tepidtrashpile

[tepidtrashpile]

I’m just thinking about how Ben Barnes performance is so good because he actually took it seriously. I feel like it’s so easy for men who act in these teen romance adaptations to completely dismiss the story and it’s value. Like even though I love Robert Pattinson in Twilight, he hated the books. And even if that isn’t obvious in his performance, it’s still there. Ben Barnes clearly mined that text and fully understood everything about the Darkling and it shows every time he’s on screen. This man is the new standard and that’s why his performance is one of the best that’s ever existed in an adapted work.

[tepidtrashpile]

Something Ben Barnes said about the Darkling that made me feel feelings. (shadow and bone spoilers)

"The worst thing that he does in the whole story — to me — is to use the knowledge [gained from Mal] that Alina loves blue irises, and then immediately presents her with blue irises. It makes me feel sick, at that moment, because it's the most outward show that he is manipulating, and it's just so outward that it makes me feel ill. When I saw that part in the show I was like, 'I don't want to play a bad guy, I want to play a good guy'."

I found it in a Hollywood reporter article and well, it just made me so sad because it's like we all know he's bad but when it hits us right in the face, it's just so heartbreaking. He and Jessie also talk about the consent change made from the book to series in the desk scene and I think that's a very important thing too.

[tepidtrashpile]

It’s me. I’m people. 😏😏

[tepidtrashpile]

no offence Alina Starkov but if a hot mysterious villain with a soft spot only for me asked for my hand in world domination i would simply accept

[tepidtrashpile]

I know its bait. It is etl bait. But they don’t have to go this far. They don’t have to go this hard. My soul can’t take this help.

[tepidtrashpile]

ok yeah darkling getting the flowers from mal shows how he is manipulative n shit whatever ok we get it but have you considered that it was objectively fucking hilarious

[tepidtrashpile]

The fact that this man stole Brekker’s Cane from a set in BUDAPEST, travelled overseas (I think? I suck at geography) back to London, only left an email stating he has already stolen the prop AND actually kept the cane for more than a year?

Freddy Carter IS Kaz Brekker and no one can change my mind.

[tepidtrashpile]

Thinking about the fact that in the video analyzing the first Darklina kiss, Jessie says that Alina is at a point where she’s ready to move forward and rely on herself rather than waiting around for Mal. And that we really do see her at her most independent in episode 5. She’s laughing with friends, embracing her power, settling in and deciding she wants to be a part of something greater. And she’s taking what she wants with the Darkling

None of Darklina is framed like her growing reliant on the Darkling or her being under his control. In her romantic scenes with Kirigan SHE is the one calling the shots at all points in time. She’s in control of the first kiss, she approaches him during the winter fete, she is extremely open to his advances and then he asks her for explicit consent and she gives it. There is no doubt about what she wants in this moment.

Up until episode 5, Alina has been holding onto the idea of not just Mal but her childhood and her trauma and her feelings of isolation and her ultimate belief that she will never fit in. But in episode 5 she leaves that behind and steps forward which is an incredibly hard thing for someone to do when they’ve been through so much.

And the narrative frames that as WRONG. Baghra calls her naive. Stupid. Chastises her for falling for Kirigan. And because Baghra is meant to be the correct party and the Darkling is evil, ALINA is framed as wrong and her episode 5 journey invalidated.

The problem isn’t that Alina walks away from Kirigan. The problem is that the narrative takes her character growth and decides to punish her for it. By linking her road to independence with her relationship with the Darkling (the very terrible, evil guy, shame for liking him SHAME) her road to independence is invalidated by the narrative. It says that not only is she wrong for liking the Darkling, she’s wrong for trusting Grisha, for wanting to be a part of the Grisha, for wanting to be a part of something bigger, for wanting to move forward.

And I know people will say ‘yeah, but the Darkling is bad so she needed to leave’. But I’m talking on a bigger picture here. Its not about whether or not the Darkling is a good person. Its not about whether Mal is a good person either (because I think he is in the show). Its because ‘Darkling bad, Mal good’ that Alina’s emotional growth is undercut and shamed. Because the good guy is attached to where she came from and the bad guy is attached to the future and therefore moving forward is villainized. And that’s what gets under my skin.

[tepidtrashpile]

Totally agree with this comment:

[tepidtrashpile]

#Darklina may not have invented mutual pining but they sure as shit perfected it

[tepidtrashpile]

Ben Barnes, actual captain of the Darklina ship

[tepidtrashpile]

Alina Starkov and The Darkling: ⇢  All the times the Darkling never turned away from Alina, and the one time he did.

Although Kirigan is the architect of this terrible moment, “There’s concern. And he turns away.” [x]

[tepidtrashpile]

Ben Barnes and Jessie Mei Li Behind the Scenes of Shadow and Bone

[tepidtrashpile]

General Kirigan

Me

[tepidtrashpile]

Mr. Barnes:

tumblr.com:

[tepidtrashpile]

#for science

[tepidtrashpile]

“I’m watching Shadow and Bone for the plot”

The Plot: