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OKAY that Star Wars Explained Sanctuary spoiler interview with Lamar Giles came out a couple days ago. You can watch here if you want. Speaking of - I haven't seen a lot of interviews posted and I've been trying to keep a close eye on it. If you have any others you know of lmk.

Highlights and thoughts below (particularly about a Tech and Phee thing) and also a thing about the "why was x included but x wasn't?" question I've seen floating around:

The "can clones have children?" question was pitched by Lamar and he thought SW wouldn't be down. But apparently they were cool with it.

This question has been addressed in Legends, but the way it went down in the EU was, in my opinion, weird. I think the Sanctuary approach is much less weird, which is good. I also think that of the newish lore decisions, this seems like a pretty easy one to approve. It's very open-ended, it doesn't create gaping holes in the lore, and also doesn't close any doors, thus not backing LF/SW into any weird corners. I also feel like the majority of the fandom was already in the "yeah they can probably have kids" boat (I certainly was), so really, it's kind of an easy trigger to pull. What would make it difficult -- because SW really does keep making things quite difficult for themselves -- is that they have to know people are gonna go CRAZY that it's confirmed. And, even MORE difficult, is the following:

Sohi and Ponder are meant to be a "really great potential version" of Tech and Phee ("what could have been and what could be, like a multiverse version," Lamar said). Which is.....bold. And very on the nose and very not subtle. And especially bold and very cool that the connection is largely made by Tech.

But it also brings up the question: Really, is SW gonna do anything else with it? Sohi and Ponder are cool characters, it was a fun story to read, but like, SW has the opportunity for an absolute LAYUP by showing us the version of TechPhee where they actually get that life. It is the absolute easiest dunk in the world for SW and they are currently just holding it in their hands and...waiting?

At this point, this all feels very Chekhov's gun-y to me. Like oh, okay, we're picking up this bit of lore, we're throwing it around, we're looking at it, is anyone gonna use it? Not only that, but good grief, the pre-relationship dance between Tech and Phee is as direct (in this book at least, less so in the show) as a few other SW romances I can think of, and all of those do end in some sort of very concrete action/declaration. And SW had to approve that! They read those words on a page and said, "yeah that's fine."

I do not and will not buy that Tech is just like "ope! what a fun life i could have lived. bye!" and then Plan 99'd. Yes, I hear the people yelling that he knew what his sacrifice meant, that that's why it's important. To that I say: No. Hard disagree. Everything about Tech is a subversion of expectations, and I truly believe that yeah, he thought he was gonna die, but he came to on that mountain or whatever and was like, "Well as I said: we never were any good at following orders." And that subversion of expectations needs to continue into him being able to have a very happy life and be something he wants to be (and according to this book, dude wants to be Phee's Husband and Father of Her Children).

So anyway, I think it's bold. I like that it was included. I'm very happy about it and I'm glad they let Lamar do it. But I am begging SW to please do something else with it.

Now, here's where I'm at with it. When bringing these books together, I believe SW's biggest priority is going to be: 1.) Not contradicting themselves; 2.) Not shutting the door on any future stories. Retconning and backtracking are very messy, and while I don't have concrete evidence of this -- not that SW would come right out and say it -- I do think the team is treading a bit lightly, especially compared to the way books were written in the old EU. I think it introduced so much so quickly, and all of those different webs got very twisted. There have already been some mishaps/corrections/redirections in the new canon but as far as ground-breaking lore is concerned, that seems to be a bit more concentrated and focused.

Regarding the question of where Phee's backstory is: I think it's somewhere. Genuinely. We know that the devs do have a sort of "skeleton" outline of Phee's character. By that I mean we have the acknowledgement that she is a combo of several people (Han Solo, Anne Bonny, Jack Sparrow) that she has the standing to give Cid a hard time, etc. I wouldn't doubt that they threw around some other ideas to give themselves some clarity and direction but it never made it to the screen/page. Although Filoni didn't work on TBB as much, he is known for having massive backstories he shares with the actors (Rebels, most notably) but which are not publicly available, so I wouldn't doubt that it kind of became a thing that others did as well, and I dunno, maybe they gave a little readout to Wanda or to the animators, etc. I also think that, should Phee come back in later media, SW is going to want to be very focused about how her character is developed out to ensure that they are connecting everything.

I had originally wondered if Sanctuary was a "lost script" kind of thing, Dark Disciple-style. We now know it is not. It's totally new. But looking at something like Dark Disciple, in which one of TCW's primary antagonists dies and a fan-favorite side character literally turns to the Dark Side but comes back -- that's a lot to have in a book. But it was forced into book form. Dark Disciple was not supposed to be like that. Getting it printed was a last ditch effort to get it out there somehow, because otherwise it just wouldn't really get to exist. While TBB as a show is done, I don't think TBB's characters and themes are done, so I don't think they've reached a point where major story beats must be carried out in a book yet. I think much more time will have to pass before we reach that point. (Padme trilogy is an example that comes to mind. We had to wait a long time for those books.)

TBB is a very, very new addition to SW. It could take a while before the full depth of whatever the devs want to do with it is realized. I mean, we are still getting additions to the literal OT-era, and still getting additions to an already very packed TCW-era. SW plays a very long game. And making big lore decisions is very much like salting your food: it's always easier to add than it is to take away.

Big picture, I think, is this: I believe Sanctuary is very consistent with a first title under a show's umbrella. I think it is paving the way for other stuff. I also think SW is still putting out a lot of feelers and Sanctuary is a very comfortable addition to that, because it's a fun adventure story that answers a few questions and gives us more about Tech. What they were very likely NOT going to do is whack us upside the head with a ton of stuff in the very first book. And also, they have not expanded at ALL on the post-Tech life of the Batch (S3 doesn't count, imo because it just like, isn't addressed). And I really do think that that is intentional. But also, I think on-screen is always going to be prioritized over books. They reach more people and they are seen as more concrete additions to the canon by many, including the show runners (even if everything is technically canon).

So....we're getting there. I really do think we're getting there. I'm just not giving up on the idea of Phee getting more development and the idea of Tech coming back. It's way too early.

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how I imagine Lamar Giles and SW’s conversations about TechPhee in Sanctuary went down:

SW: ok Lamar, you cannot allow Tech and Phee to kiss. under no circumstances can they kiss. no kissing allowed.

Lamar: got it, but you're cool with them pretending to be a married couple, Tech squeezing her shoulder and calling Phee "darling," them escaping from the auction hand-in-hand, Phee telling Tech he looks good in a suit, Tech admitting he likes being close to Phee, Tech liking what Phee does and says and being close to her and deciding he needs to tell her, Phee having him wrap his arms around her, Phee calling him "Brown Eyes" a thousand times, Phee insinuating that she wants to get nasty with him in a hotel room and Tech not necessarily disagreeing, Tech staring at a pregnant woman and then looking at Phee and thinking thoughts of the "hey maybe i want a baby with Phee" variety, Tech asking Phee if she has experience with babies, Phee asking Tech what he plans to do with the knowledge that he can have children, Phee looking at Tech and his family and thinking about sticking around with them more, Tech telling Phee that putting her at ease makes him happy, Tech enjoying Phee’s touch? that's all good?

SW: yea that's fine.

Lamar: fab.

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I got my copy of PHM signed by Andy Weir and it's imperative that everyone sees his doodle of Rocky

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obsessed with this scary space monster

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project hail mary has it all. amnesia trope. petty academics. platonic soulmates. narratively justified retro-futurism. red string of fate. a bird may love a fish, but where will they live / then I shall have to make you wings. also a competent woman committing so many crimes in order to save the world and bringing the protagonist with her everywhere because he is her AND I QUOTE "little science lapdog". book of all time

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it cant just be me that thinks that tech’s helmet looks like space buns

don’t tell me it’s just me

like LOOK AT IT

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This HAS to be the last time...

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Hunter the entirety of Sanctuary:

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One of my favorite things that TBB Sanctuary reinforces is that Tech is an optimist. We see a little of this in the show: reassuring Omega that good people exist in the galaxy after she witnesses how the Ipsium mine kids were mistreated, and also at the end of S2 when he believes saving Crosshair is the right thing to do - that he may have changed and deserves another chance.

Spoilers under the cut if you haven't read it:

There is a point in chapter 33 where Phee is upset that their efforts to gather funds for Pabu were unsuccessful. She's zoning out and catastrophizing and Tech notices.

He tells her, just like he did with Omega, that their efforts are important even if they didn't solve everything. He also reminds her that Pabu is a strong community, and that there will be others trying to help as well - the Batch and Phee are not alone. (And then they hold hands. 10/10 one of my favorite scenes in the ENTIRE BOOK.)

It's really refreshing for a character who is all about logic and numbers to also have this deep belief in the good of others and in community. Kindness and selflessness are traits Tech values extremely highly - I'd argue it's what initially attracts him to Phee. Once he learns that her pirating skills are being used to aid refugees and preserve their cultures, the man is head over heels!!

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The Life of a Showgirl Limited Release Deluxe CDs. It’s Beautiful. It’s Frightening. It’s Rapturous. Available for 72 hours while supplies last. ❤️‍🔥

Album Producers: Max Martin, Shellback and Taylor Swift 📸: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

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Interpretation of Johnny Storm (FF:FS)

THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS

I'm curious if anyone else interpreted the changes made to Johnny Storm by Joseph Quinn and Marvel similarity to how I walked away from the film feeling.

First I have to commend Joseph Quinn in his portrayal of Johnny - TBH I didn't have high hopes going into the film. The "I'm handsome and I know it" womanizing version that we got with Chris Evans' version really turned me off from the character.

I'd seen the press that Joseph had spoken to Kevin Feige about that aspect of the character, but it wasn't until after seeing the film that I got the full effect of the characterization change.

Yes Johnny is good looking (conventionally speaking), he's got all the charm and charisma, he's young and still kind of full of himself - he's living his best life. What surprised me was walking away from the movie feeling like this incarnation of Johnny might be slightly (gasp) naive when it comes to women and romance?

To me the way the family reacted to Johnny's interest in Shalla-Bal, even his own statement of "liking women", is like he's a teenage school girl who has a new crush every five minutes. Like every girl he talks to he feels like he has 'a connection to' and 'what if she's the one' sort of vibe.

I left the film under the impression that whenever Johnny does find love, the family won't believe him for awhile because it's just 'so Johnny' to have had this 'puppy love' with so many women. Heck he might even have to prove to the woman he loves that he's serious.

It feels more like with this Johnny - finding love will look like really having feelings for every part of someone, so much so that the 'school girl crush' phase passes and he gets serious; whereas Evans' Johnny 'getting serious' would mean that he'd stop chasing and bedding anything he sets his sights on.

I don't know, Quinn's Johnny just feels like he's ultimately a true romantic who wants a connection like he sees his sister have, and want that true family feeling. Meanwhile Evans' really reads like some Hollywood hunk who knows he's hot, gets it wherever he wants, and maybe one day settles down.

I'd love to hear what other's think!

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It's so funny that Fanny, The Captain, and Pat are consecutive ghosts. Whatever force dictates the afterlife looked at the fairly chaotic group of Button House and was like Woe, triple whammy of autistic people invested in rules and structure and organization and order be upon ye

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“And they were roommates”

“Oh my god, they were roommates”

Bob's Burgers, What about job? (S13: E3)

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vintage magazines 🔥

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update on reading tbb sanctuary