#which i feel like leads to a super complicated relationship between mike and the idea of touch

[crumbleclub]

touch averse michael my beloved

[fredbearings]

💖 dude I'm loving your posts musing about the Afton & Emily families so talk about any relationship dynamics between em you feel like?

💖 - Relationships between characters?

!!!! thank you!!! i’m so glad you like them i have a lot of feels about both families so i’m really happy someone else does too haha

i worked all day today and then came home and knocked out the rest of what i had of the fourth closet (which was a LOT) and i’m typing these with shaking hands as i speak so prepare for lots of emotions that are literally fresh…… (i’ll try to keep it free of tfc spoilers tho)

this is from this [x] meme! i’ll still take some if anybody else wanted to send anything!

(also.. i’m gonna go along the book timeline mostly (+michael and crying child) mashed up a little with the game canon bc it’s easier to work with atm)

both families’ kids

they’re all basically cousins.like they see each other all the time, are stuck at the restaurant after school bc of their dads… plus with how close their dads were it was just a given. granted they never referred to william and henry as their “uncle” to their faces (they’d only do it if somebody else was asking bc it was easier than saying ‘my dad’s best friend/business partner/etc’). but they still saw them as uncle figures regardless. they grew up with them around so why not yknow!! 

michael and the twins were born the same year and used to be super close, but once the younger afton kid (need to think of a name for him) and elizabeth were born, he went threw that edgy preteen phase we all did and secluded himself from everyone else. so instead of hanging out with michael like she used to charlie began to spend more time with elizabeth and the crying child even though they were younger bc she didn’t mind it. she was closer with elizabeth tho and they were best friends for the short few years they could know each other before henry passed and elizabeth was killed.

henry + afton kids

basically like second children to him. he loves them to pieces and treats them no differently than charlie and sammy. he has a soft spot for michael though bc he knows he feels somewhat forgotten about, and michael hella appreciates it when henry will pay attention to him over his siblings. sometimes he’d let mike tinker with things with him while the others played on the floor nearby. overall he’s the best uncle anybody could ask for. (once he realizes everything that william’s done he worries himself sick over his kids, but he just can’t bring himself to try and rescue them bc he’s already too far gone himself)

william + emily kids

he’s obviously a bit more awkward than henry, but he tries to act similarly to the twins as henry does his kids even tho it’s really hard. he likes to be by himself and unbothered, so he’ll never let them work on things with him, but he doesn’t mind them around as long as they don’t get in his way. things become different after the twins dwindle to one and he has to force himself to still be around the emilys so nothing seems suspicious, so he’s a lot more forceful with his friendliness bc it doesn’t come as easy. (with good reason, without spoiling anything from tfc)

henry + william

they were best friends. i have no idea how they met but they’re just really tight. i guess you’ve got to be if you’re gonna run a business together, entertain children in costumes meant to act as a duo, and have kids the same age. i wholeheartedly believe henry to be someone who loves with his whole heart–familial, platonic, romantic, whatever–so he absolutely loved william that way too. (platonic/familial) william loved him lots too to the point of obsession and jealousy whenever he paid too much attention to anybody else, leading to the inciting incident of this entire mess. of course once henry learned what he did his love turned to immediate, pure, raw hatred. william never hated henry though until he had trapped him in the maze and banished him to hell when he burned him down. their friendship is weird and complicated and sad and infuriating and it’s really interesting to see interpreted by others imo

in general

william is the godfather of the twins and henry is the godfather of michael, elizabeth, and (crying child). the kids are all so close that they’d take turns spending nights over each other’s houses without really asking; everyone would just get ready to go home and find an extra kid or three in their car. not that either guy necessarily minded. (it was a lot easier than when they’d trot up to spring bonnie or fredbear in a row like baby ducks and tap on the hipplate to ask if they could stay over. it was even worse when neither could answer bc they were in performing for other kids who didn’t know that the animatronics weren’t actually moving on their own, bc then they’d ask again and call their dad by name. spring bonnie is then put on the spot bc “””his name isn’t william””” (wink wink kids) but if he doesn’t answer elizabeth she’s gonna draw more attention to themselves and dig an even deeper hole)

both sides of kids are comfortable enough to nag their uncle for mcdonald’s or ice cream

also they spend holidays together!! before henry learns william’s secret of course. michael hated holidays when he got a little older bc they were just normal days for him since william never celebrated, and he’d see other families get together and he’d be reminded of how many people both sides lost and how things used to be. 

this is a LOT of stuff i’m sorry but overall: the aftons and emilys are like family to one another and the kids are all best friends. i’m at the end of this post and i still feel no better from tfc so i’m gonna watch vine comps skjdfhs

thank you for asking!!!

[aion-rsa]

The Most Intense Better Call Saul Moments

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At the beginning of the month, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk picked up his fourth Golden Globe nomination for his lead role in the Breaking Bad spinoff series. In the midst of preparing for the sixth and final season of the AMC drama, Odenkirk found out about his nomination while walking his dog, and let slip to Deadline that filming for the new season will begin in March.

That’s not the only nugget of info that Odenkirk gave Deadline in regard to Better Call Saul season 6. In a phone interview, Odenkirk told fans to expect a combustible final batch of episodes. 

“I can’t wait for the fireworks, really,” Odenkirk said about the upcoming season, which is expected to feature more episodes than the usual 10. “Our show is a bit of a slow burn over the past few years, and [series creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould] build up. There’s certainly exciting moments throughout, but towards the end, it gets super supremely intense.”

“Slow burn” is a common phrase used to describe the prequel series that finds earnest lawyer and ex-con man Jimmy McGill slowly transform into the shameless criminal defense attorney and sleazeball Saul Goodman. In comparison to parent series Breaking Bad, which saw milquetoast chemistry teacher Walter White undergo a far more dramatic transformation into the drug kingpin Heisenberg, Better Call Saul is seen as a smaller stakes story far more focused on interpersonal relationships than thrilling set-pieces and explosive showdowns. 

However, that reputation betrays the fact that Better Call Saul also offers plenty of high-stakes thrills and hard-charged moments. Below we’ve compiled the five most intense moments of Better Call Saul so far. These scenes offer a different type of tension than Breaking Bad, but are nonetheless arresting in their own way.

Chuck’s Court Room Blow-Up 

Season 3 Episode 5 “Chicanery”

The relationship and struggle between the brothers McGill is the lifeblood of Better Call Saul. Even after Chuck’s death (which is itself quite the intense moment), the psychological impact of the jealousy experienced and their falling out still informs so many of Jimmy’s decisions. “Chicanery” features the moment that their relationship deteriorated beyond repair in a stunning courtroom sequence that found Chuck revealed to be the true villain in Jimmy’s story.

Without stunning scientific feats, shootouts, drug deals, or fiery explosions, Better Call Saul captivated audiences simply by showcasing two brothers destroying their relationship. No Machiavellian efforts necessary, just Jimmy’s accomplice Huell slipping a harmless battery in a pocket; no surprise hitman at the door, just an unannounced appearance by a concerned ex-wife. The stakes are significantly smaller than a Breaking Bad setpiece, but far more personal and more than capable of keeping viewers at the edge of their seats. 

Chuck’s unraveling takes place in one room, but director Daniel Sackheim keeps things interesting by utilizing the reflections in clocks or by keeping the background action in focus. Michael McKean stuns with an incredible, spiteful, and vulnerable performance, making Chuck utterly despicable yet somehow sympathetic at once. But only sympathetic to a point. 

Though Chuck’s mental condition is clearly something to worry about, his gross jealousy and resentment shown toward his brother, a brother who respected and selflessly helped Chuck time and time again, is unforgivable. In this tense courtroom blowup, the man that Jimmy looked up to as a monument is reduced to pitiful rubble.

Gene and the Cab Driver 

Season 4 Episode 1 “Smoke”

Prior to the beginning of season 4, co-creator Peter Gould said that Better Call Saul was envisioned as a “romp.” However, the first episode of the fourth season is most definitely not a romp. “Smoke” takes place in the immediate aftermath of Chuck’s death, with Jimmy seemingly trying to ignore his complicated feelings over his brother’s passing. But before we get to that, we spend a little time in the post-Breaking Bad timeline with Gene, Jimmy’s new alter ego living and working in Omaha, Nebraska, trying to exist under the radar and escape the fallout from his criminal past.

The time spent with Gene is the best part of the season premiere. Almost every season starts with a Gene check-in, but season 4 begins with a moment that almost scares Jimmy into abandoning his life in Omaha and starting over again. Jimmy has two close-calls, first at a hospital in the aftermath of a fainting spell. A nurse handling his registration says that his social security number is incorrect, causing the hair on the back of Gene’s neck to stand up. Before he starts hyperventilating, the nurse reveals she simply typed his information into the computer incorrectly, which gets a huge sigh of relief out of Gene. 

The second encounter isn’t as harmless. Gene is picked up at the hospital by a cab, and notices the cab driver staring at him uncomfortably. Finally, Gene notices that the cab driver has an Albuquerque air-freshener hanging from his rearview mirror. With just the thought of being recognized, we can see Gene’s blood run cold. It may not sound like a momentous moment, but director Minkie Spiro ratchets up the tension and makes us feel every bit of Jimmy’s intense fear of being discovered.

Mike Kills Werner 

Season 4 Episode 10 “Winner”

Most of Mike’s season 4 story revolves around him watching over the German team assembled to build Gus Fring’s super lab, the same lab that Walter White would use to perfect his meth cooks. It’s not the most exciting use of the hard-boiled hitman’s time, but it eventually leads to a moment that signifies Mike stepping over the morally grey line into full-blown villainy. This isn’t Mike’s only revealing moment of the series, as the sixth episode of Better Call Saul dives into Mike’s background and the revelation that he was directly responsible for his son’s death, but this is the moment of no return for Mike, the act that would solidify his involvement with Gus Fring’s operation and lead to his eventual demise. 

After Werner, the engineer lead, escapes the underground facility after specifically being forbidden to do so, Gus orders Mike to hunt Werner down and tie off the loose end. Mike must find Werner before Lalo does, as Gus doesn’t want the Salamanca heavy to learn of his plans. The search and capture of Werner harkens back to the hardboiled delights of Mike’s scenes in Breaking Bad.

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Also, the resolution of Mike’s search, ending with an expertly staged wideshot depicting Werner’s murder along with Mike’s wordless confirmation to Gus that the job had been done, shared some symmetry with Jimmy’s story. “Winner” finds Jimmy finally flashing the Saul Goodman seediness we’d come to know in Breaking Bad, so the episode depicts both characters seemingly shedding the last vestiges of their humanity.

Kim Faces Off Against Lalo

Season 5 Episode 9 “Bad Choice Road”

Lalo Salamanca was the big bad that Better Call Saul was missing. He’s the perfect villain and foil for Jimmy, someone that has as much swagger and charm as the slimy lawyer, but with a mean streak that rivals the best Breaking Bad villains. Lalo’s inclusion in the series has created nothing but chaos and danger, and the man has never felt more dangerous when showing up unexpectedly at Jimmy and Kim’s home.

 Jimmy’s near-death experience in the previous Season 5 episode “Bagman” may have been the most action-oriented episode of the series to date, but the follow-up features perhaps the most intense moment of Better Call Saul. In the middle of a fight after Kim abandons her position at Schweikart & Cokely, an argument that positions Jimmy as the selfish Chuck to Kim’s selfless Jimmy, the warring couple are interrupted by an urgent call from Mike; Lalo is at the door, and Mike demands that Jimmy keep his phone on so he can eavesdrop on the dangerous, impromptu visit. Lalo abandons his plans to return to Mexico after discovering Jimmy’s Esteem in the desert riddled with bullet holes and struts into their apartment to make himself comfortable. He’s ready to hear Jimmy’s story again, looking to catch him in a lie.

Throughout Lalo’s grilling, Jimmy gets noticeably more nervous and begs for Lalo to let Kim leave. During all of this, we watch Mike observing through a sniper scope on an adjacent building. Jimmy would typically have some sort of story ready to satiate Lalo, but he’s still in a fragile state and frankly appears shell shocked. His abilities as a bullshitter and impervious to Lalo. Fortunately, Kim steps up and speaks on his behalf, remaining tough with Lalo and poking holes in his concerns. 

The entire encounter is a nail-biter because Lalo is so unpredictable; if you come at him with the wrong tone, he won’t hesitate to display his disapproval. Fortunately, the bold strategy works, and Lalo promptly heads out. Still, this moment signifies that if Kim wasn’t already in the game before, she certainly is now, and that’s a terrifying prospect for the beloved character. We know that Jimmy won’t fall victim to Lalo’s violence, but the same can’t be said for Slippin’ Kimmy. 

Nacho’s Betrayal and Lalo’s Escape 

Season 5 Episode 10  “Something Unforgivable”

When creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould first floated the idea of a prequel series titled Better Call Saul, many fans salivated at the thought of getting to learn the backstories of two of the most popular characters from Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman and Mike Ehrmantraut. While Better Call Saul has certainly delivered on fleshing out the origins of the beloved antiheroes, it’s also been successful in creating its own memorable supporting cast. 

New to Gilligan’s New Mexico crime universe was a young Salamanca soldier and dealer, Nacho Varga, whose business frequently intersects with our familiar returning protagonists. Nacho’s story finds him struggling for survival as he’s caught between the warring Salamanca and Fring factions. Nacho is depicted as a smart character with a decent moral compass, but he’s gotten himself mixed up in a bad situation that frequently looks keen on making Nacho collateral damage in a cartel war.

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With his family threatened, Nacho is coerced into working as something of a double agent for Gus Fring, which has led to plenty of tense moments, but none more nerve-racking than the final episode of season 5, when Nacho attempts to aide Gus’ men in assassinating acting Salamanca boss, Lalo. After an uneasy meeting with Don Eladio, Nacho has to wait until 3 AM and unlock a gate located on Lalo’s ranch. When he walks outside in the middle of the night to complete the deed, Lalo is waiting in front of the gate, holding court around the fire. The tension erupts when Nacho uses a sneaky decoy to distract Lalo and open the gate. He walks out of the estate trusting that the trained killers will do their job, but Salamancas aren’t so easy to dispatch. 

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In a thrilling sequence, Lalo out-maneuvers and decimates every would-be assassin. Lalo’s genial spirit is erased while surveying the damage. A rage boils inside of him seeing the bodies of the innocent people that Nacho was hoping would be protected. Lalo hobbles off-screen Terminator-style, looking to enact his revenge. If Lalo was a frustrating presence before, now he’ll return to Albuquerque like a plague.

The post The Most Intense Better Call Saul Moments appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[guardians-of-iselda]

September Wrap Up

So September was a weird month in terms of reading, because I don’t feel like I read a lot, mostly because I read a lot of graphic novels and comics, but not a lot of books. So without further ado: 

Black Monday Murders by Jonathan Hickman 

This is an ongoing series with a pretty complicated, but interesting concept. Essentially the world’s economy is controlled by different schools and families who all have made pacts with the devil and demons. The real currency is blood, not money. When an heir and board member of one of the most powerful families gets killed, a detective and the deceased’s sister return to New York to investigate. 

This is a complex, heavily political series that deal with economics and history, deals with multiple timelines, different philosophical schools and magic systems. I found it fascinating, though more as a curiosity rather than a story with characters I cared about. I gave it 4 stars, and will be continuing with the series.

The Old Guard by Greg Rucka

In a complete 180 from Black Monday Murders, the Old Guard follows a group of immortal (well, factually immortal) warriors who have been living on Earth, fighting in various wars and battles. When their secret gets discovered they have to deal with the consequences, along with getting the newest immortal acquainted with their condition. 

I liked this volume mostly for the characters, as the plot is really simple and straight forward. I will also be continuing with this series and I also gave it 4 stars. 

The Discipline by Peter Milligan 

I DNFd this at issue 3. I liked the art which is why I picked it up. I knew it was erotica, but I was not prepared for how horrendously and unnecessarily complicated the plot was, how unlikable the characters were and how absolutely not sexy the erotic stuff was! It involves aliens and demons and ... succubi? Yeah sounds better than it is, 1 star,. 

Berserk vol 4 and 5 by Kentaro Miura 

Vol 3 of Berserk ended on a pretty gruesome cliffhanger and vol 4 picks up right after that and it becomes even more gruesome. It was horrible and I hated reading it. What might have been even worse was this was the volume with the famous homoerotic water fight between Gatts and Grifith. Still cringey. 

Vol 5 was way better. I liked Gatts as always, ended up liking Griffith more as well as the rest of the Hawks. I absolutely hated Casca and I can’t stand her. I need her to stop being terrible immediately or die (ha ha ha I know, I’ll curse myself for saying that real soon). 

Doctor Aphra vol 1 by Kieron Gillen

This first volume of Aphra’s solo series was pretty good. I enjoyed her character as always, liked the dynamic with her dad, as both were flawed characters with strong personalities. Definitely will keep up with the rest of the series. 

Poe Dameron vol 1 and 2 by Charle Soule

I didn’t really like volume 1; I found it very mediocre and kind of bad in some respects, especially the whole plot with the egg. 3 stars. 

Volume 2 was where it’s at. I love Agent Terex, I love Po and a character comes back from the Aftermath series that made me yell. This should have been volume 1. Can’t wait to see what happens next. 

Darth Vader vol 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Kieron Gillen

I have a lot of complex feelings on this series, and I’m not sure I can deliver them all here in this short wrap up. I have long reviews for each of the volumes on Goodreads. All in all, I did like this series. There are moments that are etremely well done and powerful, I like the dynamic between Aphra and Vader, I loved Salvador Larocca’s art, especially his designs for ships and planets.  I did have issues, notably some of the kind of strange retcons that had to be done to make this series work, and I really didn’t like Palpatine and Vader’s relationship at all. 

Vader Down by Jason Aaron

This volume fits between vol 2 and 3 of Darth Vader, and it’s a crossover series between the Star Wars ongoing and Darth Vader. It has probably one of the best opening issues I have ever read. The rest of the story isn’t great, it’s pretty mediocre. It definitely suffers from the curse of being supplementary material in that we all know immediately how it will end because we’ve seen the films. Still, worth a read. 

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff 

Nevernight is the first book in a fantasy series which follows Mia Corvere, a young girl who witnesses her father hanged for murder, her mother arrested for treason and swears revenge. In this first book, Mia becomes apprenticed to the Red Church, the finest school for assassins in the land. 

I really loved this book, I thought it was a fascinating, brutal world built on the backs of dead gods, powerful dark magic and inspired by the Roman Empire. Mia was an amazing lead characters, full of drive and personality. This is a very gruesome book, and it ended on a cliffhanger that made me immediately read the sequel. I gave it 4 stars. 

Star Wars Rebel Heist by Matt Kindt

I DNFd this. It was bad. Written by someone who loves Han Solo but has no idea how to write him. Also the heist is a lie. 

Hinterkind vol 1 by Ian Edington

After a virus that almost wipes out the entire population of Earth, humanity survives in small pockets, while the rest of the Earth is overrun by mythical and mythological creatures, like fae, elves, trolls and vampires. We follow several characters, trying to survive in this world. 

This is definitely a volume that sets up the world. As such there is a lot of confusion, exposition and way too many characters an plot lines. The downside is that not all are interesting, and B’s story-line was way better than anything the fae were up to. I am curious to see where the series will go, so I will probably pick up volume 2. 

Stand Still Stay Silent Book 1 by Mina Sundberg

Similarly to Hinterkind, Stand Still, Stay Silent follows a group of characters living 90 years after a virus mutates a lot of Earth’s population and makes large swaths uninhabitable. It’s set in Scandinavia, and it’s a story that’s heavy on history, languages, and geography. 

The first section was not great, but the comic improved greatly once we actually got to spend time with out main characters and they set of on their journey. Unfortunately the most interesting parts happened at the very end. I will definitely continue this web-comic. 

Green Lantern vol 1 and 2 by Geoff Johns

I want to reread my favorite series by Geoff Johns, so I decided to start. I actually enjoyed volume 2 more on the reread than volume 1. While I do still have problems with some of Johns’ writing, no one understands or writes Sinestro and Hal (and their relationship) as well as he does. That part alone is good enough for me to love this series.  

Runaways vol 8 by Joss Whedon

In honor of the new Runaways ongoing, I decided to reread my favorite volume of the original. This volume follows the kids as accidentally travel to the 1800′s New York and get caught in a turf war between the various super-powered gangs.

I liked all the characters, the premise and especially the sections set in New York; I’d gladly read a whole series about these characters. It’s a good, if a little rushed story, full of snippy dialogue and fast paced action. I gave it 4 stars.  

Black Widow vol 1, 2 and 3 by Nathan Edmondson

I want to catch up on the new Black Widow series, so I decided to reread the previous one. The tradition continues; volume 1 was ok, volume 2 was amazing and volume 3 was very underwhelming. The explanations behind Chaos were very far fetched and non-nonsensical and Natasha’s journey felt a little too simple. I enjoyed the series, but if not for Noto’s art, I doubt I would have liked it as much. 

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff 

The sequel in the Nevernight chronicles, Gosgrave follows Mia, who works as a Blade for the Red Church, following the events of Nevernight. When she discovers something about her targets and the Church, Mia sets of on a near-suicidal plan that takes her across the land to fight as a gladiator in the largest tournament in Itreya. 

If possible, I loved Godsgrave even more. This book opens the world, introduces new characters, ups the stakes and plays around with the format even more. I love Mia, and I will follow her to what will no doubt be a very bloody conclusion of her journey. 

The Last Iota by Robert Kroese

The sequel to The Big Sheep, this is a fast-paced, cyberpunk thriller, that follows Blake Fowler and Erasmus Keane on a new case, this time hired by media mogul Selah Fiore to find an iota; a physical representation of a virtual currency. 

I liked this book a lot, though not as much as the first one. The plot is a lot more grounded, but also more complicated than the first book, and it takes over a little too much of the book, at the expense of the characters. Some of the reveals were straight out of BBC Sherlock, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Dark Run by Mike Brooks

Dark Run is the first in a series of books all following the crew of the Keiko, a ship of fortune seekers and smugglers. The ship is lead by Captain Ichabod Drift who gets blackmailed to do a job for a contact from his past; a dark run into the heart of the European Federation on Old Earth. Trouble inevitably ensues. 

I really liked this book as well; it’s a fast-paced, very diverse science fiction, set in a universe of human advancement through the stars, star-ships and corrupt politicians. I enjoyed all of the characters, their dynamics and the action, though I liked the first half of the book a lot more than the second. I will read the sequel though, in fact I’ve already started it. 

I will do my TBR as a separate post, because this is already too long. But that was September! 

Goodreads