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#i just finished rewatching the series and i am knocking out my list
persnickety-doodles · 10 months
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Girls Night Out! Avatar Korra is Accompanied By Her Best Friend, Asami Sato, at the Presidential Ball
It has been said they’re really ✨good friends✨
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rocketturtle4 · 9 months
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Thai QL Favorites Tag game
This is my first tag game I’m rather excited,
Thanks @waitmyturtles and @lurkingshan for the tag.
My time on Tumblr has been less than 2 months, and prior to this I primarily watched TV for escapism and wasn’t particularly fussed about how closely shows adhered to reality or its values, so some of that will definitely be reflected here. (Previous genres of TV I’ve been invested in are anime and fantasy, I have seen soooo little western romance or queer cinema or high school movies or a lot of things).
Disclaimer: Emphasis on favourite over best
Also I appreciate Thai BL way more since coming to Tumblr but I have seen rather few shows in that time so there’s a ton I need to watch or rewatch with context that I haven’t yet (Moonlight Chicken, The eclipse, Bed Friend, ITSAY, He’s Coming to Me, My School President and more) so I can’t include them on this list like everyone else seems to be!
I honestly think brevity is an extremely envious skill, and I do not have such skills so here goes.
Favorite Thai QL: SOTUS S (Including the Our Skyy episode) or maybe To Sir With Love, It hasn't been long enough for me to tell yet but both those shows made me scream in different ways
Favorite Pairing: I assumed this was like character couple but some Tumblr searching suggests otherwise. I have watched 0 behind the scene’s footage except what rolls through tumblr and my youtube shorts and I am still learning actors names (Y’all have a habit of referring to actors in photos by their pairing name (e.g. offgun) without context on which one is WHICH so it’s hard to learn names that way lol.
Having said that I started watching BL because Between Us was airing and rolled through my youtube shorts and my first 3 BLs were all watched because of BounPrem (BU, UWMA & Cutie Pie) because I liked their dynamic.
Most underrated actor: see previous statement on my actor confusion. I'll sit down and make a list with pictures one day... or maybe not because that seems creepy
Favorite Character: Arthrit. Seriously I have rarely gotten so attached to a single character, I loved him so much, my demi ass had no idea what I was supposed to do with my actual fricken emotions. I finished SOTUS S with 50 screenshots of him FOR NO REASON. Also, Ae in Love by Chance killed me dead.
Favorite Side Character: I’m taking this as a pairing and choosing ForthBeam from 2 Moons 2, a very recent watch of mine. I thought MingKit was going to be my favourite part of that series and then ForthBeam showed up and knocked them straight out of the park.
Favorite scene in a QL: I sat here for a while deciding whether or not honesty was the best policy, and I decided yes it was SO:
It’s from Love In The Air and it’s a scene between Pai and Sky where Sky is sleeping (nearly recovered from being sick) and the camera switches between Sky’s sleeping, somewhat exposed self and Pai and his ever fraying control as he looks at and away from Sky's sleeping form and he leans closer, and closer, even as he tells himself not to, even as he speaks out loud 'not to loose control now' he leans closer still. Then Sky wakes up, just as Pai’s face is centimetres from his, and Sky asks ‘are you going to jump me P’Pai’ and Pai breathes rather quickly and heavily as he leans back stands up and announces that he needs to use the bathroom before walking swiftly away.
THE RESTRAINT, IT KILLS ME OKAY.
(if this wasn’t Thai only Takara-kun to Amagi-kun’s restraint scene would win)
(I did not have to look that up, this scene LIVES in my brain, at all times)
Although Tian & Lomfon’s final confession and kiss has been looping so often it might be a serious contender, It’s just too soon to say.
Favorite line in a QL: It’s not technically one line but AePete in the locker room after the makeout where Ae asks Pete to be his boyfriend (or some variation thereof) SEVEN TIMES wins for me. That boy is determined to have a clear answer.
Most Anticipated QL (& why): I don’t keep track of upcoming BL, that’s 70% of the reason I initially got Tumblr, everyone’s excited for Only Friends so that one. Or there was one with the pair from Bed Friends that looked interesting, or ZeeNew’s actually with the prince.
Healthiest relationship in a QL: I have not thought about this very hard, but WinTeam maybe? Although they need to communicate better. Also ForthBeams relationship actually seems really healthy too.
Most toxic relationship in a QL: VegasPete, although a rewatch of Kinnporsche with additional context might change my thoughts, (also I haven’t seen tharntype)
Guilty pleasure series: Don’t Say No & Love in the Air although I feel guiltier about the second and I love the first more.
Most Underrated Series: I do not know enough about how series have been rated to make a call, but I was shocked to be told La Pluie was doing badly on mdl so that one.
I tried to check who’d already been tagged and not double up so there arent a lot, but feel free to ignore either way! @shouldiusemyname, @plantsarepeopletoo, @troubled-mind @dribs-and-drabbles
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gffa · 11 months
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i didn't know you were a fan of haikyuu!! i've been loving your fic rec lists lately, so are there any that you would recommend for haikyuu?
Hi! And yes I am!! I fell absolutely in love with the series a few years back and tore through a lot of it (but eventually fell away from anime/manga fandoms when other things came up), but always retained my affection for those idiots. I've been reading a bit of HQ fic, but mostly I'm still hunting for what exactly it is I want (aside from that I know IwaOi is my hardcore OTP and that I like KagaHina very much but I'm not sure yet what I want out of it in fic) in the fandom. And considering doing a full rewatch. orz In the meantime, I do have two recs! The first one I finished recently and enjoyed the hell out of it, DUMB BOYS WHO HAVE ZERO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE yes thank you that's the stuff, and a second one that has been recommended to me and looks really good! (Both IwaOi, but I will eventually branch out, so if anyone wants to shove fic at us poor overwhelmed readers, please do!) Mind Reader by jopling, iwaizumi/oikawa, NSFW, 40.8k After Iwaizumi is knocked out by a volleyball to the face, he discovers he can now see what people are thinking. Alternatively: Iwaizumi can now read minds but he still can’t pick up on Oikawa’s feelings for him. Conquering the Great King by SuggestiveScribe, iwaizumi/oikawa & cast, NSFW, 105.6k Iwaizumi blinked his gaze over to Oikawa, "Last time was supposed to be a one time thing," he said, voice low, lacking some conviction. Oikawa's lips twitched into a smirk and he brought them hovering just over Iwaizumi's, "One time thing, Two time thing, what's it matter as long as it's not a Relationship thing?"
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absolutebl · 3 years
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This Week In BL
April 2021 Part 5
Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.
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Ongoing Series - Thai
Close Friend Ep 2 (JaFirst) - First is a cat. No actually a cat. It was WEIRD. Cute, but creeping towards beastiality. It reminded me of that strange series out of China (@heretherebedork says Youth in the Breeze). The most amusing thing to me was that the cat used Thai formal linguistic register when of course cats would use informal rude guu mueng with EVERYONE. No cat would use pom. Don’t be ridiculous, Thailand. 
Second Chance Ep 5 - still invested, things progressed for all 3 couples, in one direction or another. They cuties. I love them. Carry on. 
Y-Destiny Ep 5 - the “virgin scoreboard” is gonna make the seme real hard to redeem with this pairing. If they bother. This might be a life lesson episode. What does it remind me of? Oh yes. Kids. *SHUDDER* Point of interest: did you notice Team uses ha with Mon? What a pushy flirt. 
Lovely Writer Ep 10 - honestly I just love it when Poppy shows up in anything, why is he such a delightful screen presence? (Gene’s brother) Sorry, distracted. What happened in this one? Oh, ya know, stuff and things. Family drama. (It is just me or have they been giving us some long ass episodes lately?) Obligatory beach trip activated. (Result = dumb probability mathematics jokes.) Next week it looks like we have Keeping Actor’s Closeted 101. You know the Casting Couch? This is the Casting Closet. 
Fish Upon The Sky Ep 4 - early stage confession, how fun. It’s not unprecedented it just usually means we are in 4 act structure, not 3, which means Fish might go more serious than I thought. Honestly? I’m losing interest mostly because I’ve gone from mild annoyance to active dislike of Pi. Happened to me with Tine too. They better redeem this obtuse tsundere uke soon or he’s not tsundere at all he’s just a jackwit. 
Brothers Ep 13 fin - a kiss and the family finds out about the not-so-brotherly brothers, drama, graduation, THE END. My side-dish happy heart made thumps over Q + delivery boy, I’m sad they got so little screen time. My babies KhunKaow did get a tiny coming out sequence as such. I’m seriously considering doing myself a bootleg of just the KhunKaow plot, but that means I’d have to rewatch the whole darn series and I can’t STAND the idea. Which should give you insight into how not good this show it. Very NOT good. Must we get a season 2? Please stop now, Line. 
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Ongoing Series - Not Thai
HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 7 - Muren is the cutest peanut and anyone who says otherwise can fight me, although they probably have to go through Licheng first. I was NOT invested in these two at the beginning, but as a couple? They own my soul. The other storyline is still the dumpster fire that I can’t decide to roast marshmallows over (knowing they’ll get tinged with eu de trash) or flee from in horror clutching my pearls and my nose. H4 continues to provide the quality psyche torture I’ve come to expect from this franchise. *sarcastic thumbs up*  *** A word on seeing Boxiang show up (side dish from H3:MODC). It was an unexpected pleasure, I loved his pairing (May/December is a winner for me *glares at Method*) but I do think it was a bone from the franchise telling us that we are never getting that spin-off or reboot that people yearn for. However, how AWESOME that Licheng has someone to go to and ask about topping properly. Otherwise he’s sure to have screwed it up. (Pun intended.) 
Papa & Daddy (Tailwan) Ep 1-2 - this came out of nowhere and is ADORABLE. Applies a ton of BL tropes (cheek kiss, his closet, B&W stripes, drag baby around, boop) but what IS it? More slice of gay domesticity than romance. Like 2019′s Kinou Nani Tabeta? or currently airing Close Friend. I enjoy this style, very wholesome, but I’m not sure what to call it. (Bonus points for cutie lesbians.) A bit weird to have a kid with your partner and STILL not be out to your parents. I hope they aren’t going to throw in a break up for dramatic effect. 
My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 4 - I’m really enjoying this series. It’s unabashedly queer, although there’s some problematic stuff lurking under the wig. How it ends is gonna dictate if they handled this stylishly. But hot damn the leads ZING on screen together and their crackling prank-flirting is a joy to watch. 
Word of Honor (China) Ep 31-33 - moving into the home stretch. Big rescue and the band is back together (presumably for the final slaughter). Then a death! *this is my shocked face* Did I tear up? Of course I did. 4 act structure is designed for maximum pathos during the final 1/4. Did we all faint from the symbolism of the love token hair stick being gently thrust into Ah Xu’s bun? Sure we did. All that and sill I’m flagging. This is a long-arse show. Save me, Korea, with your iItsy bitsy teenie weenie...
Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korea) Ep 5-6 - I am getting such strong 12th Night vibes from this. Tae Hyung is now brigadier of BL’s historical himbo brigade. (To be deployed whenever you are in need of poetry or a cut sleeve.) This show is all ridiculous charm and I LOVE it. Although, five seconds of Lee Sang is not enough Lee Sang. I had to immediately rewatch Wish You. 
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Gossip
Nitiman gave us an actor intro BTS teaser. 
Kang In Soo (AKA Kyang Insoo) posted a cute behind the photo shoot of Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding plus a silly interview with Jang Eui Soo on his YouTube channel (you should subscribe, it’s a fun channel, his fitness regime is both insane and inspiring). 
My Engineer 2 dropped a couch interview with the boys but it feels like one that was filmed a while ago (oh and no subs).  
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STARTING SOON: Nitiman, Love Area, Top Secret Together, Be Loved in House, & I Promised You The Moon  
Nitiman (Thai) May 7, One 31. University set, moons, engineering students, enemies to lovers, adapted. - Looks to be a solid 2 Moons knock off, I’m in.
Love Area (Thai) May 8, AIS Play, 10 eps total. Restaurant set, stars Pak Chavitpong (the only good thing about Cupid Coach) and the OST is sung by Jeff Satur (Ingredients). - It’s boys in love revolving around food = my kryptonite, try to stop me from watching this probable trash. 
Top Secret Together (Thai) May 14, Line TV. 5 couples, one IRL (Newyear from I Am Your King), story arcs revolve around secrets.  - I’m getting fatigued by these multi-couple sampler pack dramas, but I’ll try it for Newyear’s sake.  
Be Loved in House: I Do (Taiwan YES!) May 20, Viki. Office set, relationships prohibited at work by a new boss, one of the employees is determined to figure out why. Grumpy/tsundere pairing so loads of drama. - I am so flipping excited for this one. A 4th BL series from Taiwan in less than a year? That’s unprecedented. GO BABY ISLAND GO! 
I Promised You the Moon (Thai) May 27, Line TV. Follow up to I Told Sunset About You with the boys now at university. - I won’t be watching this as I have yet to finish season 1. 
Possibly Gameboys season 2.  - Rumors are all over the place right now on this. 
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Next Week Looks Like This: 
Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons. 
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Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.
Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.
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shhh-no-ones-home · 3 years
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death march matt Murdock x reader
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this one has been in the drafts for a bit and i finally finished it so i hope you guys enjoy. writing has been slow recently as i havent had much free time and am still trying to rewatch all the netflix marvel series. but i am still working on requests and stories that ive had started for about a month so hopefully the rest will be out soon, along with some frank castle stories now that ive reached the first season of the punisher
prompts: "You need sleep." "I get sleep" "getting knocked unconscious does not count as sleep"
song: saints of the blood by black veil brides
tag list: @cynic-spirit @juniebugg
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i sat back on my knees and groaned. matt and i were both covered in blood and he was still writhing around on the ground. but the men around us that were out made me a little proud of all that we'd done. it had been weeks of tracking them down, taking out one ninja at a time until we found were they were all hiding.
"i need a vacation."
he noted as he got to his knees and i laughed.
"you and me both D."
he laughed back as he stood, almost doubling over as he clutched his side. i was quick to stand then, helping him, steadying him.
"whoa, hold up there daredevil, i saw that last punch. broken ribs isn't gonna get you anywhere."
he inhaled sharply.
"and what do you suggest i do?"
i snorted.
"you know the answer to that already."
he shook his head as we limped towards the door together.
"yeah, i shouldn't have asked."
°°°°°°°°°
when we got back to the apartment i was quick to get him to the couch. every move earned a hiss from deep in his chest as i tried to get his jacket off. i figured his ribs were broke but i was more worried about the cuts and stab wounds.
"alright human x-ray, what's the damage?"
he sat quietly for a moment and listened. then he closed his eyes and sighed.
"what do you think?"
i touched his side lightly.
"oh yeah, they're definitely broken. but there's something else. what is it?"
he blinked slowly before wincing as he tried to resituate himself on the couch.
"the cut below my rib is almost deep enough for it to come out."
i made a gross face.
"so maybe this time we really should get you to a hospital."
"no."
he said quickly and i sent him a look.
"matt, if i don't there's a good chance you'll die."
"no hospital."
i bit my tongue as he laid back.
"fine, ill do the best i can but if you if you start fading on me im doing it. this job is bigger than me, and Claire for that matter."
his jaw tightened.
"what would we even tell them? you're not in any better shape."
his breathing was shaky and staggered. i looked to my knuckles on my right hand as i held the cloth to his open wound. at this point i couldn't tell what was my blood, what was his blood, or what was the blood from the men we'd fought in the back of that abandoned warehouse. and then i looked to my left hand, god it was so much worse. my first two fingers were for sure broken, my wrist not in any better shape, and i had a gash almost the length of the back my arm.
"ill think of something, but right now we need to focus on getting you out of this outfit and keeping you from bleeding out. i don't need the paramedics figuring out what we both do in our free time."
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as i sat in the chair beside matt i tried my hardest not to fall asleep. the beep of his heart monitor was very lulling and the morphine  they had given me didn't help. it was a little amusing though to look at the two of us; we practically looked like mummies with how wrapped we were. my left hand was broken in eight places, my wrist in two. the cut on my arm was deep enough to need stitches near my elbow but nowhere else, thank god.
"y/n."
i heard him say quietly and i sat up abruptly, no longer tired.
"im here matt, its okay."
i said softly, taking his hand in mine.
"where are we?"
he asked and i let out a laugh.
"metro general."
he deadpanned.
"i thought i told you-"
"i know i know, but i was losing you. i kept checking your heartbeat but you were losing too much blood. and i couldn't live with myself if id let you die. not after all that hard work."
i said the last bit with a hint of amusement and luckily he smiled back.
"what did you tell them?"
i let out a nervous laugh.
"i told them we were walking home through a bad part of town and got jumped, pushed into a back alley by a couple guys, large and in masks. i told them that they all looked the same, same height, same clothes, and only one of them spoke; that he demanded we give him all that we had on us. i told them that you tried to be brave and push me out of the way and that they didn't like that; that they beat you up, attacked you, then attacked me and once they got me on the ground stomped on my hand and ran."
he nodded solemnly; rubbing his thumb over the back of my right hand. the bruises were prominent still, cuts deep to the bone that i hadn't let anyone see since we'd been here the last ten hours.
"that's one hell of a story."
"as far as they know it was one hell of a fight. but you're still my hero; stupid and stubborn, but still a hero."
he smiled, almost laughing but groaning in pain and rolling his head back against the pillows.
"hey, take it easy, you need to heal, You need sleep."
"I get sleep."
he said matter-of-factly and i sent him a look.
"matt, getting knocked unconscious does not count as sleep."
he looked to the ceiling and swallowed hard.
"look, ill call foggy and Karen and tell them you were awake and they can visit later but for now you need all the rest you can get. you lost a lot of blood, and i know you, you'll want to get back out there as soon as possible. but for right now i think its okay to let the others handle the city for a bit. ill talk to Trish, see what she can do with Jessica's help. you know Danny would be willing to do something."
he shook his head.
"no, don't, its fine, I'm fine."
"Matthew, you have three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and you almost got sliced all the way through. I'm calling at least one of your super friends to take the mantle for a couple weeks. hells kitchen survived over a year without the mask, I'm sure it can survive a little longer. just until you're healed."
he sighed, closing his eyes again.
"i hate when you're right."
i smiled, squeezing his hand lightly.
"if that were true, you wouldn't have married me."
i stood up and kissed his forehead.
"Mrs. Murdock, the voice of reason."
he said softly and i leaned down and kissed him properly.
"keeping the love of my life alive one day at a time."
"thank you."
i studied him for a moment as i stood back up.
"get some sleep, ill be right here when you wake up."
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lovingrosewho · 3 years
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The Executioner’s Song (rewrite, sort of)
NOW, ONTO THE GOOD STUFF, and that means, the new stuff :-) I’ve been rewatching all Supernatural seasons and just had to write this. Disclaimer: English isn’t my first language, feel free to give any feedback/suggestions! <3 Ily all, thanks for reading <3
ONE SHOT
Pairing: Crowley x Reader, sort of Castiel x Reader but in a friendly way
Rating: T. Angst, fluff
Word count: 3.1k+
Summary: the title pretty much explains it buuut, basically, Reader gets upset about Dean betraying Crowley
Warnings: SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED SEASON 10, signs of depression, dialogues taken from the series at the beginning, a few curse words I guess?
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When Dean handles the First Blade over to Castiel instead of Crowley, your eyes open wide in shock.
“You lied to me” Crowley says, you can sense the hurt from the betrayal in his voice.
“It’s not the first time today” Dean makes a pause with the demon’s expectant eyes “Cain’s list? You weren’t on it” Dean says and with this, Crowley vanishes.
You begin to feel dizzy, nauseous even, a void made of uncertainty taunts your heart and your stomach, you try to hide it behind being worried about Dean, which is partly true and you let that show as you hug him, relieved he’s alive, in one piece and, mostly, or so it seems, sane. Castiel looks over at you and you just know, he knows.
 The four of you get to the bunker. Not a word from anyone. At the very arrival, you excuse yourself pretending a headache along the tiredness of the whole trip, so you practically run to your room.
The minute you close the door you dial Crowley’s cellphone, your hands shaking as you do so.
 Straight to voice mail. You dial again.
“Damn it Crowley, pick up the fucking phone” you pray lowly.
 Voice mail again. You’ve got to be kidding. You dial a third time.
“What is it that you want?” he finally answers, voice tone a bit raised, taking into account it’s you and he never raises his voice with you, either way, you can’t but let a breath out of relief at hearing him.
“Can you come over here? Please, I’m in my room” you’re not finished telling him and he hangs up.
“Damn it Crowley!” you exclaim again while you dial his number a fourth time, the second ring hasn’t sound when he appears standing in front of you.
“What?!” he almost screams, locking the door of your room with his demon powers. He’s not afraid about Sam and Dean coming in, all guns waving and pointing at him, no, he fears for you, aware that if the Winchesters hear you, not only will they scold you, but could also stop trusting you, hell, they could even lock you up thinking it was his doing the fact that you were friends with him.
“I didn’t know!” you confess instantly, body trembling and feeling like you’re going to puke any minute. You know how Crowley feels about treason, you know damn well and you just can’t let him think you had anything to do with it. He takes a few steps back and looks at you up and down.
“Why should I believe you, (Y/N)? And how? How am I supposed to believe you? Tell me” he raises his voice once again, he doesn’t like doing that with you but this time he just can’t help himself “If you four had only told me the truth I would have gladly agreed and helped you!”
“I know, I know!” you whimper, knowing that is a big-ass declaration from Crowley, and that he wouldn’t normally admit to it, he’s just doing it because it’s you, and he’s hurt. You try to maintain your posture and not let your voice crack weeping “I swear, I had nothing to do with it, if I had known I’d have tried to convince Dean to tell you the truth! I swear!”
Crowley is about to vanish, tired of listening to you, tired of the lies, of the doubts; first his minions being influenced by Abaddon, then his mother, next the Winchesters and now... he never thought he would doubt of his most beloved hunter. A single tear escapes your eyes and Crowley stops dry from disappearing, the temptation to remove that single tear being more powerful than him, the King of Hell.
You’ve known Crowley since he was a blood junkie, locked up in the Winchester’s dungeon. Your friendship started as a naïve excuse to pass the time, at first with just a couple of hostile phrases a day when you found him, and obviously discovered he was a demon, not just any demon but the King of Hell himself, and soon after it turned into something else. When you broke your arm in a fight and had to spend a couple of months skipping on hunts, the boredom increased your time in the dungeon with Crowley while the boys were gone, and you began to admit you liked the guy, perhaps a little too much. Months kept passing and the habit of sneaking into Crowley’s room while the boys were out, stayed, sometimes you would even take the cuffs and chains off of him and let him walk and stretch inside the devils trap, he would always behave and let you put the chains back on. When he managed to free himself from the brothers, he would visit you in your room when no one else in the bunker could hear you; you would talk about anything, his life, your life, Hell, current or past hunts, funny anecdotes... you were not ready to lose that. Not now, not ever. 
Crowley stares deep into your eyes as he holds your face in both his hands and wipes the tear off your cheek. 
“Look at me... and tell me if I’m lying” you say slowly. He sighs.
“I’m sorry, Pet. I can’t” and with this final sentence, he leaves the room, disappearing and leaving you alone.
You swallow hard, your steps conducting you backwards until you hit the end of the bed and are able to sit. At last, you break down in tears, sobs and whines flooding you from the inside out when you hear a knock at the door. 
“(Y/N)?” it’s Castiel “(Y/N) are you okay?”
You don’t respond, and Cas is forced to unlock the door and come in. He stares in shock at you but immediately locks the door back so Sam and Dean won’t come up asking questions. He sits next to you and doubtfully touches your shoulder for you to look at him, which you don’t do.
“He won’t talk to me ever again Castiel” you say in between sobs.
 “Who won’t?” he asks confused, but having a mild idea of who you might be referring to.
 “Crowley! He thinks I knew about Dean handing over the blade to you and not him...” you keep whimpering “He won’t believe me, whatever we had it’s over”.
 Cas nods understandingly and reaches out to hug you, your face covering his chest with tears.
 “(Y/N) maybe it’s for the best... Crowley is...” he begins but you interrupt him, separating from his grip.
 “No you don’t understand. He’s changed. I know it seems impossible but he has. And he truly believed he could be friends with us, I know it, I know him. Castiel I...” your voice breaks.
“(Y/N)” he intertwines his hand with yours “I know”.
He holds you again, and you cry and cry for hours in that same position with him until you fall asleep. Castiel lifts you up and leaves you laying across your bed, he takes your shoes off and puts a few blankets on top of you.
When he comes down everything is quiet, the Winchesters have surely gone to sleep, or at least get some rest after the day they’ve had.
The following morning you don’t come out of your room, not for breakfast, dinner, research, anything.
“What’s up with (Y/N)?” Deans asks, looking towards your room.
“She...” Castiel tries to explain “Wasn’t feeling very well. I’ll go check on her”.
The brothers look at each other and nod at Castiel’s offer.
“Hey, could you please bring her something to eat?” Sam asks politely.
“Yes. Of course” Cas answers.
When he enters your room, he notices you haven’t changed your clothes, and you’re in the same position he left you last night.
“(Y/N)?” he says, leaving a tray of food on your desk “How are you feeling?”
“Not hungry” you say without facing him, smelling the hot breakfast he just left a couple of feet away from you.
“Well... you need to eat. You’re human” he reminds you.
“So? Not hungry” you repeat. He sits beside you and slightly caresses your hair.
“Okay then, we’ll be downstairs if you need us... or just, you know, pray for me” he tells you before getting up and prepare to leave your room until you jump all of a sudden. 
“Wait! Castiel!” you say, startling him.
“What? Whats is it?”
“Please... don’t tell Dean what this is about... he’ll just... he wouldn’t understand” you beg him. Cas nods his head in agreement. 
“Of course”.
When Cas comes down, both Winchesters are looking at him, raising his hands as asking what is going on.
“It’s... like I said, she’s not feeling very well” he tells them when he’s at the table with both.
“Well what does she have?” Deans asks demandingly.
 “I... she wouldn’t say” Cas lies, which gains him a weird look from Dean.
 “Ok that’s it, I’m going up” declares Dean and Cas gets up sharply.
 “Dean! No! She said she didn’t wanna be bothered” Castiel exclaims worried.
 The weird look on Dean remains until he rolls his eyes, says “fine” and heads for the kitchen instead.
 Sam has stayed silent the whole time until Dean leaves.
 “Cas” Sams calls him in a low voice “Is this about Crowley?”
 Castiel sighs and nods.
 “Guess she’ll just have to pull through with this one” Sam follows Castiel’s sigh.
 You don’t go out of your room for two days in a row, sadness consuming you. The third day you decide you’ve had enough and come downstairs to help the boys with research, no one says a word but Dean.
“Hiya there kiddo, had us worried sick but Cas said you didn’t wanna be bothered, everything okay?” Dean tells you, making you smile softly.
“Yeah, yeah. Just you know, some headaches, it felt like I was hungover the whole day, guess that tension from the last adventure really took a hit on me” you lie marvelously. 
“Yeah. But you’re back, we are back, and that’s what matters” Dean tells you and you smile nodding, containing your tears again, you know you are not fully back.
It’s been a couple of weeks and Crowley won’t answer any of your calls, hence you stop calling him.
You miss him, you miss his voice and spending time with him. The boys notice even if you’re back up enlisting on hunts and helping them, something’s definitely off with you. You don’t eat enough, you practically don’t sleep, you barely smile or laugh anymore, and you seem distracted half of the time. It hurts Castiel more than anyone seeing you like this, so he decides to break his vow and talk to Dean.
“You have to call Crowley” he tells Dean when he and Sam are alone in the bunker whilst you are in your room “You have to tell him it was your idea to give the blade to me, you can even mention Sam but not (Y/N)”.
“And why would I do that?” Dean asks confused and a bit angry.
“Look around you Dean” Sam tells him “Something’s off with (Y/N) since that day, it’s not even 9pm and she’s already locked in her room, she didn’t even eat when we got back”.
Dean looks at both of them and grunts.
“How are you so sure this is about Crowley?”
 “Because she told me” Castiel confesses “Now, call him”.
 Dean looks impassive at Cas and Sam but takes his phone out and dials Crowley’s number.
 First call goes to voice mail.
 “Well that’s it, I’m not calling that dickbag again” he declares and Cas catches his arm, grabbing and stopping him from putting away his cellphone.
 “Try again” Castiel threatens. Dean rolls his eyes but agrees.
 “Squirrel, long time no see” Crowley finally answers “How are you?”
 “Listen you son of a bitch” Dean begins “I don’t know what you did or told (Y/N) but...”
 “Oh I didn’t tell, much less do, anything to her”.
 It hasn’t been easier for Crowley. He’s got the advantage he doesn’t eat nor sleep, but distraction has definitely been present. Every time his mother or his minions call him he’s just thinking of you, about answering your calls, about calling back. He misses you, your voice, your laugh.
“Well she hasn’t been okay and the only thing I know is it has to do with you” Dean tells him “She hasn’t anything to do with the fact that I didn’t handle you the blade, that’s on me, Sam and perhaps Cas, but not her. She knew nothing, you hear me? Nothing. ‘Cause see here’s the thing, we didn’t tell her ‘cause I knew you two got along and if I had told her she would have put up a fight and claim it was unfair. Now she won’t sleep, nor eat enough, she’s distracted on hunts and that almost got her killed a couple of times already, so you either fix it or I’ll come down there looking to kill you Crowley I swear”.
With this last phrase he hangs up and throws his phone away, without expecting Crowley to answer, this is non-negotiable.
The King of Hell’s stomach suddenly fills with hope and excitement, it’s not the fact that Dean called him about what happened, no, it’s just that he did not know you cared that much for him, he’d figured after a while you would stop calling and move on.
You wake up in the middle of the night and... what time is it exactly? Phone says 3am. Great. You sit slowly, yawning, still sleepy, and turn on your bedside lamp.
Suddenly you see Crowley standing in front of you and you almost scream whilst reaching for your gun.
“Crowley! For the love of... what the actual hell are you doing in my room?!” you hiss at him, exasperated, tossing the gun aside.
“Well hello to you too, love” he exclaims sarcastically.
“Answer the question, what are you doing here?” you ask again, tired and afraid this is just some sick joke.
“I was bored. Thought I’d pay you a visit” he says walking, or more like snooping, around your room. 
“And you needed to do that at 3 in the morning? When I’m sleeping? And when you haven’t returned my calls in weeks?” you reclaim but he stays silent, still going through some of the stuff placed at your desk. 
You exhale sharply. 
“Whatever, I need to pee, do not touch anything, you understand me?”
 “Yes, yes. Understood, Pet. I’ll be right here”.
You get up from your bed and walk barefoot towards the restroom. When you’re sit in the toilet, your mind begins wondering what truly brings the King of Hell to your room. Perhaps he’s aware that you miss him. Perhaps he misses you too. Or maybe it’s a dream. Maybe he is telling the truth and was just bored of all the meetings.
 You get back to your room to find Crowley laying across your bed.
 “Everything alright, Pet? Was beginning to wonder what took you so long” he tells you. Deep, dark stare into your eyes.
 “Yeah” you say, approaching the edge of the bed, staring back at him “I do everything slower at this time. Now, scoot over”.
 He slides a few inches to the side of the bed, letting you lay down next to him. You turn a few degrees facing him, while Crowley keeps looking at the ceiling, but paying attention to every and each one of your moves, that is until you place your arm across his chest and your hand begins mindlessly caressing the thin fabric from his suite shirt, while you breathe in his scent, the sulphur, the ash, the expensive scotch and fresh cologne.
“(Y/N)?” he begins carefully, voice low “What are you doing?“
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Yes, beg your pardon, why are you doing it?” Crowley asks but cautiously places an arm around you and starts stroking your hair.
“I... I’ve missed you” you confess as you bury your face in his shoulder “Does... does this bother you?”
Your question puts a soft smile in his mouth while he turns to look at your half-hidden face. 
“Not in the slightest, kitten” his declaration is greeted with a relieved and dreamy sigh from you “I’ve missed you too, you know?”
 “You have?” you ask incredulously “I thought you didn’t care...”
 “Of course I care. But here I thought you were the one who didn’t care...” that’s when your engines start rotating and it hits you.
 “Did you speak to Castiel?” you interrogate him, fully facing him now.
 “Castiel? No. I spoke to Dean though” he says guessing what happened. Knowing you, you wouldn’t have let Dean figure out what you were so upset about, Cas must’ve told him “He wanted some intel on someone, don’t know, don’t care, and it slipped the fact that you weren’t feeling so well”.
“What else did he say?” you ask him, going back to your task of running your fingers across his chest. In this moment, you couldn’t care less how he found out, he’s here, with you.
He inhales deeply.
“That you had nothing to do with the idea of lying to me...” he feels your body tense underneath him “Which, by the way, I figured a couple of hours after our little discussion”.
“Then why didn’t you say anything?” anger beginning to creep on you, body still stiff.
“Because I thought you didn’t care that much” he admits “I thought it was for the best. To be honest, I was unsure about what to even tell you after the tantrum I threw that day”.
He places a hand under your chin for you to look him in the eyes.
 “I am sorry, (Y/N)” the King of Hell apologizes and you relax, hugging him a bit tighter.
 “I love you” he’s taken aback by your declaration but after a few seconds he smiles gently.
 “I love you too, Pet” with this sentence he brings your chin up and lowers his lips sweetly onto yours. He tastes like honey, citrus and scotch, and all you ever thought he’d taste like.
 The kiss is so tender and so slow that you’re able to wander your hand towards his hair and then his cheek. 
When the two of you break the kiss, you spend an exaggerated amount of time looking at each other, assimilating the reciprocated love. After a while you start talking about everything and nothing, just like old times, cuddling until you fall asleep, and Crowley, the King of Hell, has the honor to be the one to hold you in his arms.
MASTERLIST
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annakie · 2 years
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TV/Movie Log 2021
Something I always tell myself I’m gonna keep, and I usually do not do.
Already covered games I played.
TBH, some of this may be late-2020 too.  This is not a complete list obviously, just what comes to mind about what I watched this year.
The things I watched the most are easy:
MST3k - I subscribe to the Twitch channel.  I have it playing in the background like... so much.  Including literally right now as I type this.  Sometimes I switch to the Rifftrax channel.  But I like MST3k more.  It’s comfort food.  The only thing I hate is the commercials for the MST3k Twitch Channel!!!!! that they play almost every break.  Well, one of the new one is for the current tour, which I already have tickets to (but don’t know if I’m going to go to, thanks Covid.)  Catch me diving for the mute button on my keyboard at the end of every break til it’s over.
Also I rewatched both Jonah seasons this year.  I love literally all of MST3k and can’t wait for S14.
Star Trek - I started a rewatch in 2020, I finished... mostly finished... sometime this year.  I uh, haven’t made it through TOS, and tbh I should just pick a list of “20 best TOS episodes” and watch those + the movies. Also haven’t rewatched the Kelvin movies.  I will!  But yeah otherwise I made it through TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT rewatches, while keeping up with all the current ST shows.  Need to rewatch Picard before S2 starts airing, really looking forward to SNW.  And Lower Decks S2 was FANTASTIC.
Survivor - I DO NOT KNOW WHY.   I watched the seasons they had on Netflix when I finished my ST:ENT rewatch earlier this year and then... I don’t know what happened.  I went back and watched every. single. Survivor. season.  Mostly while at work instead of keeping the MST3k channel up.  I’d seen seasons 1 - 6 & 8 when they aired, but otherwise hadn’t really thought about Survivor much in 15 years until... now.
Hilariously, though, I just completely burned out while the new season was airing and I was still in the middle of watching Season 40, which was the all-winner season I was really looking forward to.  I know who wins, and I’m cool with their win, but I got really bummed out that all my faves got knocked out early and dumbly. I’ll try and push through here soon just so I can say I’ve watched them all, though.
Critical Role - Kept up with it, 3 - 4 hours a week.  Of course there was that huge break between seasons. I haven’t watched the last episode or two of EXU though.  I should.
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New Stuff (in absolutely no order)
For All Mankind - Read Sepinwall’s 20 best shows of 2021 and I’m going to work my way through most of them.  Started with #1.  Surprised at how much I loved it, can’t wait for season 2.
Wandavision/Loki/F&WS/What If?/Hawkeye etc. - Yeah some of those were 2020, I don’t remember.  I kept up or caught up with all of them, they were all varying degrees of good.  I’m not super into the MCU but keep up enough.
Rutherford Falls - I try to watch whatever Michael Shur produces and this series didn’t disappoint.  Michael Greyeyes was a particular surprise in this, really loved his character, but it was a funny, good show that had some great Native American representation well and tackled some difficult issues.  Crossing fingers for season 2.
Resident Alien - Came for a Robert Duncan McNeil produced/directed show about an alien with Alan Tudyk, stayed for a really funny show with compelling mysteries and also great NA representation.  So excited for S2 starting soon.  (As a note, I haven’t yet watched Reservation Dogs but it’s on The List.)
Doctor Who: The Flux - Honestly early on this season felt like the embodiment of the MST3k Concepts song, but it... mostly... came together in the end. Will miss Jodie while she’s gone, but I have mixed feelings about the Chinball era overall.  (TBH I really liked it until the Timeless Child stuff, and am not a fan of that whole storyline.  Hoping they are able to pull up after this.)
Grand Design - A British show about people who build their own houses, hosted by a nice British bloke named Kevin.  It became my comfort/cool-down for sleep show after I ran out of The Repair Shop episodes to watch.  I have scraped as much content of this show as possible, and I need more.
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath - I’ve been pretty well-versed about Scientology for a long time, but really enjoyed (in a horrified way) Leah Remini’s series.  It got pretty repetitive in the 3rd season, but I think it’s done a lot of good to get the word out about what Scientology is all about.
The Witcher S2 - Liked it a lot more than S1.  I know people are mad it went way off the track of the books, but I didn’t play the games or read the books and hey, I like it for what it is.
Mythic Quest - Knew I’d love it when I got around to watching it, and I was right.  Fantastic show, nails the nerd/game dev/MMO vibe so well with great characters and a lot of depth.
Kevin Can Fuck Himself - This show mostly worked and I really enjoyed it, but I also think it’s good that it’s ending after 2 seasons.  Looking forward to season 2 and hoping for a good wrapup.
What We Do in the Shadows - Another show I knew I’d love but just never got around to before this.  I was dumb to hold off on it so long.  Just an amazing show that I love so much now.  Mad at me for denying myself this show, but also glad I didn’t have to wait through that S2 cliffhanger.  But now I’m waiting through that S3 cliffhanger. :(
Only Murders in the Building - What an absolute delight this show was.  I wasn’t expecting it to be this good, but it was great the whole way through and nailed the landing.  Anxiously awaiting S2.
Ted Lasso - YES YES WE ALL LOVE TED LASSO.  Me included.
Brooklyn 99 - I miss you already. :(  Great final season, though.
Handmaid’s Tale S4 - Still watching this.  Don’t regret it.  Still hard to watch, still kinda misery porn, but I liked most of S4 and am interested in what happens in S5.
Leverage: Redemption - Still kind of can’t believe this is a thing, but it IS and I LOVED IT. Bring on S2, pls Aldis, be in it at least as much as last season.
The Stand - Started in 2020, ended in 2021.  I had really high hopes for this adaptation of one of my favorite books.  And in the end... my reaction was mixed, leaning more towards positive, but also my feelings were better than most people I guess.  I liked a lot of the story updates, but jumping around in the timeline hurt the story way more than helped, AND they sidelined important characters -- including my favorite characters (Tom and Nick) and that hurt.  Vegas was... not correct at all, either.  And hoo boy Trashcan Man was very wrong.  But I also liked Fran more here than in either previous adaptation and the guy they had playing Harold was amazing.
Sweet Tooth - An interesting story, I’m still curious about what’s going to happen in S2.  Not my favorite thing of the year, not my least favorite either.
Upload - Greg Daniels’ show about people living digitally after death (sort of like a series long San Junipero.)  It was okay, glad they’re getting a S2.
A  Smaller List of Other Stuff I Watched:
Nailed It - It’s SO FUNNY even if it’s basically the same every episode.
The Circle - I really hate that I love this show.
Whose Line is it Anyway? - Another comfort show I only sorta keep up with.
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Currently Watching
Taskmaster - My current comfort show.  I’m only on my first season if it (and it’s like season 7) But it’s SO funny and I’m loving it.  Just tons of laugh out loud moments every episode.
The Expanse - I have tried at least twice before to get into The Expanse.  It is absolutely a show I SHOULD love.  I am now mid-season 1 and enjoying it more than my previous attempts. 
Star Trek: Discovery/Prodigy - Enjoying them both!  I mean, Prodigy is a kid’s show but I am loving Janeway Hologram and am holding on tight for whenever Chakotay shows up.  It’s very good for what it is!  And Discovery is chugging along, about as good as it ever was.
Station Eleven - Rec’d by Sepinwall, definitely one of the best things I’ve watched this year, but it is a difficult show to watch, especially right now.
Book of Boba Fett - Love The Mandalorian, loved the first ep of BoBF
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Rewatches
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - This show is so good, so much better than you think it’d be.  I originally got into it after season one, I think?  Loved watching it live, loved the rewatch more.  Also, I like New Greg just as much as Old Greg, FIGHT ME.  Also I love the ending.  (Also Rebecca should be with Greg or Nathaniel, I’m equal on both, or NO ONE is great, too.  Not Josh, love him as a character, not for Rebecca.)
The Mole - I loved this show when it was on, and rewatched all 4 US seasons this year.  It was still really fun, especially since I had literally forgotten the Winner and Mole from each season, except the newest.  I could remember the final 3 or 4 people, but it was nice getting to guess all over again.  I wish they’d bring this show back.
Leverage - To prepare for Leverage: Redemption I rewatched Leverage!  It’d been quite a few years since I’d done a Leverage rewatch, even though it’s one of my constant lowkey fandoms.  So worth it.  I mean, there are bits of it that haven’t aged well, especially around technology, but it 95% HAS.  And Parker/Hardison/Eliot OT3 now and forever.
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Gave Up On
The Boys - I didn’t enjoy S1 a lot but finished it.  Got several episodes into S2 and decided it just wasn’t for me.  Not saying it’s bad, a lot of people loved it, but... yeah, not for me.
I tried a few other reality shows as well, but they were pretty much too vapid for me to stick with.  Probably watched the pilots for like half a dozen shows and was like “I’ll get back to this” and did not, or just decided they weren’t for me to start with.
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Movies
Army of the Dead - the dumb Zombie movie with Dave Bautista.  Of course I mostly watched it for Tig, and was not disappointed with Tig.
Snake Eyes - I went to the movies twice this year.  This was the first time, with a small group of friends.  Back in the summer... when we thought everything was gonna be OK.  I miss June.  The movie was dumb and fun and just fine for a summer flick you don’t have to think about.  But I LOVED GI Joe as a kid it was maybe my first “fandom” that I was into independently, not because it was something my parents loved like Star Trek/Star Wars.  So I got a kick out of it.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage - The other time I went to the movies.  It was a mostly empty showing with a friend.  I enjoyed the movie again, as a “turn your brain off and JUST ENJOY IT DAMNIT” watch, as it should be for Venom movies.
Psych 3: This is Gus - I love that we’re still getting new Psych, I hope they get all 6 movies they planned for. Heard a few things that make it sound like movie 4 should be getting greenlit.  This is Gus is maybe my favorite so far.
Spider Man: No Way Home - I did watch it.  And all the previous Spider-Man + Tom Holland movies before it.  Worth it.  One of the best entries in the MCU.
Gunpowder Milkshake - It was fun!  Not a great movie, but a very fun, stylish movie with lots of kickass ladies.
A Castle for Christmas - I watched a dumb Christmas movie this year purely because it had Cary Elwes in it, Brooke Shields was a nice bonus.  I don’t regret it.
Jupiter Ascending - I finally watched this crazy movie.  I now get what everyone was talking about.  Also don’t regret it.
The Last Blockbuster - Because Blockbuster was such a part of my childhood / young adulthood.  Still, I like having everything at my fingertips better.
OK I’m tired of writing this list.  I’m gonna go play some video games now. :)
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bitletsanddrabbles · 3 years
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WIP Wednesday: *blows the dust off*
So! Current writing goals involve Research and Finishing Things. Since focus is kind of a personal bug bear (ADD? What ADD?), I’m making an absolute point of setting time aside - on my calendar even! - and making myself work, because that is an effective strategy when I remember to do it.
Last time it worked for I think a whole three months before I got distracted and my calendar kinda........fell apart. I mean, not literally, but.
Anyway, so far so good! Getting lots of reading done, some of which will (hopefully) help with the Thomas As Heir novel. Rewatching the series, even if I’ve just got through ep. 1. Still want to punch the Duke in the face (you may die of not shock now). Got a good start on the latest thing I’m working on - which, before you comment, isn’t new so much as it’s long overdue to be started - and...yeah!
Of course, this means my brain is already rummaging through my other WIPs, looking for the next thing to work on (’cause I can’t get it to prioritize that much). And while this one isn’t at the top of the ‘to be continued’ list, I am still very fond of this bit.
Much as I don’t like Jimmy, when he decides to play nice he can be fun to write. I’ll give the little brat that. (And no, this is not a romance. Keep your knickers on.)
Jimmy walked toward the servant's entrance of Grantham House with the odd, uncomfortable feeling of doing something that was both familiar and forbidden. He had been sacked, after all, and that was the last any of the staff had heard from him. He shouldn't be coming back as if he had a perfect right to ask for everything to go right back to the way it had been. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reminded himself that he was simply delivering a letter. He wasn't even asking to stay for tea, he didn't have time.
The door was opened by an unfamiliar face. The man was younger than Jimmy, and taller, like most of the men Jimmy knew. He was not, however, better looking, which was somewhat gratifying. His dark hair was extremely curly, his nose slightly large, and his ears had a tendency to stick out. He looked a bit like a monkey in livery, at least to Jimmy's way of thinking, which lead to the unavoidable impulse to play with him a bit.
"How may I help you?" the man asked, properly prim and polite.
"Good day," Jimmy greeted him, pulling out his most winning smile. "I'm looking for some knucklehead name of Barrow."
Whoever this new footman was, he apparently had some loyalty to Thomas, or at least to propriety, because his smile tightened and his manner cooled at least five degrees. "Excuse me?"
"I said, I'm looking for some knucklehead name of Barrow," Jimmy repeated, smile still firmly in place. "I gather he lives here?"
"And who shall I tell Mr. Barrow is calling?" the footman asked, putting clear emphasis on the title.
Jimmy shrugged, brushing the question off. "Oh, no one in particular."
"I see." All semblance of a smile was gone and the footman was now eyeing Jimmy with open suspicion. "And what, may I ask, is this about?"
"Nothing that concerns you," Jimmy quipped back. While he was perfectly aware that glaring at a caller was bad form, he had to approve of the younger man's apparent loyalty.
For a moment, the footman didn't say anything. Then he asked, very carefully, "So, I am to tell Mr. Barrow that no one in particular is here to see him about nothing that concerns me?"
"That's about the sum of it."
"And you think Mr. Barrow will be interested in seeing you?"
If anything the question, and the sharply skeptical tone it was asked in, made Jimmy's smile grow larger. "I should hope so."
"Right," the footman replied, eyeing him, clearly far from convinced on the matter. "If you'll wait here, I'll let Mr. Barrow know you're asking for him." With that, he shut the door firmly in Jimmy's face, leaving the shorter man to cool his heels.
Jimmy didn't mind. It was a pleasant, spring day, warm and sunny, and he had to admit he'd rather earned the treatment. He leaned  back on his heels and prepared himself for a bit of a wait. If Thomas hadn't put in an appearance in fifteen minutes, he told himself, he'd knock again and be more forthcoming the second time.
He didn't have to wait anywhere near that long. It couldn't have been more than five minutes before the door opened again. He jumped up to attention in the middle of the stoop and found himself facing the familiar figure of Downton's new butler. Predictably, Thomas did not look pleased. His face was a cool mask, pale eyes hooded, lips pulled back in a polite, grimacing smile that promised a slow death for whoever dared risk his displeasure. "And just what might I ask – Jimmy?" There was something deeply satisfying about watching the other man's collected-if-irate expression shatter, leaving behind one of utter shock.
Jimmy's smile returned full force. "Oh good, I still have a name," he quipped, a bit sheepishly. "I was afraid after all this time I'd just be 'that tosser who never writes'."
The other man's shock subsided sharply. "You don't write."
"Now, to be fair, I did tell you I was bad at letter writing," Jimmy protested. "And I've started at least a letter a year since I left, I just...never get very far. Certainly not far enough to bother posting."
Thomas crossed his arms over his chest and contrived to look put out. "You could have at least managed a 'Dear Thomas, hope everything's going well, I've not been run over by a car'. That would have been worth posting to my way of thinking."
"Sorry," Jimmy winced, hanging his head. "I am the world's worst friend."
"Yes, you are."
No offense to Andrew, but Jimmy is a vain little twit and therefore wouldn’t be impressed.
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JULY PICKS!
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You heard me correctly, I said JULY! Whoosh, this year is going by fast-but not in a good way if you know what I mean. This will be my last monthly wrap up where I am strictly staying home in quarantine as this upcoming week I’m heading back to work in person. Wish me luck!
We had quite the range this month from newly released, reality, musical and then some favorites from last month that I’ve continued watching. Without further ado here we go....
There’s going to be PLENTY of SPOILERS this go round. ESPECIALLY with my first pick of Stargirl. You’ve been warned!!!
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DC’S STARGIRL
I need to talk about 1x10 or I’m going to burst!!! As stated above there will be A LOT of SPOILERS IN THIS POST!! So scroll down to the next picture if you don’t want it to be spoiled. 
You’ve been warned...again.
IT CANNOT END LIKE THAT!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Henry! Wow! 1) Epic fighting 2) The backstory and how he wasn’t going to give up on his dad AND THEN how he wouldn’t give into his dad. 3) HE DIED RATHER THAN JOIN HIS SIDE OR PRETEND (which I honestly felt was going to happen). His character arc and I can’t believe it’s over!!! 4) His speech at the end: *weeping.* I knew Brainwave was going to say he killed his mother. It just felt like the build up. Brainwave Jr. would have been a GREAT ADDITION TO THE JSA! AND OMG THE WAY THE REST OF THEM FOUGHT FOR HIM! I loved how they framed it so you could still see them in the back when Henry spoke to his father. Super heartbreaking. Man, it feels like a lot of people have been killed off this first season (or am I just still thinking about Joey?) 
Side note: Check out the Instagram Live between father and son Brainwave on Stargirl’s CW page. Jake Austin Walker did an AWESOME interview in his take over.
This was one of the strongest episodes overall and definitely one of my favorites so far. I agree with many others that while it is SOO GOOD and I want to rewatch it again, I don’t know if I can emotionally yet. I can’t remember the last time I felt that way about a show. 
Some other thoughts this episode: WAY TO GO BARBARA! Way to record them to translate later (such an awesome app btw, how do I get it?). I’m glad her and Pat came more to an understanding because I love them especially with that glimpse into how they met. Jordan’s parents give me the creeps, like the couple from The Visit vibes. I feel like Mike’s got to find out ASAP, especially because he’s spent time in the garage. Something’s got to show him the truth; because I’m really feeling he figures it out rather than being told. Very curious to see what his reaction will be. SOLOMON GRUNDY. Thank God Beth talked Rick down. She really is like Chuck in being the voice of reason. She did really well in the cafeteria too. While I still don’t believe Starman is Courtney’s dad, how cute was it when she put together her and Henry were cousins? Speaking of Court’s dad, who else didn’t feel like Starman was her dad until they saw that upcoming promo? I don’t know who that impostor is but he is not her dad. Something’s fishy.
Loving this show. So happy it’s renewed for a second season!! 
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THE 100
From a show I can’t get enough of to one whose final season is a disappointment. I’m not going to spend too much time talking about The 100 because I feel I’ll just be repeating myself from previous posts. However, I did want to include it because I haven’t spoken much about the previous 2 episodes that I wound up watching back to back and I didn’t overly dislike them. 
As many have complained, when you have a final season you shouldn’t introduce SO MANY new characters and just push aside your originals (or the ones who are left). You also shouldn’t include so many confusing plots that are making it look like were the main points overall (like this many world concept was around since the first grounders) and playing with time in so many episodes is hard to keep up with too. Having so many people separated makes it difficult to remember what just happened to this specific group because I haven’t seen them in forever. ANYWAY, I did promise some positives. I didn’t except to like 7x08 because of it being a flashback episode with brand new people that was just going to feel like a potential spin-off pilot. Well...I actually really enjoyed it and the concept that the bunker was used before One Crew. The characters were easy to like and it was cool seeing Allie again (and this time not as the villain). While it felt forced including the orb (is that what it’s called? If not that’s what I’m calling it), but I liked how all the other pieces fit together (ex: the flame, the grounders’ language). Honestly, I surprise myself to say this, but I’d watch another episode. For 7x09, I liked being on Bardo and watching Octavia, Echo, Diyoza and Hope slowly get “brainwashed” I mean trained. We all knew it wouldn’t work for Hope and if I was them I would rather be on Sky Ring than Bardo (but then I guess I’d go crazy, so...) I enjoy the Octavia and Levitt relationship and would love them to work out, but if this show taught you anything it’s to be skeptical. I also want to shift to the Primes plot, just to showcase John Murphy for a second. THAT MAN! What a character development he’s had on this show. From the first season where I was like come on Murphy to now me awaiting his scenes. From cockroach to someone who won’t view himself as a hero. So good and something that is fantastic about this final season. They might have forgotten about other characters, but they’re doing it right by Murphy. 
Well, that was more than I was expecting. ;)   
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THE CIRCLE
It feels like I haven’t watched a lot of reality TV this year, which makes sense because of our quarantine situation (but then again I’m watching World of Dance, but that’s a different because it’s more of a competition/dance show. I’ll stop rambling). The Circle is a reality ‘game’ show that could be easily completed during quarantine and social distancing because the contestants do not see each other in person. They each have an apartment in this complex and only communicate with each other on a social media platform called the Circle. The objective is to become the most popular and an influencer who gets power over who stays and who goes in the competition. There’s some side contests throughout, but most of the show is just people chatting through an insta messenger and trying to learn as much as they can. Alliances are formed and cat fishes try to thrive all for the grand prize of $100,000. (Wow, that’s a lot!) It is SUPER addicting and very funny. Having a voice-over narrator really makes it even funnier because she says what we’re all thinking. Just about every episode a contestant leaves and then is able to meet one other person in their apartment. It’s been cool seeing their reactions as oftentimes it’s someone they did not expect AT ALL. I can’t wait to finish it. If you’re a fan of Big Brother than this is definitely for you. Looks like there will be a second season, which I am excited about.  
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THE BABYSITTERS CLUB
Jumping from one Netflix show to another. Released on Netflix on July 3rd, I tried not to binge it all in one day because then it would be over (and we still don’t know if there will be a second season yet). This is definitely my feel good watch for July. If you want something that’s a quick watch and just wholesome and fun to escape our current world than this is for you. I always felt so happy after watching and couldn’t wait to watch another. While I was familiar with the franchise--the 90s movie and of course the books (although I was more of a Babysitter Little Sister fan, so I was very excited to see Karen), you don’t have to have any knowledge of the Babysitters Club to enjoy this show. I was hooked just about right away by this new series shown by me watching the first three episodes back to back. I really like how they set up each episode with one girl as the main focus (just like in the books) where she takes over the voice-over narration. Great representation and made modern to fit in with our current times. The first example that comes to mind is when Mary Ann babysits Bailey who is transgender. I liked how Bailey says those are her old clothes while they’re playing. It’s shown in a way that explains the situation without feeling like a lecture. It fits so naturally into the episode. And then Mary Ann’s speech at the hospital is super powerful for both Bailey and herself. This is just one example of how well represented this show is. Extremely strong cast and actresses who are the proper ages. I also love the adult casting and how they threw in a Clueless reference from Alicia Sliverstone (who plays Kristy’s Mom). As someone who is writing for this age group, I really liked hearing and seeing how authentic this show is. 
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FEEL THE BEAT
A Netflix original movie that has been on my list for a while that I just got around to watching. It didn’t come out too long ago. In the film, Sofia Carson’s character is a dancer who is a perfectionist. She gets on the bad side of a big NYC producer when she not only leaves her in the rain as she steals her taxi, but also knocks her, accidentally, off stage and becomes a viral video-this basically blackmails her in Broadway. This all happens within about the first 10 minutes of the film and the majority takes place back in her small home town (very Hallmark-like) in Wisconsin. While there her old dancing teacher wants her to share her Broadway wisdom with her young students. Meanwhile Carson has only been a chorus girl, so she doesn’t really have any. What draws her to helping the young girls is the chance to perform in front of a big choreographer that could get her to be the star she always dreamed of. The catch is that it’s the teacher dance in the childrens dance competition. While this might sound like a movie you’ve watched many times before, it was still worth it and a really fun watch. I think the kids really make the movie. They are adorable, funny and super talented. You feel connected with them really fast and want to see them succeed. I loved Dickie and how he joined the group. I think he was my favorite overall. I loved how inclusive the cast was here too (just like BSC) from a mixed race family, to single parents and even a student who was Deaf. It was great seeing the other actors sign to her. Carson’s character, April, can be annoying at times, but you understand it’s her character and something she needs to overcome. As I said before the plot may seem familiar, but the ending was something I didn’t see coming. Overall, wholesome, feel good and fun for the whole family. You can consider to watch while babysitting. (See what I did there??)  
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VIOLETTA SEASON 2
She’s back! I know last month when I included Violetta it was mainly me being excited to see the second season FINALLY streaming on Disney Plus. I had watched a few episodes (remember there’s 80 altogether, so even if I watched 20 that’s still very early on and just a dent in the season) and was still getting used to this season. Well, now I’m happy to report I am in the 40s and more than half way. For a bit I was watching many of these episodes a day, which told me that I was loving it again. Recently, I feel I need a little more of a push to watch, but it’s mainly because of certain story-lines that feel like they’re dragging. (For example: Violetta’s voice. One minute it’s fine and the next she’s like dying). For this section I have two words: LOVE TRIANGLES. And I’m not just talking about Violetta, Diego and Leon. For a bit it felt like each character had their own love triangle, which honestly I was loving. These characters have definitely developed a lot from last season, which allows this to happen. Olga was in a love triangle, which just recently got resolved. I think German is still in one because of his alter ego Jeremias. Jackie was “kind of” in one. For her it was more of a misunderstanding, which is very classic on this show. Lots more secrets have been uncovered in these episodes as well as songs! You know how excited I am for those. Overall, I think I’m still enjoying season 1 songs more (which get referenced enough in this season), but some of the season 2 ones are really growing on me. Specifically Leon’s Entre dos mundos and when he sings with Diego Euphoria in English. Also, Yo Soy Asi has been real catchy. I know Frederico will be coming back soon and I can’t wait to see him again!  
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HAMILTON
Like many I watched Hamilton this month-actually on the day it came out. It’s been a musical that I’ve been intrigued by, but never thought I’d get a chance to watch because of how popular and expensive it is to see on Broadway. So, I was very excited to hear I’d get the chance when it was to be released in theaters for a special event. Then because of Corona it was released to Disney Plus, which was EVEN more convenient and exciting. I really enjoyed it and watched it twice within the same week. I immediately downloaded the playlist and started singing it around the house. I do this a lot with many of the plays I see, but depending how good they are is shown by how long I listen to the soundtrack. (Some of my top ones are Bandstand, Once, Newsies and Anastasia.) Because there are so many songs in Hamilton it is taking me a little longer to know all the words, but I feel pretty confident with the first act. It was the perfect timing for this to be released on Disney Plus. Not only because it was July 3rd, but also because of the world we are living in. Lin’s diverse cast brings to life the world of 1776 and the revolutionary war (as well as the time after it), but it’s such a strong commentary on our world today. This is something I am continually noticing with historical dramas/pieces being released within the last 5-10 years. It feels like there’s more we can say in this genre than in a commentary piece. I also like all the analysis videos I’ve seen popping up, which just make it even more powerful. (Like it being Eliza’s story and her putting herself back in the narrative. That the play Hamilton is named for both her and Alexander.) I don’t know if all of what I see were intentional, but  either way well done. I hope it doesn’t leave Disney Plus soon. 
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1917
And lastly, 1917. I promised quite the range this month and you can see that’s definitely the case. I always enjoy watching war films and with 1917 there was so much hype (both before it came out and after) that I was interested to give it a watch. Giving the movie to my dad for father’s day felt like the perfect excuse to be able to watch it. Even though our DVD stuck in a few places (still don’t know if it was the player or the DVD itself), the film was very entertaining and I would suggest it to anyone who is a history/film buff. Taking place in WWI, we follow two British soldiers as they attempt to deliver a message about an upcoming ambush that could take countless lives. I feel that I often watch more films revolving around WWII, so it was very interesting to be immersed in the first great war. After watching I am not surprised that the film was up for so many Oscars. While cinematography is the first thing everyone discusses when it comes to this movie (and it should be because the one shot/long shot is sooo impressive and beautiful to watch. It really brings you into the scene and has a way of making you feel like you’re there too. There’s a realness to it that’s raw and new compared to other war films I’ve watched in the past), there’s so much more to this film too. First, I like how it connects back to Sam Mendes’ grandfather, so while it’s not a true story it has real facts in it. I LOVE the score and music to this film. In the scene where George Mackay runs at night through those ruined buildings I could really hear how well the music worked with the action. Because of this I made sure to listen to some of the soundtrack and now I’ve added some of the songs into my writing playlist. I have chills just thinking about it. The other point I want to bring up is the cast! While there are SO MANY big names in this film from Colin Firth to Benedict Cumberbatch, the two main characters are played by George Mackay and Dean Charles Chapman and they are the ones with the most screen time. If their chemistry and acting wasn’t so great then the movie wouldn’t be as successful as it is. Because of this I have been watching non-stop YouTube interviews of the two of them for this film. 
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They are so well-spoken, stand-up guys and I can’t get enough of their dialogues with each other and others. (You should watch these interviews too). While familiar with Chapman’s time on Game of Thrones, I haven’t seen him in much else, so I’m excited to see what he’ll have in the future (as well as checking out his IMDB page). For Mckay, I’ve seen him before when I just watched Ophelia earlier this summer so that was my first time watching him act. After that film I was curious what else he was in, but it was only after 1917 that I started doing more research. So far, I’ve only been able to watch the short film he was in called Infinite. While only 17 minutes it was very strong and deep. I highly recommend. As I’ve shared on this page already, in another post, the more I hear him talk the more of a crush I am developing. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced a celebrity crush this strong so soon. This quarantine has to end so I can make it to England to just casually bump into him like one does. :) 
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“new normal”
On March 9, 2020, Phil Murphy announced a state of emergency, and I transformed staying home and watching TV from a hobby into a full-time occupation. Since then I have watched dozens of hours of not just Netflix but a variety of on-screen content. But only Netflix has a clear list. 
So, I am going to review the best/worst/most interesting movies I’ve been watching on a possibly weekly basis for your enjoyment! You may be wondering, why just movies, why not shows? Well, you will see that I watch kind of a lot, and I had to draw the line somewhere, especially since I rewatch show episodes over and over. But I will throw shout-outs to Anne With An E, Alias Grace, Kim’s Convience, Self-Made, End of the F***ing World, and Never Have I Ever as the shows I remember getting up-to-date on over the past couple months.
So anyway, the fun thing about movies I watch is that I choose them for really arbitrary reasons, and a lot of times I get to the end like why did I watch that? But sometimes I’m like thank you Netflix for bugging me until I watched it even though I didn’t think I would enjoy. Here’s what I’m going to pick from
March (FORTY-SEVEN MOVIES can you believe):
The Danish Girl
The Theory of Everything
My Week with Marilyn
The First Wives Club
Limitless
The Croods
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Always Be My Maybe
Mute
Nappily Ever After
Burlesque
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Philadelphia
Outbreak
John Carter
Joseph: King of Dreams
Julie & Julia
Saving Mr. Banks
Chappaquiddick
Open Season
Super Dark Times
Barry
Death at a Funeral
The Platform
Valentine’s Day
The Rainmaker
Rounders
Christopher Robin
The Other Guys
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
Jerry Maguire
Olympus Has Fallen
The Hateful Eight
War Machine
The Siege of Jadotville
The Kindergarten Teacher
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile
My Girl
The Hundred-Foot Journey
Ex Machina
Race to Witch Mountain
Semi-Pro
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
Kill Bill (1&2)
April (Down to 38, mostly because I got roped into watching this REALLY LONG series with my friend):
The Laundromat
The Irishman
The Fundamentals of Caring
Young Adult
Hell or High Water
Secret Obsession
The Players Club
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Sleeping With Other People
Minority Report
All the Bright Places
True Grit
Miss Americana
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Hancock
Bad Boys
Miracle
Taxi Driver
Murder Mystery
Steve Jobs
Obvious Child
Frances Ha
Spring Breakers
The Incredible Jessica James
Get Him to the Greek
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
War Horse
Dolemite is My Name
Pan’s Labrynth
Nacho Libre
Don’t Think Twice
Cadillac Records
The Breaker Upperers
The Adventures of Tintin
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Place Beyond the Pines
Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante
The Dirty Dozen
Blade Runner? Kind of? Netflix removed it from their catalog before I finished but I WANTED TO FINISH!
May (38 again, with a shout-out to the show Crashing for being a mini-series the length of a movie, and Avatar for being the greatest thing to grace any screen anywhere):
Good Time
The Willoughbys
Molly’s Game
As Good As It Gets
Salt
Promised Land
Mary Poppins Returns
Road to Perdition
Tootsie
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Half of It
Fun With Dick and Jane
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
For Love or Money
Mud
There Will Be Blood
Spenser Confidential
The Money Pit
Mystic River
Coffee & Kareem
The Score
Swiss Army Man
Menashe
Mudbound
The Last Thing He Wanted
The King
The Two Popes
Turbo
First They Killed My Father
Babel
Knock Down The House
Mirror Mirror
Becoming
The Iron Lady
The Last Samurai
Beasts of No Nation
The Florida Project
Okja
June (Only 17, but shows of the month was The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Jeffrey Epstein, The Politician, 13 Reasons Why, and Hollywood—quite a few!):
Roma
The Sapphires
Casper
Uncut Gems
Malcolm X
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lovebirds
Jersey Boys
The Longshots
First Match
Roxanna Roxanne
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Extraction
Trumbo
See You Yesterday
Juwanna Mann
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thisizaraisu · 4 years
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So I just watched Aggretsuko, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind, and Lucky Star
Well, okay. None of that is even remotely true. It’s been over a year since I first saw Aggretsuko, Lucky Star was finished a few months ago and I’ve rewatched it three times since, and I finally wrapped up with Golden Wind two weeks ago.
There are a few reasons I’m tackling all of these in one review. The biggest reason is that after I cover these three, I’m only one away from having reviewed every anime I’ve ever seen in full. A smaller reason is that my review of Lucky Star was just a bulleted list and didn’t really do the series justice.
So, yeah. I’m 20 years old, 21 in two days, and I’ve only seen 11 anime series in full. Truth be told, I didn’t get into anime until last October but once I started watching it more frequently, I was hooked. And in all honesty, Lucky Star is the series that got me into anime, so I found it necessary to go in-depth on why I like it so much.
But let’s save that one for last. In the meantime...
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It’s been a few months since I touched Aggretsuko, but I really didn’t want to give it a rewatch for a handful of reasons, most of those related to the fact that I watched all 20 episodes with my now-ex-girlfriend. But that’s a story I don’t really feel the need to discuss.
While it’s ranked fairly low on my overall list, Aggretsuko is an incredibly enjoyable and relatable experience. I think we can all connect with Retsuko, despite the fact that we really don’t want to. Under the mask of cute animal characters lie problems that are extraordinarily human, and a myriad of ways that we can solve these problems.
I think one of the weakest aspects of this show is the romance subplots, especially that of season 1. While there’s plenty of relatability to be found in them, they tend to bring the humor and excellent pacing of the show to a grinding halt. Outside of these subplots, however, these aspects are incredibly well-executed. I’d say that every anime I’ve watched in full so far is worth a watch, and this is definitely no exception.
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Yes, I call it Golden Wind and not Vento Aureo. Fight me.
Golden Wind is the part that first got me hooked on Jojo’s. While I went into this show for the memes, I came out with so much more gained from it. Jojo’s is a show about characters, and there are plenty of amazing ones to be found in Part 5. From the mooks that only last a single episode to the central eight characters, there are fully fleshed-out personalities and interesting encounters abound.
One knock I have against this part, and the aspect that puts it below Battle Tendency for me, is that the pacing is rather weak. While it does build its characters very well, it’s also apt to throw a particular character or two into an elongated fight sequence every episode. The 17-episode length of Battle Tendency was perfect, while the 39-episode length of Golden Wind seemed rather excessive. And yes, I know the manga is probably substantially longer, but I’m not here to talk about the manga.
That’s not to say that Part 5 ever bored me though. Every episode was an experience like no other, for better or for worse. It’s an anime that I hold in high esteem, even when I put the memes aside.
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I want to walk you guys through every experience I’ve had with Lucky Star in the past few months.
Here’s how I was introduced to this masterpiece: It’s my first time attending the anime club at my university. I’m about an hour and a half late to the meeting because I was participating in a Smash Bros. tournament. I walk in, take my seat, Angels of Death is just wrapping up. I turn my attention to the projector screen. Several minutes later, I hear something I’ll never forget:
AIMAI SAN-SENCHI, SORYA PUNI TTE KOTO KAI? CHO!
At first, I have no idea what to think. “This is the kind of stuff I’m gonna be watching here? Will, what did you make me agree to?” I just start laughing out of sheer confusion.
Within minutes, my laughter of confusion is replaced by genuine chuckling. However, I’m still confused because it’s just a couple of girls sitting around a table, talking about food. Throughout the entire 22 minutes, I’m asking myself, “Why do I enjoy this so much?”
And you know what? I never found an answer to that question. I have no logical reasoning for why I enjoy Lucky Star so much. But that never stopped me from becoming vocal about my love for this show. It’s the show that led to me paying for Funimation Plus. It’s the show that kept me returning to anime club. It’s the show that changed my taste in pretty much everything. And it’s all because these girls were sitting in desks, talking about which end of a chocolate cornet is the head.
Since then, I’ve rewatched the show at least three times, found myself jamming to numerous selections in the show’s soundtrack, cried over Kanata no Theme on several occasions, and gotten back into reading and writing fanfiction. Yes, this show resonated enough with me to make me do something I haven’t done since I was 13. It’s the most relatable show I’ve ever seen by a wide margin, and perhaps that’s why I find myself wanting to see more of the characters by any means necessary.
There are really only two moments in the entire series that I avoid consistently. The first is the Lucky Channel segment of episode 10 in which Minoru Shiraishi goes on a rant about the word “tsundere.” I just found the segment to be awkward, and so I prefer to move on to episode 11 before seeing it again. The second is the flies and mosquitoes segment of episode 20, solely because I still have slight childhood trauma from the Wormy episode of Spongebob and close-ups of bugs scare the shit out of me.
But for a series that lasts 24 episodes, having only two one-minute segments that I prefer not to watch is still incredibly solid. There are more moments where the jokes don’t exactly land, but they’re not awkward enough to make me pass them up when I go to watch the show again.
In short, no matter how many series I watch, I’m confident that Lucky Star will remain a fixture at the top of my rankings simply because of the impact it’s had on me in such a short amount of time.
I’ve also decided that I want to rank the shows in a tier-list format to show exactly how I feel about each one. No, I won’t be adding the parentheses every time.
S-Tier (Almost perfect, incredible experience overall): 1. Kaguya-sama: Love is War 2. Lucky Star
A-Tier (Inconsistent moments overshadowed by great moments): 3. Assassination Classroom
B-Tier (Has its faults but still absolutely worth a watch): 4. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency 5. Gabriel Dropout 6. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind 7. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
C-Tier (Wild cards, potentially great depending on individual taste): 8. Aggretsuko 9. Nichijou (My Ordinary Life)
D-Tier (A bit of a chore to sit through, but passable at worst): 10. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 1: Phantom Blood
F-Tier (Cannot and will not recommend): I can think of a few that I want to put here but I haven’t watched them in full so I’m gonna hold off.
There are two notes that I want to end off on:
-Earlier I said I’ve seen 11 anime series in full, but obviously my tier list is only comprised of 10. This is because the first anime I’ve ever seen in full was one that was around when I was 12 years old, and that was Hetalia Axis Powers. My plan is to revisit Hetalia immediately after finishing The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and even if my tastes have changed to the point where I do not enjoy it, I plan on finishing all 52 episodes.
-Speaking of Haruhi, I am making progress on it. I have just reached the Endless Eight, but I want to hold off on that until I have time to watch all three episodes at once, because I’ve heard... some things about the Endless Eight. Stay tuned!
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Hello! I was curious to know what some of your favorite Mindcrack moments are in all of their years of existing?
Bro. You are in for a motherfucking LIST.
Off the bat, every single Team Canada Prank. I’ve practically memorized the Sky Shrooms and King of the Ladder episodes. That moment when Guude realized Etho was part of the prank and said “We? Who’s we?” and Etho stuttered and fell backwards off the mushrooms to his death was the first moment in my life that I truly felt alive. #TheOfficeIsAGoodShow #RealMenUseTheirRingFinger
Von Swaying Guude’s house changed my whole outlook on Minecraft. How could someone make something so darn ugly and yet so beautiful? It’s the epitome of doing something for the sole purpose of shit starting creating and having fun rather than aiming for perfect and never finishing. Zisteau is a great addition to any video 10/10 educational content
Just about every moment in Guude/Nebris/Pakratt/Arkas’ TerraFirmaCraft Reloaded series. Had to pause videos multiple times to write down quotes and even then I passed up some good ones! I fully intend on rewatching the series from each perspective. Arkas getting slain by bear, Guude and Arkas secretly growing mushrooms and getting high, Pakratt confusing dolomite and diorite, literally everything Arkas does, THE COWS, that last episode of absolute chaos wtf Pakratt
UHC #ForTheKidsSeven with Single Malt scotch’s skyblock base and rampant cheating from every team except Nebris’. I fucking LOVED that near-kill with the anvil, and all the chaos as the border shrank. Four players stuck in a 1x1 column! The arrow volley between SMS and SkyblockJr. Can this happen every UHC?
Speaking of UHC, Etho and BdoubleO’s epic fight in season 11! He was absolutely on the ball with those potions, I was sure he’d die before he could use them all. And Etho’s fight with Guude right before that was hilarious! Guude high as fuck on percocets and Etho like completely confused at what Guude was doing. The original UHC skybase by Zisteau #I’mALavaExpert and Anderz reaction to the skybase, and then to Guude’s dogs
The whole portal thing in season 3 with Pause, Kurt, and Beef too! That has remained one of my favourite UHC moments since I saw it, there is nothing more classic. Every single season I hope someone will make a portal for no reason and end up in someone else’s base with them. #TheWolfTheWolfAmazing!
Zisteau’s E-Pranker Montage. I legitimately cry every time I watch it, particularly during 0.5 (the fourth prank) when he rebuilds Bdubs’ first house from his Building With BdoubleO series. Bdubs’ moment of realization hits me like a train even though I know it’s coming. Like, if someone built my first Minecraft base to prank me I think I would die on impact, but like in a good way.
And back to UHC! Season 14 episode 5. HOOOOOOLY FUCK! 2spooky4me should have totally been a UHC team! Remember when Zisteau played UHC? It just isn’t UHC without him to be honest. And besides the #BadYouTubers and #ImALavaExpert moments from Super Hostile and Ninja Turtles, Parkas had a great season as well! Shit, everyone was awesome! Parkas listening in on BTC finding a silverfish, Doc listening in on Ole Yeller right before Zisteau-ing himself and swearing, Baj hiding nether wart, every single drunken drink Genny did, Parkas towers “we should smelt some stone to make bricks”, snnnnowballs! :D, HEY JSANO! WHY YOU RUNNING JSANO?, “ooooh, we’re right behind you haha” “BTC, they’re actually here.” Pakratt was slain by generikb, Avidya’s spooky voice echoing around Seth and Anderz “You wouldn’t hurt an old teammate, would you?” “I dunno. It’s been awhile.” Just. God this was a good season.
Season 19 with Vechs and BTC! You’ve heard all the famous quotes, “how did I get stuck with you of all people” “Vechs, Vechs. I don’t hate you anymore” “He’s not dying. He’s just mad right now.” “Did it come from your hand, knocking a teammate off the ledge?” “THAT WAS A MOD!” etc etc. I also like MC’s half heart midnight desert dash, although it took a good 10 years of my life from the stress. Oblivious Pakratt running away from his teammates as they yell after him and then wondering why he hasn’t found anyone yet. Seth’s reaction to MC’s diamonds. Coe’s post commentary, again, you know the quotes: “Left. Chicken. Right. Chicken.” “This bucket has wheels!” “Are you gonna put that dirt in a chest?!” etc. Kurt finding Beef “Sharpness Five diamond sword!” and PiMP turning around. F1 and PiMP in general. SwedishZen and Millbee with the melons.
Obligatory mentions: “NOOO YOUR DOGS KILLING ME!!!!”, 2Germans1Hole, Zisteau crafting a clock and finding every excuse to use it during the game so that those 4 gold didn’t go to waste, Rob’s jukebox battles, Anderz fighting spiders when a creeper wanders into his hole, Bdubs’ “real” season 9 ending, Nebris going God-mode “HIT ME ALL YOU LIKE”, Nebris and Pause double kill, Nebris and Pyro double kill with Bdubs watching and cleaning up at half a heart and then Etho cleaning up again and finding the potions B left and Bdubs interrupting his video to do facecam to explain that he’s a nice guy who shares and leaves gifts for others (basically whenever Bdubs does facecam in UHC. Let’s face it, when Bdubs whips out the cam you know you’re in for a good show), Team Uppercats season 10. All of it.
Trouble in Terrorist Town when Pyro and Coe pull a long con on Pause and Guude in like episode 9 during the last round. I had to pause the video to take it all in, I was just in awe. That series is one of my favourites! I always watch from Pause.
In original DvZ when BTC got warned for breaking a cake. Also Pause’s helmet!
Team Canada CTM uhhh forgot which series, but Pause and Beef getting stuck in a hole, Etho dying, placing TNT over their heads, and singing “Pause and Beef, best of friends” while Beef panics.
Etho calling Pause fat as a joke and Pause taking it serious and then Etho going “wait, are you actually fat?’ lmao.
Pause yelling about vacations on episode 37 of the podcast with BdoubleO “STOP TELLING PEOPLE I’M GOING ON VACATION IT’S NOT A VACATION!!!!!!!” and every time he’s yelled about vacations or muted his mic.
Baj reading a question and mid sentence switching to talking about the curry he had last night, and then there’s a pause and the rest of Nancy Drew fucking loses it.
On the podcast, Kurt’s “Wake me up, boys!” That whole episode was a blast!
The whole “sitting or standing?” debate and the guests’ reactions to it.
Doc accidentally killing Notch on the Mindcrack server, and Dinnerbone confused about him not dropping an apple.
Doc’s zombie death loop from season 4 with Anderz saving the day and then promptly dying.
B-Team mafia in survival of the fittest, Etho killing Genny, and B and Etho teaming up afterwards. Also B and Pungence talking excitedly at the end was adorable, you can really tell they’re brothers lol. And Etho drinking out of the outhouse! Bdubs’ comment on that video killed me lol. And Etho forgetting his push-to-talk and failing to team up with Doc.
The whole got-dang B-Team trial.
End of season 3 tour “On a scale from Baj to Anderz” “Arkas, say something about your build.” Arkas: “Hello.”
The original Death Games, when Etho reveals his secret to Nebris particularly, and all the trash talking. Also Millbee, MC, and Nebris coming to kill him and Kurt logging on in the middle of it.
Prop hunt, and all the wiener and erect jokes. “Am I erect?” “I just saw a can spying on me while I was trying to put my wiener in the toilet!”
Pause and Rob getting girlfriends in Orespawn, and Rob naming his after Pause, and Pause murdering his.
Andrea talking about waking up with spiders in her mouth in an old Triple Eh Mondays episode.
Nebris “sensually” feeding Beef a banana (and practically begging to do it to) on the Mindcrack marathon, and Beef completely ruining the mood lol
Zisteau accidentally launching CaptainSparklez back into a lava tree column and “Dude, it’s okay. You can just kill me” after Jordan’s hit him about 40 times.
#ForTheHorse
MC accidentally killing his one and only teammate JSano during UHC season 22
Sevadus and Seth playing blindfolded lego with Chad’s underwear on Sev’s head, lots of swearing, bugs in the lego, “Are you sure it’s the grey lego?”, “I don’t think I like kids anymore” etc
All the Pyro and Baj burns on Quiplash, ie “What’s something that absolutely does not make you think of a penis in any way?” “Baj”
Coe and Pak playing that stupid horse/giraffe volley ball game with the stretchy legs and neck, and Coe doing the silly accent
Bdubs calling Nebris a psychopath in Nebs’ first FTB episode because he jumped a dangerous ledge for 2 (TWO) pieces of glowstone dust
Nebs coming outta nowhere and jumping in Etho’s car when he was about to test his race track
The first few episode of CrackPack and the battle between Etho and BTC, and Beef and Nebris
The first building game with potatoes on sticks, the second accidentally dirty and racist building game with bloody toilet capsules, the third actually dirty building game with a viking hat with a penis inside
God, I could go on forever, but I’ve already spent over an hour and a half on this.
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crasherfly · 3 years
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Been A While
Oh, hi there, Tumblr. It’s been a while. At least since...
*checks last post*
Oh wow. My birthday. That was...months ago.
Welp. Ha. I guess I’m here now so what the hey.
Hope everyone has been well.
I’m keeping up okay. Still writing, gaming and all that. 
Some days are good. Some days are bad. Most days blend together, most weeks feel exactly like the last one.
Honestly, not a lot has changed since I last wrote in December. Physically, I’m dealing with a bit of a low point, but I’m trying to come out of it. Emotionally, I’d say I’m tired but bullish. I can see the season turning, the grass returning and the air warming up and I want to be a part of that.
I’ve had some folks asking what I’ve been up to lately for games and anime. So here’s a quick once-over.
For video games-
-Miraculously obtained both a Series X and a PS5. If Sony’s exclusives, a new UI and a fancy new controller appeal to you- get the PS5. If you’d rather have a mass of games immediately accessible to you, enjoy gamepass, and don’t mind a console that essentially feels like an immediate expansion of the previous (the controller is essentially the same, the UI has zero changes, etc) then go with the Series X. Both will continue to find new reasons to appeal to their base, both are outstanding machines in their own right, but at this point, both also offer a very different opening experience from each other- experiences that are equally valuable and compelling, but different nonetheless. Follow your heart- or just grab the one that you can actually locate.
-On the subject of gaming kits- upgraded to a Samsung Q series UHD tv with HDR and retired my yamaha 5.1 for a Bose 700 series soundbar. Can safely say that the jump to HDR is worth it if you can make it happen, even if the uses for the tech are still limited. Sound receivers are likely not going to catch up for at least another year, so a soundbar might be your best option if you want to do HDR AND have quality sound during the experience.
-I’ve barely touched my Oculus Quest 2. There just isn’t that much to do on it. Sales have allegedly been strong for the plucky new headset, but that hasn’t followed within the VR world itself. The store still feels small and experiences like virtual events are heavily reliant on a strong internet connection to work seamlessly. For example, I attended a basketball game in Venues and gave up after the 1st quarter, the visual fidelity being so shaky that it felt like attending the game without my glasses. Hooking up the system for remote desktop or linkplay (essentially making your Quest into a Rift-equivalent device) makes for an uneven experience at best, with lag and connection issues being a constant concern. Until more people I know pick up the device, or more versatile social apps/immersive games release, the Quest 2 will feel more like a novelty in my gaming collection than a full-fledged device.
-Finished Cyberpunk 2077 on Series X. It was fine. Maybe I’ll write more on it at a later date. My thoughts DURING the playthrough felt more complex than my thoughts after it.
-Finished the main game of Super Mario 3D World on Switch. That game is still absolutely outstanding and a masterpiece.
-Started Dragon Quest XI on Switch. It is refreshingly chill and simple.
-Finished Hitman 2 (PS4) and started Hitman 3 (PS5). It continues to be one of my all-time favorite franchises in gaming.
-Started Demon’s Souls (PS5). It’s hard!
-Dabbled in King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (Switch), No Man’s Sky (Series X), Sims 4 (PC), AC: Valhalla (Series X), Earth Defense Force 5 (PS4), Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (PS4) and touched many, many more games that I’m sure I’m forgetting to list here.
-Played the demo for Project Triangle and immediately put it at the top of my most anticipated games list.
-Completed a new playthrough of Civilization 6. It was satisfying, even if the expansion continues to fall short of adding things like basic AI and Diplomacy upgrades that make other games like Endless Space 2 more rewarding.
-I played Overwatch socially for the first time in months and had a blast. I still can only stomach 6v6 classic, so I’m grateful that my friends were willing to humor me. As Overwatch 2 gets closer maybe I’ll write a longer retrospective on my relationship with Overwatch- from newcomer to heavily invested comp player to distanced/disillusioned outsider to my current resting place as a casual/non-competitive wellwisher. It’s been a weird, at times tumultuous journey. But I continue to be grateful that Overwatch can exist in a way I can enjoy- especially with my friends.
For anime-
-On a weekly basis I still follow Jujutsu Kaisen and Dr. Stone. Both still absolutely rule.
-Dropped off of The Promised Neverland. the story took a turn I just couldn’t follow. I’ll need some time before I go back to it. I’m told it skips an important arc. It shows.
-Finally broke through an incredibly dull arc in Katekyo Hitman Reborn! We’re in the Choice arc now, and it’s back to doing what Reborn does best- exciting shonen battles featuring strange powers and demonstrations of character growth through conflict.
-I’ve finished my first 50 episodes of Dragon Ball (watching it in English). I like it! It’s deeply weird- sometimes in good ways, sometimes in bad ways, but mostly it’s just fun. 
-Completed a rewatch of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing with my brother (again, in English). This is the third time I’ve rewatched the series. My thoughts haven’t changed much- it gets a bad rap for its occasionally silly dub and deeply serious overtones, but deserves points for approaching the topics of war of violence with a gravity absent in other anime.
-Slowly working through Fist of the North Star, which is ridiculously cool and a ton of fun to watch- even if it is also terrifically dark.
Other hobbies-
-Almost finished with the Barracuda Bay pirate lego set. Only took me like...5 months? Thereabouts? I plan to do the haunted house next, and also want to start incorporating Light My Bricks into the sets to add some life to them.
-Still working out 5 days a week when possible. Going through a rough patch, physically, right now, but I’m trying to power through. 
-Therapy was reduced to bi-weekly. I guess that means I’m making progress? It’s been a weird journey, ‘cuz I don’t feel different or transformed or anything like that. If anything, I feel more anxious than before? But I guess the point is that my awareness is supposed to be higher now and my ability to exercise restraint is supposed to be stronger. Here’s hoping!
-Still dialed back on alcohol, caffeine, sodium...you know, all the stuff that makes life worth waking up for. Unfortunately, it’s a bit out of my control. it’s made for a lot of sleep and some moody af days. And also my body compensating by getting really hot for sugar in any form. I drank a coke yesterday for the first time in months. It was wild.
-My screenplay continues to hover at 200 pages. I got things shifted into episodic format. My partner and I continue to work through how the release will look and a lot of retrospect changes have happened to account for the turns the story takes later. Alice and the Pale Horse will release- sooner than later, hopefully- but it’s going to take some more work. However, I am excited to admit out loud that I am basically writing an anime at this point.
-I’m running two DND campaigns- The Ghosts of Saltmarsh and The Lost Shrine of Tamoachan. I’m really diving into it after spending recent months avoiding it. I’m trying to focus on learning stories and working with my party. I think I was approaching burnout the past few months, but as odd as it sounds- taking on a second campaign helped me avert it. It feels less like a monthly event I have to start my engine anew for every time and more like a routine hobby I’m constantly a little immersed in.
- I haven’t done much reading. Since my job put the ax to my reading on the clock it’s been hard to make much progress. I’m hoping that as the weather warms up I can go back to my nightly reads on the stoop. I have Berserk, Sailor Moon in my queue, as well as no shortage of mystery novels to knock out.
-Baseball is coming! I want to be excited. I’m trying to be. I just have so many hobbies and baseball feels like the least urgent. It’s hard when I don’t have much of a social world built around it (or sports in general) beyond my dad and one close friend. I’ll do my best to try and tune in at least once or twice a week to keep current. There’s just so much baseball. It’s hard to get invested without a cost to other hobbies I admittedly enjoy more.
-I still hang on Spriteclub a lot. It’s been seven months now. It feels like I’m starting to become a part of the community. There are people I look forward to talkking to every day and I continue to run custom matches and participate in tournaments. It continues to be one of the most important social outlets of my life during the pandemic.
And that’s pretty much it! Like I tell my parents- if I’m not updating folks on what’s going on in life, it’s cuz nothing is happening. It seems hilarious to say that, because obviously, based on the above report, a lot is happening! I’m up in my hobbies daily and clearly continue to struggle, grow and develop in tangible ways.
I’ll try and be more current here as the seasons turn. I have a draft regarding 2077 in the works, though I struggle with what I have a right to comment on as a consumer (I don’t consider myself much of a critic). And as the anime season wraps up I’ll have some reports to offer on my favorites. I have also had a few requests for comparing the Series X with the PS5, so that might warrant a post too.
In the meantime, keep up with me on Twitter, and as always- tell me about the anime you’re watching, the games you’re playing and the experiences that are speaking to you. I had a friend who messaged me the other day to tell me they gave an anime a shot based on a retrospective I wrote- it was a title they otherwise would not have watched- and they ended up loving it. Those are the kinds of messages that literally make my week.
So if you see something I happened to write about- even if you hate it- let me know! I always enjoy hearing about people’s experiences on a personal level.  Stay safe out there everyone. Until next time ~
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classykdlady · 6 years
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Season 3 Thoughts
I’m going to put this under a cut to spare anyone who might not want to read this. Please keep in mind that these are my own opinions and they have no bearing on anything, whatsoever. I’m not here to harsh anyone’s buzz or tell anyone they’re wrong for liking what they like.
First off, I want to talk about some of the things that I liked, lest anyone think I’m just a Bitter Betty who hates everything. In no particular order:
Yi Tien Cho: I would like to thank god and also jesus that the show writers turned him from a super racist caricature (seriously, wtf Diana?) into an actual character with dignity and depth. Gary Young played him fabulously and made him a real favorite of mine. I loved his relationship with Margaret Campbell especially, but also appreciated his friendship with Claire. I’ll definitely miss him.
Murtagh: I definitely care about show Murtagh more than book Murtagh, so I’m glad they kept him alive. I’m curious to see what they do with his storyline since DG said that she doesn’t think they’re replacing Duncan Innes with him. 
The Geneva situation: I’m so glad that they took out the part where Geneva told Jamie to stop and he kept right on going. I know that whole thing has been rehashed to death, so it really was the best possible call to just eliminate that disgusting moment. 
Casting: Just a huge round of applause to the casting department on this show. They consistently knock it out of the park, and this season is no exception. Especially for several very important characters. Bless.
David Berry: On that note, let me publicly announce my love of David Berry as LJG. I think that even if I had hated John in the books, David’s portrayal of him on the show would’ve made me love him. He’s just so delightful. 
Frank: Yeah, this is not a Frank-hating blog, so absolutely miss me with that shit. I’ve enjoyed Tobias’s performance as Frank from the very beginning because he makes Frank feel like someone whom Claire would love very much. In the books, we’re very much limited by Claire’s perspective and I think she demonizes him in order to absolve herself of some responsibility and guilt. It is an absolutely human thing to do, but I’m so happy we got to see him trying to make things work and pushing back on her behavior. I detest unbalanced relationships because I don’t think it’s healthy when one person gets to act callously towards the other–even though I understand where it’s coming from and why it’s a natural reaction–and the recipient is just supposed to be 100% supportive all the time, with no regard for their own needs. Anyway, it’s been nice to be able to see his POV over the past three seasons, and to see why Claire tried so hard to get back to him and why she stayed with him after she came back. The racism is forever gross, though. 
Joe Abernathy: I like that he and Claire met in med school and went on to graduate and work together. Fight The Man, you two!
Adorable peanut Roger Wakefield showing up in Boston for Christmas
Jamie working the printing press: That was unexpectedly hot, so thank you for gifting it to us, whoever was in charge of that decision. 
Elias Pound: This absolute angel on earth was a bright light in an otherwise dark episode. He was such a sweetheart, who deserved so much better. 
The entire cast and crew: No matter your opinion on the season, the whole team worked very hard to bring us the best possible finished product. It’s not easy to make an adaptation from a book series, especially one with a long-time, passionate fanbase, so I genuinely appreciate the seriousness with which everyone involved is trying to take this. It’s a very fine line to walk between a faithful adaptation and making something your own, and it’s easy to sit in judgment when you’re not the one putting something out there. 
Wow, I didn’t think that list would be so long. 
And now, onto my more critical opinions. Now would probably be a good time to stop reading if you absolutely loved everything and are going to be upset that not everyone did. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I think that most of my issues with this season can be summed up by one word: pacing. I honestly don’t think that their plan of doing one season per book is going to work out as well as they hoped, especially if they get past Drums. I go back and forth with myself about whether this season should’ve had more episodes (I understand the logistical and practical reasons why they didn’t. This is more of a theoretical.) The end of the season absolutely felt rushed–even with some of the more convoluted plot lines axed or cleaned up–while the beginning of the season kind of dragged. Yes, I do understand that we had to show Jamie and Claire separated to really feel those 20 years and we had to see all the things Jamie went through, but it still felt like a bit much to me. I also constantly felt like I just had to get through one thing to get to the next, better thing, if that makes sense. That might be 100% on me, but the big moments didn’t hit me as hard as in previous seasons. 
The in-epsiode pacing this season really made me grit my teeth. It just felt like the writers decided to spend inordinate amounts of time on some things to the exclusion of other events (*cough*character moments*cough*) that I would have preferred to see. For reals, though, why did we have that whole thing where Claire was desperately trying to save the life of the man who attacked her, only for him to die anyway? Or 15 minutes of Claire traipsing through the jungle on Saint Domingue? The audience is not stupid. We can comprehend things like montages and time lapses to illustrate the passage of time. But we got those things instead of Ian Murray, Sr. coming up to the brothel room while Claire was still abed or John and Claire meeting aboard the British ship. Yes, yes, I know they screwed that one up by having Jamie tell Claire about Willie and that John is his adopted father, but I’m still allowed to be disappointed about it. I always enjoyed that their first meeting was wholly independent of Jamie and that they genuinely liked and respected one another. I feel that the way it all played out in the show will alter their future relationship.
And now, for a truly unpopular opinion: I could’ve done with fewer or shorter sex scenes this season. I’m not 100% sure why, but they felt somewhat gratuitous to me this season. Especially in Print Shop, where it was obviously trying to feel like The Wedding. In Print Shop, the first one was necessary, but the second one could’ve easily been shortened/fade to black/whatever. Sometimes the sex scenes felt a bit fanservice-y to me. I’ve generally enjoyed the sex on this show in the past, so I’m not entirely sure what changed. Maybe it was that there was so much action this season and so few times when the characters had the time to just talk to each other, that the sex just felt like it was randomly thrown in, rather than happening organically. I don’t know, I’ll revisit this idea when I eventually rewatch the whole season. 
I would’ve liked to have seen more of the relationship growth between Claire and Marsali. I enjoy Marsali in subsequent books, so it would’ve been nice to see more of that evolution from distrust and suspicion to soliciting advice from Claire. 
On a similar note, I was displeased with how jokey the Fersali wedding was. Jamie officially granting Fergus his last name is a big moment for the two of them, but I feel like it got a bit lost in how ridiculous Father Fogden was being. 
I hadn’t really thought about it until I was watching the season unfold, but a lot of these issues may have come from the source material. Generally, I enjoy Voyager, but I do skip things sometimes when I’m rereading it. As a whole, it does seem kind of unfocused. It kind of veers off in the middle there into some side plots to the point where you almost forget about Young Ian’s kidnapping. 
These are just my first impressions and are subject to change after further reflection. As a whole, this season was kind of a miss for me. I’ll take the responsibility for at least some of that because I definitely let my expectations get out of hand. Also, I don’t have hyper-fixations like some people do. I have brief periods of deeply enjoying something, then it fades. I think I’ve almost definitely hit the fade, so that might be affecting things. I’ve never been the squeeing type, so I was never going to be at that level of enjoyment anyway. 
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. You don’t have to agree with me on any of it, but please don’t come on my post/blog and berate me about why I’m wrong for not liking something. I am always up for discussion or questions about my ramblings. I apologize for the disorganized nature of this post. I just wanted to write something about what I was thinking. 
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thisislizheather · 5 years
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July Jiffs 2019
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So technically the end of August is the appropriate time to start any and all Halloween/autumn talk (I think I made up that rule, but it feels right), so I’ll respect that and wait. Just know that I’m inwardly filling up with joy in anticipation of the best time of the year. Here’s what went down this month!
I made a list of some of my favourite summer vacation-y movies that I like to watch to pass the ungodly slow summer hours.
I read and reviewed the book Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed (the woman who wrote Wild).
We had a small party for July 4th and it was the best. Here’s what I made and loved: Panzanella Salad with Fresh Mozzarella (I used the How Sweet Eats recipe, but added mozzarella and omitted the corn and avocado - I also made the croutons the Ree Drummond way, because that’s the tastiest way), Spinach Bacon & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms (because they’re so delicious I want to scream), I used bell peppers as the bowls for holding the ranch for the vegetables, Slow Cooker Ribs, Eggplant Lasagna (I can’t remember the recipe I used, but it was pretty basic), Peanut Butter & Nutella Cheesecake Bars (this was the second time I’ve made these and it’s a perfect dessert to make a night or two before so that it can really set up), Blueberry Lemon Bread, and a charcuterie board (which is like assembling food art & I love it).
My favourite fruit/vegetable season is the end of summer mainly because of the fresh tomatoes and corn, so I can’t wait to try some of these corn dishes available in NYC right now. Although I don’t know how any of them are going to compete with the corn gnocchi at Park Avenue Summer. (I just looked and there’s also a sweet corn agnolotti with black summer truffles on the menu now too, so things just got interesting.)
Jenn sent me a link to this lovely poem Perhaps the World Ends Here by Joy Harjo that I just love.
I watched the AOC documentary Knock Down The House on Netflix and it’s so, so good. Cried at the ending.
I went on Nathan’s podcast to talk about dogs, cheating and movies.
I went for lunch at the cafe at Lilia in Brooklyn and it was ONLY AVERAGE. So that was disappointing. Maybe I ordered badly? I got the prosciutto, parmigiano butter, balsamic mustard sandwich - and even though it looks great (love whole grain mustard), it was really just too bready and not very flavourful.
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Above Photo: Prosciutto, parmigiano butter, balsamic mustard sandwich at Lilia Cafe, Brooklyn
I saw Midsommar (by the same guy who did Hereditary last year) and I really liked it. Some parts are just unnecessarily graphic (and the slow motion shots of this stuff are insane to watch), but the plot was great. Love an original movie.
Watched the entirety of Champions on Netflix and it really bums me out that it got cancelled, it was a really fun show.
Made this chocolate chunk coconut banana bread and it was goooooood.
I visited the new TWA Hotel at JFK and wrote about it over here.
So excited to hear that there will be three more seasons of Big Mouth!
I also rewatched Dante’s Peak (still a great movie) and Twister (again, it holds up). I think I was in a natural disaster kinda mood that week.
Do you remember experiencing or hearing about the ride Kongfrontation at Universal Studios in Florida? I’ve only ever heard of it, but it seems like it was probably the best ride that ever existed at that park. I hate how most ride these days are just 3D screens with no real interaction or animatronics, it’s bullshit.
Fucking obsessed with this strawberry lemonade kombucha that’s apparently only available at Trader Joe’s. I thought their gingerade was the best flavour, but now I have to reassess everything. (Also tried the “watermelon wonder” but it’s pure trash.)
Some songs that I can’t stop listening to: You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift, Blow Your Mind by Dua Lipa, Everybody by Elliphant feat. Azealia Banks, Boys by Lizzo, Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso feat. Florida Georgia Line & watt, Doin’ Time by Lana Del Ray, We Were Young by Petit Biscuit feat. JP Cooper, Calma (Remix) by Pedro Capo & Farruko
Apparently I can’t get enough of Bill Hader.
I refuse to shut up about how great the (square bottle) nail polishes are at Urban Outfitters. They’ve been consistently great for years. I’ve been wearing their neon pink Hot Tub off and on for at least five years, and they keep putting out wicked new colours. There’s almost always a 3 for $10 deal and recently I got Coffee Creamer, Sun Bunny & Optic White and they’re BEAUTIFUL.
It’s currently Restaurant Week again (it’s on until August 16th), so of course I went back to The Dutch for their beautiful wagyu steak tartare. I also had the corn cappelletti with chanterelle mushrooms and marjoram that was heavenly.
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Above Photo: Wagyu steak tartare, The Dutch, NYC
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Above Photo: Corn cappelletti, The Dutch, NYC
I saw The Farewell and it’s everything I wanted it to be and more! Definitely go see it. It also reminded me of this beautiful song that I had to sing for a competition once years ago, Caro Mio Ben.
There’s a deal with ClassPass where you can use the service for free for two weeks, so I tried it and it’s not that great. It’s just too expensive to justify having it when I already have a monthly gym membership somewhere else. I did try an aqua cycling class through Aqua Studio during the free trial and it was… only okay. I mean, it’s fun and great to be in the salt water, but it wasn’t all that challenging as a workout.
I wasn’t planning on buying it, but I tried it, loved it, so had to buy it: Glossier’s Brow Flick. I’m still learning how to use it properly, but so far I’m really into it. It inspired this eyebrow products video that I posted last week.
I saw Toy Story 4 and I really hope this is the final one they make because the ending was so good. That’s all I’ll say. Quality series of movies, right here.
Some friends of mine recently opened up a small, late night food place called Foodstruck in Astoria and the food is really good. They’ve just opened, so they’re still figuring out their hours but I think they’re catering to the late night crowd, especially servers/bartenders who get off work late. Check out some of the food specials from this past week.
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Above Photo: Burger with gruyere, onion marmalade, sun dried tomatoes & a rosemary garlic butter on a potato bun
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Above Photo: Fried boneless chicken thighs with a garlic soy tamarind glaze
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Above Photo: Fried chicken sandwich with a spicy mayo, cheese sauce & pickles on a potato bun
My too-kind friend Irene got us a housewarming gift of a Diptyque candle (in eucalyptus) and somehow it’s still going after three months of daily use, which is incredible. Do not look up how expensive this candle is.
I watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix and really liked it! Especially the hot tub scene. But let’s not get into it. I double-checked to make sure they’re both over 21 and they are, so all’s good.
Made this pappardelle pasta with mushroom ragu when Nathan was out of town (I like to get my mushroom recipes in when he’s gone) and it’s definitely going on my favourite-dinner-recipes list.
I ate at Misi in Brooklyn because I’ve wanted to go for ages and the pasta was solid as hell, I’d definitely go back. We had the charred peppers, marjoram, and whipped ricotta crostini, the corzetti with marinated sungold (peeled) tomatoes, garlic, pecorino & summer herbs (have you ever eaten a PEELED tomato? It almost feels wrong. The good kind of wrong), the strangozzi with pork sugo, nutmeg and parmigiana and for dessert we had the strawberries and cream gelato (it was a special that night) and the espresso gelato. Everything was so crazy good. The service was fantastic and the space is huge. Is it better than Lilia or L'Artusi (pasta-wise)? Ugh, that's such a hard question. It's really good. I'll have to revisit to get more intel to make a final decision on that.
I went to Coney Island with Irene and it was great, as it always should be.
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I visited the Profundo Day Club (mainly to get my ass in a pool) earlier this month, and I highly doubt that I’ll return. Mostly because even though the pool was nice (small, but nice) and refreshing, the blaring house music in the middle of the day was a little excessive. There’s also a disco ball above the pool itself. And a unicorn floatie that drifts around the water. And waitresses who shoot sparklers off when someone buys a bottle of liquor. It’s… not for me, let’s say. And the cheapest pass was $70 (tax included), which is waaaay too expensive for Queens. Let’s be real.
There’s a new season of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee and the Martin Short episode is just lovely. It almost killed me when he was talking about when he bought his house and said, “We bought it in 1986” even though his wife passed away years ago. Am I being ridiculous in thinking that him using the word “we” is so sad and sweet and nice? Or maybe that’s a normal thing to say and I’d melt at anything to come out of his mouth. And while it was a good episode, I got so fucking sick of all the filler shots of coffee being brewed, coffee being poured into a cup, beans being tossed in a can, flowers sitting in vases - for fuck sake JUST TALK TO MARTIN SHORT AND SHOW ME THAT. Annoying as hell.
Nathan and I started watching season three of Stranger Things and… it’s not good? We saw all of the first season, which was pretty good. Attempted season two and never finished it because it became boring. And last week, we watched the first couple episodes of season three and I think we’ve silently agreed on just stopping it altogether. And look, I’m happy other people like it, but it’s just not for me. Demogorgons are too close to being dragons, maybe that’s why I can’t care about them?
I like to go to at least one baseball game each season, so I went to a Mets game last weekend and got this beauty that was the giveaway (below) since it was the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Honestly, this bobblehead makes me so happy for some reason. I love going to Citi Field especially ‘cause the food is always so good. We got the filet mignon steak sandwich from the aptly named Pat LaFrieda’s Original Filet Mignon Steak Sandwich, incredible fries from Box Frites, souvenir cups & drinks from Effen Vodka Bar, mozzarella sticks from Big Mozz, and chips & queso with ginger lime margaritas from Cantina.
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Above Photo: Pat LaFrieda’s filet mignon steak sandwich, Citi Field
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Above Photo: Fries with parmesan ranch and cheese sauce from Box Frites, Citi Field
Two new things that I’m going to start doing:
1. Buying less things off of Amazon. If there’s an alternative, independently run company that I can find the item at (and if the price isn’t wildly more expensive) then I’ll shop there instead. Every new thing I hear about Amazon makes me shudder, and I hate that it’s become my default place for me to buy anything.
2. If a store/restaurant is cashless (ie. credit cards only), then I’ll refuse to shop there. It’s insane that this isn’t illegal everywhere yet. I’m so sick of it and cash should be accepted everywhere, it’s nuts that I even need to say that. (I was excited to have lunch at Ole & Steen in Union Square for lunch the other day, but they’re “cashfree” so fuck them!)
Some things that I’m looking forward to doing this month: I’ve already sent in my email requesting tickets for Saturday Night Live (you can only request tickets during the entire month of August), I can’t wait to see Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark with Layla, there’s a tomato gelato that I want to try that sounds either awful or life-affirming, going on our anniversary trip at the end of the month, excited for a Canyon Creek caesar salad with Harmeet, planning on going to the CNE with my mom (haven’t done this in years), going to two weddings (!!) and I love weddings, being in a pool with Marla and a bunch of our kids, and taking advantage of a few more Restaurant Week specials. Excited for the last month of trash weather!
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gleefail · 4 years
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Glee Memories: 1x15 The Power of Madonna
A long, long time ago, as Glee was approaching graduation in Season 3, I found myself nostalgic with some rare free time on my hands. So I decided to rewatch the series from the beginning and jot down some memories, discrepancies that have arisen since, fave quotes, tally solos - all that good stuff, strictly for shits and giggles.
8 years later (eek!) and once more I find myself with an unexpected abundance of free time. With so many revisiting or being newly introduced to the show between binge watching during Quarantine and all the tragedy that has surrounded the show since it went off the air, I figured I’d finish what I started. And by finish, I mean go through the end of S3. Cause I truly cannot acknowledge what happened after that. Except for 5B.
Kicking this off by reposting the first 15 episodes I already went through. Enjoy!
1x15 The Power of Madonna heeee, Sue just referenced Desperately Seeking Susan. Man, I loved that movie as a kid. Who’s That Girl as well anybody remember that one?!
hahaha, how have I never noticed before that Quinn is drawing a picture of Rachel Berry…a very unflattering picture that says “LOSER”? Awesome.
hahaha. Jesse and Rachel ‘hypothetically’ went to a Wiggles concert. Seriously, he’s kinda perfect for her.
Aw – The Montage from A Chorus Line is playing under Jesse’s pressure-her-into-sex moment. I have such fond memories of that song. I was featured in this song for a show that ended up changing the course of my entire life, quite literally. :)
“Would you please stop talking? You’re grossing out my baby.”
“But I can’t wait to get a guy mad at me for saying ‘no’.” Bite your tongue, Mercedes. Also…be careful what you wish for.
Still creeps me out that they have this whole sex talk with Mr. Schue in the room. And that he eavesdrops. And that when he speaks up it’s to ask if they’re having that much ‘guy trouble’, not to actually be a good teacher and help Rachel out in her “my boyfriend’s pressuring me to have sex but I’m not ready” situation or to respond to Britany and Santana’s advice to just never say no and that they should have more self-respect…teacher of the year indeed.
Do women really still earn 70 cents to every dollar a man does for the same job? Oh, eff that!
More Emma pamphlets:                HELP! I’m in love with my stepdad!                I still breastfeed …but how old is too old?                Congratulations, you’re pregnant.                Proper Wiping: Easy as 1…2…3                …and something about Toxic Shock Syndrome and Asperger’s that I                can’t read, lol.
Ugh, douche. Will just said this area of expertise (sex) is Emma’s blindspot. Jerk.
So Glee seems to have a knack for insulting folks that will later be guest stars. Gwyneth Paltrow and John Stamos have been mentioned thus far, and Lindsay Lohan just made the list. Hmmm…
I love the Ann Coultier jab. Cause I despise that ‘woman’
Ray of Light routine on stilts. Still leaves me speechless.  My favorite part is still when the men on stilts do these assisted lifts with women who are not. They get them so effing high.  It’s just amazing.
“Somehere on the English countryside in a stately manor home, Madonna is weeping.”
“Hall of fame MILF”
HA! Artie’s look in response to Tina giving him side-eye. Too funny.
Finn has no idea what misogynistic means. #BlessFinnsHeart
Kurt is gonna do a video of Madonna’s styles. With Mercedes. Kurtcedes love. :)
Yeah, I find it hard to believe high school boys wouldn’t be rubbin’ one out at these girls in corsets, touchin’ themselves and bein’ a little S&M with one another. Even if they hate Madonna with a passion. Their disinterest is completely unrealistic.
Britany has a (younger presumably as she plays soccer with a 7 year old) sister. Forgot about that. I think RIB did too.
The way to get a man forever is to take his virginity? Really? I would think that would unleash him into a sexual awakening and sleeping with everything he could now that he wouldn’t be perceived as ‘lame’ or a loser or whatever for being a virgin…no?
Finnocence. Nice.
Can we acknowledge that Finn lost his virginity in a plot for Santana to snag a younger man (by what, 4 days I think she said?) to emulate Madonna per Sue and not get kicked off the Cheerios? That’s…just so sad.
“You’re about as sexy as a Cabbage Patch Kid.” – ha!
So…watching this post-Nationals, does Emma get to have Madonna playing in her office now? ;)
Finn’s pissed that Rachel lied to him and didn’t really break it off with Jesse. Evs. Mind ya business, Finn.
So because he’s jealous or his ego is hurt or whatever, Finn tells Rachel if her and Jesse leads to something bad for the entire Glee club not to expect anymore friendship from him. Um…yeah. I’d marry him a year or two later. Cause…clearly he’ll be there through rough times…douche. Selfish, childish douche.
I still really like this mash-up of Borderline/Open Your Heart. And as much as I don’t love Finchel, the angst in this is my cup o’ tea. I like it.
I do love all the Madonna shout-outs in the hallway. Makes me feel old that I recognize each of these looks. Oy.
Finn, why are you just randomnly tearing books from the shelves and knocking them to the floor as you walk through the library? Such a badass…
I was watching an episode of Gilmore Girls and Brad was the piano player for one of Emily Gilmore’s parties (I think Rory’s college grad party). Hilarious. Also, he looked EXACTLY the same. How long ago was that?!
I find it awesome that Mercedes has a picture of a gal from So You Think You Can Dance in her locker. I love that show.
Up With People rejects. Ha.
Hmm. Will is suddenly not intimidated at all by Sue and her quips. What brought that on? Although, it’s hot when he stands up to her. Until he makes fun of her hair. Then he seems like a jerk.
“Oh, snap!” I love this moment. And the gif that came out of it.
Birth moment of the Sue, Kurt, Mercedes dynamic right there. Yay. :)
Sue just told Kurt and Mercedes about her sister being handicapped. I don’t care what anyone says, she likes them, even just a little bit. And I love this dynamic of the three of them. It always makes me smile.
Hahaha – Kurt’s reaction to Sue not being able to keep up with the latest looks when she was younger. Hilarious.
“Mercedes is black. I’m gay. We make culture.”
“I picked the Stephen Sondheim biography section for our clandestine meeting because only he can express my melonchalia.”
“You deserve epic romance.” Listen. Looking back from the end of Season 3, I really am not understanding why I’m supposed to want Rachel with Finn. Jesse makes so much more sense.
“Foreplay shall begin at 7:30 sharp.” Oh Emma. A for effort.
Vogue. Man. I was so little when this came out. I remember when it premiered on MTV.
Jane Lynch has such long legs. I’m jealous.
“Will Schuester. I hate you.”
Like A Virgin still makes me really uncomfortable. For so many reasons. I just…don’t need to see this side of any of these characters. I feel like a voyeur.
How did Santana and Finn swing a motel room at 15 years old? Hmm….
Add Whoopi to that list of joked about future guest stars. Yeesh…that’s 5 now? 4? Stamos, Paltrow, Lohan and Goldberg.
Sue is gonna reinvent Kurt and Mercedes. Squee!
Why is Rachel looking at sheet music for Where Is Love? Cause 1. I hate that song, 2. I hate that show, and 3. shoutout to the pilot?
Finn just asked Rachel how her date with Jesse went. With the subtext of “did you sleep with him?” WHY are they even talking about this? I don’t get it. It’s private Finn, so rude you’d even ask. Also, how does he even know they are even close to sex? I missed something. This is so weird. Made even more weird that neither of them seems to think it’s weird that they’re having this conversation. Ugh.
“Just come out so we can talk. Or sing about it.” Jesse is ridiculously perfect for Rachel Berry.
Okay, I’m gonna rant for a second: I know I’m anal and put him on a pedestal and all, but S3, they make it sound like Sam had sex with one of his clients at the strip club; after they’ve shoved super-romantic in-love-with-Mercedes Sam at us for like, 9 episodes in a row over a span of like, 3 or 4 months; regardless of how I personally feel about that or that ship, right now we see a super uncomfortable scene that still breaks my heart where Finn is dealing with the aftermath of sleeping with Santana, when he has feelings for someone else, but more in that he doesn’t have feelings for her, therefore it didn’t mean anything and it’s clearly not sitting well with him. Regret is all over his face. It’s so sad. So…why did they do the same thing but expect it to be okay in S3 regarding Sam (but even more gross cause of the whole stripper/client aspect)? Eff you, Glee.
I feel like this might be the most real and vulnerable I’ve ever seen Santana (in the post-coital conversation with Finn in the motel room bed). I mean…a couple moments may rival it, but it’s definitely top 5 if not top 3. It’s so sad to see how she really feels about this aspect of her life that publicly she seems so proud of and invincible to. Man. Poor Santana.
Um…is Puck playing Ninja in the background or just being a human statue or something? It doesn’t look like anyone is playing with him, so it must be the latter? Random.
Something changed in the way I felt about Glee after this episode, now that I look back on it. I felt like I should’ve left this episode feeling like “wow – they’re ballsy and go against the grain! They’ll do the unexpected” but…instead I was left with a feeling of “do I trust these writers with these people I’ve come to care about?” I’m referring to the possibility of consummation with 3 couples, 2 of which would have seemed…not completely unhealthy and one that obviously was…and they had those 2 chicken out and consummated the 1 that just shouldn’t have because it was kind of an irresponsible message to send to the youngins watching this show who they say at times they speak to when they write things like Kurt’s gay storyline or about being an outcast but finding a group that understands you and being happy with who you are. But here I’m sure they’d say something about how they’re not role models and shouldn’t be emulated. Yeah. This was the beginning of the end of my true love for Glee and the beginning of me just loving certain characters and occasional episodes or storylines…the beginning of my love to hate Glee. Whee. :/
It’s cute that Will polished Emma’s shoes. :)
I know a lot of people think it’s condescending and all, but I think the way Will handles suggesting counseling etc. to Emma was nice. There’s something mature about it. I think it’s that he’s like “we need to take action to work through our issues or they’re not gonna go away” as a team. It was nice.
“What the hell? It seems like now people are doing things JUST to hurt my feelings!” Ok, so maybe Finn IS more perfect for Rachel than I thought. Selfish little man-child.
Jesse St. James just joined New Directions. Kurt is pissed cause it means he’ll have no chance at a solo. Mercedes mentions that they only trot her out at the end of songs to wail on the last note, how is that okay? Truth.com. Also, why were those two issues NEVER addressed by Will? They were put out there, they were true as hell, and they were just ignored. Teacher of the year indeed.
Santana points out that obvs Jesse is a spy. Mr. Schue sticks up for Jesse and lets him join. Yet Rachel wasn’t allowed to date him cause that would be bad for the Glee club? #WTF?
“Mr. Schue, is he your son?”
“Okay, from the top!”  
4 Minutes. Seriously, I never thought Chris Colfer was hot before I saw this song. But let’s be real – he is hot as fuck in this song, I still think so. It was the first time I noticed as well that boy had grown into a little man! When did THAT happen? Wasn’t he just a baby-faced nugget like, 3 episodes before this?
Also, I love both of the vocals for them on this song.
Ok. This still pisses me off (can you tell this is an ep that started my rage towards Glee? Lol): Emma, Mr. Schue and Rachel are all distraught and shocked when they see that Mercedes and Kurt have joined the Cheerios…WHY? Britany and Santana are already on the Cheerios and in Glee and it’s fine. Quinn was. Why is this such a betrayal? They didn’t QUIT ND to join the Cheerios. And isn’t Rachel in like, 16 clubs in addition to Glee? Puck, Finn, Mike and Matt are on the football team. Artie has jazz band and AV club. Mercedes and Kurt and Tina are the only ones who are ONLY in Glee Club. This is stupid.
Shot of Quinn who is happy as a pig in shit for the two of them. THANK YOU Quinn for having sense and being a cool person and good friend.
“You guys could’ve at least given me a heads up.” “You mean, the same you way you gave us a heads up before NOT giving us a solo almost every week?” PREACH!!
You expect me to believe that the sexuality of Express Yourself, Artie working on that kick-ass Vogue video, or that amazing performance of 4 Minutes didn’t sway the boys to like Madonna…but their shitty rendition of “What It Feels Like For A Girl” did? Fuck you, Glee. I’m not an idiot. Stop treating me like one.
Why is Kurt a part of this lesson on treating the girls with respect? 1. He’s into Madonna, so he doesn’t need to be converted. 2. He’s NOT treating the girls like garbage. Teacher of the year indeed.
“I think we’re gonna need a new baritone cause Finn would like to become Finnessa”
“My growing feminism will cut you in half like a righteous blade of equality.”
Kurt mentions he’s an honorary girl. Again, WHY is he a part of this lesson?
AW. It just broke my heart a little that Tina said to Artie “why would you propose when you don’t even like me?” Aw. Poor Tina.
Alright, I admit, I love that whoever wrote this ep finally ended this nonsense with Finn being all pissed at Rachel for dating Jesse like she did something wrong and made him realize why she was even single to be pursued by Jesse in the first place. Kudos…whoever you are cause they didn’t credit the writer or director on this ep (the fuck?).
“Sing off. The parking lot. 5:00. Be there.” “No…”
“Frankly, I need you. I’m tired of carrying the male vocals all by myself.” Oh, FUCK. YOU. Finn! (I say on behalf of Kurt, Artie, and Puck).
Kurt just sang his first itty bitty solo in Glee club and then before Mercedes starting singing he ran up and gave her a peck on the cheek. Oh my God, I love them.
Gospel choir. So. Effing. Random. Yet so. Effing. EPIC.
SOLOS: Rachel (4), Mercedes (3), Finn (3), Emma (1), Santana (1), Will (1), Jesse (1), Kurt (2)
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