#Also everyone from the Catholic Arc needs to come back I miss them so much they are my Favorites

[kakusu-shipping]

Fairy Tail Ships

Some Rando came at me on my main for a ship I hadn’t even said a single word about on a post about a character not involved in said ship so now I’m just gonna write down all my Fairy Tail ships unprompted out of pure spite

Multi and Probably Problematic shipping a-hoy under the read more be wary!

Okay so as every other of this kind of post will plainly spell out I always have One Guy who is just the Ship bicycle. This character could kiss literally anyone and I would be more than happy. Typically they in fact do.

For Fairy Tail, it’s Gajeel Redfox

You would not believe your eyes if my first fucking Gajeel ship was Gajeel/Gajeel. I love Edolas Gajeel and up until that point Earthland Gajeel interacts with pretty much no one positively. I fully believe he hard made out with himself. First kiss. First time? The full shebang. Canon as far as I think.

Following that IMMEDIATELY is Gajeel/Lily. My god. My God let’s just give Gajeel a beefy cat man to homoerotically throw around. “That’s My Cat” I love him he’s so fucking stupid he makes out with Lily on the regular.

Gajeel/Levy is probably the best developed canon ship in Fairy Tail and that’s really not saying much but I think they’re cute. The only caviot is Levi pegs him. I’m sorry, Gajeel cannot be a top.

I think Gajeel/Natsu is funny as hell they’re so violent. Gajeel thinks Natsu’s the dumbest man he’s ever met. They don’t kiss they bite.

Gajeel/Laxus is just as funny but just because they both think they’re the smart one in the relationship.

After that all I might loose a bit of steam but Romance in this show is rarely interesting but here’s some of my takes anyway;

Laxus/Freed is always a free sail Freed pining from the beginning Laxus having no idea what his own feelings are until some time mid season 7. Laxus taking everything casually and Freed over thinking every little piece of affection he gets. They’re an uncommunicative mess and I love them.

I like Juvia/Grey not because I think it’s a well balanced and fleshed out canon romance, but because I love Juvia and want her to be happy and think Annoyingly Horny Stalker and Too Tired For This Shit is the funniest trope. Also Transfem Lesbian Grey, Demiromantic Bi/Pan Juvia

Speaking of Stalker/Obsession ships, Lucy/Flare??? My god I had not-antagonist Flare for 3 episodes and I will never let her go. Red headed Lesbian raised by a Village of Giant Men. Get yourself a blondie GF you deserve it.

Another Stalker/Obsession because I’m just gonna keep on goin; Erza/Sho???? Hello??? That was one baby me was entranced by. Love when the stalker is also the bottom. I love Sho I think he’s so cute, I think his obsession with Erza is so cute, I think his Sister Complex is so cute.

More Erza tops a little sibling!! Erza/Kagura!! What is it about Erza that gives everyone who meets her an Incest Kink?? I love her. I love Kagura she’s SO pathetic after her angst over Jallal is swept under the rug for no reason (no I’m not salty about that)

SPEAKING of Kagura; Kagura/Millianna is very cute I am on board. The Lesbian Kagura content for those without the taste for Sister Complex.

Elfman/Evergreen is so funny to me because this is a Bisexual man with a huge preference for Men who really REALLY wanted to fall in love with a Man and be Married Manly Men who grow into Old Men together but no. He just HAD to catch feelings for The Prettiest Girl in his guild. He’s so mad about it. Whole ass that “But I am in love with a MAN. RIGHT NOW.” meme but gender swapped.

Gildarts/Cana is so freaken good that YuGiOh Episode with Scorpio during the Eclipse Spirit Arc where he says he wants her to call him Daddy and she says she Would if he’s Been Around More you two I am going to scream don’t talk like that we’re trying to d-d-d-d-dddddDUEL

Also Eclipse Scorpio’s crush on Cana is cute as hell I love him he just wanted to play YuGiOh with a Hot Girl and she deserves a little boyfriend like him I’m all for them

Seven steps back tho the BEST Lucy ship, hands down, is Lucy/Taurus and I am SO INCREDIBLY SAD I’m alone on this! T4T Lucy/Taurus is my EVERYTHING!! Give him a SMOOOOOOOOOCH!!

Panther Lily/Samuel is so good to me another little freak with an unwarranted Incest Kink I love Samuel so much he’s so weird I want him to come back so badly please bring the little weirdo back so he can call Lily Big Brother some more for no god damn reason

Panther Lily and Edolas Coco is Very Cute and if it wasn’t for Gajeel being so unabashedly into Panther Lily that whole arc I would have appreciated it more.

Speaking of Exceed X People ships, Sting/Lector are like!!! Super good!!! Exceptionally solid I love them both so much!!

Rouge and Frosch as well but I feel like they’re super out of balance. Rouge is infantalizing Frosch and/or Frosch is not an adult in the world of Exceeds

Five steps back again because none of my thoughts are ever organized Second Best Lucy Ship is Lucy/Loke I just love a lot of Lucy/Celestial Spirit ships but this one This One is so cute I love how extra romantic he gets after going back to being Leo one of few ships I could actually see tying the knot and getting married.

Fuck it I’m just gonna keep talking about Lucy’s celestial spirits; I think Aquarius was Lucy’s first love and also her second mommy I don’t think they ever dated but to Lucy the love she felt for Aquarius was both Familial and Romantic when she was little. She claims Aquarius as her first kiss, despite it being a motherly peck when she was like 6.

Lucy/Virgo is super funny and I am positive it has Doujins out there made by men for men that I Do Not Want To See. I am putting the Asexual label on Virgo and shipping it from there.

Aquarius/Layla Lesbian Lovers in the Historical way. Layla had her Good Friend Aquarius come stay with her while her husband was away on business. They were Very Good Friends.

More spirit stuff Grey/Eclipse Cancer is so fucking funny Cancer literally opened Grey’s heart, they Yuri On Iced around with a Rainbow Gradient following them. Grey is repressing this so hard.

SPEAKING of Grey repressing he is Gay; Grey/Sugarboy??? Am I obsessed with the Catholic Arc of Fairy Tail? Yes. Yes I am. But Edolas Sugar Boy as well. Grey has such a Thing for your average stereotypical Gay Man and he is doing everything in his power to ignore it. I think he wants to be one of them.

Ultear/Meredy is SO FREAKEN CUTE. Mother/Daughter *chefs kiss*. They would both die for the other to live and they attempt it multiple times. Am I made Ultear eventually succeeded? Yes. Extremely. Get back here dammit you’ve already asked and the answer was No.

Lucy/Michelle more Stalker/Obsession more Sister Complex with a little dash of objectophilia post Catholic Arc. I love how the Fairy Tail anime just dropped Every inanimate object has thought, emotion, will, goals, and feelings but is unable to act upon them or even knows they have such feelings without forbidden magics and just Expected me to be Okay with that. I am not. I never will be. Michelle wants to fight Aquarius for taking Lucy’s first kiss right in front of her.

Wendy/Sherria are exceptionally cute. I don’t have much to say I just think they’re cute and wholesome and should be girlfriends.

But ALSO I think Mest/Doranbolt’s crush on Wendy is very cute I bet he beats himself up over liking a little girl. He’s her first kiss, she initiated it.

ALSO ALSO Doranbolt/Lahar is canon and I’m SO MAD THEY KILLED LAHAR LIKE FOREVER MAD. My Buddy Cop to Lovers...

Macao and Wakaba are a “Didn’t realize I was Gay and In love with my best friend until AFTER I was married to a woman” pair and I love them. They keep their relationship a secret. Make out in the guild’s storage room. Mira’s caught them once or twice and promises to keep their secret, so long as she never catches them with their pants down that close to the cheese again.

Levi/Lucy are a cute Best Friends to Girlfriends kind of ship. No one would notice if they started dating because they’d act the exact same as before 

But also Cana/Lucy?? Same energy in that no one would really know they’re dating until Cana gets stupid clingy/protective when other people hit on Lucy.

Mavis/Zera is under appreciated I know Zera isn’t real and is just a projection of Mavis’ loneliness and isolation but also she’s Mavis’ gay thoughts a WLW side. Her self love and care in personhood. They kiss.

Canon evil lesbian queens Kyoka/Seilah is a lot more than I expected out of this program and I am so here for it!! Go girls go!!!

Dimaria/Brandish as well, evil lesbians having a bad spat and taking it out on the entirety of Fairy Tail is very funny to me. They are toxic and horrid and I hope Brandish gets away from her.

Kamika/Cosmos, while not evil, are just as canon lesbians and I love that for them. Also Lolicon Cosmos.

There at the start of the War Arc when Toby and Millianna were walking into war together and he’s looking at her with a flush on his face little guy got puppy love and I!!!! Am all about it!!! She’s a lesbian for sure but she’ll make an exception for him. I don’t think he knows what a gender is anyway

I think that fact that Ichiya and Nichiya most certainly Fuck is not discussed enough in this fandom this man fucks his own Fursona I need more people to speak of this.

Okay now my take on the Big Ships and Canon Shit because I actually didn’t talk about them above I focused on what I’d actually like to see.

Natsu/Lucy is. Fine. I saw someone say a headcanon that Natsu thought they were dating the whole time and I love that. ADHD Natsu who decided he liked Lucy and was going to ask her out but Forgot and then Forgot he Forgot and proceeded to think they were an official couple for 9 more season.

Natsu/Lisanna is also pretty okay. I love baby love, I love them as kids playing house playing marriage awkward dancing and kisses on the cheek and holding hands. They were eachother’s first love and that means so much to me there’s very little that could ever make you forget your first love. (Side note I think at this age Elfman had a crush on Natsu but didn’t say anything sense Lisanna also liked him)

Erza/Jellal bothers me. Maybe I just don’t like Jellal as a character enough yet but not only is he Not In The Guild like every other main series ship, he also is on some pretty thin ice on being an Antagonist or not. But, like above, he was Erza’s First Love and that really is kind of a Big Deal, being actually In Love for the first time. I think they could heal, and I’d love to see that actually play out. If anyone has any fics where this is a Real Issue that they talk about and face I would actually love to read them.

Mavis/Zeref is also pretty. Okay. I don’t like it, I think it’s pretty forced, I think the fact that they had a child when Mavis died after their first kiss is a fucked concept everyone’s avoiding despite it being the most interesting part of the ship. He’s her pathetic little meow meow, she’s his last shred of sanity decaying in his arms as he desperately plants kisses over her small prepubescent body. It’s VERY Dead Dove and everyone is avoiding it.

Happy/Carla... is this one people actually ship or just something in the background? Honestly Happy feels so much Younger than Carla most of the time despite them probably being the same age. He just acts like a little fool. I don’t like it. I think Carla deserves better. And is also a Lesbian.

Now for the end of my list a collection of characters I don’t have ships for but would Really Like To because I Love Them as characters and just want them to smooch somebody (would also love X reader fics with them)

Bickslow

Warren Rocko

Reedus Jonah

Tono Rabbits

Goldmine

Boze

Jura Neekis

Yuka Suzuki

Erigor

Lapointe

Dan Straight (The fucking guy of all time)

Toma Fiore

Jacob Lessio

Nadi

Yajima

Capricorn

Horologium

Deneb

#Ship List #Fairy Tail #Proship #No one report me no one report me block and move on this is a personal list #Behold me for I am tired and not interested in 13 year old Jacob VS Edward but Anime Girls discourse #If I'm going to be attacked for a ship I'd like it to be one I actually care/post about #My god this program is 13 years old kfgjdfkjghkdf #I'm like mid Season 7 as of making this post so I haven't met all the characters or witnessed all the ships #but this is pretty good so far as I'm concerned #Makarov is not in the Characters who should have a ship list because he does not need one he has me his husband #Unfortionely being married to him means I cannot kiss Reedus Jonah right on the mouth so someone get him a cute boyfriend stat #This might be the first Ship List post I make with no Polyships #Lily/Gajeel/Levi can be poly I like that idea #They both pound Gajeel's ass okay I like that that's canon #Does anyone even remeber Boze he was a throw away character from Gajeel's OG guild and I thought he was Very Pretty #and hoped he'd eventually come back #but he does not and that's just a waste of a pretty guy with a crush on Gajeel in my opinion #Also everyone from the Catholic Arc needs to come back I miss them so much they are my Favorites #Grey is an enigma he either realizes he Likes Men or realizes He's a Girl and I cannot decide which

[42starsintheuniverse]

Buck and Eddie- What Matters Most

(A Character Analysis)

Thinking about Evan Buckley 'Rolls under a ladder truck with murder in his eyes after he was crushed by one of these to save Eddie'. Thinking about Eddie Diaz 'Usually level headed at work but abandons all rational thought to run up a ladder that just got struck by lightening because Buck was at the end of it'. Thinking about Buck and Eddie 'Goes up in a helicopter during a hurricane, when Eddie was in a helicopter that crashed traumatically, and Buck died last time he was up in a storm' -Literally their traumas combined.

Thinking about 'Do you know how much Christopher misses you?!' 'Maybe I could come and see Christopher'. Thinking about 'Hey Buck? Can I spend Christmas with you?' '-I'm sorry buddy, but uh- I'm gonna be working on Christmas, with your dad'. Thinking about how Buck and Eddie slip themselves into the spaces of each other's lives, how they've entangled themselves so much that they literally cannot be unwound.

Thinking about Buck outright saying "Eddie, I've been Ana." Which is pretty on the nose. And Eddie "I'm a nester, I nest" when he literally has not succeeded at a stable relationship with a woman, not once in his life. Shannon- things were consistently rocky, they kept abandoning each other. Ana was a relationship because Eddie thought Chris needed a mother figure. Marisol is because she's pretty and there's pressure from family/friends/society for Eddie to get back into dating.

Thinking about Eddie trusting Buck with his most vulnerable self, the version of him that's barely out of youth, with war PTSD, who hears echoes of gunshots, and the pain of people dying around him. Thinking about Eddie sobbing at the pain of all his trauma- and Buck being the guy there to patch him up; literally (Eddie's room) and figuratively (Eddie's psyche). And how Eddie describes Buck as 'the guy who wants to fix things' on multiple occasions, but Eddie hasn't pushed Buck away from him. In fact Eddie implicitly requires someone who's going to push and fight to fix things. Thinking about Eddie relying on Buck- and that's why he's furious in the lawsuit arc "I couldn't call you to bail me out of jail! ....If, that was something that happened." -Notice the shame Eddie experiences in that moment, not just that everyone knows he was bailed out of jail, but because everyone just heard how much he needed Buck. Everyone heard that he assumed Buck would be the person he could always count on. -How the lawsuit didn't damage Eddie's faith Buck would be there, but instead revealed it to the 118, and that wasn't something Eddie was prepared to expose- because it's too vulnerable.

Thinking about Buck loving with everything he has -to the point of clinging onto relationships that are damaging him. And Eddie insisting he's let go & isn't lingering in the past: 'You have to move on Buck- I have.' When that's a complete lie, and he's been repressing things as a coping mechanism for as long as possible. "I've got a reservoir of Catholic guilt just lying dormant, waiting to be activated."

Thinking about how they match each other and compliment each other in all the right ways. They both died, and saw each other die. They've both howled each other's names- and the other has no idea. They've both been searching blindly for the relationship that will 'fix them' and make them normal.

Eddie trusts Buck enough to rely on him, and here's the kicker- it's not just with Christopher. Buck does help Eddie with Christopher- the number 1 priority in Eddie's life. But Buck is basically the only person who has also helped Eddie with purely Eddie focused problems. Which is something Eddie would never consciously seek in a partner for himself- all of his girlfriends revolve around how good of a mother figure they are to Chris. But Buck is the one who does both: helping Chris, and helping Eddie.

On the flip side, Buck finds a sense of family in Eddie and Christopher- a sense that he's wanted, dreamed, and needed all of his life. Buck has been abandoned over and over, and it's wrecked his sense of self. He felt for a while that -if all he could be was a good fuck- then that's what he'd have to be. Because at least people could use him if they didn't want or like him. But Eddie and Christopher changed that for him. "My therapist says everyone needs a safe space- that was my apartment..." Buck says, and by S5 he's comfortable hiding out in Eddie's place, walks in, puts his feet up, and promptly falls straight asleep. Chris and Eddie love Buck as he is- they love him when he cooks, they love him when he tells them random facts, they love him when he memorizes the LA zoo lay out. Buck found a place outside of work (Hen "We all had lives before and outside the 118- what does Buck have?) where he isn't used, and he isn't just needed, he's fully and completely wanted.

Chris teases Buck "Buck, you don't even have a couch!" "Buck snores... Loud." The same way Chris teases Eddie "You were a bad cook." And Chris sure hasn't teased any of Eddie's girlfriends like that! Buck doodles a stupid heart "Misunderstanding the assignment" while Chris is doing his homework- And Eddie visibly finds it funny and sweet. Eddie folds his arms and gives Buck a pointed look when Chris asks to "Play video games at [Buck's] apartment" And as a result of Eddie's look, Buck denies Chris carefully. Buck and Eddie chime in "No." at Chim saying "Can't you both be good cop?" To random parents. No pre-thought, no discussion needed, just straight up agreement perfectly in sync with each other - because Buck and Eddie have experience with situations like this...

The fact is- Buck and Eddie have a relationship that truly goes beyond most labels. And regardless of what relationship/s they end up in, it's clear they'll never leave each other. They're in life together, in all the ways that matter most.

#911 abc #911 fox #buck/eddie #buck x eddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie #christopher diaz #character analysis #deep dive #ship analysis #quoted as best I could

[magireco]

Would love to hear more thoughts on how these girls have understandable teenage motivations (A+ tag analysis by the way)

1. Thank you!!!!!!

2. ALRIGHT IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS (shuffles my papers). i’ve gone off about homura’s motivations in depth before but i think it was only in dms/groupchats? anyways i’ll go in order with All the girls bc i think about this all the time as a teenager who grew up mentally ill and had their perceptions skewed because of it, and also i don’t think it’s talked about nearly enough for the others, at least on my blog... so, buckle up!!! this is REALLY LONG!!!! 

3. i tried writing like, an individual thing for every member of the quintet all together in this one ask, but i ended up talking a little too much about homura and now i’m going to split up all the different analysis stuff for each character into the reblogs and work on it every so often! you’re free to kinda skim of course because i really did write a whole novel but here we go!! read under the cut. :3 this is literally essay length btw. i did NOT expect it to get this long but if you want to read it all i’d recommend it but i don’t expect most people to

First: Homura Akemi

okay so i’m going to kind of summarize everything but from the perspective of empathizing with her so if you don’t want to reread a whole recap you can skip to the ending few paragraphs

Summary

first of all, in episode 10, homura’s past is explained for the viewer. she was a shy, unsure girl who had been bedridden for a long time. she was clearly unsocialized, not to mention she went to a catholic school and those can be brutal, esp in japan... that’s all we know about her in that episode, but it’s revealed in one of the drama cds that she was bullied as a child(& further at mitakihara middle), her parents never were mentioned ever (i assume them to either be dead or neglectful, considering she lives alone and unchecked), and in magia record, homura says to natsuki that she’s never had friends before, she hasn’t been on vacation before until the beachside bonds event, hasn’t ever celebrated valentine’s day, has never celebrated new years, etc... 

clearly, she’s missed out on a lot not only because of her sickness and hospitalization, but because of her isolation as a child at school. judging by her demeanor and the way she reacts when madoka comes up to her without being asked to, something like that had never happened to her before. it’s clear to me that madoka was many of homura’s “first’s”, her first friend, the first person who reached out to her, the first person to compliment her name honestly(validating her, disproving her dislike of her name), the first person to regard her so kindly rather than judging her based off of her appearance and demeanor (like other students had apparently done, this is also shown when the other students at mitakihara middle make fun of her for being tired after only being able to run one lap). AND, madoka (and mami, but homura knew madoka better at that time) saved her life, even though homura was so willing to die, just in that moment... i’d assume it made homura feel like someone believed in her even when she was at her worst. it’s really clear by the glimmer in her eyes that these are nice people that made her feel happy and welcome... and then walpurgisnacht came. she didn’t know much about magical girls and just believed in madoka and mami to be able to defeat the witch because she saw them as strong and saw the witch as defeatable, despite its size. and then mami died, right in front of her and madoka... 

this kinda seems headcanon-y when i phrase it this way but it’s practically proven in her actions but i really think homura is scared to be abandoned, especially by someone who was as overtly kind and nonjudgemental to her as madoka... it’s in the way she cries her name and says “don’t go” before madoka runs away to fight walpurgisnacht. OH ALSO, i need to address this one thing really quick because people like to assume that homura didn’t care about mami from the beginning and only liked madoka. it’s not that she wasn’t sad when mami died, she was clearly terrified and didn’t want the same to happen to madoka, also mami LITERALLY WASN’T IN HER CLASS OR HER GRADE so i assume she spent most of her time with madoka considering they were in the same grade and class and probably shared most of their periods with each other... but also, once again, mami is older than both of them and homura probably saw her as more of a mentor/teacher that she needed to impress rather than madoka who was more on her level, i guess?

anyways, moving on... homura had to see madoka die (& experience the crushing guilt she felt for “letting madoka go” even though there was nothing she could’ve done) and literally says “i’d rather you had lived than saved someone like me” ... her self worth is below zero. she makes her wish to be strong enough to protect madoka(because she sees madoka, her first friend, who saved her life which she felt had no worth, as so strong and noble) which causes her to go back in time, etc. etc., you know the deal. okay before i move on to talk a little more abt the timelines and the personality change i’m going to address why it’s reasonable that she’d be attached to madoka.

i mentioned before that homura said herself that she had never had a friend before. just like, put yourself into her shoes for a second. this girl has no idea how to make friends; it was never taught to her. it’s literally rational that she’d get attached to her first ever friendship. it’s not “normal” the way she views madoka, but how could it be? this is her first time having a friend, she’s afraid of being abandoned by her, but she’s had to see her die over and over again anyway. she doesn’t want to lose madoka. even if she doesn’t go about it in the right way, there’s no way she would’ve actually known how to Do relationships. no one taught her. i think that needs to be empathized with more...

i kinda feel like i need to summarize all this just bc if i word it right it kinda reminds you & puts into perspective just how terrible and scary all of this was.

anyway Again, i would skip straight to the end of timeline 3 (where a New Flavor of trauma is given to homura) but i need to first address timeline 2 for a second. it was homura’s first time repeating the timeline, she trained with madoka and mami again, she was still hopeful despite what happened, etc. kinda just bonding further with madoka Again... and then it’s at the end of this timeline that she watches madoka turn into a witch, just in front of her very eyes... and realizes the true fate of magical girls. when she resets the timeline again, it’s up to her to start anew and break the truth to the group when she sees them again. when she tries telling the truth, sayaka immediately shoves this aside, claiming homura was just trying to split everyone up. it’s clear that that hurts homura. (also the little shinies in her eyes were wavering which is anime-code for sad) her feelings were immediately disregarded by sayaka and she couldn’t defend herself, but madoka did for her, and mami tried to diffuse the situation. 

after they all find out homura was right when sayaka turns into a witch, mami kills kyoko and ties up homura in her ribbons and aims a gun at her, and this, rightfully, ignited a fear within homura... madoka is forced to kill mami in order to save homura, leaving only the two of them to fight together. then, when walpurgisnacht comes that time, The Promise is made... madoka tells homura to go back in time and save her from becoming a witch (because she doesn’t want to curse the world that way, she still sees beauty in it) and homura agrees, saying she’ll never stop until she saves madoka, and then... homura has to mercy kill madoka before she becomes a witch. she cries loudly and shoots madoka’s soul gem... it’s literally so heartwrenching and (usually) brings the viewer to tears, or puts something into perspective for them...

then we assume the personality change happens in the timeline right after. this personality change causes a lot of discourse because sometimes it’s seen as kind of irrational, but personally, i think even moemura had at least SOME resent for the world around her considering what she’d been through. it’s madoka’s repeated deaths that finally push her over that edge. i could get further into the coolmura arc but that’d take a WHILE, so i’ll just kind of explain something briefly though -- why homura ended up becoming even MORE focused on madoka. and i’m also going to debunk the claim that homura doesn’t care about her other friends as fast as i can before moving on.

also, ONE LAST side tangent, for those that think homura really did do a 360 degree personality turn are wrong. it’s shown explicitly in homulilly’s labyrinth that there’s this... “core” homura, a shadowy purple silhouette with braids. every time the series depicts homura’s internal self, it’s always glasses+braids, symbolizing her “child” self, who she truly is. she never stopped being that person. she doesn’t want to kill. ...but i can get into that in a rebellion analysis later! this is also shown in wraith arc bc the person inside her soul gem has glasses+braids. anyway let’s get to the next part i’m going to rant about

Homura’s Love for Madoka, but Otherwise Apathy

homura has seen many different, yet all similar, versions of her friends. the first claim i’m going to talk about which i saw brought up quite a few times before is in regards to homura and mami. first of all, homura absolutely still cares for mami, and not just in the “i only care about your life if it affects madoka’s” way. one part that always gets me is when mami ties her up in the series timeline after homura frantically warns her that this witch isn’t normal, to which mami IMMEDIATELY brushes this off, without even giving homura a chance. then, when mami’s ribbons fade away, homura looks horrified and just goes “oh no...” and it’s kind of obvious to me that it was in response to mami’s death rather than madoka’s reaction. this is arguably up for debate i guess because i’ve seen different takes on that reaction and it’s ambiguous, i guess? but i’m about to get into something extremely similar and that’s the sayaka situation, where madoka throws sayaka’s soul gem onto a moving car. homura gasps and immediately pauses time and disappears, running in literal open traffic and climbing on top of a moving car to retrieve sayaka’s soul gem. one could argue that this is ALSO only just because homura wants to save madoka (and kyoko) the fear, but don’t you think her expression would be different? if homura truly didn’t care for sayaka’s wellbeing, wouldn’t she be making an expression more similar to like, “oh, this shit again...” instead of the frantic one she was making in the scene? this kind of thing Also happens when kyoko asks homura to leave while kyoko’s about to sacrifice herself in oktavia’s labyrinth, and homura looks up sadly at kyoko and then back down at madoka, and once she knew kyoko was dead, she just quietly said “kyoko...” to herself. she usually refers to them as [last name, first name], but she dropped that during that moment... it otherwise sounds like a bare minimum thing to do, but keep in mind the timeline we’re shown in the series is implied to be like, the 110th timeline, i think? like, this is the last timeline, she’s worn down, but she still does have empathy -- or at least sympathy -- for the others. she still loves them. 

homura promised to be madoka’s protector, she dedicated her life to her, and also she doesn’t have a choice not to dedicate her life to her anymore, even though that’s not fair to her... homura is in a really hopeless situation and madoka is her hope, and madoka is the one that judges her the least out of the quintet (like saying “i’m sure homura is good” to herself) upon first impression. also okay i mentioned this already in my last post (which you saw) but i’m going to bring it up one more time, homura is not mentally 26!!!!!! she is still 14 mentally!! in order to be 26, you have to have experienced 26 years of new life experience. maybe you acquire that through school, maybe you aquire that through friends, whatever it takes. but homura just repeated the same month over and over, and it’s not like her body (canonically) ages ever. she just kind of gets transported back into her body in the hospital again considering she’s back wearing her braids and pajamas... so, yeah. no mental development there. i also mentioned this here but i’m gonna say it again, that just makes it even harder for her to actually age correctly... it stunts her to 14. imagine being 14 for 10-11 years...

In Defense Of My Own Claims

btw before you think i’m just going full-on radical homura apologist, i’m not explaining all of this to be like “homura made ALL THE RIGHT DECISIONS because her trauma gave her an excuse!!” because like, Obviously, she did a lot of bad things, she killed people, did a lot of callous things, a lot of thoughtless things, a lot of things that make her seem emotionless, etc. but i just have trouble blaming her considering how things ended up, and it’s not like she enjoys killing people. she’s not sadistic... she ends up becoming short with all the others not only because of her (extremely) weakened trust in them, but also because the amount of times she repeated the timeline. i’d imagine it makes her feel like the others can’t truly die because she can just go back and see them again. (this is also why wraith arc/post-tv series must’ve been hard for her because she can no longer turn back time, things are permanent now, deaths are forever) she’s become so worn down that she’ll do anything to escape the loops... also considering she has no choice but to continue? although it shouldn’t be, it’s technically her job as a magical girl to defeat all witches and walpurgisnacht counts. it kills magical girls and tears up the whole city and she’s usually the only magical girl left... her choices, when defeated, are either to give up and die or to go back and try again, and she made a promise to her first ever friend to do just the latter... i just don’t understand how this isn’t easier for people to comprehend, that all of this trauma and stress and responsibility on top of an already traumatized 14 year old does not mix well. ever. she had to figure out all of this by herself.

TL;DR:

homura was a previously traumatized, unsocialized 14 year old with (very)low self esteem & self worth whose first friend (and first love, really, let’s be honest) died in front of her in horrific ways and she watched as she (and the other friends she came to make) drifted slowly apart from her in her endless and futile attempt in saving her from what proved to be an inescapable fate. also she’s 14 and also she’s (canonically) mentally ill and a lesbian. not a monster, not evil, not “psycho”. and that’s that!

#asks #luna-mistrunner #homura akemi #analysis #THIS MAY HABE TAKEN ME LIKE 2 DAYS ON AND OFF

[ettawritesnstudies]

WIP influences tag

thanks @kittensartswriting and @siarven for the tag! I think the rules are just that you ramble about a few influences for your WIPs so I’m going to do this for The Laoche Chronicles as a whole, including both Storge and the main trilogy that I really need to name. 

Life stuff! 

Sometimes (a lot of the times) reality is stranger than any fiction I could come up with, and so one of my favorite things to do is take scary and relevant irl situations and then recontextualize them in a fantasy world to get a different POV (and give the characters dealing with them a happy ending). For example in Storge: what would a world look like where sexism and racism don’t really exist, but there’s serious systematic oppression based on magic and religion? How does a healthy vs unhealthy family deal with a crisis? how does a society get so polarized? For Laoche: I was sitting in Calc AP my senior year listening to my friends complain about the upcoming test when someone said “I’d kill to get into X program” and my first thought was “hmm. what if?”

This sort of stuff is the driving force behind the themes in all of my stories. No matter how fantastical it gets, it’ll always have that relatable basis in reality to ground readers in the story.

This is going to get long so there’s more under the cut...

Mythology and religion:

This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one given how many religions and variations on religions I worldbuild for this world but the way people understand the supernatural and approach concepts like faith and hope and a higher power fascinate me. Also a really weird thing that I’ve noticed reading modern literature as a devout Catholic (especially YA novels) is that it’s very commonly sterile and secular for some reason? I only realized this after going back to classics this year like Dracula and being surprised when characters write prayers into their diary entries. This shouldn’t have surprised me becasue that’s something I do, but after consuming so much modern media and then going back to it, I found myself weirdly missing how much faith was intrinsically baked into society back then, for better or for worse, because it adds a really interesting dimension to how characters view the world. 

which leads into my next point...

The Sword and Serpent Series by Taylor Marshall and pretty much anything Hannah Heath has ever written (names are links to their books)

I don’t actually like Christian fiction like 90% of the time. A lot of it is written by writers from different protestant denominations which is fine, but sometimes the theology has me going ????, or the genres are just not my thing, and regardless of the denomination it all runs the risk of being really really preachy. (sorry, Narnia, that means you too). These two writers are outliers and I want to be like them when I grow up. 

Hannah Heath is a scifi/fantasy/dystopian writer who actively goes out of her way to tell good stories that also happen to have a Christian theme so that they avoid that preacher pitfall, and her worldbuilding and prose are spectacular. She also tackles a lot of hard themes and is a huge disability advocate which is incredible! I haven’t read all of her works yet but I’m slowly working through them. Skys of Dripping Gold made me cry a few different times and it’s a novella. 

Sword and Serpent is a trilogy historical fiction retelling of the St. George and the Dragon that ALSO deals with the political climate the Roman empire in 333AD and it’s FANTASTIC. There are saint cameos everywhere and if you know their stories it’s really cool to spot them even if you don’t recognize their period-accurate names, and it does a great job of showing how much the underground church relied on each other to survive. The character arcs and dynamics are amazing, the way it blends mythos and reality is amazing, and my (unfairly underrated imo) confirmation saint, Catherine of Alexandria, is a main character in the 2nd book so what more could you want??

Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan and The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

moreso for Laoche than Storge but these were my favorite book series in middle school when I first came up with the story and their general genre inspired a lot of what Laoche eventually would become. Grand adventures with epic final battles, a small band of heroes trying to save a kingdom becasue they have the knowledge of how, and earning the trust and help of other people through their heroic actions. Swords and magic and bows and knifes and cool capes/cloaks and horses and castles and all that good Fantastical Medieval Aesthetic stuff I absolutely ate up as a kid. Also Alexander’s mastery of voice with the different characters and Taran’s character arc and the platonic love and banter in RA  have me dying every time every time I reread them. Good quality fun all around

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Didn’t influence me in time for Storge but now I’m rehauling everything in Laoche becasue I’m ~inspired~. I can’t speak to the extent to which it’ll influence me yet but I expect it’s going to be a LOT. Thanks Jana XD 

Honorable Mentions:

J.R.R. Tolkien because what list of influences for a Catholic high fantasy author would be complete without him? This explains itself I think

Avatar the Last Airbender and everything about the way it handles themes and characterization. Also self explanatory because it’s the best

So many??? people here on writeblr! I am so inspired by everyone who is brave enough to put their writing out there and I have read stuff on here that’s better than published books. It would take too long to name everyone, but just assume that if you’re reading this and you got this far in the post I mean you.

A lot of classic literature? Not a direct influence per se but the writing style is something I want to emulate. Some of my favorites are The Count of Monte Christo, Dracula, A Tale of Two Cities, Frankenstien (sans Victor’s incessant whining), The Divine Comedy, A BUNCH of scifi stuff by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells I loved in middle school and need to reread, and Little Women. 

movies and music should also probably go here but that’s a rant for a different day. I take more general vibes and aesthetics from those. 

Tagging (no pressure though!): @andiwriteunderthemoon @abalonetea @inkwell-attitude @zielenbloesem 

#writing influences #tag game #etta rambles #mythology #religion #catholicism #christianity #sword and serpent #hannah heath #rangers apprentice #ra #chronicles of Prydain #stormlight archive #brandon sanderson #tolkien #lord of the rings #lotr #the hobbit #avatar the last airbender #atla #writeblr #writeblr community #the count of monte cristo #tcomc #dracula #a tale of two cities #frankenstein #the divine comedy #scifi #fantasy

[if-the-crown-fits-translate-it]

Discord pt 35

[Date: 22/2, 06.25 AM -  06.51 AM GMT]

fetch: “...  ... ... ... ...”

[There are three more “...” between other messages]

fetch: “...

uh”

fetch: “what happened”

fetch: “where am i.

where is.”

Chat: “:)”

fetch: “whats.”

[There are multiple “Fetch?”s]

fetch: “yeah? its fetch?”

Chat: “:)”

[People react to Fetch being back]

fetch: “what?”

Chat: “:)”

fetch: “where the fuck am i?”

fetch: “jesus fucking christ my head is pounding”

fetch: “what the fuck is this nosebleed oh my god”

fetch: “guys what HAPPENED.”

fetch: “wh????”

Mothbo: “Fetch, you need to take off the crown now listen we have very short time. You got brainwashed by Crown and he too Maxwell and Chat. Get the crowns off as soon as possible”

Library/Ren: “MIND WIPE”

Captain Corvid: “fetch, you need to take it off”

Chat: :)

fetch: crown what crown? im literally not wearing a crown

fetch: “knight?”

[Everyone explains how they were called “Knight”, and brainwashed by Crown]

fetch: “what?? I. literally don’t rememwber anything.”

fetch: “jesus fucking christ my head. feels like someone salad tossed my god damn brain”

[Library/Ren: “fetch do you have your tail now?”]

fetch: “my tail? yeah of course. its just super fucking stiff and achy. someone thought it would be funny if they bound it in a way that I can’t fucking move it. asshole.”

[Little-K1ng: “oh im so glad to see you”]

fetch: “glad to see you too buddy <3

wait.

wh

WHY ARE MY EARS BLUE

WHAT THE FUCK.”

fetch: “WHAT AM I WEARING”

fetch: “JESUS CHRIST I LOOK LIKE A CATHOLIC SCHOOLBOY”

[People explain who Crown dyed their ears, and how other weird things are just from getting brainwashed]

fetch: “brainwashed??? but I. I don’t remember.”

fetch: “the last thing I remember is... talking to crown.

about... something.”

[Captain Corvid: “fetch, opinion on horses?”]

fetch: “horses? they’re cool i guess? I had a horse phase in 5th grade lol

my. my fucking ears are blue I can’t hide them like what the fuck

what about the doc

is the doc okay”

fetch: “did crown delete it again i need ti”

fetch: “... ‘fetch is mine’?”

fetch: “what”

[fetch: “... ‘fetch is mine’?”]

jayyyyyyyy: “where was this said?”

fetch: “its at the top of the doc

crown’s typing style”

fetch: “was i. did he seriously make me one of his court.”

fetch: “whats all this pink writing in the doc

who’s pink”

[They tell fetch that it’s his/knight’s]

fetch: “what did I MISS”

Little-K1ng: “im just so happy i cant.. thats my FRIEND”

fetch: “happy to see you too :]”

fetch: “okay okay give me a sec I need to

let me look at the doc”

fetch: “christ this nosebleed. its all over my god damn shirt”

fetch: “th. this knight dude. that was me? or. crown puppeting me around?”

fetch: “and the tumblr. im not supposed to be free.”

[arc: “you really weren’t yourself”]

fetch: “i mean ‘knight’ had one thing right i really do love waffle fries and dinosaur nuggies haha”

jayyyyyyyy: “please we gotta see the screenshots of your dms this is like our LITERAL only chance”

fetch: “I can’t show you the dms.”

fetch: “I talked to crown privately. its staying that way”

[Captain Corvid: “was the chess thing correct?”]

fetch: “in the doc? yeah chess always confused me. Checkers did just as much.”

fetch: “look obviously something influenced me to talk to crown. yall know I wouldn’t willingly talk to him.”

[Little-K1ng: “yy ou l ove them so mcuh !!! and im going to make some ffor yo u!! to celebr ra te !! :' DD”]

fetch: “dude yes. sleepover Very Soon :D”

fetch: “i dont remember anything. prior to talking to crown i don’t remember.”

[arc: “our steadfast keeper of the doc, gone. that scared me.”]

fetch: “don’t worry. the watchdog is back. and it’s gonna be a long day before he goes back inside.”

[Little-K1ng: “i gotta breathe i gotta,, chill im fine im okay he s here hes okay now its allright its okay its fine crown cant ddo ths he cant this isnt a joke i can relax i c”]

fetch: “its okay mona :] just sit back and drink a water”

lynn: “I think crown will try to take fetch back from us”

fetch: “I dont doubt it”

[People express concern]

fetch: “look i’ll take every precaution i can. and stick to doing what i do best.”

fetch: “but. if crown got to me once. and made me a member of his twisted court. I. I don’t know. it could happen again.”

fetch: “g o d I f uc kign

s orr y”

fetch: “b lood on my s c re een

s t upid no s e ble ed”

fetch: “ow my fucking tail. who bound it like that it can’t move when it’s like that.”

fetch: “my fucking ears how am I gonna hide them now.”

fetch: “the thing is my hair is a very distinct shade of red. this shade doesn’t just come in a bottle.”

fetch: “okay yeah my best bet is gonna be washing it out.”

fetch: “mona i hope you don’t mind me using some of your drinking vinegar to get this out haha :]”

little king: “it'll smell good to me!!! i like vinegar and its all gonna smell like friend no matter what!!!! and also... wet dog.... but thats !!!!!!!!! good~!!!! i dont mind at all i dont :'))))”

fetch: “hehe :]”

[Continued in pt 36]

#on:discord #if the crown fits #by:fetch

[ordinaryfander]

The new video sure was something, uh

So, as usual I'm here to brag about the newest video. This time, I'm going to analyze "Dealing with INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS", and it's a long analysis/theory, so be patient with me.

This will majorly center around Remus and "the Others", so beware! (I'm so happy I don't have to call them Dark Sides anymore, it was never fair)

I wrote many points to consider, and each one will take quite a bit. With that, let's begin!

1) So:

[ 1) Remus: Who he is, what he does, why he's there ]

I think we can all agree that his debut was a surprise, especially because most of us were expecting the "Green Side" to be associated with something like Envy, or Greed, since dark green is sometimes associated with money.

However, we got Remus, aka Intrusive Thoughts, which I think is, in my opinion, the best option they could face.

So: he is Thomas' nasty thoughts, the evil, twisted fantasies, and he keeps Thomas' awake at night with dark ideas, he gives him the worst thoughts to deal with, things Thomas is deeply troubled to think of, because as Logan said, his catholic beliefs instilled in him that thought is the precursor of action.

Remus is there, and why is he there?

The fun thing is: I don't think he's there to be "useful". Later I'll explain where I think his Character Arc is going to go, but Remus really doesn't have any reason to be there except that intrusive thoughts are something absolutely everyone deals with. You all have to consider that, even if those are Thomas' Sides, they're also everyone's Sides. We all have Logic, Creativity, Morality, Anxiety, and we all lie (I'll return to that).

And this traits help us live with eveyday life?

But intrusive thoughts? They just majorly upset us, and worsen our view of ourselves, but we all still have them.

However, I'm really happy with this choice, because Thomas is starting to really show what I've been screaming since Deceit's debut: things are not black and white, and he is NOT a completely good person, because NO ONE is, not 100%. We can act like good people and sincerely mean to do good, but we're still gonna have dark, horrible thoughts. And, as Thomas' said, that's ok. Those thoughts don't make you a bad person if you don't act on them, but you should consider a therapist/psychiatrist if they bother you too much. There's no shame in that, too: please, reach out for help, if needed.

[ 2) Remus' relationships with: Roman, Deceit, and Virgil ]

- Remus' relationship with Roman

At 35:50, it's officially and definitely confirmed that Remus and Roman are brothers, probably even twins.

A moment after the Duke disappears, Roman says "I don't like him".

Thomas goes, at Roman: "So, you have a brother?"

And Roman clearly is uncomfortable with it: "Yeah... It's a little like looking into a fun-house mirror. But instead of a giant head, or, like, long legs or a tiny torso... It shows you everything you don't want to be."

Thomas answers: "That doesn't sound like a very funny house"

And Roman: "Yeah... Uhh, whatever, y'know-? (...)"

Roman and Remus obviously don't get along, but we understood that the moment Remus knocked out Roman with that weapon I don't know the name of (sorry rip, don't focus on this :'))

Roman considers himself a dashing Disney Prince, a knight in shining armor, an example of bravery and justice, while Remus is pure chaotic evil. He doesn't care what other people think and his idea of fun and fantasy is twisted, and he isn't afraid of Roman and his sword in the slightest. They're opposites.

Unluckily we didn't get much brotherly interactions or interactions at all, so there's no much to say, but those two have a whole damn lot to work through.

The question that many have been asking is: do Roman and Remus share a room?

The answer is: I honestly don't know. It would be a complete and utter mess that Roman would hate to have to share. Time will tell.

- Remus' relationship with Deceit

We haven't even seen them interacting on screen, but we already know so damn much about it.

WAY BACK in "Can LYING Be Good?", this was said about Deceit:

Roman: "If you really don't want to know something, he (Deceit) can keep our moutjs shut."

And Logan immediately goes "You don't want to believe it. That's where his (Deceit's) power comes from. Things that you want to believe. Things that you wish were true. And things that you wish weren't."

And later:

Deceit is able to shut up the Sides, but he's also able to hide them. That's what he did with Remus, he kept him locked away.

I've always been rooting for morally gray/sympathetic Deceit, but I'll try to stay neutral on this: though, I really believe that Deceit was trying to protect Thomas.

Remus is... A lot, to say the least. He's pure chaos, and isn't useful or helpful (for now) and doesn't even care to be. Deceit, on the other side, really cares about Thomas, and he showed that in many ways: he just cares about Thomas in his own way. Missing the callback of SVS still hurts Thomas after all this time, and I already explained why Deceit tried his best to do what was good for Thomas in court (https://ordinaryfander.tumblr.com/post/183871155711/thomas-shouldve-gone-to-do-the-callback-he).

I also said, tho, that in SVS Deceit was frustrated to no end because the other Sides weren't listening to him.

Look how confused he is at Patton's words.

You know why? Because Thomas thinks what he says. Thomas lies, and Deceit is there to prove it.

But they didn't listen to Deceit, but Deceit isn't like Virgil: Virgil waited lots of episodes to be listened to until he finally ducked out.

Deceit straight up released Thomas' worst thoughts because Thomas had to face in the most hard way that he is n o t a completely honest person. Deceit just got really pissed and went: "You know what? I'm useful, you need me and I'll prove it."

And he just did that. He straight up released Remus, Thomas' worst thoughts, on them. Deceit is the only one who could do that, and you know why he did?

Remus: "Thomas, speaking of knowledge; recently a snake offered me a morsel from the tree of knowledge. He said you're wanting to be more honest and be direct dealing with your issues, no longer will you deceive yourself about the ugliness within you, me!"

Deceit smacked in the face Thomas with Remus, so Thomas could get the point. I think he did. "If you don't want to lie to yourself, at least face who you really are"

About Remus and Deceit alone...

I don't think Deceit really likes Remus. Deceit is kinda goofy, but he's also sophisticated, charming, a silver-tongue. Remus is a stinky garbage man.

Deceit wants to protect Thomas' reputation, Remus would destroy it. Probably Remus likes Deceit (I think he likes everyone, he doesn't care), but Deceit doesn't really reciprocate the feeling. I could surely be proven wrong, those are just my points.

- Remus' relationship with Virgil

Boy oh boy.

Well, the video already said what I could'be said: Virgil dislikes Remus, he doesn't trust him, but he's also not as scared of him anymore like he used to be.

Virgil, at Remus (32:27): "I thought you were some... Horrible illness. Now I can see that you're just a common cold, a mild inconvenience that's gone before you know it."

And Remus looks at him like this:

That's not a evil look. He's soft, almost proud.

He isn't even offended. He just goes "Eheh, you tickle me, emo."

And Virgil has one blink-and-you-miss-it-moment when he genuinely smiles.

I think he did somehow used to like (platonically y'all) Remus, even if he was scared of him. They were still... Friends, maybe, at some point. Deceit and Virgil never had such a kind-of-sweet moment, even if just a few seconds long, and even if the Duke and Virgil still are not likely to get along in general and for the time being. The Duke's phrase about Old Times wasn't a welcomed one by Virgil.

I don't wanna dig in too much else, we already know that Virgil doesn't still trust the Duke. That was just some looks I noticed that stuck with me.

Also, I won't ignore the fragment revelead his name and said: "Of course (I told you, Thomas), I would never hide anything to you." And it cuts right off to Virgil. Eh. Busted.

- How Will His Character Arc Go?

That one is the most important question.

Everyone is gonna believe what they will, but I don't think he'll get... Sympathetic, even? He's just pure chaos.

Maybe his Arc will entangle with a Roman new one, maybe his Arc will entangle with Deceit's. I do hope that Thomas and co. will now value Deceit better, he really isn't that bad... At least, not compared to Remus.

Deceit shut up Logan guys, but Remus straight up murdered him. Even if they can't literally die, y'all really can't close a whole eye on that.

So I just think he's gonna stay around and do mischief, but will surely get some sort of development related to other characters. I'm almost sure he won't get a Solo Arc, surely not for now. However, I'm pretty sure they'll get back to talk how to manage him, and how he can become more useful.

- Conclusions and predictions for the next video

Honestly, sorry this was messier than my normal analysis/theory posts, but I don't fully know how to take Remus yet.

Y'all see, the moment I knew Deceit I made my mind up: he's morally gray, he has a purpose, he has to get credit for it.

Remus confused me in every possible way. He's chaos. I'm sure we won't see him in the next video, but I predict maybe Deceit will be in it, just to look how good of a job he's done.

And that's pretty much it. I hope you all have a good time :>

#ts spoilers #sanders sides spoilers #sanders sides #thomas sanders #sanders sides theory #sanders sides theories #sanders sides deceit #ts deceit #sanders sides virgil #virgil sanders #sanders sides patton #patton sanders #morality sanders #sanders sides logan #logan sanders #logic sanders #sanders sides roman #roman sanders #creativity sanders #sanders sides remus #remus sanders #the duke

[portpebble]

New Episode Liveblog

Disclaimer: The owner of this blog loves all the sides and will not post hate on any of them. I may not love every opinion or decision that said character makes but that is because no character is perfect. I Stan Everyone.  Thank you. 

Thinking about responding honestly, but quickly deleting it, thats relatable  repression baby!

The music??? IS DIFFERENT???

WHY IS THIS MUSIC SUCH A BOP

Oh my god, Thomas is absolutely pissed.

Patton trying to let Thomas be angry while also trying to give him advice youre doing amazing sweetie

Take a shot everytime they say ‘f’

NEW SONG????

NEW SONG!!!!!

THIS IS SO FREAKING COOOOOL

This song is a bop, but my ADHD is going crazy its so fasssst but so goooood

Wait this is Ace Attonery 

Roman, youre allowed to make mistakes bby

...ways to preDICT THE FUTURE “No!” “Hhn- ghfk- hngh- very good”

Roman are you okay? Did you get your house filled with feral cats? Roman? You alright there? ROMAN?

“Those baby making catholics” fgghkhk Roman I love youuuuu

Patton really do be bringing out the logic in this one huh, is this ep about empathy? Sounds very empathy-ish

Foresight seems to be the focus so far, but I don’t think that’ll carry through the whole ep

“Hes a jolly good fellow!” jdkhkgfhkhg

Oop, we’re back to the good person dialema (he made the “good” decision tho??)

Roman’s insults gfkhgkhk stOP youre supposed to be this mANS CONFIDENCE OH NOOOOO

“A bagel??? :DDD” ROMAN I FELT THAT (Also didn’t this happen before with switched rolls I feel like it did???)

Pokemon! 

A gamesssssssssssssssstORE

“They should cost a little outdoor time” I sure hope not. 

The little Thomas sprite pointing at the sign is so cute!

AT LEAST SIXTEEN GRAPHICS PATTON I LOVE YOU SM 

Is it just me or does Roman’s voice just sound a bit different this ep? 

Oh yeah, its all coming together 

Roman is like “please do not assault the actor for the hotdog, thank you.” 

OOP- ThEres the double standard!!!

LOGAN!!!

Roman clicking the Ignorant button and Logan looking just so done ugggh I missed our boys bickering in the last episode

.... jesus christ super star :((((

Roman reading Logan’s little fact for him is super cute 

I think its okay to do a good thing because it makes you happy because if youre happy that good things are being done than that makes you good (sorry, thats pretty much incomprehensible) 

Patton’s trying so hard to not push his opinions, but he needs to realize said opinions arent set in stone 

yeeaaebeahab- go- Patton, I hope you know you are the cutest

Yall know Im a Patton kinnie, but I agree with Roman (maybe thats the therapy talking)

Hey this is really wholesome actually! We love Patton and Thomas trying to give Roman an open and supportive enviroment to express his opinions on the matter

Oh hey! The music is 8-bit Deceit’s theme!

You can get the reward while still caring, gosh this one’s so good because I agree with each character’s points ahhhh!

I agree with Thomas, they’re different scenarios. 

Thomas: Am I not allowed to feel good for doing something good? Logan’s little box: 0.0 Oop-

Yeah, I thought this ep was going to about empathy 

OH I HATE THIS SCENARIO I HATE THE TROLLEY THING AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 

I cant read Logan’s little facts while also listening hElp-

The T word gfhjlkjlghg

Oh no! Logan’s box goes crazy I cant read all that!

RIP Logan’s box, you will be missed but only a little bit.

Also, I love how calm this argument is, I was really worried for this ep because I didnt want Roman and Patton to be mad at one another but they’re both handling it so well, hense Roman helping Patton with the little box

klghkljlkg he has become the mustache 

Oh no! Logan! Patton, NO!

Yeah, the pity thing was kind of confusing

ROMAN BBY NOOO

Roman: I have been doing a bad job Thomas & Patton: STFU TOP TEN REASONS WHY YOU ARE WRONG NUMBER ONE I LOVE YOU

Thomas is not okay, Thomas is too relatable. 

SELF CARE TIME SELF CARE TIME

OOOOOOO PATTON I FEEL YOU THERE BUD ACK

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA PATTON IS A FROG AND I CANT UNDERSTAND WHAT HES SAYING AHHHHHHHHH

LILYPADTON FDHKJHFKJHKJHLHLK

PATTON PUT LESLIE DOWN

HEY STARDEW VALLEY MY TWO HYPERFIXATIONS MERGED INTO ONE

TTHAnk you Logan! 

WAIT HAS HE BEEN DECEIT THE WHOLE TIME OH MY GOD (YESSSSSSSS LOVING THIS)

OOOOO Deceit has a little cane, I KNEW there was a reason I always felt the need to draw him with one

AHHHHHHH WHEN HE SHOT AT DECEIT HE JUST HIT THOMAS NONONONO 

Oh? Patton agreeing with Deceit? This is very good.

Oh hey, these are the characters from one of the vines he made 

“oh, Logan I-” “PETER SINGER IS AN AUSTRAILIAN-” 

Wow, today’s episode really keeps saying Loceit and Royality rights, huh?

(valley girl voice) Whatever, sure, if thats your thing

Deceit really do be out here being my therapist now I suppose? 

Roman, love, its okay to make mistakes 

Deceit redemption arc is in full swing ba-

:OOOOOOOOOOO

I HAD A HUNCH THAT WE MIGHT GET HIS NAME 

HIS NAME IS JANUS GUYS HIS NAME IS JANUS AHHHHHHHHh

ROMAN STOP BULLYING JANUS CHALLENGE 

JANUS STOP BULLYING ROMAN CHALLENGE 

Oh my god, Roman looks so hurt, oh my god 

Remus watching Deceit refer to him as the evil twin: Remus watching Roman be offended at being compared to him:

ROMANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

PATTON THANK YOU

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ROCEIT IS DEAD AND I AM CRYING BY ITS BODY 

Janus be like: Im sorry, the sass jumped out 

“Im so sorry LESLIE” fjgkllljlkjhklgjlkvbjklgjklvjklvjklhglkvblkgjlkv 

Janus: Be Gay, Do Crime Patton: Right Now, Not the Time

JANUS ACCEPTANCE ARC YAYYYYYYYY

PATTON I LOVE YOU 

Janus: Patton is asleep, post murder plots 

LOVE YOU JANUS BBBBBBYYYYYYEEEEEEE

This episode hit home very hard, thank you for the free therapy session Mr. Sanders. 

Lee and Mary Lee, I love you already you huge dorks 

WOW MOCIET GOT RIGHTS THIS EPISODE HOLY COW 

#patton sanders #roman sanders #deceit sanders #janus sanders #Which I will be using as well as Deceit Sanders for now btw #thomas sanders #ts spoilers #Putting Others First #remus sanders #he's mentioned but breifly #liveblog #tw bold #tw caps #logan sanders #almost forgot him IM SORRY

[cards-onthetable]

Lol what?

-me the entire time I watched this episode. I don’t have that many thoughts because I don’t care about any of this at all. LeT’s DiVe iN!

Danny

Remind me who the Delgados are again? I mean, don’t actually bc I don’t care. But I feel like I’d be more invested in this storyline if I remembered.

But damn @ straight up showing a murder like that on screen. That’s A Lot for this show.

Oh the psychic lady is back? This should be fine

I am seriously missing how these cases are all connected. I guess that’s what happens when you spread some story out into 3-4 episodes over two full seasons like what’s with this lame attempt at a cohesive story arc?

We’re moving on to this club setup situation and all I can think about is all of my Questions about this whole phone/wire situation, but it’s fine

Oh, hooray, they caught the guy who killed Linda. Nice.

I don’t know how I feel about this last psychic scene. Like... it’s meaningful, and a Big Deal, but also.... is it that meaningful? To let this psychic lady who Danny’s met like twice now convince him to take off his wedding ring? I would’ve much rather seen that happen over a conversation with Frank or Henry - actual important people in Danny’s life who can offer some insight as two men who have also lost their wives - instead of this nobody psychic getting that role.

Frank & Lena

Dude Frank’s Big Three are hilarious.

Bit ~presumptuous~ of Lena to go around telling folks she has the commissioner’s ear when she’s never met the dude, lol

About to be Frank’s sister??? Um lol I don’t think that’s how the whole in-law thing works but okay

Did Frank Reagan just say the word “icky” on my TV? Lol what? 😂😂😂

GAWD it’s like they’re preparing for war up in the PC’s office. Everyone is sooo awkwarddddd

Lena Janko is ridiculous like, to the point where I can’t even enjoy this 😂😭

“Very masculine” is 100% a nod to “Nice place Reagan...could use a woman’s touch though” except it’s not a nod in a cool way, it’s like the writers rewatched that scene and changed it a little bit so they didn’t have to start from scratch 🙄

GAWD say Edit one more time. Please

Frank is a bigger person than I am yo I would’ve shot that shit right down the second she started asking for courtesy cards like I don’t care whose mother you are

“I KNOW SHE’S VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THESE THINGS, I WOULDN’T WANT TO UPSET HER” LOLOLOLOLOLOL OF COurse, New Eddie is Very Sensitive and Easily Upset

How widespread was this scheme of Armin’s that apparently people have recognized the Janko name everywhere Lena has moved to? New York is a big city dudes, I’d think she could find some luxury high rise somewhere that isn’t run by her husband’s victims. Like considering Jamie and other cops had never heard of the case back in the day, how Big could it have really been? Lol whatever I’m thinking too much. God knows the writers don’t think when it comes to this shit.

This rich old lady with her tiny cat-dog is my all time favorite Blue Bloods character

“Looks like we might not even need to see the security footage!” Lol @ Garrett with those Detective Skillz

Lena is back in Frank’s office and what is with Frank’s hand gestures/body language? Lol it’s weird af like Frank Reagan should not be pressing a hand to his chest like that 😂

EDIT lolol

I can’t force myself to feel invested in this whole Lena situation oh well

Family dinner

I’m bored of this. they’ve had this exact same conversation 2948 times in the last 9 years

But it’s worth noting that Eddie didn’t cross herself after the prayer which lol, will probably make some people mad (I’ll be lurking on the Facebook page later folks, behave yourselves) but I appreciate it. She’s not Catholic, she hasn’t become Catholic, hooray for reality or whatever.

Jamie & Erin’s case

Lol @ Eddie screaming Jamie’s name on this scene. I thought he’s only Sarge at work? 🙄

Related: you’re still trying to tell me nobody at their damn precinct suspects a thing? Bullshit.

Daaaaaamn @ this bar fight yo.

Jamie Reagan does terrible CPR. I die laughing every time that shit crosses my screen. It’s TV, yeah dude, but like, can we at least make it look a little more realistic? Get his hands in the right spot? If I ever die in a bar fight or dentist’s office somewhere, Jamie Reagan is not who I want responding.

Convenient of this drunk trashbag to admit to the crime as soon as he’s out of earshot of everyone else.

The dude survived all the way to the operating table? LOL NOT AFTER THAT SHIT CPR

ARe yOu CaLLiNg mE a LiAr?! All I can think of is this Classic Moment:

Jamie said “wHaT DiFfErEnCe dOeS iT MaKe?!” twice in thirty seconds, in case anyone still thought this show is well-written and not sloppy

Say TO MY FACE one more time, Jamie. To mY FaCe

Lol that scene in Erin’s office is... fine? It exists? I don’t care about anything all I can think about is where is Anthony’s sixteen-year-old foster son? 🙄

WHY IS ANTHONY TRACKING JAMIE DOWN AT WORK to intervene in his ~professional disagreement~ with Erin? UGH like what makes Anthony so important that he gets all these roles? He’s not A Reagan yet he gets solo scenes/storylines with Erin, Jamie, and Eddie this season?

Why does he even exist? To turn Erin’s lawyer storylines into detective storylines. It’s dumb and demeaning and doesn’t let us see Erin doing her actual job and “Anthony” should not even exist as a role on this show. In this essay I will

“THE BOY SCOUT’S GOT SOME SPUNK AFTER ALL” lol @ that entire sentence

God I’m only halfway through this damn episode someone save me.

LOL @ Anthony yelling at this poor Statue Of Liberty chick. And LOL @ the stabby ragey drunk with fancy lawyers dating some girl whose job is Performance Art in Times Square. 😂😂😂

And now Anthony’s yelling at both of them in his office? I mean I’m all for anyone yelling at Various Reagans but w.h.y. does Anthony exist.

Except LOLOL 4ever @ Anthony pouring himself two shots and then peacing out, CLASSIC.

THE FINAL DINNER SCENE: Frank Officially Meets Lena

Lol this opening of just Frank and Jamie is awkward af

Eddie’s so nervous and jittery. 😂 “I would like... to introduce you.... to my mom...? Maybe?” It’s funny and for once I’m not bothered by this whole Demeanor on Eddie (it makes sense for her to be nervous about introducing her mom to Jamie’s family) but also don’t start talking to me about how this could/should have occurred during Jamie and Eddie’s pre-engagement dating relationship that we were deprived of, it’s fine

Eddie and Jamie’s cute little “hey...hey” was like, the most meaningful/cute/appropriate-for-an-engaged-couple Moment they’ve had all season, so thaf’s where we’re at now.

Lol I’m so pleased @ how Nothing that scene was.

I’m going to go give my three dogs a bath. It’ll be more fun and interesting than this episode, so. ✌️

#sandy hates it all #blue bloods #9x19 common enemies

[kierongillen]

Writer Notes: The Wicked + the Divine 1373

Writer Notes: The Wicked + the Divine 1373

Spoilers, obv.

(I say I do these before the next issue came out. I was posting this yesterday and my tumblr account died. As in, my tumblr account was terminated.There’s a couple of things which make me think it’s a glitch (not least there’s no reason for it I could think of, unless Tumblr really loathes writer notes about a lucifer nun. I contact them going “Huh?” and come the morning, it’s back. Hmm. Anyway - here you go, and the next special - Wicdiv: the funnies is out today) 

The final historical special, which seems to require my notes to pull them together and talk about the larger intent. Sitting here and writing, I’m not sure I want to. The backbone of the specials have been the relationship between various Lucifers and Ananke across the centuries. You get a chance at least get acquainted with four Lucifer’s, and get to compare and contrast, and you get to see more developed portraits of what Ananke has been up to across the centuries. As the last one in the printed chronology, that means this one ties all that together, plus (as the other one) introducing some key ideas for the next arc.

It differs in another way – while that’s how the reading order will work for anyone working in single issues, in trades, it’s another story. These are going to be gathered together as Volume 8 (OLD IS THE NEW NEW) and printed chronologically (as in, 455, 1373, 1833, 1922). That’s how people in trades are going to first experience them, which creates a different spin and will bring different elements to the surface.

To state the obvious, the big thing in this one is “oh – here’s how bad Ananke can be.” By implication, it raises the stakes for the final arc in terms of what she could do if her back is against the wall.

I admit, I’ve always been a bit worried when I see a handful of people assume the specials aren’t essential to the story. I don’t believe we’ve ever said that, and it’s simply not true. You can skip them, sure, but it breaks the story as much as skipping any individual issue of WicDiv. What we’ve said is that trade readers don’t need to buy the specials to follow the story. I’m trying to think of anything I could have said that could have been misconstrued? Possibly the “anything we use will be reintroduced”? I dunno.

Anyway – this is simultaneously the biggest and smallest of the special. The idea came to me early – a Lucifer having escaped to a nunnery, repented and lived past the end of her two years. Then Ananke and Minerva catch up with her. Apart from that, I knew that it would give the clearest statement of what Ananke has been doing, and that it would end in fire. The rest of this issue was a process of discovery.

(I’ve talked influences here. Ken Russell’s the Devils. Carrie. The Seventh Seal. Black Narcissus. The Sound Of Music. One of these is a lie.)

To get it up front: I was raised Catholic. This issue caused Katie and Chrissy to basically glance side-eye at me, as if encountering an alien. I’ve done something similar to this before, with Generation Hope’s Idie, but this is a far deeper, darker dive into that.

Fun time, for everyone. The response has been interesting. The people who loved it adored it. Catholic Guilt fist-bump.

Jamie/Matt’s Cover: This is just a stunning one. Jamie’s ability to switch modes is something we rarely push in WicDiv (mainly in icons) but doing stained glass is a hell of a thing. But Matt comes out with something else, and actually making this thing glow. Numinous. Totally Numinous.

Ryan’s Cover: Ryan and I first worked together in Three, and I’d first really fell for his work in his Northlanders arcs, so there’s historical fiction previous. This is a particularly grimy issue of WicDiv, and he’s leaned into it. Lucifer, penitent, looking up – at us, but as we go further, we realise her Father. This is the only place we see with her horns. Clearly, having this on the cover and seeing what she looks like inside has an implied story.

IFC

The icons were oddly tricky here, and Jamie had to work for a period drawing of Satan to riff on. However, the Minerva is a delight. If anyone has seen my attempted drawing of a Minerva symbol when signing Volume 7 will know, this is about my level of physical accuracy.

One thing about the specials I find interesting is what’s the minimum of historical data we have to give to make a story make sense. Obviously “It is thought to be the greatest natural of all time” is loaded. Especially the word “natural.” I wish I tweaked it to make it clear I was talking about the Black Death’s effect on the world rather than just Europe though. The Black Death devastating Europe isn’t the biggest natural disaster – it’s the Black Death full stop.

Page 1

I wrote this issue sparsely. It’s designed to be mediative. As such, a slow long pan opening, setting up the themes visually.

The host… well, do I have to explain Catholicism here? The Host is transformed in the ceremony into the body of Jesus Christ. In this period, however, the actual eating of the host was relatively rare. As such, most ceremonies were more about the simple act of observing the host – the holding up in the modern ceremony is a hold-over for that, as well as the larger size of the host itself so folks can see it better.

Of course, that the observation was the key things make this scene possible – it’s possible for someone to observe the host without actually entering the church, as this long slow pan back from the divinity of the church to the rats on the streets show.

Avignon was home of the Papacy in this period. Generally speaking, there was less research in this special than any other one. I read enough to get the Black Death details I needed, to trace its path and various other things, as well as hitting up period Catholicism. However, it’s also the special that’s most based on my own actual pre-existing knowledge.

Page 2

Size is meaning, as always, and an intro to Lucifer’s cheery catchphrase for the issue.

Oddly, getting period Nun garb for lucifer was hard. I wanted originally for her to be a noviate (as in, Novice)but I couldn’t get reference I trusted, so I went full Nun. FULL NUN. Or NUN MORE GOTH as several excellent people put it.

Page 3

By this point we should realise that Lucifer wants her Father To Forgive Her. I am subtle and elegant in my writing, so you may have missed this.

Good stern mother superior here. The choice of the reds in the eyes is strong. And the reveal of the sawn off horns, which says everything about her.

Page 4

From Ring a ring o’Roses, which folks say is about the plague, but apparently dates from far too late.

Page 5-6

And hello, Minerva. You’re having a bad century too. Trying to signal that she’s falling apart but it’s not the plague was a tricky thing, and we obviously do a lot of pointing in the dialogue.

It’s only here that you start getting the weird and uncanny cleanness of the mud-rolling Lucifer. That she’s addressed as the Girl Who Walks Through Plague makes it even odder. This is an unusual notes for me – I haven’t looked at the issue in a while, so some odd stuff is striking.

“None of us are irredeemable” – god, this issue is king of the loaded lines.

The dispensation thing is a reach, but not an impossible one – during the plague there was a dispensation given in various areas where layfolk could hear each other’s confessions when there was no access to a Priest. This seemed a logical enough extrapolation.

Lucifer’s last lines… oh, I’ll save that. She’s got more WTF ARE YOU SAYING ones in a minute.

Page 7-8-9-10

The Two Days Later loc cap reminds me of what I was doing in terms of setting the date of the story – it’s the Sunday before lent kicks off. That google lets us easily find the calendar for the period and work out when Lent would start is A+.

So much mud! Matt is known for the hyper-bright effects, so to go into something as low-key as this is great. See how it works with Ryan as well.

Flagellants are one of the bits of the research which tweaked the story a little. Self-mortification was on my mind – it’s a key thing in The Devils – and the Flagellants are the avatar of religious injuries, so I was thinking of them anyway. After all – they’re a great image, this mass of people whipping themselves and lamenting loudly. Anyway, I do the research, and discover that as well as travelling the country lamenting, they also were basically a wandering lynch mob killing Jews. Which takes the fun out them, y’know?

“A ditch of god’s good earth is closer to paradise than I deserve” – that’s the kind of line that had me looking at my fingers as if they were alien beings. This issue was structured loosely – Lucifer is called, experiences things on the way, and hears Ananke’s confession” with me writing to explore the setting and characters. As such, it was a surprise half the things Lucifer said about the world around her. This shouldn’t surprise me though – I had a similar experience with Idie, in terms of just being afraid for her.

That Lucifer is THE GIRL WHO WOULDN’T BURN is another connection to Idie, of course. And also foreshadowing.

The nudity is the hardest thing to do, especially when you add whipping to it. I wanted it objective, nature of fact. I have no idea if we pulled it off or not. I do like the space that Ryan puts between the head flagellant, Lucifer and the rest – as if they’re a little intimidated, not wanting to be involved.

And then Lucifer’s judgement. Lucifer’s pride and self-hate are fascinatingly intertwined. I’m not sure if I could have dealt with writing much more of her, but part of me would love to have.

(God – just had the image of Lucifer as my crucifix, which is so OTP I laugh)

The silence at the end of the page makes it linger. The expression Ryan gives Lucifer at the end of the scene – utterly ambivalent to the violence behind her – is one of the more quietly chilling things in the book.

Page 11

I could have just had Lucifer find Ananke here, but I wanted something to show her heading through the town – as well as a chance to look at the plague symptoms. The idea of Ananke having arranged all these corpses to guide the way seemed both chilling and very Ananke.

Worth noting – these are the wrong symptoms for Plague circa 1373. This is the original Black Death symptoms, because Ananke is still carrying the O.G. Plague. It’s not the sort of thing I suspect anyone would ever notice, but it’s there.

Lucifer entering the hut on the last page is a great one – Ryan modulating tone towards Lucifer. This is a straight horror shot.

12-13

And hello, Ananke. You look well, how are you, what have you been up to?

YOU DID WHAT? ANnnnnakkkke!!!!

I like the central framing of this. Purely Objective.

The core question of the issue right at the end of the issue – I do like how Ryan has Ananke pushing up the villain here. Ananke knows how this is going to go. Anankes always don’t really want to die, but I suspect this one may be an exception. This has been no fun at all for her.

The Harrowing Of Hell is basically when Christ went down to Hell to free all the souls from Satan. In short. I’m really not sure how much of this stuff I have to say – a lot of you are Americans, and a far less secular culture than us Brits. Most of my readers didn’t know any of this, which did lead to dialling back the allusions a little.

From now on the issue is basically two women talking in a room, one of whom spends the whole time weak in bed. This is not exactly dramatic comics, so we have to work to keep it visually interesting. To be honest, I always like the challenge. One of the most fun issues I wrote at marvel was just Cyclops and Wolverine in a cell, arguing, with just a six pack for company.

Anyway – some great expressions here from Ananke. Look at panel 5 on page 13. Such contempt!

Page 14-15

For those working out what’s up with Minerva, 14 would be the page to go into. We already know from issue 36 what happens if she can’t complete the ritual.

The flashback to Lucifer’s transformation is an interesting one – the pink colouring really makes me think of 90s Vertigo, and the non-pop-comics they put out then seem to be the closest to this issue.

I like the steel in Lucifer’s glance in panel 2 of page 15, and how uncomfortable that makes Ananke.

Page 16-17

The main thing to try and keep this scene less static is Ananke’s Knife. For these two pages it’s a “Oh – Lucifer’s picked it up. That implies something.” The second is “is she going to use it”. Keep things interacting.

These pages are the simplest explaining of Ananke’s methodology. A lot could be extrapolated, but this ties it together. The other side of this pushes forward what I originally conceived for the historical specials  - as in, seeing how Ananke’s desires twist a little across the centuries. Frankly? She hits the beat again later, but this is a snapshot of how she’s feeling circa 1373.

Page 18-19 “Adieu” is the one bit of actual french in it. I’m not normally a big one on this. It just sometimes feels right.

The tension of the previous page turns is born of the knife, but here’s it’s all about Ananke’s questions. The pauses panel on page 18 is the thing which lends the question weight. I’m fond of “Frozen” panels where you don’t really get to see someone’s face.

The Father on Earth/Father in Heaven enters the story, of course. This is at the heart of the book.

Yet more dead parents on issue 19. WicDiv, eh?

Wherein, Lucifer has the world’s worst superhero origin story. It’s… like, Guilt? I’ve always had a sort of twinge of “Hmmm” towards Spider-man. Guilt is a motivation that has to be unpacked.

Anyway – Lucifer’s fundamental tragedy.

Page 20-21

Here’s a thought experiment for writers – try re-arranging the statements in the first panel here, and realise why we did the order we did and the implication it would carry if we did it in another way. “The Flagellants” is yet more precision to make sure you demarcate stuff.

The plague traveling comes from the research, and as far as I can work out, is accurate. Of course, there’s far better theories to explain this weirdness than “An invulnerable Old Lady was driving the ship”. People will come to respect my genius in years to come, I’m sure.

Ananke is laying it on a little thick, of course. Like… this is a very strange confession. Confessions are strange. There’s a question of what power is.

This is one of those pages which I suspect will become more important when collected with the other specials and read as the eighth volume before the conclusion.

Page 22-23

Great building rage here from Ryan, and what Matt does with the mood is also A+. The arrival of the wet, gore reds after an issue of the mud and old blood is something else. Compare and contrast to the reds and oranges in Lucifer’s eyes.

I look at this and think about page turns. In an ideal world, the 22-23 would be a page turn – you can see she doesn’t stab Ananke, and the self-inflicted injury by glancing to the right. But space is always a premium, and frankly every page could do with being the reveal-turn in this sequence. It’s that or pad it, right?

Ryan added a panel to draw out the pulling away the flesh, which I love.

“this is my body” is about the point where we realise THIS IS REACHING PEAK CATHOLICISM.

Page 24-25-26

I’m feeling if I explain the sacrament here, I’m patronising folks, and if I don’t, these notes kind of are missing the point. I say a bit earlier here, but Google Transubstantiation if you don’t know it. Suffice to say, this is a particularly blasphemous flip of the core regular miracle of the Catholic mass. Bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Lucifer’s body into fire.

I can’t remember where I had this idea from. I knew it ended in fire initially, but didn’t realise it would be this. It was just there when I needed it. It made sense, and that it makes sense worries me. Comics!

Anyway – everything goes Carrie, as the fire consumes them both. The full horror stretching out and out as much as we can, and we return to the “father forgive me” which haunts this book. Which, by this point, everyone knows is loaded.

I like this Lucifer. She’s one of my favourites. I’m glad I got to write her.

Page 27

And Minerva heads off, with her bag of you know what, into the future.

Page 28

Yes “Transubstantiation” pushes the WicDiv design to breaking point.

That’s enough. Thanks for Ryan to join us on this one – he’s an incredible talent and we were lucky to have him. As I write, WicDIv: The Funnies drops tomorrow, with WicDiv returning for its final arc in November.

Thanks for reading.

#WicDiv #ryan kelly #the wicked and the divine #writer notes

[popculturespiritwow]

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #18: BAD SPIDER IS MY NEW BAND NAME

INTO THE GREAT WILD OPEN

Rereading Arc Four, the thing that has struck me the most over and over is just how wide open it is. It’s like we’ve been in this long tunnel (although Arc Three never felt like that at the time), and suddenly we’ve emerged into a story that is just MOVING. Forget finding out what happened to Laura, the best we can do is hold on and keep up with what she’s got planned.

Likewise, all the idiosyncrasies of the great artists from arc three have fallen to the wayside. Jamie and Matt deliver in contrast this clean and often-bright style (love the Woden disco-teleport beams so much) that is very accessible.

Each time I’ve come to this arc this shift into high gear has thrown me. It seems somehow “less” after the deep dives and unusual textures of what’s come directly before. Or maybe somehow “simpler”, more straightforward.  

I don’t think that interpretation is simply a matter of contrast with the prior arc. Arc Four presents a classic super hero trope, Super Hero Big Fight. In its standard form that trope is always high octane, big visuals, quick and dirty reads.

Kieron has often said in his Writer’s Notes that he and Jamie imagine WicDiv as a journey through and comment on everything that they’ve ever done. I think what we’re being “told” in issue 18 is, here’s our super hero moment. Get ready for some spandex fisticuffs.

And also, probably, beware. Because this is not a super hero book. And when these guys seem standard or straightforward, the floor is probably going to drop out. (They got razors in their hats, guys!)

(I just started watching Peaky Blinders. Finding it really traumatizing.)

SETTING THE TABLE

God we’ve missed you.

As with every arc, Kieron seeds most of the major elements of this arc early. Laura is back (and she has A PLAN!); Ananke has A MACHINE!, and it’s for Minerva; Minerva’s parents are THE WORST, but she still wants to save them; Baphomet and Persephone know a lot about each other, and the Morrigan is NOT GOING TO LIKE IT.

Plus, Ananke wants everyone to believe Laura is THE DESTROYER!; and Persephone is IN HELL!

(Actually, those last two are more arcs for the entire middle/Act Two of WicDiv. And they’re mysteries more than they are statements. This arc we’ve got Ananke saying Laura is the Destroyer as a means to try and get her Pantheon to kill her; but as we move into Imperial Phase more and more we’ll wonder if she wasn’t right. Everything Laura-as-Persephone does (starting with sleeping with Baphomet) ends up messing people up. And Laura herself clearly believes she is the Destroyer.

Meanwhile the true import of “Persephone is in Hell” won’t become clear until the very end of Imperial Phase II, when Laura reveals her belief that she’s responsible for the deaths of her family, and that she deserves nothing but punishment.

And though that reveal stunned me to the core, looking back on this issue the very first thing that we get from Laura after her return is her remembering her family’s murders. In fact it’s the only moment in the whole of what I’m thinking of as Act Two where we get inside Laura’s head. For me, one of the most unsettling and jarring parts of the next three arcs, in fact, is that after having established a relationship with the character through inner monologue we are now suddenly completely shut out of her inner life. Kieron will use that silence to feed our suspicions that she could very well be the Destroyer as the Act goes on. Tricksy tricksy hobbit. 

But it’s also just like a hole in everything as the story goes on, like we really never did get Laura back, even if she’s there shooting tendrils on the page.

Or as Ananke puts it next issue, when Woden asks why she didn’t tell him Laura is alive:

Is it wrong to call Arc Four the beginning of Act Two of WicDiv? Certainly Arc Three keeps moving the story along, and has some big moments in it. But I don’t know, for me tonally it feels as an arc more like when a movie pauses after a Turning PointTM to sort of let you catch up and learn how to fill your lungs with air again.  

On the other hand, much of what happens in the Imperial Phase arcs really gets set up in Arc Three. So maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about here.

Ron Howard Voice: He was right. He did not.

MOMSTER AND DADSTER

I have to give a nod to Mini’s relationship with her parents in this issue. Although we’ve seen them before (and watched them trick her out), this is our first experience with them up close. And they are pretty much worse than we thought. It’s her thirteenth birthday; cool! Here’s what they have planned:

A pony for your birthday? But what about all the people who have paid all this money to see you? (There is no way that kid’s parents are not Catholic.)

Yet when the danger comes, Minerva’s only concern is for their well-being. In fact, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s a single moment in the entire run where she speaks bad about her parents. 

Which in a way is a great extension of one of the themes of Arc Three – monstrous or not we’re all just human beings, and precious.

It’s also another brilliant way to make us love Minerva, so that when he takes her from us Who is This Winifred Burkle I am Illyria-style Kieron can really enjoy it.

No he isn’t, Gollum. No, he most definitely isn’t.

I also note we have in issue 18 Mini repeating the nonsense Ananke used to reassure her, and to Baphomet, of all people.

Oh that poor kid.

But also: this question of whether it’s all going to be okay or not keeps coming up. To such an extent I almost wonder, is it possible there is some way it might actually prove to be okay in the end?

It can’t, right? They’re all going to die. How can it possibly work out?

...

Okay I admit it. Somehow even now I’m still rooting for a Shakespeare in Love ending.

HENRIETTA PUSSYCAT SAYS HELLO

Thinking of the issue as Something A Writer Can Learn From, in addition to How to Make Readers Love a Character That’s Going to Be Murdered, I admire how Kieron uses this new plan of Laura’s to subvert my desire to find out What Happened to Laura, Tell Me Right Now, I Need This.

Given that she’s just returned, we think we’re at the beginning of something, but then it turns out no, we’re in the middle; all the fun scenes where George Clooney convinced a bunch of other men to do men stuff happened while we were busy watching Sakhmet eat her dad and now they’re about to steal from Ananke Garcia in front of us. 

(Andy Garcia would kill as Ananke. Hollywood make this happen.)

On the surface our desire to find out about Persephone and our desire to learn about/see this plan enacted would not seem to be parallel in intensity. But in fact they’re close enough, perhaps because the plan is all about Ananke getting her comeuppance.

Actually as I write this I’m suddenly realizing from a strictly emotional point of view our desire to see Ananke get smited is much bigger, isn’t it. We hunger for answers, but what we NEED is catharsis. And that’s all about taking care of Ananke.

So by offering us what we feel we need, we’re willing to let go of what we want.

And now suddenly I have this image that basically we’re cats and Kieron and Jamie have a laser pointer.

Hmm. Maybe that’s an interesting way of thinking about being a writer.

#wicdiv #kieron gillen #jamie mckelvie #meow meow meow meow meow

[crossedbeams]

ROSE REVIEWS… THE X-FILES - S1.E11 Eve

<<1.10 Fallen Angel ———————————  1.12 Fire >>

I’m salty today and what better way than to transfer that into something positive than to finish this long overdue and almost certainly irrelevant recap of Eve. Read on for children who are almost as scary as their acting is bad, prison aesthetics and idiotic blithering by me.

THE PLOT

The fathers of creepy children are being exsanguinated on opposite coasts and Mulder wants to know the aliens have upgraded from cows. IVF suspicions run wild and with a little help from good old Deep Throat, the terrific two suspect genetic government experiments gone wrong may be responsible for the shenanigans. When the creepy kids go missing, things escalate and soda becomes a very dangerous refreshment...

Let’s go...

MY STREAM OF SEMI-CONSCIOUSNESS

Ah. The X-Files, the show that is always a scenic autumnal bath for my eyes…. And where under the leaves there is probably a dead person eaten by a molewoman or an alien. Honey? I’m home.

We find ourselves in an idyllic suburban neighbourhood, (always bad news on screen), where very concerned joggers approach an underdressed child and her stuffed animal. It’s hard at this stage to decipher whether the kid is creepy or just a really bad actor but the suspense synth hardly encourages us to give her the benefit of the doubt...

They head to the backyard, where peppy jogging neighbour fails to notice that the kid’s dad is dead coloured, posed like a corpse and basically, stereotypically and obviously dead... until he claps him jovially on the shoulder causing a tragicomic half slump of dead dad, and exposing vampiric looking marks. The kid screams, not sure why, she’s way too far away to see anything. This is the point at which I begin to suspect that she is both a bad actor AND entry #224 in the Vancouver local listing of Creepy Kids for Hire. Move over Conduit boy!

CREDITS!

This week we only wait 2.5 mins for our special baby Agents to materialise, Scully dressed as a Catholic grade schooler and Mulder wearing a tie designed, as far as I can tell, to look like mushroom soup with licorice allsorts floating in it.

Their poor fashion choices don’t seem to put them off them though, and we zigzag between lip biting (Mulder), making weird moany noises (Scully), and the level of inter office eye contact we’ve come to expect from these fluffy baby agents all set to a soundtrack of cattle mutilation chatter. And our series first (!) cow slideshow!

Scully is still naive enough to ask why Mulder believes cattle mutilation is linked to aliens. Give it a few weeks and you’ll realise that aliens is pretty much always the answer to “Why….” on the X-Files and that eyebrow is the only appropriate response before you just go with it.

I can’t wait :D

As Mulds and Sculls traverse some stairs, I realise that creepy kid #1 is called Teena. Spelled the same as Mulder’s mum. Because apparently the X-Files name bank isn’t only shallow in the male department. Also is Teena a normal spelling in the States? Here it’d only really be Tina….

I then get distracted by Scully in the biggest of purple coats. I’d love to see S1 Scully’s closet. A symphony of oversized pastels with overcoats to clash… don’t worry though hon. You’ll get some style later though for the bargain price of two (2) family members and also your ova. Poor Scully.

Scully also looks incredibly young in this scene, speaking all soft to the kid. Moments like this I struggle to believe that Mulder “never saw her as a mom” until Home. She’s all melty round the edges even though the kid is weird and creepy.

When creepy Teena starts talking about red lightning, the massively coached and unnatural pauses in dialogue and the trouble pronouncing exsanguination are just so glaring you can’t believe that this kid’s innocent charade will hold up as long as it does. But it all adds to the creep, just in time for…

**bring bring ** Scully leans in to kiss her spoopy partner tell Mulder there has been another murder. Darn. Seriously though. Close talkin to the power on uuuungghhh right here. No wonder this fandom is so thirsty.

We’re in Vancouver San Franciso, still in giant coats, for another exsanguination and what we now know is death by digitalis. Mulder says that the two estimated times of death were at the “exact same time” and I chuckle to myself like the pedant I am. Estimates cannot be exact dumdum. It also takes the edge off him mansplaining timezones to Scully. SHE IS A MEDICAL DOCTOR DAMMIT. 

This scene has very nice warm, sunsetty lighting which is nice as our Spooksters demonstrate why the X-Files department is always over budget; they’ve flown cross country to do two laps of a crime scene while reading a file aloud and the kid they wanna question isn’t even in town. Where is she? I’m glad you asked, coz remember that sunny warmness? Well it’s over.

Back on the east coast, creepTeena is getting outcreeped by a thunderstorm and what appear to be disembodied footsteps at her door. We see nothing but a flash and then the door is open. It’s tense and I’m pretty sure this is never explained, raised as a concern beyond “she got abducted”?

A new day means new suits, Mulder in a tie inspired by parquet flooring and Scully in eggshell and pinstripes and a brown trenchcoat named regret. It’s a lot to process and they still don’t seem overly concerned about Teena’s kidnapping. Despite his post Samantha abduction PTSD, Mulder’s only contribution is a dramatic sky point and the suggestion the cops need to look up, but then dun dun dduuuuunh - there’s another one.

Sinister Cindy in the house. Literally.

She informs them she has lived there “since she was born eight years ago”. Zero inflection with that info and a sentence structure as unnatural as the phenomena Mulder wants to blame. Deffo a rent-a-creepykid. 100%. The woodenness only adds to it.

Commence super awkward kitchen convo where they Mulder and Scully try and fail to find a tactful way to imply Cindy might not be this grieving wife’s legitimate child. A birthing video is offered and declined. Thank god. Imagine is CHris Carter had to watch rushes of an actual woman’s vagina with a female child emerging. 

Mrs Reardon’s insistence that Cindy was daddy’s girl is pretty horrifying once you know how it ends. Damn creepy kids. Listening in while watching politics, Cindy is infinitely creepier than Teena and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not for this kid “actor”.

Back in the car and Mulder is still pretty blase about Teena’s abduction/kidnap, though I forgive him because his flippant potato/potahto is adorable and he does hang out in the bushes to try and protect Cindy from getting nabbed sending Scully off to the IVF clinic alone. Ahh... the foreshadowing is out there.

At the Luther Stapes Medical Centre, a doctor mansplains IVF to Scully. She does not punch him. Another way that she is better than me.She does however, maintain super intense eye contact with him for the entire walk and truly it is a miracle she doesn’t fall over.

The next scene is pretty uneventful except that I can honestly say that Sally Kendrick is the last human I would want toying with my cervix. She’s...robotic and it looks like she has to work out how to sit down like a human. She could give Theresa May lessons.

Back at the hotel there’s some funky camera panning that I am here for and also I think there is some dialogue but let’s be honest.... this is more important 

Yes Professor I would like some extra credit and may I also just smooth your poofy hair.

Even Scully knows it. Hence her confusion at being ushered out, for no obvious reason. She just wants to look at him and maybe get inside his shirt and ... and... Mulder’s “what’s a girl” is cute.... but this is cuter. (even more overanalysing of this scene here for ya glasses lovers). 

Instead of meeting a girl, Mulder meets Deep Throat in an excessively aesthetically pleasing place. Honestly, Eve is a beautiful episode. Despite the creepy kids and imprisoned women. (Eve Aesthetic here). DT seems very concerned that Scully not be invited and while I’m sure that this has some link to the possibility of spy!Scully, it reads more as jealous older manfriend wants pretty Mulder to himself. And honestly I get it. God, fic has ruined me. Anyway, enough of that, enjoy this picture of pensive waterside Mulder and try to recall the specifics of the Deep Throat reveal. Project Blah. Boys called Adam. Girls called Eve. Clones. Bad. Disaster. EVE-il is at work. ¬¬ (sorry)

Mulder has brought sunflower seeds because meeting an informant without snacks = rookie error. 

The important thing to note is that Deep Throat basically sets the stage for the Super Soldier Arc and everyone forgets about it when they actually get to the super soldier arc. God, for a continuity pedant, my fave is SO problematic!

Deep Throat finishes by telling Mulder he’s scored him front row seats to what’s left of the whole fucked up thing.

Cut to the most aesthetic Institute for the criminally insane and after some hot DAMN camera angles we get panic buttons and a tromp into the deeps where they keep all the government created monsters, including Eve 6.

I just wanna take a moment away from my snark and give a huge shout out to Harriet Harris who is SO good and creepy in this episode. A lot of the Season 1 extras/bit parts are average to the extreme and honestly, Harris makes this episode. Without her eyeball biting, jerky, wild eyed delivery, this ep would be as mediocre as the creepy twin actresses.

Now we’ve got that out of the way - we find out that Eve 6 screams when the lights are on but is fine with  an industrial sized flashlight being shone all up in her face.  Nobody’s ever got a good look at her... except presumably the person who undoes her straitjacket so she can pee? And now Mulder and Scully.

Eve 6 is my fave Eve tbh. She’s this perfect mix of terrifying and pitiful, alludes to the telekinetic connection that the younger Eve twins later reference, and is the kind of proof of government misdeed that and older Mulder and Scully despair of, delivered while they’re way too young in their partnership to do anything about it. She tells them that Eves are into suicide, psychosis and murder, and on exiting, our baby agents still don’t suspect the kids.

(Break for actual analysis) It struck me during this scene how this case tunes into both Mulder and Scully’s demons. For Mulder, it’s the missing girls and the incarcerated Eve represents a scenario that could explain Samantha’s absence in the most horrifying ways. What if she is a locked up experiment just like Eve 6? For Scully it’s a visceral representation of her struggle between scientific duty and Christian morality. The creation of Eve 6 is an aberration against both good scientific practice AND the divine right of Good to control life and death... and yet she is also a victim who did not choose too be engineered and while Scully tries to question her, maintaining composure, this face/stress swallow really says it all.

Just to double the sucker punch we cut to Cindy asking the lord to take her soul, her mother looking on with a mournful doomladen stare before telling her daughter how special she is. Cindy is unmoved, because she is special(ly evil) and Mama Reardon leaves, bereft of her husband and unacknowledged by her kid. We get it Chris Carter. Genetic experimentation BAD, family GOOD, foreboding, CHECK.... now can we just-

Mulder Scully stakeout! There is no iced tea in the bag and when Mulder posits that the adult Eves 7 & 8 did done the murders, Scully pulls this face, and mutters without much conviction that she was beginning to suspect the girls. 

GOOD CALL SCULLY

Except Mulder then says “no no and here is why” and Scully just goes with it. The whole delivery at set up of this scene feels very Season 1, by which I mean Scully vacillates wildly between submitting to Mulder’s experience and being done.with.his.shit, Mulder gets all the big lines/theories/feelings/hunches and Gillian especially (and David to a lesser degree) seem unsure how to play their nuances and dynamic. Essentially it all becomes irrelevant because CRISIS takes precedent but being the super-nerd I am, this stuff fascinates me as evidence of them still learning their characters. No way S5 Scully gives up on a plausible theory so easily, even if it makes 8-yos into suspects. If cats can be evil, these staring, soulless kids can be too.

Cue Mark Snow jangles and Cindy and her similar to Teena’s bunny rabbit run away from her terrifying wall dolls and many crucifixes towards the window where she makes terrifying eye contact with Scully’s binoculars before getting grabbed by someone who is considerate enough to announce themselves by turning on the lights?!.

Mulder will take the back! (any time Mulder. Any way ¬¬ ) and sets off with his almost convincingly held gun/torch combo while Scully takes the indoors. This is, invariably, only going to go one way.

DOWN GOES SCULLY!

Sally Kendrick/Eve? leaps through the window where Mulder confronts her by asking her which Eve she is, allowing her a chance to pull a gun, shoot at him and escape and this is why you don’t want S1 Muldo and Sculls handling your home invasion. I mean who holds their gun like this, takes out a psychopath and ends the day without a hole in them?

Fox “Thinks he can outrun a car” Mulder is who. 

I love his idiot face though.

Despite the fact that Cindy didn’t struggle/scream/react to her apparent kidnap at all, Scully’s remaining focussed on the adult Eves in support of Mulder’s dismissal of her earlier theory... well I already said it but - *sigh*

After Scully briefs the police and Mulder tries to reassurea distraught Mrs Reardon that her increasingly abnormal daughter will be found we get the kind of side by side, meaningful  moment that I am here for all day long. Except that the height difference is so extreme that they never actually get Scully in focus!

And Scully’s “and then what” brings us back to unsettling truth that even if the kid gets found, things aren’t looking good for her given how much murder is in her genes. Poor Mrs Reardon.

Very X-Files, through-the-motel-sign shot and we see Sally Kendrick taking Cindy into motel to meet Teena. The girls look... creepy... and Kendrick looks weirdly and simplistically happy given that she has multiple abductees, severe genetic issues and the FBI on her back. Maybe poor old Sal just wants a normal life? Unlucky girl, this is the X-Files, no happy ending for anyone EVERR. Except possibly a two-faced rapist who likes Cher but that’s for another time.

Back to Sally Kendrick who is rocking a poloneck and showing a remarkable lack of nutritional concern for someone supposedly a genius. Pretty sure 8 cartons of fries are no better for psychotic murder-kids than regular ones. She begins to explain that she was pretty hopeful that she’s evolved the murdering out of her second batch of Eves but turns out she actually made it worse! Let’s pop a check in the box for “playing into popular concerns about genetic testing” and “reasons you shouldn’t do it yourself”. She tells Cindy and Teena she’s “disappointed” that they’ve done murders ahead of the curve. They are not bothered which is unsurprising given they don’t know her/are psychopaths.

Aesthetically this scene is very pleasing and the lack of stilted kid dialogue “we just knew” vs. long sentences definitely adds to tension. As does the total lack of background music. Hearing even these fairly limited actors candidly and remorselessly admit to murder is effective. And Kendrick’s slightly desperate plea that they not think that way, that they be “better” as she designed has the double effect of showing her own Eve-y instability and her very human desire to not have made a horrible mistake in creating this terrifying she-devils.

Sorry Sal.

Genetic destiny’s a bitch

And the X-Files narrative demands that when you play god you get dead. unless you’re the CSM in which case you probably drink digitalis and kale for breakfast to aid skin regrowth. Bye bye Sally Kendrick. Thanks for the creepers.

On attending the crime scene, Mulder and Scully are midway through being told that the scene is undisturbed when they hear stuff breaking. This prompts some X-Files-Action-MagicTM and some truly outrageous faces by Gillian.

Yup

What is most disturbing on rewatching is that with the scene secured, Scully confirms death and Mulder goes to gaze out the window while the Creeper twins cower and cry on the floor. Noe we know they’re guilty AF by this point, but in the narrative DumbScull and MulderingItOver haven’t quite got there because they’ve been too busy gazing at each other so we have two children just whimpering in the corner while Scully pokes a corpse and Mulder mulders about. 

Scully does eventually go and pat them. And again I say fuck you CC and anyone else who “didn’t see her as a mother”.

Mulder volunteers to chaperone the creepsters to hospital and beyond and the guy in charge kinda just goes “meh”. Pretty sure some liberties have been taken with child service procedures but hey, at least this means we’re almost at the crescendo moment. Right?

Having loaded them into the car, where their spiffy red outfits match the velour upholstery and promised they’ll talk about “what happens next” (again, is this really FBI jurisdiction? Fox Mulder counselling bereaved kids seems like a HORRIBLE plan to me) , Scully and Mulder note the girls attachment and somehow miss the horrifying expressions of murder on their creepy little faces. 

Again though #aesthetic

Cue some spangly night driving music, Mulder looking all pops over a red vinyl steering wheel, Scully playing mom and the creepsters plotting murder in the back. Ver ver X-Files. They pull up to a used car lot masquerading as a rest stop and go for a group wee,Mulder makes the rookie error of a) hyping evil kids with sugar and b) letting them order a murder weapon, and as soon as Scully’s distracted, one of the creepsters, possibly Sinister Cindy creeps out to spike the drinks. 

Now at this point, honestly, I’m questioning the kids narrative motives. Yes they’re murderous, but aren’t they also meant to be hyper intelligent? Amd getting marooned at a nowhere rest stop, with the corpses of two FBI agents seems SUPER dumb. Like they’re a bit small and loudly dressed to hitch a ride to Vegas and make it on the strip. What gives, creepsters?

The waitress tries to stop her plan by insisting she wait to take the soda until it’s paid for, but is way too easily placated by the kids excuse. Stick to your guns lady, you might just stop a murder.

Although apparently nobody is paying any attention because THIS ISN’T SUSPICIOUS AT ALL IS IT?

Apparently Mulder doesn’t think so, even knowing digitalis is sweet and that there is something weird afoot, he doesn’t question his super sweet diet drink or the kids totally normal and not at all weirdly resistant to drinking sugar free soda and just does this. Seriously it’s like he wants to die in agony.

Scully’s not much better, simply commenting on the “syrupy” taste. MMhmm. Bitch. You’re a medical doctor with a previously voiced suspicion. Quit sipping the murder juice.

Fortunately, after some suspenseful drawn out paying and a forgotten key excuse, Mulder FINALLY twigs when he finds some green goop on the table. Apparently murderTwin is cackhanded when she pours and Mulder, having licked the poison just to check it’s murdery enough (I just cant even) rushes outside to karate chop Scully’s drink away from her in a way so unsubtle that the creepers escape.

Which is actually great news because it gives us all the chance for a nice dark, X-Files bread and butter cat and mouse around a truckstop, cool lighting and tubey-arty stuff sequence. Which I’m here for. 

Despite some pants ruining puddles, the twins are quickly apprehended except for some gun wielding truckers interfere because in this universe regular citizens can hold law enforcement at gunpoint and prevent them doing their job/identifying themselves and anyway everyone almost gets shot and the kids run off again. I should probably insert some pithy political point here about arming the kids too but I’ve been writing this review for 84 years and I don’t have the energy.

Fortunately, at this point Mulder and Scully rediscover some investigative nous and having flashed an ID and truckboy, they trick Sinister and Creepy into thinking they’ve sped off after a school bus. Mulder goes full on child catcher and nabs them with a “gotcha” and is finally deaf to their “we’re just little girls” plea.

I’d like to take a second to flag up his response “that’s the last thing you are” because he’s wrong too. They are little girls, as well as psychopaths, and everyone’s insistence that they must be one thing or another is a device for narrative obfuscation as old as the bible. The appearance of beauty/youth/innocence is not mutually exclusive of the presence of malign intent or evil. Just ask Henry James/Oscar Wilde. Or me. I literally wrote a dissertation on this so. Yeah. They can be little girls and killers Mulder. Don’t be reductive.

But I guess we do need the simplicity of “this kid is evil” otherwise Mrs Reardon ripping her daughter out of a picture and burning it would be more conflicting and we’re only on season 1. 

Likewise the disturbing concept of two eight year olds in a secure prison. I mean yes thy’re creepy but - duh duh dunnnnh - rescue is at hand! Eve 8 shows up for them and once again thy “just knew”. This is the kind of X-Files ending I love. This is the kidn of story I would have loved the revivals to pick up. Imagine (recast) grown Cindy and Teena, off doing murdery clone stuff. Yep. Okay. I’m done now. This is the end. 

Except the score. Which is...

A solid “C” Grade (26/50)

Plot 6/10 - It’s entertaining and a good idea but I penalised it because it depends on Mulder and Scully being super slow on the uptake. That said, they do actually solve the case.

Mulder  6/10 - Mulder is in charge (thanks S1) and presents a mess of grieving brother, heroic car catcher and good cop. Good, in character stuff but not exceptional.

Scully  4/10 - Scully seems to forget she’d an MD and a badass here. She lets Mulder talk her out of (correct) suspicions, gets taken down in the action scene and generally second fiddles. She’s a cute mom but not the Scully we want to see.

USP 3/5  - This was an ambitious idea, beautifully presented, and while it didn’t quite get the polish to make it iconic it is memorable, creepy and a good representation of S1 bread and butter eps. 

Other Characters  5/10 - These points are all for Harriet Harris. None for you creeper twins. None for you.

Bonus points 2/10 - One for being aesthetically pleasing. One for the dorky, cute, feeling out Mulder/Scully moments (motel urnghh) and also their mom and pop act at the rest stop.

That’s all for now folks. I’ll probably have the next one done this decade. Fire. Goodie.

<< 1.10 Fallen Angel ———————————  1.12 Fire >>

#The X-Files #msr #Eve #txf #txf:1x11 #txf eve #txf s1 #rose reviews #rosereviewstxf #txf recaps #silliness #my gifs #RoseReviewTXF

[milquetoast-on-acid]

Sanctuary City p2, A Reactionary Post

Lacking Faith

Major Crimes, S6xE2: Episode Review What this episode is about: Provenza's Printer Pricing & Prickly Page & Knowledgeable Nolan The Question of Father Jonas' Guilt Rusty goes to Stepdad Looming threat of Stroh Sharon's Office & Fish Art Two Mothers The Morgue & The Church: Sharon and Sarah Fire & Water: Dealing with our emotions Sarah & Mateo Garza Sharon & Andy Conflicting Missions Sharon & Father Stan The Ending Scene(s)

I really enjoyed this episode, more so than the first part. I see the first part as exposition and this part as the start of the emotional meat to the episodic arc. There is a lot to unpack in this episode but it's focus is on emotions this time.

Hyphenated Nation: Mike Pointing out the Hypocrisy in people Mike gives me life. I love it when he points out hypocrasy in people. "What about Irish American's or German Americans?" "Doesn't seem to come up."

"Michael" I don't know why but hearing Provenza shout out Mike's full name gives me life. When the team serves the search warrant at Ian’s house. Like when have we heard anyone call him Micheal? About as rare as we hear Louie, Andrew, Francis, Fernando and Russell. Page punching Ian was pretty badass, though. 

The News Vultures Can I love how each of the news casters have their own spin on what's going on since the police haven't released any information on the Joseph's three.

This one is obviously Fox news.

Sanctuary City I love when Sharon lits into Vega and gets on her soap box. Love the rant so much. Her pointing out that them threatening deportation is going to get them no where. 

"I'm not giving up my jurisdictional authority over this case without cause." Sharon was not happy when Mason negotiated their case over to the FBI if it was a kidnapping. If it does end up coming to that you can bet damn sure that Sharon is going to fight tooth and nail for it back.

Provenza's Printer Pricing & Prickly Page & Knowledgeable Nolan

Last week I thought that the printer was new because I had thought it was white. And then this episode went and proved that was not the case. "Look you just have to do it." I love how, Wes doesn't even know why everyone has to pay Provenza to use his printer.  And takes the moment to tell Page about everyone's various quirks and how to work around them. Not that he can understand why they are the way they are. He has just learned to go with the flow - so to speak. He does get a bit snarky when he tells Page she really shouldn't interrupt Sharon.

Question: Does Page only express one emotion? Why does she always have this dower look on her face?

"This is a new federal tax." This scene reminds of when Provenza made Taylor pay ten cents a page instead of five cents. And as everyone knows five cents is the friends and family discount. Except here he's really pushing the price up really high for the feds.

Mason as a Leader "Commander Raydor leads or we go our separate ways. The End." I love this and another comparison to Taylor. I don't think I would have ever seen this much support for Sharon (as a leader) in Taylor. Taylor usually humors the FBI but didn't ever put his foot down quite like this. "Uh ever hear of money laundering?" "Uh ever hear of house flipping?" I do love this moment of the FBI thinking they found some really good information only having it turn out that it was just how the couple made their money.

The Hollywood Strangler Buzz is really terrible at coming up with an on the spot story. And I can't believe the FBI actually bought it.  And I wish Andy would have given one of the FBI agent's the cursed desk.

The Question of Father Jonas' Guilt I wasn't so convinced about about Father Jonas in the last episode but now he's looking very suspicious. Especially with him flying the coop right as the kid he had so much feeling for was found dead and they hadn't even determined if he'd been killed or not. Especially since Father Jonas is someone the kids would go with willingly and would definitely be someone who'd leave Lucas at the church. Not to mention him moving to five different diocese in six years. Some things that could be alarming... "Ryan is not interested in Kelly Garret that I can promise you." "My bond with Ryan is more intense." Both statements sound soo creepy.

"This is exactly the ending I want to avoid." Father Jonas is kind of stuck in the 50's. And as much as I want to blame Provenza, Wes and Page for their pushy interrogation. I have to put some of the blame at Sharon's feet. They are the wrong detectives to interrogate him. I would have sent either, Mike, Amy or Buzz in there. The three of them have a much gentler touch that was needed for him. Provenza hates the Catholic church, Page doesn't know subtly if it hit her in the head and Wes is a bit of a snark king.

While everyone is preoccupied with Ma Garza's explosion over the death of her son. It seems that everyone is missing the most important thing that's happening at that moment. Father Jonas seems just a little too close to Miss Rojas. "So Ryan didn't do it. Thank God." Sounds like she inadvertently told the cops that Ryan killed his step father.

Rusty goes to Step Dad "Why ask me about a gun instead of Sharon?" The answer to that question is that Rusty knows exactly what he's doing. And knows that he's got a much better chance of getting the gun and a concealed permit by speaking to Andy first. This way Rusty has someone else on his side about getting the gun. If Rusty were to go to Sharon first she'd be much more likely to say no. He's got someone as a buffer to Sharon and that will help soften the blow for him. And I also love Andy's reaction. "What!" "At least your not completely crazy." "Oh my god."

Looming threat of Stroh

Sharon's Fish Artwork and her Office

In my review of pt1 I talked about one of the kid's book Moby Dick that Sharon had on her desk and how that symbolizes Stroh and Sharon's relationship. Sharon's new artwork on her walls. One of the paintings is of a giant whale being caught by a tiny fishermen. MC is very deliberate with it's details this not a coincidence. Especially considering this really isn't the kind of artwork you would think Sharon would have. It isn't anything like any of her other artwork. And when has she ever talked about her love of fishing?

Not to mention that since Sharon's office has blown up all of her furniture and artwork is completely new. Her furniture is very sixties vintage looking to me. While the condo might have a touch of that this it's much more so prevalent here. I also really like the colors they choose. Lots of soft blues and a few splashes of bright yellow. Blue is a very calming color and Sharon would want to feel comfortable in her office. A space that's a home away from home to her. The yellow gives it a bright vibrancy to the room but there's only a small touch of it. To the point that it wouldn't overwhelm you, it's an inviting room. 

Andrea Hobbs and her slightly awkward speech about her feelings on Rusty Can we talk about how awesome this little speech Andrea gives Rusty. Her I didn't like you because I don't like kids and you were annoying but now you're an adult and mostly have out grown that annoying. Is pure awesome. And I love how she gives this speech because it's her worrying over him because he doesn't want protection. 

I don't understand why Sharon doesn't compromise. She loves making deals. I could see her making a deal with Rusty. He can get a gun and a CPL if he accepts undercover officers. And I am kind of surprised that Sharon didn't put her foot down more about the protection. I get that it's been a few years since Stroh was around - but this is Sharon we're talking about. She knows how to negotiate. I think the only thing I can think of is that...

1. Rusty is older and wiser. Rusty has grown up since season 3. He's not the same person he was before and he's not as naive as once he was. 

2. Sharon ordered undercover officers without Rusty knowledge and she saw the effects of that from a different perspective. And how something like a mother's obsessive protectiveness ended up putting a wedge between a mother and her child. 

3. Rusty is an adult. Who is capable of making his own decisions. 4. If he doesn't accept police protection he's going to need some kind of way to defend himself. 

5. Seeing that Lucas died because he didn't have access to food or his insulin. Prompts Sharon into thinking that Rusty should have a gun. In case he's separated from Protection. And this sound an awful lot like foreshadowing to me. 

Wait...Is Rusty tracking Stroh's kills? huh....why?

Shooting Range Seeing Sharon load a gun is such a contrast to Rusty firing the gun. She's instructing him but all the while she's completely focused on the gun. Rusty's confidence isn't his problem but focus might be. He certainly needs a lot of practice that's for sure.

Fire & Water: Dealing with our emotions

Sarah & Mateo Garza

This arc really seems to make a huge point in the way that Sarah deals with her emotions and grief verses the way Mateo deals with them. Sarah is volatile and angry. She feels her emotions very intensely and often lets them control her. Look at how she explodes with anger at everyone closest to her when confronted about her sons death. Her husband, priest and her son's closest friend's parents. When the search warrant is executed at their house in part one. That's the first time we get some intense emotions coming off of her. She explodes with anger at Mateo, yelling at him. Which gives the detectives a sense that there are some real problems in their marriage. 

Mateo on the other hand doesn't deal with his emotions at all. He's intensely repressed. It's not that he doesn't feel the same emotions. In fact I may argue he may feel them more intensely which may explain why he's an addict. He doesn't want to feel them. He doesn't want to feel out of control. Especially his behavior at the morgue. He was so numb almost like a walking corpse. The way he talked about his son, about how they removed his organs and stitched his body back up. In such a clinical detached way almost like he was talking about a doll or a car. 

I find it interesting that these two are married, yet so very different. It's obvious that things aren't rosy between the two of them. There's so much going on with Mateo that he's not dealing with and may even feel that he needs to hold it together to deal with Sara's volatile moods. They are such a spot light in these episodes with their emotions and the way the deal with them that they are most definitely a mirror to...

Sharon & Andy Sharon and Andy are two very different people. Something all of us fans know very well. Like Sarah Garza, Andy is an intense ball of emotions. He feels and acts first and thinks second. There have been many times when Sharon (most often) has had to hold Andy back from his emotions. Like in "Heart Failure" when the killer punched Sharon in the face. Sharon had to yell at Andy to defuse his emotions. Like Mateo, Andy is also an addict. Fortunately for Andy, he's sober and clear enough to feel his emotions. 

Since we really don't know what it was that caused Andy to drink so heavily. I suspect that it was a combination of different things. The stuff that you see as a cop could drive anyone to drink. And since Andy feels his emotions so deeply there might not have been anyone he could have talked to about them. It was also suggested in "The Ecstasy and The Agony" that Andy may have drunk because their was an emptiness inside of himself that he was desperately trying to fill. 

Sharon is much like Mateo Garza. Repressed and reserved. She feels emotions quite deeply but does not express them very easily. She takes her time in dealing with her emotions, usually by herself. Sharon is similar to Mateo in another way in that she desperately does not want to feel out of control. She has a hugely hard time feeling vulnerable in front of others. So much like the way she dealt with shooting Dwight Darnell. She detached herself from her own emotions. She was cold, probably more cold than we'd ever seen her. It's a defense mechanism for her, in that she's trying to protect herself from the intensity of her feelings. 

Unlike, Sarah and Mateo. Sharon and Andy have a much healthier relationship. They have managed to balance themselves out with the other. In a way that I can't see Sarah and Mateo ever getting to. Sharon is still Sharon and Andy is still Andy but the two of them are better people for having been in a relationship with the other. 

Andy has his anger issues but he's become a much calmer person that he was before. A lot of that has to do with his own work on himself and a lot of that has to do with his relationship with Sharon. And how her calm personality and influence temper the flame inside of himself. Like wise with Sharon. She's still very reserved and always will be but not like she was before. Andy's bright and passionate personality has helped to push Sharon much more out of her shell. She is able to enjoy life more now that she has a supportive partner.

Two Mothers

The Morgue & The Church: Sharon and Sarah

The way the morgue was lit and shot. Felt like another funeral scene. The stark colors, the natural light. The organ/funeral music that has played very subtly throughout both parts. I don't think we've had music quite like that on MC ever before. Most of it's pretty standard stuff so to me to have it so tailor made for an arc is something that stands out. 

The morgue scene is very similar in tone and the way it's shot to the ending of part 1. But where's the church scene focused on Sharon's emotions. The morgue focus' on Sarah's emotions. Lucas' mother.

Conflicting missions

Sharon & Father Stan

Anyone find it odd that Father Jonas Alcaraz has a full name but Father Stan is just called Father Stan. And I don't even know if that's his first name or last name. Maybe Father Stan has only one name. You know like Cher. 

"Are you suggesting are mission's conflict?" I also really like how Sharon talks to Father Stan in her office. Notice that she doesn't take him to her conference room or an interrogation room, the break-room or the murder room. It's her office she talks to him. Why? Because it's her inner sanctum and the place she feels most comfortable. Her office really represents her heart. 

Sharon bares her soul to him. Sometimes in matters that even Andy doesn't know or understand (as we have seen in White Lies). Father Stan is one of the very few people that she trusts to be open and vulnerable with. So got to be extremely troubling for her to find herself on the opposite side of him. 

Sharon being pulled in two different directions by challenging her faith in the catholic church verse her belief in the justice system. Is about a million times more interesting of an arc for her than her being sick. I am so jazzed about the next few episodes and seeing how she's going to have to struggle in dealing with being on the opposite side of her priest/church. This is a position that she never expected that she would ever be in but somehow has found her way to. She has dealt with the church before but this is different because this is not just any church and not just any priest. 

Speaking of Sharon being sick....whatever happened to that storyline? It's such a odd thing for them to subtly hint about it in pt1 and not doing anything with it in pt2.

I love how Sharon speaks to Father Stan after Father Jonas leaves their interrogation. Almost like she's talking to a little boy and leaving out the part that they pissed him off. I mean I understand what she was trying to do. Trying to talk it down and smooth some edges before he hears Father Jonas' side of the story.

Unfortunately for her it doesn't work. 

"We have nothing to hide." Father Stan goes from being open and very cooperative in the beginning of the episode. But by the end of the episode only a court order will force him to let the police into the church's private rooms. I find it interesting that he tells Sharon that there's no need for them to have a search warrant but he won't let them in. Neither did he tell them that Father Jonas had left until Sharon asked him. He knew what they were there for. And I understand his need to protect him but if Father Jonas hurt those boys he needs to answer for it. And While I don't think it was Father Jonas that took the boys I do think he it very likely he was molesting Ryan. 

It's also interesting that since Sharon is so open to Father Stan with herself and her own heart. He's not as reciprocal when it becomes too tough for himself. And by that I mean his emotions regarding Father Jonas. Sharon let him into her heart and now he won’t let Sharon into his. 

The ending scene(s)

I really really love what their doing for the Sanctuary City arc. The first two episodes and I'm guessing their going to continue doing this throughout the arc. Each ending scene is an poignant moment for Sharon. Part 1 features a Sharon who is almost blown away by the death of a child. To the point where she had to take a moment for herself before she broke down in front of her team. Part 2 features Sharon as she has to battle her own priest for access to a potential suspects room. And if we want to boil down the emotions that Sharon expresses in each scene. It would be...

Sadness (or depression) Anger

Could each episodes's ending express a different emotion in the stages of grief? Interestingly there are five of them and their are five episodes in this arc. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. 

I don't know if I'm reading too much into it but I think it would be kind of cool if they did that. What is becoming clear is that Sharon is at the focus of these very poignant scenes. And do you know how much I love that!

Speculation: Let's gather what we do know. Lucas may not have been murdered and his death looks like the result of him not getting insulin to treat his diabetes. He did not have access to food or was not allowed to have any. He was left at the church, wrapped in a blanket and left on the flower bed. The boys were not coherst into the car that drove them away from the field trip.  All three boys had family issues. Two with father issues and one with the looming threat of deportation. Father Jonas Alcaraz left in the middle of the missing boys not being found. 

What does this information tell us? The person who took them was someone they knew and trusted. The person who dumped Lucas' body cared about him. Probably someone with a connection to the church. Like a member of the church or one of the parents. 

Which makes me think definitely not Marvin Garret or Ryan's father. Both of them wouldn't think twice about putting Lucas' body at the church. Garret wouldn't care where he would have left his body and Ian doesn't have enough care for Lucas to put his body there. My new suspect, Ryan's mother. Miss Rojas.

What I don't like: Lots of over acting. While I like the contrasting between the two parents, Sarah's extreme emotional outbursts verses Mateo's calm almost corpse like manner. And I talk about the reason why their portrayed the way they are but Sarah was just was just too over the top. If they could have held her back a bit on that I think she would have nailed it. I think for the case with The Garza’s mirroring Shandy the point could have gotten across the same but with more subtly. I'm all for annoying FBI agents doing their job in a shitty way and MC walking all over them. But the two of them are written so brusque that they could be scaled back a bit too. 

the face of crazy

What I do like: Sharon getting an emotional arc! Sharon battling her own priest in her own church. Makes it so intensely personal for her and I love it so much! The Garza's as a mirror for Sharon and Andy's relationship. The ending scene, the morgue scene. Rusty going to Andy about a gun. Because he's smart and also because fathership. Every time I view this episode I like it more and more. And I am really excited to see how the rest of this arc is going to play out and what it will ultimately do to Sharon's psyche.

#major crimes #sharon raydor #sharon finally geting an arc! #andy flynn #provenza #rusty beck #andrea hobbs #a reactionary post #mc season 6 a reactionary post

[moanafullmovaa]

THE WAY BACK

Everyone has a soft spot for a certain movie genre, be it zombies, teen romances, kooky ensembles. A fellow critic and I talked about this once, and he said "Any story about fathers and sons gets to me." For me, it's the underdog-sports genre. Give me "The Bad News Bears." Give me "The Rookie." Give me "Slap Shot." Give me "Hoosiers." And so even though something like "The Way Back" was "made for me," I tried to stay strict with myself in my assessment. What works, what doesn't? Yet I couldn't help but notice the goosebumps covering my arms when the music swelled. This is what movies can do, at their best, draw you out of yourself in spite of yourself. "The Way Back," directed by Gavin O'Connor, is that kind of movie.

This is a sweet spot for O'Connor as a director. In "Miracle" he took a well-known story and made it urgent and thrilling. He focused his attention on a compelling central character, Herb Brooks (played brilliantly by Kurt Russell), and this galvanizes the action. O'Connor brought this power to bear in "Warrior" too, focusing his attention on the relationship between the absent father (Nick Nolte) and his two adult sons. O'Connor is gifted at action too, thrusting us into the middle of the fights in "Warrior," tossing us onto the ice in "Miracle." Even if you're not a sports fan, you can follow the action. "The Way Back" is about a ragtag basketball team at a Catholic high school, and a damaged alcoholic coach (Ben Affleck) who finds a way to force them into being winners, into being better people, even.

Jack Cunningham (Affleck) is a mess. He works construction and spends his nights at a dive bar, where he is a regular. You can feel his thirst the second he gets into his truck after his shifts. When he takes a sip of beer, his eyes close briefly. He needs this. At family gatherings, you can see his sister's disapproval of him, suggesting a long history. But he's in the round of alcoholism: drinks, collapses, hangovers, do it all over again. Once upon a time, Jack was the star basketball player at his high school. But something fell apart for him. When he is offered a coaching gig at his old school, he promptly gets wasted. He can't go back. But he does. And it changes everything for him, and for the students.

A film like this depends on its central character. Just as O'Connor did in "Miracle" and "Warrior," he keeps his eye very closely on Jack. With a script by O'Connor and Brad Ingelsby, the atmosphere is crucial. The lens flares explode across the screen dramatically (the cinematographer is Eduard Grau), creating a vibe of both nostalgia for better days, but also the squinting headache of a constant hangover. Jack strolls into his old high school, and whips the students into shape, immediately recognizing that one of them, Brandon, (Brandon Wilson) is talented. He attempts to put a fire under the kid, forcing him to own his power. At some point, Jack stops drinking.

The basketball games are filmed with a thrilling sense of reality: the fans seem real, the refs seem real, the kids on the other team seem real. O'Connor and editor David Rosenbloom have made a couple of really smart editing choices: you see Jack coaching the kids at practice, and as he details the plays, there's a cut to later in the game, showing the kids executing these same moves. The games feel like real games. I must mention here Rob Simonsen's score, and how well it's integrated. Some scenes go by without music at all, so when the music comes in, it's a cue that something is about to happen. It's a very big score. The film isn't filled with needle-drops of hit songs. (Similarly, Mark Isham's score in "Miracle" is such a huge contribution it's hard to imagine the film without it.) O'Connor does not shy away from the emotion of his films. Instead, he embraces it.

"The Way Back" is, essentially, a redemption arc. Jack is weighed down with disappointment. Affleck is in a very personal zone here. When he gets angry, there's something still bottled up in his beet-red face. There's no catharsis in his rage; it remains poison in his veins. There's also a thrumming sense of self-pity in him, so accurate if you've ever known any addicts. Affleck does not shy away from the character's unpleasantness. He's right in it, with the man's flaws and failures. The script is well-structured. Information is withheld from us until far into the action.

There are some missed opportunities along the way. Jack's such a heavy drinker that quitting cold turkey should have a marked impact on him. It doesn't. When he goes off the wagon, you don't sense how much he has been white-knuckling his abstinence. The tragedy in his past is a bit over-determined as well, but one thing that does work - and doesn't often in movies like this - is his ex-wife (Janina Gavankar) gets to be complicated too.

When I was a senior in high school, the girls' basketball team went on a winning streak. The surrounding community noticed something exciting was happening, and more and more people showed up to the games, people who weren't even in high school. The team went to the playoffs, and our town was whipped into a frenzy. O'Connor captures this feeling. The extras he cast for the basketball games understand this feeling. In Stephen King's novel Under the Dome, there's a section about a girls' basketball team:

"...The game had some divine texture beyond the reach of ordinary players (although sometimes even ordinary players felt it, and were transformed for a brief while into gods and goddesses, every bodily defect seeming to disappear during their transitory divinity), a texture that on special nights could be touched: some rich and marvelous drape such as much adorn the hardwood halls of Valhalla."

If you think that's melodramatic or corny, you don't understand high school basketball. O'Connor does.