#ugh one of my fave scenes in one of my absolute favorite favorite episodes!!!

[miivrs]

talking about my faves, my wording will not be scholarly or intelligent rather completely zany and incomprehensible

god i LOVE the entire junkyard killer arc + the relationship between malcolm and john and just how complex it is to me. there was SO much going on and every scene, line, etc. burns a hole in my retinas. watkins was our first non “villain of the week” and that’s probably why im so attached to him, but god i love that we really get to see and understand why he does what he does. and he’s smart , I LIKE THAT. i like that he makes malcolm really truly struggle. i love their little cat-and-mouse type thing. john makes malcolm go through hoops and plays him like a stupid little fiddle and i love it. he makes malcolm’s brain (and body) hurt.

and the dialogue they share on the phone/in the basement is AN ABSOLUTE FEAST FOR ME and i love reading way too much into it. seeing how the power dynamics flip LIKE FOUR TIMES is just. UGH. their first call where things are mostly neutral, their second call where things get CRAZY, then FIVE MINUTES LATER their first face-to-face and john traps malcolm, their THIRD call where john now realizes he can manipulate malcolm and finish his mission, and then we get an ENTIRE EPISODE of what im 1000% sure is watkins leaving a breadcrumb trail JUST so he can get malcolm alone(remember guys, john is actually smart), which leads me to ALONE TIME. THE WHOLE EPISODE. and now they’re both fighting for dominance, malcolm with his new knowledge and watkins with his. well, aggressions LMAO.

their meeting was totally by chance (watkins definitely says otherwise), and i wonder what things would be like if malcolm had maybe met watkins under different circumstances (like NOT breaking to a junkyard to look for an abandoned station wagon because, lets face it malcolm, you broke in) because during their first call watkins seems..fond? of the whole junkyard meeting..he even SAYS he doesn’t want to hurt malcolm, so maybe at this point he’s over it?? so i wonder, if malcolm wasn’t a killer catcher and let watkins do his thing, would that have been the end of it? would either of them seek out the other? but that would be BORING im glad they decide to chase eachother its fun.

jesus they make my brain hurt. alone time shows us how they both try to hit jabs at eachother and stay superior, and really no one’s winning lmao. malcolm’s eating john alive via psychoanalysis and john has malcolm STABBED and CHAINED TO THE FUCKING FLOOR. oh i love them…

now, i have many MANY personal thoughts about them, but specifically john and his side of the relationship. the things he says/does to malcolm feels obsessive, and characters like that are always my favorite to dissect. hes so goddamn manipulative and its great. probably once of my favorite things about this arc is when he just ABANDONS HIS MISSION???? (M: “Force me to atone to my sins?” J: “I’m finished with that work.”) and for what??? just one guy? because this one guy who stabbed you when he was 10? we already know that john actually does not have a deep grudge against malcolm for that (or maybe he does…) so why bother trying to LEGITIMATELY CONVERT SOMEONE when you could have just killed them???

because he needs malcolm. like how he needed martin. (sort of but now in a cool new fresh way)

SIRENS ARE BLAAAARING IN MY HEAD. who wrote this dialogue you need to be shot dead (positive). malcolm not afraid to call him out and say “hey you’re a little bit of a codependent freak aren’t you??” also the “I don’t care what you think.” “Of course you do.” DONT. TALK. TO. ME..

why does he need malcolm?? because he’s the nearest target? because he’s the next best thing to martin? because they share such a complex connection spanning 20 years that he can’t left go of? WE MAY NEVER FUCKING KNOW..and mannnnnn dont even get me started on this shit..

this is about YOU and ME and that fucking scar. and them he gives him AN IDENTICAL ONE (probably much less painful but still) god WHAT was the POINT of that. and to that i say it is because watkins feels the need to deepen their connection (or he’s just fucking kooky but thats boring) and now they have matching scars wow so best friends core now they’re intertwined (even more than they already are..) fate (by the hand of god) brought them together and now he needs to make sure it stays that way.

and then we get this..

“Face it, you’re just like me. You judge, you hunt.” oh my GOD im gonna be SICK……… “mick hes just misreading malcolm’s character because he’s narcissistic” im gonna stop you right there because this is my blog and john watkins is my character ever since the pson writers made him complex and then threw him in a damn box (which is another scene i will ramble about at another point) if you use your brain that is literally the bare bones of what malcolm does, what defines his job. john has found the median, the simile, the connection (the one that he NEEDS so he can excuse himself and his actions and also to cope)

AND THEN..AND THEN…….

during this scene AND I SWEAR IM NOT TWEAKING as malcolm is trying his last ditch attempts and stopping watkins from actually murdering his family we SEE JOHN HESITATE..we see it i swear to god. i swear god for just a fleeting moment he actually considers what malcom is saying. but alas. he says “if i get help i’ll lose my sparkle” and goes anyway…

and then the fucking box scene, our very last look at watkins.

i hadn’t noticed it the first time i watched it because i was so hyped but around my second or third rewatch i caught it and heard it and physically shriveled up and died. our very last scene of him and (to me) its GUT WRENCHING. malcolm kept to his word and locked him up in the dark. but i find it so peculiar that watkins is crying. because, if anything, wouldn’t he be pissed?? kicking and screaming and rolling around in that damn thing? makes me wonder…what might have happened in the time between when malcolm wallops him with a fucking crowbar and when jessica reunites with him. what did malcolm say or do??? malcolm bright youre an awful sly little manipulator and you’re damn good at it and yes you use it for “good” but the way you did a 180 on those power dynamics. malcolm you are dangerous..

and that’s my extremely unnecessary deep dive and extreme analysis of john watkins and his relationship with our beloved malcolm bright. watkins really is one of my favorite characters that i feel could have been so cool if they had just given him a little more time or something like that. they are so complex to me in ways i haven’t even mentioned in this text post/probably forgot while i was typing this but i really wish we could see more of them even though what would happen. lots could happen, that’s what. now here’s my pitch for season 3 that revolves around just them where-

[sshbpodcast]

To Be Continued: Multi-parters in Star Trek (Part 3)

By Ames

While Deep Space Nine may have been king of the serial story arc, as we discussed last week in our multi-parter chat, Voyager may have been the most successful at connecting their two-parters. Unlike many [most] of the TNG two-parters that we thought really should have been one episode, when Voyager spanned weeks, it actually felt like their writers planned ahead more often than not.

A Star to Steer Her By is voyaging through this batch of “To Be Continued” stories this week to see if that hypothesis holds up when Janeway is in the captain’s seat. So grab a cup of coffee from your favorite nebula, check them out below, and listen to our chatter on this week’s podcast episode (slipstream over to 48:52) to see when we were rapt by a season cliffhanger and when we were nonplussed by obvious efforts to stretch a plot. Next time, on Star Trek: Voyager!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

VOY: “Basics”

Okay, like our first example from Deep Space Nine last week, our first Voyager example of a two-parter is not helping me prove my point at all. The season 2 finale / season 3 premiere was just uneven all around, and the main issue is that the writers clearly had no plan for what to do with the Seska plot. Would they kill Culluh? Would they kill the baby? Nah, let’s kill Seska in the least satisfying way possible. Ugh.

Speaking of not satisfying, we also never get the confrontation scenes we wanted even though there was plenty of time for them across two episodes. There’s no closure between Seska and Chakotay. Janeway never gets to gloat in Maje Culluh’s face that a woman finally took him down, which she’d predicted ages ago. And my fave Lon Suder, while dying in an admittedly beautiful blaze of glory, really should have been the one to take down Seska. Or vice versa. Something more personal and meaningful, dammit.

VOY: “Future’s End”

Our foray into the past in “Future’s End” fares a little better. Sure, it may have run a little short, and the whole Torres-Chakotay plot out in the Arizona desert seems squicky and superfluous, but these episodes succeed in keeping everyone busy across both their runtimes. The EMH notably gets his mobile emitter, Janeway looks great in that pantsuit, Tom and Rain are super super cute together, and Neelix and Kes even get addicted to soap operas! There’s a lot to love here.

The villain, Starling, is kind of a one-dimensional baddie, and the time travel paradox contradicts itself if you think about it for more than a couple seconds, but these were episodes that knew how to fill their runtime with some fun romps in the past, to sprinkle in some cute fish-out-of-water jokes, and to save a lot of expense by setting things contemporaneously. And what’s the point of a two-parter if not to save a couple bucks?

VOY: “Scorpion”

A more successful season finale / season premiere bridge comes between 3 and 4 when we really start to engage the Borg, something Voyager did with such aplomb it almost feels trite. Almost. But Borg are just too good to pass up, and this introduction of not only the Borg, but Seven of Nine AND Species 8472 has so much going for it. Even if one could argue (as we often do) that it follows the beats of “The Best of Both Worlds” a little too much, is that such a bad thing?

Sure, Part 1 is mostly all setup and the cliffhanger can’t compare to something so groundbreaking as “BOBW,” but Part 2 is where the action is. When the opposing objectives of Janeway and Chakotay clash and clash and then finally compromise into a plan that highlights both of their strengths, it is a thing of beauty. Resistance is definitely futile.

VOY: “Year of Hell”

Ironically, what was originally going to be the season 3 finale / season 4 premiere ends up working absolutely stunningly in the middle of a season. “Year of Hell” could have stretched out into a four-parter, as was originally intended, but then the hard reset at the end would have really felt like a slap in the face. After two episodes, the climax provides just enough of a rug pull to feel cathartic and not like a letdown—something most hard resets can’t pull off like this.

And what episodes these are! They really benefited from two hours spent wrecking the Voyager and her crew more and more. One episode would not be enough time to see and really appreciate the progression into despair that we experience. We really get to know Annorax and start to wonder, like Chakotay does, if we can fix him. And Janeway gets to self destruct the ship! Her favorite thing! A+

VOY: “The Killing Game”

I love that in our initial coverage of “The Killing Game,” Chris’s reaction was “This shouldn’t have been a two-parter” and Jake’s response was “This should have been a six-parter!” There was something different we wanted from these episodes, and it’s hard to put our finger on just what that is because this two-parter is all we have to judge. We’d love to see options in which the characters get their identities back much earlier OR much later, because somehow the balance just seems off the way it currently is.

These episodes also first aired back to back on the same night, so initial audiences also didn’t have to worry about the cliffhanger leaving them in any suspense. And it could have paid off better: we definitely demanded more of the holodeck programs bleeding into each other like was promised in that final Part 1 scene! While it was a blast to have the Klingons attacking Nazis, taking it further would have been immeasurably more fun! Where’s da Vinci? Where’s that nanny from the Jane Eyre program? Let them take out some nazis too!

VOY: “Dark Frontier”

I may be biased because of how much I love me some Borg Queen, but “Dark Frontier” similarly nails the double-length slot. This one was also feature-length, all delivered as one big episode on the same release day, so obviously the writers knew enough to plan it out ahead of time and really get the pacing right. Like “The Way of the Warrior,” which we talked about last week, it feels like its own little Voyager movie.

And it’s got a lot going for it: We get the Borg sphere heist, we get a ton of Seven’s backstory with her utterly neglectful parents, we get a pretty decent Borg Queen–assembly scene, and we get the rivalry to beat all rivalries: Janeway/Borg Queen. Anyone who thinks Borg Queen and Picard are the biggest enemies of the franchise utterly forgets that this is the matchup to bring the audience to its feet.

VOY: “Equinox”

Apparently when “Equinox, Part I” concluded season 5, there wasn’t a full plan for how to get out of its scrape in season 6. And you could have fooled me because they nail it! Somehow Part 2 is even better than Part 1. Maybe it’s the more thorough exploration of the darker actions these characters take to survive. Maybe it’s the layers and layers of scheming we get from the Equinox crew—Ransom and Burke and Evil-EMH all devour the scenery like it’s a Thanksgiving meal. Maybe we just like it when Janeway breaks some knees.

The main gripe we have about this two-parter is that its lasting effects pretty much terminate with it. Even though the Voyager has picked up the remnant crew from the Equinox, we never see them again in any real capacity. And what a shame! These are characters that could have entered the cast with so much potential to dig into their stories, and that’s just it. Rats.

VOY: “Unimatrix Zero”

Like “Scorpion” above, we’ve got another example of Voyager trying real hard to be “BOBW.” The cliffhanger at the end of the sixth season has not one, not two, but three members of the crew get assimilated by the Borg! So it’s Locutus cubed (Locubus?), I suppose. But you know what, if you’re going to crib from an existing successful episode, it pays to pick the best, because Janeway and crew end up with a pretty watchable little story here!

Not all of the hosts of A Star to Steer Her By cared for the romance sideplot between Seven and Axum, but this Matrix-style haven for Borg drones is a very fun idea! The stakes keep getting raised with every passing scene, with Tuvok losing his humanity (Vulcanity?), Borg cubes getting annihilated on a whim, and our beautiful haven going up in flames. And there’s more Borg Queen action! Really, what better can this show do?

VOY: “Flesh and Blood”

Another very fun idea is having a whole bunch of holograms gain sentience and take over a ship. Like, seriously, how cool is that? Did this one have to be a two-parter? Unclear, but I don’t remember ever being bored or feeling like the plot was spinning its wheels to fill up time. And this was another feature-length episode that all got released on the same day, so it’s possible people didn’t notice.

Some of the elements we get are pretty enticing! EMH [yet again] has to choose between the ship where he belongs and some new population that he finds kinship with. Our Cardassian hologram Kejal starts an adorable little galpal-ship (is there a word for that?) with Torres. Really the one big flaw is the predictable ending having Iden turn out to be an megalomaniac in the eleventh hour, which is a crying shame.

VOY: “Workforce”

Our final outing is another familiar one. “Workforce” features the whole crew brainwashed and living an alternate life for the benefit of their captors, a pregnant B’Elanna Torres, Harry Kim and the EMH both unaffected on the outside trying to get everyone back, and Seven’s Borgbrain being used to snap her out of it. Uh, “The Killing Game,” anyone?

Not that there’s anything wrong with telling the same story again, and this is a decent one at accomplishing that. As with “The Killing Game,” it’s a fascinating watch to see everyone running around as different people (memory wipe episodes frequently make interesting statements about a person’s true nature, after all), and just as entertaining seeing Tuvok and Seven learn their true circumstances, albeit to different results. Congrats, Voyager! You did it!

—

Join us next week for the thrilling conclusion of our multi-parter series, when we will tackle all the two- and three-parters of Enterprise, which are somehow weighted almost entirely to the fourth season. Make sure you’re also listening along to the podcast on SoundCloud—or wherever you get your podcasts—as we rewatch all of Star Trek: Discovery, and chat with our little mini Borg collective over on Facebook. And remember: when in doubt, copy “The Best of Both Worlds.”

[btwxsixesandsevens]

5, 8, and 12 for the fave/least faves?

Thanks for the ask Nonny!

5. Actor/Actress:

fave: This one is a tie. I love them both for the same reasons. Harrison Ford and Katee Sackhoff. They both bring a grounded swagger to a absolutely senseless universe, thus making unimaginable things accessible. Plus the sexiness.

Added: Frank Oz for Yoda. He made that puppet WORK. I love him, I cared about him, I cried when he died. Give Frank an Oscar or whatever.

Least fave: Young Hayden Christensen. Hayden now, as old Anakin, that's fine. He's holding it down. YOUNG Hayden? Episode 2 and 3 Hayden? MY GAWD, he was painful to watch.

8. Concept: Oh this one is open ended.

Fave: Droids. And the Droid Autonomy movement. They're these little guys we create that range from handheld gameboy sized all the way up. And some are free thinking. And some want freedom. And some believe in the Force? They have personality and perspective and get into trouble...every time I see a droid I wonder how old it is, what its seen, what it knows.

Least fave: Midichlorians. The Force is mystical and woo woo. Once they wrapped that science shit around it, once connect with the Force was genetic and something you could *measure* with a machine? ugh. That's not how magic works. Not how faith works. The only thing I like about Force User Sabine is that she goes a long way in disproving all that Midichlorian stuff. I mostly pretend it didn't happen.

12. Moment/Scene:

Fave: SO MANY. Han & Leia: "I love you. I know."; Darth Vader's intro scene mirrored by the same scene in Rogue One. So much stuff in Rogue One. Ahsoka dropping *from the literal sky* into the Siege of Mandalore. Then her fight with Maul. The final Obi-Wan/Maul fight. Kanan & Hera "I wish I could see you. You could always see me." Old man Luke Force projecting to fuck with Kylo. But one? one I think of all the time?

That's a puppet y'all. a fuckin' puppet that drops the most moving, interesting, thoughtful lines in the whole galaxy. I have to add him to my fave actor list.

Least fave: Anakin and Padme watching the space bison pronk in the field of flowers. It combines I least favorite actor with some of the corniest CGI to ever exist. It was early days for the technology, but seriously. It was bad.

Anyone else want to know my random thoughts?

Star Wars Fave Ask Game

[romanticnoir]

Call it Love - Kdrama Discourse

No one asked but here is everything I have to say~ spoilers ahead **

I’ll start with I loved this drama. This drama is in the romance genre they should say instead drama because it’s really more that. But we get the main leads two ppl who are hurt for different reasons. And find love and comfort in each other.

Male lead had a neglectful mother who for some reason kept switching partners as easy as changing your clothes . As much as I wanted to hate her if I’m honest I just really couldn’t I’m sorry I enjoyed her character and her bf like she was so overly dramatic and legit thought she was the shit like it was both hilarious and infuriating to watch,,, this lady was an awful mother and human being. If anything if I had been the directors I would’ve given her way less screen time those last two episodes I don’t want to feel bad for her. She deserved so much Dongjin telling her that he was thankful he didn’t take after her and how unhappy she made his entire being. She deserves everything that’s coming. if there is a pet peeve of mines is the light punishment for ppl who commit actual crimes in drama’s because why do they always get away with it she committed FRAUD AND hid the will like common now… she should be in jail.

Our male lead not only has a shitty mother but his long time girlfriend CHEATS ON HIM not only did girly cheat on him but brakes up with him in his favorite spot in the world his camping place like he knew she cheated on him but he still decided to ignore it I just ugh I cried tbh I also repeated that scenes so many times when he told her not to brake up with him there because then he will never be able to come back and enjoy prob his only fucking hobby and she went and ruined it like a heartless pos it hurt so good I’m sorry dongjin but this type of angst just does things with my heart I love it.

Dongjin GREENEST OF THE GREENEST FLAG A MALE LEAD CAN BE! All ml should learn from him. His soft spoken and even after everything his gone through he is still the kindest person (and yes it may be his trauma response from his mother) but it doesn’t take away from him just being such a good person. The only time I saw him angry was that one time he told woojoo off. Even so he wasn’t a fucking ass like we see often with other mls. Even when finding out the truth and saying that he understands why she did why she did. And the fact that he does not hate her omg. that is ladies and gents PEAK MALE LEAD CHARACTER. He didn’t hate her because as he said “the love that she gave him was so much more than the pain she caused” I think he was definitely my fave character.

Woojoo : the actress just conveys the angst her character was feeling so well like you can see it every time although she wanted to spend time with him even though she was happy to be with him she always felt that guilt and that sadness of betraying her family and dongjin but also wanting him to be happy because she knows he isn’t a bad person.

And if there’s anything that I disliked from the drama is that they didn’t give us any moments of them actually being happy together after the reunion I think the writers could’ve done better for the last episode they gave us unnecessary details about side characters. Like yes I’m glad the sister had nice friends but do I really care she’s getting married absolutely not[the friend getting married info ]… we could have gotten the proposal with Jun saying everything he told her about loving seeing her in his home. Instead of that luncheon we could’ve gotten more jigu doing street concerts or him following his dreams I think I would’ve appreciated that more since I feel like his character was the only one that always kind off got swept off. They would give us a story line and then forget he exists and have him do random appearances. Besides all that… how could they leave the reunion for the last two minutes that’s actual criminal.

Everything besides the last two episodes (yes two because I feel like they gave us wayyy too much of the mother ep 15 much more than we should have cared about. And then the last cuz we didn’t even get to see anything beyond the reunion. I feel cheated out of an actual happy ending.

Fave scenes: I honestly wouldn’t even had minded if it had ended here in that walk they had.

“I was so scared that’d I’d be hated if I revealed who I was but I was grateful you didn’t hate me “

I couldn’t hate you because the love you gave me was so much bigger , than the pain you gave me “

“[support, consolation, love] you gave me everything”

Anyway~ needless to say I loved this drama it was great all the actors did a fantastic job I really want to watch more stuff with their faces

Is it obvious dongjin is my fave character ? Lol this isn’t all I have to say. But I will probably make another post about the side couple.

Bestie I just saw your message so here I am tagging you @soytujoy thank you so much for recommending me this drama you were so right about everything! It is great ♥️

UPDATE: no wait there was another time where dongjin was angry and it was when woojoo got hurt by that guy. YALL HE WAS ACTUALLY SO COOL THERE IM NOT SORRY.

[best-enemies]

Fave Shows tag game

Rules: List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

Doctor Who

The Office

Hannibal

Succession

Z Nation

Thank you so much for tagging me @veraynes-blog <3 ! Took me a while to pick a top 5 because my list always changes (except for the first one. Doctor Who has been my #1 show for over 10 years hehehe)

~

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

That's a rough one. Every character is hilarious in their own way and I have different reasons for why I love each one. Usually I'd say it's Pam, because I've always identified with her story and her character arc is the best one in the show imo. But lately, thanks to my many rewatches, I've been falling for Angela Martin. Despite being a very unpleasant person most of the time, her character is consistently one of the funniest of the show and to me, one of the most interesting. Throughout the run of the show we've seen moments where she shows she's more than the 'office bitch', and an actual person who struggles to connect to most people because she thinks she's better than everybody else. Of course, she's a hypocrite - she often judges people, like Pam, accusing them of doing things she does herself, like she's projecting. And by the end of the show, we see that amazing story arc, sort of a redemption arc for her character that was amazingly acted and UGH I just love Angela and I think she's so much more complex than people give her credit for, yes, even for a sitcom character.

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

We've got like a thousand characters in 1 lol I don't know, I guess... Clara? Like, I used to dislike her a few years ago, then I tried to like her (I do love her outfits though), but now I just don't care much for her. I don't know, I always thought she was a bit annoying, never liked her 'bossy' personality, I thought her character arc was confusing (I do understand it now and... no comment) and now I just think people try to make her seem way more cool than she is. Like nobody has ever been able to sell me the idea that she's a good character. Maybe she is but I just don't care for her enough to try to like her again.

3. What’s your favourite episode of 4?

'Safe room' was my favorite episode because it had some really good comedic scenes, so it was a sort of a comfort episode for me even though it's not comfortable at all lol. But it was just because I felt like I had to pick one and it was the easiest one to watch, for me. But after sesaon 4 I have to say... all of season 4. I can't pick a favorite one, it's all so perfect. The performances were absolutely incredible in each one of them.

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

Season 1. It was much more consistent than the rest of the show in terms of quality (even though I love all of it - yes, even s4 and s5) and it has my favorite episode, 'Murphy's Law'.

5. What’s your favourite relationship in 3?

Hannibal and Will, duuuhh. Not the healthiest, that's Bella and Jack, and they're lovely. But Will and Hannibal remain my favorites.

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

I'm against all relationships that disrupt Angela & Dwight, my OTP.

7. How long have you watched 1?

Since I was about 12 years old. I was zapping through channels and since there was nothing else to watch, I left Dr. Who on. I remember it was Smith and Jones. Took 5 minutes for me to fall in love with the show.

8. How did you become interested in 3?

I started watching Hannibal back when it was still on, but I don't remember how exactly I became interested in it. I do remember everyone was talking about it on tumblr back then.

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

Okay it's impossible to mention just one. The casting choices for Succession were amazing and the performances are flawless. I did fall in love with the siblings even more in s4. I think Jeremy, Sarah, Kieran and Alan gave some of the best performances of their lives.

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

Doctor Who will always be my nº1 choice!

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

Doctor Who, definitively, for obvious reasons lol

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Believe me when I say I don't want to be anyone on that show lmao

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

I'd have to be crazy to kill Warren, but if she ever died, I'd want it to be a very dignified death. It's hard to have that in the apocalypse though. But I know I'd give her a painless death, because my girl has been through a LOT.

14. Would a 3/4 crossover work?

Succession but with cannibalism and murder? Okay now that would be very interesting. I don't doubt any of the Roys would be capable of murder, but cannibalism... I don't know, probably would work better figuratively.

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

I keep trying to think of two characters but there are so many! I would like to see the 7th Doctor and the War Master. I don't know if they've ever been in an audio together but they'd be such a power couple and AMAZING enemies <3 can't go wrong with Thoschei.

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

I think both shows were very well cast - all the actors seemed perfect for the parts they were playing. I do need to single out Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal though, because Mads seems like such a sweetheart and at the same time a hot dad irl, but looks absolutely terrifying as Hannibal.

Tagging @thebraxiatelcollection @valdomarx @aphrodititi @katseternity @ichabodcranemills @xryptiid @theladyofspaceandtime in case you guys would like to do it as well. If anyone else wants to do this, it's super fun!

[lionheartednightengale]

top however many spn episodes

4.16 on the head of a pin. makes me want to chew my own arm off (positive)

1.12 faith. dean dying. the concept of reapers. first evidence of sam willing to do absolutely anything to save dean. layla and dead. the whole idea of religion and faith in the very first form

1.11 scarecrow. the neil gaiman vibes of it all (i loved american gods when i read it, and i also figured out neil was pretty sketch when i was like ... 24 and read some old short stories)

3.12 jus in bello. henrikson. dean x henrikson 4eva folks. lilith the creepy child. ruby- i have guts in my mouth. the idea of broadcasting an exorcism

2.06 bad day at black rock. i really just love the physical humor, the slapstick. i lost my shoe. i'm batman. ugh i mean tall tales and mystery spot and yellow fever and changing channels are funny but this has something else. maybe its the belaxdean ust. i love bela. i miss her and her uncomplicated (lol) relationship with theft and money

2.21/2.22 all hell breaks loose pt 1 and 2. a dead tie with the culmination of two seasons of yellow eyes speculation PLUS giving us fodder for the next three seasons and beyond. ava god ava. the death match. sam dying. a main fucking character Dying. the deal, tying it back to crossroad blues. the Fucking Deal, knowing that John was coming up on the 100 year mark, knowing that Dean could be the One to break the first seal....

5.04 the end. two deans. thigh holster. apocalypse. angst. samifer. dean and cas clearly used to fuck and most definitely don't any more

4.09 i know what you did last summer. guys i just love anna. and annaxruby. and how sam without dean compared to sam without dead during mystery spot. and spotlighting 3 actresses playing the sam character. and whoops thanks samxruby for giving me new kinks part z

4.01 Lazarus rising. THE IMAGERY. the down trees. dean pouring rock salt on the gas station windows is one of my favorite screen grabs ever. cas's entrance. the whole barn set.

croatoan, born under a bad sign, what is and shall never be; basically the whole back half of season 2. on a rewatch one of the tightest seasons i've seen. peak television- scary virus, am i a monster,

6.10 caged heat. i haven't had time to express my deep seated love of meg before now. i love her. i love sam!meg. i love nikki aycox . i love rachel miner

6.20 the man who would be king. cas centric god bless. dean raking leaves. the whole fucking wrap up. cas x crowley x dean hate-ship (yeah crowley is in the middle. also another gaimen ref. also also i really love mark sheppard. i tend to suck at recognizing actors but he is an exception

pretty fond of 7.01 meet the new boss honestly s7 is kinda a vague dick shaped blur but i did love seeing spike and cordelia (charisma carpenter who was deeply fucked over by Joss), meeting krissy chambers, dean in 1944 clothes, charlie's first appearance.

any purgatory scene. also 8.23 sacrifice because the angels falling in the finale is also a scene that has stuck with me for over 10 years so it has that going for it and the hiatus fics were so so good

sorry team i quit before the end of season 10 in real time. toxic fandom got to me so s9/s10 doesn't hold too much good from the first go round. but i'm back for the 2025 rewatch! i am sure i'll find new faves in s11 and beyond (elieen, mary, and jack i'm waiting for you!)

[bigskydreaming]

Mmmmkay so finished The Midnight Club and I need to know when season two is immediately please and thank you.

And also whymst the fuck did we not get to hear Cheri’s story. There were eight kids and ten episodes how do you not make that math work ugh I don’t understand and object. Yes she is canonically a pathological liar who by her own admission made up a half a dozen wildly outlandish claims that she stated as absolute fact per episode but that’s no excuse, that doesn’t count as her telling her story. Rude. Uncalled for. Will be writing to my senator about this.

Still trying to decide whose story I liked best this season. Natsuki and Anya’s were probably my favorites or at least the ones that hit me hardest but Spence’s was a fave as well and Sandra’s didn’t leave the impact those other three did but I still liked it on a more superficial level because I’m a sucker for noir and it was very fun and experimental and also not what o expected from Sandra at all. I mean the others did say all her other stories were just different variations of angel porn Lolol.

Amesh’s story was surprisingly in the bottom half of the stories over all - surprising because he’s easily one of my fave characters but his story just didn’t do anything for me. Maybe it was because I feel like I’ve seen that end of the world war games simulation set up used so many times elsewhere? Or maybe I’m like Natsuki and just hated the ending he gave it lol.

But Ilonka and Kevin’s were easily the weakest stories of the bunch for me. They just….didn’t feel like they had as much substance as the others? But then again that kinda makes sense because the trade off is the two of them easily got way more characterization and focus on their overall arcs than any of the other characters so there was less need to use the stories they told specifically as vehicles to give their characters more depth. In comparison Natsuki got very little focus outside of her relationship with Amesh, other than a couple scenes here and there, so the writers really brought their A games to her story episode to compensate for that.

Anyway, excellent show was excellent, a really strong first season and I need the next one now. Soon please. I hope Sandra comes back and isn’t just an occasional guest star but they find a way to keep her tied into things more directly than that.

I called the Julia thing from like her first appearance lol, and I had a strong hunch about Athena, so wasn’t surprised by either of those twists but I wanna know why Ilonka and Kevin are the only two who can see the ghosts of the couple who first built the house….I’m wondering if maybe it could be a reincarnation thing?

Like maybe they also did the ritual the Paragon tried to do, for extending lifespans, but the way it actually works is it makes the person able to reincarnate or able to potentially possess someone else if the right conditions are met? If it’s something like that, Kevin and Ilonka’s stories both had elements that could potentially be seen as hints or nods to those possibilities. But that’s definitely the mystery I’m most curious about seeing addressed next season.

Also they’re not allowed to kill Amesh next. I abjure this. I rebuke it. The shadow can fuck right the bell off. Take Mark instead. Go repo Julia’s overdue ass. Whatever.

[cellsshapedlikestars]

So what are your thoughts on s2 of love is blind? And what are we all gonna have to do to convince you to watch too hot to handle?

ANON!

I have watched Too Hot to Handle! I watched season 1 with Chloe, aka my fave from the Circle as well. (I thought I had posts about it, but Tumblr is terrible and nothing really comes up in my searches so who knows)

As for Love is Blind, I'll put my thoughts under the cut cause it's gonna be long.

We'll start by saying I didn't watch season 1, I jumped straight into season 2 cause I NEEDED to see what was up with the guy I kept seeing all over TikTok

So my thoughts:

GENERAL SHOW STUFF:

-the pacing was wild. I did not expect the "blind" part to be less than a third of the season. The fact that a proposal happened in the first episode THREW me.

-I get why they have a show past the pods, but I sort of hated it. It felt a lot like Bachelor hometowns, which are always my least favorite episodes. And I feel like I just simply don't care about watching these people go through regular relationship drama. I don't watch reality tv for that, it's why I don't watch like... I guess 90 day fiancee is the closest?

-I disliked every couple except Iyanna & Jarrette.

(I just love them. UGH)

-the fact that actual marriage is a thing makes me very uncomfortable. They have to have some sort of cash incentive to actually get married, right? Otherwise, why wouldn't you just choose to not get married and then keep dating once the show is over?? I haven't dug into this. Like on the bachelor, they get "engaged" but at this point it's essentially agreeing to date and getting a free ring out of it.

SPECIFIC PEOPLE/COUPLES:

-again, Iyanna and Jarrette were the only ones who felt like a real couple who actually liked each other

-Mal & Sal: Sal was boring and I swear if he ever tried to sing to me I'd smash his ukelele. Also, I just don't think Mal was into him at all but felt like she should be (again, cash incentive???)

-Danielle & Nick: YIKES. I'm trying to keep an open mind because it sounds like Danielle has a lot of anxiety & depression and some traumas she didn't share on the show, but holy shit. She picked a fight in every single scene and half the time it felt like it was pulled out of thin air. Even Nick seemed baffled by half of it. And I feel bad for her cause she admits that she projects her anxiety onto others and apparently some of it was edited weird, but still. Her getting mad at him for him being like "can you and your friends not dance on & break my table" was WILD. I don't think they should have gotten married AT ALL. Maybe dated & gone to couples therapy like they are post show, but don't get married! (again, CASH INCENTIVE???)

-Shayne & Natalie: oof. Shayne scares me tbh. He seems to have some really terrible self esteem (he literally cannot handle anytime Natalie jokes around about him, even in the slightest) and he seems to have an explosive temper. We didn't see their night before the wedding fight, but we did see him when he couldn't hit a baseball and he got absolutely furious and started shitting on Sal for wearing dress shoes?? Also he gaslit Natalie pretty hard in the pods by telling her it would be "weird" if she got upset when he thought she was Shaina.

-speaking of. Shaina & Kyle: Shaina sucks. I think she agreed to the proposal because of the cash incentive I've now convinced myself exists, even though she knew they wouldn't make it and she was clearly not attracted to him. BUT I also sort of think Kyle is... I dunno, how do you say you believe in science but want to marry a woman who doesn't believe in evolution? That's who you want raising your kids?? And he just keeps pursuing her even after she straight up ditched him in Mexico. Take a hint, my dude.

-Deepti & Shake: what can be said that hasn't already been said? I think Shake was faking every single thing. I think he wanted to be on TV (and the cash incentive) and used Deepti to do it. I think his whole "she's like an aunt" rhetoric was his get out of jail free card. Deepti is a queen and her leaving him at the altar was incredible and I love her. AND SO PRETTY. not sexually attracted to her my ass. I do think Shake was so upset she dumped him first lmao

Anyway, that's all I can remember of my thoughts for right now.

[someonefantastic]

1x05. Oh my gosh I love Cordelia Chase so much!! This was such a fantastic episode. I appreciate getting a deeper look into her character and a little more info on her backstory. The scene where she explained how she felt like she was being punished and why the house was so important to her hurt my heart. So glad Angel and Doyle were just being so supportive and protective of her throughout the whole adventure. But her doubts about whether they actually care about her was so heartbreaking. Seeing her finally standing up to the ghost was the best moment. And now she has an invisible roommate! That's oddly adorable, especially considering how somber a lot of these eps so far have been ending. Overall 10/10. I can see why you mentioned this as a good ep.

Ah you made it to Rm w/a Vu!!!!!!!! That's literally one of my absolute favorite episodes in the entire series, it's so good!! Cordy is such a queen and ugh that scene when she's talking about being punished hurts me, there are literally so many layers to this episode regarding her that I could honestly ramble about for hours, it's just such a stellar Cordy ep. Her standing up to the ghost is literally one of the most iconic things ever, that scene >>>>>> And YES I'm so glad you've now met phantom Dennis, I love him so much. I'm very very happy you enjoyed this ep, it's the best!!

Also I'm curious, I know you're only 6-ish eps in so far so it may be too early to tell but like who are your faves so far? What do you think of the characters? I'm always so interested to hear which characters people gravitate towards in a thing I watch, especially my mutuals

[sapphicsaro]

For the SVU asks thing: 10, 13, 15, and 17! :) absolutely love your blog btw!

hey! thanks sm — i really appreciate it <3

10.) best olivia hair season

listen i am BISEXUAL, mariska has always looked incredible regardless of the hairstyle — HOWEVER, i do happen to love her with longer hair.

i would say my top styles are: season 1 bob, season 8 BANGSSSSSS, current season (23) waves, and that straight middle part shoulder length from season 17

13. least fave character past/present

oof, well all the perps are disgusting (thats a given). so it depends, i HATE that one DA bucanon? or however tf his name is spelled, but you’re supposed to hate him…so? not sure if that works?

if its least faves that we were supposed to like, number one is kim greyleck. i was/am a huge casey novak stan so seeing her right after already made me biased but she was horrible with the victims. could not stand her.

as for current? the new guy. something with a v? he replaced kat which was a blow to me as a queer :/ i don’t find him likable at all and i’m kind of upset the show replaced a queer woman of color with him. idk! just me tho??

15. which character dresses the best?

i better not get shit on for this but—

every. single. outfit. that angela wheatley wore, i would rock in a HEARTBEAT. mama came in, blew up kathy, then brought it to the runway.

also liv’s coats??? idk if y’all can tell from the breakdowns but i’m so into the trench coats and blazers. 10/10.

17. all time favorite episode

with a show that has 500 episodes, there’s no way i’d be able to choose just one!

some faves (& why):

slaves (S1) - the psych evals. the minute i fell in love with each character…oof. from cragen’s break, to olivia’s breakdown, to munch’s callout, then monique and elliot?? so good. and this is when i really realized how much me and olivia are alike! so yep, a top contender for sure!!

night (S6) - again, love casey novak and when she got hurt we got to see a vulnerable side of a character who was pretty reassured and tough. plus mrs. potts, doc oc, AND rocket raccoon?? amazing

raw (S7) - this was just a really good plot twisty episode and shocked me the first time i saw it with it’s ending. tough to stomach as a jewish person, though.

blast (S7) - AS A MELINDA WARNER STAN, i have nothing more to say. what a queen 💅🏼

(can i say all of season 9????)

zebras (S10) - yes, for bensler, but also for gwen 🥺 i love carol kane so much ugh

perverted (S11) - all the bensler vibes but also a damn good episode.

(here’s where i confess that i’m catching up on svu i’ve missed and my knowledge of episodes is a little weak when it comes to seasons (11-21). i’ve just finished 16, 17, 18, so i’m catching up!! but apologies if ive missed a good episode!!)

“benson in trouble” (multiple seasons) - idk if i can call them favorites because that sounds wrong(?), but as a survivor i really find it cathartic to watch the episodes where olivia is in trouble (the william lewis arc, the townhouse incident, etc.). my therapist says it’s because i feel a sense of control and know what what’s about to happen, know that she will survive it and bc i see myself like her, i feel a sense of relief. tmi? ahhh

unholiest reunion (S17) - just a thrilling episode!!

heartfelt passages (S17) - dodds…. and tucker/liv!

gone baby gone (S19) - cmon, so good. but also i just love any and all scenes ever that we get of olivia being a mom

part 33 (S20) - very interesting introspect on the behind the scenes of the detectives. i really enjoyed this debate and honestly was captivated by their reactions.

the return of the prodigal son (S22) - i mean… i don’t need to explain this one.

(ALL of organized crime. no joke, i think i like it more than the current episodes of svu. i much prefer how they are writing their characters!!)

[emmaswcns]

what’s your favorite Emma Swan look each season/arc? Happy New Year, bestie!! <33

addy i have been waiting to answer this until i could fully focus on it and that day is today!! (edit: i literally started this probably like a week ago and i am now finally finishing it i am SO sorry it’s so late!!!) @adoraweisz

welcome folks to my ted talk abt emma swan's best looks throughout once upon a time!

season one

i wasn't a huge fan of many of emma's looks in season 1 minus her hair being absolutely perfect BUT i do feel this was the season where she was 1000% authentically herself so who am i to say anything

but my favorite emma look is from episode 20, the stranger:

the curls plus the red sweater plus the scene in the woods? fuck yes

season one bonus: emma's dragon fighting outfit: (yes this photo is TECHNICALLY from season 2 but it’s the same outfit from the last episode of season 1 SOOOOOO it counts)

season 2

i loved her enchanted forest look bc it was one of the first looks of jennifer morrison’s porn-worthy arms and so yeah that will always be a top look for me but i can’t say it was my fave

definitely has to be the black and white striped dress from episode 14, manhattan (and no not just because she finds neal. neal has nothing to do w this. NOTHING.):

season 3

do you even need to ask? i think everyone knows that neverland emma is my favorite look of the entire series. my url should be neverlandemma bc she’s all i care about lmao

honestly, season 3 was my favorite for emma’s looks. i know there are theories that she dressed the way she did in new york bc of her lost memories and her trying to figure herself out or something and that it wasn’t rly emma’s style, which is true, but it was SO good and it was a nice break up from her constant tight jeans and leather jackets for a little while and ugh season 3 costume design for her was A+ imo 

her neverland look is followed closely by her bar wench outfit and so so so many others i can’t even so here look at this post by lumadreamland  and admire the many amazing outfit choices emma made during that season :’)

season 4

another season where ppl weren’t happy with emma’s fashion choices but it was another season of faves for me. i loved all the sweaters she wore which showed off her arms (drool emoji), her sorceress trapped in a tower dress which she looked stunning in was amazing, the flashback where she runs into ingrid at the ice cream shoppe is probably one of my fave emma looks of all time buuuut i think if i had to choose just one it’d be from the finale, operation mongoose p2:

very very honorable mention.........

(i don’t need to explain why this outfit would be a fave)

season 5

the one and only good look of season 5 imo was flower crown emma:

i can honestly say i pretty much ignore season 5 and 6 so they blend together in my mind. i know dark swan was season 5, and she was hot, but definitely not a contender with flower crown emma imo

season 6 

i don’t know or remember any outfit i didn’t hate besides this one SO we’re going with it! it’s from the other shoe:

well besties, thank you for reading this unnecessary post and letting me rant and rave about emma’s fashion choices <3333 

[salvatoraesarc]

finished s1 of bton so i have many thoughts !!!!!

sighs so hard bc i loved simon & daphne before they got married…. i was so into them & the pining, the fake dating trope. like AHHH so good. but then…. episode 6 came. & obviously we don’t support what daphne did. like no, i will never ever be okay with that scene or scenario. & i get that it’s “ different times ” & i know she wanted to see how he’d react & to catch him in his lie. which they could’ve had her do any other way ???? like anything else. husband or not, what she did was so wrong & so fucking icky. made my skin crawl. so now i’m ???????? you know… that makes no sense but i’m just ugh. they have good chem & they were a good couple but that scene was so bad like that’s not how you confront your husband !!!!!! it just makes me sad. like i was kicking my feet, so in awe of them & sooooo rooting for them but she ruined it :( & was still angry at him for lying but ms. girl what you did was WAY worse. i don’t support her actions at ALL but as a character i liked her otherwise :/ ( it’s okay to like a character and not support them !!!! or their actions from something they did !!! i wasn’t gonna add this bc i don’t wanna be judged but im saying it !!!! ) anyways i still love simon and would risk my life for him thank you !!!!!! i have so many more thoughts about them but my brain is still spinning about it all

THE LADY WHISTLEDOWN REVEAL…. THE WAY I GASPED. i was not expecting it to be penelope at ALL. like i was a little sus when she exposed marina but i was like nah it can’t be pen… like someone else had to know, you know? and then it was revealed & wow just… damn….

colin is my favorite bridgerton, i love him with my whole entire heart. he’s just a sweet little himbo & i want to kiss his head. & i know him and pen have smth s2, which i’m excited to see 🫢 also eloise is a close second for my fave bridgerton, she’s who i wish i was :’) anthony i’m squinting at….. i like him but i hate him at the same time. i hope he develops in s2 !!!!

siena, my BELOVED. i loved siena, she deserved so much more screentime and so much more in general & i just love her and the little mole on her beautiful face

marina i was indifferent about bc i’m penelope’s number one protecter but she too deserved more than what was given to her and i’m so sad sir george died bc she deserved that happy ending :(

in conclusion, i’m not usually one for period pieces & i was refusing to watch this show bc i thought it was over hyped but damn it’s actually pretty fucking good phew… also i’m considering adding simon, siena, colin, eloise & maybe pen to my muse list… also maybe daphne but i’d absolutely cut out the scene in ep 6 like no ✋🏻

simon basset duke of hastings i want you so bad it makes me look STUPID like… i’m rattling my fucking CAGE for you

[masqueradeball]

How about number 3? Like, tell us all about it if you want :)

Oh my gosh 🥺 thank you so much for giving me my first ask! 💖 I'm eternally grateful I get to spill all my pheels out.

3. What is my favorite Phantom tv/film adaptation?

My absolute favorite Phantom is the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film. He just embodies everything that I like about Gaston Leroux's Erik for me and he is both horrifying and pitiable. I dislike the ending but I can live with it given it's what test audiences wanted at the time. I truly love his Red Death costume. You can find it on Youtube and the Tubi app for free.

My first runner up would be Claude Raines in the 1943 because his Erique so soft and tragic in that film I cannot help but love him. This was one was my grandma's favorite 'classic monster' movies that she loved, so I have a special place in my heart for this one. I love his hair and appreciate that he was one fine silver fox before the revenge and jealousy issues set in. The opera parts are a little boring, but the costumes and the sassy diva rival to Christine are worth the watch. We get 2 handsome Raouls who end up going to dinner together at the end of the movie and a Christine who gets to bask in the limelight of her career while not choosing any suitor, which is the best possible outcome for her. Double play for the win in my book! You can watch it for free on the Peacock app.

My next runner up is a 3 way tie between Robert Englund, Gerard Butler, and Charles Dance.

I honestly enjoy all their performances because they each bring something unique to the role.

I cannot stress enough how violent the Robert Englund version is if you want to give it a go, but Erik Destler is insane, twisted, and fabulously murdertastic in this. I love the creepy, evil vibes the man gives off. Think of this film as a time travel AU of the original novel. I feel like he nailed Leroux Erik's darker, snarky personality that some people tend to forget he had and the gothic horror parts of the original novel are there. Bonus: they keep the Faust parallels like in the novel!

I'm gonna say it: I love the Charles Dance miniseries. I know it's not the best, but damn, he is so dry and sarcastic I cannot help but enjoy his performance. I want to pinch his cheeks and smother Cherik with the love his father never gave him everytime I see him. Again, this one focuses on the operas a lot, and for me it's a bit boring. But the backgrounds, settings, and props in this thing are fantastic and the costumes are wonderful too.

That leaves Gerard Butler in the 2004 movie. No he is not the world's greatest singing Phantom, but I don't care. I absolutely love his facial expressions and body language. The Phantom is an emotional, expressive dude and the Red Death costume scene is pretty good. I love how kind and sincere Emmy feels in this film and I appreciate she's not overracting and doesn't feel fake compared to some other Christines *coughSierracough* Being the film version of the ALW musical, this Phantom story focuses on the romance and Gerard excels at that. When he and Christine are singing Past the Point of no Return, I FEEL THEIR PASSION! And that's what counts more so than hitting the same notes we've all heard a million times before.

Now for the versions in the 'I will eternally like this' category 😊 :

The Phantom of the Paradise from 1974. This is also a very violent and dark film so fair warning if you haven't seen it. It's a bizarre rock musical, but if you're weird like me and enjoy Rock & Rule or the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this might be a film you'd like too. I don't want to spoil it too much but the Faust/devil parallels are here too, as is various pop culture references. His teeth and mask are terrifyingly cool, and so is the electronic voice box he uses. It makes sense Daft Punk was inspired by this film. Maybe G1 Soundwave was inspired by this film too, but that's a debate for another day 😉

Next is the animated 1988 film. This one features animation on par with other 80s tv cartoons of the time. I love that they kept the Persian and the torture chamber from the novel. The Phantom's death scene is pretty damn epic. Christine is kind of a flake, but animated Leroux Erik is hilariously insane and terribly charming, especially when he calls himself a Don Juan. It's worth watching just for his antics and his dialouge.

You might not expect a Goosebumps episode to do a Phantom story any justice, but here we are: 1995, The Phantom of the Auditorium is a spooky fun take on the story and honestly, I'd like to see the full play the kids at that school are putting on cause it looks better than some of the live Phantom stage scenes I've seen. Both young boys playing the Phantom are fantastic actors and the plot twist at the end is great.

I absolutely have to give a shout out to Wishbone's Pantin at the Opera. He is the best, cutest, most adorable Raoul de Chagney ever and I will fight you if you dare talk smack about this version. I'm not even a Raoul stan by any means but like, this dog is precious and I enjoy this episode so much.

Also in the animated category and cute dog category is Scooby Doo Stage Fright made back in 2013. This movie is one of my fave Scooby Doo films (yes I own almost all of them on dvd) and there are multiple Phantoms, a reality tv show contest, and Fred and Daphne finally kiss each other! Lots and lots of hidden Phantom references in the background and lots of voice acting talent for those of us who appreciate that.

Now for the versions I intensely dislike 😏

The 1962 Herbert Lom version. UGH where to start. The sets are so small and everything looks dirty and of the wrong time period. The color in the film looks washed out. The clothes look too modern somehow (maybe it's their hairstyles?) and it bothers me. It feels low budget in a bad way and it shows. This phantom is not likeable or pitiable even though his backstory is similar to the Claude Raines version. He has no romantic interest in Christine, so it feels off. This guy is such an old a$$ piece of sh*t, he literally slaps Christine as she's singing for him for no damn reason. His paper mache mask looks like a Kindergartener's botched art class project. His personality is like somebody locked up cranky grandpa in the basement and he's PMS-ing because y'all forgot to give him his daily prune juice. This squatter's lair lacks creepiness, and his bizarre sidekick is annoying and yet somehow more interesting than the Phantom. The pervert manager trying to bang Christine aggravated me and simultaneously made me want to vomit. Raoul is the only likeable character in the whole damn movie. The Joan of Arc opera scene makes up for some of the film, but it's still terrible.

Next on my meh list is the 1983 made for tv movie starring Micheal York and Jane Seymour. Now, this one has some likeable and applaudable scenes: the various murders and general creepiness of the Phantom, and the lair scene when she wakes up in his bed and the Phantom gets all up in her face is so intense and so Leroux I absolutely love it. The rest of the film is a jumbled hot mess at best, but Jane Seymour is 🔥 and she gets some damn good sex, so hell yeah to that!

And lastly, I do not like the Royal Albert Hall 25th anniversary recording. I should preface this by saying it is Sierra I don't like. I like Ramin, I love Hadley, everyone else is wonderful but I cannot stand Sierra. She tries too hard to make Christine a Disney Princess- and that doesn't fly with me. It comes off as insincere or mocking the source material at best, and at worst it makes Christine look like an airheaded ditz. Apparently Sierra played Ariel at one point which is hilarious because of all the Disney princesses, I dislike her the most. But that's a different rant for another day.

And finally, the one I hate most of all:

The 1998 Argento film. This is the worst Phantom adaptation I've ever seen. It is a whole lotta nope for me. Between the rats, the unecessary and pointless telepathy, the r*pe scene, and the unfunny weird vibe from the murder going on in this film it's a disaster from start to finish. Honestly, it's the rats and his hair that bother me from a visual standpoint alone and it's beyond disgusting the way this a$$🤡 treats Christine. I don't like any of the characters in here and for good reason. It's not worth watching and if you do, be ready to bleach your brain afterwards.

💖 Sorry if this was a long read! Thanks again for giving me an ask and I will cherish it forver!!!! 💖

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Ep 28

Note: I will be critical of Jiang Cheng in these posts. If you can’t handle that, please feel free to scroll on.

Sorry this write-up is so late. I had a migraine that lasted for a few days, and I didn't want to do anything.

So, we're finally here. The big showdown between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian--they're finally talking, and Jiang Cheng is letting it all out. He starts off strong, leading with this: "you've pushed me to my limits." So, first of all, it's Wei Wuxian's fault that the other clans are pestering Jiang Cheng, as if this is an intentional act on Wei Wuxian's part to cause Jiang Cheng trouble. Obviously absurd--Wei Wuxian doesn't want to cause the Jiang Clan any more harm than they've already been through. That is the very reason why he took the surviving Wens away to a secluded area that no one else would try and enter.

Next Jiang Cheng pleads with Wei Wuxian to come back to Lotus Pier and turn in all the Wens. Yes, turning them in means they'll all be executed, but at least Wei Wuxian can come back into the fold and, most importantly, Jiang Cheng won't have to deal with him being a black sheep anymore. And what they don't really understand at this point is that if it's not the Wens, it's someone else. Someone always has to take the blame for whatever evil is occurring in the world. If Wei Wuxian were to turn the Wens in, they would undoubtedly be executed, but I don't think for one second that they wouldn't hold Wei Wuxian accountable as well, even if he were the one to turn them in himself. For one thing, they are still convinced he took piece of Yin Iron that Xue Yang had, and they don't trust him when he says (repeatedly) that he did not get it from there. Bottom line, there's always going to be a scapegoat, and we know that--we see it happen again and again in this story.

Last thing about this little scene so far: Defenders of the Wen Clan are going against the mainstream. No one will speak up for them. No one will speak up for Wei Wuxian, in particular. Jiang Cheng is pretty much giving Wei Wuxian an ultimatum: if you don't turn them in, it's over--you're out of the Jiang Clan. No one will take him in at this point, not even the Yunmeng Jiangs. Yes, Jiang Cheng is torn up about this. He wants Wei Wuxian on his side--at his side. He doesn't like the idea that Wei Wuxian's loyalty has switched from himself to these Wen remnants who are as good as dead. But here's the thing: there are still people who will speak up for him. Lan Wangji will. To a certain extent, Jiang Yanli will as well, but no one will really put much stock in what she says. When she and Jiang Cheng visit so that she can show her wedding attire to Wei Wuxian, they keep hidden--they don't want anyone to see them there. Lan Wangji, on the other hand, makes no effort to hide himself. He even calls attention to himself at the tea house when he gets pissed off at all the people gossiping about Wei Wuxian. He's really the only one who is truly on Wei Wuxian's side right now.

Heartbreakingly, Wei Wuxian tells Jiang Cheng to leave. He's the one who supplies the idea that he defected, and proposes that they stage a fight to make it believable. And I can't sit here and fault Jiang Cheng for giving this ultimatum. He's a clan leader--his priority is whatever will better his clan, and right now, Wei Wuxian is a detriment. He tries to convince Wei Wuxian, over and over, to abandon the Wens, but Wei Wuxian can't--he won't. He can't abandon them when they've done so much for him, and he can't abandon them when they've been so wronged. The people he is protecting have done nothing wrong, other than have the wrong surname. Jiang Cheng never really tries to understand that or fight for that. He knows that these people are not dangerous, yet he just goes along with the other clans.

In the end, Jiang Cheng kind of makes it about himself and his inferiority complex with Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian wants to be a hero, wants to be the best, he knows the Jiang discipline better than even Jiang Cheng. It's sad that it always comes back to this, despite how many times Wei Wuxian argues with it. Jiang Cheng just cannot get over not being better than Wei Wuxian, and what I find most frustrating is that that issue isn't Wei Wuxian's. It's not Wei Wuxian's problem at all. It is wholly Jiang Cheng's problem, but he behaves as if Wei Wuxian owes him something--as if he ought to do something about it. But there's nothing for him to do. Jiang Cheng just needs to get over his issues and himself.

Can you imagine how shitty Wei Wuxian must feel right now? The person he was raised like a brother to just told him he wouldn't be able to defend him anymore and essentially forced him to defect. He's leading and trying to protect a group of individuals whom the rest of the dominating clans want dead and, by extension, they probably want him dead as well. But despite this, he's doing his best to make everyone else feel better. He puts on a smile, a chipper attitude, and tries to comfort them all. He gives extra fruit to A-Yuan, then he goes to try and cheer Wen Qing up. This is the kind of person he is. And it takes a lot to break him. Think of what he's gone through! Gah!! He's so amazing, I love him!!!! Lan Wangji is my absolute fave, but it did take me a while to warm up to him. I was immediately enchanted with Wei Wuxian, and the more you know about him, the more you love him, I feel.

That fucking comb! Seriously! When will it end! I don't want to see that thing ever again!!! I'm a little irrational about the comb, but it's just really annoying to me, okay? I mean, I feel bad for the guy. He keeps trying and hoping to get a girlfriend, but it's just not happening. Wen Qing probably should have made it clear a long time ago that she had no intention of being his wife, though, and then maybe we could have ditched this subplot a long time ago as well. But the other thing is, if Jiang Cheng cares about Wen Qing so much, why is he so willing to let her be executed? It just...doesn't really make much sense that he can't even admit what his feelings are to even Wei Wuxian.

I love how Wen Qing hasn't said a word in this scene yet. Wei Wuxian is just talking and talking and talking, sort of having a dialogue with her, anticipating what she's thinking. I don't remember being this amused the first time I watched it, but it's quite funny now. Charming, as well. When I get annoyed at what the showrunners tried to do, having Wen Qing and Wei Wuxian be in a romantic relationship, I'm going to think of this scene, and the other moments where I really appreciate their platonic relationship.

Adorable! So adorable, I almost can't stand it! This part is so cute, and I swear, Jin Zixuan has never looked better. There's something about him being disheveled and maybe not having as much makeup on his face, plus the addition of the dirt and mud, that makes him really attractive and cute haha.

"I know this is not Lotus Pier, but I'm willing to build another Lotus Pier for you." Ugly sobbing ensues.

I just love them!!! <3 <3 <3

Just Lan Wangji quietly seething with rage over here. Seriously, these gossips! The funny thing is, they're all terrified of what Wei Wuxian will do, yet they sit in here and gossip about him, as if they'd ever be brave enough to stand up to him.

Favorite wangxian scene alert! I love this scene. So much. So so much. Everything from Lan Wangji's panicked expression to the way Wei Wuxian stifles his laughter, to the look on Lan Wangji's face when he hears his name being called (and recognizes whose voice it is) to Wei Wuxian's genuine smile when he and Lan Wangji make eye contact. It's genuine happiness that Wei Wuxian feels--not the forced cheerfulness that he puts on around Wen Qing. He's so glad that someone has come to see him that isn't Jiang Cheng or someone else who wants him dead. It's a friend--finally a friend.

Oh, my gosh--look at him! He's delighted! He's so happy!! When is the last time we've seen our boy actually happy? It feels like it's been forever! And my little wangxian heart soars, knowing that it's Lan Wangji that makes him feel this way. But really, it couldn't be anyone else, could it?

Indulge me. Just look at them.

Look. Look! Love! It's love!

I have so many feelings about this part, but I can't even talk about it. I just love these scenes of Lan Wangji's visit to Yiling so much. Beginning to end, it's one of my favorite parts of the series. There's such a range of emotions from joy to sadness to bitterness to love--it has everything. And seeing the beginning of their little family warms my heart: A-Yuan warming up to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian being indignant about it. It's such an emotional time for the both of them, seeing each other for the first time in months, especially after all that has happened between them. If Lan Wangji hadn't come here, maybe they never would have seen each other again. Wei Wuxian certainly can't go to the Cloud Recesses to see him. Ugh, I have a lot of feelings, but that's to be continued, because of a strange episode break (as per usual).

Another kind of shorter post! This episode was just a lot of Jiang Cheng being dramatic about evicting Wei Wuxian, which is entertaining and all, but there’s not a whole lot to say. And then Wen Qing kind of has the exact same conversation with Wei Wuxian, which, again, not a lot to say there either. This episode was just me waiting impatiently for the wangxian part at the end to be quite honest.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | Or just check out the #CQL Rewatch hashtag

[beeblackburn]

The First Law for the fandom ask! 😁

The first character I ever fell in love with: In hindsight, Logen Ninefingers, given how much he eviscerates his character trope so completely even then, but in the immediate, at the time, sense? The moment Sand dan Glokta first complained about the steps, my heart was gripped and it took awhile.

A character that I used to love/like, but now do not: On a personal level, too many to count, everyone’s either such a piece of shit or were written sympathetically enough before Abercrombie knocked the pedestal off them in this series. That being said, Sand dan Glokta. I still really like him, partly thanks to The Trouble with Peace and one hell of a choice scene, but after what he did near the end of Last Argument of Kings, and revising the series, I can’t help, but realize what I liked about him was the potential that he’d grow a heart and stop doing awful things, and him doubling down at the end was disappointing, if not surprising.

A ship that I used to love/like, but now do not: Jezal/Ardee. It was cute when I first read it, and I generally think Jezal had enough strength of character to try to do right by her, if the kingmaking business hadn’t been a thing, but I think it’s super telling that, upon being king, he thought about making her his mistress instead of realizing that wouldn’t have placated Ardee and she’d be bitter about the broken promise. In the end, they never fully knew each other, Jezal never knew the full extent of Ardee’s past, and what attracted them to each other was the dream of something better rather than anything substantial. I pity them, but they absolutely wouldn’t have worked out like Glokta/Ardee ended up doing.

My ultimate favorite character™: Logen “The Bloody-Nine” Ninefingers. But Black Calder and Crown Prince Orso are really close behind and they could easily climb overhead Logen with The Wisdom of Crowds. I’m expecting it with Crown Prince Orso, depending on how his character goes.

Prettiest character: Probably Crown Prince Orso? I know Leo dan Brock, Jappo mon Rogont Murcatto, and Stour Nightfall (though Jappo and Stour’s more my type) are objectively more handsome, but I like a little pudge in my handsome boys and Orso’s got that while having a prettier personality.

My most hated character: Collem West, easily, but I think Malacus Quai could've been better, character-wise.

My OTP: Everyone/Therapy. Seriously, Shy/Temple. Abercrombie can write some really sweet couples for such a self-professed cynic, given Calder/Seff, Bethod/Ursi, and Shenkt/Vitari.

My NOTP: Bayaz/Power. Seriously, Shev/Carcolf. Shev, please stop going after someone you know is toxic. Walk away and close that door forever. You deserve so much better, you gay babe.

Favorite episode: Red Country or The Heroes. 

Red Country has such a somber tone of bittersweet past and longing for redemption that I just ate up and broke my heart against. Lamb, Temple, Cosca, Shivers, Shy and the Felllowship, so many people want to do better from their pasts like in his past books but this time, maybe, just maybe, Abercrombie lets some of them win against their inner demons. It’s such a haunting book, men with the ghosts of their pasts hanging around them and the inevitability of changing times creeping onto them as they trek the Near and Far Country.

The Heroes is basically a typical cookie-cutter war story except it’s Abercrombie writing it. The entire Northern subplot of The First Law distilled into a narratively and thematically tight book, with some tremendously strong supporting characters, some of my favorite POVs (PRINCE CALDER! FINREE DAN BROCK! BREMER DAN GORST!) and carrying some of my favorite scenes of the entire series! It’s such a treat and I’ve loved each and all of my five rereads. This book puts all other war stories to shame for not even coming close.

Saddest death: Count Foscar (Monza relating him to the boy Benna was, laughing in the wheat, breaks me every time). Antaup (how dare you take a chapter to establish how heartbreaking a cock-blocker’s death would be, Abercrombie!), Tul Duru Thunderhead and Scale Ironhand. Oh, those hurt. Those hurt so much. And, despite how much of a shithead he was, Nicomo Cosca’s death hit me surprisingly hard. Sad and pathetic and broken.

Favorite season: Tricky. Because The Great Leveller and The Age of Madness have my favorite books in the entire series and the former’s got The Heroes and Red Country... but it’s also got Best Served Cold, which was I admittedly colder (heh) on. I’ll take the bullet that it’s a me problem and it’s still a fundamentally well-written book. The latter’s got A Little Hatred, which was a far better The Blade Itself in some ways, and, especially The Trouble with Peace, which was a roller-goddamn-coaster of a book with absolutely some of my favorite material by far. I’d say The Great Leveller for now, but I’m holding my breath on The Age of Madness usurping The Great Leveller in the end, given The Wisdom of Crowds sounds like it’s getting into all the revolutionary and freaky stuff I love about the trilogy, a relentless inferno for society and the soul.

Least favorite season: Look, I love every book in the Circle of the World, but The First Law was the result of Abercrombie stretching his legs for the first time, writing-wise, and it shows. Logen’s wife and children never fully breathe as a necessary part of him and his early magic shows growing pains in Abercrombie’s writing, West’s material isn’t as incisive a character deconstruction as it could’ve been (dude should’ve been more insidiously a piece of shit in his mind to subvert his “good commoner” trope), Dogman’s only gets by himself particularly interesting at the leg end of Last Argument of Kings, and Craw does his character better I’d say, Cathil and Ferro were underwritten (though I think Ferro’s got interesting stuff in her POV), and everything to do with Terez. Just. That. Ugh. The writing bones are solid and the main trio, Logen, Glokta, and Jezal, are all wonderful POVs, but I think it’s safe to say The First Law is Abercrombie’s freshmen writing, compared to his more affecting material in The Great Leveller and The Age of Madness.

Character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: ... Shivers? I do love him in The Heroes, Red Country, and The Age of Madness, but it always drives me a little crazy how much Shivers’ worsening moral decline is linked to Monza fucking Rogont and not him instead, making him out to be an entitled hyper-jealous asshole, and I ended up being disgusted by him. Add in the fact that he knew what he was getting into when he took a violent job and kept going, despite at least two targets, and kept caving into Monza’s higher payments, Shivers was always a piece of shit in his own right. He fell, he wasn’t pushed by Monza. I like enough of Shivers’ Best Served Cold material, but I just like his later material far more, even if I respect his earlier journey.

That being said, if he sacrifices himself for Rikke’s life in The Wisdom of Crowds, I’m going to rescind all this, because that’s the sort of perfect grace note to the anti-Logen and paaaaaaaaaaaaain. So let’s just go with Threetrees because, by god, he’s a relative snooze compared to the other “straight edges” of the series.

My ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: This could define almost anyone in this series, frankly. I guess Logen or Gorst? I really love their material, but they both definitely belong in a landfill.

My ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Can it be anyone but Crown Prince Orso? Dude’s the only one in this world who thinks “there’s a moral question” to rulership aloud to another and isn’t homophobic, racist, or sexist (looking at you, Leo). Even Calder’s got murdering Forley and Reachey in his dark deeds and Temple’s spent years helping Cosca, which... shudders.

My ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: Monza/Shivers. It’s got some good material and I really hope they can make peace in The Wisdom of Crowds, but also *waves hands* everything else about them, honestly. God, they really did both suck to each other.

Also, Leo/Stour. It’s so wrong, yet so right. I don’t even know if it’d be hate-fucking if they got together at this point, but these two morrions deserve each other.

My ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Jurand/Glaward, Rikke/Orso, and Cas/Vick? They’re pretty cute and could easily give each other some happiness, I feel.

[secndlife]

omg i'm so sorry it has taken me so long to respond, i got lost in the sauce D:

ahhh brazil to poland sounds very drastic but also very cool (no pun intended)!!!

you deserve any and all love you receive for mmf!!! it's rly so good, i can't shut up abt it lol !

mingyu IS a malewife, i agree!! and omg plz, hoshi recording the spider mv drove me crazy lajdfalfja like SIR WATER U DOING but also, carry on :) or like in that christmas in august gose where he just sat there and watched...he's the moodmaker which is very important and necessary!

yesss after i read one last time, i read one and two small petals and that one hurt almost as bad :") i'll have to check out passion (flower), i have been slacking on reading fics lately :/

jeonghan rly is so versatile!! i love enemies to lovers fics, and he truly is one of my favorite members to have that dynamic w. you definitely made sense re: characterization! i have dabbled in writing fics and so i totally understand that. i think part of why i enjoy writing fics based off of real ppl/established characters is that it gives me a template of a character, but like you said, bc we only know part of who they rly are, it gives me a basis of where i could go/explore their personalities deeper. i feel like i just rambled so lmk if that doesn't make sense hahaha

ahhhh mmf2 i cannot WAIT i saw your post re: fights and tbh i love fights (HELP) so i'm vvvvv excited for it !!! also related to that. writing rly is hard lkadjfkldaf but that's why i commend you so much, it's not easy and on top of that, you do a pretty damn good job!

ugh gyucheol sometimes -_- they fight so much and also i want to fight them too, just put me in a ring w them and let's BRAWL (but now that you mention that they're both fire signs, this totally makes sense as i am also a fire sign LMAO)

okay so you mentioned gose, which episode or episodes are your favorites? are there any you'd want to be a part of as like a member/watch as like a live audience type thing?

i feel like we can't move on without asking what your fav title tracks are! top 5 fave tracks (can include b-sides)?

- 🍳

IT'S OKAAAAY i hope you're having some rest and taking care of yourself!!!!

ok lemme add a cut and we can continue

it was indeed very drastic tbh but i have no regrets !!! it's literally going to be two years tomorrow so WOW IT'S BEEN A RIDE.

plsssss 🥺🥺🥺🥺 it's almost at 1k notes that's absolutely insane for me like literally. bonkers luv ! it makes me super happy tho that people really like it 🥺

SOONYOUNG IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE I CAN'T WITH THAT did u see vernon saying something like that on his latest vlive THIS ONE and he's totally right soonyoung's role as mood maker is so important :/ my boy :/

one and two small petals was such a big deal to me i was so obsessed !!! passion (flower) you need to dm the author tho :/ they took it out but they were still sending links through dm hehe IT'S WORTH IT I PROMISE !!!!!!

pls e2l with jeonghan HITS DIFFERENT!! it's literally a dynamic i feel suits him sosososo much! and yes same like i have some perspective and something to roughly shape it but i can also "play" with it as i go and according to what suits me. AND YES ALL OF IT MADE SENSE AND I TOTALLY AGREE 🤝

THE FIGHT SCENEALKSDJAKLAD me the other day: no mmf couple doesn't fight. also me: writes a LONG LONG scene on them fighting. i'm excited tho bc i think it's a necessary scene that adds a lot to soonyoung's character and his vulnerability bc mc's shows more in mmf and now it will be a moment for Him you know.

OMGGGG A FIRE SIGNNNNN!!!! I LOVE FIRE SIGNS !!!!!!!!! WE'RE THE BEST PLS!!!!!!! i really really love gyucheol they're so fun i love them. my friend were writing me a poly gyucheol au where i'm their gf it would be a crazy dynamic aksdjaksjkf bc i'm literally like cheol so i think it'd be so fun

OMG GOSE i fucking LOVE the playground gose that one makes me so happy it's literally a serotonin boost. i also love the ttt ones i would love to be on the hiperrealism one bc i'm 100% sure soonyoung throws up from drinking when he goes upstairs so i would like to be there for confirmation !!! i also love bungee jump even tho i would never do it. and don't lie 1 and the tag !!!!!!! HBU???

ok this is HARD. but. uh! second life (WHO WOULD'VE KNOWN), home (i have a tattoo written "i'm your home" hehe), ah! love (they did it all for me there really), together (PLS THIS SONG MAKES ME SO HAPPY AND NOSTALGIC IT HITS DIFFERENT) and odihtd (this was one of the first svt songs i really really liked it). but this is so hard tho their discography is so good !!!! hbu share yours !