#we deserved a show with her actually as the lead and not the dude that just waltzed into the show later on

[favatrice]

I actually really miss alicia clark

[wlntrsldler]

If the boys played “never have I ever” in an interview, what would be revealed to the public?

I SPRINTED TO MY COMPUTER

here's the transcript of poisoned mercury's buzzfeed interview where they played never have i ever as part of their press tour to promote their new album:

interviewer: thank you guys for coming!

luke *smiling while he fixes his mic*: thanks for having us :) we were just talking about how we used to do buzzfeed quizzes when we were younger.

travis: there were many days where we'd be in luke's house back in connecticut and completely forget that we were supposed to be rehearsing because we got caught up trying to figure out which inside out emotion we were.

interviewer: well, i'm glad to hear it because today we're gonna play a game of 'never have i ever.'

chris: unrelated but i fucking love that show. team paxton for life.

luke: dude no. ben is clearly the right choice.

connor: ok mr. enemies to lovers, of course you'd say that.

luke: shut up???!

travis: i think if we took the inside out quiz again right now, i'd get disgust because that's how i feel being in a band with two idiots who are so in love with their girlfriends.

connor: swear to god if i hear another "no you hang up first," from either one of you *looks at chris and luke* i'm blowing my brains out.

interviewer looks around the room, trying to ask the producers what she should do. the video editors are already stressing because they know they have to bleep out a lot of the words the boys are using.

interviewer: .... so let's start with the first question. never have i ever gone skinny dipping.

chris: fuck, how did you get all of us on the first question?

connor: yeah we've gone skinny dipping a few times, but the most recent was last summer. mama c-- shoutout mama c, we love you!

luke: yeah, we love you mama!

connor: she put all of us on timeout and we spent the entire summer at a music camp and on our last night, we all went skinny dipping at the lake with our roommates.

luke: oh shit, i forgot about that. those were good times. *looks at chris* i miss camp bro.

chris: me too.

travis *stares deadpan into the camera*: do you see what we have to deal with?

interviewer: never have i ever had a crush on a friend's sibling.

travis: guilty.

chris *turns his head so fast*: given that you're related to connor and luke is an only child, you better be talking about a non-band friend.

travis *shrugging*: your older sister is hot, rodriguez.

chris: stay away from my sister.

luke *looks at the interviewer with wide eyes*: next question or you'll have a video to submit to worldstar.

interviewer: oh! uh, okay-- never have i ever accidentally posted something to my main account instead of my private or close friends one.

connor *cracking up*: castellan, wanna take this one?

luke *blushing*: this feels like a targeted question because we know the infamous video of me with the handsome squidward filter on (the hozier incident) that was supposed to go on my close friends story! i was so embarrassed. to be clear, i was JOKING. i don't actually flirt like that.

travis: i've seen you flirt with y/n, and you in the squidward video had more game than you normally do.

luke *teasing because he knows travis does not want a relationship*: and yet who's single between the two of us?

connor: oh he got you there.

travis: y/n, if you're watching this, you deserve better. he's a loser. i have better friends i can set you up with.

luke: five star, if you're watching this, you're stuck with me. there's no going back.

interviewer: never have i ever had a song written about me.

chris: this is a great pivot to promote our sophomore album's lead single, "kiss her you fool!" we wrote this song about our front man, luke, here. our second album "optimism don't come easy (unless it's with you)" is out now.

interviewer: i love that shameless self-promo.

connor: i think we as a band can benefit from having some shame, but thank you.

chris *turns to luke*: this will also come as a shock to you, but there's another song out in the world that's kinda about you.

luke: huh? which one?

travis: quinnie, remember her? she was in cabin 7. she wrote the bulk of it, but y/n actually gave her the idea. chris and connor helped her with instrumentals and the song is sick.

connor: it was amazing. quinnie is so talented. if you guys haven't heard her music, i highly, highly recommend it. the song we're talking about is called touch tank. you guys should check it out.

chris: agreed. she's also just a fucking cool person. she's one of our closest friends in the industry.

travis *making a heart with his hands*: we love you, quinnie!

interviewer: okay, final question since we're running out of time. never have i ever gone on a world tour for my band's second album.

luke *laughs*: i see what you did there. that was good.

connor: we are soooooo excited to announce that we're going back on tour! this summer, we'll be seeing all your beautiful faces again. tickets go on sale this friday! we hope to see you there!

luke: check out our band's twitter for more information on how to get tickets and to see if we'll be coming to a city near you.

chris: we miss seeing you guys!

travis: see you guys so soon! we love you!

interviewer: that's all the time we have for today. thank you guys so much. it was a pleasure!

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character — Unscripted Bracket — Round 3

Propaganda

Glenn Close (Dungeons & Daddies):

#Propaganda for Glenn Close: one of the other PCs mentions multiple times how hot he is #Actually several characters point it out but especially Henry #Also the only person in a podcast that has to put a disclaimer about not being a BDSM podcast to have had sex during the course of the show

PLEASASSWEEPLEASE TOU DONT HUNRERFSTABDS

GLENN GLENN GLENN ITS GLENN VOTE GLENN VOTE FOR THE BOY

We didn’t do hot Glenn summer for him to LOSE. Spoilers for his story but MORE PROPAGANDA FOR YOU:

Young hot rocker dilf

Loyal to his dead wife <3

Does in fact smoke weed

BARD!! HES A BARD. HE WAS LEAD GUITAR IN HIS BAND (that he was kicked out of)

His band was a Christmas cover band btw.

Literally the fandom had hot Glenn summer which consisted of drawing him being incredibly hot and sexy

Anti government (ofc)

Kind of cringefail (Disney adult) (was on dilfs of disneyland)

Young and sexy not your style? Then how about HIM AFTER YEARS LOCKED IN A TIME PRISON WITH A DAMN HANNIBAL MASK ??

Lost an eye and wears a fucking eyepatch

One incredibly buff arm

Has a pet rat named after his son <3

Immeasurable amounts of trauma in this man- becomes progressively more unhinged

OH OLD HUMAN BARD ISNT CUTTING IT? FINE

HE BECOMES A FUCKING DEMON

A COOL HOT ONE-EYED DEMON WHO WANTS TO KILL HIS DAD (also sexy)

HE CANONICALLY ENDS CHRISTIAN HELL VIA CHRISTMAS

IS ALSO WAY OVERLEVELED

Becomes a demon hunter for the rest of his existence

Also nonwhite !!! We are done with cringefail whiteboys !!!!!!!!!

I can’t put into words ok just know he is the best plz love him.

GLENN GLENNNNNN

Listen, I don't know this other character but I've seem some good arguments for her However Consider Glenn Close winning through no effort of his own in a bullshit way despite being a dick is the most in character thing ever. He leveled up three times and got a crab mech, we GOT to give him this win, it's fitting

I haven't dedicated the last 2 months of my life drawing Glenn close for him to lose

Vote for Glenn Close or I will make you read the parody I did of the vaporeon copypasta

I don’t regulate if minors follow me or not bc I’m a pretty chill space but I hope the world is aware that’s the only reason I haven’t been downright nasty about Glenn close. I’m down bad. I’m NOT in the boat of ‘Glenn isn’t sexy but I want him to win bc it’s my fandom’. I would estimate I have 200+ drawings of Glenn on my phone that AREN’T safe for work. Way more that are. Where did they come from? That’s MY business. But I tell you this fact to assure you- Glenn IS sexy. I’m not voting to represent my fandom I’m voting out of TRUTH AND LOVE. IF YOU DON’T GET IT YOU DON’T GET IT!!! I just think my level of feral over this man is more powerful than y’all realize. If you don’t get his sex appeal that’s okay, but don’t doubt that this is my truth.

VOTE GLENN

Glenn fuckers fought tooth and nail to get us here from like 38% dawg we DESERVE THIS. GLENN IS THE SEXIEST MAN!!! HE WAS THE FIRST FICTIONAL CHARACTER I FOUND HOT AND HE’S GONNA CONTINUE TO SWEEP!!! Your hot goat woman sounds sexy don’t get me wrong but I’m forever fighting for the man that changed my brain chemistry. Proud of our fandom tbh. I don’t think y’all understand the sheer amount of effort I have put in to get my boy where he is today but this placement feels well earned. TO GLENN SWEEP!!

THE FUCK YOU MEAN GLENN CLOSE ISNT WINNING IM BOUT TO THROW HANDS FR

Okay but Glenn made a minivan cum by talking to her so

Yalll better vote glenn i swear to god

Vote Glenn or else the bird gets it🐦🛸

HOW IS MY DUDE NOT WINNING????

GLEN GELN NELG GLENNANN HE DESERVS ITTTT

HE HAS A BOOK THAT HE MARKS X’S AND CHECKS FOR EVERY DAY TO SEE IF THAT DAY WAS A SUCCESS OR NOT. TO SEE IF HE DID GOOD THAT DAY. ITS ALMOST ENTIRELY X’S. HE WAS CUCKED OUT OF A SON. AND A DEAD WIFE. HE DIDN’T EVEN GET TO KILL HIS DAD IN REVENGE. There’s absolutely nothing going for him except his sex appeal in his life. Nobody he loved remembers him. He lost his eye. All he has is a pet rat and friends who admit they don’t really like him that much. He was kicked out of his own band. The band was named after him. He was kicked out of the Glenn Close trio. All he could do was deez nuts the big bad and be sexy. If nothing else, then pity him. Look in his eyes. Look at his heart and soul. Do you think pickman needs this to feel good about herself? Can she not accept a loss for the sake of a pathetic father? Can she shake hands with the minivan fucker and his human gun and just take the L on this one? He did not do the BDSM episode for this I’ll tell you what. Do this for my his sake. Do it for Nick Jr, who needs the prize money to pay for his rat snacks. Do it for his son. For Morgan. Ganbatte.

Mod Note: While I will still take "bad dads are sexy" propaganda and "bad dads aren't sexy" anti-propaganda, I kindly request no more discussion on whether or not he was a bad father. This is a sexypoll, not a parentingpoll. If you see a post you strongly disagree with, you can just not reblog it.

Taako (The Adventure Zone: Balance):

A celebrity chef from another plane

[merwgue]

Nesta and Eris: The Power Couple We Deserve (Sorry, Cassian)

Alright, let’s get into it. We need to have a real conversation about why Nesta and Eris are the couple that should’ve happened, and why Cassian is just… there. Like, good for him for trying, but really, really, he’s more of a footnote in Nesta’s story than a leading man. Let me break it down for you.

Cassian, bless his heart, thinks that all it takes to be with Nesta is brute force and a wounded puppy-dog expression. “Oh Nesta, you’re so cold and mean, but I’m gonna keep fighting for you because that’s what I do. I fight!” It’s like watching someone try to punch their way through an emotional brick wall, not realizing there’s a door two feet to the right. Cassian sees Nesta’s trauma as a battlefield to conquer instead of a complicated reality she lives in. And honestly, that’s the problem.

Now, Eris? Eris gets it. He’s not here to be Nesta’s savior or her knight in shining armor. He’s here to be her equal, her match. When Eris and Nesta talk, there’s this undercurrent of respect. It’s not about saving her or “fixing” her; it’s about acknowledging her darkness without flinching. He doesn’t need to ride in on a horse and wave his macho bravado around like a flag. He knows Nesta’s strong enough on her own—and that’s what makes him so damn appealing.

Meanwhile, Cassian’s out here trying to be the hero of Nesta’s story, when Nesta’s never needed a hero. She needs someone who understands her, someone who knows that she doesn’t need rescuing; she needs someone who can handle the fire without trying to put it out. And that’s Eris. The man’s all about fire, after all. He’s not scared of getting burned, and he doesn’t waste his time trying to cool her down. He’ll stand in the flames with her, which, let’s face it, is way more exciting than Cassian’s endless attempts at being the “sensitive warrior.”

Cassian’s insecurities also drive me up the wall. The guy’s so fragile he can’t even handle Nesta speaking her mind without thinking it’s a direct attack on his manhood. Like, bro, chill. Nesta has her own issues to deal with, and not every sentence she says is about you. Cassian’s self-pity is exhausting. “Oh no, Nesta’s angry again, this must be about me!” No, Cassian, sometimes Nesta is just angry because life sucks. It’s not a personal vendetta against your feelings. Grow up, dude.

Now, contrast that with Eris. When Eris talks to Nesta, he sees her for what she is: a fierce, complex woman who doesn’t need to be handled with kid gloves. Eris doesn’t get all up in his feelings because Nesta didn’t swoon at his feet. He’s more like, “Yeah, you’re mad? Good. Let’s use that.” He challenges her in the right way, not by trying to crush her with dominance, but by meeting her on her level.

Also, let’s be real: Cassian’s idea of romance is dragging Nesta through mud and calling it training. So sexy, right? Meanwhile, Eris would probably plan some clever, intellectually stimulating activity that actually shows he knows Nesta’s mind, not just her body. He’d take her somewhere quiet, somewhere strategic, and let her intellect shine. Cassian? He’s probably just flexing and grunting in the background, thinking that’s all it takes.

Cassian’s attempts at "saving" Nesta from herself are almost laughable. You can’t save someone from their trauma by shouting over it. The guy is like an emotional bulldozer, trying to flatten out the rough edges when Nesta needs someone who can handle the jagged parts without flinching. Eris wouldn’t try to mold her into something else. He would let her be. He does let her be. Cassian, on the other hand, wants to shape her into some version of herself that’s palatable to him. And that’s not love—that’s ego.

So, in conclusion: Nesta and Eris are the power couple we never knew we needed. Cassian? He’s over there trying to punch his way into Nesta’s heart like it’s a door that needs to be kicked down. But Eris—Eris understands that Nesta doesn’t need someone to break down her walls. She needs someone to walk through them with her, side by side, as equals.

Cassian, sweetie, it's time to pack it up. You're the sidekick in a story where Eris and Nesta are clearly the main event.

[magpie-come-east]

Asking why the Hornsent characters are mean to justify their genocide is such a goofy non serious ass take. Well dude perhaps their mean because of said genocide!

It’s bad faith and frustrating to see again and again.

1) There are no ‘kind’ Omen characters. Morgott and Mohg are the only Omen in the Lands Between we have meaningful interactions with that aren’t base mobs. Morgott belittles and threatens the Tarnished. He hunts them down and kills them without pity. It is his duty but he enjoys it. As he dies he mocks the player because they will still fail to become Elden Lord. Mohg tries to immediately kill the player to- presumably- feed the cocoon your blood. And that’s not getting into the murder blood cult he leads.

They are hostile and brutal. But people still find Omen sympathetic. They can rationalize their behavior (Morgott’s, at least) and see how their tragedy shaped them. The Omen didn’t deserve to be killed as babies or banished to a sewer because Morgott and Mohg aren’t good men as their ‘sole’ representatives.

So the Hornsent should be allowed this same grace, too.

2) If one were to actually listen to dialogue from and about the Grandam and Hornsent (NPC), it’s very clear why they are the way they are. Grandam thinks the player- as a non-Hornsent- was sent by Messmer to kill her. Of course she isn’t going to greet you kindly. She thinks her life is about to end! She’s an old and infirm woman trying to protect her peoples’ holy city from a stranger that looks like her oppressor. Why are people so desperate for her to be demure and grandmotherly?

Hornsent (NPC) has deep sympathy from me, honestly. I get the impression that Miquella’s followers don’t take his peoples’ plight very seriously. Dane only suggests fighting Messmer to burn the concealing tree. Not to help his fellow compatriot. Freyja calls him a ‘dour little friend’ which is hideously condescending considering his family was all killed. Like his ‘grumpiness’ is a silly quirk and not a deep-seated wound for him. Leda says that the ‘Hornsent were never saints. They were just on the losing side of a war’. Which, while ultimately true, is a dismissive way to describe the genocide that war was/is.

I think these dialogues show us just how fraught and dire it is to be Hornsent in the present era. Their people are being slaughtered, their culture erased, and everyone around them either wants them dead or just doesn’t give a shit about their circumstances. Why should they perform niceness for anyone?

3) They aren’t even that mean imo. Not by Fromsoft character standards. Like, it’s amazing that Thiollier aggros if you try to tell him what Trina told you, but no one is writing think pieces about Thiollier’s irreedeemability. D’s brother calls Fia a rotten whore after he kills her, and no one is crafting essays about how problematic that guy is. Etc etc.

So, yes. It’s a brainless criticism in my opinion.

[ravenalla]

Okay I swear this will be my last rant post before the next episode airs but I have to get it off my chest cause I keep seeing the argument made that people disappointed Din gave the darksaber away are forgetting the lack of plot in the previous seasons, which I very heavily disagree.

I can’t speak for everyone, but at least for me when I’m saying I’m disappointed Din did not become Manda’lor I am not saying I hated the adventure of the week side quest format they had. That’s what I liked best about the show! It was great in season 1 feeling like Din was just the random guy off on his own adventure with this baby he found, I would have loved for it to have kept that small space western feel. Season 3 becoming this big interconnected universe with a corrupted New Republic plot connecting to the sequels is what I was most worried about just because I personally don’t like that direction. The more they’ve tried to go the Andor route and make this show about the Galatic politics, the worst it’s become imo (we literally have two white dudes writing a plot point about droids liking being underclass and serving the soft democratic people that is ruled with the help of a former Nazi, but ohh it’s okay it’s Jack Black and he’s funny and the Space Nazi and the Space Nazi doctor are really sorry for what they did, look the New Republic is just as bad as the fascist imperials 🥺🥺)

What some people are not getting is that the darksaber is ALL. DIN. HAD. LEFT. There was no driving force or goal for him after episode 2, they reunited him with his child in a spin-off show, they have him redeem himself fairly easily without any emotional impact, and now they took away the opportunity to do one last interesting thing with him. Din does not have his own actions or thoughts throughout most of the season, and when he does it’s just retracing the character development they already gave him in previous seasons (i.e. the whole droid fiasco). He’s a plot device, meant to further Bo-Katan’s character and help her with her goals or have him in danger so she can save him. It was okay if Din did not become Manda’lor, but they can’t just make him having the darksaber out to be a huge deal, show him trying to learn how to train with it, and give it up so stupidly through a loophole just so Bo-Katan can lead again when she has done nothing to actually earn it or apologize for the way she disrespected Din’s entire culture again and again. She was a terrorist who has done a 180 into suddenly being an honorable character just because of a few action scenes, no introspection or interesting conflict between her and the covert about their differences, nothing about her actually thinking about her past mistakes, just the covert being there to look like dumbasses who settled on a dangerous planet where their children get eaten so Bo can lead missions, look a million times more competent in comparison, and suddenly be the one who deserves to lead.

There doesn’t have to be a big plot each episode, but it’s not being executed well like it was in the first two seasons. The goal was getting Grogu to a Jedi, and we were given the interesting side adventures on that journey. Din needs to find somewhere he can lay low, he goes to Sorgan and becomes tempted by a domestic life. Din needs credits, he takes a job with some old acquaintances and sees what kind of slimy person he could have been. Din needs to find other mandos to help him find a Jedi, he runs into a small town desperate for help with a Krayt Dragon and showcases his pride in being a Mandalorian but his respect for other cultures and his willingness to do the right thing. He travels to a planet ruled by an former Imperialist because the Jedi he was searching for was there and helps her to save a town both for their sake and his need to give his son the best life he can have. See the pattern? They were side adventures, but they weren’t a random hodgepodge of ideas, they fit the story and the tone, giving us interesting side characters and helping to develop our main characters. Din showed his leadership, his growing kindness, his frustrations, his annoyances, his fears, Grogu becomes more adventurous, vocal, and attached to who he’s starting to see as a father figure. They both aren’t talkative characters, but they had feelings and personalities we saw. They had moments between them that wasn’t just exposition for the plot or a push towards an action scene, it showed their lives and values, their relationships. Little moments like Din being happy to hear Grogu’s name, Cobb sharing his story and why he valued the armor, Omera talking with Din about his life and wondering if he could stay, Frog Lady wanting to get her eggs safely to her husband and Din comedically trying to make that happen. The story was driven by these characters decisions and their personalities.

Season 3, on the other hand, has taken away all the life of these side adventures in its goal to tie in a larger Star Wars narrative that connects to other shows. They are not character driven anymore, and instead the characters are being twisted and molded to do and say stuff that’ll get us from point A to point B instead of the other way around. The point of Din breaking his creed is not to see what that would mean for his identity or how he wants to live with Grogu by his side, the point is to take him to Mandalore so that he can ultimately get trapped and fall down a hole so Bo-Katan can see the Mythosaur. The point of Bo-Katan’s crew leaving her and her staying in a random castle for no reason doing nothing all day isn’t for her to recognize her past failings or show us what their relationship was like and what it meant to her, it’s to have an easy offscreen explanation so that she can come to the covert without anything challenging in the way. The point of Din’s coverts staying on a monster-infested planet where Paz’s son is kidnapped isn’t because it makes sense they’d be there or that Paz suddenly even has a son we’ve never seen before, it’s so they can put in CGI monsters they thought were cool and have Bo save the day so they can have a flimsy reason she does need to be leader again. The point of spending time with the covert and having random pirates attacking Nevarro wasn’t to develop the other mandalorians as actual characters, it was to have them accept Bo easily so that she can “walk both worlds” and give Carl Weather’s character more screentime. And so much more.

Things are happening, but it doesn’t matter whether they make sense or fit the characters anymore, because all the side quest are focused on is bending over backwards trying to make you believe this Bo deserves the darksaber narrative. Before that it wasn’t like the Covert was planning to take back Mandalore, Din wasn’t planning to take back Mandalore, Bo didn’t tell anybody what she saw so there was no real stakes for anybody. Nobody in the main plot has had any purpose as more than side characters besides her. Din may have been the main character, but the people he met on his journey didn’t just do stuff to contribute to his own character or finding a Jedi. Omera had her own goals, Cobb had his own goals, Fennec had her own goals, Boba had his own goals, and they all still worked well with the narrative without diminishing each other, Din developed on the way by learning from the other characters and them him. What the fuck does Din want this season? Paz? The Armorer? The answer is whatever will make it easiest for the plot to retake Mandalore and have Bo be the Manda’lor for these writers, despite it being shown previously they have no reason to care or like Bo-Katan.

Like, some character moments are there. Bo is changing. I’m not saying that’s not happening at all. But it’s being done in a way that is sabotaging every other aspect of the show to force this plot that they wanted, the sidequest are feeling duller because they aren’t for these characters to have fun adventures we get emotionally invested in that simultaneously furthers the actual main characters goal, it’s let’s just have a CGI dragon, let’s have Lizzo and Jack Black guest star, let’s have Zeb from Rebels be in there for no reason. Unless again you count Bo as the main character, but like honestly she’s not even having natural character development. She went from being an antagonistic ex-terrorist to suddenly being kind and charitable with hardly any buildup or insight into her feelings. It doesn’t feel organic. I know she lost everything, but they still made it seem like she blamed Din for it only to have her rescue him once and completely abandon that hostility. The best we really have gotten is Grogu remembering his past while with the armorer and setting up his future as a Mandalorian, but even that feels cheapened when the armor he was given isn’t even talked about with the person who he shares the symbol with him that signifies their relationship, making me think it’s just another merchandise decision.

We wanted Din to learn to rule because, even if we did have to say goodbye to the adventure of the week type format, it would have been in service of his character evolving into something he doesn’t think he deserves or is good at. It would have been the next step in his journey, accumulating everything he has learned, the growth he went through using both diplomacy and his skills as a fighter time and time again. Instead, they chose to really quickly ditch any of the conflicts he had so they could have him free to do this instead. If they had waited one more season, this could have possibly been done well imo. Din’s arcs could have been brought to a meaningful and satisfying conclusion, and then you could have made him and Bo-Katan become co-leads. It wouldn’t have mattered as much then if they decided to focus a little more on her. But instead they essentially abandoned Din’s story they’ve spent two seasons creating to go ahead and tell her own.

The side quest aren’t what people are complaining about. It’s that they have no meaning for our characters other than having everybody circling around Bo most of the time or creating some big connection to the sequel triology and setting up the Star Wats MCU, which wasn’t the style of writing this show did. I don’t care how many ways people want to argue against it, Din is not the main character in this season, which is not what they have been selling us all year, and he doesn’t even have any engaging story or arc as a side character either. That is the problem, and that is why these side quest and the lack of an actual plot do not work.

[horizon-verizon]

Have you met Daemon Targaryen ?? No seriously, what book did you read? For god’s sake, did you read the scene with Blood and Cheese? It’s unspeakably horrifying! We are supposed to come out of that room realizing that nothing is worth this, that a line has been crossed and innocent lives utterly destroyed, that the man who ordered this is not roguish, but GENUINELY EVIL AND MONSTROUS. Daemon is responsible for ordering his 6 year old great-nephew killed. That the Greens betrayed Rhaenyra does not mean they can be held to account for everything the Blacks did for the rest of the war. This is Morality 101, Daemon is a grown man who knew exactly what he was doing, if he wanted to avenge Lucerys death, why he didn’t murdered Aegon or Aemond?

Really, I know that the ASOIAF fandom is full of male obsessed pick me, but how is it that Daemon, sexual predator and child murderer, never lacks for defenders? Are people just confusing their archetypes and thinking of him as an appealingly roguish and dashing rulebreaker? Because, no, he’s just a blatantly and consistently terrible person. He’s a bland and deathly boring parody of Oberyn (and it’s highly offensive to Oberyn because he seeks vengeance for the violent death of his sister and her babies, while Daemon violently murder children and drive their mother to insanity and suicide).

*EDITED POST* (6/11/24)

A)

We are supposed to come out of that room realizing that nothing is worth this, that a line has been crossed and innocent lives utterly destroyed, that the man who ordered this is not roguish, but GENUINELY EVIL AND MONSTROUS.

Anon may be answering to this post or any of the last dozens of helaena posts.

So....apparently, you didn't think this way when Lucerys (13) died, who was the first child who was killed in cold blood by his older uncle, Aemond (19) after said dude rushed after him, incensed and eager to prove his masculinity after Maris Baratheon mocked him for not fighting this 13 year old. Who killed a child who was acting as an envoy, who was acting as an envoy because their side decided to takeover the Red Keep to hold a council to persuade/force them to crown Aegon and usurp Rhaenyra, thus pushing the blacks to search/survey those who would be at their side in case a war broke out?

Who drew first blood? Who was the first to kill a child? Who invited the inevitable anger and grief of the family of the murdered child? This isn't Romeo and Juliet where the origins of the rivalry are unknown, lost to time.

Who created the heft of the conditions that lead to Rhaenyra's usurpation?

And when did I say Daemon was just and deserved to wreak revenge through a another child's murder, anyway? IF HE ACTUALLY ARRANGED B&C. Show me where I say that, anon. There's such thing as "nuance",

(if Daemon actually did it, bc again link above where I note that GoTHistorian of TikTok explains how it may not have actually been Daemon bc it was just too strategically stupid and risky, and Daemon has shown enormous restraint during the black council--for him, or the expected/reputed version of him--it could have been a party who wanted to either push the sides to war or want to sow discord amongst the greens and withi the blacks as well) Daemon was wrong and responsible for his own response, yes...AND it wasn't an act he just decided to do willy-nilly, as if the other side hadn't done anything likewise.

Look, I'm sorry that not everyone is as sympathetic or as hateful towards Daemon AFTER said kid's adult relatives decided to begin the war in the first place and murder Rhaenyra-Daemon's child. When they were never in any actual danger from either person (you'd have to prove that Daemon was making plans to and under Rhaenyra's nose other than vibes, aside from his last act w/Nettles, he has performed no serious act of rebellion against Rhaenyra's authority/clearest orders). No, his laughing, making fun, and ignoring his own nephews in favor of Rhaenyra is not evidence of him actually plotting their deaths. Does that mean that every time someone you hate or hates you laughs at you, they have to be willing to murder you if they have the chance? The nephews didn't present any sort of active threat, but neither was Daemon really fond of them bc--as the text states--they made him more insignificant....or more likely, bc they happened to be the scions of his own rival, Otto/the Hightowers instead of someone like Aemma Arryn, who was both his first cousin (through his aunt Daella) and from a more dedicated house. We have never seen Daemon perform violence against a perceived enemy unless there are imminent or already-done attacks done against him and those close to him. The greens attacked, so he went after them.

Yes, it ruins Helaena and leads to her suicide. Yeah, murder is bad, and yes this was a tragedy...did you (Aemond) have to invite the anger of the other side without the assurance of meeting them in arms?

And once, more, if we trace the fault, who exactly taught Aemond to be so hostile and mocking of his own nephews? To see Rhaenrya as "stealing" his and Aegon's supposed "birthright"? Since you claim to have read F&B? To inspire him to stoking his rage and jealousy towards the ruin of these "bastards" who he feels has what he is owed--again, not just recourse for the idea, but actually the "birthright"?

I suppose the counterargument is that Jaehaerys' death was "more" tragic or horrific bc he was younger than Lucerys and he wasn't on a dragon or had anything substantial to protect himself. But Lucerys' dragon, Arrax, was way smaller and younger than Vhagar. He was lunchmeat. And Lucerys was still much younger than Aemond, his killer while also being a child himself as Jaehaerys' childness was to Daemon's adultness.

B)

how is it that Daemon, sexual predator and child murderer, never lacks for defenders? Are people just confusing their archetypes and thinking of him as an appealingly roguish and dashing rulebreaker? Because, no, he’s just a blatantly and consistently terrible person. He’s a bland and deathly boring parody of Oberyn (and it’s highly offensive to Oberyn because he seeks vengeance for the violent death of his sister and her babies, while Daemon violently murder children and drive their mother to insanity and suicide).

Well, do you know who Lestat the Vampire is? He's a sort of "rogue" figure in his own way--while being one of the most charismatic figures in literary and fiction history. Called the "Brat Prince", too. Also hates to be told what to do, but very loyal to those he loves. I imagine that some fans' love or awe for Daemon is similar. Lestat is also an objectively terrible person...doesn't stop people from loving and "loving" him for his unpredictability and ability to shake stuff up. People like devil-may-care attitudes with hearty hearts who nevertheless value loyalty, and Daemon's got it all that. So does Oberyn. Both are extremely loyal to their houses and families and indifferent to every one else.

Also part of it is that many of the stuff that people accuse Daemon of doing bc of HotD, he can't have done or he wouldn't have done not out of morality but because it'd bite him in the ass--therefore he's not as "crazed" or irrational as some make him out to be. What's offensive to some people is the disingenuous and/or misinformed indictment of a person--even when that person is evil OR morally ambiguous. Because that disingenuity is more often not about them but about stifling the roguish behavior, the disorder element or because they feel that this attitude reflects an event they experienced at the hands of someone like this character and perceive/relive--like the greens and Otto did--it is a way for people to resist or become some sort of threat to their own plans. Last one may be too personal & reaching, but I'm covering my bases here so I won't have to repeat myself.

C)

I also wouldn't say that Oberyn was a "good" person either. We should probs be careful: but one could say that there's an indication that the way he raised three of his eldest his daughters into them also not doing great things to kids--or planning to--in his name for revenge shows a lack of real care for altruistic morality on his part. Oberyn himself, yes targets the right person, but this doesn't mean he also wasn't doing crazy shit--Obara's mom? Alayaya, the 16 year old prostitute he has sex with while at KL?

And before we say Daemon and the maidens, IF Daemon did that in his youth...

and Oberyn did that to Obara's mother in his youth // Oberyn sleeping with 16 year old Alayaya in his adulthood (42-43)

VS

Daemon didn't continue to sleep with young girls into his 30s or by some evidence b-y-the-text like he did in his late teen-early 20s. There's more evidence from the respective texts to say Oberyn is still sleeping w/teenagers into his 30s and 40s while with Daemon it's much more up in the air officially. Me, I think he didn't--the greens/maesters/people around Dragonstone and Driftmark and KL would have talked of it either against Rhaenyra or just to gossip.

Well. Doesn't look good for your guy.

Look, I do like Oberyn, but I'm not going to say he was Mr. Angelman, that he was Daemon's moral superior either--esp to women, compare his morality to another person, or erase Daemon's decision to sublimate his own claims to support/protect his own family by the Gods Eye episode to do so.

Oberyn, Elia/her kids--Daemon, Rhaenyra/their kids.

It certainly doesn't help that Daemon is a character we have no PoVs for, and we see Oberyn through other characters' PoVs--namely Tyrion's. Or that we aren't in Oberyn's head. Much easier to paint Daemon as categorically worse if we just desire to without feeling the need to support our own thoughts with text-based evidence. But by text-based evidence, Oberyn is not at all a moral superior to Daemon.

I really hope to god you are not also a DaemonxNettles truther. Please. The "sexual predation" better be more about him and Rhaenyra, where it's much comparatively more plausible. The mentioned comparison to Oberyn is sending red flags.

[low-budget-korra]

Comments on House of the Dragon S02E04

- I'm so fucking pissed... WHY THE WRITERS CAN'T GIVE SOMETHING TO THE BLACKS????? It's so unprofessional that is infuriating.

Rhaenys and Meleys fought bravely against two dragons, one of them being Vhagar and she almost won. She almost kill Aegon II. Her death is the definition of going out in a blaze of glory.

Not only did they make her look like a traitor sometimes, giving terrible ideas to Rhaenyra (that could get the queen killed), but also sometimes it felt she was with tb just because it was convenient not because she actually believed in their claim. Now they even took away her amazing and heroic death? What was the reason for her suicidal attack on Vhagar??

The writers could spend those 4 episodes showing us how she felt guilty for not killing and ending Aegon II bloodline in the coronation scene, something that would stop the war that was coming. But no, they instead gave us two unnecessary Alicole sex scenes.

They want Aemond to burn Aegon? Fine. Lets do a scene, showing Rhaenys experience as a rider and warrior. Let's make her swing and redirect Vhagar's attack on Sunfyre.

It's not that hard! Omg seriously.

For the writers, everything is for team green. Only they can be "cool" and "developed" and here is one more proof. Again taking something from team black and giving it to the greens.

-The writing of HOTD it's giving season 7 and 8 of GOT and if it continues like that we all know how it's gonna end. They are choosing unnecessary sex scenes, cgi and spectacular action sequences over decent writing. And guess what, even spectacular action sequences can look dumb without decent writing (just look at the Long Night episode from GOT)

And the "funny" part is that the majority of the audience don't give a shit about writing anymore. Which makes me think that if Game of Thrones had come out today, it would be cancelled after 2 or 3 seasons.

- Aemond high valyrian improved a little, while Aegon's sucks.

-I love that Lord Darklyn insulted Cole. That's what that whinny bastard deserves.

-Jace pulling Daemon's mannerism is so cool to see. He has every right to be angry at his mom but also he is too anxious to fight, fight for their claim and his family. This and his inexperience in battle is what will lead him to his death

-Aegon II is a pathetic drunk, dude is bored with the war he helped start. He was always so anxious for the war, talking like it was a simple game, something that contrasts with Rhaenyra doing everything she can to prevent a war that already had started.

-Is Alicent already starting to lose her mind?

[aihoshiino]

chapter 133 thoughts!

Right off the bat, I'm really glad to see OnK looping back around to address something that was largely left hanging from the first half of the movie arc - the idea that Ruby simply lacks the acting chops to properly portray Ai in the movie. This was hammered in to such a degree that I actually had a theory back before shooting started that Ruby was going to end up backing out of playing Ai and that Kana, Akane or even Frill would end up taking her place. Obviously it's not that I want Ruby to fail here or that she doesn't deserve a big W after everything she's been through but it felt really weird for the story to correctly make the point that Ruby's acting was going to make or break this movie and then not properly bring that point home. So I'm glad to see we're actually digging into it this chapter.

That said, it does feel a little... abrupt, I guess? Or rather, I totally understand Ruby cracking under the pressure and having a bit of a meltdown off the back of Nino's words last chapter - that obviously cut really deep - but suddenly jumping back to this idea that Ruby is Just Not Getting Ai after we hadn't touched on that since filming started and we've had no indication it's still an ongoing issue is weird. Especially since Mengo has literally just been flat out drawing Ai any time she's portraying her on panel lol. Maybe holding off on showing her with the double hoshigan would've been a better choice in conveying that...

Again, I guess it just comes back to what I've been saying lately about the movie arc feeling really weirdly structured. Things feel kind of jumbled, or necessarily out of order persay but the way arcs, emotional beats and development is happening in fits and spurts gives everything this stuttering rhythm where all the major beats feel like they're landing in really strange places.

All that aside... man, poor Ruby. We haven't really gotten as good a look into her head as I would've liked during the movie's production but the amount of pressure she feels must be immense. Strawberry Productions have put all their money into this movie and Ruby is telling the story of one of the people she loves more than anyone else in the world. It's no wonder she's in tears by the end of it.

The story also addresses something I'm really glad to see on the page - Kana acknowledging that Ai was the way she was largely because of her negative experiences. I've had a bit of unease lately with the idea of OnK portraying Ai as an aspirational figure or that Ruby 'becoming' or 'surpassing' Ai is a positive step for her. Ai of B-Komachi existed because Hoshino Ai experienced such an abnormally cruel life that was so utterly lacking in warmth or love that she had to make up a perfect version of herself just to feel like she had permission to be alive. It's not that Ruby has never experienced hardship - god knows she has - but she simply does not have experience with the exact nature of the despair, the loneliness and the self hate that Ai struggled with her entire life. Without opening herself up to that, she might never be able to fully understand Ai.

Kana's description of Nino is also really fascinating and it lines up with how I personally was reading her off the back of that chapter combined with the foundation laid by 45510. Her feelings for Ai are a life-altering obsession that has ripped down the boundary between 'love' and 'hate'. It's both at the same time which is an emotional state you can probably conclude is not going to lead someone to grieve in a healthy or productive way.

<3 nino is such a gay little freak i love her so much

Ruby and Kana's talk in general in this chapter is sooooo fucking good, dudes. It's hard not to want to go over it line by line lol but it's the kind of talk I've wanted them to have for a really long time. Their earnest concern for each other and their attempts to reach out and protect the other as clumsily as they end up doing it are so sweet and it makes the end of this chapter such a gut punch... but we'll get there.

I will say it's uh incredibly fucking bizarre to see Akane sorted in alongside the people Ruby considers her family??? Like, I get that Ruby had the whole 'can I call you oneechan' thing with her back while she and Aqua were dating but they've never been portrayed as being that close or really on friendly terms at all after the Private arc. Not only that, but this is specifically in a context where Ruby is talking about how the movie is going to help her family, who are still stuck in their grief over Ai's death move forward - so why the fuck is Akane there?? Akane has no personal relationship to Ai! She was not remotely affected by her death! I can only assume this was some kind of art mistake because I otherwise have absolutely no fucking clue what this is supposed to mean. EDIT: Taking a closer look at the art, I'm pretty certain this is in fact an art mistake and that's Ruby accidentally given Akane's hair screening: her eyes are dark and she seems to have Ruby's hoshigan. Mystery solved!

Ruby's face as she cries looks sooooooo much like Miyako's expression as she cried back in 125. I even noticed then how much she looked like both Ai and Ruby in that moment and it was so sad and lovely to see that similarity mirrored in Ruby. Miyako is their mom!!! Ai and Ruby are her daughters!!!

And finally... Kana just lets it all out.

Honestly, seeing Kana finally express all this stuff was so cathartic. She didn't want to be in B-Komachi to start with, she was bullied into being the center and then watched Ruby absolutely leave her in the dirt. Knowing what we do about Kana's own history of abandonment and her absolute terror at the prospect of being left behind and made irrelevant, it would be naive to assume she didn't feel some jealousy or bitterness in the wake of Ruby's meteoric rise to fame. She's only human, after all and I can't help but wonder if this is one of the 'cracks' left in black hoshigan Ruby's wake that Aqua ominously alluded to a while back.

Even as she pours out all this bile, though - Kana is still, in a twisted way, doing this out of pure love for Ruby. As she herself puts it, she is at risk of permanently destroying their relationship here even though Ruby is her closest and dearest friend. But that's why she feels she had to do it. Like always, Kana sacrifices herself, desecrates herself and throws herself under the bus to support the people she loves and to play the coordinator - to ensure her costars can give the best possible performance. Arima Kana? Don't worry about her. She's fine off in the shadows by herself, right?

I also can't help but wonder if Kana is doing this at least in part for herself, too. We saw that she, too, was struck deeply and unsettled by Nino's words last week and by how deeply Nino was poisoned by her hate and feelings of inferiority towards Ai. Maybe this is Kana's way of trying to purge herself of those feelings so she can look her inner Nino in the eye and confidently say "I am not like you".

No break next week...!

[jacenotjason]

🎞️ can i choose all your ocs

this is gonna be a long post BUT SURE WHY NOT

🎞️ - If your oc existed in the series, in which episodes would they appear and what would change?

OKAY HERE WE GO

Jaxon:

Jaxon would be teased during Tender Treats, but not quite revealed. Sort of like a background or ARG appearance.

He would then have an "episode" called Jester's Court. It wouldn't be an actual episode since it would focus on John, Jack, and Patty instead of the Spooky Kids. Jaxon is lead by his delusions to the Eden Hospital in an attempt to bring Bob back. It's a parody of a shock film.

The episode would switch between the Blues Clues gang and Jaxon, drastically changing in tone when it does this. Jaxon's parts would be like unreality, with flickering hallucinations and a peak into his thoughts (background whispers) while he makes he way to the morgue.

Meanwhile the Blues Clues gang would be obviously more structured and whats actually happening, as they try to get to the exit without being spotted by Jaxon. Especially Jack.

Mars:

Mars would NOT be teased! Well I mean maybe a little. Like in a photograph.

Mars's episode would be called Red Ribbons! He wouldn't be revealed AT ALL for awhile. It seems like the episode revolves around Evermore, as he's in the thumbnail and Mars is just behind him, sort of a "you dont see him until after you watch the video"

I haven't quite decided what Mars's episode would be like.. I know that he'd be revealed with the Spookeez crashing into his legs and he'd slooooowly turn around and look down at them

def some cult stuff though. and mars and john would probably fight. lmfao

Tuktuka:

I don't actually know what purpose Tuk would serve in an episode. Maybe some sort of short-aesthetic thing where you get to watch his day. Patty leaves him at home and he spends the whole video trying to get to the hospital to see her. Tuktuka shenanigans !!

other than that hes not too important lore wise!

Danny:

Danny wouldn't have an ep to himself honestly

I HAVE ALWAYS IMAGINED HIM FACING OFF WITH BOB!!! In Tender Treats Bob would see him as an easy target, yknow blind, and attempts to kill Danny in his garage but you dont go into the kings throne room and execute him

Danny kicks his ass is what im saying

bob you got your ass kicked by a 5'3" blind dude how do you feel

Danny is involved with copwork though!! He'd show up during those segments sometimes

Noel:

Noel would obv be in Hollow Sorrows!

He'd just be in the background, really, floating around. Probably mostly present at the beginning, when Gregor talks to Michelle in the church.

They deserve a short of how they met tho teehee

Simon:

Simon would be the newscaster! He'd show up throughout the series probably, giving the news cast on Dexter being missing and Bob escaping and all that.

Would he have an episode to himself..? eh yeah sure why not

it would probably be called something like "Lights, Camera, Action!!" or... "Roll It!" yknow?

Can't really imagine what the premise would be. I have always imagined Simon tormenting someone on a bunch of screens, mostly John. John is kind of my go-to guy for situations. He is my John Doe. haha

also insert joke about Simon getting hooked up to a lie detector test and not giving any readings bc he speaks in the same tone all the time here

THATS ALLLL!!!

[purpledaisiesthings]

Where do I even start with that trash as series finale?

Everything was so rushed.

I must admit, I didn't watch a lick of the season after 3ep01. I only followed along on social media and I'm so glad I did. I knew it was gonna be trash and it was indeed trash. They pretty much ruined every single character. How is that even possible?

Simone, the literal lead got cancer? Like they didn't see any other interesting storyline other than piling on more trauma for the girl. Then you end the finale without us actually seeing her play the biggest game of her life yet. Trash.

Couldn't even let her be happy in a relationship. And even when she and Damon broke up, you then replaced him with this other dude out of convenience to attach her to another love story when they could have just let her be. We could have seen her get involved in other things that make her Simone. Did we see much of her in sorority? I feel like I still barely know this person even after 3 seasons. It's always about some boy with a dash of tennis. Must she have a boy by her side at all times? Then it had to be someone who was without his own agency. I know nothing about this dude either. It pretty much felt like it was a situation where, because Damon was not available, let's get her with this other dude that's available. She chose Damon when she had all the options in the world. She always gravitated towards him even when she was still married to Jordan, and when this rebound dude came into the picture. She always chose Damon. But then how convenient that the only way she could be with this dude is when Damon was not available. Rubbish. Make it make sense. It would have been more believable if she ended the season single.

The Damon build-up was all for nothing? Their story was being told from the beginning. It carried weight. The least it deserved was a satisfying end/break up that showed you cared and respected the characters.

I'm all for fan service, but when the fan service is at the expense of the story being told and doesn't make sense, then you should reevaluate.

I really don't understand. You can't write a character as important and integral to a show like Damon, you develop him only to pretty much erase him and his presence. Then when he finally shows up for the finale, you make her shun him like they didn't spend 2 seasons building up not just a relationship for them, but their friendship.

It's funny how, in spite of all that shite in his absence, the 2 episodes he had, his character was still elevated above everyone else's whether it was intentional or not. You can't help but write him with importance.

In my opinion, his character had the best ending and if you really think about it, the best overall arc. Everything he wanted to achieve when we were introduced to his character in the backdoor pilot, he achieved them and more. Growth 🤌🏾

So why would a lead character like Simone end up with someone else who wasn't equally as important.

Anyways, it's over. Sad that a show that started out with so much promise ended that way.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S05E15 - Northern Rexposure - Part B

*me: *watching this episode* That's not my show. Jesse: *starts rambling about flying the plane because he has flown planes on a flight simulator* me: Oh, wait, that's actually my show.

Well, I've never paused here before but look at Rex's "we are so fucked" look!

Sarah's style is sexy-with-a-hint-of-I-may-die-today.

I'm assuming that Jesse's plan was to take off and reach a tower that could direct him on how to land this bird. Too bad the bad guy shot the fuel tank.

This, then the helicopter ride... Dude, how much money did they give you guys? I haven't seen them fly anything bigger than a drone before this or since then.

Oh, I forgot. That was the last we saw of Jesse's glasses. RIP Jesse's glasses. Welcome, laser operation. Speaking as a bespectacled person, I don't really care about this one way or another. I'm sure they had reasons for this. The main one being that glasses reflect everything and are not ideal for filming. Not to mention that if they were to have Jesse more on the field, not having glasses is a good idea. I assume it's also part of his character's journey, although I don't agree that removing your glasses is a sign of growth. That's a childish notion, as there are many reasons for sticking to glasses instead of contacts or not opting for laser surgery.

Incoming Sarah whump, but first... Sarah desperation. I love it.

I don't know if they meant to make a parallel of this with Charlie because they both were obsessively working on their cases on their own time.

That's a very sexy way to be sprawled there while spouting off evidence from a more than a decade cold case. Just saying.

I've been giving Charlie a lot of flack (most of it deserved) but in this case, it's his persistence to keep pursuing leads that causes Bertrand to have a crisis of conscience and call him, thus causing a chain of events that ultimately lead to finding Alison.

Dying, thank you for caring.

Jesse whump.

Just say what you're afraid of the most. That Charlie would kill all three of you if Rex was killed for this.

I was doing fine until this.

I think that Rex had probably smelled that something was wrong with Sarah.

This episode should be called "The One Where Rex Does A Lassie".

I'll just fill my wallpapers lol

Jesse totally got all the braincells from the two. What do you mean, "really good to you"? You almost died because of him! Not to mention the whole committing a crime thing.

Oh, it's starting.

By the way, I like Sarah whump but I don't want them to overdo it because the more times they do it, the more some genius might come up with an excuse to kill her for Charlie's manpain. We don't really use manpain a lot on this show but you never know.

In any case, when the opportunity for Sarah whump presents itself, I want Charlie to. Be. Close. By. I mean, what's this bullshit with him being hundreds (thousands?) of miles away?

Get away from my boy!

Poor Rex! That is a scary fucker.

For fucks sake, Charlie. Rex is being hunted by predators, Sarah is dying, Jesse is banged up, and you're here and you're... looking good? The audacity.

Should have some more lighting, by the way.

No, actually.

Can't, sorry. Anyway, this is a very Castle moment. (show, not character)

I mean, dude, look at him (as much as you can). Don't you see the determination? He won't give up. Just fess up, man.

"I'm never traveling again!"

To be continued in Part C.

[freckles-dean]

Here are some of my thoughts on Young Royals S3 ep 1-5

I’m just rambling here. This is probably going to be long, all over the place and not well articulated, so bear with me. 

And before I talk about the show, I just need to say that it never ceases to amaze me how incredibly talented all the actors are.

First of all, I don’t blame either Simon or Wilhelm. They are in an incredibly stressful situation. They are bound to make mistakes and I think their actions while being stubborn and lacking common sense are understandable.

I really loved Simon this season and i was so exited there was more of a focus on him. We finally got to some of how everything affected him. It broke my heart to notice he wasn’t the loudest in the choir anymore and then him saying he’s not enjoying music. Side note: Dude had some banger lines this season 

I find it ironic that everything that Wille found attractive in Simon’s in s1 became things that Simon has to shut down in order to be with him

If you told yesterday me that today me was actually okay with an August redemption arc, I would not have believed you. This in no way excuses his behavior, and he still has a lot to work on, but I think it was one of my favorite parts of this season. 

I am not at all surprised by the Erik thing. since s1 I kept wondering when Willie's perfect image of him would come crumbling down, but can’t imagine how devastating it would be to learn that the person who was there for you the most was not this perfect person you thought they were and might not even accept you.

I was rooting hard for Micke and Sara. I knew it was unrealistic that he wasn’t going to hurt her again, but it was still so heartbreaking that he couldn’t pull it together for her. I think there are bigger issues going on than his ADHD that needs to be handled. 

Why does the queen get space and help with her anxieties and grief, but when Wilhelm is struggling he gets no support and is seen as embarrassing and problematic???? 

Why the fuck was it Wilhelm's responsibility to teach Simon what not to do? Obviously, this kid who has never been in the public eye has no idea what he should or shouldn’t do, it almost seems like it was deliberate to get Wilmons relationship to fail idk. It would have been so easy to get something to teach him some basic media training. It's just disturbing how the court had absolutely zero regard for Simon’s safety. 

I’ve seen people talk about Wilhelm being controlling over Simon. Is it acceptable or excusable behavior? Absolutely not, but let me put things into perspective. Wilhelm was raised in an abusive and very controlling environment. His opinions and feelings didn’t matter, and he was told it was love, so it made sense that he would try to do the same for Simon and expected him to go along with it. I think expecting Wilhelm to have healthy relationship skills is unrealistic, and the show never pretended he did. It’s been pretty obvious throughout that Wilhelm consistently projects his feelings and emotions onto other people. 

I still don't know if Simon was breaking up with Wille or not, or they were just trying to frame it that way to scare us (honestly hoping it leads into a more mature conversation), but if he was… Wilhelm had it coming. He hasn’t been handling things very well and is taking it out on Simon, which is just not okay, and he doesn’t deserve that.  

Before this season, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Wille abdicating, cause i still had this fantasy in my head of him as this queer king, but after everything I’ve seen this season, it’s so obvious how much this institution is killing him. He needs to get out and heal from his traumas and find out who he really is without all those rules and pressures.

I don’t even know if I want Wilmon to be an endgame. Obviously, I do, but at this point, I don’t think that’s what’s best for either of them. It’s been very clear this season how much they don’t (at the moment) fit into each other's lives.. Either some major things have to change (Wille abdicating) or they need to split up. I just hope that both boys get a good ending, even if it’s not with each other. 

I don’t know... I’m emotionally exhausted, there are so many plot lines and I really don’t know how they are going to fix everything in one episode.

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

KOTORI MIZUKI/TORI MEADOWS (YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL)

1.) first: ygo zexal is directed (and partially written) by known misogynist shin yoshida who is on record as saying that he would Never write female characters if he wasn’t being forced to by higher-ups. kotori’s voice actor signed a legal contract forcing him to include her character in Every Single Episode. she gets no duels that aren’t tag duels (2v2 duels), one of those is interrupted in the middle and all others she both loses, aren’t even shown in full, and all happen in the same episode. she is literally contractually required to be a major character and the dude in charge still point blank refuses to do anything with her despite the fact that she’s supposed to be the female lead of the series. please take pity on her for being handed to one of the worst people in the world and how despite the active attempts by other people to make her relevant in the story she was still denied that

2.) She only dueled once in the whole show and it was when she was brainwashed. Her main role is to only cheer the male protag on and say his name during his duels I guess.

IRIS SAGAN (AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES) (CW: Inappropriate Age Gaps)

1.) Listen I'm sure other ladies have it worse but Iris… and as an extension several other girls in AITSF… she deserves so much better. First of all she's a DANCER and she's wearing HEELS AND A TINY SKIRT character designer can you please go easy on her. She's suffering. Give her shorts at least. Second of all she's 18 and she has not one but TWO adult men who want to date her and constantly make comments about it!!!

This is… emblematic of a writing problem, because they KEEP MAKING MEN WHO WANT TO DATE 18 YEAR OLDS. This is partially a character trait thing for the two men, sure, but like. The game also makes jokes about her forcing the main character Date (who is 30) on dates even though she's later revealed to (unknowingly to either of them) be his relative slash daughter figure, kind of sort of. It's complicated. And like, part of the game is recovering his lost memories from amnesia and he gets these rapid heartbeats whenever he remembers, and because his past is tied to Iris I've had to reassure people playing the game the first time that his heart is NOT rapidly beating around her because he's attracted to her. I shouldn't HAVE to do that because the game should be NORMAL about her, but. no. The writing of the game is very clear that men in their mid-20s and later are attracted to this girl, so how should we expect Date be different? Astounding how shitty the writing is regarding that, especially because one of those men (Moma) isn't even creepy until the epilogue AND THEN IN THE SEQUEL HIS ENTIRE PERSONALITY IS THAT HE WANTS TO MARRY HER. SHE'S HALF HIS AGE.

As for her writing itself… She does get a lot of focus overall in the first game (she has an entire route of the game focused on her! Yippee!) but a lot of it is based on said forcing Date to date her, and she dies at the end of her route. I actually like her route but it IS the least conclusive of the route in the first game. In the SEQUEL though oh my god. I'm still bitter that they HEAVILY advertised her as being in the game and then she was BARELY IN IT she was just there to a) have her shitty father be relevant for 0.5 seconds and b) have men creep on her. Okay maybe that's an exaggeration but ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS IS SOMEONE SHE SEES AS A SISTER. TWO OF THE OTHER MAJOR CHARACTERS ARE HER BEST FRIENDS. WHERE DID SHE GO. They barely show her with her friends too like her friends are hanging out ALSO with shitty adult men with romantic interest in them (see. writing problem.) BUT LIKE I'M SO PISSED OFF FOR IRIS ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I LOVE HER. The first game literally has her have delusions about a secret society Naix hunting her down. The second game has The Real Naix be a major organization and antagonistic force. It just feels wrong to not have her… be important… at all… when she's the only reason Naix was mentioned in the first game at all…….

But like. Mostly the issue is that JESUS CHRIST THESE ADULT MEN NEED TO LEAVE HER ALONE AND THE WRITERS WON'T LET HER TELL THEM OFF OR EVEN REALIZE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN HER HALF THE TIME. IRIS PLEASE GET BETTER PEOPLE TO HANG OUT AROUND, LIKE YOUR FRIENDS WHO YOU'RE ONLY SEEN ONSCREEN WITH FOR 5 MINUTES.

2.) (AITSF Spoilers) The male characters often make unnecessary and uncomfortable sexual remarks towards Iris, especially with her status as an 18-year-old internet idol. These men include her close friend (24), an ally yakuza boss (48), and the protagonist (42), who is later revealed to have been her surrogate father figure.

There are also smaller but baffling choices around her writing, such as her framing tagging along with the protagonist as a date, and her route centering conspiracy theories in contrast to the relatively grounded and emotional stories of the other characters. (The latter part is contextualized in-game but is still a jarring tonal shift for the first-time player).

3.) Iris, like almost all returning characters from AITSF, is a victim of the sequel - The Nirvana Initiative - being afraid of spoiling the first game and letting the characters keep their development from the first game and grow past that. It just so happens that the hit Iris' character takes makes elements of misogyny from the first game all the worse. So, Iris in the first game at first glance can be dismissed as a dumb internet idol. This is particularly reinforced by her belief in outlandish conspiracy theories. However, the game gives her depth by revealing that she has a brain tumor (which has caused delusions) and knows that her time is limited as well as delving into her backstory and the impact it has had on her. She gets the tumor healed at the end of the first game, there's a 6-year time skip in the second, and she… acts the complete same and has basically the same beliefs. And she has so few scenes that she really is reduced to a shallow, vapid character. I'm not even sure she had a chance to react to her father figure 'dying.' The first game had an issue with male characters being creepily into Iris the idol. Ota, who is 24, endears himself to the 18-year-old Iris by making sock puppet social media accounts that insult her only for him to swoop in with his main account and defend her. The main character does not think that it is important to tell her about this breach in trust. Moma, who is 48 years old, is also a big fan of hers. While it's mostly (mostly) an endearing character trait in the first game, in Nirvana Initiative, Moma has mainly been reduced to his interest in Iris (who he refers to once as his "future wife"). His only plot significant contribution is made by using a voice changer to sound like her. The implications of his original plan for that voice changer skeeves me out. The other characters, by the way, are pretty ambivalent about this.

[ca-suffit]

for some thoughts on the Louis "pushing" Lestat + Armand. Should go without saying that Louis did not deserve either (though unclear if Louis or Lestat started the fight that lead to dropping like if it's true Lestat wasn't fighting back. I blame writers and confusing unreliable narrations however I digress) being dropped by Lestat or left in pain by Armand (or screwed over several times by Armand).

So anyways I want to look at the *why* Louis has this pattern that isn't because he's the abuser or bad guy or the one in the wrong. As cheesy as it is, we accept the love we think we deserve, right? Louis has always had lower self worth and has struggled with his image, who he is, especially as a vampire. he dealt with all the complex + intersections problems of being a black semi closeted gay man in the timeframe of America it was set in (20's¿) socioeconomic status, the family problems. I mean even to book!Louis he was always like straight up depressed dude. And it's the whole like people search for red flags for the thrill bc they're used to the chaos hurt and pain? I view Louis very similar. Idk you see this self sabatoging behavior with a lot of trauma+ abuse victims, and it doesn't mean they're a bad guy but often I think Fandom is the place for nuance to die lol.

But I hope they carry on and have more of Louis on the show than the books did, and I hope they continue the character growth where we can see him actually heal and like gain a sense of worth. S1 he appeared to but in reality it was mostly fabricated lies. I hope they don't waste Jacob like that. But yeah I think just on a side note of psychiatric people like are so wrapped up in why mental illness and trauma effects lestat and Armands actions but do seem to demonize and ignore how the same shit effects Louis.

"people like are so wrapped up in why mental illness and trauma effects lestat and Armands actions but do seem to demonize and ignore how the same shit effects Louis."

this is exactly the problem and then it's usually followed by ppl's antiblackness jumping out. then if anyone points that out to them, they usually double down bcuz they don't want to feel like they're racist. the thing is tho, if u always double down when things are pointed out to u, who are u ever gonna be but that person? it's uncomfortable to face ur own biases but it's the only way to overcome them. we're all raised in societies that fill our heads with all kinds of crap we have to unlearn. u *have* to unlearn it tho or else ur just replicating it forever.

stuff dies in fandom bcuz environments are created on purpose for it to be like this. look how impossible it is to even talk about race or racism here (or any fandom). this account has to be anon and rely mostly on other anon asks in order to talk about anything. the fandom stays ignorant bcuz ppl fight hard to keep it that way.

the fandom used to be all about louis and coddling louis when he was white. it's only dropped off since the show started. lestat, armand, and louis have always been the three main characters in this fandom that ppl relate to the most. suddenly louis is the only black character and usually has a lot of black fans posting meta about him aaaand....here comes the lestat and armand ppl reframing it all as "actually if u look at *their* trauma......"

and, I mean, it's *not* technically wrong. like u wrote and like the show is saying too, these cycles *are* cycles. this is real life! nobody was talking like this before tho. character's trauma histories were not dragged up as much as they are now. anne rice didn't write her stories like the show is doing so ppl are not used to critically analyzing anyone's behavior. she glossed over a lot of conflict as the books went on. taking into account most ppl read these as kids too, a lot of fans coming from the books just don't know anything but their own connection (thru trauma too, usually) to these characters, who they have seen forever as "not doing any wrong" (or doing wrong but it feels "justified" somehow or they said they did wrong so it's "fine"). then the show is saying they do a *lot* of wrong and now here we are.

for brief comments on the fight again....arguments happen and shit gets out of control v easily. no fight is a play by play of which side did what thing and who "deserved" what. there won't be a real answer to most fights like this. but for 1x5 the show has already said lestat is the one who crossed the line. that's all that matters. it's also not damning for life, especially an immortal life. ppl have a hard time understanding any of this bcuz the society's we live in don't allow for anything but punishment forever when we break social rules. that's kind of all anne rice put into her vampire society too, so again....if u come from the books, it's not gonna prep u for the show.

I also don't think S1 was mostly "fabricated lies." I don't think the IWTV book was either, the way most book ppl weirdly believe. I think that's the other part of what makes ppl uncomfortable. ur version of who u think u are is not gonna be what others always see, especially ex partners. it's just something u have to accept. ppl aren't gonna have the same perception of the same events, even for stuff u would think would be the exact same story no matter what. louis and claudia are black and lived with a white man who was family but also literally controlled everything, intentionally or by default of being a white man. everything in S1 is accurate to that relationship in that way and tbh the only reason most ppl want it to be a lie is bcuz most ppl aren't used to seeing whiteness portrayed like that. they want the black man's perspective to be revoked somehow in whatever way so they can stop feeling like they have to take it seriously. it should still be taken seriously, it was saying a lot of real shit. I also believe emphasis was prbly added but as an overall commentary on a lot of things otherwise? S1 does *not* need to be forgotten or written off for *any* reason.

idk if I covered everything I was gonna say but this is already long. ur going in the right direction tho. a lot of ppl aren't asking these questions bcuz they don't want to see louis as a person, then white fandom intentionally makes it feel like u will be attacked if u say anything "racist," so ppl are afraid to say anything, look for attacks or attack otherwise themselves first when nothing is even there. even if there's stuff here I disagree with, it's still fine to have a conversation about it and look at our different perspectives. fandom has ppl in this mindset that it's all who is right or wrong instantly, but that's not....real. this show isn't telling a story of who is right or wrong anyway but ppl's racist's perspectives def hold a different weight that needs to be examined. most ppl just don't want to.

[incandescentflower]

I really enjoyed the Judge from Hell. They didn't give easy answers about some tough topics like grief, revenge, and justice. Justicia's sense of righteousness never wavered, but what changed for her was her sensitivity toward the victims' experience. And even in her very last case, the statute of limitations had run out and there wasn't really the avenue to get justice legally without stretching her judgement in the human court and giving the maximum for what would be deemed not the most egregious crime, which she did and she was criticized for. And then when the perpetrator was able to escape due to power, influence and money, she was then able to go back and do her thing and send him to Hell. The preferred justice was always damnation in these cases because it was clear and absolute, but she cared about the human legal system for the sake of the victims.

It didn't go hard on any one topic around these things, it was still somewhat idealistic in wanting the system to work, but it never pretended it actually did. I thought all the scenarios set up were interesting and thought-provoking.

Daon was a compelling love interest - as a quasi enemies to lovers situation, where his grief made his morals and ideals shift at one point, as it can for many people. He accepted that he and Kang Bitna had different roles to play, not only as cop and judge in the human court, but eventually understanding her entire set of rules and morals were different than what he felt (and what the show indicated) humans had to abide by. You will never hear me complain when a drama love interest says more than once to the lead -I trust your judgement, you do whatever you think is right. I really loved Daon very much.

I did find this one to be on the more conservative side of kdrama coyness these days when it comes to sex/kissing/sexual attraction. It was a slow burn, which I personally enjoy, but it started to feel strange near the end that their emotional level was at a 10 and we didn't really see them kiss or the kisses were the old school "don't move your lips" variety. It felt especially weird to me in light of the fact that this was one of the most violent kdramas I have seen. So yeah, kissing/touching is embarrassing and inappropriate, but you know, stabbing people through hearts, totally cool.

Anyway, I'm used to that so it didn't bother me too much. I count it as a pleasant surprise when a drama isn't like that. And regardless, I still felt like the "big" kiss they were building up to was pretty good.

There was a weird moment in the last episode where she leaves for two years - I actually didn't understand if she was transferred for giving that harsher sentence on that other case or if she wanted to go - she was only supposed to have three more years left with Daon and she was going to leave him during it? Then she returns for the final year and they throw in the plot that she could become a human permanently if she does what she just did a few years ago, this time killing ten human sinners. They toy with it a little, with Justicia being worried about harming the victims by having to be lenient in order to have them freed so she can send them to hell, but then one dude's case shows the holes in the system yet again and you can already see the wheels turning that she is gonna kill that dude.

I thought it was a weird choice to leave that vague, as though maybe the drama landing solidly on "these people deserve to die gruesome deaths" was just too much for it, but it implied it all the same. Or maybe they really are wanting to do another season - that isn't usual for kdramas but it's happening more and more lately.

I think the only way I'd want another season would be if they were willing to dig more into the Heaven/Hell mythology. I did think it was interesting that it seemed that Lucifer perhaps wanted Justicia to not be the heir to Hell since she clearly has the blessing of Heaven. It's unclear what Christian mythology we are supposed to assume here - Satan and Lucifer are two different people, we don't see Lucifer or God as individualized beings, it seems like Hell exists to do Heaven's bidding, there is a very stark black and white mentality in these realms. Justicia in the beginning believes that it's humans that make all the pain and suffering of the world - would she continue to believe that if given the chance to lead? Would she realize she could possibly make a greater impact on human lives if she ruled Hell? It would be nice for her to get a chance to explore that and what she wants - whether she wants that role or not, or wants a life with Daon or if she could somehow get both.

I love a fantasy mythology that you can engage in and expand while wrestling with serious issues of morality haha. This was right up my alley. It could have explored some of the themes I mentioned a little more concretely or took a more solid stand on issues, but I didn't really expect it to do that. And as revenge fantasy dramas go, I found this one to be one of the more satisfying.