#via: blindspot s4

[ashleyjohnsonoftheday]

Day 654

[bidrums]

(TMA SPOILERS) A theory on how this all will end

(SPOILERS FOR ALL OF THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES BUT ESPECIALLY S4 AND 5)

I think that it’s pretty obvious that either Jon or Martin (or both) will die at the end, just based on how this sort of story generally goes, and also with how Jonathan Sims is writing it.

I have a proposal for how that might happen story-wise

SO

After the gang reunites and goes to kick Elias’ ass, Jon and Martin go together to actually confront him in person and they start throwing psychic hands. During the “Ceaseless-Watcher-Eldritch-Monster-Hella-Powerful” fueled fight, Jon dies and we have the tearful heartbreaking death scene I’m just PRAYING doesn’t happen because I just want all of the characters (except Elias) to be safe and happy.

And then

AND THEN

Martin becomes the Archivist through some kind of magic thing (I don’t have anything more specific than that) and then he uses that to finish off Elias- with the help of Melanie- and then works with the Eye to keep the Institute around without becoming Jonah Magnus’ stand-in. He can still just be Martin, but with the Archivist’s powers.

Here’s why that would work:

-Martin has had encounters with some of the Big Bad 14 in ways that fit the requirements listed in 160 (he has the employment contract for the Eye, Jane Prentiss stalked him, he’s gone through Michael’s doors, he spent quite a bit of time with Not-Sasha, all of Season 4 with Peter Lucas culminating with spending time in the Lonely, Annabelle keeps calling him, Daisy threatened him while she was doing the Hunt stuff)

-He’s encountering the ones that he hasn’t encountered while doing his tour of Scotland with Joon. Because he’s with Jon he isn’t under any true threat, but so far he has been scared of them enough that I’m counting it

-He has read several statements over the course of the first four seasons. Not as much as Jon, but enough that I think he could very well get on the path that Jon went on pretty easily if he read a few more. 

-There can be multiple avatars of a single entity even though there’s the main one (e.g. Agnes being the main one for the Lightless Flame but Jude Perry is one, Jon and Elias are both Avatars of the Beholding at this point)

-In the S4 Q&A, Jonathan Sims said that he believes that in order to become an Avatar, there needs to be a major sacrifice of some kind but not necessarily a death. Jon dying could count as that sacrifice, but Martin could also make that sacrifice by using the Archivist’s abilities to take down Elias. I know that in the last episode he’s been “Yes murder”, but deciding to finish off the avatar for an eldritch monster in order to save the world is very different than what Jon did to Not-Sasha

-Martin is just as willing as Jon is to put himself in a whole bunch of danger to save others, as evidenced by all of S4

-I’m pretty sure that the Eye wouldn’t want a third Archivist death after it just got control over the whole world. Especially if it’s Elias being rash and pissed off because Jon just died. This is mainly supposition, but I don’t think that the Beholding is one for too much heat-of-the-moment acts of violence.

-Martin doesn’t give a fuck about the 14. He just doesn’t. He doesn’t care about them and just wants to do what’s right, and having that attitude while trying to save the world is the best way to achieve that.

-Melanie is blind. What better way to overthrow the rule of an all-seeing Eldritch overlord than using its sight against it, and using its literal blindspot against it?

-Thematically, I don’t think there’s any way for Jon to actually survive the Ceaseless Watcher being defeated. He’s just too far gone.

-Elias should be taken down by the people he hurt via “implanting things in your head to emotionally scar you and keep you in line” because CATHARTIC JUSTICE

-Helen became Helen when Michael’s personal agenda got in the way of what the Distortion actually does. The same could happen with the Eye and Elias, since Elias has admitted that he’s sometimes acted rashly out of personal feelings and I’m sure that if Elias kills Jon then tries going after Martin, it would get sick of the centuries of putting up with Jonah Magnus and just get rid of him

Feel free to add anything! 

[poorreputation]

SPN 15X04 Atomic Monsters: Notes

Episode Summary (via IMDB): Sam and Dean investigate the mysterious death of a girl and the disappearance of another.

Written By: Davy Perez

Directed By: Jensen Ackles

Tagging: @thegalwhorants @emblue-sparks @metafest @verobatto-angelxhunter @evvvissticante @sudo-apt-get-destiel @wildligia @mishka-the-angel-of-saturday @stopmakingfaces (peeps put in bold are those tumblr won’t let me tag. It’s tumblr, what else is new?)

Spoilers below the cut:

Pre-Episode Thoughts:

A bit late, I know, but there's some things I wanna think out before going into this episode, that will affect my mood while watching.

1) This will be a Cas-less episode, and I have no idea when he will return. At least this time Cas will have left on his own terms, so maybe his absence will have a different feel to it, but I still strongly dislike episodes when he's gone. There truly feels like there's a void in the show, in the characters' interpersonal dynamics, without Cas there.

2) The tone of this episode. Sam and Dean investigate cheerleader deaths at Beaverdale, what hi-jinks will ensue? It could be a vintage bait-and-switch by Davy Perez, with us going "It's another MotW episode...? In the midst of a Destiel break-up? And an episode that's weirdly upbeat and cheery?" And that throws me off, quite a bit, especially considering this was the first episode filmed this season, as it's directed by Jensen Ackles. Was Jensen given a more light-hearted script as his final directorial episode for SPN? Or, is this actually going to be a heavy episode in disguise, to throw off the crowd who just want the show to be Sam&Dean against the world? Kinda like 13X05... (Yockey wrote that episode, but Perez was, according to IMDB, an executive story editor)

3) It's Davy, so I expect good things, and PR isn't showrunning, but I'm always cautious with Cas-less episodes. The Cas gap in S13, starting at the midseason finale, was especially frustrating (and set up by Buckleming, so that explains the quality). This is Davy, I need to have good vibes. 

Episode Thoughts:

- We begin at the Bunker, lights red, Dean kicking some Demon ass. Looks like it's part of Sam's vision from 15X01.

- Benny? Not that Benny? (It is, played by Ty Olsson)

- Dean's looking for someone. Probably Sam.

- Namedropping Sioux Falls, Bobby and Jody, murdering people? Sam taking Demon blood, killing Dean. All a dream, just a dream? A premonition?

- So far, the episode's very heavy. Dean mentions Jack, Rowena, but not Cas. The absence of Cas' name, or even Sam bringing him up, at least not yet, we're meant to notice.

- Sam insisting Dean work the case alone. Even the Bros-only, Monster of the Week episode is muted.

- The girl who's dead, Susie, had a best friend named Veronica. Another of the students then comments how Veronica is mourning, 'Like a piece of my heart is gone'. So, best friends, maybe something more, separated by death, in the first episode since the Destiel breakup? Nothing queer here.

- Dean's day-drinking. When's the last time he's done that? S13 grief-arc?

- Becky married? With kids? Eeeeew, Chuck's stalking her.

- Becky talks about how she turned her dark obsession into something, unbelievably, healthy. She actually feels shame for the stuff she did to Sam in S7.

- Looks like Billy, Susie's friend, is a part of a Vampire nest. Or, is it just the Dad? But, the Mom looks like she's in charge. I don't know if the Dad would do anything without her approval.

- As a result of Becky's pep-talk, Chuck begins to write, again.

- Sam and Dean show up at Billy's place, confronting the Dad. I still think the Mom's involved, but I'm not sure about Billy, himself.

- Maybe Billy's the Vampire, and he doesn't want to hurt anyone. But, his parents are getting him the blood he needs, without his asking.

- Becky critiquing Chuck's work, especially the part where 'there's no mention of Cas'. The ultimate Bronly and Wincest shipper is really a Cas fan, a TFW fan. I know, I saw the Funko Pops on the mantle.

- Billy's a Jack mirror. "I killed someone I loved". Billy to Susie, Jack to Mary. And, in an episode with Benny, a Vampire with a heart of gold, who befriended Dean, and was killed by Dean, and Dean's now gotta kill Billy.

- (Speculation) Sam's visions are actually Chuck's ideas for an ending. That's it, Chuck's been wavering on an ending, and his ideas are leaking to Sam. Now that Chuck's certain of the ending, regardless of the destination, maybe Sam's visions will get more frequent, detailed. 

- So, still no mention of Cas (on Chuck's end). Maybe like in S4 with Lilith, Cas will be a dark horse, coming from Chuck's blindspot.

- Now, the Sam and Dean Funko Pops are on the desk with Chuck, as he continues to write.

Post episode thoughts:

-Billy was executed by Dean, while Sam stood in the background, as Billy was on his knees. Hell, Billy's Dad, now that I think about it, was a Cas mirror: willing to take the blame for his son's actions. The imagery of the Mom holding Sam and Dean at gunpoint makes me think of Dean to Jack (Or Dean in general). There's also the Mom's need for day-drinking, paralleled with Dean's.

-Earlier in the episode, during Sam's dream, when Dean says Sam went to Sioux Falls and did something bad to Bobby and Jody, does he mean AU!Bobby? Why would that Bobby be in Sioux Falls in the first place, everyone outside of the Wayward crew thinks he’s dead. Would Jody have called in backup, and AU!Bobby would’ve gotten killed along with her?

-Sam and Dean confronted Veronica, and there's an emphasis on Dean calling out Veronica's eulogy for Susie. As I stated earlier, Veronica and Susie being mirrors for Dean and Cas. Dean, who's spent the whole of 15X04 trying to cheer-up a distressed Sam, while being the living embodiment of the "This is Fine" meme. Dean, who then tries to invalidate Veronica's grief, believing she's putting on an act, because that's exactly what Dean's doing, now.

Those are my thoughts for this week’s episode! This was a really meaty episode, one I’m sure Dean could get behind (Bless you, Davy).

If you like my stuff, and want to be tagged in future notes/metas, let me know!

[take2intotheshower]

Blindspot Group - Reminder, and Schedule for the Remainder of Season 1

A reminder to the Group that our next Season 1 viewing will be Episode 19 tomorrow, Saturday 14th September, at the usual time of 8pm (UK).

This will be followed by Episode 20 on Sunday 15th at the same hour.

I will send a reminder via the Wire app an hour before we start.

Please note that due to social engagements (and the need to catch up and prepare some more gifsets for the S4 hiatus project!), I will be calling a mini two-week break from 21st September.

Our schedule for the remainder of Season 1 will be as follows:-

Saturday 14th September - Episode 19 (8pm UK time)

Sunday 15th September - Episode 20 (8pm UK time)

September 21-22 - no watch   

September 28-29 - no watch  

Saturday 5th October - no watch

Sunday 6th October - Episode 21 (8pm UK time)

Saturday 12th October - Episode 22 (8pm UK time)

Sunday 13th October - Episode 23 (the finale) (8pm UK time)

Please try and let me know in advance via Wire if you can’t make a viewing.

The provisional date for launching our re-watch of Season 2 will be Saturday 26th October (on the basis that we will probably need a week off to recover from the S1 finale!).

Anyone is welcome to join our re-watch Group. Just DM me on Tumblr and I will get you set up.

[carolinesiede]

My 2018 Writing Roundup

2018 was one of those years where I felt like I was frantically treading water all year, only to look up and realize I’d actually managed to swim myself to shore. The previous two years somehow felt simultaneously tumultuous and like a plateau. At first, I thought 2018 was more of the same, but looking back it was way more of a transitional year than I realized. I’m ending the year on a higher note than I started it, which is a really nice feeling. I’m in an apartment I love, feeling a bit more stable, and I even developed the ability to do a full pushup for the first time in my life, which is by far my single greatest achievement of the year!

This was my fifth year as a full-time freelance writer, and I experienced a pretty big shift in the types of articles I wrote this year—fewer short news posts and way more long-form pieces that more truly reflect my voice and opinions. I actually didn’t realize it until creating this roundup, but good god did I do a lot of writing this year. No wonder I had some pretty severe moments of burnout. I’m incredibly proud of the volume of writing I did, although I’m also frustrated that I worked this much yet still frequently struggled to make ends meet. Thankfully, after a rocky year money-wise, I found a little more stability towards the end of the year. Here’s hoping I can carry that forward into 2019!

One of my big goals for 2018 was to immerse myself more in the world of film criticism, and boy howdy did I manage to manifest that one! I quadrupled the number of films I watched this year and filled in some big cinematic blindspots. I also began writing film reviews in a regular capacity, first at Consequence of Sound and later for The A.V. Club and Alcohollywood as well. While I’ll always enjoy writing about TV (and loved covering the shows I did this year!), TV criticism is something I kind of inadvertently fell into at the start of my career. Film has always been my first love, and I’m glad I found the courage and drive to shift into this new area of writing. It’s been lovely to start immersing myself in the world of Chicago film critics too.

But by far my biggest achievement of the year (beyond being able to do a pushup, of course!) is launching my column When Romance Met Comedy for The A.V. Club. I poured my whole heart and soul into the column, both in terms of each individual entry and in terms of shaping its overall voice and making sure to cover a diverse set of films within the rom-com genre. It’s been a lot of work (way more work than is actually cost effective for me, to be honest), but I’m incredibly proud of how the column turned out in its first year. It’s also been really lovely to get so much positive feedback, both from the commentary community as well as from my A.V. Club bosses. I started my writing career with a blog about rom-coms and I find it hilarious that it took me four years to think of actually pitching that as an idea elsewhere. I’m so glad I did, and I’m having a blast planning out my slate of films to cover in 2019. (If you want to stump for your favorite, drop me a line on Twitter!)

With that, I’ll leave you with wishes for a Happy New Year and a roundup of all the major writing I did in 2018. If you enjoyed my work this year, it would mean a lot if you would support me on either Kofi or PayPal. Or just share some of your favorite pieces with your friends!

OP-EDS

My my, what the hell is up with the Mamma Mia! timeline?

A timey-wimey guide to the modern era of Doctor Who

Star Wars: Episode IX can fill Leia’s absence by embracing its forgotten queen

From femme fatale to complex superhero: The evolution of the MCU’s Black Widow

All the songs from The Greatest Showman, ranked

WHEN ROMANCE MET COMEDY

Like the best romantic comedies, Bridget Jones’s Diary is about more than just falling in love

Bringing Up Baby and the screwball comedies that delivered romance via pratfalls

After When Harry Met Sally, almost every rom-com tried to have what Nora Ephron was having

The Big Sick lovingly updated the rom-com formula with a coma and a great 9/11 joke

Something Borrowed and the phenomenon of rom-coms that hate women

In a sea of unintentionally creepy rom-coms, the original Overboard goes, well, overboard

My Best Friend’s Wedding rewrote the rom-com happy ending

Will Smith’s lone rom-com muddled its message about pickup artists and romance

Breakfast At Tiffany’s is so much more than a fashionable proto-Sex And The City

25 years ago, Sleepless In Seattle found the romantic hiding in the cynic

Before palling around with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Peyton Reed was Down With Love

You can dance, you can jive, you can love Mamma Mia! without feeling embarrassed

Maid In Manhattan let Jennifer Lopez’s rom-com talents sparkle

Pair Crazy Rich Asians with this Hong Kong rom-com classic

Jane Austen provided the romantic comedy some Sense And Sensibility

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days set the stage for the rom-com’s downfall

Romantic comedies (briefly) came out of the closet with In & Out

Pretty In Pink is a far superior riff on the Sixteen Candles formula

How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a sexy vacation romp that explores the line between fantasy and reality

The Devil Wears Prada pulls off the perfect romantic comedy look, even though it really isn't one

Enchanted, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the Disney princess

Why are Hallmark Christmas movies so addictive?

Without hope or agenda: A defense of Love Actually

SEASON-LONG TV COVERAGE

Doctor Who S11

Daredevil S3

This Is Us S2 and S3

Jessica Jones S2

Supergirl S3 and S4

FILM REVIEWS

Crazy Rich Asians has so much rom-com razzle dazzle it practically sings

Ben Mendelsohn battles suburban ennui in Nicole Holofcener’s The Land Of Steady Habits

Michael Shannon is refreshingly ordinary in What They Had, a family drama with focus issues

Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne build an Instant Family in a comedy more touching than funny

After a clumsy opening statement, RBG biopic On The Basis Of Sex effectively argues its case

Jennifer Lopez’s overstuffed Second Act offers three movies for the price of one

The Girl in the Spider’s Web: Lisbeth Slander gets an action hero makeover

Widows: An Enthralling Heist Thriller with Some Less Interesting Gangster Drama Touches

If Beale Street Could Talk: Love is a Battle, Love is a War

6 Balloons tackles the everyday agonies of the opiate crisis

I Feel Pretty takes on identity crises while having one of its own

RBG examines the complex, inspiring woman behind all the memes

Book Club does a disservice to its gifted cast of legacy stars

Set It Up is a fine, breezy rom-com for the start of summer

Ant-Man and the Wasp takes a modest quantum leap for the series

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind looks into the late comedian’s heart

The Spy Who Dumped Me is a fun but fairly disposable summer flick

Like Father uses the Netflix format to play around with comic conventions

Madeline’s Madeline blurs the lines of fantasy and reality

Life Itself is so bizarre it has to be seen to be believed

Private Life takes a personal, observant look at late-life reproduction

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a CGI mess with an earnest heart

The Grinch goes CGI and gets a fluffy, sincere modern update

TV REVIEWS/OP-EDS

Grey’s Anatomy’s lengthy existence isn’t a joke, it’s a strength

This Is Us is obsessed with killing its dad

Three years later, Supergirl is still telling the best female-centered superhero stories

Even without a resurrection, John Legend rises in NBC’s electrifying Jesus Christ Superstar Live

Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban lend an infectious energy to the wonderfully earnest 72nd Annual Tony Awards

Iron Fist season 2 feels like an entirely different show—which is mostly a good thing

13 Reasons Why puts itself on trial but can’t give up its worst impulses in season 2

Sex dreams and explosive rectal surgeries—it must be the Grey’s Anatomy season 15 premiere

Pre-Air Review: Dietland offers an ambitious, unapologetic taste of something new

Season Two Review: The messages of The Handmaid’s Tale season two resonate now more than ever

Season One Review: AMC’s Dietland aimed wide and mostly hit its marks in a chaotic first season

PODCAST GUEST APPEARANCES

Cinematic Universe: Men In Black

Cinematic Universe: Independence Day

Filmography: Wes Anderson comedies

Debating Doctor Who: Favorite guest stars part 1 and part 2

TV Party: Let’s Solve Westworld Season Two

TV Party: Appreciating The West Wing’s “Two Cathedrals”

Plus some other episodes of TV Party including this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one.

MINDMEET INTERVIEWS

Bernard Avle: Human Beings Are Stories

The CyberCode Twins: A Blockchain Beacon of Hope

Jason Berlin and Tour de Crypto: A Pioneering Journey to Raise Awareness for Charity and Bitcoin

And here are similar year-end wrap-ups I did in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.

[ashleyjohnsonoftheday]

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