#war of faith episode 20

[accio-victuuri]

when the drivers went on strike, your sympathy for them and your anger towards the police were enough to show your political tendencies. don’t worry, i will keep this secret from the bottom of my heart. but i still hope you can be more careful. don’t burden mr. shen anymore. { war of faith episode 20 }

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 16

Link for Seasons  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13 14 15

You know the drill by now, I’ll judge whether an episode has all the qualities of a canon one, or is it just shameless filler.

S16E1 Reverse Cowgirl is CANON Since Betsy dies in it, it basically has major consequences for the Donovan family. S16E2 Cash for Gold is FILLER Marvin Marsh is in-and-out of retirement home since this one, but it's never explained.

S16E3 Faith Hilling is FILLER It's about memes and fads and those will never stay relevant.

S16E4 Jewpacabra is FILLER Eric learns a lot about jewish faith and tells Kyle he's now jewish too. This will happen one more time and even then it won't stay like that.

S16E5 Butterballs is FILLER Butters' grandmother never returns and Stan jacking off in Sad Diego happens again in the next episode which is... S16E6 I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining is FILLER We're even subjected to reconstructed events of a documentary instead of the real events.

S16E7 Cartman Finds Love is CANON Nichole Daniels moves to town, Cupid Me is introduced, Nichole is from now on is in a relationship with Tolkien. In the middle of a mainly filler season, we have a surprisingly important episode. S16E8 Sarcastaball is FILLER Unrelated, but has anyone noticed how similar Butters is to Orel from Moral Orel? And their dads, Stephen and Clay are even more similar.

S16E9 Raising the Bar is FILLER The bar gets raised in the episode, but I don't think that has actually happened in real life, nor seems to have happened in-universe based on the celebrities they cover later. S16E10 Insecurity is FILLER Yes, the Farmer Fred is in this, but it won't make the cut either way.

S16E11 Going Native is FILLER Butters turn out to be Hawaiian and bring Kenny for an angry rant on Ben Affleck. S16E12 A Nightmare on Facetime is FILLER It's basically the prototype version of the season 23 plotline.

S16E13 A Scause For Applause is FILLER Jesus Christ doping is not necessarily a part of the character in any other episodes.

S16E14 Obama Wins! is FILLER Since Obama was the president in the last 15 episodes as well, it doesn't change much that he will stay. Also, the plotline involving Star Wars not becoming Disney's property is silly considering they won't follow through with the idea and instead revert to following what happened in real life during season 20.

SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

S16E1 Reverse Cowgirl is CANON S16E2 Cash for Gold is FILLER S16E3 Faith Hilling is FILLER S16E4 Jewpacabra is FILLER S16E5 Butterballs is FILLER S16E6 I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining is FILLER S16E7 Cartman Finds Love is CANON S16E8 Sarcastaball is FILLER S16E9 Raising the Bar is FILLER S16E10 Insecurity is FILLER S16E11 Going Native is FILLER S16E12 A Nightmare on Facetime is FILLER S16E13 A Scause For Applause is FILLER S16E14 Obama Wins! is FILLER

CANON counter:

S1: 9 out of 13  S2: 3 out of 18  S3: 6 out of 18  S4: 10 out of 17  S5: 8 out of 14  S6: 11 out of 17 S7: 6 out of 15 S8: 4 out of 14 S9: 8 out of 14 S10: 4 out of 14 S11: 4 out of 14 S12: 8 out of 14 S13: 3 out of 14 S14: 7 out of 14 S15: 6 out of 14 S16: 2 out of 14

Overall: 99 out of 238

[naturegirl555]

Ranting about supernatural because I hate this show so so much (I’m so so obsessed with it to the point where it’s concerning) and I’m on season 6 episode 20 “the man who would be king” and can I just say how incredibly annoying the boys are! Like can you maybe hear cas out maybe! His reasons for doing these things aren’t malicious or demonic. He is fighting a war in heaven which they couldn’t give to shits about and now they are gonna be mad because he was MANIPULATED by crowley (I love the man but still) like can they use their brains for one moment. And I feel this may come off like I hate Sam and dean and I do not in any way they are very complex characters with trauma and trust issues but cas has done everything for them. He was trying to save them. He didn’t know the outcome. Like Sam and dean have never made a mistake before. Because I remember a couple seasons ago where Sam was going crazy gorging on demon blood because he thought he could do good with that power! So why be so hypocritical and get mad at cas in the way they did. And can we just talk about how broken cas looked when they trapped him in the holy fire! Like Sam said to him did you bring me back without a soul on purpose and his eyes god! Like in what world would castiel who saved you both from hell do that purposely! It was already hard enough to save dean it was a group project in a way he didn’t have help with Sam! And cas is also doing all of this because he thinks its what god wants. He is so blinded by his faith again because he got brought back to life. He had the idea that he was brought back for this reason and chuck did absolutely nothing because all he wants is drama and trauma for the collective and not caring about how his kids feel! Castiels faith breaks my heart because no one could understand it. Dean couldn’t and Sam couldn’t. Castiel has been an angel since the beginning it’s not so easy to give up everything you’ve ever known even when you know that it might not be the right thing. Was it easy for dean to see his father the way everyone else saw John. No. So why can’t it be difficult for cas. They truly never give cas a break. And yes I’m a major destiel shipper. But the way dean acts towards cas sometimes makes me so enraged. But this “breakup” dean looked heartbroken. Castiel had lied to him. Him of all people. The man who he had a profound bond with. He just wanted cas to ask for help and cas didn’t because he doesn’t do that. He’s never been not capable before things have never been this difficult for him before. And when you look at what castiel did there was truly nothing wrong with it. He was blinded and manipulated and he didn’t want all of the shit they endured to stop the apocalypse to be for nothing. He didn’t go to dean because he saw dean living a normal life he saw him getting out and he wanted to respect that. How could castiel have known dean wasn’t happy in that life. Castiel isn’t very good with human emotions and his thinking is very black and white while the winchesters have shades of gray thinking. So how is it fair to blame cas for all of it. I’m sorry about this rant i just feel so much about this! Like castiel is my favorite fictional character of all time and I wish I could’ve teleported into the show and been his lawyer because no one would listen to him no one ever does. I love all of them very very much but it would be dumb to think castiel doesn’t deserve better. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk about castiel. It may happen again

[eggybug]

guess what time it is! its end of season 4 thoughts time!!!!

they are going to be a lot more insane and outta order than in the past

1. the entire season they were yelling at us that lilith was the final seal and it pissed me off jfc

2. i forgot what it was like to lowkey hate sam, i hate it.

3. so cas was in love the whole time, right? RIGHT. like i know ive been ranting about it all season but are you KIDDING me

4. ruby is a bitch and i hate her so bad. but she was in it for the long game thats for damn sure

5. im REALLY not looking forward to the whole "sam gets haunted by lucifer" bit

6. i love cas, i really do, but he looked right in deans eyes, knew that he was doing this shit to him, and did it anyway. like he was probably tortured by the legions of heaven, but goddamn it

7. when i start making cain and abel comparisons all next season, i don't wanna hear shit about it. itll be my bout of insanity and i apologize in advance

8. i fuckin LOVE bobby

9. no body liked john winchester, they loved him, but they hated the son of a bitch

10. i never got to the point where chuck became TRULY the worst guy ever, but i know we as a fandom hate him, so i hate him.

11. i think demons eat babies and i don't know how i feel about that

12. i don't know who i hate more, uriel or zachariah. maybe im glad cas killed all the angels

13. like i get it but HOW did it take dean so long to realize heaven wanted the war too. they disappeared for weeks while lilith was breaking seals like a bull in a damn china shop

14. they keep doing that thing where one of the capital A angels does something shameful to dean, or dean questions his faith in the "Plan" and the camera cuts to cas looking like a sad puppy

15. ik ive said it 1000 times but goddamn those stupid lil boys need therapy

16. GABRIEL WAS TRYING TO WARN THEM, HE WAS TRYING AND HE COULDNT. THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU GABEY!

17. hey, in the last episode they killed a bunch of nuns, which like damn

18. back to sam, his dumbass really fell for the devil on his shoulder bit jfc

19. like i understand camera work, but two straight men don't stand that close to have a conversation. they just don't.

20. hey sammy, you throw a lady in a trunk, you stop being the good guy

21. at any point did they just consider... not doing that. maybe perhaps, waiting a week?

22. there was a thing with the mirrors and zachariah in the last ep, wasn't there? like that wasn't unintentional. mirrors are notoriously terrible to work with, that can't be unintentional.

23. i love that biblical fanfiction always somehow ends with an angel, a demon, and a human coming together to stop heaven and hell playing out a war on earth.

24. spn just proved you can't leave a bunch of corporate assholes in charge of a planet.

26. im really not looking forward to sam whining about starting the apocalypse for a whole season.

27. dean fighting tooth and nail for cas to see the truth in humanity. to find faith outside of heaven. cas seeing that and it breaking his morale a little bit more and more every time. cas repeatedly seeing dean, perfect vessel, perfect soldier, dean be willing to lose the promise of heaven, of peace for his little bit of humanity. it broke cas. and dean keeps begging cas to see it too. and they're going to drive. me. INSANE.

28. "we're done" those were the exact words dean said to cas.

29. so cas and dean can talk without saying anything, and i hate to say that means they're in love... but thats exactly what that means.

30. cas did it! he broke his faith, he sacrificed himself for dean. and now they're gonna kiss (ik they don't kiss but a boy can dream)

31. have i mentioned that sam pisses me the FUCK off! like yeah i blame ruby but goddamn.

32. this season was hell in a handbasket, jfc (no ounce intended)

omg! season for is done!! woooo! onto the most annoying and lowkey painful season ever! my takes and thoughts for season 5 are going to be annoying, so be prepared !

[reality-detective]

https://x.com/David_Baumblatt/status/1717269393757847647?s=20

If you can't see this 👆

Here is his rumble channel 👇

https://rumble.com/v3dz6oy-david-baumblatt-episode-1.html

His website 👇

Information about David 👇

To the American People: Hello, my name is David Baumblatt, born and raised in New York, I am a West Point Graduate and Former FBI Agent who has been under an unconstitutional investigation by the corrupt FBI for over a decade. I am considered a National Security Threat who is no longer welcome to return to the USA, the last time I visited the USA in 2019, I was detained, searched, interrogated, spied on, deceived, and physically assaulted by the US Government. I have brought formal allegations against the FBI, Inspector Generals of the DOJ and DHS, and have written every single congressman and senator, however they have all ignored me. To access the formal allegation document and the email communications, please go to my website and at the bottom of the page, click on the "Request Government Complaint" button and you will have access to the documents. http://terebinth.info/david In 2005, I knew that America was headed for Civil War and Collapse, because we have abandoned our values of FAITH, FAMILY, FREEDOM. In 2007 I left the immoral, corrupt, and incompetent FBI. I wanted nothing more to do with this corrupt government agency, however the FBI has continued to spy on me and destroy my life and career. In 2010, I decided to leave America, as I had no desire to continue to argue my point about my America's coming collapse, as most people disagreed with me. I just wanted to move on with my life and did not wish to argue anymore. The FBI then began spying on me overseas and colluding with foreign intelligence agencies to yet again destroy my life. At this time, I knew I had to take a stand, and therefore, here I am, publicly telling my story about the corrupt FBI. I have recently begun producing social media content, however my very first video on YouTube has been censored, and I have also been banned on LinkedIn; so now I am using Rumble. I am trying to get my message to the American Patriotic Media, and I appreciate your support. This is my story 👇

I am a Whistle-Blower trying to expose U.S. Government illegal and immoral conduct.  Mainstream Media has ignored me, therefore, I ask you for your support to please send this message far and wide.  If you are a Media Professional, Podcast Host, etc. I would be happy to be a guest on your show.  Please send me your contact information, or you can email me at leadership@terebinth.info I have also recently published a book about this affair entitled Patriots Betrayed, A Soldier, Scholar, Spy's warning about America's Leadership Crisis. (E Book, Audio Book, Hard/Soft Cover) https://terebinth.info/book Like myself, there are millions of other innocent American Citizens being unconstitutionally spied upon by our corrupt government. I would have never imagined that as a Military Veteran my own government would illegally and immorally continue to destroy my life, and then to completely ignore me, when I take a stand. If you are still not convinced on how corrupt our government is, please watch this video of me working for the Boeing Corporation (the Military Industrial Complex) in China, and you will see what a Traitorous Corporation Boeing is to the American people. Boeing like other American Globalist Corporations will put China over the welfare of American Citizens.

The number one enemy to the American People is the American Globalist Government and the American Globalist Corporations. America is headed toward Civil War and Collapse, I was convinced of this back in 2005, and I am now even more convinced. To the American Patriots, get ready to fight, it is going to get dangerous in America. We have been betrayed by our Unpatriotic Government and Unpatriotic Corporations. I appreciate your help and may God be with us. 🙏⚔️🛡️

[beevean]

Idk I think people objections to vivziepop is overblown, she's hard to work with? So was Yuji Naka, She drew problematic art? So did Miura Kentaro and Rebecca Sugar, she said bad things in the past? So did Seth MacFarlane, she didn't groom any minors or assaulted someone like the Rick and Morty guy or the Red and Stimpy guy

Fun fact, a friend and I today tried to read the "controversies" page on Vivziepop.

And it's. Bad. As in, I refuse to believe anyone older than 20 wrote it.

Some of the claims have sources. Not all of them, though. Case in point, this gem:

Grooming Allegations On January 19th XXXX, Vivziepop has been accused of grooming a 14-year-old. (Needs citation)

Or this one

It is also worth noting that Vivzie supports Zone Tan, who is infamous for being a child predator who used a real child's voice for his child porn. It was also shown that Vivziepop directly interacted with Zone.

(wow, that sounds like a serious accusation! source?)

(also please it's not child porn, it's CSEM if it involves a real child)

Other parts come off as edit wars:

The drama died down after a couple days when a decent number current of SpindleHorse members, such as Sam Haft, Monica Franco, HorrorFreak, and more talked about their positive experiences, and some were convinced that the accusations were exaggerated or lies.

Erin Frost returned yet again in November. At this point, many are sick of her continued attempts at showing what she considers proof of her mistreatment, especially since she shamed others who won't stand with her, calling them "spineless" and sharing private messages without their consent. To a large portion of people, Erin Frost is not the innocent victim she claims to be and is attempting to twist the situation so that she comes out looking more sympathetic than she actually is

And then we get the absolute petty shit:

Improper Representation of Sexual Assault In one of the episodes of Hazbin Hotel, there have been some criticism about how sexual assault has been treated, as one of the chatacters, Husk, would tell Angel Dust that the latter will "get over it", even though Angel Dust has experiences with being sexually assaulted by Valentino, which is one of the things you should never say to a person who suffers from PTSD/Trauma.

Not even touching the yet again misconception that Loser Baby is a victim blaming song... This is a lie. Husk never once utters the words "get over it". This should be edited out immediately. Checking the source, it was badly paraphrased by a Tumblr post badly paraphrasing it in bad faith.

It was then revealed that Vivziepop also supported a Twitter user named "Raphielle", who is an NSFW artist that actively makes art of non-con/rape of Valentino and Angel (in which Valentino is the abuser, and Angel Dust as a victim of Val), with Raphielle even supporting said ship despite it being toxic and very wrong.

"and very wrong", how old are you?

Also I don't see the issue? Valentino abusing Angel is canon. And if Raphielle animated Poison, kudos to them for such a raw portrayal of abuse.

What makes it worse that Raph romanticizes it as well, despite mentioning that he has dealt with being repressed and being controlled, which is not a good excuse of drawing rape porn, in which Raph constantly fetishizes it.

Now this has just turned into a Twitter thread.

Supporting of Proshipping Like said before, while she has supported Raphielle, who supports non-con/rape ship of Valentino and Angel Dust, Vivziepop has also be revealed to have sexualized Morty from an adult animated TV show called "Rick and Morty" (in which Morty is 14-years-old, mind you). Vivziepop would even go as far as to ship Morty with Rick Sanchez (who is Morty's 70-year-old Adoptive grandfather).

Perish the thought.

The source of Vivzie following "bad people" is exactly what you would expect: the main accusation is that she follows porn artists with a fat fetish. Tagged as "csa" to boot. You people wouldn't have survived a day on DeviantART ffs.

And this is the cherry on top:

"Hey maybe this page should be written in a professional manner."

"HOW DARE YOU DEFEND A SHIT PERSON"

yeah you sure a person I can trust with handling delicate information!

Basically, I can't take this seriously. Again, I checked some sources, mainly the transmisandry ones, and sadly they look legit. The complaints about HH are however asinine to the point that the whole page loses credibility.

I won't get into this matter because I don't want to get involved into this year-long discourse more than necessary. I won't respond to anything related to Vivziepop again. But I wanted to vent because I hate when people are accused of being pedophiles/child molesters/abusers because they follow people who draw Sonic porn or they support people with a non-fluffy ship. Get over yourselves, and stick to the actually harmful stuff.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - PAIN, all the pain you could want

except this is me, I don’t want it... whimper 

Dec 2022 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

My School President (Fri YT) 2 of 10 - this show is gloriously ridiculous and charming and exactly my preferred kind of BL. Tinn has NO GAME, but man do I love a whipped boy. Anything that harkens this hard to Love Sick gets my vote. 

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 3 of 11 - It is nice to see Ohm play a character with more animated facial expressions. I’m liking this show a great deal, but I am really not wild about time loops. Crazy to see Stud & Sam on screen together again. Holy Friend Zone flashbacks batman. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 5 of 12 - it continues to be great, I continue to worry about the fact that apparently only Taiwanese BL considers therapy a viable option for boys who actually, ya know, NEED it. WATCH ALONG HERE.

Ai Long Nhai (Mon iQIYI) 11 of 12 - More nothing is happening, but the nothing is shirtless again, so I’m good. 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 9 of 12 - Well, the sweet little BL with Gun & Golf is great. Bummer they only take up 20% of screen time. Golf’s parents are the best. That’s all I got. 

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 4 of 12 - it’s boring, what can I say? 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai 

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Fri Viki) 10 of 12 - everything about this show is so stinking cute, even the crumbs are adorbs. So many smiley kisses! (my 2nd fav kiss, the 1st one being a crying kisses, I’m warped). Speaking of, is it just me or is the actor playing Alex 1000% hotter when he smiles? Please no Doom next week, Taiwan? Pretty please? 

Oh! My Assistant (Korea Thurs Viki) 3-4 of 8 - Amusingly, I’m referring to it as OhMyAss in my notes. I do love this one, it has such a Japanese feel to it. The episode titles alone are hilarious. Plus, kisses already? Korea? What’s going on? Meanwhile, this is my favorite bisexual awakening in cinematic history. It made me incandescently happy. 

Happy Ending Romance (Korea Thurs Gaga & Viki) 5-6 of 8 - Look, I can watch Leo be pensive & moody until the cows come home (and have in half of Vixx’s MVs*) but it is getting a little tiresome here. PLUS: this is a KBL they don’t have a lot of time to waste even on his level of evil beauty. I think this would have worked better as a romance if the Writer had known the Editor in (at least) a friendly way in the past/at school as well - so there was more established dynamic to their instant affection and shacking up. Apart from my qualms around the romance thread, the plot is actually pretty good. It’s very angsty and tense for something so simple, which suits this length of show. *I guess what I am saying is if Korea ever did a remake of KinnPorsche, Leo MUST play Vegas.

Choco Milk Shake (Korea Strongberry Tues YT) 10 of 11 - Pain. Argh. It was cruel to send them back, to all of us. Is there an ep 11, or is that a BTS and this was the end? In which case... in Strongberry I no longer trust. I guess we find out next week how shaken my faith is. 

Eternal Yesterday AKA Eien no Kino (Japan Thurs Gaga & Viki) 8fin -Fortunately I have no faith at all in Japan, I expect pain from them. So here’s your final review of this one: 

Smart boy in love with zombie incubus, keeps him alive with sex. Japan, king of thirst, gives us both that and PAIN: these 2 are drowning in yearning and loss. Careful with this one - you break it, you bought it, and it'll break you... wide open just to see what color your guts are. After watching, you too might be walking around alone, forgotten, and wondering why no one understands your loss. Not only does it not end happily, it ends hopelessly. That’s an automatic 2/10 from me. No exceptions and NOT RECOMMENDED.

Sure, it may actually be brilliant, but it hurt me and I’m mad about it. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

War of Y (Thai Gaga) 20 eps - it’s just all too much for me.

2 Moons 3 (Thai Mon ??) 10 eps - Possibly a future binge watch. Rumor is it’s banal.

Love Bill  (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - ?

Why You... Y Me? (Thai Weds YT) 10 eps - It's not primarily a BL, but another meta show about BL shipping, with side BLs. @heretherebedork is watching it, ask them about it.

Gossip

Here’s that rumor, by the way. 

I refuse to believe it. GMMTV is simply forbidden to do pain, it’s not their brand and I’ll be very mad if they do. 

In Case You Missed It

Semantic Error movie (Viki) the repackage did have some nice added footage but I wasn’t wild about some of the new scene cut choices. Still, not substantial enough changes for me to deeply lean one way or the other. I prefer the original but that might just be because that’s how I consumed it first. *shrug* 

GAP the series (Sat YT) is a classic office set romance. WATCH IT! It’s GL and this studio needs our support! I’m enjoying it but not chronicling my journey. (Also, the stairs are back.)

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting December 2022: 

Dec 13 - Never Let Me Go from Thailand, GMMTV’s YT, 10 eps -  GMMTV’s answer to KinnPorsche this is a mafia, attack dog (whipping boy + bodyguard) suspense BL. I’m delighted to see Pond Phuwin get a crack at something that’s not FUTS. Jojo (3 Will Be Free) is directing, so we know the action parts should be decent.

Dec 15 - The Director Who Buys Me Dinner from Korea, iQIYI - A new production house employee whose director (absolutely perfect in every way except that he seems to have lost his mind) claims to have lived 3 lives and insists that they have to date if they don't want to die.

Dec 16 - Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox from Japan, Gaga, 8 eps - A stakeout throws Onoe, a reporter, together with photographer Kaburagi. Kaburagi's haphazard work style goes against Onoe's ethics. Yet, in joint pursuit of a scandal, the two move from enemies to lovers. Adapted from manga Ameiro Paradox by Natsume Isaku.

Dec 21 - The New Employee AKA The New Recruit AKA Shinib Sawo from Korea, (prob Gaga or Viki) - From WATCHA (Semantic Error) virginal Seung Hyun scores the office internship of his dreams but on his first day at work he gets into it with his cool reserved boss. As you do. Stars Moon Ji Yong (Once Again). Based on Moscareto's web novel of the same name, directed by openly gay & queer activist Kim Jho Gwang Soo (Just Friends?). 

Dec 28 - H5: Love in the Future from Taiwan (prob Gaga or Viki) - A cheerful and energetic student from 2000 travels to the future (2022), works as a deliveryman, and meets his first customer, an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Between Us

I love him, your honor. (Ai Long Nhai) 

I catching another bad case of side dish addiction syndrome (GameVee in 609 Bedtime Story) 

We stan a dorky wingman with an imaginary umbrella trope. (My School Pres) 

(last week) 

[accio-victuuri]

wei ruolai and his fiancee’s “happy” reunion 😂😂😂

[natlacentral]

'Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Showrunner Teases Hints to Katara's Future Romance

It’s not easy tackling adapting something that is beloved by fans. Whether you’re a director stepping into a beloved franchise to reboot the series or a showrunner turning an animated show into a live-action show (after an already abysmal live-action movie), someone is going to end up disappointed. This is the challenge that showrunner Albert Kim was faced with when tasked to bring Avatar: The Last Airbender to life. Set in a world where some people are born with the power to manipulate natural elements like water, earth, fire, and air — called "benders" — the series follows Aang, the titular last airbender, who wakes up after being frozen in ice for 100 years to a world engulfed in war and turmoil. As the Avatar, a unique individual who can bend all four elements, it is his task to bring peace to the world.

We spoke with Kim about the challenges of adapting the series and what he considered to be essential to keep in the series versus what could be changed and expanded on. He discussed larger changes to characters like King Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and how he combined storylines for the shorter season. Kim also discussed what it was like casting Gordon Cormieras Aang and touched on bringing Azula (Elizabeth Yu) in earlier while giving Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim) some more personality. Finally, he touched on the romance between Katara and Aang(as seen in the animated series) and whether that would stay the same in the show.

Staying Loyal to the Spirit of the Animated 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' 

COLLIDER: When it comes to adapting Avatar: The Last Airbender, there were elements that I could totally see from the original animated series. What did you think needed to be in there? And then what did you feel like you could update when it comes to this live action series?

ALBERT KIM: There wasn't really any set litmus test, like, 'Alright, this is the element that will carry on and this won’t." It was more about trying to understand what the spirit of the original was. And that's kind of what I told everyone, whether it was the writers or the directors, or the crew, you know, what we want to do is be faithful to the spirit of the original, rather than being a note-for-note translation of it, because that was never going to be possible. So, when you took it that way, and then there was sort of the formal challenge of adapting what was 20 half-hour episodes of animated television to an 8-hour serialized drama for Netflix, certain pieces started to fall into place when we did that.

One of the first things I did was lay out all 20 episodes on the whiteboard as to what the plots were, and then just took a look at it as if it was one, long narrative thread rather than individual episodes. And when you do that, certain elements start to pair off thematically, whether it's like Jet and the Mechanist, being both characters who are good at heart, but driven to extreme behavior by war. And the interesting theme that emerged was that they would be adversaries, even though they're both good characters. So that's a conflict that we decided to play.

When you start looking at the entire season, that way, certain threads start to appear. And so, like I said, there wasn't any kind of like, "We have to include this, we have to include that." Although, I will say there are certain things that I personally said, "I'm going to include that." Like, I was always going to have cabbage man in there, you know, there was no way we're losing the cabbage man. So like I said, yeah, we'll work him in.

But that was kind of the process. And then along that way, there are certain things — I think the hardest decisions we have to make is what to leave out. I'm sure we did not get to someone's favorite episode, or character, or scene, or even sequence. And I feel their pain, because I wish we could have gotten to a lot of those. But it was just some of those hard choices you had to make. Because in addition to, as you saw, adapting some of the elements from the original, we added new material, we're going off in new directions narratively, and we needed to give those room to breathe as well.

Was There Ever a Plan To Stretch Out the Season's Plot?

Just picking up off of that, obviously, a lot of showrunners would like longer seasons. But did you ever considering splitting the first book in half and spending a little bit more time, given the shorter seasons that we have in the live-action?

KIM: I don't recall ever having that conversation with Netflix. For one thing, I joined the process when the show had been in development for a little bit of time with the original creators. And so I think that was the parameters that were laid out even when I joined. But even after that, I don't think we ever discussed going longer. I mean, Netflix has their own criteria for the length of the season and the length of episodes and things like that. So, those weren't always my call.

But yeah, I don't think we talked about taking the first season of the animated series and stretching it out any longer. It was my call as to how we told that story. Like I always knew, I wanted, like the original, our heroes to start in the Southern Water Tribe and end in the Northern Water Tribe, which meant pretty much replicating the original series. So that was the process by which that came about.

Gordon Cormier Was the Perfect Aang in 'Avatar: The Last Airbender'

I just want to talk about the casting process a little bit and, specifically, working with these young actors. I really loved Gordon [Cormier] in this series. I feel like it can be really difficult casting Aang because so much rests on his shoulders, and it has to be a young actor. Can you talk about working with him and what you saw in him that would be perfect for this role?

KIM: With Gordon, what you see is what you get. I mean, he is Aang. It seems a little cliché to say that, but he really is like when the camera’s shut off, he acts the same way. You yell cut, and he jumps off, and he runs around, and he hops, and he used to sit on my chair all the time. II would go back to my chair, and he'd be sitting there like, "You don’t mind, right?" And then, he would hop off. If he's telling a story, he's acting it out. I mean, he was Aang.

In the process of auditioning, it was one of those things, where, because we were casting a very young actor, and because we were looking at specific ethnic communities, and also because of the auditioning process was conducted in top secret, so they couldn't know what show they were auditioning for. I had to write fake scenes for all of them. I wasn't really listening to specific lines during the audition, it was more about looking into those personalities and seeing who was it that captured the essence of Aang, and every time we just kept coming back to Gordon.

He didn't know he was auditioning for Aang, so, he wasn't playing to that character at all. He didn't know it was Avatar. So, like I said, it was more about looking past the specifics of the scenes that he was playing and more about the essence of who he was. I gotta say, I think that's where we ended up with all of our characters. I think Ian [Ousley] has that natural sardonic sense of humor in person that his character does. And same with all of them. So like, that's how the casting process went about.

Kim Explains Major Changes to Characters Like King Bumi

And speaking a little bit about the series and things that did change, I noticed when I was watching through the series, that there are some characters who have different personalities compared to their animated counterparts. King Bumi really stands out to me as becoming more antagonistic. Can you talk about some of these decisions to change the direction of some of the characters? And can you tell me how that fits into your narrative?

KIM: Well, in the original series, King Bumi, is a really fun, eccentric character, and he puts Aang through a series of tests ostensibly to teach him the lesson that the Avatar has to be prepared for anything. And they're fun. Everyone enjoys that episode, and that's the reason why we wanted to do it. But for me, when I sat down to look at who Bumi was as a character, what was interesting to me was that this was a man who's lived for over a century, and endured a century of war, and has grown disillusioned, and what's really pained him throughout this is the idea that he was abandoned by his friend. He's still hurt at the fact that Aang the Avatar wasn't there for him.

On the flip side, Aang feels the burden of not having been there for his friend, like he wasn't there and what happened to Bumi is a microcosm of what happened to the world in general. That's his responsibility as Avatar. So, those emotional stories were the most interesting thing to me about that episode. So, in order to draw those things, it resulted in the story retelling and the changes we made. So, for instance, in the original series, Aang doesn’t find out that he’s Bumi until the very end of the episode. To us, it was more interesting if they knew who each other was at the start, so you could play that hurt. How you betrayed me and how a character like Bumi would go about getting that — he is not going to just come outright and say that, he's going to prove it to him. Here's what happened to me. Here's what you missed. Here's the pain that has happened while you were asleep, or frozen.

It’s when we approach the stories from that character perspective that some of those changes start to click in. So yeah, and at the same time, we had those elements from the original we wanted to work in. And so, even though we don't show Flopsy, we put big statues of Flopsy in his throne room, right, and like paintings on the walls. So it's a little bit of an Easter egg, I guess. But it's also an homage to the original episode. So all of those changes were done in the interests of making the characters' journeys be a little more grounded, I guess.

Bringing Azula and Ozai in Early Establishes Important Storylines

Yeah, definitely. I liked your decision to bring Azula in earlier. I think that's a great move, because now the audience can understand who she is. She doesn't just appear in the second season and become this fully formed character. But I also noticed that Fire Lord Ozai… It feels like he's playing a larger part in this story as well. Will we see his story have any changes? Because, I don't know, maybe it’s Daniel’s [Dae Kim] performance, but there’s a little bit of sympathy that I have for him and I don't know if I'm supposed to have sympathy for him.

KIM: I think that's great. I mean, I think that’s the idea of dimensionalizing all these characters is always great. Whether or not he's the villain, you know, you want to be able to feel that he's relatable in a way in that you understand how he got there. And to me, again, we had the benefit of hindsight of knowing what the characters will become and where Ozai goes. And like how important the family dynamic is, or the Fire Nation storyline.

And like Zuko’s entire character arc is tied up in the dynamics of his family. So being able to see the roots of that, by bringing in Azula earlier and showing what Ozai is doing in terms of being a manipulative parent, which — just speaking for myself, is very familiar to an Asian person — the parental expectations that come with that felt like a really good way to establish the storylines not just for this season, but possibly from going forward.

Kim Expresses Relief For Not Having To Exploring Katara's Romance

I have to ask this question, because I have wondered this myself, and also because I saw some of your interviews. But talking about the direction of Katara, who I think a lot of fans have interpreted in the original series as a little bit motherly — it’s probably too motherly of a role for the character. And I'm glad that I'm getting the sense that she's not leaning so much in that direction for the live-action show. But speaking on that, her romance with Aang is something that is reflective of that mothering dynamic. Are there any plans to change that up? I know some fans enjoy Katara and Zuko, I'm just going to put that out there...

KIM: [Laughs]

…but I'm curious if you have any insight on that.

KIM: I will say, hopefully, I'm smart enough not to get involved in that debate, because I know how passionate both sets of fans are. And I was fortunate in that it wasn't a big issue in the first season for us. Because, you know, practically speaking, there are certain things you can do with animated characters that you can't with live action ones when it comes to something like that.

It's not something that we hit very much head on in the first season there. If you look carefully, there are little hints, especially in the final episode of what Katara is saying about Aang. So, we are obviously aware of where it goes in the original series, but it's more of a future issue and a future storyline to be dealt with. So I was, even for myself, I was very relieved to put a pin in it, so I wouldn't have to deal with it in the first season. But yeah, it'll be interesting to tackle that one.

Adjusting Characters for Live-Action Does Not Take Anything Away From the Story 

Yeah, I understand. And I saw some of the fan backlash that came out from your comments about Sokka. And I'm just wondering if this fan backlash scared you a little bit, when it comes to interacting with the fans?

KIM: I understand the reaction. I think it's because people, in that particular instance, are acting in a vacuum. Like, they haven't seen the episodes yet, and they're so hungry for information. So they look through the trailers, the footage, and our comments in our interviews, and they can seize upon all these things to get an idea of what might be happening. But what I've been telling people is watch the episodes, and then we can have that discussion. Because, for now, it's all kind of vapor, you know? It's not like something that's concrete that we can talk about, because I think they'll come to see — whatever the comment was — that it was either blown out of proportion or slightly out of context.

And like you, having seen the series, I think you understand what I'm saying. We didn’t sap Sokka’s character arc in any way or make them less flawed. If anything, things were played maybe slightly more subtly in a more grounded way than it would be in an animated series. So, that's about it. And I saw all sorts of crazy things like, so Pakku is not going to be sexist? Again, having seen it now, I think, you know, we play exactly that same conflict.

But there are things that we drew upon from the original series. Even in the original series, the Southern Water Tribe is slightly more progressive than the Northern Water Tribe is, right? Because the Northern Water Tribe is a little more conservative and enclosed, that's reflected in our series as well. And I think you can see, even from the first two episodes, Sokka’s attitudes, maybe not so overtly stated, are rooted in old viewpoints and culturally passed down conceptions of all that stuff. So, that's all there. Again, let's watch the episodes and then we can have that discussion.

[kanansdume]

I was really rooting for a well-done Bo-Katan redemption arc in this season. As weird as it was that Bo-Katan just sort-of took over as the main character of the show and sidelined Din, I've been wanting someone to focus on Bo-Katan's motivations and history for a while now and it seemed like we were primed to get it.

And in some ways, we did. We heard more about her relationship with her father and her faith, which definitely helps put a few things in perspective! I appreciate that!

But in other ways, we didn't. Not once did they actually have Bo-Katan or anyone else actually acknowledge the truly horrific things she's done or how she was the one who helped bring down Mandalore. Since the memory of her taking the Creed sort-of makes it near impossible for her to have joined up with Death Watch as a teenager and far more reasonable for her to have done it in her late 20s if not early 30s, she was fully aware of what she was doing when she made that choice. And she's refusing to take responsibility for that.

We're also not truly acknowledging all of Bo-Katan's FAILED attempts at leadership, from the way she had to rely on the clones and Ahsoka and the Republic to clean up her own mess with Maul, to being handed the Darksaber by Sabine only to lose it like a year later, and then to trying to find the Darksaber again afterwards only for all of her followers to completely abandon her the moment Din won the Darksaber instead. She's never been able to save Mandalore on her own, she's never been able to lead Mandalore into success or peace, and despite not really seeing any sudden growth or development in that area, I'm supposed to believe she's the Chosen One who will unite all of Mandalore now because she saw a rare creature in the water.

We see Bo-Katan lead a war party twice, sure, but she's ALWAYS been good at violence and war, so that's not exactly evidence of actual good leadership because she had that before and still failed over and over again.

What I want is to see Bo-Katan actually acknowledge the mistakes she made and recognize that the reason she failed was due to arrogance and a desire to live up to her father's high standards and expectations of her. What I want is for Bo-Katan to recognize why Satine was opting for pacifism and non-violence and try to find a middle ground between her respect for Mandalorian warrior traditions and Satine's attempts to stop the violence that was destroying them. I wanted to see more build-up to the whole "walks in both worlds" comment. I know we're 5 episodes in already, so things have to get moving, but I feel like we skipped steps and rushed this conclusion to her arc.

They don't have time to truly let her develop and grow because we're wasting time on this Imperial/New Republic bullshit that doesn't have any impact on the Mandalorians and shouldn't be here. We lost an entire episode to that storyline that could've been spent elsewhere. We should've had at LEAST one more episode with Bo-Katan bonding with the covert before getting to this point, let Bo-Katan acknowledge her mistakes more so that when she agrees to take up an attempt at leadership for a FOURTH time, I believe that this is something new rather than the same thing she's done the entire time.

I don't think Bo-Katan can move forward without acknowledging her history, who she's been, and what she's done. Pretending as though she's done nothing is an insult to the complexity her character could have if the writers were brave enough to allow it. Maybe they'll still have it happen in the upcoming three episodes, but at this point I'm a little skeptical.

[brasiliangp]

'drive to survive' season 6: a cheat sheet for people like me, who only care about like 3 ppl of the grid <3

Episode 1: Money Talks

Team: Aston Martin

0 - 2:00; shows some of the drivers (Lando, Lance, George, Max, Alex, Esteban) and Gunther on their winter breaks

2:41; Lawrence going all 007 villain mood

6:30; Aston Martin car launch

10:32; Lance gets injured

12:30 - 19:30; drivers in Bahrain (photoshoot, talk about Mercedes and Ferrari)

20:15; Lance is back

23: 20 - race (Bahrain GP) (does focus on Mercedes/Lewis/Toto a bit)

30:20 - Fred and Ferrari

33 - onwards; Aston Martin's podium, reactions from Mercedes and Ferrari, moments between Lawrence and Lance

Episode 2: Fall from Grace

Team: Alpha Tauri / Red Bull

Christian Horner TW throughout!!!!!

1:40 - start talking about Daniel

4: 35 - Red Bull car launch

also Daniel shows up for the first time

6:37 - Nyck is introduced

8:05 - some Red Bull tory nonsense with a charity shooting thing

10:33 - Jeddah

12:49 - introduction to the change in leadership at AT

14:34 - 17:51; race footage

18 - Nyck showing his Monaco apartment

backstory into Nyck and him chatting with a friend till 20:20

22:10 - Monaco GP

23:50 - they bring out the traumatized by rbr support group (Gasly and Albon) to talk about Nyck

25:00 - Daniel and Horner discuss plans for the future

27:30 - 32:30; race footage

32:55 - Horner calls Daniel

33 - Silverstone test

38:40 - Daniel back in F1

39:30 - Back to Nyck

Episode 3: Under Pressure

Team: McLaren

2:18 - McLaren car launch

4:24 - Oscar introduction

7:30 - 9:17; race footage (Bahrain)

11:40 - talks about Lando possibly switching teams (lasts literally the whole episode)

11:56 - 12:27; Horner TW

12:30 - Miami GP

16:49 - 19:16; Zac and Lando go golfing

20:40 - 23:58; race footage (Miami)

25:00 - 26:25; Lando and George flying together

26:25 - 27:30; Lando's life story

35:20 - Silverstone footage

Episode 4: The Last Chapter

Teams: Haas / Williams

0 - 4:00; Gunther

4:00 - Introduction to Nico/Kevin

5:13 - addressing the drama between then

7:08 - Williams

7:33 - James introduction

13:26 - 16:30; race footage (Jeddah)

17:57 - 19:50; Gunther

19:50 - 20:30; James

20:30 - 21:20; Alex working out

21:30 - Alex and James talking

24:30 - 29:50; race footage (Montreal)

29:57 - Lily!

39:40 - 41; race footage (Mexico)

43:10 - 45; Mattia Binotto TW

Episode 5: Civil War

Team: Alpine

2:10 - 5:40; Pierre in Cannes

8:20; Pierre and Esteban at the Alpine HQ

11:50 - 14:10; Pierre and Esteban story (where the drama started)

14:20 - 15:40; Pierre and Esteban go karting

17:30 - 23; race footage (Australia)

25:05 - 26:20; Esteban family house/working out

27: TP drama

28:30 - 37; Monaco GP

Episode 6: Lead of Faith

Team: Mercedes

0:15 - 3:40; George and Lewis shooting the road test video

8:25 - 9:05; Lewis talks about issues with the car

9:20 - 14:30; very sweet moment with the Wolffs where Jack goes karting

17 - 19; Lewis contract talks

19:00 - 19:12; "Lewis and I agreed to be open and honest with each other" Toto

19:25 - 19:35; "if Lewis were to leave it would almost look like he lost faith in the team" George

20:45 - 25; race footage (Barcelona)

26:30 - 27; Barcelona podium

28:30 - 30; Toto and Lewis talk

31:40 - Lewis' extension with Mercedes is announced

32:10 - "There just never feels like a time where I won't be a Mercedes driver" Lewis

Episode 7: C'est La Vie

Team: Alpine

0:30 - 0:40; Ocon and Ryan Reynolds

3:15 - 5; Pierre at a basketball game

5 - 6; Ocon in St. Tropez

7:50 - Horner TW but this one was funny lmfao

8:10 - 13:10; race footage (Silverstone)

15:40 - 17:00; race footage (Hungary)

20:40 - Omar is fired

22:56 - 23; Horner TW

26: Bruno sits Pierre and Esteban down for a chat

29:35 - 34:37; race footage (Zandvoort)

34:40 - 35:50; Pierre's podium

Episode 8: Forza Ferrari

Team: guess?

0 - 5:00; introduction to Fred and Ferrari

10:10 - 10:50; Carlos and his mom

15:40 - 22:30; race footage (Monza)

23:59 - 25:33; Fred, Carlos and Charles having lunch at Maranello

31:30 - 40; race footage (Singapore)

Episode 9: Three's a Crowd

Team: Alpha Tauri

0 - 2:40; Daniel

2:49 - 3:26; Alex and Logan talk about Daniel coming back

8:10 - 10:10 - Zandvoort (Daniel crashes)

12 - 14:25; Liam is introduced

17:45 - 20:40; quali in Singapore

25:33 - 30; race footage (Singapore)

31:50 - 32:56; Daniel working out

34:20 - 37; race footage (Suzuka)

37:50 - 38; Horner tells Liam Yuki and Daniel will be driving for AT next season

42:35 - 45:30; race footage (Mexico)

Episode 10: Red or Black

Teams: Mercedes x Ferrari; Aston Martin x McLaren

0 - 1:10; Charles in the Alps

1:10 - 1:30; Carlos working out

2:24 - 2:57; Red Bull and AT playing in the desert

4:40 - 5; Horner TW

5:30 - 7:30; Vegas opening ceremony

8 - 28 (pretty much); Vegas footage

29:05 - 29:33; Lando and Oscar

32 - 33; McLaren x Aston Martin

36:45 - 41:40; race footage (Abu Dhabi)4

44:32 - 44:34; Fred!

46:29 - 47:29; Red Bull and Horner TW

[snorlaxlovesme]

this is called giving Live Action Avatar a fair chance

the Netflix live action Avatar has always been a strange beast. it's a thing no one wanted after the disastrous 2010 movie. public perception of it was extremely low after Bryke walked out on it because of creative differences (disheartening as well as concerning). people tore apart the teaser stills and completely thrashed the early trailers. the news that Sokka's sexism plot was being altered had fans frothing at the mouth. the show seemed to be caught in this limbo where it had an incredibly low bar to rise above, in terms of trouncing The Last Airbender Movie, and infinitely high bar it would be impossible to reach, in terms of the original A:TLA.

now. if i can't go into a live action adaptation with an open mind, i will not watch it. live action Yu Yu Hakusho came out several months ago, and the vibes I got from trailer were not what I wanted, so I shelved it. if I'm going to sit down and watch a re-telling of one of my favorite pieces of media, I'm going to do my damnedest to go in with as open of a mind as a I can bear, because I like to have a good time and I can't do that constantly dogging on something.

so. my rule of thumb is generally this: treat any live action adaptation as fanfiction. if i can recognize the characters and recognize the plot, that's fine. i'm not looking for anything crazy, just interesting fanfiction. that's the level of closeness to canon i'm expecting. bar is on the floor.

and in terms of Good Television, my expectations are also incredibly low. good TV has 1. good writing 2. good acting 3. good action/SFX. for adaptations the best i'm looking for is ONE out of three. the lower my expectations, the more fun i get to have.

i'm explaining all of this because, while I have not seen reviews of Netlix Avatar yet, I know just how brainless the masses can be and i need you to know that THESEEE are the expectations you should be having when going into these things. Avatar: The Last Airbender is hailed as an example of a nearly PERFECT show. if you are expecting that kind of excellence from an adaptation you are simply deranged and I will not be reading your bad faith interpretations of the show.

with these expectations in mind, it's easy to see why i'm loving Netflix Avatar so much. why? because it cleared one of my very low expectations. the bending in the show looks pretty good! the writing of the show is average! some of the actors are quite charming! i am pleased!

i have seen 3 episodes so far ("Aang" through "Omashu", and yes these episode titles DO suck, I'll concede to that)

so, now that i've gotten that little manifesto out of the way, let's get into some actual Thoughts So Far:

-the way the first episode was structured was very cool. i like that they didn't throw us in at the same spot we started in A:TLA. and to avoid the horrible exposition dump the movie gave us, instead they just showed us the start of the war. i like the tactical inclusion that Sozin let word get out that the Fire Nation would attack the Earth Kingdom first to throw the Air Nomads off his scent. i also thought it was cool so show us a day in the life at the Easter Air Temple. the setting was gorgeous and I loved seeing all the monks doing their own thing. it made you feel so attached to the Air Nomads and their kindness and gentleness, so when they were attacked you truly felt for them.

-Monk Giatso's actor was fantastic. i was gagged that they had my crying less than 20 min into the first episode, what the fuck

-Gran Gran reciting Katara's opening speech line by line was funny, hokey, and exactly what I wanted. loved that for her and loved that for ME

-i like the change that Katara has to waterbend in secret for her own safety, not simply because she doesn't have a master

-it felt appropriate that they made Sokka take his warrior/protector role more seriously. the "i gotta go potty" bit from that like 6 year old in the original is hilarious but I don't think that sort of humor would have translated well to live action. i like that Sokka really was a leader to the ragtag group of kiddos and like one teenage boy. and him asking Zuko to duel with him one and one!! a very sweet early act of bravery

-in general i'm just really liking how they're approaching Sokka's character. all the fuss over "they're taking out Sokka's sexism" arc felt idiotic to me for weeks because like of course they did?? let's be SO real here, if you have never seen the original and are watching Netflix Avatar blind for the first time, are you going to rock with the protagonist who makes "girls' only jobs are cooking and sewing" jokes? in 2024? in this sociopolitical climate that shit would NOT fly and people would drop the show for stuff like that. no one would wait to see his character growth, people's attention spans aren't long enough for that these days. plus, for all the naysayers boohooing because that's Sokka's whole character arc, it's literally not! that nasty personality trait sticks with Sokka for FOUR episodes. having his character arc revolve around his identity as a warrior is much more in-line with Sokka's ACTUAL arc. he can skip the "sew my pants" jokes so we can get to his real root of his conflict, being a non-bender and a novice warrior in a world of extreme violence and feeling inferior because of it

-i don't mind that they made Zuko less aggressive. again, with the bar of the original A:TLA being SO fucking high, ESPECIALLY because of Zuko, Netflix was never going to reach that level of excellence. so I'm okay with this Zuko being a little more level-headed and more of a mindless Fire Nation Greatness truther because it's a decent interpretation of his character, for fanfiction. consider everybody on planet earth know that Zuko will eventually be a Good Guy, we don't have to go out of our way to show that he's a giant asshole. we already know he's a good boy.

-on that note I love the bait and switch with the Jet introduction. seeing a cute boy flirting with Katara, I couldn't immediately tell if that merchant boy was just a one-off kind character, or maybe Haru because of his clothing and the way his hair was styled. to have him turn out to be Jet was FUN because it showed me that despite knowing the original canon forwards and backwards, this show can still find ways to surprise me. i had been talking with my sister about whether or not they were going to include Bumi (and his shenanigans) because that's a plot twist that worked when the show originally aired, but wouldn't hit at all in an adaptation where we all know who Bumi is already. where I'm currently at in the show I'm still not sure if we'll see his inclusion or not, but i still appreciated that new bait and switches are possible.

-this meant basically all the Omashu episode was very fun. they way they wove the Freedom Fighters and Mechanist's stories together was very interesting and i liked how fresh it felt

-Suki's actor is incredibly gorgeous. with and without the make-up. that needed to be it's own point because oh my god

-i love that she gave Sokka and fan and i'm DYINGGG to see him use it in a battle

-THEY INCLUDED KYOSHI NOVEL LORE AND I SCREAMED

-they included AVATAR KYOSHI FIGHT SEQUENCES AND I SCREAMED

-i probably should have mentioned this way sooner but Aang's actor is such a little cutie. he's doing such a great job capturing Aang's energy. both wise and playful and so so sweet. i love him

-i found it hilarious that they waited three episodes for Katara to bring up her dead mom. we all know that the super generic and boring critiques of Katara are 1. too much dead mom talk 2. too much hope talk 3. too motherly. i feel like the show intentionally waited two and a half episodes for Katara to bring up Kya and that's so funny to me. they also have only let her mention hope like twice lol. my girl is being STIFLED

-special effects are honestly really good? some of aang's flying is a little wonky but the firebending and waterbending so far as looked fantastic. i haven't seen much earthbending so far besides that opening sequence but i was impressed by that too. and Aang and Zuko fighting in Omashu with Zuko not using his bending? SO much fun. the choreo was awesome, i loved the set piece of fighting amongst all those scarves.

-building off that, Appa and Momo are very cute. the creatures al look pretty good too. ostrich horses look great

all in all, lots of really good stuff so far. i only have minor criticisms, and they're mostly things I can deal with. Iroh's acting is weird to me. it sounds like it's putting on a silly voice instead of speaking how he normally would, so it scans as off-putting. also in terms of costuming, Iroh's wig is WIGGING so much more than other cast members. it looks so glued on and shaped with hairspray. Mai and Ty Lee (one seen them for a moment so far) also just look like random cosplayers who wandered on set. and i guess both Monk Giatso's reveal of Aang being the avatar, as well as Gran-Gran's immediate understanding that Aang is the avatar, both happened extremely fast.

but yeah! those are my thoughts so far. again, I have no idea what public perception of this show is. i'm trying to avoid reviews and probably won't be back on tumblr until i've at least made it to episode 6. then maybe i'll come back and write more if my opinion drastically changes or I think the world will need another stern talking to about what to expect from an adaptation

[phatburd]

Title: The Marshal’s Court

Genre: Romantic Dramedy (In the style of Bridgerton)

Setting: The First French Empire, Napoleon’s Marshals as the central characters

Season 1, Episode 3: “The Battle Plans and the Banter”

Episode Synopsis:

Episode 3 continues to layer the complex interpersonal drama among Napoleon’s Marshals, now transitioning into preparations for the looming invasion of England. Tensions rise not just between the marshals, but also within the court, as rivalries and secrets threaten to disrupt their unity. Meanwhile, Junot still hangs on by a thread, Murat and Bessières continue their clandestine romance, and Napoleon keeps a close eye on them all. The episode blends historical accuracy with witty, dramatic flair, adding even more fuel to the fan-driven speculation.

Opening Scene:

The Marshals gather in a war room lit by flickering candlelight, with maps of the English Channel spread out before them. Napoleon stands at the head of the table, explaining his plans for the invasion of England. As the camera zooms in on the faces of the Marshals, the tension is palpable.

Berthier, Napoleon’s Chief of Staff, looks utterly exhausted. Bags under his eyes, his hair disheveled, he’s attempting to stay awake and alert as he scribbles notes at a furious pace. Whispers circulate that Berthier hasn’t slept more than 20 minutes in the last week—a near superhuman feat even by Marshal standards.

Fan-favorite moment: As Berthier scribbles away, his hand moves so fast that papers fly off the table. His frenzied state creates an immediate meme on social media, with fans posting gifs of Berthier working at an inhuman pace, captioned “Napoleon’s Human Typewriter.” Another fan meme quickly spreads: “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The Berthier Story.”

Masséna and Augereau: The Muppet Duo

In a side shot, Masséna and Augereau sit at the far end of the table, exchanging snarky remarks. In true Statler and Waldorf fashion, the two veteran generals—well past their prime, at least in their minds—play the peanut gallery.

As Soult launches into a lengthy explanation about logistics and troop positioning, Augereau smirks. “Is he giving a speech or reciting the French tax code?” he mutters, loud enough for Masséna to chuckle.

Masséna, never one to be outdone, leans in, “He’s already imagining himself taking credit for this campaign, the ambitious devil.”

Fan Reactions: Fans adore Masséna and Augereau as the show’s comic relief, likening them to Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury with their sharp tongues. Their old-man gossiping garners laughter across social media, with fans posting memes of the pair watching over the drama and captioning them with comments like, “Just here for the wine and drama, darling.”

Murat and Bessières: The Secret Romance

Meanwhile, Murat can barely contain his flamboyant excitement about Napoleon’s plans for the invasion. He’s eager for the glory, imagining his cavalry leading the charge across the Channel. He catches Bessières’ eye during the discussion, and for a brief moment, their shared gaze is laden with tension and unspoken desire.

As the other Marshals turn their attention to a debate between Davout and Bernadotte, Murat discreetly passes a note to Bessières. The camera zooms in as Bessières hesitates, torn between his deep Catholic faith and his feelings for Murat. He slips the note into his jacket, visibly distressed.

Historical nod: Murat and Bessières’ friendship was indeed deep and longstanding, dating back to their youth. The romantic twist is, of course, fictional, but fans love the added layer of complexity.

Fan Reactions: The Bessimu ship goes into overdrive with this scene. #Bessimu takes over social media, with fan art and memes depicting Bessières reading Murat’s note in tortured silence. One particularly popular meme shows Bessières staring at a religious icon while Murat lurks behind him with a rose, captioned, “When you love God but also love Murat.”

Davout vs. Bernadotte: The Cold War Escalates

In the war room, the quiet rivalry between Davout and Bernadotte escalates as Bernadotte openly criticizes Davout’s cautious approach to logistics, calling it “overly methodical” and “better suited for a librarian than a battlefield.”

Davout, ever the ice-cold professional, replies without a flicker of emotion, “Perhaps if you spent more time studying military strategy than currying favor, you’d understand the importance of preparation.”

The tension is so thick it could be cut with a knife. The other Marshals grow silent, glancing between the two. Soult, normally poised and calculating, hides a smirk, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Fan Reactions: This scene ignites the ongoing debate between #TeamDavout and #TeamBernadotte. Fans of Davout praise his composure and military brilliance, while Bernadotte stans claim his political savvy makes him the more interesting character. Social media buzzes with theories on when this Cold War will erupt into something bigger.

Junot: Holding On—For Now

In the background, Junot continues to hold his position, but cracks are starting to show. His erratic behavior from Episode 2 is subdued for now, but small, unsettling moments remind the audience that his mental decline is still simmering beneath the surface.

At one point, Junot has a brief, unexplained outburst during a quiet discussion about troop movements. His old friends—Lannes in particular—exchange worried glances, but nothing more is said. As the meeting breaks up, Eugène approaches him, trying to offer some help, but Junot brushes him off with a half-maniacal laugh.

Fan Reactions: Fans are starting to get worried about Junot, with hashtags like #SaveJunot and #StayStrongJunot popping up. Though historically accurate viewers know where Junot’s arc is headed, casual fans are still holding onto hope that the showrunners will find a way to redeem him or at least slow his inevitable breakdown.

Soult and Lefebvre: The Plotters

Soult, still strategizing every angle, finds himself in a secret conversation with Lefebvre as the episode progresses. Lefebvre, the grizzled veteran of the group, is blunt as ever, but Soult knows how to use him.

“Davout’s getting too close to the Emperor’s ear,” Soult mutters. “If we want to keep our own power, we need to… adjust the Emperor’s view of him.”

Lefebvre raises an eyebrow. “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting we remind Napoleon that no Marshal is irreplaceable. Even Davout.”

The wheels of political scheming are clearly turning, and the stage is set for Soult to orchestrate a quiet campaign to undermine Davout’s growing influence.

Fan Reactions: Fans love Soult as the calculating puppet master. Memes comparing him to Game of Thrones’ Littlefinger start making the rounds, with Lefebvre painted as his rough-and-ready accomplice. One particularly popular fan theory suggests that Soult’s scheming will eventually come back to haunt him—though history buffs know Soult’s ambitions were, in fact, very real.

Eugène: Trying to Fit In

Eugène tries desperately to make himself useful throughout the episode, offering advice here and there, but mostly being ignored. In one scene, he approaches Napoleon, looking for something to do, but Napoleon brushes him off, saying, “You’ll have your time, Eugène. This isn’t it.”

Eugène, ever the dutiful son-in-law, nods, though disappointment flickers across his face. He walks away, clearly feeling out of place among these hardened Marshals.

Fan Reactions: Fans feel a bit of sympathy for Eugène, who is portrayed as the awkward outsider trying to keep up with the powerhouse personalities around him. A few fan theories suggest that Eugène might step up in a future episode, but for now, he’s mostly seen as the “soft boy” of the group, leading to memes like, “When you’re just trying to impress your stepfather, but he’s Napoleon.”

Closing Scene:

As the episode closes, the Marshals disperse from their meeting. Murat catches Bessières in a secluded corridor, pressing him about the note. Bessières, torn between duty and desire, tries to brush him off, but Murat—ever persistent—pulls him into a passionate embrace.

Bessières breaks away, conflicted, and murmurs, “This can’t continue.” The screen fades to black as Murat watches him walk away, a determined smile on his lips.

Fan Reactions: The Bessimu shippers explode with excitement. Fan art, gifs, and memes flood the internet, with captions like, “Just admit it, Bessières, you’re in love!” and “Murat: The Man Who Won’t Give Up.”

Next Episode Teasers:

In a shocking twist, the episode ends with no next episode teasers. The fandom immediately erupts into panic mode, with speculation running wild. Is the show taking a break? Will Episode 4 even happen? Social media is set alight with theories ranging from “Napoleon’s controlling the show now!” to “The writers are plotting something big!”

[breathalyzerfail]

“I want to drive a spike into, kind of, the proto— like, the thing that gets under Raphaniel’s skin is this burgeoning Vegetanian nationalism. This idea of like, civic pride which Raphaniel finds loathsome.”

Brennan Lee Mulligan, Dimension 20: The Ravening War, episode 2 — “Bloody Harvest”

“Why do we tell stories? To try to make sense of a world that can be terrifying and enormous.”

Brennan Lee Mulligan, Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, episode 4 — “Fire and Ruin”

It’s so fascinating how Raphaniel Charlock is a bard/rogue and not a cleric.

I think he believes moreso in the soft power of song and stories and faith on social constructs, than the hard power of magic and dieties and worship.

Like, the Bulb is a source of magic but so are a lot of other things. There are after all, stranger things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt in our philosophy.

But the story of the Bulbian Church — the scriptures, the tenets, the history, the saints, the catechism, the pedagogy — these things have an influence on people’s lives in ways that maybe even the clerics and paladins don’t fully appreciate.

So it’s up to Bishop Raphaniel to keep the song alive, especially with the troubling civic (i.e., secular) nationalism rising up in Vegetania.

(Also, seeing something of a throughline from EXU: Calamity to Neverafter to The Ravening War about The Narrative — whether in history, fiction, or faith — in relation to the people who take in the stories, the people who write the stories, and the people who were in the stories.)

[springsheep]

War of Faith Notes Ep. 1 - 10

Ep 1 -> Wei Ruo Lai's intro, stock market

shen jinzhen the sniper appears.

Shen Jinzhen meets Wei Ruolai (rickshaw), Li Qin in pastel pink is soo pretty

Wei Ruolai sneaks in through the roof hahaha

Wei Ruolai is given a coat, goes to do the exam for Central Bank

Ep 2 -> Wei Ruolai doing the test (the fire).

Wei Ruolai interview with the Shen guy.

Poor Wei Ruolai, failed the interview becuz of his background

Wei Ruolai sneaks into Shen's party, sees Shen Jinzhen playing the piano. Wei Ruolai watches from afar.

Wei Ruolai tells Shen Tunan he has solved the Kunseng riddle.

Ep 3 -> Wei Ruolai is accepted!!! yesss

Wei Ruolai don't drink too much!! Shen Jinzhen watching them. Wei Ruolai: I'm really not a communist.

Wei Ruolai eating and drinking so much hahaha, Wei Ruolai is a bit drunk, playing violin.

Wei Ruolai's friends (from the "slums") celebrate his job.

Wei Ruolai's weird grandpa friend: In the financial world, it doesn't matter who can make more money or who can make money faster, what's important is, who can live longer. You win, when you don't lose.

Congyun doesn't like Wei Ruolai... hmmm

Shen Jinzhen infiltrating a hotel to kill someone. Shen Jinzhen 好帅啊啊 wearing pink dress tsk tsk so pretty

Wei Ruolai using binoculars to monitor the stock exchange

Lin Qiao Song interrogating Li something

Wei Ruolai understands what Mr. Shen is doing (I don't grr)

Ep 4 -> that guy's name is Lin Qiaosong.

Oh no, i think the Lonely Star is Wei Ruolai's brother... Secretary Huang is evil. Wei Ruolai learning how to identify real vs fake coins.

那个姓黄的再欺负我宝贝啊。hmph

Aaaaah poor Wei Ruolan, his brother got shot and fled to his apartment and he's bleeding everywhere. Wei Ruolan is begging his brother to go to the hospital...

Aaaah poor wei ruolan... wang yibo's crying is so infectious damn it.

Wei Ruolan buries his brother. Wei Ruolan's bro is supposed to bring the gold for the Communists. Wei Ruolan after seeing the gold: =_=

#poor Wei Ruolan's bro who only lived for 4 episodes

Ep 5 -> secretary huang is a biatch

Wei Ruolan thinks of his bro. Shen Jinzhen eats with Lin QIaosong.

Wei Ruolan stops the rich guy from emptying the vault. The Zhang guy was holding him at gunpoint grrr....

Shen Tunan arrives in time to save him (I'm starting to ship these two damn it)

Wei Ruolai posts the newspaper ad, will meet the handler.. aka Shen Jinzhen...

fuckfuckfuck Lin Qiaosong cracked the code also!!!! Fuckfuck

Ep 6 -> Shen Jinzhen and Wei Ruolai pass by each other, Shen Jinzhen scolds him to save him from Lin Qiaosong.

Shen Jinzhen fails to contact Wei Ruolai with the password, Lin Qiaosong starts to suspect Shen Jinzhen

so... the bro's name is Wei Ruochuan.

Li Shengda attacks Wei Ruolai, tells him his brother is a communist.

exam time (Wei Ruolai please get good grades arghs)

Shen Tunan (to Secretary Huang): Do you want him to leave or stay?

Ep 7 -> Everyone compete against Huang Congyun. Someone needs to kick him off his high horse (someone aka my baobei ofc)

Wei Ruolai: Secretary Huang said I need to be on standby for you 24 hours, so I missed some classes...

Shen Tunan glaring at Huang guy lololol

Wei Ruolai Vs. Congyun.

Wei Ruolai is so hardworking argh

He's been studying late into the night. Wei Ruolai wins (ofc)

Li SHengda acting bitchhh Wei Ruolai nooooo don't believe himmmmmm

Noooo Wei Ruolai told him about the 20 gold bars. whyyyy

Wei Ruolai suspects Li Shengda (thank god omggg)

Li Shengda is a piece of shit.

Ep 8 -> Wei Ruolai meets the correct handler.

Wei Ruolai swears revenge for his brother.

Li Shengda is killed (finally).

Shen Jinzhen is happy.

Lin Qiaosong wants to convict Wei Ruolai of being a Communist, but LOL Wei Ruolai is prepared. He 1) called the the police to report Li Shengda before, and 2) "turned himself in" by writing a report.

Shen Tunan looks so pleased lol, Lin Qiaosong is pissed obviously.

Everything is under Wei Ruolai's control (dis boi got plans hahaha).

Shen Tunan protecting Ruolai hahaha. Shen Tunan: I'll bear the consequences.

Mr. Kang is mad at Lin Qiaosong. Poor guy... he got whipped.

aww shen tunan's wife doesn't want to leave him.

Ep 9 -> Lin Qiaosong has a wife(?) girlfriend or something. She's upset to see his wounds. (I thought this guy was single).

Wei Ruolai 真的有本事啊

Wei Ruolai has photographic memory(?) Shen Tunan is preparing to make some big moves, tells Wei Ruolai to memorize the imports and exports blablabla.

The Central Bank is making big moves (tarrifs), people protest the Central Bank.

Shen Tunan (to Wei Ruolai）： It might be dangerous by my side, are you afraid?

Wei Ruolai expressed his thoughts, Shen Tunan praised him. halfway to sucess for the tariff reform.

Wei Ruolai asks for a gun from the Qian gang.

Mr. Qian: It's okay, i'll give you an axe instead. It's made of Manganese Steel. Wei Ruolai: =_=

Wei Ruolai visits a club(???) following the Zhang guy. Wei Ruolai what are you planning...? ohno don't kill him

Wei Ruolai stole Zhang Mingquan's gun and starts writing smth? and dismantles the gun and tries it out.

Ep 10 -> Su Cishu's acting ('nonono')

The Shen family's so cuteee lol and the Shen siblings bickering hahaha

Shen Jinzhen gave her brother a bulletproof vest.

Zhang and Yu want to assassinate Shen Tunan...

fuuck Shen Tunan is late for the tariff voting event, Wei Ruolai is gonna make a speech on his behalf (to delay the voting, cuz STN isn't there yet).

Damn an angry Wei Ruolai is shuaii hahaha

Wei Ruolai is making an impromptu speech letsgooooo

Shen Tunan is shot(?) in the arm. He fainted after the voting is finished.

Shen Jinzhen and Shen Tunan's wife are worried.

[whitesinhistory]

Shir Hever, military embargo coordinator for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, joins Bad Faith to explain how BDS is effectively squeezing the Israeli economy and souring Israelis on the war against Gaza. The Israeli-German economist explains how financial pressures are being felt by the Israeli public and how an international solidarity movement is effectively blocking military aid from being sent to Israel. He also weighs in on the ad hoc boycotts that have sprung up against companies like McDonald's and KFC.