#which is really disappointing because I love MSP so much

[firstmeow]

Bye Tinn and Gun 🥺 you guys will always have a special place in my heart I love you so much

[maybe-boys-do-love]

Ooh, interesting thoughts!

OP's right. GMMTV def needs to recognize that the strength of this pair is actually on the dramatic side rather than teen comedy. What made MSP go from a warm wholesome show to a full-on sensation, in a similar vein to Bad Buddy, was the intimacy and layers with which Gem and Fourth played their dramatic beats. Fourth played Gun as trying to smile or ignore his disappointment and grief even as the tears start to rise up, and Gemini chose to show Tinn's attempt at repressing his anxiety when he's coming out rather than emphasizing the anxiety itself. MLMU did not give them opportunities to play to these strengths.

Fourth, as seen in Moonlight Chicken and, surprisingly, Our Skyy MSP, might be the best at portraying introverted angst of any actor in the GMMTV stable. I would love to get to see him take this into a gritty adult role like OP's plot idea.

I also think Fourth could use his dramatic chops (once GMMTV let's him graduate high school) to pull-off a really slutty character or a rotted character or both, like Boston.

Adapting some KBL would be so interesting. Could you imagine Fourth playing Jaewon in the Eight Sense??

Gemini pairing

I'd hold off on saying Fourth is outpacing Gemini, though. I think what Gemini was able to do in Moonlight Chicken is up there with some of the best performances in BL. The signing was so lived-in! the character's motives and arc done with so much subtlety! And then, I think Gemini actually pulls off broad-comedy better than Fourth ("Even my bed hates me!"). And his reserved approach to dramatic performance, where much of his beats are restrained and happen in the shifting of his eyes rather than his face or body, provides a really excellent contrast to Fourth's fully-embodied approach to angst and excitement.

MLMU just decided to use this dynamic without any deeper emotional meanings for them to explore behind their performance approaches. Why is Atom so upset and all-over-the-place? He's just like that! Why is Kongthap so flat? That's just good-old Kongthap! Whereas MSP and Moonlight Chicken had major underlying character dynamics and motivations that drove their characters to act as they did.

Pairings

As far as partner experimentation, Mix and Fourth would certainly be dynamic. They both play drama so well, but they both have hardcore baby energy lol. But I think they have the chops to restrain that for a performance if tasked. Fourth would need to be aged-up for the dynamic to work, but he already was not anywhere near believable as a high schooler in MLMU, so it shouldn't be too big of an issue. They might do a really fun Bonnie (Mix) and Clyde (Fourth) type plot.

I kind of assumed Nanon was done with BL? But Nanon and Fourth ARE going to be in Scarlet Heart Thailand together, which is not a BL. And I might watch some of it just to see what Fourth can do outside of BL world.

I'd like to see either Gemini or Fourth (or both) work with Ohm Pawat because of what he pulls out of the actors he's working with. He does a lot of push-and-pull that matches up with how Fourth and Gemini work with one another on set.

If we branch out of GMMTV, Fourth and PP Krit could do some really interesting racy stuff, and I'd tune in.

Otherwise, I'm still learning BL actors so idk.

so.. my love mix up thailand fall kind of flat for me and my question is: what would you like to see gemfourth tackle next? any specific genre/existing ip? and maybe to add some spice to the question: i think fourth is a more well-rounded/evolved actor than his partner atp. if you could pair him up w any other gmmtv boy, who'd it be?

Ooo, fun question.

What G4 should do next?

They did such a great job in Moonlight Chicken I'd like it if GMMTV went a bit gritty with them next.

Here's what I really want?

That angsty actual rich boy / poor boy dynamic @heretherebedork and I have been asking for.

I'm thinking what Dangerous Romance should have been meets what My Ride was (but for younger characters). Take us back a bit, let's revisit the messy that was Make it Right and Love Sick.

I want the dynamic shifted too. By which I mean: Gemini needs to play the poor kid with a huge chip on his shoulder but a big soft heart and a great family but super stressful home life, just scraping by. You can make him brilliant or good at sports or whatever, but probably contemplating dropping out because life is hard.

Fourth can be the spoiled af sad little rich kid with horrible neglectful parents and major coming out drama. Like I mean push it. Kick him out onto the street, really fuck with us and the characters.

Could even dabble in ITSAY territory if they wanted to get queerer.

There.

That's what I want.

Fourth with a new pair

I actually kinda agree with you that he's starting to outpace Gemini, and that might be because he's been handed the more complex roll each time, or he might actually be a better actor.

Within GMMTV's stable?

Mix

No seriously, think about it. They have a great working relationship already, I would love to see Mix with a different partner too. I think they're both great versitile actors.

But can I go crazy out of the box just for fun?

What about Nanon?

Dynamic?

My best friend's older brother?

Again something more angsty?

I'm not as formed on this one. I'd have to think about it a bit more. No existing IP springs instantly to mind.

GMMTV seems to be adapting from Japan these days, what about Korea. So maybe pull one of those?

[paquim]

Hi Miriam. I haven´t read the book and prob I won´t. To be honest I am afraid that the show will be different. IMO we won´t see Brunol together until the last episode and that is disappointing to be honest. I read an article (sorry I can´t find it) that it said that we won´t see much of Bruno in season 2 which I totally expect that and if that turns out to be true I don´t think I will be watching S2. I love Pol but I love Bruno too and their relationship even more. (1/2)

2/2) MSP overall had a great acceptance but season 2 will be tricky in the sense of the fans will be more demanding so they better give us a hell of a season. If we don´t see much of Bruno that will be very disappointed for many and honestly I don´t care if Hector give us brunol in the book. How many people will read the book? I liked the first season dont get me wrong but it´s not like Pol is my fav character I love Bruno equally so for me Bruno deserves more regarding plot and screen time.

Hi nonnie :) I get what you are saying, I have the impression that Hector loves and supports brunol but at the same time, he has these ideas for Pol that don’t involve Bruno and might prefer to explore them instead of focusing with brunol. But it just doesn’t make sense!!! I mean, imagine you are Hector, you create a popular love story (brunol), you don’t have the opportunity to explore it because one actor decides to leave the show and now that you have the opportunity to tell the story, that the actor is on board,  you prefer to drop it and instead explore other storylines and dramas. Like....? Really?

I haven’t found anything about season two, so I hope that is not true. I will too be disappointed if there is a lack of Bruno. He is my favorite, if Pol’s uni friends have their own stories, then Bruno has all the right to have his too!!! I am sure Hector can explore Bruno’s character and Calduch too (she is awesome, I need her in season two!!!)

I won’t mind at all if in season two Bruno and Pol have little interaction and have their own stories. I get it, I really want Bruno to fall in love with someone good, that can treat him better than his first and only boyfriend (I can’t remember his name now lol wait... Nicola!!!). But, give season three full-on brunol from the first episode till the last one. Or better, give us something in the last episode of season two!!! To make as wait for awesome brunol content!!!

[nigelgodrichproducer]

Nigel Q&A in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/live/2020/feb/21/nigel-godrich-webchat-ultraista-radiohead-producer

Nigel did a very nice Q&A for The Guardian. Reproduced here for posterity’s sake: 

Q: I saw Atoms for Peace at the Roundhouse [in London]. The lot of you seemed exceptionally into it. How much of a thrill was it to play with Flea? He seemed totally lost in the gig at points. I think Flea is one of the greatest human beings I've ever had the good fortune to spend time with, let alone make music with. He's such a generous player and probably my most rock'n'roll moment is standing on stage staring at his face 6 inches from mine, or when he jumps up on my riser. Massive respect to that guy, and you should read his book. Q: Nowadays, I’m asked to master tracks for Instagram and Spotify as opposed to vinyl and CD. What’s your view about how streaming has affected everything? – John Davis, Metropolis Mastering That's what my book's going to be about... Q: How do you use intuition as a tool in your productions and how do you know when something you are working on is finished? You mentioned Talk Talk and Mark Hollis – he stopped when he thought he could not add anything new. Can you imagine yourself doing something entirely different? Definitely. And it has crossed my mind many times - working more in visuals, videos, even film. But these days the hard thing is finding the time, when you keep getting sucked into exciting things you want to do, and can do. I could definitely write a book and I've enjoyed doing stuff on radio. Q: Is there any track from any artist you’ve worked with that you are particularly proud of? Something that brings back great memories when you listen to it? Sure! How about Diamond Bollocks from Beck's Mutations? Which was just the studio equivalent of sitting in a hot tub drinking champagne with a bunch of your best mates, and two days very well spent I would say. I'll always enjoy listening back to that sonic postcard. Q: Pavement’s Terror Twilight is one of my favourite albums and sounds incredible. But the band broke up soon after it was released and I understand that relationships were strained. Did you enjoy producing that album, and how do you think it holds up to the rest of your work? Yes I love that record actually, it's one of my favourites and I enjoyed making it immensely. It was such an adventure to fly off to America to make a record with people I hadn't met. Maybe there were some internal politics, as there are in any band, but I made friend forever in Stephen and I think I performed my role well: my idea was to make something that stood up straighter and felt like it might reach people who were turned off by the beautiful sloppiness of other Pavement records. I just thought they were such a good band and wanted them to reach a bigger audience. The writing may have been on the wall even before I got there, but I don't think I had any part of that, and I heard they're getting back to play shows, so there's always a happy ending, right? Q: Any chance of another Basement session? I would love to and plan to do more from the basement. Watch some space somewhere, but it was such an enjoyable thing to do and I look back on it as a great archive of those times. For sure it will happen. Q: Where did the artwork for the new Ultraísta album come from? Part of the fun of doing this album with Laura and Joey is the creative elements of all the stuff that isn't music. So for example we do all our own artwork and videos, and the cover is a photo I took of Laura inspired by one of my favourite photographers, Gjon Mili, a Hungarian-American photographer. We also made a lot of video content which is bleeding out into the universe slowly and relates to the album and its theme of colours, and also includes a lot of footage from the London Underground which is a particular obsession of mine. I'm great at dinner parties. Q: How hard is it making an album? How hard is a piece of string? It totally depends on a million factors. The imperative nature of your delivery date, or maybe just whimsical noodlings that can continue for some time. Or it can be really very hard, and you have to coax people who are struggling through a very difficult process. I feel like I've had every version of this. And it can be quite leisurely, eg the Ultraista record, which was what I would call a country club style social bonanza. We could take our time and work on it when we had time, and even though the challenges were there, it was actually quite natural and easy. Q: What do you listen to as you’re trying to fall asleep? I cannot fall asleep with any music playing, at all. I cannot have sex with any music playing at all. I cannot do any other activity, as my brain just tunes into it involuntarily and I'm rendered incapacitated. Q: How much Marmite do you consume? A daily teaspoon. Q: You seem to shy away from technical-oriented discussions. Any reasons for doing so? A lot of bands have noted how quickly you work and that you’re not too precious about the recording process, yet the final result comes off as meticulous. Do you have any insight into how to move fast and capture the energy of the moment? Do you organise the studio and control room in a way that is responsive to any creative situation? The reason is because I think people attach too much weight to equipment and studio trickery when the reality is I consider the most important part of making records is about musical sensibility and communication with those involved, and the notes, and the words. I get very annoyed with people asking me what my favourite microphone is. It doesn't matter. These days I don't even use the expensive ones. One of the reasons why music has become generally worse, and I'm sorry to say that, is that people think about technology more than the actual music they're making. So sue me. To your second question, see the above answer! The recording process is best when fast, because it's then the smallest obstacle to the actual music. That doesn't mean the end result shouldn't be absolutely meticulous and pored over for hours and reconsidered and reframed and sat in different places, whatever, but how far you keep you kick drum from the mic really doesn't matter. Q: Those of us who shelled out for the deluxe edition of A Moon Shaped Pool also received a small length of half-inch tape alleged to have been retrieved from actual Radiohead sessions dating back to Kid A. Were any lost and unreleased gems included as part of this Willy Wonka-like scavenger hunt, or is my piece of tape likely to contain something disappointing, like Colin Greenwood practising a bass run? This is absolutely true. I was staring at mountains of half inch tape reels from the Kid A sessions and felt sad because they were all very soon going to be unplayable useless bits of plastic that would just contaminate the environment. And thought it would maybe be better to send them off to some people who would appreciate them, so as part of the packaging with Stanley Donwood, we realised we have enough tape to wrap each special edition with a small length of it. On each tape is part of an outtake, alternative mix, instrumental, something that would have been thrown away when it became unplayable. It just felt poetic to send it out into the universe. Unfortunately I don't think people truly understand what they have... Q: What was it like working with Roger Waters? Did you consciously avoid “big guitar solos” to negate it sounding like David Gilmour/Pink Floyd. Roger is a fascinating character, really a genius. The whole experience was incredible, being able to watch this guy thinking his way around things, particularly with words and motifs and conceptual ideas. Again one of my rules in that case was there would be no big guitar solos - in the same way as the McCartney thing, I was interested in another musician, and wanted to hear him speak, and hear his musicality. As the usual formula with his solo work seems to be to find some soundalike, and use that Guitar Hero equation, which I feel is lame. So the decision was to use orchestration as a musical foil to the beauty of his simplicity and songwriting which would keep the light and focus on the words he was writing. And keep the focus of the whole work simpler. Q: I would imagine that very few people question Paul McCartney’s methods in the studio. How difficult (or not) was it to say to him, “How about doing it this way?” during the making of Chaos and Creation in the Backyard? Well, that was the entire point! Like I mentioned before, he called me, so I was able to dictate my terms, so to speak. My general appraisal was that I was more interested in him rather than the people around him, so persuading him to play everything was part of the "method" that allowed us to move forward with this work. That worked very well. His charm as a musician is astronomic and undeniable, he's a very intelligent musical person. He was very brave and put up with a lot of crap from me - he could have told me to fuck off at any point, but he really met in the middle to see this experiment through, and I left with even more respect for him than when I went in. Q: Really curious if you like classical music, and if so which pieces? Would you consider doing Big Ears festival [in Tennessee]? Yes, I would not claim to be an aficionado in any respect, but I'm a big fan of Debussy's Preludes, and one of my favourite pieces of music is his Arabesque No 1. I also love Prokofiev in general, and Erik Satie's Gymnopedies really get me going on a Sunday. Q: Is it true that much of The King of Limbs was recorded with the software Max/MSP? If it is true, how much of a hand did you have in programming and using Max/MSP? Jonny Greenwood seems to have taken all the credit … This is basically bollocks. I went to a dinner party 15 years ago and sat next to a Stanford grad who told me about this software, Max/MSP, and took it back to Johnny. He's used it on and off on lots of things, as have I. King of Limbs is made up of everyone throwing pieces of audio together - Johnny used Max/MSP in that case to link up a turnable via a piece of software called Miss Pinky. The result was a huge and gigantic mess that took me about a year and a half to unravel, and then Thom wrote over the top. So there you have it. Q: Thank you for your inspiring work! Do you have a favourite Joni Mitchell album? Joni Mitchell is my favourite human artist of all time, she is incredible. I have to give you a top three. 1. Hejira 2. The Hissing of Summer Lawns 3. For the Roses But would say all of her output between Blue and Mingus is untouchable. She is a unique combination of musical and lyrical talent. She's pretty much the only person I find can write a narrative lyrically that can remain poetic but articulating, communicating, beyond the abstract; it's very specific and very beautiful. And as a musician she dug deep into so many vats of folk and jazz, still managing to spin her incredible voice into the mix. Q: Created an account just for this. I’m a human person who enjoys audio production and engineering a lot. I’m quite shy when it comes to working with other interesting music folk, mainly down to the fact I have no idea how to write a melody. I love sounds and atmospheres, making things sound full and all that great stuff. The question I’m really getting at is: when was the first time you knew you could do this? Did that moment happen at all? And how has your relationship to music evolved? Bit of a belter of a question, but you asked for this so I don’t feel bad. I think I realised, retrospectively, that from an early age I had a fascination for recording. My dad worked at the BBC as a sound man and as a child I was surrounded by the tools of his trade so I always watched enviously and wanted to play with things. When I was very young I asked for a machine to make records, like really young, and he told me in his calm wise way: no I couldn't. But he bought me a cassette machine, so I could go around and record things: the TV, the train set, running water, things that sounded interesting when they were played back. I always aspired when I started recording music in studios, I tried to emulate my heroes, like the Trevor Horns, but found what worked best was going with the things I could do well which were an organic-ness to sound, rather than a clinical shinyness, which I loved to listen to. Making a dark brown soup was more my skill, that making a big fairy cake. I was wise to go with the things I was good at - isn't that the art of life? Q: What compels you to commit to a project? Is it a different circumstance each time? Can you please produce Keane’s next album? Tom Chaplin is a fan, I’m sure you know! Yes definitely, every project is different, but I would say I'm very wary of people's preconceptions and expectations, and generally my first question to them is: what do you think I'm going to do? Just so they don't have some idea that I'm going to repeat something I've done before or make them sound like someone else I've worked with. Generally I can make a fair appraisal of whether I have something valuable to contribute and will generally like what we can do together. I'm not under any illusion that I can improve someone I'm already a fan of so I never approach anyone  – they have to ask me. Q: Are you a night owl? If so, how do you deal with society’s preference for early birds? Do you suffer from insomnia? Hell yes. Nothing great happens before dinner. I have always been like this, I have always leapt out of my bunk bed as a child at 3am to run across and start building something out of a piece of wood, or do a drawing- all creativity happens in my brain at night. I deal with the unfair preference of early birds in society by having chosen a career whereby I get to dictate my hours. I wouldn't dream of starting a working day before lunchtime. Producers start flowing over coffees at dinnertime. I like the isolation at night - there's no background noise, and you can really focus. And also night, it's has a dark cloak of melancholy which makes you connect to something inside, in a way you can't do when the sun is shining. Daytimes are for nice walks in the park - nighttimes are for sitting alone at a laptop. Q: What state are the songs in when you start working with an artist? What is the variant that most changes in the production process? Structure, aesthetics, sound? Love from Argentina! Every single version of the process is different. Sometimes you have everything completely written; siometimes it's a case of building a song from a fragment of audio that's created abstractly, which is the case with Thom's solo work and a lot of Radiohead work. Even if a song is finished you can still improve it with editing and working out what it's strengths and weaknesses are. And also how to present it as an orchestration, or sonically if there's a trick you can use to make it pull you in. I like all versions of this, because they use different parts of your brain, but sometimes it's great to be given amazing songs and a blank slate to make them happen - that hasn't happened for a while! :-) Q: You’ve worked with countless musicians. Do you adapt to their work process, do you propose a process, or is it an exchange? And with Ultraísta, specifically, did you have the same process with the second album [Sister, out in March] as with the first? Did all the time in between the two influence the way you produced an album together? Can’t wait to listen to Sister! There are no rules to methodology, in fact the skill is creating a new method each time that will generate work which will generate output, which then becomes the work. Every time you start with a band that's two guitars, bass and drums you hit the same brick wall, and it's my job to think of a quick fun way to kick the ball out of the pitch, and remain focused enough to catch it when it gets thrown back in again. With Ultraista, what started as an exercise in wordplay and groove construction on the first record this time has become a more refined process and in an effort to make more song like structures. We are all indeed different people from when we made the first things and we're amused by different things, so thus the goalposts move - to keep the metaphor going - and the method changes. Q: Which producers and which records inspired you as a young would-be producer? As a kid, I was obsessed with Regatta de Blanc by the Police, and saw it was produced by Nigel Gray. A lightbulb went off that there was someone called Nigel doing this stuff. In terms of influences, there are ones with mythological status, like George Martin, or Trevor Horn, both of whose work I absolutely love for different reasons. Martin for his inventiveness and creative approach to the technology of the day, ie the new possibilities of multitrack tape, and the use of visual devices like sound effects. Trevor Horn for his obtuseness and skill as making artful pop music using, again, the tech of the day. Which could make bend and shape things to become bigger than real life and make the brain do somersaults. And then more direct practical influences on me such as the people who actually taught me, including Phil Thornalley, John Leckie, Steve Lillywhite, and others. These are people I watched directly and emulated. Q: What is your feeling/relationship with failure? Don’t mean to be a downer, just curious to learn about your journey when overcoming failure. This is a very good question. It also depends on where you're standing. A lot of things could have been better or were small failures, small battles in a larger war. You regard as part of the process moving forward what the end goal is you're trying to succeed. I wouldn't regard any of my work as massive successes as they're all attempts to achieve the unachievable. However, if you're referring to something like the Strokes episode, it wasn't a failure, neither of us walked away hurt from that experience. It was just fascinating. And everything else has been successful, hasn't it?? Q: It’s been a year since the great Mark Hollis passed away. How much of an influence were/are Talk Talk on the Radiohead sound and your work with the band as producer? For me, personally, I was a massive Talk Talk fan and I used to listen to those records endlessly, certainly Laughing Stock and Spirit of Eden. I think they were again things that really plugged into your feelings - our version of a classical symphony that you would start and listen through to the end. Q: Which album has the best atmosphere in its production? I can never get over how rich and ghostly Time Out of Mind by Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois is. Every record is different and you feel different about every record as time passes, but I think In Rainbows is very evocative due to hte space we recorded it in. All the ambience on that record is real, it comes from the house we recorded it in, so that conjures up a very visual image for me when I think of that record. Also Beck's Sea Change is a very emotional record, evocative, which somehow crystallised perfectly sonically to me, and if I hear any part of it it takes me back to that time. Which I regard as a job well done. It's a conduit to your feelings, which is a goal, it's what you're trying to do. Q: When you’re making a record, do you try to listen to as much other music as possible to spark ideas? Or do you do the opposite – try and isolate any external music to not get thrown off what you set out to make? When I'm working on a project I don't listen to anything else, it's not out of choice, I'm just compelled to be focused on what I'm thinking about, and it stays with me when I leave the studio. I literally don't want to hear anyone else's music!

[thewalkingdead-obsessed]

MSF Thoughts

Sorry for the lack of original posts, with this semester being as busy as it has been and some tension (what else is new) in twd fandom, I��ve kept pretty quiet on this tumblr acct. Since everyone and their mother have been posting their thoughts about the MSF, I thought I would too since I’ve been panicking about it for days now (everyone in GE can probably agree to that lol). This won’t really be based on a lot of ~facts~ more so just my thoughts and hopes more than anything. So without further rambling:

There has been SO much hype regarding this next episode. Between what was said after the last episode ended, Chris confirming on TTD that it’s going to be big according to the producers, and various tweets and social media posts, the fandom is in a damn frenzy thinking about what might happen. I feel like we all have this idea that a “big moment” means death, and hey, we’ve been given good reason with death happening a lot in the finales and mid season finales. But the whole show is death. Many people I have spoken to have said this, but at this point someone living would be more shocking than someone being alive. ANYTHING would be more shocking than another DAMN BIG CHARACTER DEATH. I’m not saying no one is going to die, we certainly know with a war going on and a ZA, death is always going to lurk, but as viewers we are so accustomed to it that it can get really repetitive to make every single huge moment on a show be someone we know and love dying. We’ve learned that no character is safe (especially after Glenn & Abraham) so it’s like.... if y’all are trying to kill someone and say it’s a shock, you’re a joke. I don’t even think Rick’s death would constitute as fulfilling the hype because even Kirkman said Rick isn’t safe. 

With all that being said, I truly believe this season, and especially the MSF, are huge breaking points for the show. There are so many mixed feelings on this season (I have enjoyed much of it but of course I have some complaints) and with the ratings not being where they once were, they need to deliver on the promises for the season and DEFINITELY on this next episode. 

I can’t talk about the MSF without talking about that tsdf. First, I wanted to start with the Carl rumors. Those have been around for weeks now and I try my best to go off of what’s happening in the show rather than speculation on spoiler sites (I don’t really go on them that much, but I do enjoy a spoiler here and there if I’m being honest). I didn’t really know how to feel about it and at this point, I still would not say I am convinced that he is definitely going to die in the MSF. Now the fact that they are not releasing any information is pretty alarming? Were they wrong? Are they doing it out of respect? Were they contacted by someone? Do they not know what’s going to happen? You bet your ass I’ll tune in to their page after the episode airs to see what their reasoning is... 

Through various interviews I have read, the over all theme of the MSF seems shocking/emotional but with a twist of beauty (Katelyn Nacon’s interview comes to mind). There is so much damn hype that if they do not deliver in the episode, I’m genuinely scared about the ratings/future of the show..

So let’s talk about death. Assuming there will be some death in this episode, here are the possible candidates I see (~not saying death is necessarily the big moment though):

-Father Gabriel: Obviously he’s pretty darn sick right now. Not sure if they’re playing off the whole walker blood making people sick thing or if it is something different (UPROXX posted an interesting reddit theory on how it may have to do with the chemical plant or those toxic walkers we saw which I think it’s pretty interesting). After his talk with Eugene, it seems like he may be on his way out so hopefully he did some good to Eugene and things turn around for his annoying mullet having ass lmao. I am pretty certain his death won’t be the “big moment” though. 

-Tara: idk man, she’s been through a lot and she’s all this hell bent mission to get revenge (like Daryl tbh) and maybe she won’t outlast the war, who knows.

-Morgan: From the crossover to Lennie on TTD, things don’t look too promising for him. This probably comes as little to no surprise to anyone. Stick around for a theory regarding Morgan at then end.

-Carl: Although I said I am unsure on this one, it seems like with this next episode he’s in danger and they very well could make this his end. I am not ruling it out, and many people actually think this is fact. I don’t think him going to college is a good enough reason to say he’s goner though. And again... if this is the big 

-Judith: I’ve seen this rumored around to. Honestly, if they make the death of a toddler the big moment, I’ll not only be sickened, but disappointed in the lack of creativity. 

No one is safe, but these are my thoughts on possible deaths.

In a perfect world, this is what I theorize, the big moment is (TD related, so if you’re not interested in reading it, simply don’t) related to Morgan and Beth. I theorized something similar a few months ago before the season started. Going off of the theories that Morgan aided in saving Beth, this is what I think could happen. I think Morgan, who is still struggling with his morals, journey, and identity, will be either injured (maybe on the brink of death) or put in a really uncomfortable dilemma that directly questions all those things. In some way, Beth will return, and it will be discovered that he helped her along his way to finding Rick again. In this moment he will realize that by saving her (before knowing who she truly was), and not disregarding a human life, he was able to provide healing to the people he has grown to love. He will die from his injuries, or make the morally right choice in the dilemma (maybe having to do with that rat face asshole who killed Benjamin) and get killed. I am not sure whether they will go into it in the MSF regarding Beth coming back and how she lived, or if that will be the cliffhanger and in the MSP we will start there. This makes sense in what Nacon said because the big moment seems like a give and take, some gut wrenching and something beautiful. This would be big enough, in my opinion, to live up to the hype. 

Regardless of what happen, it needs to be big. Perhaps even the biggest thing the show has ever done. Please send me messages/asks with your thoughts, and questions. Let’s all panic for Sunday, together!! Much love!

[ranchthoughts]

Ooof.

The way this show has two mysteries, is about the search for two identities, and the way those two story lines are intertwined and only resolvable because of the other... ugh it's so good.

Med wouldn't know who he was, wouldn't know the circumstances of his death or the reason why he hasn't been able to cross over, without Thun's help and care.

And Thun might not have been able to realize who he is without meeting Med either. Thun learns about Med's personal story and queerness as he helps him, giving Thun an older queer role model, and Med is also someone Thun has come to care about and have feelings for. Reflecting on why he is cares so much for Med and his happiness, and what is motivating him to work so hard to help him, makes Thun realize things about himself and his own feelings.

I think Thun really latches onto this quest for another reason too, beyond his own feelings for Med and a general desire to set things right (the boy is studying to be a lawyer): Thun knows how tragic and painful it is to not know who you are, and he doesn't want anyone else to suffer through that.

There's something there too in the fact that Med only knows one thing for certain about himself (besides his name) - that he's queer - while the one thing Thun isn't certain about - or hasn't quite let himself be certain about yet - is his sexuality. Two people, both queer: one who knows it despite having lost all other memories, having struggled and learned and come to terms with it years ago; and one who is struggling and learning and coming to terms with it right now, but has always known it deep down.

On another note: the way "Give me my son back" was a punch to the chest when watching for the first time...

This theme of fear of disappointing a parent, of being unrecognizable to a parent, of definitively altering your relationship and understanding of one another… I've seen it in a lot of queer media and it hits every time. It's something that stood out to me a lot in MSP with Tinn's relationship to his mother - a similar mixture of tension, fear, relief. In HCTM, Kwan's "jokey" comment feels especially poignant when paired with her strong assertion in the next scene that their relationship hasn't changed, that Thun is "still [him]". It's like in MSP, when Tinn's mom asks about his romantic prospects, he seems ready to open up, and then she begins guessing girls it could be. Harmless, well-intentioned, light-hearted comments that nonetheless hit queer kids right where it hurts. [and of course, the specifically Asian context of parents, children, queerness, familial bonds, etc. adds an additional layer to these themes]

I've also been thinking about seeing and being seen in the context of HCTM. Thun can see Med (as in, perceive his ghostly form) and can see Med (relate to and understand his struggles as a queer person). Kwan can see her son and see him - she is supportive and loving when he comes out. She can also see Med (perceive his ghostly form) which no one besides her son can do, just as she saw him and continues to see him - she was the first (and only?) person Med came out to during his lifetime, and she sees and understands the relationship he now has with her son.

Kwan's ability to see and see both Thun and Med feels especially poignant given her role, as you explain above, in bringing together the two mystery plotlines into a resolution. Because she can see Med, she can recognize him and provide the final crucial clues as to who he is and what happened to him. Because she could see Med 20 years ago, she can give comfort and support to Thun by connecting his experiences to Med's coming out to her 20 years ago. Because she can see and see both Thun and Med, she recognizes their relationship with one another and how important they are to each other's lives - she is supportive of them, regardless of her own past with Med or the fact that he is a ghost and will eventually have to leave.

Intertwined Discoveries in He's Coming to Me

I keep coming back to the theme of discovery in He’s Coming to Me.

The series’ murder mystery storyline is intrinsically connected to the coming-of-age/coming out narrative. Med and Thun both spend the course of the series discovering their identities. The driving plot of the show is the mystery of Med’s death, because if he finds out how he died, he will be able to move on, but further to that, at the start of the show Med doesn’t even know who he is. He does not know his full name, he doesn’t really remember his family, he doesn’t know what he studied in school or what he was planning to do with his life before he died. He learns more and more about himself with Thun’s help.

Thun undergoes a different sort of self-discovery. His journey is one of coming to understand his queer identity. Med also helps him in this discovery, like Thun helps Med, as Thun realizes his feelings for Med, and also sees a gay man who appears more settled in his identity, perhaps acting as a role model. Even though Med has forgotten a lot, it does not seem like he ever forgot this fact about himself.

This isn’t to say that Thun had no knowledge of his sexuality before meeting Med. The show doesn’t fully delve into this, but I read Thun as having suppressed some internal understanding of who he was, but he wasn’t ready to come out and fully grapple with it. He expresses discomfort with the other guys on the basketball team, discomfort with himself. He keeps up a light-hearted joke with Praifah that they’re dating, which helps evade further questions and speculation (and mirrors in some ways Med’s relationship with Kwan, which allowed him to maintain appearances and fulfill his family’s expectations, up until the point where Med realized how much he was hurting Kwan, the same as Thun realizes that he’s hurting Praifah). The subtleties of Thun’s self-knowledge also read differently to me than Ohm’s acting as Pat, whose realization is much more sudden. Thun has been feeling something for Med for a while, but is still uncertain about it: “I feel good about you, but I don't know what to call it.” Even if Thun doesn’t really know, and cannot begin to describe it, that doesn’t mean the feeling isn’t there.

This also mirrors Med’s self discovery. Both characters have this knowledge of themselves to varying extents already, but it is buried, and they need to dig to find it. The show has both of them helping each other to do this. Thun especially is so determined to find out who Med is, to help him with this discovery, in a way that feels like outsourced desperation related to his own journey of understanding himself, as @ranchthoughts said. In some ways, it is easier to search for clues about Med than to acknowledge truths about himself. He needs to help Med learn who he is, and in doing so he slowly comes to terms with who he himself is.

Thun’s mother Kwan plays a vital role in both of their stories of self-discovery. Kwan is the first person Med came out to, back when he was alive. Even though he feels guilt over hurting her, she is still incredibly supportive, and helps him move on from that guilt. Kwan also helps them make the final connection about who Med’s family is, connecting the past and the future together.

Then, of course, we have Thun’s coming out, which is one of the most powerful scenes in the show. Again, Kwan is one of the first people Thun comes out to. I made a separate post after watching this scene, but immediately preceding Thun’s coming out, Kwan pokes fun at him for suddenly having such a neat room when he’s normally so messy, saying “Give me my son back” jokingly. This doesn’t feel like a coincidental throwaway line to me.

Put in direct relief with Thun coming out, it could be read in two ways. “Give me my son back” could mean give me back the son I thought I had, before I knew you were gay. Even if that son never really existed. As if the act of coming out, or being gay, fundamentally robs the parent of the child. The idea that Kwan might no longer see Thun as her son once he comes out. @waitmyturtles also connects this scene with Love of Siam, viewing HCTM (like many other series) as a responding to LoS. In LoS, the Tong's mother equates Tong and Mew being together as losing her son. This is a recurrent theme in queer media, and in real life. It is one of the worst-case scenarios for Thun in coming out, and something he is clearly worried about (“I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you if I tell you”).

But then there’s the other possible meaning of “Give me my son back.” Give me back, give us back the relationship we can have with each other if we’re able to be open with each other. Give me the son you really are. Taking his sexuality as part of his identity, and respecting and loving that part of him. This is the more optimistic reading, but it is the one that proves true in this scene. Kwan responds to Thun’s fear of disappointing her by saying, “You’re still you, right?” So Thun discovers this part of himself, and his mother discovers it as well, and even though it is new and important information, it doesn’t fundamentally change who he is. Thun’s queerness was always there, like Med’s own identity.

Kwan acts as a cornerstone for both Thun and Med’s self-discovery. She offers them support and love. Crucially, Kwan is one of the only people who can see Med in his ghostly form. She recognizes Med, as he is, just as she recognizes Thun. She sees them as they really are.

Kwan connects Med and Thun coming out to her directly in episode 6. She tells Thun about her friend, and how much she cared for him, signalling that Thun is safe with her. It’s also a way of connecting two queer stories, separated by a generation. I often think about @wen-kexing-apologist’s writing on generations and community in Our Skyy 2 [x, x] in relation to this theme in Aof’s work, alongside and in conversation with @waitmyturtles writing, and I think these themes are present in He’s Coming to Me as well, if a bit less overt.

Med came out 20 years before Thun does. He is more settled in his understanding of his sexuality, he doesn’t show the same overt anxiety that Thun shows, but at the same time he is quieter about it, perhaps in a similar way to Uncle Jim and Phupha. In some ways, the series demonstrates that a lot of society hasn’t changed: Thun has to deal with homophobia from the boys on his basketball team; he feels the pressures of heteronormativity that gives rise to his friendly/flirty relationship with Praifah. But some things have gotten better: Thun gets so much support from his mother after he comes out; his friends all support him as well. He’s Coming to Me demonstrates an incredibly empathetic and loving coming out scene, a hopeful one. And Thun recognizes this part of himself in Med as an older queer person, and perhaps this helps him understand his own identity, in addition to his feelings for Med.

Thun and Med discover their own identities and each other's in parallel. There’s a clear line between both of their discovery of their sexualities, separately from each other, and together, especially through the coming out scenes to Kwan. They help each other learn who they really are, both Med’s true identity and history, and both of their relationships with their queerness. They recognize themselves in each other. Their mysteries are intertwined.

[While writing, I was reflecting on fantastic HCTM posts such as @miscellar's writing comparing the supernatural and queer storylines in HCTM, @waitmyturtles' essay covering many of the show's themes, and @ranchthoughts' discussion of the role of inevitability.]