#arc 4.5

[wc-wild-rewrite]

The Lake Journey vs The Ocean Journey

i wanted to make a post detailing the differences between the two journeys, the first in Arc 2 and the second in Arc 4.5

The Lake Journey

the journey to the lake is a hard, but optimistic event. the adults, who have spent their entire lives in the forest, are obviously traumatised from having to leave their birth homes, and some having to leave their parents behind, while the apprentices and kits are excited for a journey. there's bonding, sharing of cultures, many apprentices are made warriors during this, and some of them begin life long friendships with the other clans.

When they get to the lake, their amazed and fascinated by the sheer difference in the wildlife, discovering dozens of prey- mostly birds- that they've never seen before. It was particularly exciting for the Queens, who got a whole ton of new prefixes to use for their kits. Adjusting to their new territories wasn't as hard as they expected, except for Shadowclan, who went from a starving marshland to a prey-filled pine forest. Prey was plentiful when they arrived, and aside from the Mudclaw Civil War Incident, there was more peace than the clans had seen in a long time.

Of course, tragedy did strike, with the death of Cinderspark and Sootfur during the Badger Attack, but for the most part, things were good.

The Ocean Journey

The journey to the Ocean, on the other hand, was a desperate, tiring experience. They had even less choice with where they were going this time, not having the time to send a group ahead to scout for a proper territory. They initially went back to the Forest- but that was completely destroyed, and only made the older warriors and elders more upset about losing yet another home. Sorrowful, quiet stories were shared about the forest, before they had to continue onwards, pick a direction, and keep walking.

Starclan had left them by that point, too injured by the battle with the Dark Forest to contact them. Jayfeather and Hollyleaf were the ones to lead the journey, the rest of them too tired or injured to lead. Brackenstar couldn't risk his health, as with no starclan, he never got the other 8 lives, and he hadn't picked a deputy in moons. It's not as if the stars could approve.

Grief was a heavy thing during this journey, dozens of cats had died during and in the moon after the fight. litters of kits were born stillborn, the first cases of such in Jayfeather's lifetime, and a barrage of predator attacks and water poisonings had killed off some of their best warriors. Most of the clans were injured, in one way or another, but they couldn't afford to stay at the Lake for any longer, so they walked, or were carried, or were dragged on sleds. There was bonding, in a way, but not the light hearted bonding that came with the Lake Journey, this was a bonding over trauma, over the horror they had witnessed. They had only been at the Lake for 4 generations, maybe less, it was a jarring experience to still have living cats who remembered being apprenticed in the Forest.

Except for Firestar, of course. He had been one of the casulaties of the initial fight, he hadn't lived to see the aftermath. Thunderclan missed him deeply, but none of them wanted him to bear witness to such a tragedy. But he wasn't gone, not entirely, as Sandstorm was carrying his kits. She only found out after he was gone.

Settling into the ocean territory was far more of an adjustment, Shadowclan was now back in a marshland, but those that remembered living in the Forest knew they'd starve far before anything else could kill them, so they went inwards, they claimed a cave system as most of their territory, the marshland only a mouth to it. a true Shadow now.

Riverclan went from grassland and rivers to a beach with rockpools, a jarring and completely new habitat that had animals the clans had never witnessed before. They had to completely change their hunting techniques, as ocean hunting was nothing like the rivers they were used to.

Thunderclan went from mostly oak to mostly birch, not a huge difference, but it was just similar enough to the Forest camp that the senior warriors were unable to settle for a long while. the remaining Frostthree kept swearing they could see their sister relearning how to walk in the clearing, Sandstorm couldn't shake the image of her father's body at the entrance, and Greystripe held back tears as he told stories of training alongside Firepaw and Ravenpaw. Dovewing left for Shadowclan, causing yet another reminder of the Forest.

Windclan was now in a human-planted flower field, compared to their dry heath and moorland. It was certainly a brighter enviroment, but they too adjusted to an underground camp, in the weaving tunnels under their territory. There were no cats left who remembered the days of Heatherstar and the original Tunnelers, though Onestar had tried valiantly to bring them back, as per Tallstar's last wish. Harestar had to work even harder to prove herself as a trustworthy cat, after her training in the Dark Forest.

Although the clans found a spot where the moon was well reflected in the puddles of a small cave, Starclan was unresponsive, and so nobody really went to it. Only Hollyleaf did.

But then, things got worse, as the Six lost their powers, at the same time, on the same day, with no warning. Dovewing was listening in on an apprentice ceremony in Windclan when everything went silent, and she realised she couldn't hear anything. Breezepelt was in the middle of a rant to Heathertail when his throat closed up. Lionblaze was helping with some heavy items when he suddenly collapsed to the ground, barely able to pick himself up. Raven and Bracken were finishing their nests in the abandoned twolegplace when they both fell severely ill, in opposite ways. Bracken ran burning hot, as Raven froze to the bone. It was only because Hollyleaf was on her way to check on them that they survived.

Hollyleaf herself didn't notice it, initially, as her powers are based on being around people, so travelling to the abandoned twolegplace on her own hid the loss of her powers until she found Raven and Bracken. And when she realised her powers were not responding, and neither were theirs, thats when she found out. Jayfeather also struggled to notice, until Lionblaze tried to tell him that he was okay after his collapse, and Jayfeather's lie detection didn't go off. It was only then did he realise he could only feel his own emotions, nobody else's were smothering him like normal. He hated that he didn't feel relieved.

Now, i havent decided if Ivypool gets powers too, or from the same place, but if she does, she is sleeping when it happens. When she is woken up in a panic by her clanmates- because of Jay and Lion's powers vanishing- she does not recognise them. she does not remember them. her power was a perfect memory, so without it, she develops some version of amnesia. Perhaps not permenant, but long-lasting enough that it seriously alters her life. She also exhausts far easier, her enhanced speed completely gone, replaced with bone-deep exhaustion most of the time.

The clans found this to be the worst part of it. Their star-given heroes, the prophecy cats that just saved the clans, were powerless. To say the clans panicked would be an understatement. They knew the stars were gone, but to revoke the powers of a prophecy already fufilled? the stars were not just gone, they had abandoned them. Night fell on that fateful day, and the sky was pitch black. the stars were gone.

And thats where Flamespring's story begins, born three dark, starless nights after.

#warrior cats #wc #wc rewrite #warrior cats rewrite #warrior cat rewrite #thunderclan #shadowclan #windclan #riverclan #arc 2 #arc 4.5 #the lake territory #the ocean territory

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Lan Wangji Goes To Lotus Pier AU: Part 4.5: Morning Period.

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #lan wangji #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #mdzs au #Yunmeng Jiang training arc AU #This is 4.5 because it was originally all supposed to be part of the same comic #This part wasn't as punchy and I was close to scrapping it but I figured I'd at least give it a chance. #Despite the fact I already had it in pencils...cleaning it up took a very long time. Still hate it. Sunken cost fallacy enacted: It lives. #Okay quick commentary (I'm very late to post today) #While this is supposed to be a 'snapshot' of routine - Wei Wuxian slept in. Normally he is up earlier. #Meaning he delayed the dueling part of the day. Hence LWJ's hand gesture. #I also imagine that LWJ and JC have a bit more of a friendship in this AU since they spend a few hours in the morning sans WWX #I always enjoyed how JC and LWJ on paper seem like they would get along but Do Not in canon. Let me have a world where they do.

[quaranmine]

by the way do you remember at the beginning of september when i was sad because the libby audio book i wanted had like an eight week hold on it? anyway yeah i got the book AND I DONT EVEN LIKE IT

#it has like...4.5 stars on goodreads out of 380k reviews #which is one of the highest ratings i've seen #and it's just. i only made it 25% of the way in my checkout period #there's 4 people waiting behind me and it gets returned in 2 days. i will not be finishing it and i cannot extend #it's just. so slow!! i dont think this slice of life genre is for me! i thought there would be more excitement! #i also only care about 2 povs which are the two that were mentioned in the blurb #and it turns out theres actually like 4 other pov people and i just. dont care about them at all and one is actively annoying lsjfdklsjfks #i'm sure all their stories will eventually converge into something satisfying but for now #i have read 1/4 of it and nothing happened at all #i think by 25% you need to have hooked your reader ??? i accept some books start slow to set up characters and arcs #but by 1/4 you need to get that plot going

[elizabeth--reads]

Book Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

I received an ARC of Divine Rivals via NetGalley. What follows is my honest review.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross starts off as a workplace rivals romance before switching gears to a tense war story. The last third of the novel, especially, ramps up the action and violence. This switch might seem disjointed for some readers, but I think it makes sense in the context of the story. One of the themes early in the book is how distant the war seems for citizens in the city of Oath, despite the fact that men are leaving every day to fight it. Similarly, for readers, the war seems like background information until the novel’s protagonists, Iris and Roman, head to the front lines. 

Speaking of Iris and Roman, I loved their character development and the pacing of their romance. This novel convinced me that rivals-to-lovers is a top-tier trope, especially when one character is deeply invested in the rivalry and the other is secretly sorta-pining. I think readers who also enjoy Dramione fanfiction will enjoy this book. Ross does a good job with the secondary characters as well, giving them interesting backstories that add a richness to the story. 

Finally, I think the novel has a strong structure that really illustrates Iris’s growth and progression throughout the novel. The story ends with Iris finally getting what she wanted at the beginning of the story, but when it happens it feels like a hollow victory. The ending also does a good job of setting up a sequel, one that I think will expand on the lore and worldbuilding from the first book. I’m eagerly anticipating the next book. 

4.5 stars

Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble

#book review #divine rivals #rivals to lovers #ARC #NetGalley #dramione #slight spoilers #YA fiction #YA fantasy #YA books #4.5 star read

[faetreides]

taking a break from persona bc the kaneshiro arc/makoto is just not it….

#her persona is so boring too like girl that’s just a bike idc how good it is #it’s just a case of me feeling no emotional connection to her/the arc like….. #the first two arcs felt so impactful and important and like they really mattered and this is one is just riverdale episode coded #i’ve heard that she kind of completely takes over the group/the focus of who the games shines light on too #so 😔 #📜.scrolls #bringing it from a 5 star down to a 4.5 i fear #maybe even a 4 depending on the palace overall #maybe i’ll like her more later but the way it feels like mishima got more shit than she did………. #people pleasers just irk me idk #back to asassins creed lol

[ginpotts]

sobbing over nozue’s confession scene again

#misc: thoughts #everyone talks about togawa's confession scene with good reason #but my personal favorite has always been nozue's because its just delivered so softly but with so much Conviction #and the fact that he's a lil out of breath from all the japanese bl gotta get your man running that he just did #is a lil bit of icing on the cake #all that character arc over the past 4.5 episodes just peaking and settling into something solid and true in his core #which packs such a punch for me #its one of my favorite confession scenes of all time #he's been wavering for ages and togawa's been leading and acting like the older for so long #and in this scene you can feel that stability settle and can see and feel that nozues stepping back into that maturity #that he's ready to take the step forward #that he's older (in the good sense) #like that one shot where you see togawa look /young/ #AND ITS SUCH A GOOD SCENE #i have so many feelings and thoughts #the way that NOZUE IS THE ONE THAT REACHES FOR TOGAWAS HAND FIRST #GOD #ughhhhh i love them #jtv: old fashion cupcake #old fashion cupcake

[somewherelostinbooks]

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon- Review

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon By Sarah Hawley Genre: Paranormal Romance Publication Date: March 7,2023 Publisher: Berkley Source: Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review Rating: 4.5 Stars Amazon Indiebound Description: Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of…

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#4.5 Stars #a witch&039;s guide to fake dating a demon #ARC #Berkley Romance #books #New Release #Paranormal Romance #Reviews #romance novel #romance novel reviews #Romance Novels #Sarah Hawley

[aroaceoutinspace]

Book Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️(4.5)

Overview

If you like:

Moral challenged characters

Dystopian worlds

A 'perfect' world

Dangerous apprenticeships

Doing bad for the greater good

Dual POV

Corrupt societies

Then this book is the one for you!

The concept of this book is so unique and plays beautifully with the idea of the underlying imperfections in a seemingly perfect world. There were brief moments where I was loosing interest, but somehow they would be the exact times the curveball I was craving would arrive! If it hadn't hit on a big pet peeve of mine, this could have been a perfect 5 stars.

Blurb

'Thou Shalt Kill'

'What if death was the only thing left to control?

'In a perfect world, the only way to die is to be gleaned by a professional scythe. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to be apprentice scythes, they no they have no option but to learn the art of killing. However, the terrifying responsibility of choosing their victims is just the start.

'Corruption is the order of the day and Citra and Rowan need to stick together to fight it.

'Then they are told that one of them will have to glean the other...'

When I got settled into the story I forgot the end of that blurb, and the reveal came as such a shock until I realised I already knew 😂.

Warnings

There is a lot of violence in this book, not excruciatingly graffic, since that isn't my thing, but still frequent. There is also talk of suicide, referred to as 'self-gleaning', and descriptions of enjoying and becoming desensitised to violence.

If you think any of these topics may affect you this series may be worth a skip.

I feel this is suitable for 15/16 years and upwards.

The Downside

If I do anymore reviews in the future, you will learn that I'm a little bit of a romance cynic- if there isn't space to fully develop the relationship without it overpowering the story, then I don't see the benefit in having it. The main relationship in this story felt empty to me for the level of sacrifice it created. Something was missing, and it felt like the epitome of forced proximity. Probably won't be a popular opinion, but I honestly feel they would have been better off as friends. Like I said, if there isn't space to develop the relationship in the plot, it isn't necessary.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm glad I impulse bought the series since I definitely will continue it! Lots of interesting concepts, and a refreshing break away from the standard fantasy/science fiction.

Fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent will definitely appreciate it, but even if dystopian isn't usually your thing, if you have any interest in mystery at all I'd encourage you to give it a shot.

Thank you very much for reading, I hope I helped!

My first full review so any criticism is welcome! Reblog if you'd like me to do the same for other books

Also, stuck between reading the Raybearer sequel or The Box in the Woods next, any advice?

🧡💛🤍💙🖤

#my book reviews #book reviews #scythe #arc of a scythe #neal shusterman #my reviews #booklr #books #dystopian books #book series #book reccomendation #4.5 stars #almost 5 stars #my posts #unique posts #not reblogged

[author-a-holmes]

Arc Review; City of Souls by Mel Harding-Shaw

City of Souls was a really enjoyable read. It made a change to read about a female character who was confident in her abilities, and sharp-tongued to those she didn't trust, without coming across as a nasty person in general. There was enough characterisation to show Hel's soft spots and weaknesses to the reader, and it made her a relatable and highly enjoyable character to follow on an adventure.

The author, Mel Harding-Shaw, replicated this skill with the other main character, Bastion, too. While he shows a dark, and sometimes harsh, persona to the world at large, he has softer, kinder moments that are reserved for private moments behind closed doors, and amongst those he trusts.

The blackmail that Bastion holds over Hel's head, combined with a fake-relationship theme, could have easily crossed over into uncomfortable territory, but the material is handled with skill and class, and never strays too far. Hel being very handy with a weapon, and having an unsubmissive personality, even when faced with blackmail and threats helped with this greatly, but that doesn't detract from the skill of the author.

But it's not just the characters that are handled adeptly, the plot is also clever and intricate, and filled with dangerous political manoeuvring. You constantly have the feeling that there is so much more to this almost post-apocalyptic world running beneath the surface, and I for one can't wait to see more of this world, and these characters, as the series progresses.

City of Souls releases today, November 9th, and can be purchases in Paperback or Ebook format via;

Amazon UK & Amazon US

Barnes & Noble

Book Depository

Bookshop.org

Check out the Author's Website for a free prequel short story!

#Arc Review #Book Review #Book Reviewer #Book Reviews #Arc #Advanced Reader Copy #Advanced Review Copy #Ari Reviews #Arista Reviews #Ari Speaks #Arc Reviewer #City of Souls #Mel Harding-Shaw #Romantic Fantasy #Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy #4 Star #4.5 Star #Good Read! #Releases Today #New Release #November 9th Publication #Paperback #Ebook #Writing #Not My Writing #Writeblr #Writeblr Community #Writing Community #Author Community

[terribleoldwhitemen]

SO THAT ENDEAVOUR S7 FINALE HUH.

ABSOLUTELY DERANGED TELEVISION

#supplemental log #im sooo insane. #morse and thursday saying the quiet thing out loud. #the girls are fighting. #morse and his deranged italian polycule. like WHAT THE FUCK #don't get me wrong I'm absolutely eating here #but holy shit. #not to mention thee most emotional honesty/intelligence we've ever seen from morse arguably #thursday going after him to venice!! like look I don't ship them (believe me I've tried. but I don't) #but whatever they have going on is soooooo #s8 had better be the 'morse starts letting people into his life and gets some comfort to go with his hurt' arc or so help me god #if i have to watch another 4.5 hrs of him and thursday being passive aggressive I'm going to commit a crime

[wc-wild-rewrite]

whats arc 4.5?

excellent question, 4.5 is the arc i've created to add some flavour between the end of arc 4 and beginning of arc 5.

Coming directly off the back of Arc 4, arc 4.5 is an arc of desperation, jealousy, and learning. The first book follows Jayfeather and Hollyleaf as they guide the clans back through the forest territories to reach brand new ones far away from the ones they know. The rest of the arc follows Flamespring, Birchsong, and Clayfern, the final litter of Firestar and Sandstorm, as sibling jealousy and favouritism turns into a murder spree and execution, ending with acknowledgement that making lineage and parentage so important isn't always a good thing, and often goes badly.

Oh, and Starclan's gone. I'm not waiting two arcs to get rid of them, they've already disappeared by 4.5.

#warrior cats #wc rewrite #wc #warrior cats rewrite #warrior cat rewrite #omen of the stars #arc 4.5 #feel free to suggest arc names if you have any #this is also to avoid the current starless clan arc bc nightheart won't have anything to angst about if he isn't pressured about his lineag

[overflowingshelf]

ARC Review: What is Love? by Jen Comfort

What is Love? Jen Comfort Publisher: Montlake Publication Date: April 1, 2024 Series or Standalone: Standalone Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph Rating: MY REVIEW CW: aging parent suffering from memory decline; death of a parent (off-page); addiction (gambling) When I saw that Jen Comfort was writing a contemporary romance centered around a Jeopardy! like game show,…

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#4.5 Stars #ARC #book review #Jen Comfort #Montlake #Netgalley #Review #What is Love?

[masqueradeoftheguilty]

tbh as much as i dislike her kinda cookie cutter design, sparkle is sooo fun we love silly evil girls in this house

#im still thinking about her trailer...mmmmwah #also idk if shes actually evil i just vaguely saw people discoursing about her the same way they did with topaz lmao #<-has not played any star rail quest since the end of the luofu arc #i did see they added a new quest timeline thingy in the quest menu which is good #i might start working my way through them what with genshin 4.5 being a p chill patch and all #i can only do it on weekends though i had to sacrifice star rail off my laptop for storage space haha #step right up! || 🪄.txt

[zvaigzdelasas]

The IMF released a report today on the Bolivian economy in which it recommends adopting drastic neoliberal measures, including; reducing workers’ salaries, cutting public investments, and ending currency controls. These policies have turned Bolivia from one of the poorest countries in the region into it’s fastest-growing economy. 

The report takes aim at the government’s spending on development, saying, “The government must restrict spending, including eliminating the end of year wage bonus for workers, they must restrict the growth of wages for public sector workers, and limit the growth of public investment and subsidies.”

The ‘end-of-year wage bonus’ for workers (in both the public and private sector) refers to a policy introduced under Evo Morales that requires employers to pay their workers a bonus equal to double their monthly wage, but only if annual GDP growth is over 4.5%.  

The bulk of public investment is destined for infrastructure, while the majority of subsidies are for ensuring the price of fuel doesn’t rise. Bolivia is the only country in the region to see no rise in fuel prices, a policy that has kept inflation at less than 2%, unlike the rest of South America. 

The report even states that fuel prices must rise, and the inflation that would inevitably cause could be offset by cash-transfer programs for the poorest sectors, says the IMF: 

“The successful implementation of an increase in domestic fuel prices will require recycling a part of the budget savings in cash transfer programs aimed at the poorest deciles of the population.”

Bolivia’s Economy Minister, Marcelo Montenegro, emphatically rejected the report, stating today; “They prescribe the old recipes from many decades ago where they call for reducing subsidies, lowering public spending, gradually eliminating the end of year bonus for workers. We are not going to accept these recommendations because we are a sovereign country, and we have a sovereign economic policy.”

The policies criticized by the IMF have helped Bolivia reduce poverty by over 50% since Evo Morales took office in 2006. It has also helped keep inflation at the lowest rate in Latin America. Meanwhile, when IMF policies were implemented in the early 2000s, over 60% of the country lived below the poverty line.

In a recent speech in Brazil, Bolivia’s President Luis Arce stated that the country’s impressive growth is due to rejecting IMF recommendations; “We are in better conditions because, since 2006, Bolivia doesn’t have a single agreement with the IMF. In 2020 with the de facto government, they tried to enter into a loan program with the IMF, which we stopped as soon as we entered government, we reversed that IMF loan because believe the best way to make economic policy is to have a sovereign monetary and economic policy without being submitted to any international organism.”

16 Sep 22

[jeannereames]

Shows or movies based on historic figures and events are hard to pull off if the goals are to be both entertaining and somewhat true to history. If we accept that some inaccuracies can't be avoided in order to appeal to audiences what would you consider cornerstones and pillars about Alexander and his history that can't/shouldn't be touched in order to paint a somewhat realistic picture in media based on him and his life?

I saved this to answer around the time of the Netflix release. For me, there are four crucial areas, so I’ll break it down that way. Also. I recognize that the LENGTH of a production has somewhat to do with what can be covered.

But, first of all…what story is one telling? The story arc determines where the focus lies. Even documentaries have a story. It’s what provides coherence. Is it a political tale? A military one? Or personal? Also, what interpretation to take, not only for Alexander but those around him. Alexander is hugely controversial. It’s impossible to make everyone happy. So don't try. Pick an audience; aim for that audience.

MILITARY:

Alexander had preternatural tactical skills. His strategy wasn’t as good, however, especially when younger. Tactics can be a genius gift (seeing patterns), but strategy requires experience and knowledge of the opposition. The further into his campaign, the more experience he gained, but the cultures became increasingly unfamiliar. He had ups and downs. He was able to get out of Baktria finally by marrying Roxana. That was strategy, not tactics. He beat Poros, then made a friend of him; that’s strategy. Yet he failed to understand the depth of the commitment to freedom among the autonomous tribes south along the Indus, which resulted in a bloody trek south. And his earlier decision to burn Persepolis meant he’d never fully reconcile the Persian elite.

So, it’s super important to emphasize his crazy-mad tactical gifts in all forms of combat, from pitched battles to skirmishes to sieges. Nobody in history ever equaled him except maybe Subatai, Genghis Khan’s leading general. In the end, I think that’s a lot of Alexander’s eternal fascination. He fought somewhere north of 250 battles, and lost none (where he was physically present).

But HOW to show that? What battles to put on screen? Oliver Stone combined three into one + Hydaspes because he had only 2-3.5 hours (depending on which cut you watch). The Netflix series is going to show all four of the major pitched battles…or at least all 3 for the 6-episode first part. They had circa 4.5 hours to play with, but they cut out other things, like Tyre.

Another issue, from the filming/storytelling point-of-view is how to distinguish Issos from Gaugamela for the casual viewer. They’re virtually identical in tactics (and players on the field). So it made a fair bit of sense to me for Stone to conflate them. In a documentary, it’s more important to separate them, largely to discuss the fall-out.

Some v. important clashes weren’t the Big Four. Among these, the sieges of Halikarnassos and Tyre are probably the most impressive. But the Aornos Rock in India was another amazing piece. I’d also include the bridging of the Indus River to illustrate the astonishing engineering employed. Again, if I had to pick between Halikarnassos and Tyre, I’d pick Tyre. I was a bit baffled by Netflix’s decision to show Halikarnassos instead, but I think it owed to an early error in the scripts, where they had Memnon die there. I corrected that, but they’d already mapped out the beats of the episodes, so they just kept Halikarnassos. That’s fine; it was a major operation, just not his most famous siege.

Last, I really wish somebody, someday, will do something with his Balkan campaigns. What he did in Thrace and Illyria, at just 21, showed his iron backbone and quick thinking. It’d make a great “and the military genius is born” set-up, drama wise. But you could use the Sogdian Rock to show the clever streak, at least (“Find men who can fly” … “I did; look up.” Ha) Plus it has the advantage of being where he (maybe) found Roxana.

Last, he fought extremely well--wasn't just good at tactics. Being a good general doesn’t necessarily mean one’s a good fighter. He was. Almost frighteningly brave, so show that too.

RELIGIOUS:

Ya gotta deal with the “Did he really think he was a god?” thing, and the whole trip to Siwah. I obviously don’t think he believed he was a god; it’s one of the things I disliked about the Netflix show’s approach, but they were dead-set on it. I DO think he came to believe he was somehow of divine descent, but of course, that’s not the same as most moderns understand it, as I’ve explained elsewhere. It made him a hero, not a god on a level with Zeus, and to ME, that’s an important distinction that Netflix (and to some degree Stone) rode roughshod over.

But I’d like to see more inclusion of sacrifice and/or omen-reading—religion in general. Cutting the Gordion Knot (omens!). His visit to Troy (Netflix tackled that one). A really cool thing would be to make more of the lunar eclipse before Gaugamela. Again, Netflix touched on that, but it’s one of those chance events that might actually have affected a battle’s outcome, given how seriously the ancient near east took sky omens. (A solar eclipse once halted a battle.) The Persians were freaked out. Even his massacre of the Branchidai in Sogdiana was driven by religion, not military goals. Pick a couple and underscore them.

I give Stone big props for the sacrifice before the Granikos/Issos/Gaugamela battle. It was so well-done, I’ve actually shown it in my classes to demonstrate what a battlefield sphagia sacrifice would look like.

Alexander was deeply religious. Show it.

POLITICAL:

Ah, for ME the most interesting stuff surrounding Alexander occurs at the political level. Here’s where the triumph story of his military victories all went south. He knew how to win battles. He was less good at managing what he’d conquered.

In terms of a story arc, the whole period up to Gaugamela is really the “rise” of the story. Post-Gaugamela, things began to collapse. And I would pin the turn on PERSEPOLIS. Yes, burning it sent home a message of “Mission accomplished.” But he was selective about it. Areas built by Darius I were spared, Xerxes’ were destroyed: a damnio memoriae.

Problem: Persepolis embodied Persia, and ATG essentially shat on it. Not a good look for the man who wanted to replace Darius III. That he also failed to capture and/or kill Darius created an additional problem for him. Finally, his lack of understanding of how politics worked in Baktria-Sogdiana resulted in an insurgency. Bessos was going to rebel, regardless. But Spitamanes might not have. Alexander created his own mess up there.

Another matter to look at is why he created a new title—King of Asia—instead of adopting the Persian title (King-of-Kings). I don’t think that was a “mistake.” He knew perfectly well the proper Persian title (Kshāyathiya)…and rejected it. He adopted some Persian protocol, but not all of it. After the summer of 330, he was essentially running two parallel courts, which seemed to satisfy neither the Persians nor his own men. (Kinda like docudramas are a hybrid that seems to annoy perhaps more than satisfy.)

So I’d like to see this handled with some nuance, but it’s intrinsically difficult to do—even while, if done well, it would be the most interesting part of an Alexander story, imo.

So, what events, what events…3-4 leap out after Alexander’s adoption of some Persian dress. The Philotas Affair, the Pages Conspiracy, the Death of Kleitos, the marriage to Roxana. I’d show it all, although I could also understand reducing the two conspiracies to one, for time, in which case, the Philotas Affair because it resulted in the fall of Parmenion. But the fact there were two, not just one, tells a story itself.

What about the proskynesis thing with Kallisthenes? I’ve come to disbelieve it ever happened, even though it’s symbolic of the whole problem. So, weirdly, I’m of two minds about showing it. OTOH, it won’t be in my own novels. But OTOH, I could easily see why a showrunner or director might want to include it. And it certainly appears in several of the histories, including Arrian.

Then we have the two indisciplines (mutinies)…one in India that made ATG turn around, and another at Opis. They’re really two different things as one was an officer’s rebellion, the other the soldiers themselves. But will viewers be able to distinguish between them? It’s like the Issos/Gaugamela problem, or for that matter, the two conspiracies. They’re similar enough to confuse the casual viewer. “Didn’t we already see that?”

But if they were narrowed to one, how to choose? The mutiny on the Hyphasis provides an explanation for why he turned back. But the Opis event was more dramatic. The man jumped down into the middle of a rioting crowd and started (essentially) knocking heads together! So if I had to pick…Opis. The other might could be mentioned in retrospect.

PERSONAL:

Here are five things I think really OUGHT to be shown, or that I have yet to be pleased by.

1) Philip isn’t an idiot and should get more than 10 minutes of screentime. Oh, and show Alexander did learn things from him. Stone had to make his movie a Daddy-Issues flick, and the Netflix thing did very little with Philip as they wanted to get to the Alexander-Darius face off (which was the meat of their story). But there’s a very interesting love/competition story there.

2) Olympias is not a bitch and was not involved in Phil’s murder, although I can see why that is catnip to most writers. She did kill Eurydike’s baby and (by extension) Eurydike. One of the historians in the Netflix story (Carolyn, unless I misremember) talked about the rivalry between the two wives, at least. But I think ATG planned to marry the widow and Olympias got rid of her to prevent it. Now THAT’S a story, no? But they were in too much of a hurry to get to Persia.

3) Alexander was not an only child! He had sisters (and a brother) with whom he was apparently close…and a cousin who was his real rival. To me, missing that cousin rivalry overlooks a juicy personal/political story! Too often all the focus winds up on Alexander-Olympias-Philip-Eurydike-Attalos, but man, a more subtle showrunner could do a lot with the Alexander-Amyntas rivalry. But he’s constantly cut out. I can’t think of a documentary that actually addresses Amyntas except in passing (if at all)l

4) Hephaistion’s importance is a must, but I’d like to see him treated as someone with a personality and authority of his own, besides just as ATG’s lover. At least Netflix Went There onscreen with the love-story part, but otherwise, the writers couldn’t figure out what to do with him. Neither Stone nor Netflix really portrayed him as his own person. I do understand why they can’t show the whole cast of characters. I had to do weeding myself in the novels, but I’m annoyed Netflix showed only Hephaistion and Ptolemy. Where’s Perdikkas (so important all along really, but certainly later)? Or Philotas, Kleitos, Krateros, Leonnatos, Lysimachos (later king of Thrace)? I think viewers could probably have handled at least another 5 people, especially if introduced gradually, not all at the beginning.

This brings me to….

5) Alexander’s apparently very real affection for the people in his orbit, from personal physician (Philip) to childhood pedagogue (Lysimachos [not same as above]) to Aristotle to various other philosophers. He was so loyal to his friends, in fact, he initially jailed the people who brought word of Harpalos’ first flight.

He needed to be loved/appreciated and wanted to give back to people. Yes, generosity was expected of kings, and as a king (THE king), his generosity had to excel that of anybody else. But he seemed to genuinely enjoy giving presents. I think of him like that one friend who heard you say you liked that cute pair of “Hello, Kitty” socks…then 6 months later they’re your Christmas present from them. Some of his gifts were grandiose, but not always. I love the dish of little fish (probably smelts) that he sent to Hephaistion, presumably just because his friend liked smelts!

To me, point #5 would be easy to get in with a skilled scriptwriter, tucked into the corners of other scenes. It’d be fun to highlight the personal side. If we can believe Plutarch, he was a PRODIGIOUS letter-writer. Also, he loved to hunt, so that’s another thing. And he loved the theatre, and to watch sport. These would all be very humanizing details.

I think the biggest issue is that most of these documentaries/docudramas are done by people who don’t know squat about Alexander aside from a few things, before deciding to make a documentary/movie about him, or write a book. Their research is shallow, and even if they bring on the experts, they don’t always listen. Stone DID at least have a long fascination with ATG, but it caused him to try to throw in everything but the kitchen sink. It wasn't as bad of a film as some have made it out to be, just horribly bloated and for all his reading, he never understood the WORLDVIEW. I wrote about that some while back in my review.

The best documentary/movie would be told by an actual specialist who knew enough at the outset to craft a better, more complex story arc.

Or maybe I’m just biased because I tried to do that myself in my novels. 😂😂😂😂

#asks #alexander the great #oliver stone alexander the great #netflix alexander the great #telling the story of alexander the great is intrinsically difficult #docudramas #historical movies #historical documentaries

[atomicradiogirl]

house md christmas episodes ranked with commentary:

s1e5 damned if you do:

overall: 4.5/5

medical case/patient interest/plot twist: 4/5 pretty interesting patient and case plus the copper IUD allergy twist was sooo smart

hilson: 4.5/5 they had christmas dinner together <3

medical malpractice: 2/5. house’s mistakes were rectified by cuddy, minimal antireligious remarks against nuns, no breaking and entering. house prescribed a patient cigarettes.

christmas spirit: 5/5 christmas songs used throughout and a patient was santa. as christmassy as it can get.

s2e9 deception:

overall: 3/5

medical case/patient interest/plot twist: 3/5 interesting concept but the overall twist wasn’t that shocking or interesting and i didn’t really connect with the patient all that much

hilson: 1/5. they have 2 interactions and they’re all cordial but nothing too special.

medical malpractice: 4.5/5 breaking and entering and obvious HIPAA violations. house flirting with lab staff to get what he wants. house falsified blood tests. poor treatment of a suspected mentally ill patient. house drugged a patient outside of hospital grounds with the risk that it could kill her.

christmas spirit: 1/5 just because it’s christmas time and there are decorations and it’s snowing does NOT make it a christmas episode. there is one christmas song at the end but no one says merry christmas. they wasted my TIME.

s3e10 merry little christmas:

overall: 3.5/5

medical case patient interest/plot twist: 4/5 interesting patients and commentary about disabilities and being “normal” and parenting as a disabled person.

hilson: 2/5 tritter arc plus wilson’s betrayal is so… but i love angst. at least they interact this time. wilson refuses to testify against him though. wilson still wants to spend christmas with house “thought you’d prefer people over pills” but house rejects him :( house ODs on oxy and wilson leaves him alone

medical malpractice: 3.5/5 house makes fun of little people. breaking and entering. HIPAA violation plus being rude to a grieving widow but he’s detoxing so i guess it makes sense. house tries to steal oxy from a dead man.

christmas spirit: 4/5 christmas songs used plus lot of decorations plus snow. christmas tree opening and PPTH has a whole nativity scene in the lobby. tritter wishes house a merry christmas.

s4e10 it’s a wonderful lie:

overall: 4/5

medical case patient interest/plot twist: 2/5 didn’t really care but it went along with house’s “everybody lies” philosophy. house performs a christmas miracle yayyy. the twist was cool

hilson: 4/5 “you are so full of love… or something” they’re so :) they interact a lot in this episode. “happy solstice house” :-)

medical malpractice: 3.5/5 why are foreman and taub questioning people?? house and a patient flirt? going through a patient’s computer.

christmas spirit: 4/5 house throws away all the diagnostic room christmas decorations. christmas songs used. secret santa!!! wilson in the reindeer hat!!!!! “you wouldn’t hang dreidels from a christmas tree” “you could”. house singing “god rest ye merry gentlemen”. house had a christmas epiphany!

s5e11 joy to the world:

overall: 3.5/5

medical case patient interest/plot twist: 3.5/5 general patient case isn’t that interesting but the clinic case of virgin conception was CRAZY (even though it was faked by house but whatever)

hilson: 4/5 wilson’s gift and note “greg - made me think of you” and an antique medical book?? that is sooo cute. also the way that wilson lied about a girl giving house the original gift because he was probably embarrassed to admit it was his but then he admitted it hehehe. house didn’t even open the original present.

medical malpractice: 2/5 shockingly minimal but house did fake a patient’s test results just to win a bet with wilson. cuddy does breaking and entering.

christmas spirit: 4/5 christmas music used. house says merry christmas. i mean it’s christmassy but not like that christmassy.

#house md #christmas episode #christmas with some medical malpractice #it was so hard to give overall ratings #hilson #episode rankings #my thoughts #i did this on a plane #hate crimes md