#who are they waving to? who knows......... (viewer choice)

[dailyloopdeloop]

loop at the beach :]

DAY 90: summertime fun

[steveyockey]

To be aware you might be trans but unwilling to do anything about it is to create endlessly bigger boxes within which to contain yourself. When you are a child, that box might encompass only yourself and your parents. By the time you are a gainfully employed adult, that box will contain multitudes, and the thought of disrupting it will grow ever more unthinkable. So you cease to think of yourself as a person on some level; you think not of what you want but what everybody expects from you. You do your best not to make waves, and you apologize, if only implicitly, for existing. You stop being real and start being a construct, and eventually, you decide the construct is just who you are, and you swaddle yourself up in it, and maybe you die there. There is still time until there isn’t.

This reading of TV Glow’s deliberately anticlimactic, noncathartic ending cuts against the transition narrative you typically see in movies and TV, in which a trans person self-accepts, transitions, and lives a happier life. Owen gets trapped in a space where he knows what he must do to live an authentic life but simply refuses to take those steps because, well, burying yourself alive is a terrifying thing to do. The transition narrative posits a trans existence as, effectively, a binary switch between “man” and “woman” that gets flipped one way or another, but to make our lives so binary is to miss how trans existences possess an inherent liminality.

Humans’ lives unfold in a constant state of becoming until death, but trans people are uniquely keyed in to what this means thanks to the simple fact of our identities. You can get lost in that liminality, too, forever trapped in a midnight realm of your own making, stuck between what you believe is true (I am a nice man with a good family and a good job, and I love my life) and what you know, deep in your most terrified heart of hearts, is real (I am a girl suffocating in a box).

And yet if you want to read the film as being about the dangerous allure of nostalgia, you’re not wrong. I Saw the TV Glow totally supports that interpretation, too! But in tempting you with that reading, the film creates a trap for cis viewers that will be all too familiar to trans viewers. Somewhere in the middle of Maddy’s story about The Pink Opaque being real, you will make a choice between “This kid has lost it!” and “No. Go with her, Owen,” and in asking you to make that choice, TV Glow is simulating the act of self-accepting a trans identity.

See, the grimmer read of the film’s ending truly is a nihilistic one. It leaves no hope, no potential for growth, no exit. Yet you must actively choose to read that ending as nihilistic. If you are cis and the end of I Saw the TV Glow left you with a gnawing sense of dissatisfaction, a weird but hard-to-pin-down feeling that something had broken, and a melancholy bordering on horror — congratulations, this movie gave you contact-high gender dysphoria.

In an infinite number of possible universes, there is at least one where I am still living “as a man,” embracing my fictionality, avoiding looking at how much more raw and real I feel when I “pretend” to be a woman. I think about that guy sometimes. I hope he’s okay.

Consider, then, my cis reader, that TV Glow is for both you and me, but it is maybe most of all for him. I hope he sees it. I hope he breaks down crying in the bathroom afterward. I hope he, after so many years locked inside himself, hears the promise of more life through the hiss of TV static.

Emily St. James, “I Saw the TV Glow’s Ending Is Full of Hope, If You Want It to Be,” Vulture. June 4, 2024.

[matchadobo]

KIDD; kiss-proof lipstick review

warning/s: very fluff, fem reader, youtuber/streamer!kidd, shy!s/o, modern au, most nsfw thing could happen is an abrupt makeout

note: based from this -> post, smaller italicized texts are sub-bullets

kidd as a youtuber that normally does metal covers with his band (heat, killer, and wire)

has about a solid following of 100k subs bc they're just so cool

that is until his viewers asked for his makeup tut bc he always looks so bomb

his viewers have also requested fit checks like what he wears in a week

kidd forgot to mention that he has a s/o, which mildly upset a certain demographic who was ahem thirsty for him

you as his gf doesn't really mind if he talks to himself in front of his phone or camera on random times, but he always tells you a quick warning beforehand bc you sometimes appear on the bg of his vids/streamer

i also think that at some point, kidd does game streams bc he's lazy to edit. his fanbase supports any content he does whether it's just yap streams or food streams or band rehearsals

i feel like he always aims for competitive games that are pvp like MK, COD, league, etc. it just feeds his ego, and he enjoys trashtalking 😭 riling his opponent up and all that

it's all so funny, which explains his fanbase that tolerates his insufferable temper and jokes. it takes a certain kind of humor that other people might take as offensive

but the second he got sponsored by a punk make-up line, a pr box arrived at his doorstep bc he rarely checks his emails

he'd ask you to do a makeup stream with him, but you were too shy about it. especially after being the final boss of a certain demographic that is attracted to him 😭 but you never told him that. knowing him, he'll probably flip all of them off and cause drama

he'd start up stream, poorly introducing the products. you laughed to yourself at how bad he was at complimenting or kissing ass to the brand he legit has never heard of😭

kidd knows how to apply his makeup; shadow, liner, and lipstick. he tried on a purple and red shadow combo and his usual full eye liner.

his stream at that point became very chill, his fans loving every bit of his craft and how focused he was doing everything. especially at how he looked like afterward

"now we got- kiss-proof lipstick? they sent me a shit ton of fuckin' shades!" he showed a whole box of liquid lipsticks. laughing at the ridiculous amount.

his fanbase requested a test of the kiss proof on his palm, showing interest in the product

but kidd had different ideas. it might be a good way to hard launch you already.

his ig and twt already had pictures of you during dates, but your face was always hidden most of the time

"a test on my palm? oh boy, i have a better idea for that."

he'd call you, "babe! baby! c'mere a moment, i need ya a bit."

his chat would go: "babe?!?! omg hard launch?!", "omg here is his s/o!", "OH GOD KIDD YOU SLICK CHEEKY FUCK!"

you'd be scared for a bit, but kidd looked really excited. besides you also want to check out his makeup products.

"are we gonna do it together?" you muttered lowly, referring to the review

"kinda." he shrugged. "i just got one lil job for you, you'd love it promise."

you were skeptical at first but oh well. kidd lets you pick the lipstick of your choice, which was a bright red. it always looks good on him.

the chat was highkey going crazy when your body from neck below was showing

they also noticed how kidd started acting differently, he spoke softly and he had this meek smile while looking up at you

he lets you apply it on him. you were now seating with the seat he pulled to let you down. the chat now being able to see you. you waved a hi shyly, and man the view count started going up

twt was already full of you guys 😖

kidd then fanned his lips, waiting for the product to dry.

"ok, what's next?" you asked, popping the lid close

"this." he grabbed the back of your head and kissed you on stream. holding the kiss pretty good in there, smirking through it as he did so, before sucking on your lips open

you were too flustered and frozen but he even had the audacity to angle his head the other way to continue kissing you

it was pretty fucking lewd, he was really getting in there

but you, you melted from his lips and his firm grip on your nape

the chat and stream lagged at the amount of chats and view counts increasing exponentially

once he pulled away after a good 2 minutes, he turned to the screen and said, "so? it really is kiss proof, aye?" he bursted out laughing at your reaction which was the same when he started kissing you 🤣

the chat also went hysterical, both from freaking out with the both of you and your reaction

you honestly didn't mind, you half expected it. it's kidd we're talking about🤣 because kidd did it as a flex and as a fuck you to his haters (especially those who were targeting you)

you had to excuse yourself which resulted to even more comedic response from kidd at how cute you are. you were burning red btw

you later come back to tell kidd and chat that you're okay, and you plan to get back on him for that

JASDHSAJDJSAJDSA I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! JUST DID THIS LAST NIGHT

[hcsiqs]

wait “bad idea right?” was cute 🥹🥹🥹 i need more kate x singer!reader! perhaps singer!reader moving her life to go live with kate in vegas? 🥹 please please pleek and thank you !

| we really were timeless

• pairing: kate martin x fem!reader

• summary: reader is on tiktok live showing her new home in las vegas and her fans get a glimpse into the life of her and kate.

• word count: 1.1k

• find part 1 here

“Heyy!” you waved into the camera with an unknown background behind you, that your fans had seemed to question as soon as they noticed the room. “No, I’m not in Iowa” you laughed, setting the camera down in the bedroom you and Kate shared. The bedroom was decorated with plants and books all along the room as well as small photos and polaroids the couple had taken of themselves as well as photos of their friends.

“I moved!” you said dramatically using your hands to show off the room behind you in all of its glorious adornments that you and Kate had managed to set up in the past few weeks. “I’m a Las Vegas girl now” you smiled, standing up from the bed, “What if I give a house tour? But, mind you we have barely had time to decorate anything, so it’s a little bare!” you giggled, holding the phone close to your face as you walked through the house. You moved your head out of view as you entered into the living room and lowered your voice to a whisper as you spoke to your blonde girlfriend, “I’m gonna do a little house tour, alright?”

“Wait, can I be like the tour guide?” Kate asked cheerfully as she looked up from her phone and put her full attention to you.

“Mhm” you nodded, biting your lip trying to hold back a smile. Kate then got off the couch and planted a soft kiss on your lips off camera. “Ok guys I have a special guest for y’all!” you smiled, hovering your finger over the flip camera button. “Kate!” you exclaimed, turning the camera around to proudly show off your girlfriend, who did a stupid little dance causing you both to fall into a fit of laughter.

they are my favorite couple ever

stop kate is so cuteee

“Ok, ok!” you laughed walking towards the front door.

“So, when you first enter the house we have this lovely bench where you can take your shoes off” Kate spoke displaying the area, before you turned the camera around to face yourself, “Because we don’t want no one’s nasty shoes on our floor,” you turned the camera back around to show a nodding Kate who was in agreement.

“Then straight off there is our living room!” the blonde announced, showing off the plush couch that sat in the middle. “This is y/n’s favorite part” Kate pointed down at the green rug on the floor. You just rolled your eyes behind the camera because the rug was fully Kate’s choice because she said it would be perfect for the house. “But yeah, not much in here yet beside the PS4, so I can play games, and the couch,” Kate shrugged.

“And if you come this way,” Kate used her hands to direct you and the camera to follow her, “our kitchen! I know it’s all white and bland at the moment but we’re working on it” she laughed showing the kitchen island and then walking over to the fridge and opening it, “Oh!” you both let out as the fridge revealed to only hold some take-out food from the night before and a thing of pink lemonade.

“We’re working on grocery shopping” you laughed from behind the camera.

“Yeah, we’re doordash feens” Kate responded, pointing her finger at you. She then closed the fridge and brought you over to the small table you two had bought the other day. “This is our newest addition,” the blonde smiled, showing off the table that had been set to look fancy.

The tall girl kept showing off the home until getting to a room she thought that you should take over and show off to the viewers on live. “Babe, you wanna show them?” Kate’s voice was in a whisper, but it could still be heard by viewers, which caused the comments to go crazy.

DID Y’ALL HEAR THAT???

UGH I NEED WHAT THEY HAVE

“Yeah” you nodded, handing the phone over to Kate and appearing in front of the camera for the first time since the start of the live. “Kate was so kind to let me use our spare room as a little music room!” you said with a smile never leaving your face, as you opened the door and revealed the soundproofing pads on the walls and the different music equipment showering the room.

“This is where all the magic happens,” you said, running your hand across the piano, allowing random notes to be played. “Guys! This right here is my most prized possession!” your face glowed as you pulled a guitar off the wall and showed it to the camera, “It was signed by the one and only Taylor Swift! I still can’t believe it” you shook your head slightly recounting the memory of when you had met her.

“Still jealous you met her and not me” Kate said behind the camera, clearly showing her jealousy.

“Maybe, I can pull some strings for you, hm?” you cocked your head to the side resting your hands on your hips. Your eyes caught a glimpse of Kate’s blue ones from behind the camera and you found yourself wanting to look into them forever, but you knew you needed to move on with the tour. “Anywho! Let’s continue!” you laughed dragging Kate out of the room to have her follow her.

After a couple more minutes of the tour and being on live you decided it was time to go, so that you could spend time with Kate before she had to head off to practice.

You two were sitting on the couch, your legs draping over Kate’s as a tv show played quietly on the tv. “I’m so happy you’re here with me” Kate dropped her head into the crook of your neck, as her hands found their way around your waist.

“I’m so happy to be here with you,” you giggled, feeling her breath on your neck that almost tickled. She then began to place small kisses on your neck and exposed collarbone, that sent a shiver down your spine. “Kate, you have to get to practice” you groaned.

“But, I wanna stay here with you” she whined, still leaving kisses on your shoulder.

“Come on, time to go,” you got off of Kate and held your hands out to pull her off the couch. Her hands reached up to yours and you pulled her off the couch. She placed a small kiss on your lips before walking over to get her keys.

“See you late, love you” she smiled, circling the keys on her finger.

“Love you too” you smiled back before she walked out the front door to head to Aces practice.

allie’s corner.

i hope you like this!! they’re so cutie

[aesapresmoi]

very classy, very mindful, very demure

chuckle sandwich hc’s / x reader

lower caps on purpose, this is a freestyle write with no plot tbh LMFAO

︶꒦꒷♡ TED NIVISON

he’s very classy.

fancy dates, fancy restaurants, fancy gifts, fancy food, only the best for you.

even if he can’t give you the most “ravishing” of dates, his words are even more sweeter

“my love” always. the word “my” comes before any name he uses for you. even after arguments or childish petty, he never forgets to add that one word — it’s changing, really

kisses your hands at any chance he gets!

your fingers, your knuckles, your palm. wraps his hands around yours when they are cold, brings them to his face, guides you

not shy of you. will take pictures with you and posts them to his story, as a post, maybe a model for his merch! he will never shy you away from the world

loves when you cook with him. your plate of food is always plated nicely!! ted’s plate is usually a mountain of whatever portion he wants

opens doors for you!! the type to pull you back from the hem of your shirt and say “and what do you think you’re doing??” while opening the door

︶꒦꒷♡ CHARLIE SLIMECICLE

he’s very mindful

always thinks about your feelings before coming to any choice/conclusion. “let me talk to s/o first” kind of guy

it’s not that he’s insecure or can’t make his own decisions — he just likes have you a part of it

allergies and/or phobias? careful and wary. overstimulated from sound easy? puts his hands over your ears. the sun is getting too bright? it’s okay, he always packs sunglasses because he knows you never do

wakes you up to your favourite drink each morning because he knows you need your rest time after working a 9-5

knows every little thing about you like you’re a book he likes to read nonstop.

he enjoys your company a whole lot. loves you at his side when you both finally find the free time in the evenings.

enjoys the privacy of your relationship but also doesn’t shy you away from the camera!! basically encourages you to join him sometimes or say hi

his longtime fans know of you, and newer fans come to get to know you

︶꒦꒷♡ JSCHLATT

he’s very demure

its no surprise that he would be the modest one. while he doesn’t shy you away from the camera, he prefers you to stay a secret

and it’s because he knows as soon as people see your face, they will know everything about you.: your job, your height, your birthday, your maiden name, everything

he prefers dropping little things about you. letting his viewers hear your voice, see you wave at the camera from the side

people know he’s a taken man, but the mystery of “by who?” keeps getting bigger.

everyone can see that the man is in love with you — it’s the way he looks at you whenever you walk into the room

a soft gaze that meets yours and he’s smitten all over again

your hard launch was a story of you with jambo and soup and how he was sulking that the cats loved you more

and yes, within that hour, people found your private insta

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

since i've talked a lot about how i dislike Catra, here are some of the other fictional characters that i dislike:

(warning: long post ahead, also spoilers for steven universe, the dragon prince, ocean waves, the legend of korra, and kipo and the age of wonderbeasts)

1. Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe)

i think this one is pretty obvious. there were a bunch of characters in SU who were let off the hook after doing terrible things, but Lapis is the one i disliked the most.

she started off as an interesting character, her trauma after getting caught in a war and stuck in a mirror for ages was sympathetic and pretty well-written but like Catra, i think the writers coddled Lapis too much.

this is evident with her relationship with Peridot, where she starts off blaming Peridot for something that wasn't her fault and destroying her prized possession when she tries to make amends. but Lapis expresses concern for Peridot ONCE and now they're besties.

and after that, Lapis becomes toxic and demanding, causing Peridot to constantly walk on eggshells around Lapis so as not to hurt her feelings. and finally, Lapis just takes the barn, Peridot's HOME, off into space because she couldn't agree with Peridot's decision to stay and fight the Diamonds?? i'm not mad that Lapis didn't want to fight the Diamonds, i fully understand her trauma, but did she have to take the barn with her? what part of that was necessary??

i think all of this would have been fine if Lapis was held accountable for her actions, but she wasn't. she doesn't even do the bare minimum and Peridot immediately forgives her. sigh. at least they didn't make Lapidot canon.

2. King Harrow (The Dragon Prince)

i don't hate this character as much as I hate some of the others on the list but i do think that he was kind of a shitty king. he literally decides to starve his own kingdom in order to help out another kingdom. and this is framed as the right thing to do?

it's a tough choice but Harrow's people were depending on him, and he decides that his own people should sacrifice their winter rations for another kingdom. scummy move, i do not like him. Viren may have been self-serving and manipulative, but he was right to try and stop Harrow from doing this.

3. Rikako Muto (Ocean Waves)

god, i fucking hate this bitch. worst ghibli movie ever honestly. the thing is, like Catra and many of the other characters here, Rikako would have been an interesting character if the writers just made her an antagonist.

but no, she's supposed to be the love interest while being a selfish and manipulative brat. she is rude to everyone unless she wants a favor from them. she uses people to her advantage and screams at them when they try to resist. Rikako is the most interesting character in this movie, which sucks because she is also the most insufferable character.

the singular most hilarious scene in this movie has to be when Taku is fondly reminiscing about the interactions he had with Rikako, and since she was nothing but a little bitch throughout the entire movie, we get a super emotional flashback, accompanied by a soft score, of all the times she was manipulating and verbally abusing him. would have been funnier if it was not unironic. i do not know what the creators were thinking.

there was no chemistry between these two characters, their relationship was unhealthy as fuck, but they still get together by the end because.. amatonormativity. and because Taku had too much chemistry with his male best friend and they didn't want the viewers to think that he might be queer.

4. Bolin (The Legend of Korra)

it's crazy how everyone and their mothers hate Mako for cheating on Korra and Asami, but absolutely adore Bolin who sexually harassed his coworker. Bolin forced a kiss on Ginger while she was tied down on set, after she had already rejected him multiple times and said that she was her doing her job.

i see so many people saying that Bolin was a green flag and a better choice than Mako, and i seriously wonder if we watched the same show. i don't condone cheating either obviously but how do you call out cheating but completely gloss over sexual harrasment? Bolin legit acts like a manchild who doesn't understand consent and because the show frames this as "comedy", the audience thinks it's cute and funny.

at least Mako faced the consequences of his actions. he got dumped by both Korra and Asami, some of the other characters called him out on his actions, and he actually turns into a much better person by the end of the series.

oh, don't forget that Bolin started working for the literal fascist in s4. and he acts all dumb about it and argues that Kuvira was like Korra which,, what the fuck? he literally sees Kuvira torturing people and it still takes him a long time to stop working for her. he was a bit like Entrapta in that case, the writers made him too oblivious and stupid in order to justify him aiding a fascist.

5. Kipo (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts)

okay, so Kipo is a little different from the other characters mentioned here because she's not problematic by any means. quite the opposite actually, her main personality trait seems to be that she's kind to everyone.

and that's fine, it's on par for most kids show protagonists, but Kipo is such a deeply unflawed character that she just becomes so boring. she has no character growth throughout the series, except for developing her fighting skills as her wildcat form. and even that comes easy to her, she masters it in one episode. her "flaws" are very surface level, like being clumsy or kinda awkward.

she is unbothered by almost everything, which is the most baffling in that episode where she discovers that she was the result of a science experiment done by her parents. you would expect some sort of mixed emotions there - confusion, hesitation, resentment even? nope. she's just excited and happy that her parents put her life at risk by experimenting on her.

and the show insists on reminding us every five seconds that "hey! Kipo is a GOOD person, she's the KINDEST human being ever and the ONLY person who doesn't love her is the EVIL VILLAIN". shit like this just turns me off so much. just SHOW me how nice Kipo is, instead of making every character gush about her niceness. SHOW, don't tell, for god's sake. besides, even if a person is kind and wholesome, it's unrealistic for EVERYONE to like them.

and the funny thing is that this show has other interesting characters! Wolf, for example, was a really complex and flawed character who is still fundamentally a good person. Hugo was a sympathetic villain who got a pretty decent redemption arc. so it's not like the writers didn't know how to write interesting characters, they just wanted to make their protagonist a Mary Sue.

[lizzie-queenofmeigas]

Fixing Ep. I of House of the Dragon.

Timeline

First we should establish a timeline, which is something the show hasn't really done. Given that they insist in having Rhaenyra and Alicent be friends there are ways to do that. Swap Daella's birth with Vaegon's and have Aemma born a year earlier. Have Rhaenyra be Aemma's first pregnancy instead of the third. That ages her up a bit, making her be born in the year 94 a.C

Have Alicent be a little older than Rhaenyra. Alicent could have been born in 92 a.C and their friendship would stay the same.

Aemma's death should be in 107 .C making Rhaenyra thirteen years old in the first episode and Alicent fifteen.

Laena could be the same age as Alicent and Laenor the same as Rhaenyra, keeping with their book's ages.

Establish the year of the episode. This being put the number at the beginning in the screen.

Scenes

During the Council of 101 the narrator could say "Tragedy claimed both his sons. The choice now was between Rhaenys, the only child of his eldest son and Viserys the eldest child of his second son". And the general audience would understand it perfectly.

During the ride in carriage back to the Keep they could have the smallfolk calling for Rhaenyra and her waving at them and smiling. That way we establish the "Realm's Delight".

Have Aemma mention Rhaenyra's age in their little scene. "You are three and ten, nearly a woman grown" it would fit perfectly.

The next scenes are just fine if the story is done right.

Daemon and Rhaenyra. In the throne room scene they should have more dialogue of the like of. "What have you brought me this time?" This way we establish that Rhaenyra is spoilt by Daemon and her parents.

Viserys and Aemma's scene are just fine if the rest of the show follows this logic. They could mention their relation, however. "Our grandmother had thirteen children, but I don't have her luck". This establishes that Aemma is part of House Targaryen by more than marriage .

Have Rhaenyra and Alicent talk about doing charity during their studying scene, establishing why the smallfolk likes them.

During the small council scene with Daemon Otto could ask him how he knows who was guilty and he could say he has a good relationship with the smallfolk. While I believe in "show, don't tell" this particular thing could show that he spends time with the smallfolk and that they like him.

The Mysaria and Daemon scene could have been pillowtalk. There was no need for a sex scene, but they could show us the after. Have Daemon show his resentment to his brother "I am the reason he wears a crown yet he still has me married to my Bronze Bitch". Doing this we don't only inform the viewers that Daemon is married, but we also establish that Mysaria is important for him and that he trusts her.

Nothing particularly wrong with the tournament scene, just should be less gory because it doesn't make much sense.

During the tournament we could have Rhaenys and Corlys talking like in the show but different. Saying something like "Viserys inheritated our grandparents years of peace and I hope our children do as well" that way we show she is a Targaryen and that she is married to Corlys and have children.

Cole and Daemon's scene is fine.

Aemma's death in itself is also not incoherent, but the show is so if the show wasn't it would be fine.

The funeral scene is fine.

In Alicent's and Otto's scene they could mention Otto's hate for Daemon and the fact that Alicent at fifteen is a woman of age to marry. Something like "You are five and ten, you can't stay a lady-in-waiting for the princess forever"

The "heir for a day" is fine.

During the Daemon and Viserys confrontation we could have again Daemon lashing out against him saying how he helped him. Something like "I am the reason you have that throne! Corlys was preparing his ships to fight for Rhaenys so I raised an army for you! And now you won't even give me an announcement for a marriage our grandmother forced me into!"

The rest of the scenes are fine

Other things

Rhaenys's hair should have been dark, with the quote I mentioned is enough to make the general audience realize she is a Targaryen.

Rhaenyra should have worn more jewellery and more lavender and violet colours.

See HBO? is not that hard!

[rippleberries]

(Jeffrey teased this at Star Trek San Francisco)

Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Anna Lore, Nikki Hahn, and Anna Camp behind the scenes of HYSTERIA! (Photo courtesy Barbara Crampton)

[x]

HYSTERIA! Reunites RE-ANIMATOR Duo Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs

Surprise! The legendary genre pair turn up to add some ’80s cred to Peacock’s new Satanic Panic series.

BY

PHIL NOBILE JR.

OCTOBER 18, 2024 6:00 AM

By now you’re aware of Peacock’s Hysteria!, and that it features Bruce Campbell, who’s been promoted heavily in the marketing of the new show (which dropped today). But turns out he’s not the only genre icon appearing on the series.

Early viewers of Hysteria! have been excited to spot among its ensemble cast none other than Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs, playing a bit against type as suburban parents. Speaking to FANGORIA, Crampton says that “showrunner/creator Matthew Scott Kane is a big Re-Animator fan, and it was his idea to reunite Jeff and myself for the first time since 1995!”

The duo have of course appeared in various unassailable horror classics over the years, beginning with Stuart Gordon’s aforementioned Re-Animator and its follow-up, From Beyond. Placing the pair in an ’80s-set, moral panic horror comedy made all the sense in the world to Kane.

“I'm a very devoted genre fan. All of Barbara and Jeff’s work with Stuart Gordon is so near and dear to my heart that, when these two roles came up, they were the first people that came to mind,” Kane says. “It was kind of a pipe dream. It was like, ‘Wouldn't it be nice if?’ I never thought they would pick up the phone.” To his surprise, the pair agreed, and their devotion to their relatively brief appearance surprised the showrunner.

“We all got dinner with each other, and Barbara and Jeffrey were asking me, ‘What's my motivation here?’ and ‘Here's what I'm thinking for this guy.’ Keep in mind, they’re in one scene — a pivotal scene, one which sets up the entire series — but they're really drilling it into me in ways that no other member of our cast did,” Kane shares. “The night before we were shooting the scene, I got a text from Barbara that could have easily filled a column in your magazine,” he laughs. “It was enormous, and it was brilliant. She was bringing so much — not just to the character, but she was so intelligent in terms of checking out the entire script, understanding what the themes of the show are, and understanding how she could fit into that.”

The series focuses on a struggling teen band called Dethkrunch who, in the wake of their high school quarterback’s disappearance, rebrand themselves as “Satanic” to ride the wave of moral panic sweeping their town. It works until it doesn’t, and they soon find themselves the target of a literal witch hunt. The project, which also boasts Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, Garret Dillahunt, Emjay Anthony and Milly Shapiro among its cast, was instantly alluring to Crampton. “I read the first three scripts of Hysteria! when I was cast and they were all fantastic,” Crampton says. “Fun, spooky, dark and thrilling.” For Crampton, the gig offered other pleasures. “We were giddy with excitement for our parts… and costumes!” (Anyone who’s seen the sartorial choices in Jakob’s Wife or The Last Stop in Yuma County knows Crampton loves a bold wardrobe choice.)

Her co-star Combs was also easily sold, calling the project “a lovely experience… short but sweet.” Like Crampton, Combs was drawn to the quality of the material. “Matthew is a very gifted writer,” he says. “I was thrilled to be part of this, and it would be a delight to work with him again.”

Though the pair both appeared in last year’s Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Crampton and Combs shared no scenes together in that film, making this their first onscreen appearance together since 1995’s Castle Freak (where they also played a married couple). “It was an absolute joy to work on screen with Jeffrey again,” Crampton exclaims. “We play the parents to an important character on this show (you’ll have to watch to see which one!) and this lady is amazing. I just adore her!”

Casting the iconic performers, even for just one episode, meant a lot to Kane. “We wanted Barbara and Jeff there for a reason. We wanted them there because we're all huge fans, but also because we know they're great actors and that they can come in and deliver something awesome so that, if we get a second season, they can come into the fold and be more regular characters. If there's a reason to get us a season two, it's to get Jeff Combs and Barbara Crampton back on the screen together for more than just five minutes.”

As to what happens over the course of the series, Crampton is as excited to find out as we are. “I’ve viewed the first episode and it’s a blast,” she shares. “I’ll be watching and posting about all the episodes and enjoying the show along with you all!”

All episodes of Hysteria! are now streaming on Peacock.

[firesnap]

I think that the thing to remember about c!Wilbur's ending is that it was set up from the start. The first stream of that last arc was called Bust. It was about a person on a losing streak who feasibly only had the options of either losing everything to the house or walking away from the table. We, as the viewer, have to go through the story not really sure of which path is Wilbur taking. Is he doing his last few hands with these apologies or just waving goodbye on his way out the door? We're left to question his motivations with each apology and whether it was another bust or him clawing back a little of what he had.

And we see it as a bit of both. He's salvaging what he can and bowing out from future games.

But that leads us back to that moment where he leaves Tommy on the beach and half the people watching screamed and swore and thought he'd ruined c!Crime by leaving. But like, what choice did he have but to go? Especially with hindsight of Tommy's finale, we know how it would have played out if he'd stayed. Everyone died.

Now, you could argue that Tommy wouldn't have spiraled if Wilbur had stayed but, we can't say that for sure. The biggest villain on the server said to Tommy that Tommy hadn't been on his radar in months -- that he wanted to go after Quackity and Wilbur. Be it Wilbur's mental health, or going up against a much more powerful opponent, or the literal end of the world -- Wilbur wouldn't have survived and where would Tommy have been there?

Plus you have that the whole point of Tommy and Wilbur is that they relied too much on each other to maintain their grip on things. Wilbur used Tommy as a sense of stability. Tommy used Wilbur as a sense of purpose and a sort of goal -- we saw that after Wilbur's first death and his spiral after Wilbur left.

So at what point are they not responsible for each other's mental wellness? Wilbur thinking that he holds Tommy back, that he knows he needs to leave because they aren't going to be good for each other right now, was true. Tommy needing Wilbur was also true, but what do you do in that case? Sometimes you have to save yourself and hope that's enough to help the other person too.

I just find it interesting that no one won in the end of Wilbur's story. Everyone left a little hurt, a little hopeful, a little confused and more lonely. Wilbur didn't break his losing streak, but he survived to walk away from the table and that's exactly the story he wanted to tell. Sometimes promising yourself that you'll try to survive is the best ending you can get.

And hey, that's an ending 99% of the server didn't get.

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Rose Quartz Propaganda

"We saw her character arc in reverse!! We first saw all the good she did and then learned of her terrible actions in the past. If her story was told the other way around, it would have been a great redemption arc. Yes, she did some terrible things, but she had no choice. She did everything she could to stop the colonization of earth peacefully buy nothing worked. Blue and yellow diamond just didn't listen to her and when they did, THEY were the ones who made the zoo and shit. Rose wanted to free them but couldn't get to them after the war! And with the corruption, there's no way she could have known that'd happen. There's so many things she wanted to do but just couldn't. And with spinel, yes it was shitty to leave her alone for so long, but again, between running her court, running the rebellion, dealing with earth, she likely wasn't a very high priority and like with the zoo, there was no way to get to her after the war since the galaxy warp was destroyed. And don't forget, she was practically a child around this time. You're saying you didn't do any stupid, selfish, or harmful things as a kid? She learned from her experiences and grew, we just saw that growth in reverse, leaving us as viewers with a poor perception of her."

"Rose Quartz is Steven Universe’s dead mom. Initially, she’s set up as sort of an ethereal perfect figure who everyone misses and compares him to. Later we get to see more of her backstory and discover that she’s actually like, a person, with flaws, who has done some bad things, but she did those bad things largely in the course of trying to escape an abusive home life and save the people and planet that she fell in love with. It’s very clear that despite her flaws she was trying to do the right thing and that she deeply cared about others. Unfortunately, a woman who was not a Perfect Martyr was way too much for the Steven Universe fandom to handle. She pretty much set off the wave of SU crit blogs because these people were furious either that she had taken violent measures to solve her problems, that she hadn’t taken violent enough measures to solve her problems, or both somehow. Lots of “Why didn’t she just murder her abusive parental figures?” Lots of “She was evil for having a baby even though she knew she’d die in childbirth!” Lots of “She should’ve been able to protect everyone from a magic nuclear weapon with the power of love somehow.” Lots of “She shouldn’t have rebelled (even though not rebelling would’ve meant the destruction of Earth) because her abusers retaliated and that’s her fault.” LOTS of people drawing her as stick thin even though she was fat in the show. People treated her like she was on the same level or even worse than her abusive parental figures who were also the main villains of the show. It was unbearable to witness."

Mahiru Propaganda

"They got unfairly voted guilty in the first round and keeps getting blamed She never meant to hurt anyone and the only reason she did was cause she couldn’t read social ques"

"Mahiru Shiina is the most traditionally feminine character in Milgram, and she’s very in love with the idea of love. That makes her an easy fandom target. In Milgram, we are introduced to ten murderers. It quickly becomes apparent that not all of these murders are conventional. By the time we are introduced to Mahiru, we already know most of these unconventional murderers. Mahiru’s first music video depicts her going on various dates with her boyfriend, even though he is not shown in the frame. At the end of the video, Mahiru wakes up, turns to the camera, and has a horrified expression. Whatever happened, she didn’t want it to happen. And then a lot of the fandom accused her of being a stalker. Was that what got her a 55% guilty/unforgiven vote? I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But she heard what the fandom said. She heard these voices saying she couldn’t be forgiven. Saying that she was a stalker or that she didn’t really love her boyfriend, even though that wasn’t true. She was beaten to near-death by Kotoko, a vigilante who was forgiven by 67%. Fuuta, who also sustained serious injuries from Kotoko, calls out the audience surrogate, saying what we did with our verdicts would have made us the same as him if Mahiru had died. And yet Mahiru doesn’t blame either us or Kotoko. Mahiru’s second music video shows that she was indeed in a proper relationship with her boyfriend. She smothered him with her love. The video slowly revealed the toxicity in their relationship. She asked why she can’t do anything right. The fandom perception was better in that she was safely voted innocent/forgiven. Still, there are issues. Some infantilize her or say that she’s delusional. Yes, she had a sheltered upbringing and has difficulties reading social cues, but that doesn’t take away her agency. On the flip side, some have theorized that she kidnapped her boyfriend and wasn’t in a proper relationship with him. (Not sure what to say about that, but this is a series about sympathetic murderers.)"

[helshollowhalls]

I have some thoughts. On Mysta's graduation. And the current state of Nijisanji in general.

At the end of the day, I am not surprised. I expected someone else to graduate first, hell I even expected Niji to keep more of an iron grip on their money makers aka Luxiem in order to milk them for more cash, but I digress.

Mysta is graduating and it only goes to show that their 'money first, talent... third? last?' approach comes back to bite them in the arse. This might be the potential wakeup call for everyone who has yet to realize that the entire English branch of Nijisanji is crumbling away in record time because of the absolutely abysmal talent management and treatment of the livers.

I refrained from speculating who would be the next ones to graduate after Nina - simply because I will leave that job to the anonymous leakers on the site/platform that shall not be named here. Apparently Shu and Vox were brought up as the potential next people to graduate (this is according to a recent Depressed Nousagi stream but he didn't show any screenshots so take that with a massive bucket of salt.) Mysta was allegedly also mentioned down the line, but he seemingly wasn't the first choice.

Honestly, if you think about it the entirety of Luxiem must be so done mentally. They didn't know what to expect when they signed up to become Nijisanji's first male English-speaking Vtuber group. They waltz onto the scene, explode in popularity all over the world out of nowhere basically and suddenly they're Niji EN's favorite child. The company is milking them for all they have because OH BOI do they rake in the cash - not to mention from a target audience that was completely ignored before in the EN corporate sphere - female viewers.

In a lot of things the boys weren't given any choice. Jazz On The Clock? The first ever second unit song in Niji EN ever and it was released even before their anniversary. With Luxiem being the fourth EN wave in total it felt a little counterintuitive - Wouldn't they start another potential wave of unit songs with LazuLight, their first wave? Well, now that Light Me Up is out and Pomu talked about the entire fiasco of LazuLight basically fighting management tooth and nail to be allowed a second unit song, I think most of us can guess how things are going at Anycolor. And in case you're not entirely convinced, just look at the amount of Luxiem merch Niji has put out compared to any other EN wave.

It's not just JotC, but their anniversary/irl Japan meetup stream as well. That stream was something that personally really rubbed me the wrong way because it felt very inauthentic. It felt like the five of them were just shoved into a room at the Niji HQ to play Smash and do some batsus while the executives and managers proceeded to lock the doors and breath down their necks for the entirety of the stream. The stream had a very different feel to it - Comparing it to other Luxiem collab streams or even other anniversary streams. Management didn't consider it necessary to order Obsydia or Ethyria to Japan and record their anniversary streams at the Niji HQ - Well, that would be because none of them make the company as much sweet sweet cash as Luxiem - Closest would maybe be Selen. And even she has been public about the management fuck-ups - I am talking about her outfit design contest here, of course.

But back to Luxiem. I don't follow them as closely as I used to in the beginning, infact I am only subscribed to Shu out of the five, so let's start from here.

The entire wave collectively tweeted very salty and sarcastic remarks about the official announcement of the EN 3D Live Concert being "postponed due to COVID" earlier this year. But out of all of them, it seemingly hit Shu the hardest. I noticed that he was streaming less and less, infact he still isn't streaming as much as he used to.

Ike... oh boi, where do I even begin. Judging from his spontaneous irl hangout with Vox recently and the amount of projects he has been involved in as a vocal mixer, not to mention his two recent songs of which one is an original, this man seems to be working 30 hours a day and is stressed to the max.

Mysta made his personal situation and his ongoing burnout/lack of goals to work towards very clear in his graduation announcement stream, so I won't go into detail.

Vox has also been streaming less frequently. During the course of his employment at Nijisanji he got diagnosed with ADHD and PTSD (I believe), started therapy and medication, had a panic attack during an ASMR stream, started new projects and also some personal issues in his private life to deal with.

I have to be honest about Luca - I don't really know anything about what is going on with him apart from the fact that he planned to move again and got a puppy.

In conclusion, I could see reasons for anyone of them graduating anytime soon. Management isn't treating them well - Management isn't treating anyone in EN well, it seems - and at some point that fact doesn't warrant staying with the company anymore. Plus, money isn't really an issue for any of them at this point I assume - Especially Vox and Mysta. Both of them have enough money to fulfill their potential aspirations as indies or under another agency or manager.

Infact, apart from a couple of livers I can see anyone graduating next because of how Nijisanji handles things.

Some may argue that it all started going downhill when they kicked Yugo or when Zaion got terminated - Regardless of what you think, at the end of the day, the entire branch is seemingly falling apart right in front of us and Nijisanji's reputation is tanking, especially with the English-speaking fanbase, while Hololive idly sits by and watches the drama unfold.

The consequences of Mysta leaving and the message it sends about Nijisanji and how they treat their livers can't be understated.

[the-merlin-meadow]

Guinevere Pendragon - A Character

I'd like to preface this analysis with the fact that this character analysis can be harsh on Gwen's character in show. I adore Gwen in some aspects, but unfortunately I don't in others and I'd like to expand on how I think Gwen's character could have been improved. (Putting the essay under the read more because this got a bit long)

Now on with the analysis! Gwen at the start of the series serves three functions - she's our introduction to Camelot. Merlin, like the viewers, is new to Camelot. He has no idea of the lay of the land and so Gwen serves the purpose of introducing Merlin, along with occasional input from Gaius. Second, as a servant like Merlin, she serves as someone Merlin can talk to at the start of the series when Merlin and Arthur were on shaky terms, and/or when Merlin couldn't interact with Arthur/Gaius. And finally, she serves as someone Morgana can talk to, so we can also get an idea of Morgana when she's not around Uther/Arthur. So once we get past the first few seasons, these reasons become obsolete. Merlin has been in Camelot for a while and he and Arthur are close enough that they kinda defy protocol and Morgana becomes evil. So when this happens, the show pivots Gwen's function to love interest. And that kinda becomes Gwen's character for the next few seasons. And then in season 5, she takes on this additional role as queen. All very lovely reasons to keep a character on the show. The issue is that Gwen never seems to be a character outside of these reasons. Here's a question that doesn't have a clear answer: What does Gwen want? In an overarching sense, not from a singular episode. Merlin wants to keep Arthur safe, Arthur wants to build a safe and fair kingdom, Morgana wants to kill the remaining Pendragons and claim Camelot in her name. Even at the start, Morgana wanted justice and she was willing to defy and kill Uther for that. All of these characters have a fairly obvious want, but what does Gwen want? Even side characters like Lancelot have easily identifiable wants - Lancelot wants to be a knight and do what is just and moral.

So I've identified my major issue with Gwen. She has her reasons for being on the show, but she was never developed as a character outside of those reasons. Furthermore, the writers seemed to try and erase practically every possible flaw that Gwen could possibly exhibit - essentially making her perfect. What do I mean by this? When her father dies, Gwen says that to want to kill Uther wouldn't solve anything. When Gwen and Lancelot kiss and cheat on Arthur, Gwen has been enchanted by a bracelet. Gwen comes up with the perfect idea to lure a druid that is campaigning against Arthur into the city and it works perfectly. (Like I know three years have passed and she would know how to handle these issues, but we never get to see her struggle with these issues.) Etc. Gwen has no visible flaws and what she does, is waved away or justified by the narrative. Now, with the examples listed above, nothing is necessarily wrong with those character choices - it's just that in every instance, Gwen is always morally clean of any bad or wrong choices, which makes her character boring.

How to fix this? The easy way would have been to give her a flaw or an easily identifiable want. Show Gwen wanting to achieve something, anything. Say that she wants to assist with fixing the damage that was caused by magic. Show Gwen wanting Lancelot but sacrificing it for Arthur - which gives her a higher positions. Make her resent being a servant for Morgana, who despite claiming that she's her friend, treats like a servant until she's needed as a friend. Make her feel anything that isn't joy or kindness. I feel like either giving her a want that trailed through multiple episodes or even seasons, or an easily seen flaw would have been the best way to make Gwen's character better and more entertaining.

(Side Note: Arwen, while lovely, often feels underdeveloped because we are seeing things almost entirely through Merlin's eyes, which does not help when Arthur seems more free and less like he's putting on a front when interacting with Merlin vs Gwen, so if Arwen were to be a thing, I would trying putting more emphasis on Arthur and Gwen without Merlin, and show Arthur being equally as open with Gwen as he is Merlin.)

[the-disaster-in-waiting]

The Seamstress & The Baker (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Peeta stood still as the woman circled him measuring, writing and looking over him gauging size predictions.

“I’m Peeta” He broke the silence, scared and alone from the only other person he’d known. Peeta tried to make nice with those Effie had called his ‘Style Team’ Portia had left him in what she’d called capable hands of (Y/N) to take the measurements and prepare him for Cinna and her grand entrance they’d planned.

“I know I saw the show Katniss put on. Seems like you will have to catch up” (Y/N) swaggered around the room filled with items used to create all the most incredible outfits for the tributes.

“Wha… What do you mean?”

“Katniss, she’s the caring heart that volunteered for her sister. What pray tell is your thing?” She’d sat in a chair at that point comfortably crossing one leg over another, writing more notes in her small notebook. As Peeta realized he was now free to step down from the podium and sit beside her in the accompanying chair he continued.

“I’m a baker”

“I do not think a cake will be enough to sway the watchers” She leant over, placing the notebook onto a coffee table leaning back and digging her back further into the chair comforting herself.

“What do you think then?” Peeta was leant over watching (Y/N) arms braced on his legs as his only support. (Y/N) sighed as she turned to the screen featuring Peeta and Katniss’ tribute selection in district 12.

“You are very sweet and the way you look at Katniss. Use that, use your love, don't hide it. Be the boy who loves a girl you will be fated to kill or be killed by”.

“I don’t know what you mean. I don't have a crush on Katniss. I just don’t wanna die”

“You are a very sweet boy Peeta. I wish I could be like you but unlike you living in the capitol shows you how bad this all is I mean look around-’ (Y/N) spread her arms pointing to the whole room ‘-this all just for some stupid blood hungry game, I was picked young because so many of the seamstress’ had to leave overwhelmed seeing so many die this isn't easy Peeta you need to make a choice do you play the game or let the game play you?”

-

Peeta gazed over all the viewers as Katniss and he were pulled by horse through a long lane waving to all he looked to Katniss her face stone, scared or maybe meek he couldn’t tell quite yet as he passed a row he could see (Y/N) she looked over Peeta clasping her hands together signaling something to him it took a minute to catch on.

“And then

What is that in the background?” The commentators reviewing the tributes' entrances stopped at a pair from district 12.

“Come on. They'll love it.” Peeta whispered to Katniss, grabbing her hand once again, hoisting them high above their heads for all to see as (Y/N) clapped her hands at Peeta’s gesture.

“Now see that! I love that.

Two young people, holding their hands up!

Saying; ‘I'm proud, I'm from District 12.

We will not be overlooked!’

I love that.

People are sure to be paying attention to them right now.”

-

“You did good Peeta” (Y/N) could tell when Peeta entered the room he carried himself lower than a capital citizen and not many of the other tributes walked around the seamstress quarters their stylists normally handled. (Y/N) wondered if some even knew where it was knowing that some of the higher districts would demand their measurements taken in their apartments not bothering to meander about a place they didn’t want to be.

“Thanks for the suggestion” He stood around awkwardly waiting for (Y/N) to turn and face him, her back all he could see as she bent over a sewing machine the sound of which had stopped the minute the door opened.

“What do you need, do any of the clothes not fit?” She turned to face him looking over his attire, a piece she’d made from Portia's suggestion designed to look as if lava had fallen onto him.

“No I’m all good” He moved to a chair near (Y/N) making himself comfortable before facing her again.

“The interviews are coming soon”

“Yes, do you know what you are saying yet? I’m sure Effie and Haymitch have prepared you?” She pulled up the suit she was making from Katniss’ measurements designed by the game stylists out of the sewing machine letting it fall in front of her giving a cursory check before putting it aside and putting all her focus on Peeta.

“No Haymitch said to just keep doing the loverboy act and Effie’s just happy I smile unlike Katniss.” (Y/N) giggled at Peeta’s comment.

“Katniss can be hard to read but like you she is scared and just coping with this how she can”

“So what do you think?” Peeta looked to (Y/N) as her head tilted.

“What do you mean?” She shook her head and started to read from her notebook on Peeta’s measurements and needs for his game suit. Peeta grabbed the book from her hands, putting it behind him where (Y/N) couldn't reach it.

“I mean the interviews the hand hold worked I thought maybe you’d have some more ideas” He held (Y/N) back from trying to grab her notebook from him. Exasperated by her failed attempts she slumped in the chair and sighed at Peetas annoying antics.

“Why should I help you if you will just steal my things?” She smirked at the game, a welcome distraction from the work she’d been put through by the other seamstress’ all had goals to complete their work even if it meant fighting each other to leave early.

“Because you care? Hopefully, you've helped so far?”

“Fine you are lucky I like you” She instead turned to clean her station making her mind up to come in early tomorrow instead of continuing now that the tribute was annoying her so.

“Drop the bomb”

“What bomb” noticing her cleaning her gave back the notebook. (Y/N) carefully packed it away in her bag as she shifted it onto her back.

“Tell them just who you are fighting in the arena, let them know the love story they can expect” She turned to stand and leave as Peeta followed her.

“Where are you going?” She turned to look at Peeta. He looked tired, scared but alone mostly. She could understand the feeling of displacement he must’ve felt she’d felt it so many times before.

“I have some things to finish for school. They cannot be left waiting but do not worry, I will be waiting for you after your interview”.

[markantonys]

You know, considering the show only fans' reaction to the Seanchean, if they do put Mat and Tuon together, they're gonna have to give her and them a LOT and I mean A LOT of character development. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Tuon shows up already with thoughts and doubts about slavery. Cause there's simply no way people are gonna be okay with it.

yeah i really do not envy them having to figure out what to do here, because EVERYTHING about mat/tuon and about tuon as a character is a giant landmine. (even just with casting, because the Head Slaver being a black woman is 🥴 especially if we then get scenes of her having to be told by a white man that slavery is bad. but if you DON'T cast a black actor as tuon then you've whitewashed a book-canonically black character. tuon's character design is the kinda thing where rj was trying to go for a ~boundary-breaking role reversal~ but it just really isn't a good look, and i don't envy the show having to deal with his choices there.)

anyway, i'm really hoping for tuon to be introduced at least a season or two before she meets mat so that she can have some development before they even cross paths, let alone begin having romance. (similar to how elayne, aviendha, and min were all developed through non-rand characters this season, which was a great choice.) one idea i'm quite fond of* is tuon showing up in nynaeve and elayne's storyline in s3 in an egeanin-esque role (tho not exactly equivalent ofc given tuon's and egeanin's differences in status/life situation/etc), so then she unknowingly befriends and comes to respect 2 ~marath'damane~, thus she has to start rethinking some things about seanchan culture when she finds out her new buddies can channel. and in s4 maybe she can have some kind of invented plotline to keep her development moving along, and s5 might be the time for her to first meet mat, and they can spend seasons 6 AND 7 together with the romance being a very slow burn. if the show just has tuon show up in ebou dar straightaway with the initial invasion rather than in a second wave after mat's storyline's been left out of an entire book, then she can meet mat sooner and they can leave sooner and have more time to spend together.

rj could have pulled off mat/tuon if he'd introduced her way sooner and had left enough time for their relationship to develop naturally and for HER to develop naturally, rather than breaking mat's characterization to cram him into a rushed relationship it makes no sense for him to want to be part of at this point in time. in WH it really does feel like rj was planning a whole meaty character development arc for tuon, but then realized between books that he wasn't gonna have enough time for it in the main series and came up with the idea of the outriggers spinoff, and in COT suddenly we have tuon being a completely static character and mat replaced by a pod person who's obsessed with her and has completely changed his views on slavery.

but the show has the benefit of knowing the endpoint already, so hopefully they're already planning for how to make the mat/tuon romance feel more believable. i think the only 2 options are a) introduce tuon way earlier and give her a proper redemption arc, or b) make it a political marriage which mat is putting up with for the greater good but has 0 romantic interest in tuon. because yeah, mat falling in love with an unrepentant slaver would make him absolutely vile in the eyes of all viewers, especially after how hard the show went on showing the vileness of the seanchan in s2. show viewers will not have forgotten the torture egwene suffered by the time mat meets tuon as easily as so many book readers apparently did.

*i'm also very fond of the idea of tuon being introduced in seanchan proper because i spent the whole series expecting us to see seanchan proper and the court of the 9 moons etc and felt SO robbed that we never did, so i'd loooooove if the show took us there and had tuon leading a plotline there before she leaves for the westlands. but purely in terms of getting her to start rethinking the damane system early on, this scenario wouldn't be as useful as the one of her meeting nynaeve and elayne in the westlands.

and finally, it's very interesting that they killed off every single notable seanchan character from s2. this could mean that they didn't want to leave any loose ends because the seanchan will be entirely absent for the next season or two, ooooooooooooor it could mean that they wanted to clear the stage for tuon to step up as our major seanchan character in the next season or two.

[dalekofchaos]

Context for each choices

Choice 1 context. Basically Owlman, but instead of Bruce dying with Thomas and Martha, this is a Thomas who lived in a boarding school and upon hearing of the death of his parents, Thomas begins to plot his revenge. When he gets his hands on Joe Chill, he realizes there is no point because Chill is a product of his environment. He embraces crime and the insanity of Arkham. He sees his brother as a threat. The way he wastes his family's fortune to fix something that cannot be fixed. So he begins the plan to slowly dismantle everything Bruce has built. Bankrupting Wayne Enterprises, flooding Gotham with a crime wave that the city has never witnessed and when Bruce sees his city in ruins, all his progress and his Batfamily in ruins, then Thomas will kill his brother and take his place as the king of Gotham

Choice 2 Context. Damian is the Arkham Knight. Talia talked about Bruce and Talia’s night in Metropolis. So you could have a tease for Damian there. But Ra’s raised Damian and indoctrinated him. This is a Damian without Bruce’s influence and was raised to believe that Bruce is responsible for his mother’s death and together Ra’s and Damian will fulfill the LOA’s destiny. Everything leading up to learning his identity is the same(though Arkham Knight uses a sword and throwing stars instead of guns) When the mask comes off, Batman is confused due to how much he looks like him. Damian explains that he is the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul. Damian blames him for the death of his mother and Ra’s Al Ghul. But if Ra’s is alive via the season of Infamy DLC. Work it into the story. Say Damian is working with Ra’s similar to how Hugo Strange was working with Ra’s. Damian names himself after the place his family died and now he wants his father dead. There’d be more emotional impact and would have made more sense than trying to convince viewers that Jason was Robin in this continuity.

Choice 3 context The Arkham Knight should have just been a symbolic title and ya know, ACTUALLY focus on the villains teaming up. The Gotham Rogues teaming up is the main threat. The reveal of the Arkham Knight being a re-skin of the Red Hood has been talked about to death. What hasn’t been talked about as much is the missed opportunity of having a game where Batman has to deal with the ramifications of the Joker’s death. Arkham Knight opens with Commissioner Gordon talking about how Gotham braced itself for the inevitable power struggle that never came. But what if it had? Instead of pushing some of Batman’s greatest villains into a few side-quests (that all played basically the same), the game’s story could have focused on the Bat Family as it fights to save Gotham. Players could have swapped between the best of Batman’s team as they tackle missions all over Gotham, the Asylum, and Arkham City. Areas visible in the game but not accessible. This would have allowed the story of the Arkham games to come full circle as players would have traveled back to locations previously seen and explored them with the changes made as the story for the games went on. Plus it would finally give all the members of the Bat Family a chance to spread their wings. We needed to see Scarecrow, Harley, Ivy, Penguin, Hush, Riddler and Two-Face work together as major threats and we needed to see Bruce and his family(Dick, Tim, Kate, Cassandra and Stephanie) work together to stop them and honestly that would’ve been so much better.

Choice 4 context.

Arkham Knight is Protocol 12. Hugo Strange works for Ra’s, but however, Let’s pay attention to this. From Quincy Sharp, he says “Strange came to me back at the asylum. He told me he had friends; powerful friends. The sort of people who could make things happen. All I had to do was turn a blind eye to his experiments, and work on my campaign. He said his friends would ensure that I won" In Strange’s confrontation with Batman. “ I have powerful friends, Batman. This is just the beginning.“ Now if you’ve watched Justice League Unlimited, you will know that Hugo Strange is a Departmental head of Project CADMUS. So What if In the Arkhamverse, Strange is still apart of Project CADMUS. While Ra’’s was the mastermind, the Arkham City project was planned by CADMUS as a start to take down Batman and Gotham, but a start to bring down the Justice League. The Arkham Knight would be Strange’s and CADMUS’ last fail safe to bring an end to Batman. The identity is not important. All we need to know is it is a CADMUS experiment and Strange’s last trump card against Batman. The Arkham Knight should have been it’s own character and not a copout to make him Jason Todd and there was so much lost potential.

Choice 5 context.

Jeremiah Arkham is the Arkham Knight. In Arkham Asylum, Quincy Sharp believed himself to be the Spirit of Amadeus Arkham. This could simply be Sharp being the zealous warden that he was but it could have set up something else. What if Jeremiah Arkham was the REAL reincarnation of Amadeus Arkham? He shares a similar story already, treating mentally unwell patients until it drove him insane. Instead of becoming the next Black Mask, he could have become the purifier of evil that Quincy Sharp tried to be: the Arkham Knight.

Choice 6 context

In Arkham City it is heavily teased that Joker and Harley had a baby. Before anyone comments about Harley’s revenge, that was actually unpopular with the fandom, so it could’ve been retconned. From a comment I found on the Arkham reddit.  “The game begins the traditional way where you lead a character around but can’t perform any actions. You control Harley who’s in shock after Joker’s death and hasn’t spoken a work since. You control her as she’s being escorted into Blackgate staying true to the prison opening setting of all the games. Joker’s death sends shockwaves across Gotham. Soon enough, her thugs break her out and they arrive at an abandoned warehouse where Harley walks in alone, she opens a shipping container and a kidnapped nurse from Arkham City walks out and pleads with her to let her go, telling her she’s done all they’ve asked. Harley agrees that she has but says that no one can know about their child yet, she shoots the nurse and the shot wakes a baby inside the container, Harley then picks it up and sings it the lullaby we hear in the Arkham City end credits. Cut to black.

But what if it isn't just one kid? What if it's twins? Lucy Quinn and Jack Quinn.

15 years later. Harley Quinn and the Arkham Knight gathers the rogues gallery. Scarecrow, Hush, Poison Ivy, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Penguin all working together to take down the Bat and make Gotham theirs. The difference is the rogues would not be used in side missions exclusively. They would work in the story mandatory similar to how Spider-Man PS4′s villains worked in the main story and we take them down one by one.

Jack will be the Arkham Knight, while Lucy infiltrates Wayne Enterprises as Lucy White and gains the trust of Bruce Wayne and allows herself to be taken hostage because Harley knows Bruce cannot allow an "innocent" be harmed and in the climax, Lucy will show her true colors and knock out Batman. Like in the climax of Arkham Knight, Bruce is taken to Arkham Asylum where this all started. But it's Harley, Jack and Lucy. They reveal the truth. Joker and Harley's children are here to avenge their father. Tim and Cassandra come to the rescue and defeat Jack and Lucy, while Bruce knocks Harley out. Arkham Knight ends with Bruce retiring and becoming Mayor of Gotham, while Tim, Dick and Cassandra would watch over Gotham

[scrumptiousstuffs]

i may be on the other hand but i would find fascinating if kantbison and fadelstyle didnt end up together, we are so not used to it that sounds absurd but with the story we now on (we now nothing but what was shown on the trailer) would make so much sense if everything just colapses. imagine they killing each other? peak cinema i might say, would be so iconic, so out of everything.

i think these thai series are afraid of trying new things, i still remember how angry ppl was with OF (still this day and i don’t understand those who don’t like this show.) i think bc of that we don’t have diverse shows, just more sily ones. ppl can’t get a deep character, can’t understand their actions and what motivates them. it sucks actually, ppl want easy things, fluffy ones, they don’t like to think anymore. we all love to say how not me is incredible and what is so good about this one? it don’t do the ordinary! dk where i wanna get with this thought, just started thinking about one ask you answred about someone being mad bc (in their mind) fk is always doing the same, when is not even close! they are going outside the box and that is what is good about them.

Ok. Wow a lot to unpack here. I decide to answer these 2 asks together, cause they are kinda of similar?. Also, a complete 360 degrees from a recent ask that dislikes sad ending and wishing FK/JD a happy ending in THK 😬.

You both mentioned loving Only Friends and it's messy storyline. Like both of you, I love how Jojo/Ninew (and our fabulous actors/ actresses) portray them. We all know a Ray/Mew/Ton /Top/Nick etc. in real life (or shades of them!) and I think what makes the story compelling is people can relate to these characters (be it one aspect or more).

And yes, I remember very well how divisive the audience became with OF. I think part of it relates to the expectations of what they want for each character (and well, we can never please everyone!) - some watchers thinks OF was slut-shaming Ton while others got upset because TonNick were not an item. Others were dissatisfied with the way Mew/Ray handled their friendship with Ton. They were also grumbles on how the only reason SandRay + MewTop got together were because the actors are branded CPs.

To me, these viewers forget the characters are actually not very nice people. They are immature adults in their early 20s making terrible choices while navigating friendships & relationships. None of them are sweet angels (including Sand, as much as I love our boy). In fact, I think all of them are hypocritical at some level.

Personally, I think people who were dissatisfied with the particular ending (for a character) falls into 2 categories: They identified/ invested the most with a character in that show and feels personally attack or because they cannot fathom why a character acts the way they did. (Mew forgiving Top but not Ton? - viewers labeled Mew as sanctimonious bastard. Well, I think people forget that Mew never cared Ton was sleeping around before. He only started to care when the latter slept with his boyfriend. And why won't he forgive Top? Yes, he cheated but we all know someone in real-life (or heard from someone) who takes back their cheating partner. Whether or not it's advisable is beside the point. They are just portraying something can happen realistically. Similarly, why is Nick not allowed to dump Ton when they are on different wave length on what define their relationship? But people again interpret it as Nick slut-shaming Ton). And don't get me started on what people say about Ray.

And as for Thai BL (and GL) in general, I'm not going to call myself an expert. However, I get the impression the contents we have now are way better (and varied) then it used to! There is a genre for everyone out there! So, watch what you want - GMMTV tends to stick to light-hearted shows cause they mainly cater for the younger audiences but they are slowly branching out. Also, companies outside of GMMTV are flexing their creativity muscles (some that comes to mind include The Signs - fantasy; Manner of Death - crime/mystery; PitBabe - A/B/O; I feel you linger in the air - melodrama/time travel; the upcoming Goddess Bless You From Death - horror)

In terms of THK - I do not think we will have KantBison & StyleFadel all dying cause it's sold as rom-com (although it will certainly be a huge shock factor if KB and SF both died in a dramatic shootout. But what will I know, the recently finished 4minutes Thai BL had their second leads dying in each other arms).

I'm also not sure if THK is going to be as messy as OF (cause I think in terms of relationships, this will be straightforward - we probably won't have the boys swapping partners, that's for sure!). However, I'm sure we will get the backstory of how the brothers are adopted, their relationship with their adopted mom/handler and older brother (Pepper!!). And perhaps how Kant shifted gear from a criminal to a tattooist.

Whatever the journey will be with THK - I have faith FK and JD will bring their A-game and acting skills to the table. At the very least, we can be assured the soundtracks and cinematography will be on point. I mentioned on a previous ask I like happy endings for my leads, but I certainly won't mind seeing them suffer before that. So, I'm ready to go on a roller coaster journey as we have Kant/Style seducing our assassins while struggling morally to accept they love someone who kills for a living. Or the crushing agony when Fadel/Bison finds out about the betrayal.