as well!!

6. What is the general opinion of your muse’s fandom about them? Do you agree with it? Eh, this particular side of the TT fandom is a lot more liberal with her emotions than I've ever seen any reason for? I mean, statistically, she does smile more in this verse than in other aspects of canon, but she still restrains her emotion and she still acts distant and aloof most of the time. She definitely cares and engages and smiles, but like.... not nearly so much, or as quickly, as people tend to write or draw. I don't even think we've ever seen her cry, solely excepting the scene where she's watching Trigon destroy Azarath. Despite all the terrible things that have happened. That says something.

7. For movie or TV muses, what is your muse’s favorite scene? Why? Can you show a screenshot? Ohogsh, well, her favorite moments are absolutely the times the Titans spend together, as a family. If it weren’t for everything that happened immediately after, the carnival scenes would’ve been among the sweetest time of her life thus far. The things I imagine being her ABSOLUTE favorite weren’t shown on screen, things like Christmas mornings and movie nights, game nights, not even necessarily moments where she was involved, but just times when they’re having a good time, relaxed and enjoying each others’ company. (Especially as an empath, those moments are wonderful.)

I also like to think she’s especially proud of Damian’s growth, but I can’t put it down to a Particular Moment...

8. For movie or TV muses, what is a scene with your muse that you hate? Why? Can you show a screenshot? (So... Suicide tw on this one. Thanks, JLD:AW.)

Seeing her in pain and struggling and suffering always pierces the most tender and sensitive parts of my heart... but that moment... that scene, the one we've only GLIMPSED, in previews no less, from Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. Where she's on her knees, and she's holding something to her throat... and she pulls back... and she's legitimately genuinely right on the precipice of committing suicide? That has shaken me more than any self-deprecation or guilt or ostracization or loneliness from her ever had before. I don't "hate" it, but gods, it hurts, knowing she was right there, and ready to do that. Because you only actually DO that when you're so destroyed and hopeless and agonized and empty that there isn't any room for hope or recovery in your mind, and it just.... It struck a personal chord in me, let's just say that. ;; I only have Guesses about why she's so ready, but every single one of them just HURTS so MUCH. Whatever it was, it hurt HER so much! Gods. I'm trembling. I just... well I hate that she was so broken, she felt like that was the answer.

(okay.... tw over.)

9. For movie or TV muses, what other character played by your muse’s actor/actress has a lot in common with your muse? I'm not enough of a TV person to know what else Taissa Farmiga has been in, unfortunately. I know she's done some work in the horror genre, but that's it.

10. For book muses, what is your muse’s favorite scene? Why? Can you provide a short excerpt? 11. For book muses, what is a scene with your muse that you hate? Why? Can you provide a short excerpt? 12. For book muses, what other character from a book or book series has a lot in common with your muse?

13. What canon character do you really wish your muse could interact more with? Within canon, or within RPs? Because within canon, I'm looking forward to seeing how she interacts with John Constantine. So much. And, I won't lie, I'm desperately curious to see if/how she has any further reactions with Clark, after that devastating life-saving moment we saw in the previews...

~ As far as RPs though, more interaction with the other Titans would be great. Warm-and-fuzzies and camaraderie. Though, as an OC creator, I'd also love to give more love to other OCs?~ I love learning about All-New Characters! I love exploring Raven's interactions with someone she's never met before; someone I know nothing about! And as a writer, I love giving others the opportunity to explore and develop their characters. c: It's a bit of a broad stroke, but it's no less true.

14. What is your ideal AU for your muse? I actually... don't do AUs? I mentioned my fondness for canon, but, heh, this 'verse already feels like a bit of an AU to me! (I've spent nearly 2/3 of my life loving on the '03 cartoon and the 80's comics, so this DCAU-verse Raven was a whole new constellation of my favorite traits! Plus some younger, softer, vulnerable traits that I also love, and entirely new character dynamics with the new team. Even a whole new sHIP???) Anyways, I guess my point is, this already IS my ideal AU for Raven~

15. What plots/interactions leave you feeling protective of your muse? Bold of you to assume I'm not ALWAYS feeling protective of her. But anything that hits a vulnerable spot for her, particularly in the spots I can relate to her on... (Which are a lot of them, honestly, but some hurt more than others.) I called her "my little soul-sister" today, and I meant that with every fiber of my being. So seeing her hurt? Protective Mode: Auto-Engaged!

#{ {{ Rae mun * ooc * announcements }} }#questions list

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recentanimenews · 6 years ago

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INTERVIEW: The Director Who Stole Our Hearts Away to Antarctica: In Conversation With Atsuko Ishizuka

At the most recent Crunchyroll Expo, I had the unbelievable opportunity to sit down with Atsuko Ishizuka, the director of A Place Further Than the Universe, one of the most revered series of 2018, anime or otherwise. Aside from being my personal favorite TV show of the year, the New York Times gave the coming-of-age adventure a prominent spot on its “Best TV Shows of 2018” overview. The series was nominated for several Anime Awards and rightfully so - it’s poignant and compelling from its very first episode, and doesn’t lose an ounce of charm throughout its run.

Of all the interviews I’ve given with creatives in the anime industry, my time with Ishizuka-san was remarkable for the incredible passion she radiated, not to mention her thoughtful considerations on the collaborative process of creating an anime. I’m grateful that Crunchyroll was able to help produce this title and that Ishizuka-san was able to answer my questions here, and I hope that you enjoy this interview as much as I did!

Q: A Place Further Than the Universe is a very important title for us here at Crunchyroll. Looking back a few months out, how do you feel about it?

It’s my first original anime title, so I was very uncertain. I was anxious at first but I’ve received so much support.

On the topic of original titles, how did the series come about in the first place?

This started from the team that made No Game No Life, and when we were done with the screenplay, we were talking about continuing on with the same team. We were tossing around ideas and thought “How about something with esper girls?”

So how did we get from there to Antarctica?

It’s a long story, do you want to hear it?

Please!

First of all, it would be difficult coming up with an intriguing drama involving an esper girl. So we thought about a time leaper like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, but we also faced a wall there because it would be difficult to come up with a motivation. I had a personal interest in Antarctica so I tossed that out. The writer (Jukki) Hanada liked the idea and, after two or three more meetings, that’s what we settled on.

Where does your personal interest in Antarctica come from?

The general image of Antarctica is a vast land full of mystery and unordinary, even a little occult. People speculate that there may be hidden UFOs there, but if you actually do some research, you find it’s mostly international expeditions that travel there. So in fact, it’s actually a mixture of a place that’s in the middle of nowhere, but also in the center.

Also, penguins are cute.

Have you been to Antarctica yet?

I wish I could, but I haven’t been there yet. It’s at the end of the Earth, so it is something the general population doesn’t have an easy time accessing — so I thought it would be something the main characters could explore.

Do you plan on ever going there?

If Kadokawa would be willing to fund the trip (laughs). Or Crunchyroll would be a suitable sponsor (laughs again).

I can’t speak for the company, but I would love nothing more than to support that.

Let’s go!

Something I thought was interesting about the show was that all four characters had different reasons for going to Antarctica — but do you think there is a common theme between them?

Starting off with having no common motivation among the four was a very hard handicap for the story, but if they could come to a common goal I thought that would be a good… of the story.

I cried almost every episode. Was this something you were intentionally pursuing?

Very intentional. Every episode is meant to be seen like the final episode.

That’s a very interesting concept.

Yes, every episode is intended to end with either tears or laughter.

Then it was a great success! What was the motivation for wanting every episode to end with finality rather than having subplots thread through multiple episodes?

This is something Hanada and myself wanted to do. Nothing that was tossed out during a production meeting, but it was a common goal that we had and something we pursued as a team.

Do you plan to make more productions together as a team?

I certainly want to continue working with the team and hope everyone’s thinking the same.

Did either of you go onto boats to get into the right mindset for the ship? The way the characters reacted felt very true to life.

We’ve gotten inside a ship and as far as cruising Tokyo Bay, but we haven’t gone to Australia, so the rest had to be done with interviews with Japanese expedition team members.

Speaking with them, did anything stand out during your conversations? What was an element of their story you wanted to share?

The general impression I had going in was that an expedition is a great adventure to risk your life undertaking, but in talking to the expedition members, I found that it was something they very much enjoyed. They had become a close knit family working together, eating together, sleeping together, and that’s something I wanted to convey through my story.

In real life, the male members of the expedition were very eager to undress and go out into the cold — but unfortunately, it was from the perspective of young anime girls, so that was something we decided not to feature. Apologies to anyone that would have liked to see them in such a state.

Did you watch any specific films or documentaries for inspiration about Antarctica that stood out to you?

When it comes to Japanese film, I watched Antarctic Story, but that’s different because it’s the story of the relationship between sleigh dogs and humans. When I talked to expedition members, their experience was far different than the desperation of that movie so I decided to work away from that direction.

Hinata was something of a fan favorite, and my favorite character too. What went into developing her personality, and why do you think she resonated with fans?

She’s my favorite character too! Normally in anime, when you take a high school girl character, the cuteness is something you have to push to the front — but I wanted someone who was more true to real life. So someone dropping out of high school and wanting to join the expedition…

Why is she your favorite character?

As a character that’s more representative of a real life as a high school girl, she has a darker background — that’s something that the audience can sympathize with. It’s something that’s not normally done, but with that kind of painful background, reaching a resolution is made more rewarding.

Hinata is always wearing shirts with food on them. Whose idea was that?

It started with a discussion between character designer (Takahiro) Yoshimatsu-san and myself. We wanted her to be wearing something dorky all the time so we started tossing out ideas. One of us came up with the idea for onigiri and it progressed from there.

Hinata tends to be mature for her age, so we wanted an element that would betray that kind of maturity. As a result, we had her wear something that a high school girl normally wouldn’t be wearing.

What one element of the show, whether a storyline or character trait, do you feel is the most Ishizuka-esque?

In order to bring excitement to the audience, we can’t just have a story with cute girls, there has to be something shown within them that they strive for, and that’s something I always insist on keeping.

Were you able to follow fan response from overseas while the show was airing?

I almost never have the time to follow fan reactions because I’m too busy myself, but for this show, Yoshimatsu was so fond of the anime that he spent the time to look at the fan reaction, and I found out from him that we were getting a lot of positive response from fans overseas — although I believe Yoshimatsu is still the greatest fan.

It’s very encouraging to have a staff member like that, so it’s been a huge support.

Has there been any fan reaction that frustrates you or you disagree with?

I didn’t find anything in particular. I think it’s always up to the audience to decide what the show means to them, so I feel like it’s also up to them to make up their own mind.

What would you like the audience to take away from A Place Further Than the Universe?

I think that the friends that you make when you’re on a team, especially if you’re working toward a single accomplishment, become like family. So I hope there are audience members who have found those kinds of friends and, if you are already grown up, you value those friends that you’ve made.

The anime also seems to be about the romance of youth. For me personally, it’s becoming harder to recapture the feelings I had from that age. How did you manage to bring forth those ephemeral feelings of younger years?

Even the grown ups are still struggling to achieve the goals and overcome their weaknesses. If a character is struggling with those issues I think it’s something worth exploring — grownups can still experience that aspect of youth.

When Shirase first steps onto Antarctica, rather than reflecting upon her mother or the struggles she’s undergone to reach where she is now, she instead shouts in defiance to those who had doubted her, which I found very cathartic. Can you tell me how you came to the decision to portray the scene in that manner?

First, in the anime, all those heading toward Antarctica are considered “losers”…and now it’s all these people who have managed to make it to Antarctica and overcome their struggles.

The second reason: the idea that her mother has died hasn’t sunk in yet, so it would not be realistic for the character to have the death of her mother on her mind when her sense of accomplishment is so high — she must still confront the death of her mother further down the line.

What would you like to say to people who haven’t had the opportunity to spend this time with you?

As a a creator of a show there is nothing more motivating than hearing love about your work. We’re very happy to receive fan letters at Madhouse.

Editor’s Note: You can send fan letter to Madhouse at the following address:

MADHOUSE Inc. Shin Nakano AM1 Bld. 3F 3-23-3 Honcho, Nakano-ku Tokyo 164-0012, Japan

I hear you birthday is coming up!

Yes!

Are you excited to spend part of it in America?

Very excited! I think this is going to be a very special birthday party.

Do you have any final messages for your fans?

We really thank you for your support. It’s very encouraging and I’m very glad there are so many fans!

Thank you for reading - please make sure to send your fan letters to Madhouse and, as always, enjoy A Place Further Than the Universe on Crunchyroll!

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