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andyouweremine · 6 months ago

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I am very slowly making my way through a rewatch of Season 1 of Arrow and listen, nothing gives pure Olicity like this season. I don't care if they kiss or hug in other seasons, nothing is as pure or as close to the actual dynamic of their relationship that I wanted to see as Season One and there are some good reasons for this:

(1) Writers are still like 99% sure that they are going to stick with the spin cycle Laurel/Oliver relationship through the end of the series. Felicity as a character is Not A Thing. She's there to help facilitate plot points and make the audience laugh.

(This is not a slight on Felicity; she is not a real person--she's a character and the fact that thanks to EBR she's actually doing more than the writers need her to do is incredible. More so the fact that she does in-fact upstage the Official Comic Book Love Interest who is just not vibe-ing with the lead in the way they need to but I DIGRESS. Her function in the narrative is to provide tech help to move the story-of-the-week along, and do some heftier plot work with helping Walter and later giving Oliver his Mom's Copy Of The List (TM). Characters are allowed to be narrative tools. That's literally how story-crafting works, and I personally think it's something beautiful when a character who initially exists to do some narrative lifting ends up being incredibly beloved by fans and writers and therefore promoted and fleshed out beyond their initial conception. EBR and Stephen and some very cute episode 3 writing made Felicity. I DIGRESS AGAIN.)

(2) Felicity connects with the audience because she makes us smile the same way she makes Oliver smile, which is almost against our better judgement and kind of by accident. We like her because she's insanely likeable, and Oliver likes her for the same reasons. Enough to keep going back to her when I'm sure that Queen Consolidated has more than a one-woman IT department, and he could probably have reduced suspicion by going to someone else another week rather than literally give Felicity all the clues to figure out his identity. But he goes back to her again and again because he's in this perpetual darkness post-island and she's a literal ray of color and light. I will also say that costuming and hair and make-up for Felicity is absolutely top-tier this season, it never gets better than this. She's professional and colorful and I love the bright lipstick and ponytail of curls. I don't completely have an explanation for why her style alters so dramatically post season 1 other than Whoops She's A Female Lead Now and we Are The CW so she needs to be wearing Fashion and not Panda Bear shoes.

(3) She's not supposed to be a love interest, literally not the point of her character at all. So when the writers actually start deviating from The Plan and pulling her more and more into the story, her relationship with Oliver is portrayed as this genuine burgeoning friendship as they learn to trust and rely on each other. Honestly my favorite Oliver/Felicity scene of ALL TIME is still in Big Belly Burger when she brings him Walter's copy of the notebook. "I'm not an idiot; you've dropped some pretty big lies on me, and yet I still feel like I can trust you." idk, I love it. You can pry it out of my cold dead hands. THIS is the best moment of this ship hands down and again I will die on this hill.

(4) There's such a stark difference in how Felicity and Oliver have important conversations after season one. Season two is okay, but by the time we hit Season three the big differences are starting to show. Compare, simple things like "I still feel like I can trust you" or "If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving" to the dramatic "I don't want to be a woman you love" or "Then say never. Stop dangling maybes." or literally my least favorite line in all of television "You opened up my heart in a way I didn't even know was possible."

(I SWEAR TO GOD, "I don't want to be a woman you love" was initially written for Laurel to say. I have no proof of this, but once you think about it it's such a Laurel/Oliver line. I would bet money it was sitting on a whiteboard for three seasons and the writers just couldn't get over how much they liked it so they had Felicity say it.)

(5) Oliver and Felicity's relationship is actually healthier in season one? I don't care that he's lying to her about the laptop or the syringe of vertigo or the arrow or the flash drive, she knows and she's choosing to press him carefully on all of those things without pushing too hard. (This is important because Moira and Tommy and Laurel and Thea and even Diggle are pressing Oliver super hard to open up in literally every other scene, but he's just not responding to them. Felicity lets it go. These look like bullet holes? Opens the laptop anyway. Flash drive has insanely high encryption for a scavenger hunt? Okay, she'll give the info anyway. They become friends-- to the point where a shot and bleeding Oliver goes to Felicity because he does actually trust her.)

Season One Olicity was the Best Olicity don't come at me.

#kris watches arrow #it was while queue were sleeping

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gregoftom · 1 year ago

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The thing that truly makes the forehead kiss A Moment for me is the juxtaposition with the previous scene.

Tom is in a room full of people whose approval he desperately seeks, and he is given both the best news of his life (he’s not going to jail) and finally some validation from Logan (“I’ll remember”) and yet he can’t feel a connection with anyone in that room, including his WIFE (!), so he seeks out Greg.

And at first he’s thrashing Greg’s office and you think, oh he just couldn’t show emotion around any of those people because he was afraid of looking weak, but THEN, he goes and kisses Greg, LIKE THAT, and the whole scene changes tone because suddenly it’s not just Tom expressing all those feelings he couldn’t in that other room, but essentially showing the audience the only person that he DOES feel emotionally connected to, because when you get good news you want to celebrate with people who care about you, whom you care about, and who will be happy for you because they GET you. And that scene is written so the audience understands in no uncertain terms that that person for Tom is not his wife, it’s Greg.

That scene was the setup for Italy, so when he pushes Shiv down the stairs and “proposes” to Greg, it’s doesn’t even surprise you.

OUUUUGHHRRRRR!!! god my tg anons are so LARGE brained i thank you all for my life, i am honoured i get these kinds of amazing takes in my askbox!

and yeah it's. yeah you. put it. as best as possible really. and like, i always say they became best friends in s4 but like. they definitely pull bestie[albeit with worstie] behaviour together since the beginning it's just. very volatile to start out with and evens out to a lot more sort of, i think greg relaxing more and letting himself believe and realise that yeah, tom really does care about him. for real!

and GOD yeah it really was and fuck i can't even Think about italy without actively passing away that shit will never EVER be lived down it was top tier television and will live forever in history, along with the sticker scene. the holy trifecta; forehead kiss, come with me sporus and i got you. obviously there's more scenes/moments than that but those are like. the three scenes which i think were THE most insane top anime moments in history.

#tomgreg #urghhh they are so fucking. god. my Life

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danglovely · 1 year ago

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Ranking Taskmaster Series

15. Series One

Even the worst series of Taskmaster is really good. The show hadn't figured out how to maximize the in-studio dynamic yet, so it comes off a little awkward. Tim Key constantly trying to cheat and Romesh Ranganathan obliterating a watermelon is still good television.

Best Task: Eat as much watermelon as possible.

14. Series Three

Alex and Greg are always consistent, so series quality becomes highly dependent on how memorable the tasks are and how how good the cast is. This series was a bit forgettable on both counts, but I'll never forget Rob Beckett's surprise for Alex.

Best Task: Communicate to your teammates the names of these films, books or TV programs.

13. Series Six

Iffy cast chemistry and tepid task designs. The standout moment comes because Lisa Tarbuck thinks showing love means making someone sit in a cake. Long live Team Funk (Alice never agreed to that name).

Best Task: Get the highest score in darts.

12. Series Four

This is definitely an unpopular opinion. This series has so much going for it with Hugh Dennis trying to find a loophole in every task and Mel Giedroyc naturally being the victim of three solo tasks due to relentless optimism. While the moments are good, I'm not sure the whole amounted to more than the sum of its parts.

Best Task: Put as many different things in the bathtub/Seal the top of this bathtub with cling film/Fill the bathtub with water.

11. Series Two

A shorter series and one where the show was still finding its footing. It probably would be lower if not for Joe Wilkinson. The first contestant to realize very early on that he wasn't going to win brought us Potatogate, a lovely scramble platter, and the knowledge that there's strength in arches.

Best Task: Place these three exercise balls on the yoga mat on the top of that hill.

10. Series Seven

Another unpopular opinion, it really speaks to the quality of the show that I have potentially its most popular season so low. James Acaster refusing to acknowledge Alex, Jessica Knappett falling off the stage, Phil Wang's pendulum. What brings this series down for me is twofold: (1) Kerry Godliman's constant indignant anger at perceived unfairness and (2) Rhod Gilbert's abuse of Alex and Greg -- funny at first, wore a little thin after awhile. Rhod still managed to steal the series with the finest workaround on the show.

Best Task: Tie yourself up as securely as possible.

9. Series Fifteen

Fifteen seasons in, it feels like show doesn't benefit from the contestants having watched so much Taskmaster. Mae Martin knew every trick coming in, and they built a lead that was as expert as it was uninteresting to watch.

Best Task: First to complete a line or four corners wins.

8. Series Nine

A lot of intriguing stuff going on here. This is a cast that just genuinely likes each other, but it also brings some of the most contrasting energies to the table. Ed and Jo are polar opposites in scale of competitive energy while David can always be counted on to find the worst way to approach a situation. The only reason this series isn't higher is the lack of standout task design.

Best Task: Put the most gold rings on this drumstick.

7. Series Thirteen

This is the first series I ever saw and it's a gem. Every contestant almost feels understated in how brilliant and hilarious they are. Judi Love is the best last-place of all time; Bridget Christie is the wild card we never knew we needed in our lives.

Best Task: Get the most ducks in Alex's basket.

6. Series Fourteen

I always seem to prefer the contestants that come in last over those that come in first. John and Fern were so fun and Dara was so weirdly intense. This would normally make for a mixed series if they hadn't completely exploited that dynamic by putting them all on a team with each other.

Best Task: With your hands on those hips at all times, put the most sand in the shopping trolley.

5. Series Ten

Johnny Vegas and Daisy Mae Cooper are top tier Taskmaster contestants, but I really love this series for the location tasks. Printworks is just a dark and amazing setting. Plus, Mawaan tried to fill an egg with helium in hopes that it would float.

Best Task: Complete the most tasks. There is one task behind each door.

4. Series Twelve

Couldn't this series let everybody win? We have an Alan Davies Wow Monster, Desiree pulling off the worst task performance of all time while always looking collected. Victoria learned how to ride a bike on national television and Morgana showed why being chaotic is a strength. I welcome any number of new revelations from Guz in the lab.

Best Task: Pop the balloon.

3. Series Eleven

Mike Wozniak elevates the series by himself. Lee was a big get for the show, Jamali's antagonistic relationship with Greg is fun, Sarah and Charlotte are delights. However, Mike is a unique pleasure and any series with him in it is bound to be one of the best.

Best Task: Say the word "metronome" between every tick of this metronome.

2. Series Five

This is what many believe to be the best series of the lot and they're not wrong in doing so. Bob Mortimer and Sally Phillips are legends for obvious reasons. Mark and Nish pleasantly bond over the underdog roles (despite Mark almost winning). Aisling brings her own level of unhinged energy. The tasks are on point and this cast just jives. It's a tragedy it didn't get ten episodes.

Best Task: Eat one item, throw one item, balance one item. 1. Series Eight

My favorite series is one of the least popular for one reason: Iain Stirling's competitive rage. This doesn't bring me down though -- The show has a hypercompetitive contestant almost every season (you could argue Lou Sanders was even more so) and everyone there seemed to genuinely like Iain (He and Lou are friends and Paul said he received an unfavorable edit on the podcast).

But mostly it just can't overcome all the good. It is a unique delight to watch Joe Thomas constantly be baffled by his own existence; the trainyard is the best location task setting the show has ever done; Paul Sinha in a phone booth. Throw in some unique Japanese theming and some peak task design -- at least for me, Series Eight reigns above.

Best Task: Get as close as you can to Alex without him noticing you.

#taskmaster

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doamarierose-honoka · 1 year ago

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After a lengthy hiatus, Marvel Studios returns with the long-awaited sophomore season of Loki, which continues the epic story of the one and only Loki Laufeyson (Tom Hiddleston). Fresh off unraveling one of the universe’s greatest mysteries, the one-time villain turned all-time hero is now at the center of saving the timeline - and the greater multiverse - from an extinction-level threat unlike any he’s faced before.

**This review may contain minor spoilers from the first four episodes of Loki season two**

Season Two picks up immediately after the events of season one, with Loki having been bested by Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) and now finding himself back at the TVA, albeit a very different TVA. This unfamiliar one features prominent monuments of He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) and a Mobius (Owen Wilson) that has no apparent memory of the God of Mischief or their friendship.

While we’ve all spent the last two years wondering what was going on in that final scene, we would’ve been much better served had we wondered a little more about when was this going on…

As the trailers have hinted toward, Loki has actually done the impossible and time slipped into the past, where he explores a considerably different TVA than the one he and his friends knew. What that means exactly is for fans to discover on their own in the coming weeks, but it certainly sets the stage for an exciting season that builds upon the show’s mythos and pushes it into an even higher tier of Marvel storytelling.

Last season, Loki and Sylvie found the man at the end of the yellow brick road, with the latter choosing to bring He Who Remains’ control over the sacred timeline to a definitive end, but now that he’s gone, what comes next for the two variants and everyone that lives within the MCU multiverse? Well, that’s a really good question and one that’ll be answered in due time, but first, a more immediate threat presents itself, with the timeline on the verge of collapsing, which would cause unspeakable death and destruction to an infinite amount of lives.

With these characters all now well-established in MCU lore, season two wastes no time getting Loki and Mobius back into the thick of the action. Instead of unraveling another mystery, new head writer Eric Martin is tasked with finding an answer for a near-unsolvable problem and does an exceptional job introducing challenging new scenarios for our heroes to traverse. While some may be hoping for a few deeper character moments akin to season one, there's a real sense of urgency in the first four episodes of season two that is honestly a welcome change of pace and really demonstrates how well these characters (and the actors behind the roles) mesh together. Loki has finally found his team and it's endearing to see how far he will go to save them, and vice versa.

To avoid spoilers, I won’t break down every episode here, but each installment feels stronger than the last, and arguably more standalone in nature than previous MCU seasons. Due to the nature of the threat, it’s a considerably more focused journey and a decidedly impressive improvement over its inaugural season. Episode four might actually be one of the finest hours of Marvel television ever produced. The twists and turns are jaw-dropping and set the stage for what should be an unbelievable conclusion this November.

Tom Hiddleston is unsurprisingly in top form as the fan-favorite God of Mischief and further cements himself as one of Marvel Studios’ most precious gems. Whoever decided to pair Hiddleston and the always excellent Owen Wilson for this show is a genius of the highest caliber. Loki and Mobius are so good together, the perfect buddy cop duo, who are impossible not to root for, and it's hard not to smile after every scene they share together. Sophia Di Martino is also, again, back to her scene-stealing ways and is a force to be reckoned with throughout the season as she explores a slightly different, more vulnerable Sylvie, although, don’t worry, she’s still just as angry as before. Wunmi Mosaku and Eugene Cordero get a lot more to do this time around and are both welcome sights throughout.

Jonathan Majors has a significant role to play and certainly grows on you with his unexpected portrayal Victor Timely, but it’s He Who Remains that could go down as his defining Marvel role. Majors is arguably at his best when he briefly steps into that role versus what we’ve seen from him thus far as Kang and his respective variants. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is stellar as she explores Ravonna's villainous side, while Tara Strong is a tour de force as Miss Minutes, finally getting to express her character's true nature and it’s so delightfully unhinged.

The biggest addition to the cast is Academy Award-winner Ke Huy Quan as Ouroboros, a.k.a. OB, who is a true revelation and one of the most fun new Marvel characters in quite some time. Quan delivers an infectiously sincere performance that’s impossible not to enjoy and his scenes opposite Hiddleston and Wilson are among the season’s most memorable moments. He fits in seamlessly with the entire cast and makes the ensemble's chemistry even more electric.

Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead spearhead the directing team and push the visual envelope even further than before. The scripts are strong, and their direction helps elevate the material further with creative decisions that keep the show feeling fresh. The show is a little more action-heavy this season, both practical and magical, and they pull it all off with a solid balancing act. The visual effects are also quite strong, with many standout moments that just flat out look cool, namely the time slipping and anything revolving around the Time Loom.

If there are any minor nitpicks, the show does sacrifice some of the intimate character study nature of the first season, although much of that can be attributed to Loki having already grown from the man we were reintroduced to at the beginning of season one and the immediate nature of the threat, so there's little time for Lamentis-esque adventures.

Also, even though Loki arguably explains the MCU multiverse better than anything that's come before, save for maybe Spider-Man: No Way Home, everything we learn this season only answers some of our questions, while raising a number of new ones for the future. The MCU is in serious need of some clarification and it would certainly be nice to know whether or not what we're seeing in Loki will actually affect the future and/or inform upcoming titles like Deadpool 3, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and/or Avengers: Secret Wars.

All in all, Loki season two is a jaw-dropping magical experience that will leave you begging for more! It's a high stakes, high reward season, with twists and turns that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. The new season improves upon what was already one of Marvel's best shows ever, and further cements the legacy of Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief as one of the finest characters in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don’t miss it!

#marvel #marvel comics #marvel entertainment #marvel cinematic universe #marvel studios #loki #loki tv #loki season 2 #loki season two #loki laufeyson #tom hiddleston

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bereft-of-frogs · 2 years ago

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Ok, I have done books, now for films/tv!

I have to say, I don’t think this was a very good year for me with film and TV. Especially film. It ended up being kind of hard to come up with a list, but here goes:

1. Come and See (1985) dir. Elem Klimov - I did not initially think this was going to make the list and I originally gave it 4 stars but I’ve found I simply cannot stop thinking about this film. It’s currently sitting at #1 on Letterboxd top 250 of all time and for good reason. I love the motif of photography. It’s brutal and heartbreaking and so stressful but yeah. Can’t stop thinking about it.

2. Harakiri (1962) dir. Masaki Kobayashi - So good, probably my current favorite samurai film.

3. The Northman (2022) dir. Robert Eggers - VIBES. I saw this 2.5 times in theaters (the .5 is because uh teenagers threw trash on our heads. So that was an experience. We had to leave halfway through but we got a bunch of free tickets out of it from the very nice manager of the theater so thank you for that.)

4. [REC] (2007) dir. Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza - Um, why have I waited this long to watch this movie? Watched it because I was writing a ‘found footage’ inspired fic and looking for inspiration and it was so good!!

5. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) dir. Joseph Kosinski - Look. Look. Here me out: plane go fast. Plane go fast and the climax was essentially beat-for-beat Star Wars: A New Hope. Don’t @ me with any discussion of propaganda, I know, okay, I know, but this movie was so entertaining and as an aviation enthusiast I had so much fun and I think this is probably the most successful unnecessary sequel I’ve ever watched. Like did anyone ask for this? No. Did it totally work? Heck yeah.

Honorable Mention: Everything Everywhere All at Once (emotional, chaotic), Raw (#OrganicCannibalism), The Cremator (um pretty fucked but really, really good), NOPE (whenever I think about the ‘eating’ scene I get a bit of anxiety, 10/10)

TV:

1. What We Do In The Shadows (Fx, 2019- ) - VAMPIRE PHASE. ACTIVATE. What else is there to say? Style icons, decor inspiration. Never did I think the American TV show version of one of my favorite films would end up actually so good. It’s funny and heartfelt at all the right moments. I’ve been rewatching it because it’s one of the few things I actually had saved to my computer (so the only thing I could watch in our 2 week internet-less hellscape) and it remains so delightful.

2. Westworld specifically season 1 (HBO) - I haven’t quite finished watching this one, and APPARENTLY now might never (except you know, flying the pirate flag), and though I disagree with popular opinion on season 2 (I liked it), I see where season 3 is really taking a downturn…but season 1 remains some of the best television storytelling and you can’t take that away. It was utterly brilliant as a standalone, truly some of the top tier television.

3. Tabula Rasa (Een/Netflix, 2017) - Speaking of twists, this had a bunch of really fun twists, the first of which I saw coming. That one lulled me into a false sense of confidence and the other two took me completely by surprise. Also had really fun fall/spooky vibes.

4. Chestnut Man (Netflix, 2021) - Also had really fun fall/spooky vibes, and good characters. Only docked points because one of the main characters gets his glasses knocked off in a fight during the climax and then not only manages to accurately fire a gun (?) but then voluntarily drives a car in the epilogue. Without glasses!!! Were they just for the #aesthetic or something? Anyway, I have not been able to stop thinking about this.

5. Yakamoz S-245 (Netflix, 2022- ) - God I love the ‘Sun’s Fucked Up’ Cinematic Universe. It’s just so fun.

Honorable Mentions: House of the Dragon (???? HOW DID I END UP BACK HERE?), Brand New Cherry Flavor (watched because people on tiktok were talking about that one sex scene and I wanted to see what the fuss was about and ended up really enjoying the series as a whole), Cracow Monsters (I have mixed feelings about the direction the series took and feel like it should have been paced better, but the vibes were pretty great), Girls (I rewatched Girls this year don’t @ me, still such a guilty pleasure)

And now. The #Salt:

:readmore:

Films:

1. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022, dir. Sam Raimi) - Yeah. I hated it. I already dug into why, you can go back and find a bunch of salty explanation posts and I probably shouldn’t drag this back up but it has to be said. This was definitely my most disappointing film of 2022. Haven’t watched a MCU movie since.

2. Ghosts of War (2020, dir Eric Bress) - This was such a bad bait-and-switch. I was promised a genre meld of war film + ghosts I got a sci-fi, pretty racist mess. Terrible. Don’t watch it.

3. Aftermath (2021, dir Peter Winther) - Another terrible ghost-but-not film. Just let ghosts be ghosts people!

4. Titane (2021, dir. Julia Ducournau) - So disappointing considering Raw made it onto my honorable mentions above! This just felt like it was trying to be two different movies at the same time and spiralled off. I actually liked one of the movies - the machine-obsessed murderer part - but when we spiralled off into the faking being a missing person/pregnancy/weird fire station stuff it completely lost me.

5. The After movies - EXCEPT the second one. Except the second one?’ You ask. Yes. Because the second one is perfect. The second one is exactly what it is like reading those 100 chapter romance fanfics on wattpad. (Though, lol, no I’ve never actually read anything on wattpad. But it’s been the same on ffn, ao3…just the After series was produced by wattpad.) Anyway, the others were terrible, but the second one was probably the most ‘successful’ fanfic movie adaptation I’ve ever seen. It is perfect. But no also so awful. XD

Dishonorable Mentions: Cats (we watched Cats but honestly I don’t remember any of it because I fully blacked out)

The list is a incomplete and a little more complicated for TV because I honestly just stop watching most shows if they don’t hold my attention, so really they’re most just unmemorable.

1. The Sandman (Netflix, 2022- ) - Unpopular opinion, but oof I could not get through this and it started putting me in an actual bad mood whenever I watched it.

2. Moon Knight (Disney+, 2022- ) - This was sort of the canary in the coal mine. Presaged my breakup with the MCU. Just couldn’t hold my attention. Showed a lot of the cracks that I’d been trying to ignore re: Marvel’s pacing and plot issues in their TV series.

3. Andor (Disney+, 2022- ) - Extreme unpopular opinion. This one isn’t very fair, because I do want to give it another shot. I stopped around episode 4 and apparently it gets better from here, but the episodes I watched were not good. I hate to say this but I feel like a lot of the praise is based solely on the cinematography and dialogue writing, both of which are admittedly very good, but the plot is all over the place. Making the first episode so flashback heavy was a huge mistake. Plot threads are introduced and then dropped. Scenes are just dropped in with no connection to what else was going on. I’ll give it another shot, but just having artful cinematography and a few impassioned speeches does not make for great television.

4. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+, 2022) - I feel like people might be surprised to find this on the list because I was posting positively about it as it was coming out. And it’s true, I had fun watching it. But the longer it’s gone on just…the more obvious the cracks have become. First off, it was clearly written as a film and then stretched out into a television show. Which should not be how TV writing works. You can’t just take a long movie and put episode breaks in it. I also over time grew more and more put off but how they copy-and-pasted Fallen Order and then…didn’t mention it at all. It felt…weird. It was just a really weird decision. But like I said, I did really enjoy watching it and I think it’s better than the alternative. Because I keep seeing those early drafts go around and I’m like oh god that would have been so much worse. I think at the time too I was just really relieved that it didn’t go in the direction that I feared and so I initially reacted more favorably. I’m glad they stuck to more of the prequel film canon/vibes, and didn’t pull in too much of TCW stuff. (I know that’s an unpopular opinion, but I really don’t like TCW and I’m always glad for prequel era stuff that is independent of that. Hot take of the post.)

I really mostly feel a bit meh about most of the things I’ve watched this year. Hopefully next year is a much better viewing year!

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outrunningthedark · 3 years ago

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Which writer or director would you say has delivered the most (and best) buddie moments and which writer and director could you see being involved in creating their canon moment?

I've chosen writers and directors who we *know* are still actively involved with the series beyond receiving credit just because they have connections. Writers Juan Carlos Coto - Sink or Swim (not Buddie, but Buckley-Diaz family feels aplenty); Fallout; What's Next? (co-writer); Buck Begins (an episode about Buck that manages to be about Buddie, too); Panic (co-written with Tim Minear) Lyndsey Beaulieu - Rage (no matter how anyone feels about the fighting/lawsuit arcs, Buck assuming Eddie and Christopher would be just fine without him and Eddie stating that things were definitely not fine was a top-tier scene for the otp); Seize the Day ("Uh. This is Eddie's house. I'm not really a guest."); Alone Together (credit also goes to director David Grossman, but the scene where Eddie attaches Buck's harness and they review the plan for how to rescue the pregnant girls? *swoon* It was a preview of what's to come when they're canon!); Parenthood (”Can’t you both be good cops?”// “No!”); Suspicion (co-writer) [You already know.]; Desperate Times (co-writer) [a must-see to understand where Eddie's at rn]; Wrapped in Red (co-writer) [She helped shape where Buddie is at going into 5B] Andrew Meyers - The Christmas Spirit; Fools (Buddie/Buckley-Diaz scenes to juxtapose Ana's stance on the skateboarding incident); Future Tense (Buckley-Diaz scenes that were kept under wraps until the episode aired); Suspicion (the other co-writer); Desperate Times (co-writer with Lyndsey); Brawl in Cell Block 9-1-1 (hostage situation) Bob Goodman - Is Bob on Lyndsey and Andrew’s level? NO. Does he try his fucking best? YEAH. Breaking Point (He wrote Eddie coming home to Buck after his date! And decided Christopher should take an Uber to see his other dad!); Treasure Hunt (Petty Eddie was a beautiful sight, idc idc); Home and Away (The Balcony Scene ™, a moment that could have easily replaced Eddie with the gf, but Bob knows what us gays want!) Kristen Reidel - Kids Today; What's Next? (co-writer); Survivors (Buddie post-shooting, change in guardianship, Eddie saying "Evan" for the first time ever...); Desperate Measures (JUST from a Buddie fan perspective, the closing scenes where Eddie tells Buck he's going home to break up with Ana, Buck returns to an empty apartment, and we watch Eddie struggle with explaining his true feelings to Ana???? 5/6 minutes of television that is worth a re-watch!) Tim Minear (yeah, I said it) - Under Pressure (co-writer); Help Is Not Coming (co-writer); This Life We Choose; Panic (co-writer) As (co)showrunner, Tim has the final say re: what stays in each episode's script. Everything we love about Buddie, every scene that is giffed, every piece of dialogue that is quoted and used for edits or fics, none of it would exist if Tim didn't think it was worth including. His approval is the #1 reason why Buddie's story has played out in a way nobody could have envisioned. Directors This is a much quicker list to put together since the obvious answers are ‘whoever directed our favorite scenes’, but again, I’m only listing the names that are currently associated with the show or were associated within the last few seasons. Bradley Buecker - 7.1 + Help Is Not Coming (parts two and three of the earthquake arc where Buck learns about Christopher); Merry Ex-Mas; This Life We Choose; Sink or Swim; Panic; Desperate Times Marcus Stokes - Fallout David Grossman - I have no idea where this man has been, but he gave us some GOOD content: Fools; Alone Together (the harness scene I mentioned above was his doing!); Parenthood; Breaking Point (the domesticity in Eddie returning home to Buck and Chris!!!); Treasure Hunt (Eddie being an actual wrench in BT’s blossoming relationship??? His facial expressions??? G O L D.) Paula Hunziker - Has only directed one (1) episode of OG 911. It was the hostage situation. Self-explanatory. Robert M. Williams Jr. - Eddie Begins; Survivors Buck thinks Eddie’s gonna die? Tim knows just who to call. Brenna Malloy (OUR QUEEN) - 9-1-1, What’s Your Grievance? (Eddie tries to validate Buck’s feelings about his parents. His expressions were so intense that not all of them made the final cut :P); Suspicion (just Buck and Eddie staring each other down in the street right after Eddie gets shot nbd nbd); Home and Away (The Balcony Scene™); Wrapped In Red (sneaky Buckley-Diaz angles! Buck’s reaction to Eddie leaving the 118 being eerily similar to his shock when Eddie was shot!) As for who I think may be involved in creating their major canon moment... I would be happy with any of the directors listed here, tbh. Brenna is my number one choice because whenever she shows up you know there’s bound to be a scene we won’t stop talking about. I (and I’m sure many others) have expressed my desire to see Lyndsey and Andrew involved in the “big” Buddie episode because they just...they GET IT. But honestly? I think Tim is going to want to be hands-on because he made it happen. And knowing that Tim doesn’t usually work alone, I could see him linking up with Kristen since they both (currently) have creative control over the show.

#anonymous #tina speaks #tv: 911 #tv: 9-1-1 #buddie

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initiumseries · 3 years ago

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Do you have any top tier scenes in movies or television solely because of the music in the background? I sort of do, but for me, it’s more so that the music improves upon the scene which I already find to be good, haha.

Tumblr is annoying so I have to break this up. ^^ this is how it started, and I'll continue here: The Dark Knight This was pretty damn epic.

My Hero Academia So, I find that the score for good anime is usually pretty sick, and MHA doesn't disappoint. All Might's last battle and Endeavour's fight against the Nomu had FANTASTIC score that elevated the animation and really hit the emotionality of the scenes. I've watched them more than once for sure.

Lord of the Rings The battle at Helm's Deep is once of my favourites ever, but this moment, when they're riding to a glorious death in battle, and then Gandalf shows up on the horizon, the music swells and the riders of rohan just absolutely merk the SHIT out of the orcs, with the cinematography, the editing, the score...just *chef's kiss*, honestly one the best scenes in movies period imo.

Story of Yanxi Palace This drama is SO high drama, SO soapy, I love every fucking second of it, but THIS moment was *peak*. Wei Yinglou and Fuca Fuheng were in love and the emperor refused to let them marry and planned to kill Yinglou, and Fuheng, in a bid to save her life, accepts the original marriage bestowed on him to someone else, and in order to be pardoned so she can go back to serving the empress, the emperor makes her go out in the first snow fall begging for forgiveness every 10 steps and she meets them outside the gates, and it's BRUTAL. Fuheng is miserable, Yinglou is heartbroken...and the music is GOING IN. It's so hard to watch, but it's also beautifully shot.

Touch Your Heart So honestly, I think this moment is a FANTASTIC moment in cinema/tv. Basically Jung Rok broke up with Oh Jin Shim and stops driving so he can see her on a billboard every day at the bus stop. Then he has a particularly difficult day and finds out Oh Jin Shim left notes cheering him on and goes to the bus stop and breaks DOWN. And I LOVE this because the music is PERFECT, and then at THIS exact moment the music stops, and all you hear is him breaking down and crying before the music starts up again. I will stop WHATEVER I'm doing EVERY time to watch this. TOP of the toppest tier.

Goblin This moment was when I knew the drama was gonna get LIT. This lightning, the vfx, the implications AND the score? And that's the end of the ep? Whew.

Arcane So this was just beautifully animated from beginning to end, and I've talked about it extensively. But this moment, among a few others, I especially liked, because the music underscores this moment for Jinx where she's confused and vulnerable and just wants her big sister back, and I love it.

Hi Bye Mama This drama WRECKED me. The whole thing is basically a woman gets hit by a car and has to choose to save herself or her baby and she chooses her baby and her husband is a COMPLETE disaster because he operates on her and couldn't save her, so now he can't perform surgeries. And so she's a ghost and has the opportunity to try to come back permanently if she can resume her role in her family, but her husband has remarried and she knows its best for her daughter if she just passes on, and you see the sadness of other ghosts around her, and just... Korea is SO GOOD at abject grief. Like I believe the shit out of them. They MISSED this woman. And the score at every step was just...so intense. It's I think the only drama that actually made me cry.

#hi bye mama #arcane #touch your heart #my hero academia #the story of yanxi palace #lord of the rings

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sometipsygnostalgic · 3 years ago

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What are your thoughts on Star V.S The Forces Of Evil?

I used to follow this show back when it was airing. I had a friend who was absolutely obsessed with StarCo.

Said friend just became super depressed at the finale and stopped talking to us because of it.

Everyone knows the finale of this show is a bit of a dumpster fire. However, the most popular vloggers - such as Blue Order - say that ships like TomStar were "clearly being built up to". This is wrong. The show was clearly baiting StarCo the whole time. It would have impressed me if it actually subverted StarCo but alas we need our series-long-slow-burn-to-finale-kiss :/

i guess they didnt actually kiss in the finale they kissed before then on top of some pigs, which is... better? but

imagine an au where there were a couple for like an entire season or two and we got to see them be a pair ala finn x flame princess, which imo is still one of the best teen relationships ever portrayed on television, realistically awkward and honest and flawed.

i think it was starco which cemented my idea that series finale pairings are bland hetero bullshit. though harry potter movie 8 certainly helped.

I think the point where the fatigue REALLY hit is when they were acting like Tom and Star would get together, then there was Marco and Kelly, and suddenly Marco and Kelly brOKE UP OFFSCREEN and Kelly was written out of the show entirely during the Cleave. Stuck in her own universe. Holy shit. Tom was as well, if I recall? I can't remember where he ended up.

anyway enough about shipping, time for the actual plot.

the first season is a bit agonizing. it has its fun moments but it's mid to low tier. it's commonly agreed that the show peaks at the Toffee storyline, and I totally agree here, there's enough going on emotionally - especially with poor Moon, and when Marco punches Toffee - while still being small scale enough to feel personal. i am also SUPER crazy for the use of dark magic in these early seasons, like the Whispering Spell, or the curse that Eclipsa taught Moon. It was nice that you have these magical girls but not all their magic is light, some of it is very grim.

i found Eclipsa's storyline mostly interesting, but largely wasted potential. I didn't feel like Eclipsa becoming queen was a natural conclusion, since she doesn't WANT to be queen. She wants to run away with her monster husband! To make a comparison, in Adventure Time, an AU in the comics has Marceline become a Queen alongside Bubblegum, but the show itself heavily implies Bubblegum eventually steps down to live her best life with Marceline, and I think the latter is far more fitting. Eclipsa is even closer to Marceline in this regard! I still think Star was a more fitting Queen, even if Eclipsa was the rightful heir, and I was sure season 4 was building to her just giving the throne to Star (before it was eventually destroyed... or not? i don't know).

The whole stuff with Mina in the final season... the thing is, the story wanted us to be invested in the Monsters vs Mewmans war, but spent absolutely no time with any relatable/likable monsters. It just assumed we would automatically be invested in the Right Thing, because Star is, but Star is just an aristocratic ally. She's great and all, and I think the arc she goes through is genuinely good as a maturity storyline, but Star agonizing over all the monsters being discriminated or leaving, it was not fun. The Mewmans themselves were so annoying and agonizingly narrowminded anyway, it’s not like this was a conflict we cared about.

What I found somewhat ballsy, politically interesting even, was the episode with Moon and the Mewmans who had either been displaced after Eclipsa gave the monsters back their homes, or who left just because they felt uncomfortable with monsters being around. The episode makes it very clear that the Mewmans are largely bigoted assholes, but they're also people, and some of the reparations under Eclipsa actually hurt them. Like a family whose home they had for generations got returned. It's not the fault of the Monsters, it's the fault of Solaris and the kingdom leadership for invading the monster homes and putting Mewmans into it, rather than working on solving the problems within her own kingdom.

As a result, even though Moon has not made any political statements against Eclipsa, she finds herself surrounded by a bubble of displaced or agitated Mewmans who do not want to integrate with monsters, and as the former Queen, she feels it is her responsibility to look out for these idiots. But what makes her different from Star is that Moon herself has a hatred of monsters, especially because of what Toffee did to her family ( yet it turns out Toffee only existed BECAUSE of her family). So Moon hasn't decided what she thinks is right, and has a pseudo nation forming around her, while Star has already set her mind on doing the right thing but is losing a lot of allies over it. This episode made the world feel more alive to me!

Unfortunately the way this arc was concluded was aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Namely, whatever the fuck Moon did with bringing the Solaris soldiers to life (WHY??? WHY WOULD SHE EVER DO THAT? SHE WOULD NEVER RISK STAR GETTING KILLED), versus the whole "destruction of magic" (WHAT), and finally the Cleave????????????

Because fusing the two worlds together is clearly the best solution, anyway don't mind that we literally destroyed all magic for some reason, only the magical beings you dont care about died or got debiliated (which makes no sense but whatever).

Overall a decent show mired by romance nonsense and by a misguided attempt at politics for two groups that nobody gives a shit about.

#star vs the forces of evil

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ashleyetc · 2 years ago

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new season of stranger things is mostly pretty bad so far. there are things i like about it, there are things it is doing well and that feel like how the show used to feel when it was top tier television, but overall its. just not good. this season is way too interested in lore in a way that is actively detrimental to what came before. like, everyone who is aware of it has only had mockery and derision for when bbc sherlock had a plotline where someone had a sibling in their childhood who died and they just forgot about, why the fuck would you steal that plot device but Harder (i dont count that as spoilers bc literally the first scene). messing with 11's backstory is just cheapening the much better stories theyve already told with her. also fuck off with hopper having fucking trauma from serving in the vietnam war. can we stop with that already? i will say tho that the cheesiest elements work the best for it- this is a show that started that way and its always been at its best when it leans in on that. i think the villain is poorly done in some ways but i enjoyed a lot of his scenes anyways.

also i appreciate that they had a post credits scene on the last season showing hopper is actually alive despite hiw whole noble self sacrifice moment. just letting us know in advance that all stakes are nil and that the story is gonna be real bad. that set the tone and i appreciate the heads up.

overall its an object lesson in why you should maybe plan ahead past your season finale. yes i am aware breaking bad never did but the duffer brothers aint on that level. every single season ive thought 'hey it will only get worse from here' and so far ive been right. but if you enjoyed the previous ones youll probably have fun with it.

most obnoxious possible product placement still going strong. somehow its MORE obnoxious to me than waffle brand

#not that they stopped with waffle brand #gotta justify your effects budget somehow!

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episodeoftv · 1 year ago

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Round 3 of 8, Group 2 of 2

propaganda and summaries are under the cut (May include spoilers)

Gravity Falls: 2.11 Not What He Seems

The twins wonder if they really know Grunkle Stan after he is taken into custody by the government agents.

this episode is everything. The title references one of the first ciphers you could find in the show: STAN IS NOT WHAT HE SEEMS. The end of episode one has Stan being super sketchy. You spend all of season one wondering when he’ll turn evil. And then he doesn’t. You’re pulled along. You learn to love him. And then he’s being MORE suspicious right in front of your face in season 2. NWHS premieres. The kids have to question if they trust Stan. YOU question if you trust Stan. Everything’s happening all at once and then the whole sequence at the end. Oh my god. Heart stopping. Dippers betrayed shouting, Soos’s desperate protection of the kids, Mabel! MABEL! Her trust, her belief, despite EVERHTHING. And then the end. Oh my god the end. The reveal that broke the fandom. Shattered everyone. NWHS is the best piece of TV I’ve ever seen.

the next episode didn't come out for two months and the fandom was frothing at the mouth waiting for it.

The drama. The mystery. We've known forever that Stan was hiding something. We get a payoff to the portal. We find out who The Author Of The Journal is and It's His Fucking Twin. That one scene where gravity turns off and he escapes the cops (feds?). Mabel saying Grunkle Stan, I Trust You. Most iconic and badass episode of the show.

It is just incredible. The biggest reveal of the series happens at the end (this description will contain spoilers but I'm staying vague as possible until the end where it will spoil the reveal to give people time to stop reading this). The amount of suspense and emotional tension that builds and builds over the episode is just incredible. Even after seeing it dozens of times I am on the edge of my seat watching it. The way Dipper and Mabel find out pieces of the puzzle, both things the audience has seen and been speculating on, and new things. The way their first theory about Stan is presented and then show the painting of him smiling CHILLS. And the scene in the basement where Stan finally gets there and he and Dipper have such an emotional fight about all the secrets. And then Mabel caught in the middle and how she is distressed but ultimately trusts Stan. Oh the shot of her letting go is so iconic. And then of course the big author reveal moment is the most amazing thing ever. Ok here is the SPOILER WARNING FOR THE BEST TWIST IN THE SHOW The way Ford's silhouette is seen coming out of the portal then the six fingered hand over the journal and then his face is revealed while Stan says The author of the Journals... my brother. Just top tier scene in every way. I don't think any episode in any other show has ever done to me what this episode does to me.

The Little House on the Prairie: 1.18 Plague

With the sudden intensity of a prairie storm, typhus is unleashed on an unsuspecting Walnut Grove, teaming Charles with Doc Baker and Reverend Alden, who work together to the point of exhaustion tending to the community's sick and dying; but when new victims begin to pour in from the surrounding countryside the desperate men know they must find the source of the plague if they expect to stop the deadly epidemic.

it's got to be the first full episode I saw of The Little House On the Prairie and man it TRAUMATIZED me like everyone is dying and there are rats.

#gravity falls #the little house on the prairie #little house on the prairie #poll #polls #round3 #r3g2

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ryqoshay · 3 years ago

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Putting on Hairs: Patronizing Meeting

Primary Pairing? Trio?: MariKana... Dia? Hinted: RinPana, KotoUmi? Words: ~2.1k Rating: G AU: Theater, Werewolf, Werebeast, Monster, Cryptid

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Author’s Note: A bit of a detour from NicoMaki. Honestly, I thought the spotlight would first swing to YohaRiko, but this is what came to mind, so here we are.

Summary: The theater’s primary patron pays a visit.

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“Oh, park there, Kanan-chan!” A voice cried excitedly from the back seat.

Kanan sighed and shook her head. “We can’t just park anywhere on the street, Mari-chan.”

“Uuu…” Mari pouted. “But I want to have a good view of Dia-chan’s new theater.”

Kanan chuckled. “You can see it just fine from here, and you’ll get to see it close up in a little bit. Let me just find your designated parking slot.” She turned the steering wheel to direct the car into the lot.

“We have a designated spot?”

“Of course, you do. Didn’t you read the email Dia-chan sent the other day?”

“I skimmed it.”

“All of the top tier patrons have designated parking slots.” Kanan explained. “And since your donation was the largest, even managing to edge out the Nishikino family, you get the best spot.”

“Of course mine was the highest, I want to help my Dia-chan however I can.”

Her Dia-chan… Kanan mused silently. If only…

While it was true that the three of them had grown up together, they had lost track of each other back in high school when Mari spent her second and third years over seas in the United States before going to college in Italy. Dia also left to attend college in Tokyo, leaving Kanan alone in Numazu.

It had barely been a year since Mari tried to reestablish contact. She managed to convince Kanan to leave the dive shop in the capable hands of a cousin, move to Tokyo and open a new shop right on Odaiba Beach. However, she ended up spending much of her time driving Mari around and leaving the shop to her employees. Not that she minded this arrangement. She enjoyed the excuse to spend time with Mari, and if she was being completely honest, knowing the blonde’s habits behind the wheel, it let her worry less for her friend’s safety.

Driving was also a way for Kanan to feel like she was contributing to the household. Mari was obviously the primary bread winner, so Kanan liked to do things in return.

Mari had found a huge 3LDK penthouse apartment where she invited Kanan and Dia to live with her. However, thus far, only Kanan had accepted. Dia, unfortunately, had been less responsive to either of their efforts to reconnect. But there was a room was open for her to accept at any time.

“Ah, here we are.” Kanan spotted the slot and pulled in.

“Eh? The best parking is on the second level?” Mari sounded confused.

She really didn’t read the email… “Of course, this is where the skyway entrance is.” Kanan explained.

“Skyway? Booo… I wanna see the main entrance!”

At this Kanan laughed. “Alright, just let me message Dia-chan to tell her where to meet us.”

With that said, Kanan exited the vehicle and was about to open the door for Mari, when the blonde hopped out herself instead.

“<Let’s go!>” Mari cheered in English, offering a brilliant smile and pumping a fist into the air.

Kanan pulled out her phone as she followed her energetic friend toward the stairway.

Krakanan: Mari-chan wants to see the main entrance, so we’re heading there instead

KurosawaDia: Very well. See you two in a few minutes.

KurosawaDia: Umi-san will be joining me.

Krakanan: I figured as such

Krakanan: I look forward to meeting your new business partner

Krakanan: I’ve heard good things about the Sonoda Theater Group

Not expecting a response, Kanan returned her phone to her pocket and continued her way toward the front doors of the theater. She and Mari made their way across the street, around the corner and..

“Dia-cha~n!” Mari cried, running up the handful of steps between the sidewalk and the entry and all but tackle hugging the raven-haired woman at the top.

“Salutations, Mari-san.” Dia greeted. “Thank you for coming today. I look forward to introducing you to the cast and crew.”

“Always so formal, Dia-chan.” Mari pouted. “It’s been for~ever~ since we saw each other, you should be more excited.”

Something changed in Dia’s expression. Just for a second. Had Kanan blinked, she would have missed it. And she had no idea what to make of it.

“Anyway,” Dia said after a moment “please allow me to introduce you to my partner in this endeavor, Sonoda Umi.” She pulled an arm free of Mari’s embrace to indicate the blue-haired girl beside them.

“Thank you for your generous donation, Ohara-san.” Umi said with a bow.

“Ohara-san?” Mari repeated. “<No, no, no.> You can just call me Mari. Any friend of Dia-chan is a friend of mine, Umi-chan.”

Pink dusted Umi’s cheeks undoubtedly caused by the casual referral. “V-very well, Mari-san it is.”

“Anyway, what a lovely place you two have here.” Mari finally released Dia and stepped down a few stairs to get a better view of the façade above her. “But, Sonoda Kurosawa Theater? Really?”

“We decided it best to put Umi-san’s name first.” Dia explained. “Her family is more renowned here in Tokyo than my own.”

“No, that’s not it.” Mari dismissed. “I meant, why just your names? That’s so boring!”

“How do you mean?”

“You should call it something more exciting, like The Monster Mash!”

“That is a song, and a dance type.”

“Or how about Tales from the Cryptids?”

Dia sighed. “That’s just a play on the title of an old television show.”

“But I mean that’s what this whole place is about, right? Giving our kind a place to be what they are while excusing any slipups as movie magic?”

“Theater magic, but you’re not exactly wrong.”

“I hate to interrupt,” Umi spoke up “but should we really be discussing such things out in the open like this?”

“Oh, you worry too much, Umi-chan.” Mari waved her hand at the other woman.

“No, Umi-san has a point.” Dia conceded. “Let’s head inside, shall we?” She turned and motioned for the others to follow.

“Fine.” Mari crossed her arms before moving back up the steps. “But you guys hired that Yoshiko girl, right? I think we’ve all seen how her claims are reacted to by the general public.”

Kanan couldn’t help enjoying the show as she watched her friends behave pretty much the same as they did back in high school. They really hadn’t changed much… except for whatever that crack in Dia’s demeanor had meant. She decided she could explore that issue later and smiled to herself as she followed the others into the theater.

“<SHINY!!>” Mari proclaimed, throwing the front doors wide as she entered.

“Pigi!” A voice squealed as a head of red hair ducked below a nearby counter.

Ah, of course Dia-chan would bring Ruby-chan here with her. Kanan thought to herself. I wonder if that means Hanamaru-chan is around here somewhere as well.

“You can come out, Ruby.” Dia said, her tone softening immediately as she called her younger sister and moved toward where she was hiding. “It’s just Mari-san being her usual boisterous self.”

“Mari-chan?” Ruby poked her head up. Emerald eyes sparked with recognition. “Mari-chan! Kanan-chan!” She ran to greet the two excitedly.

As Mari happened to be closer, she greeted the blonde first with a warm embrace. However, she was quick to shift to Kanan to welcome her as well.

“Good to see you again, Ruby-chan.” Kanan said as they parted. “We’ll have to catch up sometime soon.”

“Mm.” Ruby agreed with a smile. “Are you two the reason for the meeting?”

“They are.” Dia confirmed. “I want everyone to meet some of our generous patrons. I believe we have the Nishikinos slated for tomorrow?” She turned to Umi who confirmed with a nod. “Anyway, speaking of the meeting, we should head to the stage now for it.” She was about to turn and resume walking when…

“One last thing, Dia-chan.” Kanan spoke up.

“Yes, Kanan-san?”

Kanan spread her arms wide. “Hagu.”

Dia flushed a little but smiled anyway and stepped into the embrace.

“It’s… good to see you again, Kanan-san.” Dia spoke quietly, surprising Kanan. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a little cold as of late.”

Then, all too soon, as far as Kanan was concerned, Dia pulled out of the hug and resumed leading the way through the theater to the stage. Upon arrival, Umi and Dia began their introduction of the theater’s patron, Mari.

It seemed Dia’s penchant for long drawn out speeches hadn’t changed. Kanan considered. And it seemed she had found a business partner with similar tastes.

Ah, there’s Hanamaru-chan. Kanan thought as she scanned the crowd gathered on stage. Next, she picked out Chika and You, remembering their faces from back in Numazu. She made a mental note to greet them all after the meeting.

She recognized Nico and Maki from pictures included in emails sent by Dia about the lead roles for their first production. A few other faces looked familiar from other pictures, but she couldn’t readily place their names.

Still, it was amusing to observe some of the body language of those gathered. There was a young woman with red hair both longer and darker than Ruby’s. She was giving nervous side glances to a shorter girl near her. That girl had some of her blue hair tied up in a bun with a black feather sticking out. Wait, was that the Yoshiko girl Mari had mentioned a few minutes ago?

Next was an ash blonde whose attention seemed focused on Umi. Then, there was another redhead with braided twin tails who looked quite friendly standing next to slightly taller woman whose aura was as cool as the dark blue of her hair. A bespectacled brunette was looking at Nico like a fan waiting for an autograph. A darker brunette with a lovely red ribbon in her hair next to another ash blonde sporting an uneven, though cute haircut. A short pink haired girl with a blank expression stood next to a taller blonde with a brilliant smile. Then a sleepy looking brunette, a raven-haired young woman giving off a fiery aura, another with the tips of her dark twin-tails dyed green and a redhead with a stylish bun surrounded by a braid.

Quite the crew. Kanan found herself wondering what each might be.

“Food’s here, nya!” A voice cried from somewhere in the auditorium before an orange-haired blur scampered down the aisle. “Where do you wanna set up, Umi-chan?” A young woman asked, not seeming to care that Dia was still talking.

“Rin.” Umi scolded. “You’re early.”

“Better than late, right? Oh! Kayo-chin is here!” Rin scampered over to the brunette with glasses.

“R-Rin-chan...” Kayo-chin? said as Rin rubbed their cheeks together. That must be a nickname.

Kanan wondered if the nya had been indicative of her actually being a cat or just a verbal tic. Based on her running speed, Kanan suspected the former, though both wouldn’t surprise her.

“Special delivery!” Another voice rang out.

“Honoka, you’re…” Umi started.

“Ooo, what did you guys order for us?” Mari interrupted.

“We got lots of stuff!” Rin announced proudly. “But I gotta set up the tables and such for Honoka-chan to put things on.”

“Do you need help carrying anything?” The braided redhead spoke up.

“Sure! Lemme show ya, nya!” Rin sped back up the aisle.

“Emma-san…” Umi sighed as the redhead followed.

“It’s alright.” Dia said. “We’ve already lost Mari-san.” She turned back to her staff. “It seems the meeting is adjourned. Please be sure to thank Mari-san for sponsoring this meal, brought to us by Kousaka Catering.”

“I thought she didn’t know what was ordered?” Umi raised an eyebrow.

“I placed the order. Mari paid the bill.”

“I see.”

“There’s plenty of food!” Mari announced loudly. “Don’t hold back! Eat all you want! Take some home if you want. I don’t want to see anything left.”

As Kanan headed up the aisle to see what else needed to be carried in, she mused about the appetites of those she knew. If those were any indications of the others, she wondered just how much had been ordered. She figured it would probably fill an entire…

Box truck.

Sure enough, parked haphazardly on the sidewalk, emblazoned with Kousaka Catering on the side, sat a box truck. And it indeed appeared to be completely packed.

She spotted Emma carrying several catering boxes, stacked past her head.

“The breadsticks are buono!” The young woman said as she passed.

Part of Kanan wanted to break out her other arms in an attempt to carry even more boxes, but as there was no shortage of witnesses on the public street, she settled for a similarly sized stack as Emma. Perhaps some other time. No more than three steps later, and Rin was already slipping past her, carrying only half as many boxes, but speeding along at probably thrice Kanan’s pace.

Again, Kanan found herself wondering what all everyone was. She knew Mari would want to stop by the theater on a regular basis, so perhaps over the next week or so, she could find out.

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Author’s Notes Continued in Followup Post

#MariKanaDia #AU August #Ohara Mari #Matsuura Kanan #Kurosawa Dia #Sonoda Umi #Putting on Hairs #Love Live Sunshine #Love Live #fanfic

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nileqt87 · 4 years ago

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More thoughts on how to resurrect the Indiana Jones franchise post-Harrison Ford

Perhaps a proper, modern television show would be a good way to bring back a younger, but adult Indy (with perhaps flashbacks littered throughout). You can also get away with a lot more content (definitely aim for TV-14) and characters who are allowed to be flawed. Relationship dramas are serialized storytelling's forte in a way that is disappearing more and more from blockbuster films. Complicated characters are better left to television, as the audience expects and allows for it because of the nuance and depth the serialization affords. The complicated, messy story of Abner and Marion is a story best left to being explored only after the characters have some real complexity and development. It also wouldn't be forced to play to the mass audience of under-13s that makes modern PG-13 often meaningless. In comparison, TV-14 actually pushes up harder against its limits regularly--not just violence, but also with innuendo and sexuality minus nudity. The amount of historical-style, pulpy violence, not to mention potentially comically gruesome deaths, in Indy would also necessitate the rating. Indiana Jones might be niche enough at this point with an audience veering towards adults who grew up with it (Gen-X and the older end of Gen-Y), while Gen-Z has little awareness of it, that Disney wouldn't be forced to make it a total kiddie property. It's not the same situation as back in the early '90s with Young Indy being aimed at older kids who had recently seen Last Crusade in the theater. They could reboot it for television with a young adult Indy who potentially could grow into a fully adult version. And I wouldn't try too hard to not step on the trilogy's toes with the timeline. Just let it live in its own developing continuity.

Use of long-running supporting cast (parents, Remy and returning guest stars aside) would also be a big difference from Young Indy. Characters like Belloq (could potentially go from friend to antagonist, akin to how Smallville handled Lex), Sallah, Henry, Brody, Abner, Marion, etc... could actually be around a lot more than just for an adventure here or there. These are all characters Indy had clearly known for years. Actually put the show into a seasonal, serialized format that isn't a new cast every episode. You could also stick around in locations a lot longer this way, which would help with budget.

Another thought I've had since watching an absolute ton of fantasy/sci-fi dramas in the last few years is that the influence of Indiana Jones is actually pretty apparent in a number of pretty famous characters, sometimes overtly and sometimes a bit more subtly. Harrison, Indy or Raiders in general are outright name-checked in quite a few places, often by scrappy action hero types who tend to take hard beatings (the kinds of characters who should've died a hundred times over) while in situations they're way over their heads in or literally impossible odds they can't win. Like Indy, the intended prize isn't won at the end and, outside of a few gruesome baddie deaths, the shady, corrupt or evil barely get a dent. Fox Mulder and Dean Winchester are two characters who name-check the comparison overtly and you can see the writers and actors both having the influence in mind. It's obviously a male fantasy, too. The influence on The X-Files and Supernatural is definitely there. Supernatural is chock full of biblical MacGuffins (not to mention having angels and demons as most of its recurring supporting cast), so it would be a hard comparison to avoid. Raiders came up in the WWII Nazi submarine episode with a piece of the Ark onboard (it's subsequently a show to raid for Indy ideas, because they pretty much mined everything biblical), for example. The X-Files likewise was dealing with shady government officials and pretty blatantly copied the huge warehouse of government secrets loaded with alien relics (and then repeated the Cigarette Smoking Man's warehouse reveal with the tunnel of filing cabinets stretching on forever). Mulder was also very much a one-man army a lot of the time when it came to the alien conspiracy (no offense to Scully). Moments like him climbing/riding the tops of sky rides, trains and escaping the spaceship were total Indy-esque moments. Sam and Dean had literal God-tier levels of plot armor keeping them alive (repeated resurrections included). Angel is another one that, unlike Mulder and the Winchesters being very human, is a supernatural character (subsequently his level of pain tolerance and durability is at the level of regular impalement, defenestration out of skyscrapers and being set on fire), but the comparison still holds because of how often he's getting decimated and fighting forces way beyond his pay grade. Wolfram & Hart, the Shanshu and seeking redemption with the Powers that Be, like the mytharc conspiracy/alien takeover and literal God a.k.a. Chuck, is another endless, unwinnable fight that is so far beyond all the protagonists that there's no win/happily ever after and they'd be lucky just walking away from it with nothing. Angel also name-checks Indy with a blatantly Indy-inspired fantasy dream episode (Awakening in season 4) with Angelus making a crack about the Raiders fantasy. George Lucas actually visited the Angel set back in 2000 and was interested in how they were making mini movies every week and doing some pretty huge stunts on television. David Boreanaz had lunch with Lucas and has talked about it a few times over the many years. I mean, these are all shows starring action-oriented leading men and writing staffs of relatively similar age. Mostly Gen-X males with a few Baby Boomers (more so on the writing staff) with an audience that's primarily Gen-Y but appealing to a pretty broad age range (and probably a lot more female than originally intended!). Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford films in general were very formative to that generation. Harrison Ford is the ultimate leading man action star to a certain generation. Gen-Y got their familiarity with all of that by being the original home video/VHS generation and subsequently a lot more familiar with retro media (including things that were made before they were born or around that time) than Gen-Z. '80s movies have a lot of currency and familiarity still with Gen-Y, even if Baby Boomers were the stars of them and Gen-X were the ones who saw them in theaters. Gen-Y fangirls absolutely dominate the fandoms of many iconic television supernatural/sci-fi franchises (many are admittedly aging franchises). The WB/CW have catered to this group of fans for the last two and a half decades. If you're going to be reviving the character as a mid-20s-to-30s version (if the show lasts long enough, it probably will be stepping on the trilogy's toes timeline-wise by the end), I'd absolutely be aiming for this same audience and their tastes. They're also the audience who would be most receptive to and familiar with the character, IMO. If I were going to reinvent Indiana Jones for the television landscape, I would definitely be looking at those sorts of shows that have influence from the character already in their DNA. I think for the target audience, they'd definitely need to be aiming it at the same fanbases. Young Indy mostly tried to avoid stepping on Raiders' toes (despite Temple of Doom and Mask of Evil already making it ludicrous) by limiting the amount of supernatural elements, but I think a show would have to go all in on it. Indy would have to be transformed a bit in regards to trying to line him up with a character who would still be skeptical after all he's seen. Young Indy ended up forced into being a straight period drama with educational elements, which is very counter to what the audience wanted. There are things to keep from that approach (meeting historical persons, being a WWI veteran and witnessing history could absolutely be mined as backdrops to the stories), but the supernatural elements would have to exist in a revival now to get the audience who I think would be most receptive to it. While I would aim for a serialized drama format that would mean the globetrotting wouldn't have to completely change locations every episode (have it instead in arcs with some bigger MacGuffins and baddies perhaps crossing entire seasons), it's true that there would probably have to be more location filming than good, ol' Vancouver, but Disney is one of the few who could afford it (though Covid certainly would throw a wrench in it and political situations could potentially kill off certain locations). There's only so much green screen that Indy could get away with, though I imagine that a fair amount of it would have to be used for period piece reasons alone. There are a lot of modern intrusions even in historically-intact cities (Eastern Europe comes to mind as having a lot of its architecture intact and is affordable to film in) and around iconic landscapes to paint out. But at its core, it probably would need to bulk up its focus on the relationship dramas. Indy tends to have a girl at every port and to a degree you would introduce some of these love interests, but there's still a lot of relationships of every kind that could be developed and serialized. Certainly throw in a few femme fatales and tragic losses, given the Smallville-esque situation of there being an inevitable Indy/Marion endgame that should be kept--it thus becomes about the journey when it's a set conclusion. Absolutely have a strong recurring cast of Henry and friends new and old. The films actually have a lot of characters that Indy didn't just meet yesterday and could be developed to a huge extent. For a show to work now, there'd have to be a lot more connectivity to how often the recurring cast appear. Young Indy had a lot more of an anthology format with little chance of us getting attached to most of the revolving cast outside of a very tiny few. That's the biggest thing I'd change. You need characters to become regulars beyond just Indy if it were revived for modern cinematic television (the true successor to the film serials of the '30s!) in a way that isn't necessary for film installments.

#indana jones #harrison ford #lucasfilm #indy #young indy

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ordinaryschmuck · 4 years ago

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What I thought about WandaVision

Y'know, it's kind of crazy to think that it's been over a year since we've been given any content involving the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios announced so many great movies, on top of new TV shows that actually impact the story, way back in the summer of 2019. But then 2020 happened. Resulting in everything, and I mean everything, we were promised getting pushed back for another year. So, when it was finally announced that the series WandaVision was, at last, ready to be released, fans were both excited as well as skeptical. Because the first thing that would reintegrate us back into this franchise would be a show about how two Avengers are stuck in a sitcom. It might be new, long-awaited content, but it also doesn't sound all that interesting. Could a story involving two characters who have yet to stand on their own be enough to carry a brand new adventure? Well, for eight whole weeks, fans were given that answer. And personally, I will admit that WandaVision might have been better than anybody could have ever expected...for the most part.

(Final spoiler warning if you haven't seen the show yet)

WHAT I LIKE

It Just Goes: This is easily the best way the series could have started. We are given no context about what is going on. We're just shown that Wanda and Vision are currently stuck in a sitcom, and that's it. By making it a mystery, fans are given this sort of interaction with the series as they find clues and come up with theories about how and why this happened. Sure, some assumptions were more far fetched than others (did people think Mephisto was confirmed just because of one misinterpreted line involving the Devil?), but it still makes the show a ton of fun to watch. Plus, even when we're given answers, it's only tiny pieces of the puzzle. We're always given a chance to figure out the bigger picture, resulting in an image that is, I'll admit, somewhat satisfying to see. Just as long as you ignore the crybabies who get upset that their favorite theories turned out to be wrong.

The Homages are on Point: I also love how straight the cast and crew play with the idea of two superheroes being stuck in a series of sitcoms. Everything they use fits in the era each sitcom takes place in. With things like camerawork, set design, special effects, acting quality, tropes, and even theme songs, everything works as a proper homage than just having two episodes in black and white and the rest in color. Each new sitcom that Wanda and Vision are rebooted in feels so genuine, to the point where they seem like they could be actual shows that could have existed. Seriously, my dad showed me stuff like The Dick Van Dyke Show when I was a kid, so trust me when I say that the very first episode nails the style that it's honoring. Not only is it charming as all forms of hell, but it also works in making these moments when characters break from the spell (get it) all the more jarring and even disturbing at times. Because when you're so keen on watching what seems like a fun and cheesy sitcom, you feel a bit unsettled when a character suddenly acts in a way that's a tad foreboding. Still, it's fun to watch and is easily the central hook for what makes this show work.

The Comedy: The homages also nail the comedy that came from each type of sitcom. The jokes fit with each period, from the cheesy and charming 50s to the cynical and dry 90s and early 2000s. It's another thing the writers play straight with, and I think it works. The only jokes made by most stories like this are just pointing out that these serious characters are stuck in a silly sitcom. Instead, the writers tell jokes that work for the period it's in, and it is all genuinely funny if you're used to those types of goofs and gags. If you didn't laugh, that's because the comedy isn't trying to reach out to you. It's reaching out to the people who actually watched these types of sitcoms. Or, in my case, the type of people who had their parents show them these types of sitcoms. And even then, I still think there are these lines and deliveries that are still funny even if you don't get the joke. For example, there's this brief moment with Vision and a toy baby that got a genuine chuckle out of me for how absurd it was. I wasn't expecting to laugh that much, but on top of the many surprises this show gave, being funny was definitely one of them.

“My husband, and his indestructible forehead”: He...hehe...hehehehahahaHAHAHAHA! AH! HA! HA! HA!

*Slowly starts sobbing*

>Squeaks<

I see what you did there.

Paul Bettany as “Vision,” “Vision,” and Vision: Can we give Paul Bettany a round of applause for basically playing three different characters, each with their own varying levels of emotions and purposes? Because goodness gracious, this man is a champion! I've seen tons of people praise Elizabeth Olson for her performance as Wanda, and to be fair, she does do a fantastic job...aside from one blatant issue (which I'll get into later). But as great as Olson is, Bettany still deserves some credit. Throughout most of the series, he has this level of comedic-timing that I didn't even know he was capable of, by going ham or just having a dry wit. Seriously, was someone going to tell me that Paul Bettany can be funny, or was I supposed to find that out for myself? On top of being hilarious, Bettany delivers such raw emotion that none of us would have ever expected from this character. That screaming match “Vision” has with Wanda shows the very first time that any version of him has ever been angry, and Bettany does a great job at making that moment as jarring as it needed to be. And that's just from playing one version of the character! I didn't even talk about how he nails the naive yet still wise Vision from the flashback in "Previously On" or the cold and robotic "Vision" from "The Series Finale." Bettany has range, and WandaVision is a great show that proves how. One just needs to have the right amount of vision to see it (HhhhhhhhhhhHA!)

Developing Wanda: But as great as Paul Bettany, and to a lesser extent, Vision, is, Wanda Maximoff is clearly the star of the show here (And yes, I know that it's Wanda who's the character and Elizabeth Olson is the actor, but...I'll get into it!). If WandaVision has taught me anything about these Disney+ shows, it's that we are finally going to get some long-awaited development to characters that are starved from it. And Wanda definitely needed it. Don't get me wrong, Wanda was great in past movies but wasn't that compelling of a character. Here, trust me when I say that the opposite is true.

We are given a deep dive into not only Wanda's morality but also her psyche. The writers really play around with how scary Wanda can be. As well as questioning if Wanda has the capability of being evil. Because, yeah, what she did was not right. True, our "heroine" was going through some rough s**t, but that doesn't excuse the amount of torture Wanda put the people of Westview through, no matter how unwittingly. Just look at that scene where everyone grills Wanda about what she's doing to them, not only pleading for whatever compromise they can get and even begging for her to kill them instead. That is dark! That is the darkest concept the MCU has ever offered, and the ending of Avengers: Infinity War exists!

But, while it doesn't entirely excuse everything, there is a reason why Wanda did all of this. You see, throughout WandaVision, Wanda goes through the five stages of grief. It all starts with denial as she pretends to live in a sitcom that she created where Vision is alive, and they get to even have kids together. Soon comes anger when she destroys anything and physically harms anyone that tries to bring her back to reality. Next, there's bargaining as Wanda strengthens her hex and expands it to keep outsiders out and keep Vision in. This leads to depression as the weight of all of Wanda's actions finally sinks in, and she's forced to realize the damage she's causing. Until all of it ends with acceptance, as Wanda finally, finally, gets to say goodbye to Vision. Something she never really got when Thanos ripped the mind stone out of Vision's forehead. It's both incredible to watch as it is fascinating. Wanda, through the course of her own little spin-off series, just went from a decent character to one of the most intriguing to dissect in the MCU. And we have this show to thank for it.

The Commercials: These commercials offer three things.

They're more homages to classic television, each product and filming for each one honoring how commercials looked in each era.

They offer more of an insight into Wanda's psyche as we see how each commercial shows bits of her history, regrets, and deepest desires. You see all of the above in the Lagos' paper towel commercial.

There are neat bits of foreshadowing of what's to come, like how Hydra Soak ends by saying it's for "your inner goddess" or how the 90s commercial ends by saying Magic isn't meant for the weak.

With all of that, these commercials are as fun to analyze as they are disturbing as hell.

The Dinner Scene: This was the moment it was clear that WandaVision wasn’t going to just be fun and games. The second that "Mr. Heart" starts screaming at Wanda about why she and Vision came, it becomes clear that the whole wacky scenario our heroes are in isn't as harmless as we all thought. And when "Mrs. Heart" playfully tells her husband to stop it when “Mr. Heart” starts choking, only to desperately scream at Wanda to stop it, audiences begin to piece together that the people of Westview are prisoners--no--victims. As for Wanda? She's the unknowing dictator forcing them to do what she says. And it was this scene that I knew I was going to really enjoy this show.

The Blip Scene: And it was this scene that made WandaVision skyrocket into top-tier MCU territory! As much as I love Spider-Man: Far From Home, I will admit that making a joke with the concept of something like the blip might not have been the best move. But showing the chaos of everyone coming back all at once? On top of showing the confusion that a person would have from being told that a five-second nap was five years? Yeah, that's more in line with what we want.

Returning Characters: Not only was I surprised by the fact that these pretty minor characters in the MCU made a return at all, but I was also shocked to find out they work better in this series than they did in their respective movies. First, there's Monica. Not only is she reintroduced as a brand new hero (with, admittingly, confusing superpowers), but she also works as the anti-Wanda. Both characters had someone they care about dearly die without getting a chance to say goodbye. The difference is that Monica doesn't have the abilities Wanda does and is instead forced to quickly accept that her mom is dead and won't come back. She even admits that she would bring her mom back if she could. But that just makes Monica the perfect person that Wanda needs. A person that understands where she's coming from and tries to convince Wanda to do the right thing, no matter how hard it is. Monica's methods may have been a tad bit sloppy, but she is still ten times more intriguing than that little girl who screwed around with the color scheme on Captain Marvel’s suit.

Then there's Jimmy Woo, who is both funnier here than in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and actually shows signs of being a competent FBI agent. A step up, I might add, from the hilariously incompetent character we saw in his previous appearance.

And also, Darcie is here...and still slightly annoying...but at least she still has a couple funny lines here and there! Which is more than I can say with Thor and Thor: The Dark World.

In my opinion, it's a good move having these characters with pretty small roles in vastly different stories make a return. It shows that they are not limited to their one little corner of the MCU. And that they can branch off into taller tales that suit them perfectly. It's pretty cool, and it makes me wonder what other small characters could make a triumphant return.

Billy and Tommy: These two are...fine. Billy and Tommy give me Zach and Cody vibes sometimes, the kids playing them do a decent job, and they both offer some great emotional moments. The problem is that out of the list of characters that WandaVision introduces and reintroduces, there's not much to talk about with Billy and Tommy. Honestly, the only reason why I briefly mentioned that I like them is that I don't want dozens of people crucifying me for not saying anything about them. I don't hate them, but I don't much care for them either.

Evan Peters as Quicksilver: Although I would have loved it if it was Aaron Taylor-Johnson who made a return, seeing Evan Peters in a good Marvel movie again is more than worth it. He plays a much more fun version of Quicksilver while still nailing the sibling relationship the character has with Wanda. In a way, it's a lot like how Marvel cast J.K. Simmons as J Jonah Jameson at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. It's admitting that no one could have played the character better than this one actor and briefly making fans happy in the process. While also not doing something crazy like having it be the exact same Quicksilver from the X-Men movies. Only f**king idiots would believe something like that...

...

...But hypothetically speaking, let's say some people were stupid to believe that. While making an outrageous claim that the writers "lead them on to doing so." In which case, I will say the same thing that one would say when friend-zoning someone: "Nobody led you on to s**t. You were just too busy focusing on what you wanted to see instead of what you needed to see."

Because there was no evidence that it was the same Quicksilver other than the fact that it was the same actor. And, hypothetically speaking, if there were dozens of crybabies who were upset about it not being the same Quicksilver, then I have so much more respect for this character being nothing more than a boner joke. Because you did this to yourselves...hypothetically speaking.

Retconning Wanda’s Powers: ...I'm ok with this. Retcons happen all the time in the comics, as well as in movies and television. It's just a matter of making the retcon believable enough where there are few holes in what you're telling people. As for Wanda apparently having magic this entire time, but the mind stone amplified her powers? I can buy that. Besides, it's an acceptable excuse to make Wanda as powerful as she is in the comics (from what I've been told), so like I said, I'm ok with this.

“I can’t feel you…”: ...That's fine. I didn't need my heart anyway.

“Vision’s” Talk with “Vision”: Forget the horrible CGIed battles. I want more of this!

Now, I put both Visions in quotation marks because while they're both the same character, they're also...not the same. Which is, funnily enough, what this scene is: A philosophical discussion between two versions of the same android about what makes them both/neither the definitive version. One may look the same, and the other may be the same body, but neither "Vision" really is the true Vision. However, the fact that these two stop their fighting so they can have this discussion in the first place helps secure that while different, they are still the same. It's a thought-provoking discussion, and it is ten times more interesting to watch than Wanda and Agatha's CGI fight in the sky. Although it is kind of odd that White-Vision just peaces out the second Hex-Vision gives him a reboot. But hey, that's for the future movies to deal with.

“Thank you for choosing me to be your mom.”: >Deep inhale<...Girl.

Wanda Saying Goodbye to Vision: >DEEPER INHALE< HOOOOOOOOOOO BOY! I did not expect this much emotional turmoil from f**king WANDAVISION!

Joking aside, this is a well-handled scene. It's incredibly emotional to see these two characters say goodbye to each other as their arcs come to a close. "Vision" peacefully leaves knowing who he is in the world, and Wanda can finally start moving on as she gets to say goodbye to her one true love. It's as bittersweet as it is beautiful.

WHAT I DISLIKE

MCU logos flashing in every episode: You know how CinemaSins has this bulls**t excuse about how the MCU opening logo wastes time to get to the good stuff? This is the only instance where that's applicable. Because the opening logo was cool to see again for the first episode, but having it play in every single one after breaks the immersion when trying to binge the series. It's for a couple of seconds, sure, but after a while, it does get pretty annoying.

Elizabeth Olson as Scarlet Witch: Now, to be clear, I have no problems with Elizabeth Olson's acting ability in this series. She juggles being funny, heartbreaking, and threatening so well that I am likely to laugh and cry with her as I am to s**t my pants while in her presence. Elizabeth Olson does a great job with this character. The problem? Well, in the comics, Wanda Maximoff is Roma, and Elizabeth Olson...isn't. This means that WandaVision, and the MCU as a whole, has a bad case of white-washing.

I could go on about the issues this brings, but I am not as educated about this subject, and all I know is just stuff that seems like common sense. For instance, I believe it is more than reasonable to hire an actor of a specific race or ethnicity for a character who is of a that same race or ethnicity. But that is as far as my knowledge and personal stance goes, and to expand on it would be too much of a risk because I have no right to criticize the representation of something I am not a part of. So instead, I'm going to point you to @earnestdesire‘s blog and Jessica Reidy’s article on the subject. They do a great job at discussing the issues with Olson’s Wanda and pointing to the issues the MCU has in representing Wanda and Pietro's representation in the comics. And they do it in a far better way than I ever could have. So check them out to truly see why, despite doing a great job, Elizabeth Olson should not be the person donning the suit.

It Was Agatha All Along: AND I STILL F**KING HATE THAT!

I know, I know, I am in the minority on this one. And I still don't understand why! To me, Agatha has all of the problems that Hans has in Frozen. Sure, there are hints if you pay more attention during a few select scenes that are slightly questionable. Like how she refers to Wanda as "the star of the show" or coincidentally shows up with a dog house for Sparky. However, much like how Frozen didn't need a villain like Hans, WandaVision didn't need a comic book villain like Agatha. The story was perfectly passable as a personal conflict involving Wanda's grief where the only obstacle was the director of S.W.O.R.D. and his agents. There is nothing Agatha adds to that.

"But she helps Wanda find out what happens!" Yeah, but Monica could have done the same thing by actually breaking through to Wanda and calmly asking what happened. From then on, they could have worked things out together by having Wanda retrace events that transpired through the information that Monica knows as well.

"But Agatha helps Wanda realize what she's doing is wrong!" So could Vision! He could have shown up, did that mind-meld thing to the townspeople, and Wanda would finally learn what she was doing was wrong through the person she trusts the most.

"But Agatha helps Wanda learn that she's the Scarlet Witch!" Ok...but did that need to happen in this series? Because when you think about it, when the central conflict is all about exploring Wanda's grief, throwing in this narrative about becoming the Scarlet Witch has little to do with anything. Meaning that if you cut it from the story, little would change other than cutting a CGI battle that everyone agrees is the worst part of the series.

The most Agatha adds to the story is a secondary conflict that could easily be cut, and the overall quality would stay the same, if not better. And that is a problem. Agatha needs to add to the central conflict in a way that no other character could have. Like, give her a reason to be involved in Wanda’s life that goes beyond feeding off her magic and leading Wanda to her destiny. Because as is, even if you argue that Agatha is a good twist villain, she's a villain that really didn't need to be here.

Director Haywood: But as much as I don't like Agatha, I think we can all agree that Director Haywood is the worst villain in the MCU. Because one issue that Haywood has is a lack of motivation. For instance, why does he try so hard to write off Wanda as this supervillain? It was never explained, and for something so bizarre and crucial to his character, I feel like it needed to be. It would be passable if he was motivated out of fear and ignorance, but Haywood goes so far as to misedit security footage to prove his point. And I don't get why.

Is he sexist?

Did Wanda not show up at his kid's birthday party?

Did he secretly want to use Vision as a sexbot and didn't want Wanda to get between them?

I don't know, and I'll never know.

Plus, on top of having no motivation, Haywood is just forgettable. Agatha may piss me off to no end, but at least I'll remember her. I honestly forgot Haywood's name half the time, and I'm willing to bet that you did too. Case in point, his name isn't even Haywood. It's Hayward. And in the off chance that you didn't even know about that misspelling just proves my point about how forgettable Hayward is. While it's one thing to be hated, it's another to be forgotten. Because that just means that you left so little impact that you aren't even worth getting upset about.

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And that is what I thought about WandaVision. If I had to base this off my usual score, I'd have to give the show the same 7/10 that everyone else gave it. Because there's a lot that I love, but the stuff that I hate is so problematic that it takes the WandaVision down on a couple of notches. It's still a fantastic series with a solid story, a great message, incredible acting, and phenomenal character development. It's just that not everyone is going to be willing to tune in as much as you might think.

#marvel cinematic universe #wandavision #mcu reviews #wanda maximoff #vision #agatha harkness #what i thought about

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