#viewers would have abandoned the fandom by now but

[brokoala-soup]

i'm feeling something and the last time I felt this, it led me to 7 hours of crying and a ruined NYE; but then again that was years ago so are we up for it again?

[utilitycaster]

As someone who hasn't watched majority of c1, reading your thoughts on how tlovm compares is really interesting! I've been in the fandom since c3 began and have seen all of c2 and c3, and I've picked up a lot context.

However, I watch tlovm with a friend who has only seen tlovm at all (and like, 1 hour of exu calamity e1 that we never continued lol, so he did recognise Zerxeus' name). From his perspective of seeing the show as it is on it's own, he's been having a great time, something I do think speaks to the strength of this adaptation - that one of the things CR set out to do was to make something that stood on it's own, and I think they've succeeded in that.

How do you feel on that aspect of tlovm?

I agree - I think a lot of the criticism does come down to disappointment that we're not seeing some of the peak moments of Campaign 1, and I want to be clear that I share some aspects of that disappointment! It is just that like, again, I don't see how you make a scripted show where A Bard's Lament hits if you haven't seen the original, or where Glintshore hits in the same way at all.

I've been thinking about this a lot because I have gotten into some things for which I am unfamiliar with the original/prior installments through mutuals. For example, I have now read some of The Wheel of Time series (gotta get back into it) but I watched the show without any sentimentality for the original, and I think many people who haven't liked it have been mad about changes from the books, not how the TV story holds up. Similarly, I'm very intrigued by Veilguard despite zero past knowledge of basically anything Dragon Age, and I know a lot of longtime fans in particular are mad about changes. The challenge of adaptation, or further installments, is to straddle that line of appealing to new fans and old fans alike. And it's possible - I think TLOVM could have done some things better, but I'm here and I'm not mad about it and while I cannot claim OG C1 fan status I was around in time to have watched C1 and backed the kickstarter, but at the same time it's clearly working for people unfamiliar with the source.

I don't think you should totally abandon everything old fans liked about a series; but the fact is, old fans are a spectrum ranging from people who will love it no matter what because it's their blorbos some more! to people who will nitpick the fact that a specific phrase they have an emotional attachment to didn't appear, and everyone in between. You can't gain more old fans; you can only lose them. And in the end, you should tell a story that works for the medium and what you are trying to do. That doesn't mean every series or adaptation is good, to be clear; I think people who hate on Game of Thrones are 100% valid and not just bitter ASOIAF fans, and we all know that the MCU's attempt to build both a coherent universe but also be accessible to new fans turned it into an absolute trainwreck. But I think that an adaptation should not only be the original but in a new medium, and it should be something a new viewer would enjoy, and yes, I think TLOVM achieves that.

[silliestnico]

i don't think giorno giovanna's survivors guilt after the end of part five and his trauma as a whole is spoken about enough. i do think he is more emotionally repressed than jotaro at times. as you read through this i want you to keep in mind that anytime there's a scene with young giorno before saving the mafioso's life, he never smiles, which is incredibly unusual for a child aged 1-5.

let's begin at his conception, giorno doesn't know who dio is, where he is, if he's even alive, or what he really looks like. all he has as proof that dio was real is himself and a single polaroid. the reason he doesn't know what dio looks like is because he isn't even fully facing the front of the camera. it's highly likely that when giorno was young, anytime he saw a tall, blond, muscular man, whether it be on the tv, in a magazine, or in real life, he thought 'is that my dad?'

his life in japan wasnt good either. his mother would abandon him as a toddler at night to go out partying. bearing in mind, he was still being bottlefed at this point. in the scene where it pans through the apartment(?) he and his mother lived in, it showed a baby bottle with a little milk left inside. giorno was so afraid at night he couldn't even cry, a baby/toddler not crying is not fucking normal. 

now onto his life in part 5 onwards. throughout part 5, the viewer rarely sees him express the extreme of any emotion, aside from pain after giving himself the antidote to purple haze's attack, and anger during his and cioccolata's fight. even as he's greiving the loss of his allies, he doesn't express much in terms of sorrow, yes, he cries when he can't save narancia, and his voice sounds incredibly hurt when he can't save narancia or abbacchio, but his reaction is still relatively calm compared to the likes of mista and narancia respectively, which brings me back to my point of him being more emotionally repressed than jotaro - the viewer sees jotaro express extreme emotions, whereas they don't with giorno. it almost feels like giorno is a side character in his own part because of how little focus is put on him and his trauma by the fandom.

upon moving to italy, he may have thought the neglect and abuse would stop, and it probably did for a short time, until his stepfather decided to start beating him. as i previously mentioned, during majority of the scenes with young giorno, he never smiles. he doesn't smile at his mothers wedding, which should presumably be a happy occasion, not during the ceremony when his stepfather is kind to him, not in the photographs shown later on. giorno also didn't have a safe space outside of his abusive household either, he was relentlessly bullied by his peers for being half japanese, having anti-immigrant rhetoric spouted at him anytime he was near his bullies. his life only started to look up after he saved the mafioso's life. even then, his stepfather was angry at the fact he couldn't beat his like four year old stepson for merely existing. yes his bullies stopped tormenting him, but, there was likely still underlying resentment on their side.

[shewhotellsstories]

People say Eloise is a self centered white feminist who enjoys the privileges that come with being a Bridgerton and although that's true, she is also a sheltered teenage girl who needs to learn about the world.

Her feelings of marriage are valid and while she needs to learn that desiring motherhood and marriage doesn't make a woman lesser, it's part of growing up and learning true feminism. She's a baby feminist but viewers don't want her to grow. How many teenage girls in today's day and age are all-knowing about feminism theory? Her friendship with Theo taught her about the working class and that connection to the outside world could have been a great learning experience for Eloise. Yes she has the privilege of being a Bridgerton but that safety net is exactly why she should be allowed to advocate for things the way she wanted Whistledown to(not a critique of the character but rather the writing and the fandom)

Penelope did some selfish things as Whistledown, abusing her power (cause it wasn't just about being gossip girl for the bag) and rather than acknowledge that we're expected to sweep it under the rug. I LOVE flawed characters because the writing acknowledges their wrong doings and yet certain characters get away with murder.

Eg s1 Blair was awful to Serena and while she had her reasons for doing so, revenge and her own self worth and abandonment issues, the show acknowledged this and we wanted good things for Blair. Serena slept with her best friend's boyfriend and covered up a mans overdose but we still root for her because she is a good person and is trying to grow.

If Penelope doesn't acknowledge her wrongdoings how can she grow as a character.

"Okay publishing a burn book is wrong but I love writing and I'm good at it, maybe I should become Jane Austin or something."

(throwing in how Edwina was raked over the coals for being angry with Kate and while the half sister comment was uncalled for, she wasnt given the same grace Penelope has been given)

I'm sorry for how long and all over the place this is.

No, I get it. The issue is that some characters are given grace while others are crucified. Some characters have their circumstances considered when examining their behavior while others don't. I hate it that some characters get novellas dedicated to defending their bad behavior while others should've just known better.

And that's totally the way I see Eloise Bridgerton. She's a baby feminist! She is in her just watched Ironed Jawed Angels and has maybe read a few zines era of feminism. When I was 17, I remember saying in class that I didn't think it was possible to be a SAHM and be happy and now my opinions have radically shifted because I'm not a kid anymore. Now, if you'd ask me I'd say it's a vulnerable position to be in economically because your security is tied up in your marriage working out and or your husband never dying, but it's your choice ultimately. What a difference a fully developed brain and college professors who require you to read bell hooks and Audre Lorde can make.

But seriously, the sad irony of Eloise being raked over the coals for "doing nothing" is that she was trying to become more informed and it blew up in her face. Spending time with Theo and other members of the working class was really good for her. Sadly, Penelope should've known better than most that she was genuinely trying to expand her worldview, but Eloise is the only person getting the bad friend allegations.

And yeah, as much as I love Kate and Anthony, people were way too hard on Edwina in season two. No one wanted to hurt her, but who in her position would toss confetti?

Plus, I'm really glad someone else is seeing the endless Gossip Girl comparisons that can be made here!

P.S. If you're interested one of my favorite Kanthony fics ends in Anthony and Kate encouraging Eloise to become a fiction/social commentary writer.

[yourhighness6]

NATLA Episode 1 Debrief (by yours truly)

Hello my lovlies! There are so many opinions swirling around right now in the fandom and I wanted to give my own opinions a quick (this is not going to be quick but whatever) post of their own. I'm probably going to do this with all of the episodes, just an fyi

First of all, Sozin can fuck all the way off. I don't think I really have to explain that one but goddammit they really made me hate him (and I love to hate the villain)

I LOVE the detail of seeing the flames reflected in his eyes whenever he kills someone, as a symbol of fire's natural brutality consuming him from within. Kudos to whoever added that detail because it is absolutely perfect. I look forward to seeing more of this monster in future flashbacks.

The firebending itself was absolutely brutal. Watching the cartoon, you don't really think about how painful and horrific being burned alive is, and the live action explored that element in a way the previous show could not.

I know this is controversial, but actually really like how they devoted a good ten minutes to establishing some background with the Air Nomads before we dove in. In my opinion, it gave more depth to the Air Nomads besides just what we see through Aang's eyes, which I think helps the viewer connect with him more and sympathize in ways the cartoon didn't. One detail from this part that was absolutely heartbreaking was the Comet Festival.

Something about the way a time of joy was turned into a time of pain and misery was absolutely awful (this was the first time I cried [I cried three times]). The fact that all of the Air Nomads were in one place kind of filled in why there was no evidence of the FN ever having been to the Western Air Temple in s3 of the cartoon. It also adds another layer of awfulness to the whole thing. I can't really put into words why I feel that way, it's just a sort of vibe.

I also liked the way they established Aang's character flaws right off the bat:

The episode was named after him, so it only makes sense to show all aspects of his character almost immediately. This also gives me hope that they might address these flaws later a little more than the cartoon did.

Super glad they included a female Airbender on the counsel (or whatever that was). She was also fighting later and she looked super badass.

Now, onto the Water Tribe.

I can't express how glad I am that they included both boys and girls in Sokka's little warrior pack. People have talked about this before, but the gender roles in the SWT didn't make a lot of sense. Perfect little detail to fill a plot hole.

I am also over the moon that they decided to expand on the differences between the Water Tribe sibling's outlooks on the world. Katara was raised as both a beacon of hope and a liability, whereas Sokka was raised as a warrior and a protector. It gives insight into their characters and also symbolizes the way the war shaped them. The pressure within a society to adapt to the times even as traditional values are abandoned and culture is devastated is something that the original show laid the groundwork for, so I really hope we see the live action build on it further. There's also this:

Gives the perfect insight into the ways their parents leaving affected them both differently and expands on their different mindsets. 10/10 for the sibling dynamic.

I'm not sure if I liked the changes to this scene. Katara was characterized pretty well, in my opinion, and it does make sense with the "toning down" of Sokka's sexism that she didn't explode on him, but it's still an iconic moment I would have liked to see translated to the live action. I also found the fact that Appa wasn't included at all just plain weird. He should have been there, and even if he was established differently later, again, I'm not sure I liked the way Aang was introduced to the siblings. (At least they didn't include any romantic Kat@ang moments. Platonic besties for the win)

Zuko's introduction was just kind of... there, in my opinion, but I did love the detail of the icons on the shelf glowing. There were several homages made to Zuko's search for the avatar that I really appreciated, from the early establishment of his antagonism towards Lieutenant Jee to his pages of research, which I really appreciated. There were also several moments that implied that Zuko had a more spiritual journey throughout his banishment to find the avatar, which was partially a little bit of worldbuilding and partially a play into the idea that he will legitimately try everything possible to find the avatar that was another nice detail. Sadly, Dallas didn't really make a huge impression on me. This might be because of lack of screentime or the fact that this is THE Zuko, but I was kind of expecting more. Still, I don't think it was an irredeemable portrayal by any means, and I look forward to seeing more.

This is sort of random, but I just need to say that I'm glad they included more evidence of Katara's PTSD. It was already pretty established in the cartoon that she did have PTSD, but the live action allows exploration of that in a more mature way, which I appreciate. It made the kat@ang conversation hit that much harder, and gives more depth to Katara's character.

The fight at the gates was also just perfect. Zuko acting on impulse out of a need to prove himself:

Katara's speech and Sokka's change of heart:

And this line:

Sokka kind of fell flat to me a bit in this episode, and I feel like Katara was the MVP in all of their interactions, but I loved this line. I just have a feeling he really needed to hear this.

There's also this moment that I thought was really significant where it looked like Zuko was actually going to kill Sokka:

My heart legit stopped at this part. Like, I knew it made no logical sense for it to happen, but I still got scared for a moment. I know it was just another one of those moments to show how Zuko's anger gets the best of him, ect, ect. but this was overkill. I don't think they took it too far by any means, but it was still just so unexpected.

I also noticed they removed the zukka parallel of the two of them getting ready for battle at the same time, which I really disliked. It plays more into the warrior mindset for the both of them, and even though we had that established in other ways, I would have still liked to see it.

Aang's sacrifice is the same, but I appreciated his little conversation with Iroh. When Iroh showed up, I half expected him to just let Aang go, but I guess that wouldn't really be in character for season 1 Iroh. Either way, that was some good stuff.

The framing also sort of reminds me of the season 3 conversation between Zuko and Iroh when Iroh is in prison back in the FN. Both shots give the impression that it is not actually the one behind bars who is in prison. This makes me think that they might give Iroh more of an arc in season 1, which I would kind of like to see, but at the same time, I'm not sure about. I think it was important in the cartoon that Iroh had already completed his journey and was doing his best to guide Zuko through a similar one.

I am disappointed that they removed the fight scene between Zuko and Aang inside the ship, but there was another huge moment this allowed for that I REALLY LOVED:

I LOVE that they let Katara have her hero moment I LOVE that they let her discover her bending a bit more in this episode I LOVE that Aang helped her I LOVE IT ALL. Katara gaining more confidence in her abilities is the season 1 Katara arc I want to see and they legit made me fangirl over this moment so much I squealed. There's also something about her blocking a fire blast from Zuko after being powerless to stop him from killing/seriously hurting her brother in the earlier fight that's just... chefs kiss. (also maybe establishing that ZK yin and yang concept early... I'm reading way too much into this but the way Katara's arms are positioned kind of looks like the yin symbol a little bit...)

And finally, we have the air temple scene. The whole thing was so incredibly sad, and I actually didn't mind that it was part of the first episode. It makes everything go full circle, in my opinion.

I also thought that Gyatso's voice instead of Katara's being the one to calm Aang down was a really good choice. Aang coming to terms with his death should be about his memories with his past mentor, not about Katara comforting him. I loved the hug though. Perfectly devastating:

Also, the last parallel at the end was just SO perfect:

Something about how tradgedies in their lives forced them both to become dedicated and adapt to a new world beyond their control. Aang and Zuko parallels always wonderful.

Overall, I really enjoyed it! I would give this episode an 8.5/10. Not perfect, but definitely not bad. It surpassed my expectations and I'm so excited to see more!

[itsclydebitches]

It's weird to think Vol 10 of RWBY just straight up might never happen. much less further volumes. No matter how bad it got I would still have loved some form of ending but Barabas comments don't paint a hopeful picture. Alas fics of RWBY will go until the end of time.

It's very weird. Most shows I come across have either already concluded, or give their audience an estimate of when things will wrap up ('We're planning another two seasons and each takes us about two years to film, so...'). I have shows that unexpectedly get more content after providing an ambiguous, but still satisfying ending (Alice in Borderland), shows where each season is self-contained so it can end whenever without issue (Bake Off), shows that were cut short and had to scramble to wrap up (Sense8), and of course there are always shows that are straight up cancelled and can't do a thing to mitigate that... but RWBY feels almost, almost unique in this combination. It's a webseries rather than a traditional TV show. It's gone on for a decade with absolutely no indication of where it's heading. Each season feels threatened to the point where the fandom can no longer differentiate between a real cancellation concern and Internet exaggeration. The story has hit what's arguably its most important narrative peak - the team has traversed an alternate world, Ruby has "overcome" drinking the tea, Summer finally appears on screen - only for news of the story's future to remain frustratingly vague. Not only have we never had a sense of when RWBY's story will end, now we don't even have confirmation of whether it will end. That's such a frustrating way to approach storytelling given that your audience relies on some level of commitment to remain engaged.

I too want RWBY to finish up because I am not immune to the Sunk Cost Fallacy: I put this much time into the series and it needs to satisfy me with a conclusion, even if the conclusion itself will inevitably be unsatisfying. Outside of any normal disappointment with a story you love getting the ax, I generally don't mind embracing unfinished works. I read abandoned fics, watch cancelled shows, browse barely started comics, because getting a taste of the world is always worth it if it's compelling to me. I never regret meeting characters whose stories go untold because as a writer myself I can at least imagine that on my own terms. But RWBY? Losing it now would be a real kick in the teeth. I personally don't think the story is salvageable at this point, but at the very least fans deserve a conclusion: one that will likely please a lot of devoted viewers and allow critical fans to put a satisfying tick mark on the box in our heads labeled "RWBY."

Given its popularity I wouldn't be surprised if RWBY wound up cancelled and then concluded in a comics run, or a one-off movie. Beyond the fact that this would no doubt mess up the writing even more (now you have to iron out this mess of a plot on a time limit, in a new medium, with new authors!) it would, unfortunately, be kind of hilarious too:

[generic tour guide voice] "Hello. Welcome to RWBY. Our fandom is known for having copious side stories connected to the canon in confusing ways. Some are incidental to the main series. Some outright contradict it. Some are crucial to your understanding of the primary plot and must be engaged with in a timely manner. These texts range from comic runs to random bits of information in abandoned mobile games. Please note that this corpus did not grow naturally across decades of storytelling, as is the case with fandoms like Star Trek and Star Wars, but was rather cobbled together by RT in an attempt to 'fix' numerous, ongoing issues with the webseries. Our latest addition? The ending. Yes, if you would like to finish RWBY please refer to this index of sources that together provide a semi-cohesive conclusion to a ten year show. Now, on your left you'll see the ongoing brawl as fans attempt to determine whether this index is canonical or not. Please watch your step..."

[moirindeclermont]

Daily thread about BridgertonS3, and as I type this words, I'm getting a little emotional because never in my mind this need to talk about Bridgerton, would turn out to reach literally thousands of people.

I think it's apt to bring closure to this adventure by talking about two things and how these ties together. Let's talk about the theme of identity and the power of representation.

For me, the theme that stuck the most of the season is identity. We see that with Polin, of course, but we see that with Benedict, with Francesca, with the Mordrich, with Lady Danbury. Literally most of the storylines of this season (if not all) have the theme of identity as a denominator. But there is one more storyline that needs to be considered as well and that's ours.

If we consider us viewers not as simply spectator but as active participate (through fandom, through social media, in whatever way we interact with the source material) than it's possible that the theme of identity underlines also our relationship with the show. I'm sure this is not the experience of the general audience, the ones that consume a product for entertainment and then go on with their life. But even as a general audience, everyone has some media that touches them particularly.

In that sense, everyone knows that it's possible to have a before and after, to have a media touching your identity in a way that's so powerful that stays with you for a while, sometimes forever. For many of us, this season was special exactly for this reason. I'm sure I'm speaking for many people as I say that the reason we felt so connected was that we felt seen.

I can talk only about myself, of course, but I've started this season knowing I'd relate hard with Pen. Through viewing and reading ad engaging, I've discovered that yes, I relate hard with Pen, but I also relate hard with Colin. In discovering these similarities, I've fallen in love with him and connected with parts of my identity I didn't know before.

Representation is so important because it allow us to access a different level of self awareness. Sometimes it's very shallow, but sometimes it's so deep that can heal, at least in part, some part of yourself you didn't even know were still scarred. I've done a lot of work on my body image and acceptance, and yet that mirror scene is imprinted in my mind not because it was necessary the most steamy one I've watched (although it's a strong contender), but because been recognized is powerful.

Furthermore, engaging with the source material allows you to form connections, been exposed to different point of views, it allows you to open yourself a bit more. Parts of yourself rests within the posts you've made, the fic you've written, the people you've met, the communities you've created. Looking back now, I've realized I've bee struggling for years on how to form a community of like minded people...

And in a span of a few weeks not only the comunity was born "but the only thing I've needed to do it was being myself". For this, I must tell all of you thanks, because there wasn't a best motivator that knowing people were interested in my takes. And while I'll still post, comment and engage with Bridgerton for a while (lol, the hyperfixation is not going anywhere anytime soon) it's bittersweet and a little scary to decide to close this little adventure and start a new one.

I do embrace change but change is also scary and the two things can co-exist. But, as both Pen and Colin learnt this season, I've too learned that you must overcome the fear of rejection and abandonment in order to be your true self. In order to own your identity. And this is a lesson that we all know theorically, but it's another thing to truly make it sink within yourself. And if Bridgerton, Colin ad Pen, and everyone of you, helped me in this journey, I'll always be grateful for that.

[crimsoncold]

Current thoughts on HOTD

(i.e. the disappointment, the choice not to hate watch the show, and my continued appreciation for the fandom itself)

So I'm admittedly done with the show itself... I can tolerate quite a bit of lackluster writing when I love the concept or certain characters enough- seriously I watched all of the original 9 seasons of the x files (+ the films) even when it had pretty much abandoned the monster of the week format I loved, got extremely convoluted in terms of its plot/conspiracies, and most of the original cast wasn't even around anymore- but sometimes a show declines in quality so much I'm too discouraged to want to continue watching.

S1 already had issues but the inconsistencies in plot/messages/characterization and the strange changes writer's have made to the source material in S2 all sort of converged to make a show that is ultimately not just generally disappointing but now is outright unimpressive and unwatchable (side note i feel so bad for the cast they're working their ass off and the writer's are just giving them literal garbage).

I'm just not a person who really enjoys hate watching stuff? Like no judgement if you want to continue watching or if you do choose to hate watch- do what makes you happy- it's just not something I personally would choose to spend my time on- if a show doesn't even interest me to begin with or nothing about a show makes me happy anymore I'm not going to watch it. (With many of the better shows out there getting unfortunately canceled so quickly I'd rather spend my time watching enjoyable shows while they are still around- I know I'm just one viewer and likely I make zero difference in the scheme of things but I just don't want to be part of a viewership that encourages studios to cancel well written but less popular shows and continue with the poorer quality shows because hate/outrage inspired so much viewership... I think it's just that this business practice pisses me off enough that I don't want to be a part of it or reminded of it)

So for HOTD I'm not personally continuing with the show I'm just going to rely on the braver souls in this fandom to show me how crazy things get - at this point it feels like for my sanity there is nothing left to do but laugh at how bad these showrunners are ruining their story/characters and otherwise just move on and watch other things.

When it comes to fandom side of things well I'll quote myself from a different hotd post for a moment..."disappointing or poorly written shows are not without their appeal for participating in fandom (i.e. making, viewing, or sharing the art, writing, metas, or other content inspired by the show) particularly when there is a handful of interesting characters (looking at you book/S1 HOTD's team green) that fans want to rescue from the terrible writing/butchering by the showrunners ... sometimes it is even one of the most appealing sort of set ups for fandom to take over and fix things."

So I will absolutely continue to appreciate the general efforts of HOTD fandom (writers, artists, gif makers, etc.) and I will continue to seek out/like/reblog/comment on fan works as well as the many well thought out/eloquent metas and write ups fans put out about this show.

To paraphrase once again from one of my other hotd post "The juxtaposition between how underwhelming and juvenile the showrunner's storytelling choices are compared to how eloquently fans interpret, analyze, deconstruct, criticize or even defend the show and it's characters is absolutely wild...a not insignificant amount of hotd fandom puts in more time, effort, and thought into hotd than ANY of the showrunners/writers."

While I was admittedly intrigued by select characters of hotd my desire and decision to participate in hotd fandom really came down to the amazing efforts of fans who analyzed the show, wrote incredible metas on it's characters, and who made their own transformative stories and art based on hotd.

So in conclusion I'm done with watching the show, I hate everything the showrunners are choosing to do (the audience deserved a better story/show), I feel so bad for the cast and wish the characters hadn't been massacred by these writers (Alicent, Aemond, Helaena, Aegon, and the rest of team green all deserved better writing, i.e. consistent and coherent characterization or you know getting time on screen/together in general, all characters deserved better than being reduced to props for this strange pro targ/pro Rhaenyra storyline the showrunners have made up, hell even Rhaenyra herself deserved better writing),

I will continue to think about the "what ifs" that come up around this ... (what this story and these characters could have become in the hands of better writers) and I will always still appreciate/comment on and reblog fandom efforts themselves (whether you continue to participate in hotd fandom or are done with it just know that even though the writer's suck and the show has just gotten worse and worse, and the few character's we liked are getting destroyed by the writing, I still admire everybody I encountered in the little niche of the hotd fandom I have participated and appreciate what you all contribute to hotd fandom.

AND I will continue my own little additions to said fandom-i still have hotd inspired art coming soon and while I'm done with the show itself I intend to steal away the shiny things I liked from hotd (certain intriguing characters and the possibilities that could have existed if this had been adapated better) and continue to enjoy them while I ignore the rest of the nonsense the showrunners have created.

- Crimson Cold

[rockinlibrarian]

Post-Umbrella Academy S4 Reaction Part Five, appropriately: On Love Triangles (spoilers under cut)

Man, that makes me feel compelled to add a Reaction Part to my projected six Reaction Parts, and then reorder them so Viktor's is seventh. Anyway.

So in this series of posts so far, we've had the Good, the Bad, and now we have the Incredibly Controversial. (We also had the Fandom and the Fix-it, but those didn't fit as nicely into that sentence).

I have a pretty nicely curated Tumblr dashboard. I only follow people I like, who have sensible things to say, and I try to avoid diving into tags and For Yous (which a remarkable amount of the time make no sense— when I do look at that feed, I see topics people I follow love that I have NEVER INTERACTED with. I tolerate these topics for the people I follow, why would I want to see more of those from strangers?).

Yet I have seen no middle ground on this next topic. Half my TUA mutuals are over the moon, half are positively livid.

And here am I in the middle feeling ACK.

I'm allowed to be in the middle, right?

Let’s dive into my opinions on (is this really a spoiler anymore here on Tumblr?) Five/Lila/Diego under the cut.

Yeah, it’s not my ship, and I would never have made the choice. I make no secret about my non-canon OTP, and Lila/Diego was the only CANON ship I ever found interesting enough to root for. I found Five and Lila’s best-frenemies relationship utterly delightful and I’ll miss getting to accept it as that and not the early stages of enemies-to-lovers. But from an in-story standpoint it does make perfect sense, even if it’s not a direction many viewers wanted it to go in.

Linking back to the Venn diagram I reblogged at the start of the Season 4 Discourse: “I liked it,” “It made in-universe sense,” “it made narrative sense.” Although, just to be annoying, the topic refuses to be sorted into even those categories nicely. Certainly most of us seem to disagree on which— if any of them— even apply.

Let’s take it one topic at a time. Viktor got a whole post to himself, so I need to give some attention to the other half of my favorite characters/OTP/most-commonly-POV’d babies, Five. You see, the most common complaint I hear about this plot development is that it’s totally out of character for Five. Five would never hurt Diego that way! Five is aroace! Five spent his life trying to get home to his siblings, he’d never give up and decide to stay in the subway! Since when would Five put romantic love over familial love?

I disagree. Maybe I’m wrong— many of the people I’ve seen making this claim have consistently written takes on Five that I very strongly adore. How could we disagree on whether or not the dude is in character here? But let me plead my case.

It’s true that Five is different this season, and not in a fun way. His feral-ness is one of the most delightful things about him in general, and it just…wasn’t there. But I think that’s a question for the “I liked it” portion of the Venn diagram (feral Five is so much more fun to watch than sad and tired Five) and possibly for the “narrative sense” portion (do you really want to abandon the the most popular qualities of a character just for the sake of realistic character progression?). It DOES make in-universe sense, because Five is depressed in season 4.

Think about where he is at the start of the season— and for the whole show before that. He spent his whole long, traumatic life obsessed with getting back to, with saving, these people, and all they have done in return is ignore him, yell at him, and blame him for things that weren’t his fault. Viktor my love not even you are an innocent here— sure you spent 17 years mourning him, but then when you finally get him back, you brush off or outright deny everything he ever confides in you, and then you abandon HIM for six years, and he was in the body of a minor at the time, he really could have used you by his side there! (My shipper heart insists his betrayal was the worst of all of them, and even platonically it very well could be).

These people he dedicated his life to turned out to not just be idiots (in his estimation), but they’ve gone and pushed each other— and him— away for six years. His whole life purpose had been to save them, and for what? For them to take it for granted, to squander their second (third, fourth…) chances at life complaining how life sucks and it’s probably Five’s fault? What did he do all this FOR, in the end? And what should he be doing with his life NOW? He’s lost his goals, his meaning. IT’S DEPRESSING DANGIT but it makes sense!

And then he ends up stranded in time. Again. But this time he’s with somebody else— an actual real-life friend instead of a figment of his imagination. He fell in love with Delores because they were partners alone in time— why wouldn’t it happen with a flesh-and-blood person, who can actually act in loving ways toward him? Okay, it’s his sister-in-law, but they’ve been lost for six years with no guarantee of ever getting back, she and Diego had already been on the rocks (I’ll get into her side of the thing farther down), and what does Five care about conventions like How to and not to act with one’s brother’s wife, anyway? He’s feral, remember? He’s not going to stop and say, “No, we can’t do this, it’ll hurt Diego’s feelings,” in this situation! They’re lost in time and all they have is each other!

And let’s examine the whole concept of Five in a romantic relationship to begin with. Obviously I’m not against the concept, because I ship him. It’s ridiculous on my part, because when I started reading TUA fanfic I honestly said, “Wow, it’s refreshing to have a character so impossible to ship as Five is— how many interesting GEN fics can this guy spawn?” and before I knew it I was shipping him with his adoptive brother. BUT. I have also fully embraced the popular headcanon that he’s ace (note: show-Five is not comics-Five in many ways, and this is one of them). Aspec, at least. (NOT aro: I don’t know how anyone can see the way he’s always talked about/treated Delores and not understand that he is absolutely a total romantic). Even in my shipping fics, he’s aspec— “Viktor-sexual,” I have called it even. He falls for his best friend, and his best friend only. And— if I can shamelessly quote one of my own fics here—

“Look, I was married to half a mannequin for thirty-some years, I may have a slightly different understanding of marriage than the average person….Yes, I said what I said. Delores is complicated, okay? There are facts, and there are truths. Facts are I created her out of the rubble of a department store and my own desperation. I know this, I do! But the truth is she loved me. She kept me alive, she lifted me when I would have given up, she fixed my mistakes but forgave me for them, she made me laugh and even laughed back at me. That's what marriage is to me. A partner through the twists and turns of life! It has nothing to do with desire and passion and sex.”

And that’s exactly what happened with Lila! They had become partners through the infinite twists and turns of a seemingly-impossible-to-escape life! I keep seeing “since when does Five think with his dick?” comments, but he WASN’T! It took nearly seven years of close proximity, you-and-me-against-the-multiverse partnership, and shared traumas to happen, and significantly, she made the first move. It absolutely holds up to my own personal headcanons of how Five interacts with romantic love.

And I feel like Five doesn’t really segregate different kinds of love. Romantic or familial, it’s all LOVE, right? We actually had this conversation in the comments of the above fic, “New World Symphony,” just days before S4 dropped: there’s a scene where Five completely confuses the others by explaining that he doesn’t think finding himself married to Viktor is weird because “you’re my brothers— that’s family; he’s my husband— that’s family too,” and JBD— who, I must point out, is not a Fiktor shipper— commented, “Aww, for Five, family is another word for people he loves.” And I thought that was a brilliant way to sum it up (funnily enough, I responded by referring to Five calling Lila “family” at the beginning of S3!). So when he finds the answer to getting home— is it really so hard to believe he doesn’t want to go back? Lila is family just as much as the others are, and LILA ACTUALLY SHOWS HIM LOVE, which is more than any of his adoptive sibs did for him for those first six years back. He was DEPRESSED in the real world, and now he’s HAPPY! Things change! Of course he dedicated his life to getting back home BEFORE, but like the first episode says, it was the Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want! Now he knows better!

From an “In-show sense” standpoint. Maybe not from a “Narrative Sense” standpoint.

Let’s now try to discuss the state of Dilila, but more briefly. (This post is already 1800 words long). It made me sad to see what a mess their relationship had become in the past six years, and I thought it was kind of mean of the storyline to threaten to break them up, but after awhile, as we saw more of it, I had hope for them! I just rediscovered the “Into the Woods” soundtrack recently and suddenly they were reminding me of the Baker And His Wife— they needed to go Into the Woods--symbolically and literally—to be separated from each other, to learn new things about themselves, to yes even have an affair on her part— to appreciate what they had together, to rekindle their True Love. They needed to reevaluate themselves, each other, and their lives, and a separation would only help them to do so. (Now, when we talk about the in-characterness of it all, I DO question whether Lila was completely in character this season— but I mean, that’s part of it, IS she being herself? What does she NEED to be herself? She has to figure that out!)

And here’s where we get to the “Narrative Sense” problem, because that never had the chance to RESOLVE. Going back to what I said yesterday about the problem with The End— EVERYBODY HAD UNRESOLVED ISSUES, and SOME of them were too FRESH to be resolved! Who makes that narrative choice?!

I think narratively, it would work best if Lila and Diego reunited, appreciating each other all the more, and Five would let it happen because he’s primed to believe that being happy is too much to ask for, which is very sad but it works.

Except Lila never does make a choice, and Diego and Five die mad at each other.

Stupid ending.

But to be honest, maybe the writers didn’t want to make the choice because they couldn’t decide either. Narratively we’re rooting for Dilila, but from an in-show character standpoint, Lila and Five really are better for each other than Lila and Diego are. They’re on the same level. They understand each other in ways no one else can, being Commission Agents/murderers and having both been manipulated and betrayed by the Handler. They are matches for each other.

You know, I’m kind of annoyed by this fact. Five IS actually the better choice for Lila. I really want her to be happy with Diego but the facts are facts, she’d be happier with Five.

DANGIT I don’t even KNOW how to ultimately deal with them in the Summerland fix-it! I WANT Lila and Diego to reunite and also want Five to settle into a happy queerplatonic partnership with Viktor (I will DO MY BEST not to ship them in this fic, for the sake of everyone else who might want to read it, but that may be the extent of my best), but now I’m like is that really fair to Lila? UGH, RELATIONSHIPS!

I may settle for everybody taking a break from everybody while they work out their individual issues. (I did start writing a Diego and Kerry scene to immediately follow up the Five and Viktor scene I posted the other day, in which Kerry uses the Power of Autism to compel Diego to be introspective. Who knew.

“My brother stole my wife.” “Did she get free again?” “What?” “You said he stole her. Where did he put her?” “No, I meant he— they had an affair, he didn’t kidnap her.” “You said he stole her, but it sounds like she went with him because she wanted to, so that’s not stealing.” “It’s— why do you care?” “Because you’re not being accurate! He didn’t steal her if it was her choice to go!” “That—.” That made him very uncomfortable, was what that did. “Okay. My wife left me for my brother. That make sense to you?” She peered wide-eyed at him and started to open her mouth, so he added, “and yes she came back. Physically. But physically’s not the point.”

--snippet edited 12:46 ET 8/18/24 just because I actually wrote that final line and it gives the snippet more of a finished feeling so I had to add it. Anyway, so Diego ends up focusing on his issues with Always Being Second-Best at Summerland. If he learns to deal with his own insecurities, he could possibly even truly earn Lila’s love back! But first he has to deal with HIMSELF!)

Long story short, I did not hate this development, and the thing I liked least about it is tied to the thing I liked least about the whole season: if they'd only had time to resolve their issues before getting annihilated from existence, it wouldn't have been terrible! If THAT had been, then I'd be all for it!

I mean, mostly so. I'm still going to be a shameless Fiktor shipper, of course.

[daeneryseastar]

I think Olivia is really pushing for Rhaenicent to become canon because it’s the only way she can stay popular with the general audience. They don’t like Team Green but if Alicent abandons her family for Nyra she thinks they won’t associate her with the faction. Do you think the writers will give in?

i’m not entirely sure if the writers would give in specifically because of olivia wanting it, but i do think they have this idea in their head (and this is mostly in regards to how they keep claiming their writing is ‘super feminist’) that if they push these two women together as hard as they can they’ll be able to reach a ’broader’ audience with the tragedy that would be that failed friendship. never mind the fact that every other character and relationship will (and already do) suffer greatly from this decision.

they don’t seem to care about the bigger picture when it comes to the dance, and it’s heavily evident in season one. there is absolutely no way that rhaenicent could ever work at this point (or really at any point) in the story. rhaenyra found out her father was dead and her throne was usurped, causing her to go into pre-term labor and lose her daughter. then luke was murdered as a messenger by aemond. all of this happens within a few days of each other (another glaring mistake but that’s a topic for another day.) alicent being able to abandon her family (which she would never do, and completely defeats the purpose of them having her steal the throne to protect her children’s lives and not just for power) and go on to beg for forgiveness from her arch nemesis whom she has caused so much grief to is borderline insanity. not to mention that blood and cheese are most likely happening in episode one, and while we the viewer/reader know that rhaenyra most likely didn’t have anything to do with it (and even that is still up for debate), alicent will not.

so they’re basically saying that luke’s death doesn’t matter, jaehaerys’ death doesn’t matter, helaena succumbing to her own anguish from choosing maelor to die over jaehaerys (we also don’t even know what’s really going to happen with b&c because there is no evidence of maelor having ever existed in the show, either he’s suddenly going to appear or helaena has to choose between jaehaerys and jaehaera instead.) nothing matters except alicent and rhaenyra becoming besties again; because let’s be honest with ourselves, if this is the route the writers have chosen they’re just going to continue their queerbaiting rhetoric and not confirm them being together/having genuine feelings for each other.

i firmly believe that olivia deserves better out of the fandom, but rhaenicent needs to be shelved. immediately. it’s doing nothing for hotd besides dragging it down. i flip flop every other week on whether the writing is going to be actually worth our time, and with george stepping in to help salvage season two i do have higher expectations. on the other hand if condal and hess are involved it’s pretty safe to say that something is still going to go wrong. hope for the best and expect the worst is the mentality to have right now, unfortunately.

[destinygoldenstar]

☀️There Can Only Be ONE Best Boy☀️ - Total Drama Viewer Reacts to Disventure Camp Season 1 Episode 4 “Slip N Slide”

I decided, for both to give my followers less of spoilers and for some flare, I would cheaply draw over some screenshots.

For the Purple Team's reward, they got a waterproof tent. But they neglected the fireproof tent as a result, and the producers weren't careful with last challenge.

Nick would be, understandably, terrified of the place, and Alec would be like "Wow, this is an improvement" but look at it so stoically.

So, welcome back to Arson Camp!

Let us continue with the chaos!

Fiore's chilling by the fires, probably writing some AO3 fanfics.

What fandom would Fiore be in? I'm curious.

I feel like this six year old would be into something violent like Mortal Kombat.

"A girl like you should not be awake at this hour."

*looks over at my clock*

Lilly you don't have to call me out like that.

"I don't even listen to my own mom and she thinks she can control me?!"

If you weren't six, I would say slay and tell them what's for...

But you're six. So...

"If you were feeling safe, I've got bad news for you."

Welp, Lilly's gone. I called it.

OH GOD NO!!!

WHY?!?!??!?! HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT YOU!??!??!?!?!

I feel like this was my fault because I made the fire joke.

Fiore was like, "You know, I had this weird feeling that some viewer named AnalyzGolden was watching us and she told me to burn shit. And now I suddenly have the urge to do it."

Goddammit me.

What next? The characters in that heading get eliminated today?

The subtitle again. I CAN'T with these parenthesis XD

(I have subtitles on because sometimes I mishear stuff when I watch stuff the first time)

"I'm not going to be part of this argument."

*holds back a laugh* Alec's actually so based for that.

Y'all want less DRAMA in TOTAL DRAMA?

Simple answer.

You just walk away from it.

"I think I know who did it." *Among Us Music*

*chokes on breath*

NO. NO.

DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT?!?!

*rewinds*

NO THEY ACTUALLY DID THAT. OMG.

THEY MADE THE JOKE FOR ME.

I was making several Among Us jokes last episode.

I feel like I've become some overlord and they somehow hear me and do what I tell them.

"For some reason Golden is telling me I'm very SUS... huh, wonder what that means."

Fiore if you can hear me. I didn't say you had slay pass. I never said that.

The only one I gave slay pass was Grett.

You have to earn yours.

"Lill?! What in queen's name did you do?!" *sound effect*

Okay. Now it's getting a bit crazy.

"I don't think Lill would do this to us."

THANK YOU. THANK YOU ASHLEY.

"It's about psychology in different kinds of people."

"It says here that people who enter reality competitions and get tempted by money have the tendency to become more ruthless and emotionally manipulative to their advantage, derailing their personalities. If you'd like some examples from the many seasons of Total Drama, I'd be happy to give you an analogy."

"What makes you think I wouldn't want to read it?"

You're six.

"Well... fair point."

Okay. I guess that's not a point.

"It's a drawing. My son drew it for me."

Alec has a family?

I mean he did look older, I admit, but I didn't think anyone here had kids.

So is Alec in this game to help his family with funds? We got another one.

'List of Motives:'

'Fiore: Abandoned'

'Ashley: Save Farm'

'Jake: Help Grandma'

'Tom: Sus'

'Nick: Prove Himself'

'Alec: Family'

'Everyone else: ???'

"I'm just as confused as you."

I have NO IDEA what happened AT ALL. It totally wasn't me who flipped. I was sure Drew was the impostor!

"Then what if Drew voted for himself?"

He said 'Fuck this shit I'm out'.

"He knew things I didn't want anyone to know."

"I just can't tell anyone about my hobbies, okay?!"

"As long as Grett doesn't tell either of them I should be fine."

Hey Grett. Maybe you should tell Jake something. Just a thought.

...

WAIT I SAID THAT AS A JOKE, HOLD ON-

"For some reason I have the urge to tell Jake something. Huh, wonder who this Golden Voice is."

"I voted for Gabby because the boys told me to."

Was it Dan that suggested Gabby??

*looks back*

Actually no it wasn't. I was gonna call hypocrisy, but that'd be me complaining about something that's not there. Okay.

Alright I won't bully him. This time.

"Nobody can be trusted here."

"Nobody can be trusted here-anyway, Tom, who never shows his face, can I trust that you'll vote with me?"

"I'm disappointed that Dan voted for me."

Oh, you're actually affected by that. Wow.

Okay, here you go Gabby. You can have slay pass. ⚔️

Use it for whatever you want to eliminate with. If you want to use it on Dan, go ahead. I don't care if he goes tbh.

I just realized most of my favs are on the same team XD

Oooh, swimming episode!

Tom is STILL in his suit XD

"Hey uh, Tom, the sun can't reach you if you're underwater. I don't think you need to be wearing that. You don't want to get your normal clothes wet, right?"

"Eh I never found use for a swimsuit anyway! Besides! The sun will dry them up quickly!"

"Doesn't that go against what you told us earlier?!"

"My relationship with the sun does not concern you! No it's not toxic what are you talking about?!"

But he's not wearing the hoodie anymore! That's an improvement!

I feel like we're gonna get a Tom face reveal at some point, right?

Oooh.

I didn't think there would be a cabin.

And a phone to call home? PLEASE tell me they take advantage of this and we learn more about these characters homelives!

"You're not yelling and talking nonsense... I like it."

Grett. You're so awful. I love you.

I have such BAD TASTES for favorites, don't I?

(Idk who the fan favorites/hated characters are)

That's not an english subtitle.

...I'm not gonna say anything further than that, cause I'm scared that the joke in my head is very offensive.

"What did you expect? Nobody likes you and everyone thinks you're crazy."

I... I mean technically she's right. Doesn't make it right to rub salt in the wound though.

I still love you Gabby. Don't worry.

"Have you lied to me too?"

"Of course."

Oh WOW.

I did NOT expect her to just be blunt and honest like that.

Why is a VILLAIN character so honest about what they do? That's such a unique character trait. I love how they're using it.

"For what it's worth, I believe you."

"You have no reason to lie. I've known you for a few days and you always put this alliance first."

THANK YOU ASHLEY FOR BEING THE SMART ONE ON THIS TEAM.

Fiore struggling to paddle, omg

"My hands are killing me. You think you can row for me if I pay you?"

Nick...

Nick, I'm waiting patiently for your character development. You better deliver cause you've annoyed me this episode and last episode. Jake's gonna take crown for best boy if you're not careful.

Also, she's a KID and can't even hold one paddle right.

"I'm already tired of always eating fish."

Yeah, that has to get tedious after awhile, especially if you guys are THAT hungry and have no choice.

I hate seafood. I wouldn't survive.

"What are you craving?"

"Chinese takeout. I always order that at home."

My sibling actually loves Chinese as well... I'm a Mexican person, though.

"There's a restaurant I live near that'll knock your socks off. We should go when this is over."

TOM. Are you... ASKING HIM OUT?!

"Hey, your eyes... they're pretty. I never noticed since you've always got that hood on."

AWWW AND THE RETURNED FLIRT?!

THE BLUSH, OMG

...yeah I kinda hope you kiss now.

This is how you make relationships Total Drama. You meet. You get along. And you be cute.

And I am waiting for this to go horribly wrong cause in shows like this, nobody gets a happy ending.

Except Mike & Zoey I guess.

"Maybe them fighting is good news."

"If we found popcorn it would be a fun movie to watch. I'm just saying."

"Honestly, a million dollars would make my life so much better."

"What would you spend the money on?"

"I want to study fashion design. Just don't have the time or money. Back home, I have to juggle two jobs that barely keep me afloat."

That has to be THE most relatable Young Adult experience ever.

I hate that I have a privilege from my parents to go to a college I don't even like.

Add that to the list...

'Ellie: College Finance'

"*Ellie clicks the check*

*Spawns an ad on USAA*

OH NO! THEY LIED!!!

Ellie's real fear is her finances XD"

I PREDICTED THIS LAST EPISODE AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT

"Dear lord up above, why must you forsaken me on a canoe with this wretched child?!"

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!

Stop hating Dan, me. He didn't do anything.

And two seconds later I laugh at his expense 😂

"It's not the first time I've done this."

"Back in my day we had to canoe rapids just to get to school!"

"Back in grade school-"

Oh my god and she took my joke.

"The objective of the game is to knock your opponent into the lake."

*shoves Dan in the lake*

"Hey you guys talk about this Golden voice lately, I think she's bullying me. Why you bullying me?"

Do something and don't be sexist.

"First showdown will be Tom vs Alec"

If Tom loses this I'm in firm disbelief.

He has ninja skills.

Why is Jake the only one cheering and supporting his teammate?

This boy is precious. Look at him. He's PRECIOUS.

"Next showdown: Grett vs Ellie"

Sorry Ellie. I do like you, I swear.

THAT WAS A ONE SHOT. GEEZ.

"Golden told me to SLAY. So I slayed!" 💅

"Next up: Gabby vs Lill"

Gabby for the win?

Oh she's GOING THERE

"You forgot: Golden gave ME slay pass too!!"

Aw, she lost.

I guess that makes sense though cause it would be too easy.

"Hey that's not fair! She used Gabby's duel stick!"

"Eh it looked painful though so I'll allow it."

Chris McLean taught you well.

"Next showdown: Dan vs Ashley"

Kick his ass, Ashley.

GREAT. XD

OMG are you kidding me?! XD

"We too are aware of Golden's presence! So we decided to entertain her with pinning the best boys against each other!"

"Sorry Golden, but here in Disventure Camp, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE BEST BOY."

OH GOD HE'S PISSED

NUT SHOT

I REPEAT. WE HAVE A NUT SHOT.

"Jake scores! The Teal Team win Immunity and reward!"

Welp, guess that's that. The show has decided.

Unless Nick stays, which is pretty likely, so.

FOR NOW, Jake has my crown as best boy. We stan a guy who has no shame in denying another guy the right to have kids.

"See that's my own personal true personality reveal Golden! I'm an asshole too, just like Grett! Don't you love me?!"

Yes. Yes I do.

"Listen Nick, can we talk?"

Yes. Please talk. Please work things out.

"I think I've heard enough this morning to decide who I'm voting for."

"You don't have to behave like that, Nick!"

Why is Ashley the most reasonable character on this team?!

TELL HIM OFF.

"At least give Lill a chance!"

"I've already made my decision. Cheers."

Now I have even less regrets siding with Jake over you.

"I think we should vote together and take control of the team."

And here's where Alec and Ellie become swing votes.

Ellie's just the outlier here. "Um... I didn't ask to be a part of the villains team, why am I put on it? I didn't do anything wrong!"

I didn't put you there, Ellie. That was not me this time.

"I feel like I can be myself around them."

Ellie meanwhile, "WHERE'S THE EXIT?! SAVE MEEEEEE"

"Lill, it genuinely frightens me that you handle kids."

Just shut up.

"If I had a kid, I wouldn't let em anywhere near you."

"And I never will because SOMEONE busted my balls today!"

Ashley, once again, being the most reasonable one here.

'LILL'

Yeah, yeah, we know.

'FIORE'

'FIORE'

'NICK'

O_O

OH. GOD.

'NICK'

I-

I-

I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS MY FAULT.

I SHOULD NOT HAVE PUT HIM IN THE HEADING.

I CAUSED THIS.

"Because you're one of the worst in the challenges. Also, I can't stand you."

Wow. It really was that petty.

Tom, what ninja shit are you doing this time?

Pfft. He's a bad spy.

"Uh, I am standing right here and can see you!"

Alright, that was Episode 4...

Damn. I shouldn't have put Nick in the heading. I cursed him and caused his elimination.

I thought they were setting up a lot of character development for him cause I felt like he had an interesting story with his parents and wanting to prove himself...

But no. He did absolutely none of that and continued to be a spoiled lazy entitled snob up till his elimination.

And like... sure? If you need early boots?

Why couldn't it be Dan? Smh

This episode took what I said last episode and said "UH UH. You can only have one best boy as your choice. That's the rule." And forced them to fight for that position.

But if we had to choose between the two, I can't argue with Jake.

Idk who the favorites/hated characters are, and I feel like I have bad taste. One's an actual bitch and very open about it. But you know what? Gabby and Jake are sweethearts who deserve to be stanned.

Gabby is fun. She's full of personality. People are outcasting her for no reason and it's sad. I want Gabby to use her slay pass and revolt. Girl has done nothing wrong in her entire life.

And Jake? Come on. He's precious. He's a sweetheart. Look at him. And he takes no shit apparently. Man has done nothing wrong in his entire life.

I feel like Lilly's going next just cause she knows too much. But if that leaves Ashley alone to be the saving grace of the team till the merge I can't argue. I like her quite a bit.

I also like that Ellie and Alec are doing stuff now. Oh how the tables have turned.

They both have motives that are quite empathetic. It's so nice.

Why you working with the demon child though?

"I didn't ask to be put in hell with her Golden! I just wanted to make fashion! LET ME OUT!!!"

#SaveEllie

If you guys want me to continue these reactions, be sure to let me know.

[thesoftboiledegg]

Starting from the first episode, Rick and Morty's sixth season mirrors, references and counters season three. Season six references other seasons, especially the second, but the writers really want you to focus on season three and how much has changed.

Season three starts with The Rickshank Rickdemption, which I think is the best episode in the series, but it also shows Rick at his worst: a horrifying monster who destroys everything in his path on a rampage that culminates in a full-on mental break as he yells incoherently at a terrified Morty in the garage.

The Rickshank Rickdemption shows Rick's "fake" backstory, features a return to Morty's original dimension and involves the whole family in a zany adventure. Unfortunately, this also kickstarts Rick's spiral into nearly irredeemable madness.

Solaricks goes to similar places: Rick's backstory, Morty's original dimension, the family's complicated dynamic. By now, season five has revealed that Rick's "fake" backstory wasn't fake after all. Instead of mocking the audience with a "Fuck you, you can't have what you want!" sneer, the episode shows us Rick's quiet sadness.

Meanwhile, Morty ends up in his original dimension yet again. But he doesn't find the goofy Mad Max-esque characters from season three. His father, who's become a more realistic deception of an apocalypse survivor, tears into him and tells him--and the audience--that he, Beth and Summer were real people, not plot devices.

The episode abandons the cold and mocking earlier version of the Cronenberg Smiths. Jerry abandons Morty, too, leaving Morty to wander away crying. No brutal destruction and bloody corpses on the citadel. Just a sad, lonely teenager in an empty landscape.

Rick comes back for him without claiming that he doesn't care about Morty. He doesn't yell at him, insult him, subject him to horrifying violence or bait him into trying to kill him. Morty's not angry at him, either. After everything that's happened, after all the fucked-up shit that Rick's pulled, after all the screaming and fighting and abuse, Morty runs to him with a smile on his face and his arms outstretched like a young child.

Nothing could make Rick abandon his revenge-fueled atrocities in The Rickshank Rickdemption. In Solaricks, he abandons his chance to kill Prime when Morty calls him "Grandpa."

Likewise, Final DeSmithation is the second Rick and Jerry episode that we've been hoping for since The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy. The first episode battered viewers with Rick and Jerry's hatred for each other. Rick unleashes rage-fueled tirades while Jerry focuses on his desire to get back at Rick, to hurt him and even kill him.

In Final DeSmithation, Rick isn't the one terrorizing Jerry. In fact, he actually gets annoyed at the Smiths for making fun of him (while doing household chores, which is another first for Rick.)

He has no reason to help Jerry. If anything, he has a chance to endlessly mock him. But he gives Jerry a half-assed explanation that he "just didn't want to see someone get bullied into going to a zoo," which would still be nice if it were true. Rick doesn't even bother making up a mean one, such as "I'm only doing this so that my daughter doesn't kick me out of the house for not saving your stupid ass."

Final DeSmithation also had a fandom staple: Rick in a suit and tie. The series full of fakeouts suddenly pivoted to giving fans what they want.

Rick's mean to Jerry throughout the episode, but you can tell that he's getting tired of the act. He's a little more patient, and his remarks are less incisive. At the end, Rick tries to take it back by slapping Jerry, but the episode doesn't end there. He immediately looks guilty and accepts Jerry's offer of friendship afterward.

I also loved when Rick said that he's "dead center on the alignment chart." Earlier seasons, including season three, glorified the idea of Rick being close to evil.

Analyze Piss is the most direct callback: a sequel to Pickle Rick. However, Rick's not concocting ridiculous plots to get out of therapy. He willingly attends therapy. He paces around and fights against it, but ultimately, he seeks help.

He respects Dr. Wong, who knows how to talk to him on his level. He puts her ideas into practice even when the family pushes back because Rick's not doing what they want him to do. Rick still struggles and falls apart, but he tried this time.

He has chances to manipulate the Smiths, but he doesn't take them. Instead, he looks at them sadly. His ego is slowly eroding.

Finally, Ricktional Mortpoon's Rickmas Mortcation mirrors The Rickchurian Mortydate. Both episodes are season finales, and both involve Rick and the President bickering with Morty caught in the middle and getting increasingly sick of Rick's bullshit.

Still, this episode is a little nicer. Rick relapses, but he doesn't entirely backslide and turn into the murderous lunatic that he was in The Rickchurian Mortydate. He's just crabby.

The episode ends with an exciting cliffhanger instead of a dark moment when the Smiths (rightfully) get tired of Rick's bullshit. Rick even says in his usual crazy rant that he'll try to be healthier in season seven as he hunts Prime Rick.

We finally get a fakeout, but this one is gentler than the others. It's disappointing that Rickbot wasn't the real Rick, but the writers don't want us to leave thinking that Rickbot existed only to fool us. Rickbot tells Morty that Rick technically committed those kind, loving acts. It's a surprise twist that doesn't negate the entire season.

Season six countered infamous scenes from other seasons, but the season three parallels stood out to me because they contrast Rick at his worst with Rick at (maybe) his best. He can't change the past, but when he ends up in the same situation again, he can make different choices.

[timeagainreviews]

Putting the Mid in Midnight: Wild Blue Yonder

If I were to mention the film “The Horror at Party Beach,” no one would blame you for having never heard of it. In the annals of horror history, it left minimal impact on the genre. Why then were audiences asked to sign a “fright waiver,” before being permitted to see the film? Because it was never about the audience dying of fright. It was a dare to the viewer, one almost as old as cinema itself. William Castle used to start his films with a warning to the more delicate members of the audience. Reports of people fainting during “The Exorcist,” or more recently “Terrifier 2,” create a buzz around those films. Can you survive the horror or will you wind up in the hospital? The only way to know for sure is to buy a ticket! This is why when Russell T Davies issued a warning that “Wild Blue Yonder,” was possibly too scary for the kiddies, I saw it for what it was.

While I don’t doubt there was some concern that certain children may be disturbed by the imagery and tone of last night’s episode, it feels more like Davies asking audiences to just go with it. Similarly, Davies also asked us to just go with the idea of David Tennant returning by first introducing us to Ncuti Gatwa. “This isn’t a forever thing or the show moving backwards. Just go it.” After seeing how tumultuous the fandom has been since *checks notes* 1963, it feels like Davies’ tactic to unite the fandom is to encourage them to just go with it. It also feels like Davies is riffing a little, trying new things. “Wild Blue Yonder,” is an engaging exploration of the new while also referencing some of the old. Yet despite all of its experimentation, much of it feels like familiar territory.

First and foremost, I would like to state that I admire the hell out of this episode. On the rad vs trad debate, this puts one giant foot down for rad. With that said and out of the way, we need to talk about that intro. When it comes to the race of Isaac Newton you might say the show should be educational and therefore accurate in its depiction of race. But pretty early on, Doctor Who abandoned all pretence of being educational. And more recent attempts at being educational have left us with Jodie Whittaker spouting off a Wikipedia summary about an asteroid. You could also argue that this is a different type of education. A lesson in what it feels like to see your own people played by someone white. Considering Doctor Who’s history of brownface, I’m gonna say y’all need to chill the fuck out. Just go with it.

My only issue with this scene is much like the issue I had with the Children in Need special. The humour just falls so flat for me. It was a big thud on arrival. From the Kaled anagram sequence to mavity, it just doesn’t work for me. Part of me wonders if this isn’t in part because David Tennant and Catherine Tate were never on set with Nathaniel Curtis. There was no chance of improving with improv. I mentioned last week that some of the representation stuff also felt clunky. It’s weird too because when the show isn’t actively trying to make me laugh or view trans people like myself as valid, it comes off as funny and validating. Sylvia’s tuna masala and or Donna’s love for Rose do such a better job at both, yet they’re the quieter moments of the show thus far. It’s ironic to me that the more powerful moments of the second Davies era have been understated.

It’s easy to write this overstatement off, however. Thinking back to the 50th anniversary special, Clara’s line of turning people into frogs fell flat for me at the time. Now I look back at is as kind of charming. And furthermore, these big events like Children in Need, Christmas, or anniversaries get away with a bit of excess. The humour is more broad because they expect more people to be watching. It’s a time of merriment. It’s also part of why I appreciate “Wild Blue Yonder,” so much. Davies was attempting a weirder “Midnight-esque” episode in the middle of a highly publicised media event. He knew it was a bit of an ask for some audience members. Once again, it feels like an invitation to the rest of the fandom to allow room for exploration. If Doctor Who and the fandom are currently fractured, do we really need to put it back together in the same shape? Does it even need being put back together? Why not just fill the cracks with some seeds and see what grows out of them?

Since “The Star Beast,” aired, I’ve seen some people complaining that the sonic screwdriver has become too OP. Apparently, making sonic barriers is less believable than joining two cut ends of barbed wire. While I do understand that the sonic screwdriver can be a crutch for bad writing, I also understand it to be incredibly cool. Like, I’m sorry, cool beats your need for locked doors any day. If you need absolute realism in what you watch, might I suggest the window? It’s a freaking magic wand, people. Let it be magical. Doctor Who isn’t hard sci-fi. If Doctor Who’s sci-fi were a cheese, it would be brie. It looks hard but it’s gooey at its centre. You can argue that the sonic screwdriver being capable of repairing the TARDIS is too OP, but it’s also the device which removes two major plot conveniences in this episode- the TARDIS and the sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor and Donna are doing this one without a safety net. They’ve both been pared back to who they are as people. I had a feeling going in that this episode was going to have a smaller cast. It feels like Davies taking a stab at a sort of “Heaven Sent,” narrative that dissects the Doctor and Donna. In other ways it feels like an homage to Davies' own pared-back classic “Midnight,” which has gained cult status as one of his best scripts. In the short stories of Robert Aickman, readers are often left unaware when exactly things get strange. His protagonists walk through their worlds unaware of exactly when things turned hostile until they’re in the thick of it. In the same manner, much of the opening scenes of “Wild Blue Yonder,” leave us waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does, you may not notice right away.

Coming directly off the tonal whiplash of the Isaac Newton scene to a scenario so dangerous that it set off the H.A.D.S. system, it’s nice that the episode eases into its weirdness. The TARDIS’ eerie recitation of the song “Wild Blue Yonder,” echoes through the air with a reminder from Wilf, via Donna, that the song is not a jolly anthem, but a declaration of war. So we sit in the mystery of this gigantic ship sitting at the edge of the universe with its shifting corridors and its slow robot, as we try to ignore the clanking sound just outside the ship. It feels a bit like Doctor Who doing a haunted house in space, but you’re not exactly sure why. It’s Amityville in Space, but good.

With no sonic or TARDIS at his disposal, the Doctor can’t just point his magic wand. Even worse, the Doctor doesn’t even have the benefit of the TARDIS’ translation circuit. Whatever language this civilization uses on their ship, it’s not one of the 57,000,000,205 languages the Doctor can speak. But one language the Doctor can speak is mathematics. The Doctor may not have his tools, but he still has his mind. Deciphering the base ten of this unknown species, the Doctor can begin piecing together what is going on in this ship. Perhaps if he can figure out why an airlock had been jettisoned in the past, it might give a clue to what is happening. If he can remove the threat from the ship, the TARDIS might return. Otherwise, he and Donna could be forever stranded on this ghost ship hovering over nothingness.

If this ship is haunted, we’re about to meet the ghosts who call this place home. The Not-Things arrive quietly. So quiet that the shot establishing two Doctors and two Donnas in separate rooms initially seemed like a bad edit. When did the two of them get split up? It’s hard to remember. But we’re pretty sure the Doctor who licked the goo on the circuit is the real deal. Tasting things to figure out what they are is a classic Tennant move. The Doctor pretending to have a bad reaction to the goo evoked the Fourth Doctor pretending to go mad with power over the Key to Time. I wonder now if that wasn’t the Doctor testing a theory in the back of his mind because Donna was feeling a bit off. The Doctor has shown in the past that he knows when his companion is compromised in some way. Last week we were given early warning signs that the Doctor was becoming increasingly wary of the Meep.

Having the characters note a fluctuation in the temperature or the line “My arms are too long,” felt right at home with things like “Don’t blink!” or “Hey, who turned out the lights?” Their visible breath as an omen of ill tidings sits comfortably next to having two shadows or marking your skin to remember the Silence. I love how Doctor Who can turn everyday things like statues, shop dummies, or seeing your breath into danger. Those are the moments for the children hiding behind the sofa. One of Doctor Who’s greatest strengths is its ability to use allegory to help children face real fears. These are the modern equivalent of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

For a brief moment, I worried the Not-Things were going to spend the whole episode with Donkey Kong arms. While an effective and trippy visual, it would have started to look goofy after the initial shock had worn off. Watching “Return to Oz,” as an adult, I’m no longer scared of the Wheelers, but as a child they had me covering my eyes. Seeing the Doctor and Donna in these twisted forms was disturbing and creepy. I can see how this episode will stick with younger members of the audience for years. I also imagine it as future fetish fuel, but that’s unavoidable. In the words of Community’s Dean Pelton- “This better not awaken anything in me.”

Watching the Doctor and Donna drive away from these twisted angry giants reminded me of Leela and K9 fleeing guards in “The Sunmakers,” or even bits from “Terminator 2: Judgement Day.” I also got whiffs of “Sin-Eaters,” from the Titan comics line. While the sharp teeth and asymmetric contortions of the distorted Doctor and Donna do a lot to sell these monsters, it’s the performances of the actors that tip the scale. Other than the times we’re not supposed to know who is who, they feel like different characters. It started tricking my brain into thinking of the Not-Things as completely different actors.

An issue I have seen come up about the Not-Things is their special effects. If you were worried that the Disney+ money was going to make the show look too polished, worry not. While many of the shots in this episode were very good, and I love the continued use of practical effects, some of the effects of the Not-Things were a bit naff. But much like the Power Rangers effects from the acid ocean scene in “The Halloween Apocalypse,” I found it charming. The only one shot from any of these sequences that I would call bad is the shot of the Not-Thing Doctor with his head between his legs. It should have either been cut or reworked.

It’s hard to talk about the plot in this story. Mysteries are looming, but for the most part it’s a series of chases punctuated by “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” paranoia. But that isn’t to say that the screen time is wasted. Davies uses this as an opportunity to explore the Doctor’s emotional state after the events of the Flux. Something which hadn’t seemed to affect the Doctor much since the end of “The Vanquishers.”  It’s also interesting to know Davies hasn’t forgotten that half the universe was destroyed by the Flux, as Chibnall seemed to have forgotten immediately after. A friend even texted me today saying how Davies treated the Flux more seriously than Chibnall, and I don’t disagree. I felt like he did a better job explaining what actually happened during the Flux. Perhaps it was bad writing, or perhaps I had already given up hope on the era, but I had no idea that the Flux had anything to do with the Doctor. I’m not even joking. It wasn’t even apparent how much of the universe had been destroyed until last night. I learned more about the Flux from a couple of lines of dialogue than I did from six episodes of “The Flux.”

After the Doctor and Donna suss out who is who, they manage to put a little space between them and the Not-Things first by way of a line of salt and ultimately by a glass door. It was at this point in the episode that I made the strongest connections to “Midnight.” The doppelgangers watching Donna and the Doctor’s every move, reading every thought, to mimic them perfectly was a lot like the creature on the Midnight tour shuttle. In both stories the creatures even reach a point where they begin studying their prey. Noting every minor movement and tic. In both stories, formless creatures are looking to hitch a ride in someone else’s body to wreak untold havoc elsewhere. Because of these similarities, I see this story as a spiritual sequel to “Midnight.” A sort of loving homage to the Tenth Doctor and Donna era.

The Not-Things dwelled in the vast nothingness at the edge of our universe growing to despise our boiling noisy existence. Like the song “Wild Blue Yonder,” their response to our shouting into the void is a declaration of war. They seemingly hate us for our existence. When the mystery ship arrived, they saw it as a perfect vessel to bring destruction to the universe. The Captain of this ship must have figured this out as it was she who set their demise into motion. Realising that the Not-Things have a harder time mimicking or noticing things that move slowly, the Captain set the ship’s robot on a very slow course to set the ship on self-destruct. She then threw herself out of the airlock to prevent the Not-Things from fully taking her form.

The Doctor and Donna’s discovery of the horselike Captain’s body as the source of the clanging against the ship demands a bit of discussion. In yet another clunky attempt at trans inclusion, the Doctor and Donna try and work out the pronouns of the Captain. The Doctor affirms to Donna that the Captain was a she, but gives no basis as to how he arrived at this conclusion. I find this noteworthy simply because it actually plays into a transphobic meme that says when trans people die, archaeologists will misgender us by our bones. Because by what means did the Doctor know the Captain was a she? He couldn’t even read her language. What if she was the first trans masc horse Captain? Are we really not gonna stan a horse king because of how his bones look? Obviously, I’m taking the piss. But I do feel like this illustrates the responsibility one takes on when they aim toward validating representation. A simple line to clear up how the Doctor knows this would help because otherwise, he’s just guessing with no reasoning to back it up.

Another weird aspect of this episode was the aforementioned glass door. If I had a quid for every time a Doctor Who 60th anniversary special ended with characters being separated by a glass door in a spaceship, I’d have two quid. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. Also weird is that this episode marks the second time since we met the Fourteenth Doctor that the TARDIS enters a location by slamming into a wall. The first time being the Children in Need special “Destination: Skaro.” I would say this feels significant, but the TARDIS does land smoothly next to Cyber Dog at the beginning of “The Star Beast.” Another crash landing which could also mean nothing would be the TARDIS slamming into the tree that drops an apple on Isaac Newton’s head. Speaking of meaning nothing, what even was the point of that scene? Was it all to set up the mavity joke and the Doctor’s queerness? Or did it have a greater meaning? If not, they really should have just cut it all together. Perhaps air it as a minisode the day before “Wild Blue Yonder.” As an episode opener, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

After the Doctor almost escapes with the wrong Donna, the TARDIS gets a chance to show off its new ramps by using them to eject Not-Thing Donna like a middle-aged bowling ball. Our little android friend, now sped-up to real-time pushes the destruct button and takes the ship and Not-Things with it, thus finishing the Horse Captain’s brave mission to save the universe. I was sad we never really got to know the little robot. Its design reminded me a bit of Marvin the Paranoid Android from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” I was ready to love its personality and then mourn its sacrifice. It’s weird that in some ways, the fan theory that we would see twisted versions of the Doctor did come halfway true. Only in this version, there was no evil Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi. It’s been a bit interesting to see the fan theories come so close yet remain so far away.

Bookending the episode is another scene removed from the main storyline, only this is a book I actually want to read. Returning the TARDIS back to the Cyber Dog location where it was last seen, we get our first glimpse of Wilfred Mott since “The End of Time.” Sadly, it’s also the final time Bernard Cribbins will grace the screen of Doctor Who ever again. This brief cameo was all they were able to film before Cribbins passed away in 2022. I think it’s safe to assume that most of us got a bit teary-eyed seeing ol’ Wilf one last time. As the Fourteenth Doctor said “I loved that man.” I’ve never met a Whovian who didn’t love his character. Seeing Wilf waiting for the Doctor and Donna to return, still believing in the Doctor after all these years, is exactly how you want to remember him. An ever-loyal soldier who doesn’t leave his post. And so shall he never leave our hearts. It was bitter-sweet, but I’m so glad we got to say goodbye.

Ultimately, this episode kept me engaged throughout its entire runtime. But where it falls short of “Midnight,” is in its inability to create the same level of tension. Perhaps it has to do with the special effects revealing so much under bright lighting. There is less left to our imaginations this time around, and therefore the scares are more on the surface. This doesn’t automatically make them uninteresting, only less engaging. It reminded me at times of the special effects from the new “It,” film series. At times it was creepy and at other times it felt like something from a computer. I’m still deeply interested in the dread the Doctor felt after introducing superstition at the edge of the universe, where the rules of reality are less defined. That seems like a bigger plot point that furthers my belief that RTD plans to continue breaking Doctor Who wide open. If I were to compare the quality of “Wild Blue Yonder,” to previous Doctor Who stories, I would go with “The Idiot’s Lantern,” or maybe “Flatline.” Both of these are episodes I enjoy but they aren’t earth-shattering either. As I said in my “Eve of the 60th” article, I would settle for competent and competent was what we got. I'm still very excited for what's to come.

[flowerbloom-arts]

How do you think MV19 is going to adapt "Moominpappa's memoirs"? Because it seems like they're also doing the comet adaptation, so they are going to clash both¿

I doubt Gusty would have the gall to make a straight adaptation of Moominpappa's Memoirs so late into the series and somehow fit it into the plot of Comet in Moominland, or at least I hope they don't have the gall to do it in their 13 episode runtime.

They already referenced the story in good detail in the Golden Tail episode, they've already referenced Edward, the Muddler, the Nibling and Hodgkins, now we just need them to follow it through with something more substantial, because the show's viewers who haven't watched or read anything else of Moomin are definitely going to be wondering who exactly Muddler and Hodgkins are, and what the heck a Nibling is.

They've already used up the Ghost (or at least a character similar to it) and sent him to the aurora borealis in season 1, I can imagine that maybe they would, like, do a throwback to him but honestly who even thought about the 2019 Ghost in any substantial way after that episode? The creators don't even bother putting Emma or Ninny in crowd shots or give them small character bits past their respective episodes, so it's doubtful they'd being the Ghost back. It'd be redundant to have an episode dedicated to Moominpappa's backstory adapted into a stage play only for us to see a flashback version of it unless they really wanna go out there with it. The Joxter lacks even a peep of reference which is super weird so it'd be double weird to bring him in with Muddler and Hodgkins who have been mentioned, like, who the hell is that guy?

If they want to bring in Moominpappa's Memoirs in a way that feels more natural for the final season of a show they should probably just adapt the epilogue where they have a big family reunion, perhaps interweave Moominpappa's character into it and make him proactive in seeking out his old friends for the adventure and we'd get the adaptation through his reminiscing while the end of the world is ongoing, I think that'd be neat.

You could even sprinkle in a little heartbreak and say he's doing it for a proper goodbye because if they did in fact make Moomins and the Great Flood canon then that would make Moominpappa abandoning his family for years canon, and that could extend to him abandoning the Oshun Oxtra without warning because something something he was too selfish and he gets character development when he realizes how self-centered he's been and tries to make up for it.

Perhaps that would be the B-plot with the Moominparents instead of them staying at home waiting around like in the book while the kids go off on their mountain-trotting adventure.

Honestly I just want Sniff's character arc to end with him finding his proper parents who care for him along with getting the cat he adopts in Comet in Moominland. Everyone else has been very rude or disregarding him throughout the show, that was even his main thing in season 3, so it would mean the world to me if he just. Gets a Happy Ending.

What I'm most worried about in an adaptation (adjacent) of Memoirs is the infantilization of the Muddler, everything else is either already gotten down by the show (Moominpappa's character) or difficult to mess up unless they're actively trying to (Hodgkins and Joxter's characters) but Muddler........ It's already a problem within the fandom and we know Gutsy and Moomin co. do cater to the fandom quite a bit. Maybe it's just that he's my favorite character ever but I am. Worried about him. Especially considering characters like Sniff or Toffle.

But like, yeah, you can do alot with Moominpappa's Memoirs but I doubt Gutsy writers have the imagination or brain power to manage it alongside a Comet in Moominland adaptation some the likely adaptations of the comics or original plot episodes. That episode based on Moominvalley in November is the most egregious thing they've done in the world as an adaptation and I hope they don't stoop down to that again but, yeah.

It really sucks that the showrunners weren't sure if they were gonna get past season 2, they could've done alooooot better with the show's plot and character arc structure and I'm sceptical about the quality of a simultaneous Comet in Moominland and Moominpappa's Memoirs adaptation for the final season. But we'll see.

[haleigh-sloth]

Hello again shigaraki expert! Hope all is well. Forgive me if you’ve answered this before, but what do you think people get wrong about him the most often and why? Both by viewers as well as the characters in the series. Thank you for always being so open to questions!

🤯 What a question. Also I have no idea how to react to being called that askdfasg. I think I kind of went on a little tangent about that here, but there are actually a lot of answers to this question.

There are a LOT of things about Tomura that I personally feel get mischaracterized by fans--but a lot of these takes come from multiple different subsects of the fandom. So I have to like...break it down I guess so it doesn't come across as a disjointed point I'm trying to make. And then in canon, god, there is also a lot of misunderstanding of him but that's because Tomura doesn't say anything out loud.

I'll break it into sections asghasf

Some takes are just not worth engaging with imo, like the ones talking about how he "actually wanted to kill his dad", or was actually born evil. I mean.....if that's the conclusion you've come to when reading the manga, there is nothing I can do to help you lol.

Takes I feel are skewed but not without justification to some extent though:

Man-child who throws tantrums: I mean yes, in the beginning when you didn't know the character well, you saw this behavior. And you hear the protagonist side characterize him this way. I get where this idea comes from, it isn't based off of nothing in canon. But supposedly people latched onto this characterization and never let it go. Now I personally don't see this a lot because anybody who thinks this is not someone I'd engage with in fandom anyway, but apparently in fics? I guess it's an issue. But yeah, needs to be let go. His reactions in early chapters have been explained to us as serious stress responses as a result of his life circumstances, not him being spoiled and unhappy that he didn’t get what he wanted, similarly to a toddler. The scratching at his skin and severe emotional irritation? It’s a panic attack.

Making his entire personality out to be nothing but a gamer nerd. Again, this isn’t without some justification. But it’s a little weird that so often he gets reduced down to…just that. It’s not even prevalent enough in his personality to have been put in his manga profile as something he likes, like it was for Spinner. It’s just weird that…that’s all he gets out of people sometimes.

The more complicated mischaracterizations (imo) are as follows:

“He has his own goals that he came to on his own.” Well, there is some evidence to back this up, if you ignore another key aspect of his character. He hates society, yes. He was abandoned by the common population and by heroes, yes. But his resiliency from this fact is completely tanked, because the real reason behind his goal to just get rid of everything is because he hates himself and sees no possibility for a future where the current world will ever accept him. But notice how in recent events we’ve been shown that despite the fact that he sees no future for himself in the current society, he still keeps hoping and holding out for someone to help him and accept him anyway. His self-hatred is not something he came up with on his own—that’s AFO. Society sucks, he hates it, and he has a hatred for it based off of personal experiences. But that’s not what he needs saving from. He needs saving from the hate he holds for himself and his own existence.

“He was liberated from his past.” He wasn’t. The proof is current chapters, but also if people would take like ten minutes to go back and really look at MVA, they’d see it for what it was. It was insanely negative development for Tomura and the shackles his past have around him only tightened their grip, as did AFO. Arguments over whether the possession plot line being planned from the start aside, MVA was never an arc about him being set free, or letting go, or moving on. It’s really really obvious if you look at it without being held up on the nice idea of Tomura being an independent thinker.

“He wants to make a change for the better.” I don’t know that this even really needs much explanation. I know it’s a common idea that he’s “fighting for a change”, but there’s a reason the manga doesn’t uphold his actions as something positive. Decaying cities with random bystander people in them is not positive nor is it fighting for any kind of change. And the manga doesn’t even try to frame it that way. So I find this take to be a result of people not letting go of past characterizations when we had less info, and not letting go of fanon Tomura. I talked about this here and here.

“He’s this selfless and compassionate person who prioritizes others (namely the League) above himself.” Honestly, I don’t see any indication of this, but it’s a popular idea people have of him. His desire for the LOV to live how they wish and HIS desire to destroy everything are 100% mutually exclusive. In a way both ideas might point in the same direction, but in that sense both of those things point in the same direction as AFO’s plans too. But they don’t enmesh well do they? On another note, he’s definitely self destructive, but he’s not sacrificial. He’s not out there thinking of the League’s well-being as a result of any sacrifice he makes. He operates rather independently (separating and going into a coma for four months). And the proof of this is, well, currently. When two of the remaining members of the league who have some sort of independence in their actions willfully turned a blind eye to his situation and pretty much abandoned him in the AFO situation, and have shown no internal conflicts to AFO taking over their operation. It just tells me that Tomura never set the bar for the League members to sacrifice themselves for each other, including himself. He doesn’t. What Spinner, Compress, and Twice do in their arcs is a different discussion altogether. But if we’re talking about Tomura specifically, he is not sacrificial for others. There is not really any evidence for that imo. I do think he is a compassionate person deep down, at his core. But that’s Tenko, who he really is, who he’s always been. That’s an aspect he’s always had outside of AFO that gets clouded over by his current personality that is nothing but trauma responses.

I think those are my biggest things that I feel get misconstrued, misread, mischaracterized about him by fandom. In the manga itself, there isn’t really a single soul who knows his true self (yet). So to answer that I’d say….everyone misunderstands him to great extents. But that’s intentionally done. Nobody is supposed to see how much he really hates himself and blames himself for his family and for how he turned out as a person. (Yet)

[lemonhemlock]

It's so weird seeing people complaining about the show whitewashing Aemond while arguing that he actually should've been portrayed as a psychopath or a villain from the get-go. That's hardly a better portrayal. He was just a child when he attempted to console Jace!! Is it so bad that he wasn't shown to be a complete lunatic at that age?h Also, the sexual trauma that happened to him when he was 13 years old doesn't exclude him from committing atrocities in the future nor having a future relationship of probable dubious consent with an older woman. In fact, I'd argue it's not inconceivable that book!Aemond lost his virginity at a similar age or was very young at least - whether or not book!Aegon had a part in it (tbh even in the show I don't think he did it with the intent to traumatize his younger brother like I've seen some people suggesting, no, he truly thought he was doing a good thing to him - but this is another discussion). While Daemon did not receive the best portrayal with him being the one to kill Rhea or choking his current wife I don't think the fandom as a whole hates him more than they would've hated the book version of him because of those two decisions, team black fans certainly don't and let's be honest, most green ones would've hated him regardless. As for Viserys, well, he was hated before the show too for being weak! Because he is and always will be!! Imho he's just ickier in the show because of the decision to age him up and age Alicent down, thus making the dynamic of their relationship really off-putting (and this still doesn't prevent some people from claiming that she seduced him). Aegon, well, he sure did receive the worst treatment from the writers but I truly don't think it was done at the behest of Aemond, to make him the better brother and so on. If anything, it was done to prop Rhaenyra up as the right choice, whose side we, as viewers, must take. Not to be a jerk but one must be really naive to think that the Aemondwives and even most normal Aemond fans will abandon him once he starts burning the Riverlands and latch onto Aegon as their next favorite character as a result of that. Everyone already knows he's only getting worse. The only thing that can make some of his fans jump off ship is if the writers make him rape Alys and/or be violent towards her but I doubt that will happen (and their relationship isn't very clear in the books either). Peasants are just that, peasants. No fangirl is going to be like "omggg Aemond was so evil for burning that village down!!! now I hope he dies!!". Now of course this isn't the view someone should have, but stans are gonna stan regardless.

Sorry for this getting so long but I truly think some people would be better off if they'd stop watching the show only to complain about what the writers changed. This is not to say we should simply approve of everything the writers are doing and never say anything against, but some complaints are truly silly. If you like the book more, then stick to it? Nothing wrong with that.

i think people are just bored at this point but maybe for some reason don't have the bandwidth to invest in another fandom / watch another show / read another book & they're just stuck arguing in circles about hotd. it's been the same main 10 topics of conversation over & over since the show ended that they keep coming back to

i also don't get why anyone would be against taking a one-note character from the books and fleshing them out more. if anything, aemond's characterization as a child and young man made a lot of sense & was integrated nicely, without resorting to moustache-twirling tropes like child psychopath. also agree that aegon's depiction came about a way to prop rhaenyra up, not aemond.

all things considered, you're probably right about the aemondwives being ride or die, but who can predict how zealous fans with such militant behaviour will react. even the snapewives engaged in some very weird mental gymnastics because they didn't agree with the plotline jkr assigned to their favourite character