#will is a GREAT character with his own arc and the book ITSELF is good we really need to stop putting unnecessary hate onto it

[coirinthyurilo]

Can we talk about how Will just somehow survived Tartarus despite the odds against him? And how he still loves Nico despite it?

(Also talking about how Will is genuinely such a great boyfriend, Nico is so lucky fr fr.)

Like we just witnessed him actively DYING in Tartarus. Why are we pretending it's not that serious?

Sure, the book itself doesn't feel as dramatic as Percabeth's journey in Tartarus. But it's still actively dangerous.

EXTREMELY dangerous for Will especially. Nico, he's been there. He's been in Tartarus. He's also affected by it too. Clearly both of them are affected because Nico almost DIED in his last one.

And then we have Will actually dying, getting weaker as he travels deeper into the underworld with nothing but a sun lamp to keep him alive.

So why are we only focusing on Nico and Percabeth's journey when Will canonically had the hardest time there? 😭

Sure the entire book is about Nico and Will's character development and their relationship growing stronger by the end.

But can we not invalidate Will's journey THROUGH IT? I've seen many people forget Will is a survivor, sure with Nico's help. But without him he's guaranteed to die.

Still doesn't mean that he's not a strong character, he survived TARTARUS you gotta be HELLA strong as it is? He's also saved Nico's life multiple times in the book.

He may be a healer but it also doesn't mean he's not capable. Only to an extent.

It's sad how some people ignore the book just because it feels like a fanfic when it's not?? It's their journey as a couple, it's FOCUSED ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

That's different to Percabeth the book was focused on GETTING THEM OUT mostly.

That's Percabeth was down there unwillingly.

Solangelo traversed to Tartarus WILLINGLY.

That's the difference between two books. If they were down there against their will they might be more at stake because they're fighting for their lives. Trying to get out.

But they're down there to save their friend, so yes it's going to be different— because the main plots is different. 😭😭😭

So with all of the odds clearly AGAINST Will it's remarkable that he somehow survived it all.

Like he had a BAD fall, Tartarus was literally killing him to the point his body is unraveling itself, making bigger wounds. He had a taste of pain of the River Styx. (Even if it's a dream.)

He was CLEVER to use their circumstances and information to send a mania away from them to avoid extra danger. Even if it made Nico unsettled. It was necessary.

He went against a fricking nightmare demon. He went against NYX. And then we have him talking to Persephone for some part of it.

The bravest thing he's done? Was him completely accepting and understanding despite seeing the true nature of Nico's home.

Of where Nico originates. Will stayed with him, despite seeing EVERYTHING BAD about it. All the horrors, and terrors.

And yet there's good in it.

He's still came to the conclusion that this is what Nico is. With all the bad, there is still just a bit of good that makes the entire thing worth it.

I rest my👏 FUCKING 👏CASE.

[cynthiav06]

Percy is a dude from the category of screaming "what the hell did you do!" and solve all the problems in 5 minutes. Everyone would have been dead a long time ago if it wasn't for him.

I have mixed opinions on this. On one hand, Percy is the type of person to wait about for the problem to disappear by itself just so he doesn't have to deal with it. Cause even before he found out he was a demigod, he was 100% done with everyone's shit.

But I do agree that he would be able to solve all problems because through so many books we have seen that no matter how much prior planning Annabeth or the Seven or anyone else does, Percy always does his own thing at the end. And it works out mostly for the better than whatever initial situation anyone else had in mind because Percy thinks almost too well on his feet. Every time.

But Percy has such low self esteem that he sees the fact that he has to make so many improvisations more so as his plans never working as less so as an exceptional ability to adapt. Especially when at times he can easily sense that some titan/giant is too powerful so he maneuvers around a direct fight and ends up defeating them by pure strategy and still ends up thinking of himself as "Oh shit I seriously had no plans. I am so reckless and stupid".

His whole character arc could have been evolving into a more confident and self assured but still the usual sarcastic laid back version of himself who no longer doubts his own abilities and becomes the great leader he showed many signs of being. But no, Rick had to ruin it all because, for some reason, 10+ books later and almost all the characters are still the same, just decorated with even more trauma. Rick being Rick, and instead of showing characters working out their traumas and insecurities, he just slaps a relationship on them, and lo and behold, all is better again somehow.

I am kind of disappointed that we never got to see Percy or any other members of the Seven do any solo missions(aside from Annabeth in MoA) . She almost had the very quintessential realization about how she needs others and how her hubris will ruin everything if she doesn't keep it in check only for whatever she was doing in the later parts House of Hades and all of Chalice of the Gods to take away even that little bit of character development.

And cause solo missions working out perfectly well for Percy while most other demigods struggle a bit to make it work might finally make him realize that his plans don't suck and he is actually a really really good strategist and somehow an even better manipulator. (Though more on that and his observational skills later).

Or make characters like Frank and Leo whose unique abilities and perspectives on combat could have been shown off more, making them all become more self-reliant.

And even so we could finally get proper idea of limits of certain characters like Piper (cause charmspeak isn't going to get her everywhere) or Hazel (we so need more scenes of her surprising demigods and monsters with not only her unique jewel abilities and her magic.) Plus Nico's combat limits, Jason's stamina limits (no I am not considering his death part of canon, you can't tell me it's true, I refuse to stand by it), Thalia's character development as well as her honing her powers and combat abilities more.

So yeah, we really should have gotten a few solo missions instead of so many short stories and all. And a bit more cross-over highlighting the power levels between the Norse, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian demigods/magicians/Valhalla residents/Valkyrie and so on.

To sum it up, tons of missed opportunities by Riordan and even more tragic and terrible progression of previously great characters who just needed a well-made character arc or even some favoritism. (I am looking at Grover and Rachel, who both could have done so so much if Rick had only realized the awesome potential they had).

I have said it many times that it's #percy jackson supremacy. So hell yes everyone would be dead without him, and he is arguably the best protagonist out of any other fantasy action book series. All hail Percy Jackson, the master of sass, and the most beloved but somehow still the most misinterpreted character in the fandom. Really liked this ask, would love more of these regarding Percy or any other characters.

[caricabubamarica]

Since I’ve discovered Lego Ninjago at the ripe age of seven, the biggest fantasy of mine has always been to be one of the ninja on the team, fighting alongside the core four and dealing with Serpentine and so on. When I was a little girl, the only way I could satisfy the urge was to use my imagination.

So when the Covid 19 hit back in 2020, and I discovered Wattpad for the first time in my life, it was as if I had entered a whole new world based off of the imagination of other people all across the world. I was spending days and nights on it until there was nothing worth reading for me.

Back in 2022, I finally decided to catch up on the show, seeing it pop up on my Netflix account and decided to give it a go. Before so, I had developed a habit of reading dozens of fan fictions about the show I was at the moment hooked onto, so once I finished watching all of the Ninjago seasons, I went through any fan fiction on Wattpad that I could find regarding Ninjago x reader/original character and quickly noticed a pattern that made me grow bored of whatever book I was reading rather quickly.

Every single fan fiction, save for few rare ones, had the main character be an elemental master of darkness/destruction.

Every. Single. One.

Now at first, I thought the issue stemmed from the fact that there was an obvious lack of originality and uniqueness, but it actually originated from the fact that every story had the exact same storyline, and I mean the exact same one.

The main character would be an elemental master of darkness/destruction and because the elemental powers are inherited, the character is obviously the child of Lord Garmadon and a sibling of Lloyd. Of course, let’s not forget that the character has extreme protectiveness over Lloyd and despises their mother with concerning levels of rage. They are always stubborn and a badass character who never does no wrong and is always in the right and somehow knows exactly what is going to happen but still messes up so the plot can continue as it originally does.

They are also, obviously, the fifth ninja who also possesses a golden weapon of their own, which is usually the most useless thing to ever exist. During the Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja, they are in most cases turned to the bad side because their power is unbeatable but it is then somehow beatable because the plot obviously has to move on. Not to mention, they are the only ninja who can use their elemental powers without the golden weapons because they are just that good.

I can guarantee that if anyone goes to Wattpad right now and tries to find a longer Ninjago book with the character insert, they would find at least few books who resemble this exact description. Why? Because the idea of a character, other than Garmadon, who is an elemental master of darkness and destruction is a great plot and idea for the character in Ninjago realm, but none of them actually think outside the box when it comes to actually executing it.

For example, when they write the character to be the fifth ninja and the fifth protector of the fifth golden weapon and the prophesied green savior, why don’t they write about the fact that the element of darkness and destruction is the toughest for Lloyd to master because he refuses to become like his father and because the element itself takes a toll on the mind of the one who possesses it?

Or why don’t they write about the fact that the reason the Ninjago realm is not perfect is because the First Spinjitzu Master used the element of destruction to create something, only for it to come back to bite him in the ass?

Why don’t they give the character the arc of trying to master their elemental power after Lloyd gives each of the ninja a piece of his golden power in Season 3: Rebooted, only for them to go down the wrong path?

Why don’t they write about the inner conflict the child of Lord Garmadon who inherited his elemental powers would have when they see that what others call a gift, in their case it is called a curse? Why don’t they expand on the feelings of envy the child would feel towards Lloyd for being praised and cherished for his destiny while they are looked down on for their own?

There is so many different possibilities to that plot device and yet I have yet to see someone do it properly.

I apologize if this offends anyone but it has been bugging me for three years now and I had to write it down somewhere where I could hear different opinions about it. I am not trying to shame anyone on their work or anything, if that is what you want to write, go for it, I am a nobody with no life who is still hung up on a kids show that aired back in 2011.

Enjoy what you want, love what you want, and take this how you want. Luv ya!

[bonefall]

instead of asking what parts of wind you’ll be getting rid of, i’ll instead ask what parts you’re keeping. the list is shorter then haha

FROSTPAW AND WHISTLEPAW.

Best part of Wind is the bond between these two, in fact, the entire plot about WindClan felt like it dropped out of the alternate universe where the books are good. The sudden dream of catastrophe, the way StarClan gave Frostpaw this sign on purpose to make them know she's legitimate, Whistlepaw injuring herself to try and save her little sister... Even the little details, like Nightcloud and Hootwhisker trying to drag the tree by the trunk, were neat to see.

I Dont Rewrite Arcs Until They Are Done BUT I do know that I'm going to elevate and expand what's going on with Frost and Whistle. They're fantastic.

Another small thing I'm actually planning on keeping is this exchange between Squilf and Jayfeather, which you'll probably find surprising since I'm so open about how much I dislike the way they've made Squilfstar less proactive;

In a better book, I think this could have been a GREAT moment.

What I dislike about this exchange is that Squilf is able to rebuke it, because the writers DO feel that Bramblestar was a good leader. They're trying to show that Squilfstar is going to act more "mature" (read: boring) with her role now, probably to make a point about how Bramblestar wasn't being "indecisive" for the 10 years we were stuck with him but "responsible." Basically, she gets the power and finds out it isn't so easy-- I'll even bet at some point in the next arc or two she'll become frustrated by someone acting the way she used to.

I've seen some people praising this, and like, it's not illegal to have bad taste. But I think this is an AWFUL thing to do with a character who could have finally caused interesting things to happen, on top of just feeling like contempt of criticism on behalf of the writers.

"Ohhhh they thought she would be more decisive than our beloved baby boy, WELL, WE'LL SHOW THEM. You will sit through 10 paragraphs of debate no matter WHO is in charge!!!"

But like I said....... in a better book, this could have been great. If this was a wake-up call for her.

Suddenly experiencing the full weight of responsibility upon herself, she stops making bold decisions. The complicated political situation in front of her, individual opinions of her Clan around her, and the wounded glares of the furious Brambleclaw below her are all acting like briar vines, pulling her down.

Even StarClan itself seems to have placed a weight on her, cats who she's followed faithfully and been punished by.

So Jayfeather, with all of the changes he has in BB, brawling with angels, speaking defiance to the stars, and pulling spirits down from the heavens, is the perfect cat to be honest with her.

I'm still trying to find a good way to describe the electricity between them in this moment. BB!Jayfeather once reached up his paw through the veil between life and death to grab her ankle and fetch her from her own trial, knowing that she wanted to keep living. He's part of whatever motion she took to remove Bramblestar from power. Her son, her cleric, her ally. How do I put these emotions into words?

"Did you come this far just to become someone else?"

Just... what a moment it could be. For this to be the second that Squilfstar realizes in spite of everything, Bramblestar's thorns still jab at her. That she has to move forward, DAMN the uncertainty, by being herself.

[petalstem]

Finished the second graphic novel! The pacing was QUITE fast again, which definitely hurt it in some places (The battle between Brokenstar and his rogues VS ThunderClan felt HORRIBLY paced with how it just suddenly ended, and warrior names being gained happening either off-screen or mentioned in passing I wasn't huge on), but unlike the first one, I do think it had the benefit of the ENTIRE book being the same breakneck pace, whereas the first book started slower and then suddenly SPED through the final third. Ultimately I won't hold it TOO hard against the graphic novels though, given that they have a LOT of material to cover and can't go on forever, but I do feel there's some aspects that could've been done a bit better.

The ableism is almost entirely fixed! This is a MASSIVE boon and makes things SO much better to read. They wouldn't have been able to reach the levels of ableism of the originals ANYWAYS just thanks to the change in medium, we can't spend a million paragraphs on Fireheart's inner monologue about disability being the worst thing that could ever happen, but beyond just that, they made an active effort to make Cinderpelt her own person and have her own agency in her life, and I MASSIVELY appreciated that! Cinderpelt chooses what she wants and she is ACTIVELY given that choice, with Fireheart being an active member in making sure she knows she CAN choose, as opposed to original Fireheart who sees Cinderpelt enjoying her job and cries about how she can't be a full person. Thank God Fireheart is no longer the worlds most ableist cat on the planet

Unfortunately, they didn't change Princess's weird dialogue about wanting to "choose Cloudkit's fate", but it's both not as bad as the original in my opinion, but also gets contrasted later on with Sandstorm saying how Cloudkit could choose to become a kittypet if he wants, just as Fireheart chose to become a warrior.

I really like the contrast between Silverstream's death and Brokentail's, I love Yellowfang repeating the line about not being able to save everyone, with the extremely clear visual indication that she actively killed him. Works super well!

I think the condensing of Cloudpaw's arc actually served itself well. Given how fast these books are and how much there is to tell, shortening Cloudpaw's arc down to just a few pages benefits in that it still gets the point across, but doesn't take up time from other important story beats that need to be hit

As per usual, the ThunderClan fire remains my favorite scene in the first arc. While, thanks to the change in medium, the fire itself was foreshadowed as much or in the way I absolutely adore from the originals, I think it was still absolutely great, I love the ThunderClan fire for how tense and dramatic it is without relying on battles, it really feels like the absolute calamity that it is

The ending was, by far, the best part of the book. I think the book as a whole WAS quite good, but the ending, with Bluestar yelling against the background of dogs, is VERY well done foreshadowing and a way to integrate the prologue of the next book seamlessly, and I think it also really works to sell the emotion of Bluestar, while also not being SOLELY metaphorical, given that we know the dogs will be relevant next book.

As per usual, art was fantastic! I think they have some issues with pushing expressions just a tad too far in some places, there's one in particular of Fireheart yawning that just feels a bit too much, but as a whole, I'd rather they be too expressive over not expressive enough. And even with that said, the too exaggerated expressions are not that prevalent, and I actually think the book does the more somber, subdued expressions quite well, basically any scene where a character expresses closed mouth or mostly closed mouth shock really is done quite well

As a whole. I loved it! I think these graphic novels are basically the only piece of genuinely good warriors media in an extremely long time, and I'm excited to see how they handle the finale of arc 1!

[literary-illuminati]

2025 Book Review #16 – Southern Bastards Book 1 by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour

My goal of reading a non-mainstream-superhero comic book hardcover a month is very rapidly exceeding the number of non-mainstream superhero comic books I’ve ever actually heard of. So this was a recommendation from a friend on tumblr, opened with absolutely no expectations of what I would find inside. And going in with zero expectations, this was a good read! The end of the first arc genuinely took me by surprise in a way not much fiction does these days, and the general atmosphere and character work is all great.

The story opens with the middle-aged and disillusioned-about-everything Earl Tubb returning to his father’s ramshackle home in the rural and impoverished Craw Country, Alabama, to pack up his belongings and clear the place out after his uncle had a stroke. His father was the town’s former sheriff, who took the job far too seriously and got himself killed over it. Having run away to join the army, Earl is returning decades later only under duress – but despite his best efforts, finds himself sticking his nose into the rot and crime that now defines life in the county. The end of the first arc is his feud with Boss, the coach of the universally beloved high school football team, and the crime lord and uncrowned king of Craw County. The second arc then jumps back a few decades to show just where Boss came from and how he clawed his way up to where he is now. Throughout, there’s a constant drumbeat of brutal violence, bigotry both petty and grand, and football. So, so much football.

The heart and soul of the story is Craw County itself, and the whole sort of rural southern region it represented (one where Birmingham Alabama is ‘the big city’). It is a portrayal that is so cynical and on the nose my initial read was that it was more mean-spirited satire than attempt at real representation – but, while it’s certainly a bit exaggerated, the letters section of the end of each issue is always bursting with lifelong southerners talking about how familiar and compelling a setting it is and how close to home it feels. Which just adds a whole extra layer to the reading experience, really. In any case, the extremely unsentimental betrayal of just how casually bigoted (racist, homophobic, etc) everyday life is makes me curious how Earl’s biracial daughter (who looks set to be a major character in the next arc) will be handled going forward.

This is a crime story, to an extent, but really it’s character drama that happens to be in a place where crime and corruption and violence are just the rules of the game. Though maybe it’s better to call it a collection of tragedies – the two arcs so far have been a man utterly destroyed by his virtue and pigheaded stubbornness in an act of totally futile valor, and one consumed and bled of everything admirable in him by his ambition and his spite. In neither case does any sort of karmic justice or outside authority setting things aright seem likely. Which I adore, to be clear – this sort of establishing someone’s basic character and then watching it ruin them over the course of four issues is catnip to me.

This is I believe the least ‘genre’ comic book I have ever read – no ghosts, gods, superheroes or aliens to be seen! A setting that is ostensibly our own world (and a very run-down and washed out portrayal of it, at that)! - which is a bit ironic, really. It’s not like ‘crime melodrama’ isn’t one of the archetypal lowbrow sorts of fiction ‘genre fiction’ was initially used to denigrate. Might as well be reading a cowboy story. And you can very much see the debt and lines of connection this owes to the superhero stories that both author and artist seem to have made their career on – the first arc centring on Earl, especially, is just a mask and a happy ending from being an origin story. There’s an iconic, history-freighted and serendipitously acquired weapon he starts wielding as he takes up his father’s metaphorical mantle! Hell, the crime lord’s anonymous muscle all wear anonymizing costumes, even! (Football uniforms with the helmet on, in this case). The story is overwhelmingly concerned with the heroic drive to set yourself against what seems like the whole world, and the violence that unfailingly ensues when you do. I’m deeply curious if the second book will build up to a more positive vision of it, or keep the tragic sensibility.

This is not, visually, a particularly beautiful book – but I don’t really think it’s trying to be. The art does an excellent job making Craw County seem dingy and run-down as it’s introduced, and honestly I can’t really say if most of the cast is ugly or if this is just the first comic book I’ve ever read with a realistic variety of body shapes and senses of fashion, and characters with less-than-perfect skin. In any event, the effect is very worn-down and lived in, except for the very stylized moments of high contention and violence (and/or football), where the composition gets much more interesting, the art much more symbolic, and the blood extremely plentiful.

Anyway, all in all an odd little number. Recommended if you like comic books and crime dramas, or are just sick and tired of costumes and capes. Or even if you’re only apathetic to comics but really love character drama and brutal violence (and high school football) in the rural south.

[silverflameataraxia]

Part of me is worried that SJM will just sweep the Ember bonus chapter under the rug, but since we know Nesta's story isn't over yet, another part of me feels like she might use the bonus chapter as a catalyst for Nesta's story arc in the next book, as well as some character development for members of the IC like Cassian and Azriel.

The bonus chapter focused on three main issues: 1) The IC's treatment of Nesta, 2) Nesta's emotional state, and 3) Nessian post-ACOSF.

1. In regards to the IC's treatment of Nesta, the bonus chapter really made it obvious that the IC only reacted the way they did because it was Nesta who gave Bryce the Mask. If anyone else had done it, the IC wouldn't have reacted the way they did. We've seen various members of the IC make incredibly risky decisions, but yet none of them have been ripped to shreds or threatened with punishment or possible execution by their family. Even when they have disagreements, we can always see the love and admiration that they have for each other. None of that is visible here. Their treatment of Nesta was out of pure hatred, with no love of admiration to be found, not even from Cassian (her mate) or Azriel (her friend and brother).

2. Nesta's emotional state is not usually commented on because her emotions are usually hidden beneath her cold mask, her wall of steel. But Ember notes a lot of Nesta's emotions and none of them are good. Nesta's nearly vacant face; her carefully blank face; her thin, brittle voice; the bruised look in her eyes; the pain and guilt in her face, the wave of raw emotion that she was holding in. The only times Nesta had any positive emotions were when Ember was sticking up for her: Nesta showed surprise, gratitude, and longing. I feel like SJM really honed in on Nesta's emotional state in this bonus chapter because it's going to be used to fuel her story arc next book. All signs seem to point toward her being Starborn, and as much as I don't know what that journey will entail, I do feel like Nesta will go off on her own. Both to protect those she loves (Cassian was almost killed by Lanthys, Azriel could have been killed by the Middengard Wyrm, and Gwyn and Emerie almost died in the Blood Rite), but also because maybe she feels like she failed Cassian and Az, or that maybe she feels like Cass doesn't love her anymore, or that nothing she ever does is good enough and that she's not worthy of him. Even though she just defeated the Asteri, ended the enslavement of Midgard, ended the threat to Prythian and all other worlds, I really feel like Nesta is going to feel like she failed or that she's not worthy of the Dread Trove because of the IC.

3. Nessian clearly didn't get their HEA at the end of ACOSF. Cassian is not looking too great in the bonus chapter, and Nessian is clearly not in a good place. Cassian doing nothing to stick up for his mate or protect her is not a good look. He clearly doesn't have much faith in Nesta and Bryce defeating the Asteri, which means he doesn't have much faith in his mate. When Rhysand threatens to punish Nesta, Cassian doesn't do anything. He doesn't even snarl, "Over my dead fucking body!" When the most powerful High Lord in Prythian history turns his full fury on Nesta, Cassian merely steps an inch closer to her. He doesn't get in between them, he doesn't do anything to protect his mate. SJM chose to have Ember highlight Cassian being conflicted and torn over who to side with, while in the book itself she had Bryce mention that like any good mate, Cassian would rip her to shreds if she made one wrong move with Nesta. To me, this is highlighting once again how Cassian will protect Nesta from anyone and anything except Rhysand, which I think will set the stage for Cassian character development/redemption arc. One of the biggest issues with Cassian is his complete devotion to Rhysand (even to Nesta's detriment). He feels guilty for "failing" Rhysand and wants to spend the rest of his life making it up to him and proving his worth, but as we see perfectly laid out in the bonus chapter, this is causing Cassian to fail his mate in every way that truly matters. Since next book is Az's (although, I'm sure we'll get some Nesta POV's), I can see both of them working through this guilt together. Az may feel like he failed Rhysand, but he doesn't worship the very ground he walks on, nor does he make Rhysand's happiness his main goal in life like Cass does. And since Az wants a mate so badly, I don't think he'll take too kindly to Cassian potentially losing his mate because of his sheer devotion to Rhysand. I think Az will be able to get through to Cass, and spur his redemption arc by helping him come to terms with his guilt over "failing" Rhysand so he can be fully devoted to Nesta before he loses her for good.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Sauron's character arc in Tolkien lore and "Rings of Power"

I see many folks not understanding that "character arcs" exist and making the mistake of seeing "Third age" Sauron in "Rings of Power" Sauron.

The show itself is making this distinction, but the audience is so wrapped-up on their own headcanons they refuse to see it. Tolkien did spell out Sauron's character arc on his letters, and "Rings of Power" is giving us just that.

Folks who have never read the books nor are familiar with Tolkien legendarium, it's perfectly fine not to understand this. But I’m seeing Tolkien fans misreading Sauron’s character, and that’s strange to say the least. 

Season 1: Repentant Mairon aka Halbrand

"Sauron in Truth Repented": full meta here

And there is Sauron. In the Silmarillion and Tales of the First Age Sauron was a being of Valinor perverted to the service of the Enemy and becoming his chief captain and servant. He repents in fear when the First Enemy is utterly defeated, but in the end does not do as was commanded, return to the judgement of the gods. He lingers in Middle-earth. Tolkien Letter 131

He [Sauron] was given an opportunity of repentance, when Morgoth was overcome, but could not face the humiliation of recantation, and suing for pardon; [...] temporary turn to good and 'benevolence'. Tolkien Letter 153

When Thangorodrim was broken and Morgoth overthrown, Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance to Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds [...] Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not within the power of Eönwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgment of Manwë. Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, in might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great. Therefore when Eönwë departed he hid himself in Middle-Earth. The Silmarillion

Season 2 and 3: Sauron the Reformer ("Annatar" and "King of Kings")

“The rings of power” masterplan. Season 2 kicked out this plot of Sauron’s character arc, and will continue to Season 3, as he finds the Nine ring-bearers.

He [Sauron] lingers in Middle-earth. Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganising and rehabilitation of the ruin of Middle-earth, 'neglected by the gods'. Tolkien Letter 131

[...] at the beginning of the Second Age he was still beautiful to look at, or could still assume a beautiful visible shape [...] 'reformers' who want to hurry up with 'reconstruction' and 'reorganization'. Tolkien Letter 153

He [Sauron] had gone the way of all tyrants: beginning well, at least on the level that while desiring to order all things according to his own wisdom he still at first considered the (economic) well-being of other inhabitants of the Earth. Tolkien Letter 183

Season 4 and 5: Morgoth's representative

“Fall of Númenor” and “War of the Last Alliance”, after Sauron loses the ability to take on fair form. He can no longer deceive others on his own (seduction), and resorts to his military power to achieve his goals of domination and tyranny

pride and the lust to exert [his] will eat [him] up. Tolkien Letter 153

When he found how greatly his knowledge was admired by all other rational creatures and how easy it was to influence them, his pride became boundless. By the end of the Second Age he assumed the position of Morgoth's representative. Tolkien Letter 183 (note)

“The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (Third Age)

This is Sauron most of you are familiar with, and this is the evilest Sauron has ever been on his character arc.

By the end of the Third Age (though actually much weaker than before) he claimed to be Morgoth returned. Tolkien Letter 183 (note)

He [Sauron] becomes a reincarnation of Evil, and a thing lusting for Complete Power – and so consumed ever more fiercely with hate (especially of gods and Elves). Tolkien Letter 131

But he [Sauron] went further than human tyrants in pride and the lust for domination, being in origin an immortal (angelic) spirit. In The Lord of the Rings the conflict is not basically about 'freedom', though that is naturally involved. It is about God, and His sole right to divine honour. The Eldar and the Númenóreans believed in The One, the true God, and held worship of any other person an abomination. Sauron desired to be a God-King, and was held to be this by his servants; if he had been victorious he would have demanded divine honour from all rational creatures and absolute temporal power over the whole world.   Tolkien Letter 183

The corrupted, as was Melkor/Morgoth and his followers (of whom Sauron was one of the chief) saw in them the ideal material for subjects and slaves, to whom they could become masters and 'gods', envying the Children, and secretly hating them, in proportion as they became rebels against the One (and Manwë his Lieutenant in Eä). Tolkien Letter 212

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer by A.H. Cunningham

4.25/5. Releases 4/29/25.

—responsible single mom having her hot girl summer

—if the alternative is a guy named "Milton"...

—Carnival! fetes! getting away from it all truly AWAY FROM IT ALL

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Trinidad Velasquez is a 35-year-old single mom who puts her boys first at every moment; Orlando is her sons' 25-year-old mentor, and he can't possibly be appropriate for her. Milton, the man who's thisclose to committing to her, is—not that he's very exciting. When Trinidad unexpedctedly finds herself in a resort town, in the midst of Carnival, with Orlando... She can't possibly access her old self with this man. Can she?

The Review:

I have a soft spot for a girl How Stella Got Her Groove Back moment, which I feel is kind of hard to NOT think about when you're enjoying the story of a responsible woman rediscovering herself with a younger man. Unlike Stella, however, this is a true romance novel—and Orlando is a fully-realized character who exists as more than Trinidad's "reawakening trigger". Which makes him all the more likable!

To be honest, I don't think you need to be a mother, or even in your mid-thirties, to understand where Trinidad is. She's warm and gentle with those she loves and trusts... but that circle is small, and Orlando (understandably) isn't part of it. She wants the best for herself; she just isn't exactly sure what the best is, or how she can get it.

Which actually puts her in a similar place to Orlando—while he openly pursues her, he's also stuck between what he thinks he should do and what he actually wants.

One of the things you often run into with age gap romances is this idea that it's just not right because he's yoooung! And she'd oooold! Occasionally, there's also the idea that the hero might want kids and the heroine won't (or can't) provide them. I get it—but it can get kind of stale, which sucks as I generally enjoy books wherein the heroine is older than the hero.

Which is why I loved that, while Trinidad has her initial hangups about hers and Orlando's age difference (the novel deals with the kid question in a way I loved), that's really not the issue. The issue is that Orlando is in a different point in life, and the book actually illustrates what that means in terms of how he handles his emotions, how he sees the world, what he's facing.

Though this is by no means a heavy novel—it's so much fun—that sense of reality ups the stakes and makes you invest even more in these deeply likable people who just deserve love, okay? They deserve love and I wanted to see them get it.

Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer is indeed a great summer romance. I fell in love with the setting—not just the Carnival fete vibes, but the town itself. The locals! The vacation of it all! I don't want to live in a tiny vacation town, but sweeping into it in a romance novel is just! So! Good!

The Sex:

This is a hugely sex positive novel. Trinidad is an unabashedly horny heroine—you get sex toy usage on the page, and while the sex itself takes some building up to... It's both romance novel-y and tangibly real, if that makes sense. Also. Loved seeing a Specific Type of Content on the page...

Conclusion:

You want a summer romance? You've got a summer romance. This is the kind of respite we need right now. It's hot and sweet and fabulous, just like Orlando and Ms. V.

Thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy. of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[stuckasmain]

Dave’s old life is cast aside and he is reborn (semi-literally) as a star child. It is an ending that has left many baffled, including me, but is ultimately a touching end and beginning.

Dave ends the story an evolved being, yet not so far detached from his human origin. He still has a great deal of emotion and curiosity - he becomes a baby because he simply is one when it comes to understanding the universe. He could go anywhere, do anything and yet he goes to earth. He goes and watches over it like a shiny toy, while his physical ties have been severed he’s still attached to it- almost like a mother, if we stay with the baby metaphor.

Eventually he will move on from it but for now he is a protector of sorts. The guardian of earth. He stops the bomb not for his own sake but because he simply wants humanity to continue on- he stops a potential doomsday!

It’s too bad this is completely uprooted in the following bits of the series. He is “beyond” emotion, he is on Europa. I would be fine if the evolution or planet was focused on even remotely besides the same few paragraphs, he’s transformed and cast aside. All of the prior meaning is rebuked, all of his humanity removed. See it wasn’t the transformation that did it but the story itself— as it decided to pivot and couldn’t just have him watching. He must be a blank slate. He must be elsewhere- he can’t even enjoy watching the other planet or if he does we don’t really hear of it.

Dave becomes more of a plot device than a person, as a star child there’s so many facinating things you could do with him. For one thing a dressing the trauma that came from that and before, and — again either guardian of earth - self chosen- or we actually see his involvement elsewhere. He becomes a just as much of a tool as the monolith.

Not only is his humanity stripped but his agency, in 2010 he describes himself as a dog on a leash a good number of times. While I absolutely adore that metaphor, it’s so tragic and not even acknowledged as such?! (Again so much could be considered cosmic horror and it’s either had waved or blankly accepted) he went from a near omnipotent being to LOSING LARGE CHUNKS OF TIME AND BEING USED AS A PROBE. He’s suddenly beyond humanity when he was so attached before; he becomes apathetic incredibly fast. (Which, as a immortal being is understandable but it’s absolutely unearned and not in character) -> my issue isn’t with him becoming a tool of some higher power it’s that it’s sort of hand waved “it is how it is” and not addressed how messed up and interesting it is.

Now I’ve yet to read 3001 but my point here broadly stands. I fully believe it should’ve ended after 2010, as it comes across as very very clear it was a two book story and 2061 is a whole separate one with some characters tossed into it.

Arcs were over. There was a bit more explanation as to what happened in the first one; we got closure alongside Heywood. Things were set up for the future but it was more in a way for you to view them as fully developed not exactly a sequel. (Like the Hal 10,000 idea). It’s frustrating because Dave as a Starchild can lead to so many interesting things and it was a beautiful idea in 2001 but … after that it mistreats and mischarectetizes Him so fast in a way that frustrates me to no end. Maybe if there was an actual focus or exploration I could understand the direction but making him a cut out god figure is such a sad end.

A child of the stars still clinging to its former life, its humanity…

Oh what could have been. I’d like to imagine Dave would’ve never completely… not been Dave, yes over centuries he may subdue emotions, his interest may waver but what we get is a name and maybe some memory.

—

Clarification:

I fully enjoy 2010, my issues with Dave in that are minimal just that it’s a little sad he swaps guardianship but I can understand. I was excited and interested in Europa… only for that too also get sort of ignored.

There’s also some interesting points to come out of 2061 - how the monolith works, conversing with Hal and he does seem to have a genuine interest in study but it’s also where he’s sort of a name drop and little else

It’s the stripping him of his emotion and character that really gets me - as it’s a route that isn’t earned as Clark absolutely does not write about trauma or if he does it’s a off handed “ok so everyone dying and the monolith was a little scary but now I’m blue and don’t care” it’s even true for human characters idk

I pick and choose what I want to keep from the further books honestly, we’ll see if 3001 fixes this or if this rant grows longer. I’m just sad, Dave’s such a fascinating character and he’s so mistreated?

[bludpudding]

whts ur opinion on sila duriyanga im halfway between “gnc icon” and “it should have been me”

alright. man. fuckin. listen

i have some CHOICE WORDS about the dreaming series but THOSE CHAPTERS ESPECIALLY. WHAT THE FUCK IS AN ALEX CORINTH

Sila himself is all fine and dandy. not enough about them is revealed for me to have a concrete “this person’s great!” or “this person sucks ass!” stance (although with how the dreaming handles trans/gnc characters it probably wouldn’t be good. if you ask me Sila needs to go back in time and book a flight to get the hell out of the sandman universe for his own peace of mind. didn’t deserve any of that shit).

my issue is with the book itself. it’s the fact that they made corinthian human. that whole arc is a fucking disaster and it is very blatant to me that the writers didn’t really understand the characters they were working with. alex corinth is the bane of my existence and I am sending a shitmissile to his location as we speak.

what angers me the most is how the dreaming managed to produce such an intricate and BEAUTIFUL masterpiece like Souvenirs that explores Cori’s trauma and self-loathing and his experience with trying to find his place in the world only for it all to be completely thrown away. they knock him on the head, make him transphobic, put him in some tight pants and send him off to be human. making him human doesn’t help in telling his story. if anything, it just reiterates the fact that he’s this unlovable monster that can only be accepted if he’s completely and fundamentally changed. which is just. SO NOT TRUE MAN CMON IM BANGING MY HEAD ON THE TABLE HE IS A BEAUTIFUL CREATURE THAT REPRESENTS SO MUCH AND IS PERFECTLY CRAFTED AND THEY JUST THREW IT AWAY FOR WHAT? TO GIVE HIM WEEZER BLUE EYES?? EAT MY ASS. BOTH CHEEKS.

i get what they were trying to do but they missed it by a fucking long shot and now this alex corinth guy haunts my every waking thought

sila’s chill though. if that’s what you were asking.

(I’m open to discussion on this because I haven’t seen anyone hate alex corinth as bad as I do LMAO. tell me your thoughts.)

[tamelee]

Hi, do you think they'll make S and N straight in the live action movie? Like making S nicer to Sakura or not even keeping the kiss or enforcing the idea of S and N being "brothers",... Anyway, I expect nothing but still... it stings.

Hi~ Yeah I feel you.

Oh I have many expectations- 's just that not a single one is any good.

It’s highly possible they’re going to push contrasting narratives. Unfortunately. Though I don't see the point in forcing any of these ideas into a movie, because there's simply no time. It will have no meaning either way unless 'romance' is going to play a significant part in it... which also wouldn't make any sense.

It's a lose-lose for all of us no matter what you ship...

However, they’ve always done it with filler (everything aside the source material and... arguably Kishimoto's add-on's) as well as marketing material. Some is still subtle enough so people can argue about it, but argue they will. (Ah! Isn’t that so very clever?) It isn't for nothing they used to force Naruto on Sakura aggressively and love to make him look like an idiot in filler, or introduce random girl characters as part of a new movie-plot so he can not only be the Hero to save the day, no, he can be their personal Hero. Because, oh, isn’t he actually so handsome now that he saved me? It’s a lame way to check off the romantic elements they for some reason always need to add in and give to Naruto, disguising it under the excuse of “character-arc-stuff” because Naruto can't evolve even a single belief unless the girlies’ minds change about him first. Let alone narratively it destroys Naruto’s character, because a huge "problem" is that he’s people-pleasing his way to being liked and pretty much all filler I’ve come across only strengthens this flaw (I saw ‘flaw’ lovingly btw). Name a single thing that faithfully stayed true to the Manga and wasn’t made by Kishimoto:…

… right. 

Imo, best case scenario? They just leave out everything beneath the surface, pick a single Theme, focus on the Shinobi in a way that still allows for a bit of believable growth in these characters. Something that can still show the current while pushing for some realization and round it out somewhat satisfactory in the end. If they’re going to try anything beyond that, it’ll fail.

Kishimoto created art, but the sole decision for an adaptation means art is now ground through a giant meat-mill of great team-effort and commerce. Every medium functions differently and this decision alone comes with many problems. (Length ’s an important one. Structure too.) You can already see it in the interviews that are held about this project. Too many people are involved that have influential say about the outcome of the creative decisions. There’s also the lovely men in suits that have all the control and yet have zero creative-skill although they’d like to believe otherwise. Studio’s by itself have their own politics. This never bides well for adaptations. Very rarely is it acceptable. Very often it’s disappointing. Almost always it’s a high-budget fantasy. And yet they always know that fans are going to be critical and still not care. 

Stubborn as hell. 

(It’s different when it’s not really an adaptation, but more inspired by an existing story. HTTYD for example is very, very loosely based on a book-series— it has little connection, but there’s obviously still a story idea in there… )

[astheworldgoesonitswickedway]

I'm officially here to rant about Fernald. (the hook-handed man) Please don't come for me but I think it's time we stop romanticizing the character and pretending he's something he isn't. Okay, I get it. He's funny. Genuinely funny, not just "they set up a few good jokes funny." I too, love his relationship with Sunny. And yes, like many of our characters he had a traumatic past. Let's get started with Anwhistle Aquatics. Here's the thing. The Medusoid Mycellium getting out could quite literally have started the apocalypse. Sure there was a cure, but who really has horseradish (or a substitute) on hand? Without widespread knowledge of the cure or the cure itself such a fast acting poison could have destroyed a good portion of the world. (I know it sounds dramatic but hey, the poison was created to kill in an hour, so it is that serious) Okay so, I understand why Fernald felt they had to be stopped. But at the very least he killed Gregor Anwhistle. Which killing people was the very thing he was trying to stop? What he did was wrong, but I suppose we can understand why someone would be driven to that if they felt the world was at stake. Again, so not saying it's okay. I am not condoning that. But this shows us he willingly participated in murder, and without Olaf. Which brings me to my greatest point. His actions WITH Olaf. This time around, there was no "do the ends justify the means" to blur the lines. For one, especially in the books but also in the show, Fernald displays not only willingness to participate in Olaf's many schemes, and allow the kids to be abused, he himself is unnecessarily cruel for no reason other than apparently, he enjoys being cruel. I always thought the Miserable Mill was maybe the best example of this but also the Carnivorous Carnival. For two, Fernald was accomplice to who knows how much murder and arson. So Fernald had a rough past, so did Olaf and we don't try to excuse him! So V.F.D. no doubt threw Fernald away after the Anwhistle Aquatics incident, and what that means joining Olaf is okay? No! Who knows what horrible things he did before the Baudelaires arrived on the scene, who knows how many murders Fernald participated in and even committed with his own hands. (or rather hooks you know what I mean) In the Slippery Slope, Olaf ordered Fernald to throw a baby off a cliff and Olaf certainly didn't seem to think he would have any trouble following that order. And hey, to make it personal, how about Monty?! We all love Monty. He was amazing. Unlike many others he cared about the Baudelaires and he would have been a great guardian to them. I think he would have told them everything once they got to Peru. Well you know what? Fernald participated in Monty's murder. Yeah, I get it. Olaf did the deed. Still. And I know what you're thinking, Fernald left Olaf's troupe. Well that was a half baked redemption arc if you ask me. Fernald didn't leave because he suddenly realized he was wrong and developed morals. Fernald left because Olaf would have hurt the one person in the world he actually cared about. And yes, I loved Fiona and Fernald being siblings. It was kind of sweet watching him protect her. But it seems from his point of view, murder and abuse is okay as long as it's someone else's sister. Just not his. Despite his sweet protectiveness, that's also really selfish. And it's the same logic he used for Sunny. His little soft spot for her makes me smile. It's actually adorable. BUT. It is also selfish. Hurting Sunny, a literal infant, was all fun and games until he cared about her. ( okay well in the show he was hesitant from the beginning and in the book I don't think he ever cared about her but still) And let's not forget the way book Fernald harassed Violet. Need any more be said about THAT? Anyway, in conclusion, I understand the fandoms draw to the character and I can appreciate the things about him which make us laugh and smile, and which make us WANT to like him. All I'm saying is we should probably acknowledge those things don't change the fact that like Olaf, he is a murderous villain.

[chase-ingjackson]

A few reasons I like and dislike the the new Percy Jackson show (and why I think the musical is better) - initial reaction

To start, I think this new PJO show is a million times better than that dumpster fire of a movie (though I love logan lerman <3). I like that it is quite faithful to the overall arcs and major plot lines of the book. I love the diversity and high caliber of actors (though I def have some Viria-art inspired character images in my head that are god-tier). I love some of the characterizations/portrayals, especially when it comes to making the character more complex (I really appreciate TV Sally for being a real person with complex emotion, though of course book Sally is my fav). And I love that it's so high budget and hgihly-anticipated (great marketing) that it is bringing this beloved story to a greater audience, especially the younger generation and older generation (as parents/grandparents) than those of us who grew up with the series.

I can boil down all of my dislikes of this show into one overarching but very essential part of the show: I don't like that it is a drama. The characters are way too serious and too every-other-moment-we-need-an-instense-heart-to-heart. What I think this show should have been is a comedy adventure with drama/melodrama sprinkled in. In the books, it's all about the banter. And the TV show does some good one-liners, but it's always so serious. I think the best part of the book is that the characters can stay light-hearted and fun despite the horrors and terrors they face. In the show, the gods spoon feed the trio most of the answers, so when they do have a good realization (SPOILER: e.g. Kronos being the orchestrating force) it kind of comes out of nowhere. TV Annabeth is so serious (I know in the first book she is her most serious, but not to this degree) and a lot of the moments when she has time to use her smarts are gone or approached differently. Percy, too. He's not just self-sacrificing (which they really lean into in the show) but he's also incredibly smart and silly. In the books he's kind of a surface-level himbo with great critical thinking, but in the show he's kind of left in the dark and doesn't get opportunities to make his own plans (also, he doesn't seem to know how to control his power (by the 7th episode); whereas in the book he def did at this point. Then there are just dumb changes to make the show more "serious" like not mentioning that cell phones attract monsters or that monsters just smell demigods and not have a 6th sense for them. I'm finding that by trying to change these small details to make it something more exciting or interesting, it's distancing us existing fans by not letting us relate to the small details that really don't matter. For the cellphones, they still use Iris messages rather than getting a payphone or something, so that's kind of a plot hole in the show that is answered by the book.

Anyways, those are my main takeaways. Now, when I say "the musical" I refer to The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical by Joe Tracz and Rick Rokicki which first premiered in 2014 but got revamped and redebued in 2017 (which is when it came into my life). I got to see it live in Toronto in 2019 with my middle school best friend, but have been an avid listener of the soundtrack since 2017 (the day it came out on streaming platforms).

The musical in my eyes is a nearly-perfect adaptation of the book. It's soo funny - def the action comedy I'm after, but does have the meaningful emotional moments (ballads, which are essential in musicals). The show itself if the full package; however, even just listening to the soundtrack gives you the whole gist. Here's a link to hte soundtrack on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFwX6FWeUFQ&list=PL0hK1fYMaqXbtZ0Fhm48TYcLJl7ikNX7Q&ab_channel=TheLightningThief%3AOriginalCastAlbum

Anyways, I want to hear more thoughts and pls tell me what you think of the show (and the musical!!)

[lej222]

Hello.. I am actually afraid with the recent jisu miae centered episodes also the case with the flyers.. Like you said the fate thing is trying to set her up with jisu. do you think soonkki will actually do something like breaking up the main characters? Normally the webtoons don't have sad endings. On the other hand in soonkki's previous work it feels like she likes to play with various emotions and shows like the mcs gonna break up but they DO NOT. Also making the fl ends up with second ml is totally a huge thing to do. There's certainly more cheolmiae shippers than jisumiae. And isn’t it like cheol has more potential than jisu in every way? He has her pink book there's a photo of theirs which is now in miae's room which miae is still not aware of. But there's also this point how not a single photo in the whole story is with miae. Soo,,, what's your opinion in all of these?

Hi! This is indeed the most difficult question to answer!😃 I'll share my own opinion, and it's totally subjective so please be kind to me🥲

So, lately I've been thinking this series might not be targeted at teens. As I was writing my meta on supernatural clues in the story, I found so many little details that would be easy to miss. Like the synchronicity theory I wrote about, the things the parents keep saying in the story, or you could just look at Jisu's character and how so many people misunderstand his actions. As an adult, when I saw the scene of him getting hit by a teacher, I felt a sense of dread. I started thinking about why he provokes the teacher, why he seems so disengaged, etc. These things are easier to notice if you're an adult. Which takes me to my next point.

The ending of the webtoon heavily depends on the message the author wants to convey. If she wanted to tell a simple love story there was no need for supernatural clues in the story. Jisu's involvement and the way he was introduced also required a great deal of effort and pre-planning. Ominous signs have been present since the start. Even in the latest chapters, Miae thinking about how they will have time to talk in high school or Cheol imagining their life together - they all feel like promises that might not be fulfilled. Every time I've read about a character imagining their future in a story, it never really came true, like I've been keeping up with Firefly Wedding which is a beautiful manga, and the moment I saw them daydreaming about their future I knew it would never come true.

Reading ASLFUA, I cannot help but agree with a Korean commenter that Miae lives in a dream world. It's not a bad thing, don't get me wrong. She is still a child so it's expected, but she hasn't had her own arc where she matures. Cheol's story in the first half was all about him opening up to new people and experiences. If you compare Miae to how she was at the start vs how she is now, she hasn't really changed much. But we know that she must, even the narrator pointed it out. Living in a fantasy world is not a bad thing, but one day she has to step out of it. Life is not always kind and there are things that might not be under her control. Her parents are a good example. Her mother had to give up on her passion because of the financial crisis. Her father works tirelessly to make ends meet. Soonkki presents this story through a child's eyes, but she doesn't ignore the harsh truths of growing up. Miae's mom is watching the news about how adults should help their children to have a healthy view on sexuality. Miae has no idea what being in a romantic relationship means. These are all messages to the adult readers of the story.

This doesn't mean there's no possibility of Cheol and Miae ending up together. If Soonkki's message is that their love is so strong it can overcome fate itself, that's one possible route. For this ending, I think all the supernatural elements would be a little bit pointless, but it's a likely outcome. Or she can go the bittersweet route, where the emphasis would be on the growth story. For me, the supernatural involvement makes more sense in this scenario, but it's just my personal opinion. As for Cheol's popularity, I would say it would be more of a problem for international readers. Most Korean readers also love Jisu, people on the KR side are more open to multishipping in general. Take Operation True Love for example, most top comments are about how no one would be mad if the ML switched to Dohwa after the timeskip. Whatever happens though, Cheol is the ML of the story, because it's partly his own growth story.

Yes, the book in her dresser is still a plot point that needs to be addressed. Other than that, we only have one countyside memory we haven't seen, but we've already had lots of coming-to-full circle moments, like Miae touching Cheol's scar, them acknowledging their feelings, Cheol's POV, etc. We know almost nothing about Jisu and Miae only remembers two things about him. Why did he single her out? He did not ask to be helped and when he transferred they were wearing winter clothes. Miae became his friend after summer break. That's a big gap we don't know anything about. Why did Jisu not give her the accoustic guitar? Why did he look surprised when she said she wanted to study together? What is his wish? There are still a lot of questions that need answers.

I'm not saying I'm sure Miae and Cheol won't end up together, but I believe it's a possibility. At the end of the day, I'm obviously not the writer and what I wrote here might be all wrong, but I wanted to look at all sides of the argument and you are obviously not wrong to believe in a happy ending🙂

[thehollowprince]

The Acolyte, episode five...

I will admit, right off the bat, that I did enjoy this episode more than the first four, but that in and of itself is part of the problem. Should we have to sit through several mediocre episodes, which equal half of the show, just to get to what they've been promising as "the good stuff"? I mean, would you read a book that was a thousand pages long but told before you even opened it that the first five hundred pages were pretty bad?

But let's get into the good and bad (from my perspective).

The Good

I did enjoy the lightsaber combat, even though I don't think it was anywhere near the level of Duel of the Fates as we were "promised." That being said, it was leagues better than Ahsoka, which treated lightsabers like glowing baseball bats.

The Jedi are gonna Jedi - specifically seeing Sol and Jecki trying to save Mae despite all the horrible things she's done (and I'm sure will do in the future).

Jecki's entire fight with Mae leading into her fight with Qimir. I will admit I wasn't too fond of the character when she was first introduced, but she grew on me.

Yord being incredibly clever by using Qimir's own cortosis helmet to negate his lightsaber. That was clever, even if it ended tragically moments later.

Sol's entire arc this episode, from trying to save Mae to trying to avenge Jecki and Yord (and the others) to him remembering himself at the last moment. Lee Jung-jae has been one of the highlights of this show for me.

Amandla is doing a great job distinguishing both Mae and Osha as separate characters, to the point where I never confuse one for the other.

Manny Jacinto is very hot!

Also loved the secret shoto lightsaber.

The Bad

While I did appreciate most of the fight choreography, the very beginning was a little sloppy. When Osha wakes up and looks toward the battle, we just see a bunch of lightsabers waving back and forth through the air, even though some of them weren't anywhere near Qimir. It took me out of the story, and I didn't like it.

The Jedi all died (except Sol), which I called back when we saw the first trailer because you can't have the Jedi come up against a sith before the Phantom Menace and live to tell about it. It was very predictable.

Speaking of predictable, having Mae take Osha's place was something we all saw coming, right? From having the same actor play both roles to having both characters have the exact same hairstyle despite not having seen each other in sixteen years. Which leads me into my next point...

Mae's sudden about face again. Last week, she was fully ready to surrender to the Jedi and work with them, and now she's back to wanting revenge. She's exhibiting very Vadar/Anakin-like traits, and we'll have to wait until the end to see if they stick the landing on that, but as of right now, it's not looking so good.

Yord and Jecki dying. And not in the "two of my favorite characters died" kind of way, but in the "what was the point in introducing them as named characters" kind of way. We didn't get really any character development with them. We actually got more info on them from cast interviews than the actual three and a half episodes they were in, and now they're gone. It feels more like they were just put in to be killed off for shock value than anything else.

And finally, the fact that we're in the home stretch, with only three episodes remaining, and one of them is going to be another flashback, when we still have a mystery happening in present day.

I know I said this before, but given how they're stretching things out and how short most of these episodes are, this show could literally just have been a long movie.