#we stil have the final episode so let's see how it goes

[heartbreakprincewille]

Erik is a metaphor for the Monarchy

This season has given me so much to think about Erik and Wilhelm's idolization of Erik, and how it plays a dual role in Wilhelm's arc as a character.

I think Erik represents Wilhelm's motivation to carry forward the legacy of an institution which is slowly crumbling in its relevance (in the fictional Sweden atleast, I have no idea about the geopolitical scenario of the real-life monarchy in Sweden). Yes, Wilhelm does come from a lineage of a family relevant in history, but not only he is too young to understand that burden but he is also someone who does not feel a personal connection with that burden, unlike August(which ironically also stems from his love for his father). But he does feel that personal connection to Erik, not only because they are brothers but also Erik seems to be the only one Wilhelm can fully be vocal about his thoughts until he meets Simon. Erik is what separates Wilhelm from that burden of legacy and responsibilities.

But then Erik dies. Erik's death not necessarily represents the death of the monarchy, but it's still the death of the stability that the system thrives on. Royals want everything in control, and we can see that a lack of control runs everything berserk in that system. Erik's death is the beginning of the legacy weighing down on Wilhelm in full force, how the monarchy is just a system that thrives in perpetual succession and does not care if a spare fills the shoes of an heir unwillingly. He is expected to mould himself in the image of Erik, and the personal connection Wilhelm lacked with the Monarchy takes the shape of Erik in his mind- he believes that he is doing good to Erik's memories if he steps up as a suitable Crown Prince, but in the end, he's just catering to the system, not Erik. Even if the system is full of lies and secrets and he is forced to part ways from his authentic self.

But then he realizes that he does not want to part ways with himself, and how he stands apart as an individual when he is with Simon. Trying to get Simon back was also an attempt to reclaim his individuality, and the more he tried to gain everything back by the easiest way possible, the more he lost Simon and got pushed to the deep end. The Monarchy still loomed on the horizon, he still wanted to uphold Erik's memory by complying with the mould his mother and the Royal Court has been preparing for him. But when he gets Simon's love back, he also gets back his individuality, and how it leads to an epiphany only his free self could have made in his speech.

The illusion reigns supreme even in his relationship with Simon, because Wilhelm thought that he can be a Crown Prince and Simon's boyfriend at the same time, but the more they progressed with the burden together, it became clear that what Wilhelm wants to be is at clear odds with the system he is being prepared for.

Then the illusion shatters with August's confession. It's utterly heartbreaking that Erik and his homophobic actions put deep cracks in Wilhelm's illusion because in the end, he was still his brother. But he will forever remain scarred by the possibility that maybe Erik could have not accepted his individuality and his love for Simon. His first safe haven he found as a child, and which continued to be one when Wilhelm's grief became too painful, all shattered by a revelation he had no answers to. And suddenly all the comparisons with his older brother became a suffocating chain around his head, and he explodes in a rage of fury to his parents.

Erik was not only a literal figurehead of the institution, but he was also a phantom manifestation of the Monarchy for Wilhelm's character. The ever-present apparition of a system he does not thrive in.

[ultraericthered]

*Sigh.* Let's check these off one by one, shall we?

Rise was straight up depressing, nothing about it was good. Duel of the Fates was, by comparison, not depressing

For one thing that is blatantly a subjective opinion (I and plenty of other audience members came out of it the opposite of depressed and found a lot of good to enjoy and appreciate in it), but far more importantly...I'd find DotF to be far, far more depressing, bar none? This is how a friend summarized it: "it literally turns the entire saga into a story that can be summed up as “a bunch of Jedi and Sith and Rebels and Empires fuck around and do nothing right until a random girl comes out of nowhere and discovers how to do things correctly”. Nothing in the previous eight films prior would have held any deeper meaning. Every Star Wars story that was ever told in any medium prior to Rey's story in this would've become, in retrospect, huge wastes of time thanks to Trevorrow's horrendous misdefining of what it means to achieve "balance in the Force". To me, that's depressing.

No return of Palpatine

Except there still would've been a "Palpatine has a part to play in this from beyond the grave" factor even in DotF. He'd just stay beyond the grave rather than actually return from it, which means the "looks to cheat death" factor of Palpatine's character that he's had ever since the opera house scene in Episode III goes with absolutely no payoff. I'm of the belief that if you want to close out a 9 film saga rather than just close out another 3 film trilogy, you sort of need Palpatine in there since he was the saga's Big Bad from the start. But as I've said before, a lot of folks just seem to think having this one guy serve as the overarching main antagonist, direct or indirect, for two trilogies (six whole episodes of the saga) and then having some completely different guy from right out of fucking nowhere with no link or connection to the previous guy nor anything from the last six installments step up as the main antagonist for the third and final trilogy to close the saga is perfectly fine storytelling so long as the second guy comes off sufficiently Big and Bad enough or whatever.

a tone and level of stakes befitting the end of the saga

The Final Order was an entire massive fleet of star destroyers with world destroying technology at their disposal, getting set to go out and decimate all free worlds in the galaxy so that the Sith could secure dominance once and for all. Sure screams "level of stakes befitting the end of the saga" to me, but that could just be me.

an actual role for Rose that respects her character

It'd be a better role than what we got in the final cut of TRoS, but that's not a high bar given Rose's minimal screen presence in that. It still wouldn't really do anything too new with her or tell us anything about her we didn't already know, and there'd be a period of time where she'd be held captive and literally tortured by the fascistic white bad guys, which does not sound like something I'd care to see.

genuine connections to other areas of Star Wars besides the original trilogy

TRoS made allusions and connections to other areas of all eight previous films in the saga, and even worked in stuff introduced in other areas of the franchise but knew to keep it subtle for the viewers who'd not experienced those other areas and wouldn't get too lost watching the film on its own and in relation to the preceding films. Which I'd gladly take over the reappearance of fucking Mortis, which has absolutely no business popping up in a Skywalker Saga finale.

a character arc for Finn

OK, this is still the only thing I will give Trevorrow and his script over what we got. The ST just really lost the plot with Finn following TFA.

Rey is still a nobody

Yet her parents and what happened to them still mattered enough to be brought back into play for the reveal that Kylo Ren killed them, that sure made that whole backstory super significant! And the thing is, Rey ISN'T "still a nobody" by the end. She's a girl of no prior significance to the saga from out of nowhere who makes everything about the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force itself all about her in the end. She is somehow successfully able to channel and wield the Force and the Dark Side of the Force in a perfectly balanced equalibrium like what Count Dooku wanted to do but naturally failed at, and all the spirits of the major Jedi characters we know and love sing her praises to High Heaven for it, talking as though she is the true Jedi Master who they have all learned from. Rather than Rey finding and accepting her family and her place in something bigger than herself that she grows to love and to champion for her remaining days as in TRoS, DotF has something as big as the goddamn Force contorted to magnify and consolidate Rey's super special awesomeness. Every "Rey's a Mary Sue!" argument would have been rewarded with the highest possible validity here! Is that something you'd want?

themes that actually meaningfully follow up Last Jedi

To its detriment, and it didn't even do that good a job of it either.

a villain arc for Kylo that doesn’t end with him being abruptly redeemed.

But...it did, though? The guy completely disassociates himself from the group he was supposed to be Supreme Leader of now. makes bad decision after bad decision and refuses to repent every time he's reached out to be anyone, is fully committed to becoming all-powerful in the Dark Side and evil beyond salvation, wants to burn down the whole galaxy, even wins the final duel in the story (thus in the whole saga) by nearly killing Rey...and then at the very last possible second, he's convinced by his mother to "come back to the light" by doing one good thing and trading his life for Rey's, which in at least one script draft is described as though it is meant to be redemptive on his part. Even Vader's last minute self-sacrificial good deed for his son that saved his soul from darkness had more build-up and weight to it in comparison. This would just be a nonsensical and self-contradicting mess, and not even the villain arc for Kylo that I'd be naturally set on seeing after the groundwork laid by TFA and TLJ.

if Disney hadn’t decided to base Rise entirely off of reactionary responses to Last Jedi.

There it is. That misconceived notion about TRoS that kills credibility every single time. The direction taken in TRoS was not entirely based off responses to TLJ, because EpIX had been given to J.J Abrams and solidified into being TRoS three months before TLJ was released in theaters. There were no "reactionary responses" to be catered to even existing at the time the big decisions were made in regards to TRoS, including Palpatine's return and Rey being of his bloodline. The reality is that Colin Trevorrow was unable to create a finale to Lucasfilm’s and Disney’s satisfaction since early in he initially envisioned an EpIX that would heavily feature Luke and Snoke (who both got killed off in TLJ), so he pivoted to DotF as his EpIX instead only for that script to be rendered impossible to put to film by Carrie Fisher's unexpected passing in December 2016. So at that point in the midst of 2017, again before TLJ came out, Abrams was called upon to steer the leaky ship and "save shit" as John Boyega put it.

So even if you feel like DotF would’ve still been a satisfying ending to the saga, it must be understood that from the moment Carrie Fisher left this world, it was not the ending we were going to receive.

I feel like all discussions about the positive and negatives of the Duel of the Fates script got kinda hijacked by a bunch of people saying it was embarrassing and making jokes about one line that wasn’t even spoken aloud the characters. I also feel as if people who simply read the script and thought it was pretty good, were overtaken by the people who knew the writer/director’s previous work and knew it to be bad.

I understand Colin Trevorrow is not well liked for many reasons, but I didn’t know that prior to reading it, so I overall enjoyed it prior to that. I don’t understand why no one could get past that fact and just take the script at more than face value and see past a couple of flaws.

Also I just feel as if people just… ignored how much better it was compared to Rise of Skywalker, like, by a country mile. Rise was straight up depressing, nothing about it was good, Duel of the Fates was, by comparison, not depressing, which is already an achievement before you get to specific details, and those details are No return of Palpatine, a tone and level of stakes befitting the end of the saga, an actual role for Rose that respects her character, genuine connections to other areas of Star Wars besides the original trilogy, a character arc for Finn, Rey is still a nobody, themes that actually meaningfully follow up Last Jedi, and a villain arc for Kylo that doesn’t end with him being abruptly redeemed.

And it’s not perfect, the relationship between Rey and Poe is stupid and makes no sense, and the introduction of Plagueis’ master is sloppy, but other than that, I loved the broad strokes of everything described.

But I think the thing that makes everyone seemingly rejecting it on principle without really thinking about it make me kinda upset is that it probably would’ve gotten better if Disney hadn’t decided to base Rise entirely off of reactionary responses to Last Jedi.

Idk, maybe it’s not as good as I think and it’s just better compared to Rise because almost anything is better than Rise, but idk, I feel as if Duel would’ve still been a satisfying ending.

[satorugojowidow]

Jujutsu Kaisen ep 149 spoilers, analysis and maybe theories about what Gege is doing

In my opinion it wasn't a romantic kiss, was a CPR. She was unconscious and the kiss came after Mao hited her chest. Is a CPR move to me.

About incest in Jujutsu Kaisen

First i will like bring this post wich im agree with it. Write about incest or abuse is not wrong. What is wrong is romanticize. In my perspective incest is not romanticize in JJK.

Mei and Ui: Mei character is built as someone who has no values or etic at the point where she doesnt even understand it. She even says to Satoru that she does not understand any issue not related to money. She is also potrayed like someone who only cares for herself and we saw that when she ask Ui to sacrifice for her and quickly left Japan in Shibuya incident leaving everyone behind and taking only the money with her (and Ui who is more like a tool to her). It is clear that she has an abusive relationship with his brother. Ui is potrayed like someone who is absolute caught in Mei web. I think there is an effort to show this relantionship like something twisted, abusive and sick. So its clear to me that there is no intention from Gege to romanticize it.

Maki and Mai: first i have to say that kiss looked more like a CPR than a romantic kiss. But i going for the way where this kiss is a romantic kiss to express my point. If there is a romantic feeling between this two (wich i believe not), we have to understand it in the context of their shitty family. There is high chances that cousin x cousin marriage is happening inside the clan. This interfamily marriage are common in clans, dynasty, etc., to protect to blood line and all that shit. Main clans in Jujutsu society are very interested in keep their inherited technique so nobody would be surprised that they practice this type of incestuos marriage. The fact that they look alike so much in Zenin clan could point to this. So Maki and Mai grow up in a context where incest happen. Also the amount of physical and mental abuse in them and the fact that they only have each other to gain support could make this incest feeling possible. As they didn't grow up in a healthy environment and didn't have anyone to teach them about healthy feelings or even love in any form (their mother is totally caught in patriarchy). Again, there is an effort to show that all the problems that Toji, Maki and Mai have are because their shitty family. If incest is happening here is becaue this two girls never learned how to love in a healty way and they are confussed about their feelings. If May really kissed Maki is more like she doesnt know how to express herself because she grow up in abuse and there is no single healthy relationship in her family to look up.

Conclusion: incest is not romanticize in JJK. Maybe need to be portrayed more like a "trouble", maybe. But i think is enough portrayed like a trouble.

Mai's death: I know everyone is hurted because her death. But, lets be honest. We could see that comming. I predicted in my JJK Oracle serie but is not like im super smart or anything, is something we could see comming from how JJK story is build and the meaning of pass deaths in the manga.

"Mai deserve better": of course she did. But I dont think this story is about give what people deserve, is not about make justice for them. Real life and real world is extremly unfair. A story with any kind verisimilitude would potray unjustice.

"Gege is killing all his characters": In the same line of verisimilitude if some big events happen like shibuya incident we can not expect that everyone comeback alive. If all characters always comeback is more like a plot armor.

"Pointless dead" "Mai's arc wasted": All dead in JJK until now have a meaning and Mai's arc was this one from the start. Let try to figure out this.

In the story Maki is the main character, Mai (sorry to say) was auxiliary to her story. Mai is presented to develoment Maki story. To go deep in the patriarchal structures of Jujutsu world and to present the shitty dinamic of the Zenin clan from inside. Mai personal develoment was to understand that Maki actions wasnt the problem, but her all family itself. When the break point comes (Ougi desition to kill both) she realize that live peacefull in the clan dont depends on her obedience, it dependence in what the clan need from her from a moment to other. That there is no way to live peacefully in such an environment. That is when she can finally understand her sister action, reconcile with it and her, and support her sister road. Sadly she can only support with her death. But she doesnt die like subordinate person (like she was in pass episode or like her mother is) she die free, she is not simply killed, she gives her life in order to save her sister and destroy the clan. She emancipates at the end. Of course is sad that she has to die, but again, life is unfair and this story is not about make justice.

In jujutsu kaisen "death" works to build the living characters that go trought that lost.

Suguru -> Satoru

Junpei and Nanami -> Yuuji

Also, it establishes the situation where the characters are. Like Yaga's death wich leave the students in their own.

"Kill another female strong character": Well, i go for this one. There is no much female strong characters so Gege do something for gender equality and stop killing them.

-------------------

In my opinion, and this is in some way a theory, what Gege is trying to do is reverse the typical shonen story.

He brought the typical elements from a shonen: a regular boy who discover that he is not so regular, lots of fights, power up, and even some kind of tournament (just to name a few one).

But at the same time Gege is slowly deconstructing the elements of shonen genre:

The hero is the strongest character and save everyones. We have Satoru is the strongest character and he fails to save people at the point when he realize that "save" dont depends on him. That is why he goes for the teaching/supporting role. Help others to save themselves. However situations keeps going in a way where he losses his closes people and he cant do anything to stop that.

So we can say this: in JJK heros cant save others.

In regular shonen the social structures are never questioned. In JJK we can see how those structures are the villain. We have the conservative structures of jujutsu society wich higher up keep against everything because their privilege depends on it. And the patriarcal structures. Even if JJK is stil away from being "feminist" is one step in the right direction from most regular shonen. Specially those shonen where the main female character is there just to be cute and she cant even speak her mind

We all feel like fell in some kind of trap in JJK. Because in firsts episodes we were like "oh, how cute and fun. look there is a speaking panda" and then we fell in angst. I think this is part of how Gege builds the story to reverse the genre.

Dont expect a happy ending, expect a end with meaning. Dont expect to see your fav getting what they deserve, expect to understand why they went through that.

And remember one thing: Yuuji death is not in discussion in the plot, what is in discussion is how he is going to live what he has left of live.

[popculturebuffet]

The Color of Friendship Review (Commissioned by WeirdKev27): A World of People

Happy Black History Month! Another day, another comission from longtime supporter of the blog Weird Kev and like a good chunk of his-non duck asks, he asked me for something outside my usual wheelhouse. In the past this has meant an episode of the short lived fox show whoops in which we found out how Santa dealt with the end of the world, didn’t know how doors worked, and interacted with some characters so thin you could remake the episode with just Mick Foley in a santa suit and carboard cutouts playing the characters lines and it’d be about the same, and earlier this month Sorry Wrong Meeting, an episode of a sitcom i’d never seen an episode of the Jeffersons about the KKK. So unsuprisingly his big comission for Black History Month was the 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie, The Color of Friendship. 

I couldn’t find much on the making of the film, which dosen’t entirely suprise me as at the time this came out, Disney was releasing around 10 a year and whlie that stopped shortly, it still was a whopping 6 a year for some time, ocasionally more ocasionaly less, slowly dwindling down to the two of year we have now. Though it’s still an ongoing concern and has been since the channel started in 83, closing in on 40 years ago, so it’s still impressive Disney hasn’t just outright phased them out. Then again the popular ones make them a lot of money and some like High School Musical and the Descendants Trilogies have broken out so big they’ve lead to spinoff books, tv series in the latter’s case, and all that stuff making them money hand over fist. So making some cheap movies that MIGHT end up making them rich and usually star people that are already on shows they have or were at one point is a no loose proposition, especially now they add an extra release to the Disney Plus callender twice a year. And while the library has it’s gaps and i’ve griped about them enough.. I will say it’s stil la damn good library and it’s nice to be able to watch a film like this, as the dvd was LONG out of print and likely horribly expensive, and while renting it was an option, it would’ve chipped into what I got commissioned for the film. Still would’ve done it it just would’ve sucked to loose money on the deal, if only two bucks, for something I had no control over. Still would do that over adding it onto the comission fee. Point is stuff that’s not been easy to get for some time is now just a few clicks or taps of the remote away, and having the VAST majority of disney’s long and storied history from theatrical to dcom to weird tv oddities like.. this thing

I don’t know what Fuzzbucket is, and frankly I don’t want to know.. I mean I will for a comission or something but i’m not going to go out of my way to find out what that thing is and if it can give me scabies through a telvision screen despite being fictional and proabably long dead. At least I tell myself it’s long dead so ic an sleep at night without worrying about that thing breaking into my house and watchnig me while I sleep changing “SOON JACOB, SOON”. So yeah while you’ll hear me complain about the gaps in DIsney Plus’ library a lot on this blog. 

I will give credit where it’s due, and what is on there is pretty expansive and now includes the Muppet Show, which I give them full credit for as that probably took a LOT of work and money to make happen. Plus WandaVision is fucking fantastic, especially now i’m finally all caught up. 

But while as I said I couldn’t find much on the making of the film I did find a bit on it’s inspiration: It was inspried by a short story wrtten by Piper Dellums, a writer, poet and activist, and daughter of Ron Dellums. Dellums is a notable congressman who fought against apartheid and constantly fought for a bill to divest from South Africa, something that SHOCKINGLY, Ronald Regan tried to veto because he was a racist disney anamatronic what did you expect, and all in all seemed pretty awesome. He sued Bush SR to try and prevent Desert Storm, in his earliest days in office had an exibit near his phsyical office of vietnam war crimes to try and hold them acountable and in general seems to be a fascenating, hardworking man who constantly and religiously fought for the people and against war. 

The story was a real life account of the Piper’s experince housing a South African Student, Marie, who the Delums Family expected to be black.. but turned out ot be white. During Apartheid, south africas racist as hell and horrifying goverment system of segregation that wasn’t abolished till the 90′s. As expected she was racist, but as a proudct of the horribly racist country she came from and much like with her fictional counterpart in this film, slowly grew to realize how fucked up her homeland was and by the time she went back, became an activist She and Piper were very close but her story ends tragically as eventually Piper stopped hearing from her after she was arrested and despite attempts to talk to her.. it was clear by the silence, and by the fact Piper visited South Africa post-aparthied to help and likely would’ve seen her.. that she was likely quitely killed by the state. But her story thankfully lives on, so join me under the cut to see how a 20 year old disney movie aired during black history month handles this difficult real life story, racisim and the 70′s. 

The Cast: Quick bit about the cast since I usually do this for first episodes of an animated show and wish i’d done so for my other film reviews so far. Though to keep things simple, i’m only doing the main four cast members, especailly since frankly outside of Mahree’s parents the rest are more supporting roles that don’t have a lot of screen time and in hte case of the south african embassy workers, are just there to be racist card board cutout villians.  Piper, who keeps her name from real life is played by Shadia Simmons, who eventually retired from acting to become a High School and Acting Teacher. During her career she was in a bunch of Disney Channel Original Movies, including the first two Zenon Movies, and was in a major role in a bunch of live action childrens shows: I Was A Sizth Grade Alien, Strange Days at Blake Holsely High, and Life with Derek, the only one of which i’ve seen and even then barely so I can’t comment on the rest of her work. Simmons does a decent job in the film, and does shine in the more dramtic scenes, not the best part of it but certainly not bad at all. 

Lindsay Haun plays Mahree, and had more of an acting career after this one, having a small recurring role on True Blood as Hadley, while also directing some smaller films. Haun is easily one of the two highlights of the movie and the best of the two main tween actresses by a mile. More on that in a bit. 

Next we have Carl Fucking Lumbly as Congressman Ron Dellums. Carl has had a long and storied career and the fucking is because of what I best know him from: Playing the Martian Manhunter Jon Jonzz on Justice League. And let me not undersell it: his version of Jon is waht made me LOVE the character, still do to this day, being the first time I encountered any version of Jon and the one I still love the most, a stoic man who tries to adapt to a world he feels he can never be a part of, adding shades to his stitled demeanour to show off his emtitons and in general being the heart and soul of what made this verison work and made me love the character with his performance. He’s done other stuff too including Cagney and Lacey, Doctor Sleepand what have you.. but he’ll always be Jonn to me and that’s not a bad thing in the slightest. Unsuprisingly he’s the other standout here. 

Finally we have Penny Johnson as Ron’s wife and Piper’s Mother Roscoe,  who played Captain Sisko’s love intrest on Deep Space 9 and was one of the leads on castle. Haven’t seen either of those but she does seem awesome and does a terrific job here. 

Moving on to the film itself.. it’s really fantastic. It has some awkwardness and goofy bollocks as you’d expect from a disney channel original movie in 2000, but it handles a really heavy subject, race relations, gracefully and clearly with the goal of educating an audience with a lot of white kids in it about race. So I can praise what it does right i’m going to be handling the parts that are a bit wobbly first so I can get to the good stuff

Awkwardness and Goofy Bollocks:

First the out and out criticism: The films TV Movie roots show in places, as this film lacks the polish these films would have later this decade, with the film barely having an opening title sequence and just sorta throwing you in, though to their credit it does open with the utterly awesome Back in Love Again, because 70′s. 

That slaps and that’s an undeniable fact. What’s also an undenaible fact is the film dosen’t try the hardest to be very 70′s in it’s sets and what not, though it does do it a little with the clothes and that not being the case with Mahree is intentional, as her family while wealthy is from another culture and one literally and metaphorically behind the times. 

I will also say Shadia Simmons is a decent actress, but is mildly weak in comparison to the other 3 in the leads, but its more the result of putting a pretty standard child sitcom actress up against two experinced actors who know what their doing and one whose about as experinced as her, but simply has a LOT to work with and goes above and beyond. It’s less that she’s bad and more that she’s simply not as good as what’s around her, and in general I tend to go easier on child actors since it’s not an easy job for a grown adult much less a teenager, it’s very pressurey and there’s a reason a LOT of them bottom out as they get older or retire all together. 

I will say though that Piper’s brothers are awful and I feel are only there because she actually had brothers. The actors try, i’m not pinning this on them but writing wise their just two little shits who contirbute ntohing of value to any scene their in, being generally way to young to get into the heavy topic at hand, and mostly being there for unfunny shneanigans. They aren’t in the film too much otherwise they might’ve ruined it for me, but if Shadia struggles a bit agianst sttronge perofrmances imagine who younger actors with the stage direction “Be the bane of my existence” and you’ll MAYBE see the problem. 

The film also loves cheesy time passing montages, including an actual factual shopping montage, easily the goofiest, but it’s something you’d expect from a dcom and helps lighten the mood. That’s a running theme outside the brothers there really isn’t anything too silly.. until the last act.  See in the last act, the film tackles the real life death of Steve Biko, a South African activist against apartheid who was captured by the state and very transparently murdered in jail. with the government claming he killed himself which no one bought because why would they, and it sparked riots worldwide and finally got the US to take Apartheid seriously according to the film. Though as I mentioned earlier Regan did not in case you thought the republican party being terrible and deeply racist was a brand new thing. It was not. Guys like Tucker Carlson and Former President Trump are a symptom, not the disease.. though they certainly look and feel like some form of plauge. Point is Mahree is breifly taken by the embassy.. whose staff who take her feel like the Disney Channel Original Movie form of Nazi’s. The heavy accents, the way they compose themselves... I half expect an elderly indiana jones to show up to whip the piss out of them. And dont’ get me wrong, the only diffrence between these pricks and a nazi is the fact they don’t call themselves nazis, this isn’t a nuanced horrifying racist to be scared of but a saturday morning cartoon version. 

While  white supremacists in real life can be cartoonishly evil, again see trump and carlson, it does kind of undercut the seriousness and nuance of things to have your villians be cold, cackling cutouts who are 5 seconds away from saying “You are part of the rebel alliance and a traitor take her away” to our heroine, especailly since Mahree’s reaction to being taken away and confusion at everything and at being treated like a prisoner by her own people are very painful and very well acted.   I do get showing them as monsters, because they were, but given Mahree’s father who as a south african police man was DEFINTELY ONE and even outside his racisim doubts and downtalks his own daughter, still feels like an actual person, if not a GOOD person, they could’ve done better and did in the same film. 

But that stuff aside.. I really can’t find much that’s honestly that silly or bad and as you can tell what little I did was more a product of being a tv movie. So now i’ve got the negatives out of the way

This Film Is Pretty Good: It truly is, for a lot of reasons. But the biggest is the nuance. It could’ve been easy to just have Maree as some racist kid needing to learn a lesson who was openly cruel and easy to jeer at.. but the film went iwth the reality: that she was instead an extremley privlaged and insulated girl who simply NEVER knew better. To her her very racist and segregated world is just the way the world worked for her and she dosen’t even consider when the Dellums come to pick her up minus Ron these aren’t servants and her own servant’s words fall on deaf ears, as the poor woman tries to make it clear how miserable her life is and how much she deseprately wants this child to do better. Marhee is never actively malicious even when, due to the shock of her all black host family, she baricades herself in Piper’s room. It’s obnoxious sure and CERTAINLY hurtful and the film makes no bones about it and Piper rightfully calls her out on it. The film dosen’t let her get away with any intetnional racisim like that and after Piper calls her out, she realizes she’s been selifsh and makes a genuine effort. And even then the film makes a good choice in not making it an easy road to realization. Mahree makes a genuine effort in the first place not because of any big revelation or anything, but because she simply hears her dad in her head telling her she’d give up after a week and that, coupled with Piper’s words, makes her see herself as a selfish brat. Even after she’s floored by a mall where black and white people stand side by side aand casually talks about horrors like ID Cards like i’ts a GOOD thing, because that’s what she’s been taught by her dad. That black people are happy being told where they can and can’t go when no they weren’t they simply had no chocie in the matter. And while we do see early on when an asshole at a restraunt assaults a waiter for an accident that Mahree clearly isn’t okay with the more horrifying side of things, she still dosen’t quite grasp WHY that happened, simply that it’s something that does reguarly she dosen’t like. It’s excellently, and unsuprisingly called back when they visit an ice cream place in the states and something similar happens.. but the guy takes it in stride, even ordering a sundae, to Maree’s confusion. 

It’s what makes the film work and all the more striking: As Roscoe makes clear to Ron, whose admant about nto having a racist in the house, this is not her fault. While the film makes it clear Mahree’s behavior at first was not okay and her prejudiece is not okay, it also makes it VERY clear she’s a product of a terrible system and terrible parenting from people who choose to benneift from the system instead of challenge it. She’s only like this because she hasn’t had a reason to ever think diffrent and just took her parents at face value and no mater the country, this is something that sadly happens far too often: Someone hating a group or thinking discrimination is okay because that’s how they were taught and that’s all they’ve known and the only way to change that is to challenge that opinon and try to get them to have some empathy and see the other way and as this film shows it’s a struggle.. and at the end of the day while the Dellums make a concentrated effort, Maree is the one who has to realize what her parents taught her is bad and her country is inherently flawed and NEEDS to change, just like ours did, and STILL badly needs to. 

And that’s where the nuance kicks in as the good congressman is understandable in not wanting a racist in his house... but his wife is equally right that Maree is not some easy symbol of his hatred towards south africa, but a girl who grew up knowing nothing more than the fucked up system, and eventually he comes around, realizing , especially after she apologizes for him even thinking she’d use a racial slur on piper after a very powerful conversation with the two and piper accidently saying she used the South African N Word, almost accidently getting her friend thrown out, that she simply hasn’t been outside her shell and gently guides her to keep reading roots, even letting her take it with her if she wants back home. The film shows the full pain of the situation  but also shows change is posisble. Again it’s not easy, Mahree has a panic attack waiting in an almost all black line in school and it’s shown to be as horrible a thought as it is., but she DOES change and it comes off as real, as someone realizing the system they grew up with is broken and needs to be fixed and she can’t just sit back and let it. 

What makes this happen, besides the aformentioned kidnapping by saturday morning cartoon racists, is Piper confronting her after a friend from south africa forces Piper to acccept that while her and Mahree are friends, Mahree might not seee her as equal and Piper in turn in a heated argument and easily Simmons best performance of the film, that things are broken and wrong and that her “firend”, her nanny/servant back home, is not happy. It leaves Mahree crying and Ron telling her the honest truth: Change was, and again still is but this was 2000 and while we should’ve had this talk disney channel wasn’t ready for it, needed to make things better here.. and tha’ts what south african’s doing> Fighting for equal rights at last. It’s some powerful, heavy as hell stuff you woudln’t expect from a line of movie that also include a robot house, before that was an actual thing, a merMAN dad MerMan, a boy slowly turning into a leprechaun, and at least two diffrent movies centering around wacky kidnappings. It’s a nuanced and hard look at race, as hard as late 90′s jsut turned into the 2000′s disney could get mind, aimed at kids and the film, whiel stilted really has my utter praise. It’s genuinely moving, well acted and teaches a valuable message that while not eveyrone can change.. it dosen’t hurt to try and help them, as well as the equal message that change start with YOU. someone has to WANT to be better and learn and actually let other people in to help them. And I wont’ lie and say this is the most naunced or subtle film.. at time’s it’s about as subtle as a ralph wiggum throught he window

But sometimes you don’t need to be. It also taught kids about apartheid, not me as I barely saw the film, but many learned of something ghoulsih that had barely ended at the time of the film’s release, something I only learned about as a teen via bloom county and a diffrent world, which has an utterly awesome apartheid episode “A World Alike”. Seriously check it out if you have prime, as it shows that america isn’t the only country with a deep history of ingraned racisim. And was it an easy way to have an anti racisim narriative without fully confronting america’s own racist history? Yup. Just.. yup. Can I blame Disney Channel for it when they clearly, while equipped to tackle racisim, weren’t ready to tackle something that dense or heavy, and while Proud Family later would there’s a diffrence between a 20 minute one off episode of a cartoon and 90 minutes of film? Yeah. For what it is and for what the time period is, I applaud this film taking on such a heavy topic with grace. Some goofyiness here and there yes and some lack of subtly.. but still grace. For what it is is, it’s pretty good and i hope to show it to my nieces one day soon. It has i’ts heart in the right place and thus has a place in my heart. See you next rainbow. 

[grlfriends]

revolutionary girl utena review

ep 1-5

the plot is actually kinda different from what I thought ?? in my mind the plot was: utena was a girl in a princess school who each and every princess would be "conquered" (for a lack of better words rn) in a ceremonial duel by a prince who fancied them, maybe she didnt wanna wanna marry anyone or she liked Anthy already but anyway in my mind utena showed up in the ceremony with duel clothing and then, in a very brave tm like-scene, she would openly declare she refused to be conquered by anyone and tbh I'm not even sure how Anthy would come into the plot... but back into what actually happened in the episodes everything so far is very introductory and just showing what mechanics will be explored further down the line I think?? the op is really good too

also every boy so far reminds me so much of knights of the zodiac?? maybe it's just the design I guess...) and nanami can get these hands, jealousy is a disease and she's the sickest person on earth for all I know

dont ask me why bit I just feel like room of mirrors - gfriend has a very well fitting vibe for it but I'm not exactly sure why hm.... 🤔🤔

ep 6-12

ok so why does this school just have random animals around 😐 I could understand the horse but a bull and a kangaroo?? what ...

touga just says the most random dramatic things and then just casually says anyone who believes in friendship is a fool ?? the guy wouldnt last a day in the naruto universe tbh, he kinda irks me in some way but I'm not sure why so I'll live with this strange feeling for a while I guess

↳ okay so watching ep 10 made me especially kinda creeped out, I know I've watched only 10 eps so far but like can he fall downstairs and break a neck or something already ...

also haha what if I watched that bet on it fmv and gave myself a bunch of spoilers would that be funny or what 😍 this is why i cant have nice things yall.... hope my memory goes to shit when sleep so I dont remember about it this week while I finish it

I feel like the main thing on the episodes are parallels, one way or another I always feel like they're setting up parallels and giving me clues for a bigger picture and a deeper plot arc that is still to come and the bet on it fmv just made this impression stronger, also I wanna say it's done in a good way, one that is both mysterious (??) and "honey you've got a big storm coming" at the same time 🤔🤔 much to think about honestly

↳ just saw ep 11 and even though I already knew this was coming sooner or later it still felt like crap seeing utena lose to dick head, at the end of the episode when he says anthy was always just reflecting utena's own wishes for himemiya (in another way bc I dont remenber the exact words) it felt like 😐 bc yes I knew that (the way she was working her thoughts was simply a copy and paste of what utena was saying) at all time I kept those essays about anthy in my head, I dont think theyll be truly relatable to what I'm seeing rn but yeah anthy rights (even though I know you betray/cheat on utena down the line bc of the bet on it fmv but I'm sure you had your own motivation)

↳ saw ep 12 bc I just couldnt handle being in a cliffhanger and yeah it happened what I absolutely thought it would lmao not that it was that difficult to foresee but yeah, I kinda liked how utena did it for her instead of being like "oh I wanna save anthy from touga" and treating her like a damsel in distress (I know that's kinda her position as the rose bride for what I've been told so far and that this is a subject spoken about in many many essays on tumblr but yeah) bc so far she's been treated as a trophy and a way to get something else, for the green haired guy it was a way to see something eternal, for miki it was a way to hold on into his "shining thing" and for touga it seems (so far) like a way to manipulate (just like he does with nanami) and just mark his position as above everyone else as he seems to view himself?? man I might be saying random stuff rn but it kinda does makes sense in my mind with the information I've had to this point

ep 13-25

honestly 😐😐 through 9 whole episodes I felt like they were trying to make the side characters deeper and show their hidden face and motivations but it felt so shallow...... not even actually shallow, just not deep enough that it would make me care about these characters and the fact there was no actual build to showing us why we're getting to know these characters backgrounds was just kinda meh too, didnt really help that all episodes had all the same formula and the same timing just for the developers made in those episodes be forgotten at the end and also just that pink haired guy could be like "ah failure again", it felt like watching the same episode over and over again, it was really tiring and like?? girl help I do not care about these characters at all, I feel like it could have been done well (like the keiko ep in comparison to the furuba chapter that deals with the yuki appreciation (??) club president graduating.... the way this ep was done and setup didn't really bring me any emotions) overall not to my taste and tbh I feel like I could have skipped all those episodes except for maybe the miki and juri one so 😑

all nanami focused episodes are the worst so far, she's so boring and I cant stand now annoying she is, the diary episode?? the cow episode?? the episode when tsuwabiki fuels with utena?? honestly I know they're trying to show me a better and different side of her but it just doesnt!! work!! bc i feel no sympathy for her, my biggest wish rn is her and touga just disappearing and no more filler episodes🗣🗣

I thought akio was utena's prince?? but apparently he's just anthy's brother and like.. I'm do done with his little talks with utena and yadda yadda, I just wanna see their duel is that too much to ask I'm dying over here (if this lenga lenga continues until ep 25 i will be so mad bc why were so many episodes wasted on such boring and and not necessary side characters backstories?? idc about them at all man aaaaaaaaaa)

↳ ep 25 was good finally we got what we deserve boys 😭😭😭😭😭 can utena just beat up akio already I'm tired of his ass, he exhales both "I'm a feminist I even take women studies classes #herstory" and "if she breathes she's a thot" energy also he has 0 style that mullet is simply horrible I bet there's a hairstylist community who considers him a criminal bc like 😐 it is simply so bad (q bit less when it's tied up but when it's all lose jesus Christ)

also touga thinks he's suuuuch a genius, sooo smart like king, I do not care about you at all can you shut the fuck up please and can we tall about the pink haired guy episode?? wack. honestly thought it would be more emotional or something, I binge watched 12 episodes with his ugly haircut face and did not even feel a thing he can choke I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ANTHY TAKING A SWORD OUT OF UTENA'S CHEST??? OSCAR WORTHY KINGS❗❗❗and then her lame ass brother being like "oh ho ho idk idk" shut up no one cares no one cares I swear to you no one cares shut uuuuup

ep 25-39

first of all, ep 25 was good but kinda reminded me of the nine episodes (13 until 21) where absolutely nothing interesting happened so I hope I'm wrong also can I just say just seeing the preview of the next episode made me roll my eyes so bad I almsot saw my brain?? bc yeah I'm fucking tired of nanami fosuced episodes she's so annoying oh my god nobody cares about a goddamn egg and much less one coming from her let her die or something pls she's so annoying there's nothing I've learned about her that was not against my own will I'm basically rotting over here 🤒

↳ ep 30 has me thinking Akio has a foot fetish or something 😐 bruh leave utena aloooooone I already know your plans and schemes you're not fooling anyone that's embarrassing for u and also... utena you're not very bright are you.... you start seeing every duelist you face with the same exact car and then when you see akio has the same car you didnt even stop to think about it that 1+1 equals 2 ... girl help yourself 😐

↳ yet again another nanami focused ep 😐😐😐😐😐 even though I do understand her better now I still don't find her particularly enjoyable to watch, call me a woman hater but like. idk she's still a bit annoying to me (but touga is straight up evil and is manipulating her so I feel bad for feeling like that tho.....)

↳ ok last 2 eps to go but listen. I thought the akio duel would have happened much sooner, maybe on ep 33 max but well didn't this age well lmao ngl, it did seem a bit too slow paced for my personal taste but also I feel like there's a certain level of drama that comes with slowing the pace down....

↳ aaaaaa yall I'm kinda 😢😭 over the ending omg........... even though it took the best of me to keep going in some parts I still enjoyed the ending aaaaa I thought i wouldnt really like it bc I just usually dont enjoy this type of ending but stil 😢😢😢😢 wait for me utena 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 girl I cried and then anthy walking in the end god utena and anthy holding hands 😭😭😭😭 akio can suck my dick

there's obviously many things I've missed or that I kinda didnt really pay attendance to so please dont take this serious, I was just writing as I watched the episodes so it's more like a thought compilation than anything, still I can see why there's many essays written about it and why it is held as a masterpiece by so many people

[mophobia]

So I finally did decide to watch The Woman Who Fell to Earth and... wow. I know I’m way late on the train but I just wanted to share some of my thoughts just from this first episode because why the heck not

First of all, just all the clear fuck you’s to Moffat (intentional or not). The fact that this single episode already has better representation than Moffats entire run, each of those characters have more development already in just their pinky fingers than pretty much is seen in Moffats entire run, the simple plot, the deep care and not asshole-ness of the Doctor. Just like top notch stuff

Still missing that extra mmmph of just pure weirdness I loved from RTD, but also new showrunner new rules and I can live with that

I felt like there were a lot of parallels to RTD era stuff, maybe just in my head maybe meant to be. But none of it copying yay! idk I just got the vibes of something I haven’t seen or felt in a while. Also got some 10 vibes from 13 which I love

I sooo want to believe that 13s appearance is a tribute to Rose, although maybe that’s just my Doctorxrose shipper coming out. But also... come on... that blonde with brown roots thing 13 has got going... when was the last time we saw that? I’m not asking for it to be addressed or talked about or acknowledged in any way (don’t get me wrong I’m always a slut for rose references but this is 13s time to shine) but I just hope it’s even a little true

I do still really miss the soundtrack from RTDs and even some of Moffats run. Just those dramatic moments with that wonderful score still gives me chills. And I’m always a slut for a good theme. Don’t know if that‘ll change as the series goes on cuz I was starting to get that music towards the end of the episode but we’ll see (I hope Murray gold is still composing... I should look that up.

“I matter, I am valuable...” just a bit of a clue I loved showing us were back in for that theme in Doctor Who that you don’t have to be “special” to matter (which I think the character the alien is hunting and just this story itself encapsulates very well just in general)

I honestly almost cried after the security guard got killed after that call with his granddaughter... I honestly don’t think I cried at anything in Moffats run so to come back to Doctor Who and feel actual emotion is just... I have no words I’m so happy

Wilfred and Graham would be bickering BFFs you can fight me on that

Another thing I do still miss is the noise from from RTDs era. I can’t think of exactly how to put it but there’s just that hustle and bustle of the world you feel in those first few seasons and it stil feels very secluded and... idk quiet here? Again though it’s only the first episode and the setting didn’t really call for large crowds so we’ll see how that transforms over time

Also on the subject of things I miss... just that slightly softer, warmer, lighter feel of the world you see in RTDs era. But also I don’t know how much of that has changed just due to technology evolving and getting better? Maybe that’s just more of a nostalgia thing.

13S LITTLE SPEECH BEFORE JUMPING! AND THE JUMP ITSELF! FUCK YES!

Love love love the fact that 13 is treated the same as any other Doctor in this episode. She doesn’t need to prove herself to any of her team at any point (other than she is in fact an alien which is just a Doctor thing in general), she lifts herself onto the platform after hanging on (can you imagine the upper body strength? 11 could never), and the fact that she never comments on how her abilities are different because she’s a woman now. I almost thought there was gonna be a boob joke when she couldn’t run after the alien after first finding it, but then it was just a comment on how her regeneration was affecting her!! The Doctor knows how strong women are, after all ze’s seen their strength first hand on MANY occasions traveling with them so why would she think negatively on being a woman. Although I do hope we get to maybe acknowledge new struggles she might feel from society looking at her as a woman and working to prove them wrong at some point. Thank you Chibnall for giving us something Moffat never would (and never could!)

I loved 13s reaction after the guy who was being hunted pushed the alien off the bridge. “You didn’t have to do that” and so disappointed. All I could think was the Doctor’s finally back.

I really did cry by the ending when the Doctor was facing the alien. At first it was just because I was feeling like Doctor Who back which made me so happy I couldn’t help but crying. But then Grace died and it really made me sad. But then the thought that something in DW actually gave me enough of an emotional reaction to cry again just made me start to cry for happiness all over again.

Also people are dying again! There’s seriousness and consequences again!! Not that I want people to die and suffer in every episode, but again that return to the core of Doctor Who is making me happy.

13 talking about how she keeps her family with her in her heart and as reminders of who to be. So beautiful (and just fuels my belief that her look is a reminder/whisper of Rose). I really hope this new era might be able to include an old companion or two from RTD era even (I know Jack is back? Kinda? And maybe he’s coming back again? But can you imagine the powerhouse of Mickey and Martha returning and working with 13??? I would DIE)

That outfit? ICONIC!!!

I think I still need to get used to the Doctor traveling with a pack. I’m happy for all the real characters were getting considering it’s pretty much just been the Doctor/half-baked Companion show since Moffat took over. But also it’s a different group feel than from RTD just cuz even then there was the Companion and their family that were more supporting characters. And even with Jack, he only popped up after we already knew the Doctors/Rose relationship. But I’m excited to see how this team of companions works!

All in all... still don’t know if I’m quite ready to believe 13 will top 9/10 for me, but as far as I’m concerned it’s already better than 11/12. And at the end of the day, I’m just happy to feel like I can love Doctor Who again.

So... after watching into skyfall not sure my original predictions on how this series/era went have stayed true. While I still love the 13th Doctor and Jodie.... I am already feeling let down by what’s to come. And it’s weird cuz there are certain parts I love, but the ones I hate are just far outweighing the positives. Why does every writer now need to alter the entire doctors life in a way that ruins RTD and, hell, even Moffat’s plots. I hated Moffat but Jesus. Even I’m beginning to think I’d rather watch 11-12 over this.

[jls1792]

13x01 Thoughts/Review

Okay, I know the episode aired 5 days ago.  I actually did watch it late Wednesday night and wrote down some random thoughts while watching it.  But I haven’t gotten around to posting it until now.  I’ll put it under a read more link since it’s very long and ramble-y 

Everything is happening so fast!

*whispers* Why are the cars arranged in the spots they were in before they got hit by the truck?

After seeing the sneak peek, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Garcia going out with Simmons as opposed to trying to help from the office.  But I actually liked that she went (it is her family after all) and I loved her rushing over to help in any way she could.  

Wow, I’m surprised they actually showed a body for Walker.  It wasn’t Damon, but they showed it so we saw a body and knew it was Walker without really seeing the face

Also: WALKER NO!! YOU DESERVED BETTER!

So, was Walker clearly dead? Like, did he look clearly dead? Did Luke check and see he was dead before he helped JJ?  Because Garcia is instantly sad and Luke is all “he’s gone”.  He had to clearly be dead since we didn’t see Luke check for a pulse or anything (unless he did it before).  

But man, poor Walker. It just sucks that it’s all happening like this.  HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE!  Luke’s line could have been delivered a little better. I mean, he was basically “Yo, he dead”. I get everyone’s shaken up and everything has happened so fast, but I felt he could have shown a bit more sympathy to the fact that Walker (who was sitting in the backseat of the same car as him and was his teammate) is just dead now.

So JJ got glass in her scalp and can’t see, and Walker is dead.  But Luke is fine.  Luke’s side of the car was the one that got brushed but it wasn’t hit that hard.  How did JJ and Walker get the beating and not Luke? I can see Luke walking away fine, it does happen (speaking from experience) and it did look like it was more the front tire/side area that got hit, but did the car hit something on the other side that would account for JJ and Walker’s injuries?  

I hate myself, because all summer I’ve been thinking “watch them say Walker did of whiplash”.  And then Scratch tells Emily he died of whiplash.  Hell fucking no that is not an acceptable way to kill Walker.  Please tell me Scratch was being vague.  Because it looked like Walker’s face was pretty messed up/bloody?  But come on, whiplash is a terrible way to make Walker die.  I know it’s possible to die from whiplash, but I don’t think it’s that common?  Unless he really got tossed around so much that his head/neck snapped/turned really fast.  I just wish they would have gone into that a bit more.  

Rossi’s leg is injured, JJ can’t see, Walker is dead, Tara is going into shock, Prentiss is missing. Well, fucking shit!

Again, this feels so rushed. But it makes sense since that’s how stuff works in this situation. 

Reid got to the hospital fast.  But where is Morgan?  Is he with Reid’s mom?  Because how could Reid just leave his mom?  No way he found someone or a place for her that fast?  Is she just with other FBI agents? And Morgan was supposed to have breakfast with Reid.  Since the premiere picks up immediately after the finale, I have a hard time imagining Morgan and Reid already had their breakfast.  And if Morgan was with Reid, if Reid had to bail, Morgan would know what’s up since he was aware of what the team was doing.  But also, if Morgan did know, I can’t see him leaving knowing Prentiss is missing, JJ, Rossi and Tara are injured and one of the team is dead (I know Morgan didn’t work with Walker, but Walker worked with Morgan’s friends, so I could see Morgan staying for moral support, especially for Garcia). Also, isn’t it still night time?  Would Morgan have even stopped by Reid’s yet?  Like, did he show up but Reid wasn’t there?  Because again, Morgan knew the team was going after Scratch, so you’d think he’d put two and two together and at least call Garcia and see what’s up.  

So Reid called Will and JJ said someone needs to call Monica.  Is anyone going to call Hayden or Joy and let them know about Rossi?  

LOL ROSSI!  Rossi is in zero fucks mode.  

“You’re back on the team” “Did the director approve that?” “BITCH I’M IN CHARGE NOW YOU MOFO SO LISTEN TO ME YOU LITTLE PUNK!” Basically what Rossi was saying.

“Ass clowns” LOL! That needs to be a new phrase

Okay, so if Walker’s only purpose was to come in and catch Scratch, couldn’t he have just done case work from the office?  If he was only there to solve the Scratch case, why was he going out on cases with the team and not doing Scratch work? (Okay, he was, but we didn’t really see it). He could have spent more time focusing on Scratch if he wasn’t going out on cases with the team as well

YASSS HOTCH MENTION!! See, writers, they said his name and no one spontaneously combusted!  

But also, FUCK YOU SCRATCH!! What a dumb piece of shit.  You can do whatever the hell you want to Prentiss, she would NEVER give up Hotch’s location.  No one on the team would if they knew.  

Did I already say Stephen Walker deserved better?  Because he did.  I’m not ready for poor Monica.

Ohh, Reid caught onto the AH in the texts.

That’s right, Reid!  Hotch and Prentiss would never be dumb enough to easily expose themselves like that.

Yes Garcia, figuring out it was set up!

And yes, new guy for figuring out Walker was setting up the anonymous texts!

Reid ushering Garcia and Simmons out of the room and they’re like “Okay dude, wtf?”  Garcia was all “I’mma just grab my computer real quick, bro.”  

“He’s had a rough few months” YEAH YOU THINK?!  Y’all have had a rough year though girl!

So, is Tara still alive? Could someone mention her?  Is she in surgery?  I need to know!  

WILL!!!

UGH Walker gave JJ the front seat.  GUILT!!!  

But why does seat position matter?  HOW DID WALKER DIE??  Whiplash just seems so vague.  I mean, even if he sat in the front, he could have gotten still gotten whiplash. (Yeah, I know, JJ would still feel guilty because there’s always that “what if” scenario, but stil…)

Wonderful Will and JJ scene. LOL at Rossi telling them to get a room.

Aww, Will’s staying with Rossi while JJ goes to be with Monica and Luke.

But seriously, where the fuck is Tara?!?!

Aww poor JJ.  But I get Monica not wanting to be touched/hugged in that moment.  That’s exactly how I would feel.

Out of curiosity, does the team know Monica besides her just being Walker’s wife?  Have they ever really talked to her or met her before?

Wow, they’re showing a body again!  It’s not Damon though (obviously).  But I appreciate them actually showing something.  It makes it more sad than if they just showed the body bag but not actually showing the body (it would have been even more devastating if they actually had Damon)

Stephen Walker deserved better.

Monica talking to Walker was so sad!  Tracie Thoms nailed that scene!  From her wondering how to tell the kids to telling Walker she would handle it then the “see ya” before she pulled the sheet back over his head! UGH THE FEELS!  And then she broke down and Luke and JJ comforted her.

Stephen Walker and his family deserved better.  Just in case I haven’t already made that point.  

This episode should have been titled “Stephen Walker deserved better”

I’m literally crying. Criminal Minds, you better not kill JJ, Prentiss, Reid, Rossi, Hotch, Garcia or Morgan because Walker was only in 15 episodes and I’m FUCKING DEAD!!

Speaking of Morgan, WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!?!  All I need is a simple name-drop (Is Morgan the new Hotch?  If you say his name the reaper appears?)

“Jack is 13.” Actually, if anyone bothered to do the math, he should be 12.  He was born in Fall 2005.  It’s Fall 2017 now.  2017-2005=12. Actually, he shouldn’t even be 12 yet, since this episode picks up right from 12x22, which I believe was May 2017, but I digress…

YASS EMILY TELL THAT FUCKER TO FUCK OFF!!! “I love Jack.  I’ve watched Jack grow up.”  THIS TEAM IS A FAMILY, GUYS!!  

I’m just so happy we’re finally getting Hotch mentions.  I get Thomas is gone, but I was disappointed when last season they really sort of forgot about Hotch after episode 6 and never really mentioned him.  I wasn’t expecting a name drop every episode, but come on.  He was their boss and friend and they knew him for more than a decade.  Just because he’s in Witness Protection doesn’t mean he’s completely safe (his wife did die after all…).  Even if he was totally safe, I’d still be worried about him and thinking of him. I suppose maybe enough time has passed that they feel they can talk about him again

Now I just hope they remember Morgan exists!

ANGRY REID!! Totally understandable! 

Scratch keeps asking where Hotch is.  Talk about obsessed *cues Mariah Carey’s song “Obsessed”*

Yeah, Prentiss is obviously not dead, but I’m still intrigued!

What the fuck is this scene with Garcia and Simmons?!?  It’s like naked church  yoga with gagging.  “So much for no creepy weirdness” Love you Garcia!

LOL at Rossi just using Luke instead of crutches :D 

Oh good, y’all remembered Tara exists

That’s right, Prentiss, catch onto Scratch and his tricks!  

Gah, of course Reid’s included in the text.  What you do that for, Garcia? “Reid’s not in a good place right now.” Yeah no shit.

HELL YEAH PRENTISS!! YOU BITE HIS EAR!!  That was fucking amazing!  She should have gone full Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead and ripped his throat out

So glad Prentiss made Reid stay with her.  I definitely think it was partly because she really did want a good friend with her after the ordeal, but also because she didn’t want Reid to have to deal with more stress

HAHA GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE SCRATCH!!  

As much as I loved Luke just watching and letting Scratch fall to his death, I was really hoping for Prentiss and Tara and even Reid to be the ones to kill him.  It should have really been Emily or Tara.  But he’s dead so whatever.

Actually, you know what would have been a good way for Scratch to die? With the entire team shooting a thousand bullets into him.  They did this in the season 13 finale of NCIS with one of their bad guys.  See this for reference: https://youtu.be/tPnkug2rwIU?t=2m3s

LOL at Luke nonchalantly saying Scratch is down.  And then “He fell trying to escape”.  Technically not a lie

THANK YOU FOR LETTING HOTCH AND JACK BE HAPPY!!  I never understood the people who said Scratch couldn’t die because then they wouldn’t have a story for Hotch.  Umm, yes, they do.  I’ve said it along: catch/kill Scratch and say Hotch and Jack are out of the program and Hotch decides not to return.  I mean, in 12x06 they said Hotch sent in his resignation.  They just needed to make him stick to it, which he is.  

Funeral scene is sad. Monica is hugging JJ this time.  I love Monica!! I really liked her in 12x20 and thought she and Walker had a nice relationship.  It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of it.  And it’s a shame we didn’t get to know Walker’s kids more or see Walker with them.  It’s a shame we just didn’t get to know Walker more.

I liked Monica saying Peter Lewis was the reason Stephen was dead, not Emily.  And her saying Walker can rest easy knowing he helped bring Scratch to an end.  UGH!! My feels!  Stephen Walker and his family deserved better (I don’t think I made that point yet ;D )

You know who should become friends?  Aaron Hotchner and Monica Walker.  And Jack and Eli can be friends.  That family has a lot of shit they can bond over.  Jack and Eli are probably around the same age, so it could be a thing!

Wheels up!!  That was a nice scene.  I liked that Prentiss said that phrase was what kept her fighting and made her realize the team was out there fighting.  And I also like to think it was a nice little tribute to Hotch.

As much as I liked the ending, I think that end scene would have made a good series finale ending scene

As glad as I am that we got Hotch mentions and he and Jack are doing well, it would be nice to know where they are.  Are they staying wherever they were in WitSec or are they returning to Virginia?  I mean, they would have had fake identities when in WitSec, so you’d think they’d have to move from there?  They can’t just be Tommy and Sam one day and then the next day be like “LOL JK those aren’t our names”.  Hotch and Jack could move back and Hotch doesn’t need to come back or be seen even if he’s in town.  But a little conformation would be nice.  Just like I also want to know where Morgan is living now and what he’s doing for a living.

Also, I know we can’t get TG, but I would love if they had Hotch and Jack move back to Virginia and we could see Jack hanging out with Henry!  I want to see teenage Jack!

Very good episode!  There were little things here and there that maybe could have been tweaked a bit, but it was still very good.  I do wish we could have gotten a bit more on Walker and his death.  I get though that they couldn’t really grieve Walker in the episode while Prentiss was missing since they had to try to save her.  And since the firing of Damon was sort of thrown at the writers, they probably did the best they could.

Again, it was a good premiere.  One of the better episodes in recent years.  I can be a bit hard on the writers sometimes, but they can actually produce some quality episodes.  Come on writers, you can make some really good episodes, so I’d like to see some more like “Wheels Up” :)

[paradisezooey]

New Girl Season 6: Alternative Version

It’s Sunday night and I’ve got nothing better to do, so here are some random ideas of plots/scenes I had for this season. Not all of them make a lot of sense but I just wanted to show that we didn’t need Robby or that much of Reagan there and that they could’ve wrote more stuff to Cece and showed Nick’s growth in other ways. Some of these are just adapted ideas of actual episodes on the show. I don’t even know if someone will have the patience to read it because it’s a really long post because I don’t know how to be short and direct when I write. I just wanted to post these somewhere, so here we go:

Nick asks Jess to help him with his book and she does it in a way that it all comes from him, she says he doesn’t need her to tell him what to do because he’s already good at it. She just helps his imagination flow.

Jess enters her single and sufficient group and she and Robby act like two weirdos together, but just as friends

Robby wants something with her. She gives it a try because she wants to forget her feelings for Nick but it ends up being super awkward and she says she can’t be with someone she doesn’t love. Here we see Jess accepting that being single is not the end of the world, afterall.

Cece realizes (on her own) that she wants to be a model agent and Schmidt arranges with her a small, temporary office in their new home. It would be the first room to get done there. Here Cece starts her own arc, and a really solid one and not just random and forgettable.

Winston and Nick bond about their long distance relationships, both scared that it might not work out (since we have to deal with Reagan in some point in the first half…)

Cece and Wiston try to recruit new models. That would be a classic Winston and Cece mess around!

Cece does a really good job with the few models she has and one of them (the most unexpected one, maybe someone who reminds her of her young self) gets a break through, helping Cece’s agency to get a little known and it starts getting lots of calls. Final scene: Winston picking up calls to help her and pretending to be Cece’s secretary in the best Winston fashion.

Bob Day comes to the loft to spend 2-3 weeks there. At first he wants to spend the day watching Jess work on her school and sticks his nose in every decision she takes, which ends up annoying her. Here we see Jess standing up for herself and saying she knows what she’s doing and that she’s good on what she does.

Cece meets someone at the bar who wants an old man model to a campaign, Cece tries to convince Bob Day to be a model for one day

 Jess tells Bob to sleep on her room while she sleeps on the couch because he snores so loud that he bothers everyone around the loft. Nick feels sorry for Jess after a while and tells her to sleep in his bed (can you imagine how amazingly awkward this scene would be when she gets it the wrong way) and explains that he can sleep in the couch for a while. Nick, as the old man he is, ends up with a terrible back ache and Jess takes care of him. In the end, they end up sleeping together in his room in Bob’s last night there (but literally just sleeping, which would also be super awkward and funny because, hello, sexual tension)

The roommates think about a new roommate for after Schmidt and Cece move out and someone brings up Reagan (because at this point Winston and Schmidt still don’t know about Jess’ feelings). Jess tries to be supportive of this idea because both Winston and Schmidt are too and it could be weird if she wasn’t. Nick gets reluctant because he doesn’t know if he’s ready to live with Reagan neither wants to create an awkward situation for Jess but in the end they all agree Reagan should be the new roommate and it is implied that Nick accepts this to show that he’s more mature and committed now.

Reagan promises to be there on Thanksgiving but can’t make it and says she’ll only be there after Christmas, which leaves Nick upset but his friends plan a great Thanksgiving to make him forget, in a cool group story line.

The loft has its Secret Santa but Jess ends up with no gift. Nick has the idea to plan a late Christmas surprise for her with the help of the gang, kinda like in “Birthday”, but more subtle.

Reagan moves in, Nick and Reagan avoid each other at first when they start living together then the rest of this plot would be similar to “Raisin’s Back”

Nick and Reagan win a one weekend trip and when they start having communication problems there, they keep calling Jess and asking her for advice. With her help, it all works out in the end but they start to realize their relationship often needs Jess. Meanwhile, at the loft, Schmidt  finds out Jess still loves Nick and freaks out because he was the one to suggest that Reagan moved in. He apologizes and tells Jess she needs to let their relationship go on on its own instead of interfering in their favor all the time.

Insert Glue’s plot here, but here we find out Reagan never finished Nick’s book, which only makes Nick more insecure. When Nick is hiding in that kids library, Reagan tells Jess she has no idea what to tell him. Jess gives her advice and Reagan goes there and apologize after giving that little speech, Nick smiles to her but also at Jess. In this episode we see not only how much Jess knows Nick  but also that Nick knows Jess so well that he knew Reagan’s little speech to him probably came from Jess somehow.

Winston, Aly, Reagan and Nick go on a double date for some reason and the contrast between the couples is too strong. They notice Aly and Winston were a lot closer even when they were doing the long distance thing and that they feel really comfortable together and know a lot about each other. Nick opens up about his feelings with Reagan in the end (which shows some growth) and they both question if their relationship is really working Reagan brings up the fact that they always need Jess to help them and Nick brings up that even after 2 months living together (just to show that the 4 episodes with her did not happen in just 4 weeks) they don’t know each other (contrasting with what we saw in Glue of how much him and Jess know each other). They break up amicably agreeing that they don’t see a future for their relationship, even though they tried.

Notes: Let’s pretend Nick mentions Reagan in minor ways during the first half, just to remind the audience that they’re stil together. I wanted Reagan to be out before the second half of the season but I preferred to be realistic because I know Megan Fox couldn’t be there before because of her pregnancy. Also, notice that I don’t have a lot of ideas with Schmidt, I don’t know why.

Edit: In some point on the show we could also see  Cece having to move to a bigger office because her agency is doing good. Also, I would love if eventually Nick made a launching event for his book on the bar. It would be very significant to the character and I just want them to remind us Nick still partially owns that place.

[sleepingprinceonice]

Georgi, the 3rd Yuri - Part 4

DISCLAIMER: This is a long meta. I wrote this along with a friend and we spent pretty much a week analyzing a lot of stuff, from the anime scenes to interviews and even song lyrics. There’s a ton of text, many links and it can get kind of pretty image heavy in some parts.

To help with this, and for organization’s sake, we divided this meta in 4 parts.

Part 1 - Georgi, the Chekhov’s Gunman and 3rd Yuri in Yuri!!! On Ice

Part 2 - Georgi, Victor, and The Sleeping Beauty

Part 3 - The types of love and Victor’s long hair

Part 4 - The romantic songs and Victor’s first love

The romantic songs and Victor’s first love

If Yuri!!! On Ice talks about love, then of course we’ll have romantic songs in some of the programs. Stay Close To Me, A Tales of Sleeping Prince and Serenade For Two are the examples we have here, and all of them are praised - and with good reason. A lot has already been analyzed about Stay Close To Me, and it was confirmed that this song is Victuuri’s theme; however, when you analyze the lyrics along with the other two songs, it’s clear that it goes beyond that.

These songs are connected and they communicate with each other constantle, and they tell a story not about Victor and Yuuri, but of a possible old relationship of Victor, in the shadows, with Georgi.

Sounds pretty crazy, doesn’t it? Fanfic fuel, maybe? Honestly, we’d think so at first too, but when you put this together with the fact that Georgi is a Chekhov’s Gunman with huge potential and is someone who’s pretty much Victor’s opposite, it gets clear that yes, there is a real possibility of Victor and Georgi having something in their past.

Before we start to talk about how the songs are related, we need to understand them individually.

Stay Close To Me is Victor’s free skate song. He already told us that his program songs tell stories, and we do have, in fact, a narrative for this song. It tells the love story of a man who lost someone, but hears a far away voice and, even though he doesn’t recognize who’s calling, he goes for them, since the person who’s calling sounds as alone as him.

Here we have a solitary Victor communicating with music to the audience. He is solitary, the ice doesn’t make him as happy as before, and he goes in search of this distance voice without even knowing if the person behind it is alive or dead - and in the end they’re alive, and they both reunite in a happy grand finale.

Sounds familiar with a certain fairy tale?

Great, because we’re now gonna about A Tales of Sleeping Prince. The title already makes a reference to The Sleeping Beauty… But if Georgi lost Anya, why does the song has Tales in its name? Maybe because his heart was broken more than once?

And why is the song called Sleeping Prince if the one who sleeps in the fairy tale is the princess? The answer lies in the fact that Georgi, as we can see in his costume for this program that has elements of both genders, interprets both roles. He is his own prince, and at the same time is the sleeping princess, and he needs to find himself to wake up. Still, even if this is an incredibly personal journey, in The Sleeping Beauty the prince finds the princess with the help of a certain someone: the Lilac Fairy.

Sleeping Prince, then, gives us Georgi’s point of viev about himself, but he also needs external help - someone who can encourage him to wake up, someone who listens to the “wake me up” that is repeated in the backround many times during the song. His Lilac Fairy.

Now Serenade for Two seems to be the one that makes less sense with the characters, since it’s Michele’s free skate song, and the anime made itself clear in showing us his depedency problems with his sister, Sara.  The moral of this small arc is that love also sets free, and Georgi points to us that Michele skates with lost love… And this proves us that he knows that sensation.

If Stay Close To Me is Victor’s theme and A Tales of Sleeping Prince is Georgi’s, Serenade for Two is the fusion of both character’s point of view.

And it is through the analysis of these songs, of their word play and metaphors, that we can see that they create a narrative about an past relationship, a hidden one... In the shadows.

In the shadows, like where Georgi stays. In the shadows, just like when Victor lost his long hair in the first scene in episode 1.

Song identification guide:

Stay close to me

A Tales of Sleeping Prince

Serenade for Two

For this analysis we need to start… From the end! It starts exactly at the final echo of A Tales of Sleeping Prince:

[Wake me up!]: This is a desperate plea that echoes far away, Georgi begs to wake up, he can’t take being abandoned anymore. The answer, however, is at the start of Victor’s Stay Close To Me.

I hear a voice crying far away: A voice crying far away… As in an echo?

Have you been abandoned as well?: "You” who? If Victor didn’t knew Yuuri before this program, he wouldn’t be questioning him if he was a solitary as him (and, actually, loneliness doesn’t really applies to Katsuki, because he himself admits to be surrounded by people who love and support him). Is there anyone with a bigger similarity with Victor then, someone as surrounded by loneliness than Georgi?

Tell me now, its dark: Tell me now. Why now and not before? Besides that, it’s dark. Are you in the shadow again, Georgi?

There is no star in the sky: Oh, yes, we see, it’s because Victor, the Russian star, is gone...

Where are you?: Where have you gone, Victor? Well, of course Georgi knows where, but, far away, that distance seems enormous, something he can’t understand.

Come now, lets empty this glass of wine soon: Let’s finish this soon - someone’s in a hurry. Victor, probably, to finish his career as a figure skater. It’s also relevant to know that wine is associated with riches and grace, just like his skating style. Besides that, in European culture in particular, the act of drinking wine is associated with appreciating life. Victor’s anxious to go away from the ice once and for and then finally start to appreciate life and love, two things he lost.

I'll start getting ready: Victor starts to prepare to end his career, to drink his glass of wine

Why are you leaving me?: Why? Has the reason for their separation been made clear enough? Georgi’s stil hurt about this.

Now be silent: Contrast with the next line. Now be silent, to hear me say. Then now, after all this time, Victor will explain himself and make things clear, now that he’ll be leaving the ice, now that he can enjoy life.

Let me hear you say: “Then let me hear what you have to say”. Probably the reason Victor gave him at first wasn’t enough, he couldn’t understand nor accept, but he still wants to hear Victor.

Let me be your love: Explains itself.

With a sword I wish I could cut: Cut with a sword… Like cutting your hair with scissor blades. It’s also interesting that the sword reminds us of a fairy tale imagery, a theme that both Victor and Georgi share in common with The Sleeping Beauty. It’s also important to notice that the part that begins here is not sung on the duetto, the version that Victor and Yuuri skate together at the season finale.

Those throats singing about love: I want to cut all throats that ressonate love songs. Why does he want to get rid of such memories so much? Why do they hurt him or revolt him so much? This part is a lament, and a confession.

Show me your heart: Here, Georgi encourages him to speak. Show me your heart, show me what you’ve been keeping away during all this time.

I see the brightest star: The brightest star, Victor! Georgi sees him again! He’s coming back, the sky’s not dark anymore; Georgi’s waking up.

I wish to seal in the cold the hands That portray those verses of burning passion: I want to cut, I want to end once and for all these lies (love stories and such) that I brought upon the ice. Because he may have felt obliged to cut away his own love to keep working on the ice and tell other people’s love stories, in a painful irony.

I'll give you my heart: Victor’s so hurt… Georgi won’t hesitate to give him his own heart.

This story that makes no sense: It makes no sense. Staying here (on the ice) doesn’t make sense anymore. Skating gave him everything, but also took him everything, at the same proportion.

Will vanish tonight along with the stars: Conection with the beginning of Sleeping Prince, the metaphor of the dark sky with no stars. Besides that, the story will vanish along with the stars, in this case with the stars going away from the scene (Victor and Georgi, both old for the sport, retiring).

If I could see you from hope: The hope of being saved.

Let me be the one I'll always be Be there for you I promise to save you: And the promise to do so.

I'll save you now: Complimenting with the lines above, Georgi promises to be at Victor’s side, promises to save him now. Why, if he couldn’t do it before?

Eternity will be born: The last line of the part that’s not sung on the duetto at the season finale. It’s interesting to see that it speaks about eternity, and yet Victor and Yuuri don’t skate about it... From this information we can deduce narratively that they still have points at their relationship that they need to work on, or, in another hypothesis, that they’re not faded to be together forever - at least not now.

Stand close to me: Asking for someone to stay with him, and the answer comes right away.

Oh baby I'm coming: Expains itself.

Don't go I'm afraid of losing you: Victor didn’t want to break up, that’s why he asks for Georgi not to go away. This brings even more the following question: for what reason did they broke up? Victor’s also solitary. He has the chance to have something special with another person, but he fears losing the conection that’s narrated in the following lines. He’s desperate.

You're not alone I promise to save you I'll save you now: But you’re not alone, Victor! I promise I’ll save you now! Georgi’s answer is clear: he won’t let them to be separated anymore, now he’ll make sure to save him.

Your hands, your legs My hands, my legs The heartbeats: The heart metaphor, also present in Sleeping Prince, making a connection with said song (I'll give you my heart).

Are fusing together: This is a huge metaphor for a deep and real relationship. While the previous lines talk about the physical (sex, basically), the line just before this talks about heart, more specifically heartbeats. The two people in this song are so close that even the heartbeats are syncronized. It’s literally a fusion of souls, something spiritual and really deep - not the fleeting and lustful love of Eros, represented here by no one but Yuuri himself.

Let's leave together: Victor goes away, but not alone. He goes with someone, a person who, just like him, also needs to finish what they started on the ice. In this case, Victor and Georgi will leave, together. It’s relevant to note that Yuuri’s still young enough to skate, so it doesn’t make sense for him to leave with Victor in this context.

Now I'm ready: Now, for what? Now why and, especially, for what? What happened for Victor to be ready now, but not before? Unfinished business with someone of his past?

[Wake me up!]: It’s the plea that echoes itself. Victor’s not the only one that needs to be saved. Georgi wants to wake up again for love, for life.

No matter what I'll save you now: It’s important to see that these lines about saving/kissing have no matter what. This is unconditional love. It doesn’t matter if Victor or Georgi have 1 or 100 golden medals, whatever. Georgi’s ready to save himself no matter the circumstances, and he wants to save Victor too, without the expectation to get something in return.

[Wake me up!]: You can see that the wake me up is distant, just like the voice mentioned at the beggining of Stay Close To Me, who’s calling for Victor. Georgi needs to wake up, and even though he needs to do so alone (since he’s the prince and princess of his own faity tale, evidenced by his costume), he needs someone to guide him - Victor, the Lilac Fairy, who guides the prince to kiss the Sleeping Beauty.

No matter what I'll kiss you now: No matter what and now, which make themselves presents during the whole song, reinforcing that the unconditional love stills exists at the present time (and that it can still manifest itself).

[Wake me up!]: The plea still echoes, until the begging of Stay Close To Me.

No matter what I'll save you now: "It doesn’t matter what they’ll say now, I’ll never let you go again”. There’s nothing that chains them to the ice anymore with the retirement. With no more masks, they owe nothing to the world.

[Wake me up!] No matter what I'll kiss you now I'll always be Be there for you I promise to save you I'll save you now Oh baby I'm coming You are not alone I promise to save you I'll save you now: All of these repeated lines, reinforcing what has been said before: I’m here for you and I won’t leave you. I’ll save you now, Victor, you’re not alone.

You always made me strong: Someone always made Georgi strong. It wasn’t Anya, but someone who was present in his life for more time. In this case, Victor, someone who Georgi saw as an inspiration for him to get better as an skater (since he was always in his shadow, but he wants to be appreciated for his art before anything else).

I'm not alone: I’m not alone! Georgi’s able to save himself so he can save someone else, who’s no one but the person who guided him, since Victor also needs help. It’s the search for himself, for his own love before he’s able to give it to another person.

I promise to save you I'll save you now Oh baby I'm coming: More reinforcement of his promises. Just like a prince, right?

Through the dark: Through the dark, because Victor’s not a star anymore, he’s not in the sky, yet Georgi doesn’t want anything with his status as a professional and wants to save him as a person, even if this means walking through the dark (without Victor) alone.

I promise to save you I'll save you now: Not a question, but a guarantee: I will save you and I’ll save you now!

After analyzing the two songs, you know what else is interesting? A Tales of Sleeping Prince plays at the background, without lyrics, when the skaters in Barcelona are hanging out together. It’s during the scene when Phichit announces Yuuri’s engagement with Victor, and the same scene when Victor told them that he’ll only marry Yuuri if he wins gold. It’s pretty ironic that a song with lyrics about always being close with someone is played during a scene when Victor puts in a condition for their marriage to happen.

Another thing that reinforces the idea of this possible past relationship is that, while Stay Close To Me and A Tales of Sleeping Prince have each a story in their lyrics, Yuri on Ice doesn’t have any. While everyone thinks that Stay Close To Me is about Victuuri only, Victor skated to it alone, telling the story of a lost love and the desire to get it back. Meanwhile, in his free skate, Yuuri skates about the many kinds of love that he feels and that supported him through his career, but this story doesn’t need to be told in words. Contrary to Georgi and Victor, Yuuri doesn’t have a love story to tell, not yet.

And now, to finish with the song’s analysis, Serenade for Two:

Whenever I hear you bands begin to play: Whenever I hear, indicating here communication above everything - something that still needs work in Victuur, and something explicitated in Stay Close To Me and Sleeping Prince, where the lines talk amongst themselves.

It's a serenade: Serenades are songs normally played during the night, in small verses. Normally below a window, to court the person who’s watching from above. Who’s always on the podium? Who’s extremaly artistic in his programs? Besides that, the fact that the serenade is nocturne matches perfectly with the other lines and all of the metaphors involving the moon, the stars and the sky, that are present in all of the three songs.

For two: If it’s “our serenade for two”, here it’s a vision that fits both, because the song is about them together.

How do I forget you: And how could they forget each other if they were side by side, growing together and sharing space in both their lifes and on the rink?

this feeling inside: What happened in the past stays in the past, but the feelings love on, as it can be seen in their individual songs.

I am always watching over you: Always, as in now. Victor, who’s always at the top, can’t watch anyone, but who’s the person that’s always in his shadow?

Whenever I see you: This line can be an alusion to Georgi watching Victor skate, and how he fell in love with his skating in the past, that was once full of life.

Stars in your eyes: Important!! In the anime, during episode 9, the close in Georgi’s face starts right at this line. His eyes shine in nostalgia as he speaks about lost love.

Brighten up the sky: In the anime, the close persists during this line as well. We don’t really have to say at this point that the stars metaphor is an alusion to the other songs now.

For me: The close ends right there.

We're dancing in the moonlight: They’re dancing now! The serenate worked, and as they dance in the night, they’re booth on equal points with each other. This may also mean that they used to meet each other in the shadows, hidden away from other people.

Tonight you will belong to me, only you…: The said soul fusion in Stay Close To Me comes to play here. Sex is something they both can find with other people, but this line makes it explicit that what they had was beyond physical.

You mean the world to me, my lady: Explains itself. Also the lady here is not a problem, since Victor and Georgi don’t care about gender and this is not an issue in the universe of the anime.

I can be as brave as a knight for you: Who’s the prince of his own story?

If you want, I can be like a sharpened knife: A sharpened knife... Like a prince’s sword.

No one loves you like the way I do: OH FOR GOD’S SAKE!!

Let's fly over the moon: Foreshadowing the the song’s ending, until the clouds hide the moon away. Also a metaphor for them to elevate themselves even higher together, since they were dancing under the moonlight before.

Don't get me wrong: This line points to a possible failure at their communication at some point. There may have been a misunderstading, byt what was it? And for what reasons?

Maybe I'm foolish enough to want you to love me: “Maybe this won’t last, maybe I’m just deceiving myself, but that would be enough”.

For only tonight, will you be the one for me Until the clouds hide the moon away...: If the clouds cover the sky, no one can see the stars moving, no one can find out about Georgi and Victor. A secret relationship.

Whenever I touch you, music seems to stop I've never felt this way so true: Again, the line explains itself. The intensity of the feeling is obvious.

In the end, it is possible to see that the songs in fact communicate and tell a story, and it takes us to believe that, yes, Georgi and Victor used to have something in their past, and this something may be a key point to the future development of their respective arcs in the second season.

This can even influenciate Victuuri as well, be it in the (albeit really small) possibility of them breaking up to move forward as individuals and Victor reunites with Georgi again (just like in The Sleeping Beauty) or as narrative fuel for Victor to mature emotionally as he tries not to repeat the mistakes of his past relationship with the one he has with Yuuri now, moving them forward in what they need to work the most: communication.

And it’s not in the songs only that the night is present. In the legend of Akai Ito, a classic seen in japanese romances and inherited from China, there is a story about a God that only appears at night. This god conects soulmates with the red thread of fate e, even if the circumstances separate them and life makes them twist, the two souls are destined to search for each other until they get together. The further they’re away from each other, the sadder they get; the closer, the happier. And the red thread never breaks.

When you put this together with all the hints about Georgi being a Chekhov’s Gunman - the emphasis brought upon his character in interviews, how he’s always in the background of many scenes, his paralels and links with the other main characters -, it’s clear that he can play perfectly the role of a past love of Victor, the first love that’s hinted at the beggining of the anime, and that both his character and this information can still be very important to the series development.

After all, Victor said he had a first love, he just didn’t told us who it was.

And we don’t have only 2, but 3 Yuris here. And one of them was present in Victor’s life before the other Yuris we know. Only him can present us with his role to the narrative.

Georgi is a key character to Yuri!!! On Ice’s narrative, and we all should pay attention to him.

[drink-n-watch]

I decided to just stop assuming things in Steins;Gate. What’s the point? I mean sure, episode 7’s ending brought up so many questions, memories, feelings! This time surely, they’ve overplayed their hand. If it gets resolved in the first scene as it usually does, that’s going to be just as cheap and hollow as the Amadeus thing from the previous episode. If it goes on for too long, it’s going to get grating…

fine, be that way!

I cautiously examined this Kurisu. Or should I say this girl that looked like Kurisu. Which one is she? Which world line are we on. Can I….

And then everything just crumbled. My questions, my doubts, my misgivings all blew away like dandelion seeds in the wind. That hug had to be the most cathartic thing I’d seen all week. And maybe it was this fragile emotional state that lead me to overpraise the moment in my mind. However, I could have sworn it was better animated. Unlike in last week’s fight, Kurisu’s lab coat folded and creased as Okabe’s arms wound around it. Long shadows snaked their way across with the bend of her body. All these little details added to emphasize the sudden, clumsy and a little brusque explosion of relief and love. My heart followed right along with its own awkward skips. The OP hadn’t started yet…

I’m not particularly emotional and generally uninterested in romantic tales. Well usually. The original Steins;Gate is the only actual romance I consider to be on my list of favorites. I’ve never tried to hide my bias. These reviews aren’t the least bit objective… Okabe be Kurisu together again was exhilarating. We could finally take a moment to celebrate.

this is the happiest screencap I could get…

See what I mean about assuming things…. I didn’t even get the first balloon filled with helium that the other shoe dropped. Of course, it was too good to be true. Of course, equilibrium had to be sustained. For Kurisu to be standing there, something of equal value had to be traded. All it took was a simple mention of how much Mayuri was missed for cruel reality to drag Okabe and me right back to earth.

A few weeks ago, I obliquely accused Okabe of being cold to Mayushii. You see, in both the anime and the game, after literally tearing reality apart in order to save Mayuri, Okabe and I eventually turned our full attention to Kurisu, seemingly almost forgetting about our childhood friend. We all tend to do that, don’t we? Push faithful companions to the sidelines when a new flame catches our fancy. I always thought this was a bit careless of Okabe but relatable. Stil, he must have known at least on some level how special he was to Mayuri.

Assumptions man…I just never learn.

I challenge you to take a screencap of a smiling Okabe

This Okabe is simply not the Okabe I knew. This was made clear to us from the very start. And this Okabe had chosen Mayuri to begin with. He had actively stood by his friend and given up the promise of new love. And having Kurisu back in no way made up for losing Mayuri. I adored this.

This is the Okabe that gave up. The Okabe that resigned himself to losing someone he loved no matter what and who took on all the guilt and responsibility for that loss. We find out through conversation that this world line’s Okabe had been just as traumatized and shaken about losing Mayuri as ours is about Kurisu. He may love them in different ways, but he clearly loves them both. I’m sorry I doubted you. You’re a good friend Okabe.

I rather enjoyed that all the upheaval of the last episode was put on hold. Not a single sighting of Moeka or FB. No sign of secret codes. Mayuri’s cosplay friends have never been introduced to the lab members. As Okabe tried to get his bearings and explore this new world line, Steins;Gate 0 mined the nostalgia of the original deeper than it ever had up until now.

discovering a new catgirl maid for the very first time

The lab was back to its former glory, phone microwave and all, all be it (revised). Daru was short tempered and unimpressed, Faris was a caricature, Ruka was introverted and shy. As for Kurisu…. Amadeus had never really been a perfect copy to me. She was fine, but just not the same girl.  I liked Kurisu in the original, but she was never my favorite character. There’s something too uncomfortably recognizable about her. I was ok in a world without her.

This Kurisu was the real deal. She was the person I remember, granted from the end of the series rather than the beginning. As the episode progressed, I had to agree with Okabe, Amadeus doesn’t hold a candle to her. There’s just no substitute for the original. I’m not entirely sure at which point in the episode I suddenly realized how much I had missed Kurisu. Since the beginning of Steins;Gate 0, I’ve never felt this comfortable or safe. Everything is going to be all right – Kurisu will help us figure it out. She always knows just what to do.

I know I occasionally refer to Okabe as “we” or even “I”. It must be confusing for you. I figure if you’re one of my regular readers, you have a pretty good tolerance for muddled. I’ll try my best to keep this next part comprehensible. No promises.

well I promise I’ll try…

Okabe and I got lost. Not literally, we know the town pretty well, but figuratively. The choice between Mayuri and Kurisu had already been the hardest thing we had to do and now it’s being dragged up all over again. Sure, we could just try and get back to our world line, pretend this was yet another nightmare. But can we really make the decision again. Kurisu is here and she’s real. Mayuri is gone. Can we again sacrifice the real girl for the one that was? Will it even change anything? Does any of this suffering matter in any way?

We were spiraling. We argued about it some. We both knew there was no solution here. No lesser of two evils, no greater good. OK, the preventing WW III thing could fall into that greater good category but we won’t even be able to tell if we accomplished that anyways. Playing with the fabric of the universe is a pretty imprecise science. We were talking in circles, trying to perpetually delay a decision we were no longer able to make.

And then of course, Kurisu saved us. Her simple speech and calm demeanor was our port in the storm. I never realized how much I had come to rely on her. I never realized how important it is to be someone people can count on.

I let Okabe and Kurisu go on a walk together. I figured they needed some alone time. I could tell things were going to change no matter what.

sometimes you just get that uneasy feeling

Aside from romance, the genre I tend to have the least patience for is full blown drama. I’m extremely picky with dramatic scenes. As soon as Kurisu brought Okabe to visit the Shiina family grave, I did a few eye exercises, assuming I would be rolling them soon. I was just a touch heavy handed but Kurisu can always be counted on to keep things even keeled. As the scenes went on to mirror the image of little Mayuri staring off into space all alone at her grandmother’s grave, I completely stopped caring about how cheesy it was.

Okabe and I had spent countless hours worrying about that little girl. Watching her from a distance and desperately racking our brains for any way to make the pain a little more bearable for her. We would have given anything to make her smile just for a second, to shake her back to life, to make her feel anything. We had wanted to save her ever since we were children.

Kurisu and I watched Okabe in silence and hoped he would be ok. We hoped he could find his way out of this endless maze. We silently agreed that we would help.

everyone took this screencap – I don’t care

So far, Steins;Gate 0 has made a habit out of ending on shocking cliffhangers. Although I wouldn’t exactly call the ending of episode 8 boring, it wasn’t exactly a cliffhanger either. Seeing Kurisu running by herself as the closing credits rolled had me glued to the tv. Seeing the future gadgets team, Mayuri included, made my heart jump. Watching Kurisu hesitate by the door had me holding my breath. Hearing her confess, was everything I needed. It was a good place to stop. Satisfying and devastating.

I have speculated more than a few times that Steins;Gate 0 is playing with the viewers. Not in the classic unreliable narrator way – I do believe the events we are seeing are happening and in exactly the way they are shown, but I think the natural assumption that these events are taking place in a world line we are already familiar with has yet to be proven. Episode 8 ostensibly takes place in world line alpha but some little things didn’t add up for me. Amane was in Mayuri’s comiket picture, but I could have sworn I’d already seen all the alpha variations of that pic and Yuki was never in them. The news is still reporting on the mysterious earthquakes even in this world line. Even Okabe seems to have noticed some discrepancies between his version of the past and this Kurisu’s.

I don’t actually know anything, this is just wild assumptions of course. All I really know, is that it was good seeing the real girl again. I hope we go see alpha line Maho next.

I also couldn’t stop taking screencaps. I really liked this episode:

Steins;Gate 0 Ep 8 – Okabe And The Real Girl I decided to just stop assuming things in Steins;Gate. What's the point? I mean sure, episode 7's ending brought up so many questions, memories, …