#unofficial review

[imjustwritingg]

Other than wanting to wrap Hailey in cotton wool and give her the biggest hug, how are you feeling/what are your thoughts after last nights episode?

This turned into an unofficial review of sorts and it got rather long, so I’ll post it all below the cut for those that want to read my thoughts.

I might be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed the episode. I kinda loved it actually, and it might be one of my favorite episodes. I enjoyed everything about it…the writing, the directing, the acting.

Gwen Sigan wrote the episode, but I gotta give her credit where it’s due because it was pretty damn good in my book. It reminded me a lot of her writing days prior to her becoming show-runner and I miss those days so very much.

I think the tidbits of Hailey’s past are coming way too late, but I still really enjoyed getting to peek into her life a bit more. Just wish we could have gotten more of it along the way and not three episodes before the character is gone.

I loved Kevin’s blatant callout to Hailey in the first minute of the episode of how she’s dealing and if running is helping her. He asks this question of “how are you doing…really doing?” with no words and just one look, and then we’re given the answer by Hailey deflecting and avoiding yet again under the guise of wanting a sugar fix. I think that was brilliant. It conveyed everything you needed to know about Hailey’s mental state in one short moment.

No Voight in the episode was such a gift.

Hailey being in charge and leading this particular case was the right move and she handled it so well. I’m bummed we probably won’t see her leading her own unit someday.

Also back to the no Voight thing just for a moment to say that it’s interesting to see how the dynamic shifted with the team versus him not being around and Hailey being in charge. The team felt lighter to me, like in the sense that they weren’t on edge, walking on eggshells in a way. Everything just felt calmer. There was still an intensity and an urgency to solve the case, but rules were followed, there was no off the book cowboy bullshit, and it felt like everyone followed Hailey and trusted her, whereas with Voight they were obeying orders that were barked out to them. I don’t know. It just felt really different and so very satisfying to me.

I love Kevin and Kim’s ability to communicate with one another with just one look between them. Makes me think of the early days of them being partners and being on patrol. They still work so wonderfully together.

This case was sick. A mother doing that to her own child is demented. Where these writers, and Gwen specifically, come up with these ideas is beyond me, but someone should probably do a wellness check on her. Like girly needs some serious therapy and R&R.

Josephine Petrovic. I had some hesitation with her at first as you usually do with a new character as you try and suss them out, but I’ve gotta say, I like her. I like her and I hate that I like her and I hate that she only just came onto the show because I would love to see what happens with her if she were to stick around, but I can’t watch this show without Tracy or Jesse — mostly Tracy — but neither of them? I just can’t do it. I have some other thoughts on Jo, but I will save them for another ask I received.

I obviously saved the elephant in the room for last…Jay. I really don’t think the mentions and nods to him in this episode were “bad” in any way because it’s stuff that has already been said about the character…Gwen’s version of him at least, but I do think there is a reason why he is being brought up and why there are so many nods to the marriage. Hailey insisted she wasn’t angry with him in the premiere. She signed the divorce papers, sent them off, and that was that and she washed her hands of him. Except she didn’t. Because she is angry, she hasn’t moved on in the year and a half he’s been gone now, signing the papers didn’t give her any closure…hell, even him signing the papers didn’t give her any closure, (I will die on the hill that he only signed them because it’s what he thought she wanted). I personally do not think she will get any closure whatsoever if she doesn’t have a conversation with him, if she doesn’t confront him and all of it head on…the anger and resentment and confusion and the love that is still there. You can’t turn that shit off. You can’t just push it away and be like, “okay, I’m done with you now, goodbye.” Life doesn’t work that way. Emotions don’t work that way. Grief sure as shit doesn’t work that way, and I feel like that is the stage Hailey is stuck in right now. Grieving the loss of Jay and her marriage and stuck in a limbo that she doesn’t know how to navigate on her own while dealing with childhood trauma that she actually isn’t really dealing with at all. And she is without a doubt on her own. That is the one thing that has been made clear this season. She has no family, not any friends other than co-workers, and right now, she doesn’t have Jay. I respect the “independent woman, gonna stand on my own, I don’t need anyone” mindset, but I don’t agree with how we got here and I also don’t fully agree with the notion that she doesn’t need anyone because everyone needs someone. You can’t do life alone. You need someone in your corner, someone by your side, someone who gets you in ways you don’t even know yourself, and for Hailey, that person is and will always be Jay Halstead. I think she will realize she needs to get out of Chicago like her brothers, like Jay, like Will, and I hope that wherever she ends up, Jay is there waiting for her and the two of them can just start over without Chicago and their past looming over them like a dark cloud. And for the love of God, let them both go to therapy…together and separately.

Brenna Malloy directed and it was just…perfect. True cinema if you will. The close-ups of the actors’ faces during certain scenes and how the camera would pan to them at just the exact right moment for a reaction, the no background noise and intentional pauses during scenes that allowed moments to feel heavier and more real, the ending shot of Hailey and her teary eyes…I feel like it was a story that was so delicately handled and crafted by Brenna, and I’m just really impressed.

Tracy Spiridakos. I mean, what more even needs to be said? The woman is a powerhouse. It always amazes me knowing how much of a goof she is on set and then you watch an episode like this and it’s just like…WOW. Her range of emotion and the way she makes you feel every single one of those emotions is truly something that needs to be studied. You cry with her, you smile with her, you laugh with her, but the biggest thing is you feel for her character, and I think that is something that not all actors are capable of doing with an audience. Tracy knocks it out of the park, across the highway, into the next town every time, and her execution is consistent every time as well. No one is doing it like her, and I love and respect the hell out of that woman and her talent.

I think the same also needs to be said for Bojana Novakovic. I have been surprisingly impressed by her and kind of adore her. I’ve really been enjoying the character of Josephine Petrovic and I hate that she’s only coming into the show now right when Tracy is walking out the door because Bojana alone is incredible, but her and Tracy together? It’s like magic to me. Their chemistry as scene partners and the way they bounce off each other is absolutely insane, and then their ability to pull you in and keep you locked in…ooof. I think it’s something special and I’ve really enjoyed seeing them together on-screen.

As for how I feel…

I feel good? Okay? The episode didn’t do much for me in the grand scheme of “what is Hailey gonna do” or “what’s gonna happen” because we already anticipated her leaving Chicago. That wasn’t ever in question. But the actual reason for Hailey leaving is still muddled to me, even more so because she hasn’t resolved anything in her life. She still has these demons, a past filled with trauma she hasn’t found peace with, she has no closure with Jay, she has questions and zero answers, and she is already and literally running from her problems.

So, is she supposed to leave Chicago and start over somewhere and her problems are just gonna go poof? Magically disappear? Because that’s not how that works, and I think that would be yet another injustice to the character and more lazy writing. I do think the episode (finally!) laid the groundwork for Tracy’s exit, but it should have started in episode 1, not 10. Tracy gave them an entire season to wrap up Hailey’s story, and I feel like they wasted so much time and it’s gonna be another rushed exit once the curtain falls. It’s not that I’m surprised in that regard, but I am disappointed (again!) especially considering how much of a fuss Gwen made about “it’s so generous of Tracy to give us a whole season.”

If Gwen’s plan was to make Hailey’s exit about her family and her childhood trauma then the seed should have been planted long before now, and Jay shouldn’t still be a sore subject for her. I think we’re in for a really emotional ending to the season, not just for Hailey, but for the first time since season eight I’m actually looking forward to a finale again.

In conclusion and a very long story short…I loved the episode, but Gwen Sigan is still on my shit list.

[animatedglittergraphics-n-more]

my 2023 Tumblr Top 10

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[felassan]

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[reversemoon255]

FansHobby MB-26 The Saber Team

I don't talk about it here, but I've actually been buying a lot of Transformers lately. I've been doing mini-reviews of them and a few other things over on the Twibblies for a bit now on Sundays. Let me know if you'd be interested in my doing mini-reviews, because if there's no interest, I'm probably not going to do it.

But I have also gotten a few bigger Transformers and adjacent toys that I plan on doing full reviews of (such as this one and eventually the depicted TFLE Armada Optimus).

The Good: I had the old Star Saber set as a kid, and these guys definitely feel like improved versions of those designs. A lot more posability, they hold together as a sword better, and they're 5mm compatible, so any toy (like official Transformers) that uses that hand size can wield it.

And that packaging is a great cherry on top. So cute '_')b

The Bad: These guys use a lot of translucent plastic, and there are places where I'm worried about eventual breakages. I get they use it because the originals did, but I would have preferred solid plastic.

For how well most of the Star Saber comes together, it's a bit of a letdown that not-Sonar (the shuttle) has loose legs as the handle. It would have been nice if they locked somewhere.

Lastly, while the Saber Team have the old style of Minicon ports so they can interact with both the original Armada toys and FansHobby's recreations, it would have been nice if they came with some sort of adapter to make them 5mm compatible so you can attach them to the modern Legacy Armada toys.

Overall, it's a good, fun set, even if Legacy Armada Optimus' hands have that thing that prevent it from properly holding the handle. I have a few minor qualms, but they're cheap enough (when it comes to fan-made toys) that they're easily overlooked. I really like Minicons, so if FansHobby does any more Minicon sets, especially the combining ones, I'll probably pick them up, too.

[unofficialadamtaurus]

god these AI art spam bots on FFN are so fucking annoying

[frogayyyy]

(unofficial)

I posted 5,365 times in 2023

That's 2,236 more posts than 2022!

345 posts created (6%)

5,020 posts reblogged (94%)

My Top Posts in 2023:

#10

what a sad little life t’pring

670 notes - Feb 28 2023

#9

772 notes - Jul 1 2023

#8

star trek writers in the 60s: these two guys have a deep loving bond that spans their lifetimes and is inherently tied to being queer, not only because of their own personal character arcs but because of the intentional subtext surrounding their relationship and the real life context at the time

star trek writers in the 21st century: two guys being dudes. they hate each other. you can have a little bit of friendship as a treat.

863 notes - Jun 24 2023

#7

maybe if u stopped playing on ur nintendo u would be a better father

1,112 notes - Jan 23 2023

#6

i love that star trek is trending simply because neil gaiman ships spirk

1,262 notes - Oct 9 2023

#5

🫶

1,290 notes - Apr 30 2023

#4

wyd if u go to spock’s quarters and he answers the door like this

1,540 notes - Jun 3 2023

#3

you mean that you ah talkin about biology? that is, to say, the uh reproduction? of... vulcans?

star trek where everything is the same except jim is benoit blanc

1,828 notes - Feb 18 2023

#2

spleep

6,571 notes - Sep 30 2023

My #1 post of 2023

extra special Amok Time Day this year because it’s been 56 years… happy 9th pon farr spock!

16,379 notes - Sep 15 2023

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[sleepnavigator]

I just learnt that kingdom of planet of the apes is not available for streaming in my country 💀

[astramachina]

For those of you who've been following me for a while now, there's a good chance you got to experience my journey reading the Remembrance of Earth's Past series last year. I loved Three-Body Problem, but The Dark Forest and Death's End were like pulling teeth. Both books had their very very good moments, but getting through them was a tedious experience I considered giving up on on multiple occasions. I will give it to Cixin Liu tho, I needed to know how the series ended and that alone was the sole reason I pushed towards the finish line. Any author that can make me tough out bad writing for the sake of seeing the end deserves some kind of award (and he won a ton anyway, so).

I approached the Netflix series with zero expectations given their propensity for shitty adaptations (One Piece notwithstanding), but after watching the first episode I was left cautiously optimistic.

Having watched all 8 episode I'm still unsure how to feel about it. I spent most of the series hitting pause to rant at my roommate about it, both positively and negatively.

I had many issues with the books, but some of the more obvious ones came from a writing standpoint. I love hard sci-fi. I could not excuse the sheer length of those final two books. The atrocious treatment of women as objects to romance and use as bartering for the main character. The abysmal MCs (specifically Luo Ji) that made me want to yell to the high heavens due to annoying they were. The lack of human connection between characters.

For books so steeped in sociopolitical and ethical commentaries, the flagrant misogyny and homophobia was eye-rolling. And not even in a "This is Bad" sort of way, just in a "This is So Fucking Boring" kind of way. I cannot speak for the author's biases, because the contents of a book in no way reflects the views of an author or their character.

Where the books shone the brightest were during the battle scenes, the looming dread, genuinely horrific thought experiments.

And, surprisingly? It feels like the people at Netflix thought the same.

I've never watched Game of Thrones but I understood why people were against it from the get-go. That, along with the whole "whitewashing" thing which I consider to be interesting. For starters, you're using whitewashed wrong. Yes, they moved the central story from China to England which was... a fascinating choice, but of the core five (that quickly became the core four), only two of them are white. I'm not saying it was okay for a western adaptation to take a cast and further diversify it, I'm just saying that that's not whitewashing.

That aside, I did like some of the choices that were made from a narrative standpoint. Reshuffling and streamlining events, for one. Removing the whole plot line about Luo Ji hunting down a woman who he invented in his head in order to marry her? I'm not entirely sold on the idea of taking core events and divvying them up between four different people, but I do understand what they're trying to do.

The book series failed at crafting believable and impactful relationships between its human characters, which made the narrative feel hollow and one-dimensional. This adaptation aimed to change this by slapping a band-aid over the issue. Like I said, I'm still unsure of how I feel about this.

A lot of unnecessary stuffing was removed to make a suitable run time, and I say unnecessary because there's really no scenes that are making me go "oh, I wish this had been included". Was some stuff rushed? Yes. The passage of time could have been outlined a little better, but that's a small nitpick on my end.

The scale of things was toned down, and I don't think Netflix has the capability (or budget) to tackle space battles.

Honestly? I don't really see this getting a second season for a variety of reasons, and I'd be okay with that.

It was an "okay" watch, in the end.

Tho, I'm still flabbergasted by the random "gory scary jumpscare" scenes????? Where did those come from??? I don't remember anything like that being in the books but, you know. I've read a lot more books since finishing these, so.

[fideidefenswhore]

the not directly articulated thesis of hunting the falcon is that while catherine of aragon took henry's literal virginity, anne boleyn took his emotional virginity.

[suchamiracle-does-exist]

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Let's sign Cha Cha Cha with Käärijä MIGUEL💜 on TikTok

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Evolution of Conrad Veidt 🎬 Thanks @matthew-garth for suggesting the idea and music 🫰🏻 Such a miracle does exist on TikTok

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Sua vain yli kaiken mä rakastan 😭 Music: Vaasan kaupunginorkesteri 2nd violin trio "Romanssi" (2020) Such a miracle does exist...

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Ancora 💋 Music: Mina ”Ancora ancora ancora (Mark Ronson Remix)” (2023)

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[maulfucker]

Phantom Menace college au where Padme is an exchange student and Qui-Gon is a professor and Obi-Wan is his assistant and at the end Maul gets Qui-Gon fired so Obi-Wan pushes him down some stairs the next time they meet on campus

[leonsleftbicep]

i watched all two of the silent hill movies with my mum these past two days (we are both sick so we have been watching movies)

and omg, the first one was great for the actual movie, the second movie was good just to see pyramid head and not actually the movie

also

WHY WAS HE FUCKING ASS OUT ALL MOVIE???? BOY WAS LETTING THEM AIR OUT OMG

[vampirebiter]

i still have 30 minutes left of this movie

[reiikyun]

Imma be giving Pilot an updated design to accommodate for triple splashdown coming back

He's got enough subtle scars, he doesn't need to inflict anymore on himself with another strainful special

[reversemoon255]

FansHobby MB-27 The Shield Team

More Minicons! While my neighbor owned most of the cast of the show, I owned a lot of the Minicons, and this team was one of the first I got my hands on. I have heard quite a few people poopoo the idea of Minicons and how they're kind of nonsensical, I really like that they're Core Class Transformers that can interact with the larger toys in the line. Some did it better than others, such as this team, but I still think it was a more satisfying gimmick than something like Cyber Keys.

FansHobby has already announced The Blaster Team, which I'm gonna get. I'm hoping they do Perceptor, too.

The Good: Like The Saber Team, these three are a marked improvement over their original counterparts, with significantly increased posability, and a more solid shield when fully combined. It even comes with a separate plate to make it look closer to its combined form in the show. It even has it's own handle so you don't need to combine the team to use it.

The Bad: There are actually some things omitted in the instructions that are required to get everything to lock solidly, like moving some of the heads out of the way. It might take you a moment to tweak everything to get it solid.

Also, both the standard handle, head handle, and plate handle are all different shapes and sizes and not everyone can hold each, though can most likely hold at least one? I used Megs because he was the only one I had on hand that could hold just the plate.

And the first time I transformed everyone, they were very stiff. I had to use a spudger to move certain parts for the first time, and grey car 7 I still require one to get its arms out.

Overall, I feel like all the modes are a bit more solid than The Saber Team, but the transformation and combination are more finicky and difficult. Still, I enjoy them.

And since I've got 27 other back logged reviews, I might as well take this opportunity to talk about Armada Optimus Prime. It's a two-fer I guess.

The Good: An excellent update to the original. While it doesn't have any electronics or an auto-transforming trailer, it more than it makes up for it with a ton of posability in both modes. The new transformation is pretty intuitive as well.

The Bad: The tires on the sides of the legs/arms don't lock very well and will come loose pretty easily. Also, the hands have very shallow holes. This is fine of for its own accessory, but for instances like the Star Saber and Skyboom Shield, it can't hold them as well.

Overall, it's a great figure. It you're like me and enjoy yourself a robot with a Super Mode, than it's an easy recommendation. And it's also not the only Super Mode Optimus Prime we may be talking about in the near future O_O

[unofficialadamtaurus]

everytime I see you update W&S I feel so happy to have even the slightest bit of Ruby and Adam interaction crumbs, but instead of crumbs you've given me a loaf of freshly baked bread.

Nothing hits quite like two people going above and beyond to try to save the other's life 😌