#i wasn't the biggest fan of s1 when it was airing | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

onekisstotakewithme · 1 year

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🔥 TWW

I have many opinions on TWW and some of them are fairly unpopular so uhhhh here goes.

I'll get the biggest one out of the way first: for when it happened, I actually don't find the shuttle leak storyline out of character for Toby, nor do I hate it. If it had happened back in season 4, sure, and I'm mad at the post-Sorkin writing team for their slow destruction of Toby's character, but by end of s6, start of s7, it's not out of character for him. Could it have been better executed? Sure. But where he is as a character, unfortunately, it doesn't feel supremely terrible to me.

Second, the best Donna is season 1 Donna. A bit of an audience surrogate sometimes but in a not-overly-clumsy way, funny and spunky and just a bit quirky... and her dynamic with Josh is SO fun in season 1. I'm almost through s1 in my rewatch and I'd genuinely forgotten how much I enjoyed Donna. I feel like she really got flattened out once they really committed to the will they/won't they with Josh, and then was worse because of the whole season 6/7 disaster (that was a mess!), PLUS they had her make some very dumb decisions to advance the plot that did not feel realistic (the dumb shit with Cliff Calley, the accidentally voting for Ritchie).

(more under the cut because apparently I'm not done!)

I know season 5 was the weakest season overall, BUT season 4 was the weakest Sorkin season. I'm not saying season 4 needed to be all about re-election, but I feel like there was a better balance to strike between the "rush through all the election stuff by episode 8-ish" and "stretch it out into a season and a half long affair" (as in 6-7). It also just, despite everything it took to get to this point, felt INCREDIBLY rushed and unsatisfying. it didn't feel like there were any stakes! I wanted to see the whole debate, I wanted to see a genuine election night with stakes, dammit! And I think, much as I love Will, that dedicating so much time to THAT storyline was part of the problem. This also wasn't helped by the fact that Ritchie was a caricature and a Bush expy which worked when the episodes were airing but just makes him look cartoonish and one-dimensional now. Like Arnie Vinick may be a unicorn of a Republican and impossible to believe in now, but at least he's a person and not a cardboard cutout. Anyway! It feels like for all the build-up to the difficulty of getting re-elected post-MS scandal, it was just. they won, shuffle them offscreen again.

Okay, fuck, this is getting long.

I don't MIND Annabeth but I find the whole Leo-Annabeth flirtation thing REALLY weird and honestly out of left field. That scene in the elevator where she says they shouldn't be spending too much time together 'because of the tension', I was RIGHT THERE with Leo like 'what tension?' Like I'm sorry, I just don't see it!

Okay a few more bullet-point gripes just because

I got used to it eventually but I'm still not a fan that CJ got promoted to COS. Like yeah by the end she did a damn good job and she has one of the best relationships with Jed, but c'mon. she loved being press secretary, and she was a damn good one.

CJ's dark hair in season 7 is not a good look on her, I'm sorry CJ my love, but it doesn't look good. The only non-canon part of the flashfoward is that she definitely does NOT still have that hair.

Amy was fun when she first appeared, but in seasons 6 and 7 her character definitely got worse.

For the most part, I actually wanted less election plot in season 7 and more focus on the west wing (and I say this as loving both Matt and Arnie!)

Gina Toscano/CJ is a great ship also. I rewatched "six meetings before lunch" last night and remembered that I ship them.

Episode specific: the B-plot of Requiem makes absolutely no sense to me and I've watched the episode about 6 or 7 times now (the whole 'meddling in the speaker race' plot).

And finally: Danny should've been in every single season, as a regularly recurring character. I know that Tim Busfield was busy with other commitments but Mr. Busfield, I'm begging you.

TL;DR:

#thank you sarah!!#disclaimer: if anything I've said isn't 100% accurate. please forgive that I have only recently watched seasons 7 and 1!#the west wing #tww #tww spoilers #(i shan't even discuss what i think of 'i wouldn't stop for red lights' because been there done that)

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theghostofashton · 2 years

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I watched Glee after it ended and I was surprised at the sheer amount of Blaine hate bc although he was never my favorite character I always thought he was super sweet and talented. I don’t really get why people hate him so much especially the ones who say he was emotionally abusive towards Kurt? Were we watching the same show? He made mistakes bc he’s an insecure teenager not because he’s an abuser.

okay honestly same anon

i knew blaine got a lot of hate before i watched the show and i remember while i was watching for the first time, waiting for the thing that would make all of that make sense or feel semi-justified and it.......never came? he wasn't perfect but neither was anyone on this show lmfao

like you're saying, he made mistakes because he's a teenager!! teenagers make mistakes!! abuse is an incredibly complicated thing and the way that word is thrown around so easily honestly is a little disturbing to me.

i just feel like the writers.....really screwed blaine over from the beginning, honestly. i didn't watch while the show aired, but from my understanding, after s1, kurt was an immediate fan favorite. he had also been through some pretty heavy stuff, in just that season alone. i feel like so many people were waiting for him to get a boyfriend and kind of hoping for that happiness to finally come to him, and when it did, their expectations were high.

to make matters worse, blaine was introduced in s2 as a perfect version of himself, the handsome and charming private school boy that swept kurt off his feet and made him so immediately happy. after seeing him go through so much in s1 and the first part of s2, this was a big deal. i think that's why a lot of people romanticize s2 klaine. while as a character, blaine didn't have much to him yet, he was framed this kind of prince, this dream boyfriend, and people really latched onto that.

one of my biggest frustrations with kurt's character is the way the writers kept lumping trauma after trauma on him, to the point where a lot of people were just waiting for him to "win" after repeatedly being knocked down. a consequence of that is blaine being put on this pedestal to be perfect all of the time, to be the one part of kurt's life that is wholly good and doesn't cause him stress or pain. because they gave kurt so much to deal with, with his sexuality, the bullying, his dad's health issues, his career struggles, etc.....i feel like people really wanted blaine to be this source of pure goodness all the time.

the trouble arose, therefore, in s3 and s4, when the writers started to make blaine into a character, which involved giving him flaws and making him more complex. so incidents such as 3x05 and 3x17 upset the kurt fans because now kurt was struggling because of blaine, if that makes sense? and then 4x04 came around and.....i think that was the nail in the coffin for a lot of people.

the fact that we had already seen a perfect version of blaine is what really seals the deal. because we already had s2, when the writers started to deconstruct his character in the latter seasons and develop him into a more complex individual, people immediately began comparing that version to s2 blaine. we'd already seen a "perfect" version, so how come he couldn't be that again? that led to a lot of people thinking of s3-s6 blaine as a downgrade, simply because he wasn't s2 blaine.

it's a perspective that completely prioritizes kurt and doesn't really see blaine as an individual and character of his own (which, if that's what people want to see, is totally their right!) and spins the narrative appropriately to validate that view. again, people are entitled to that opinion, but like you......i don't understand it all.

#.....i'm so sorry this became so long clearly i had a lot to say lol #blaine anderson #glee #answered #anonymous

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dreamerandcrazy · 3 years

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Ok, so I haven't been able to comment much on my Riverdale rewatch mostly bc i'm watching it with my boyfriend and we have an agreement of no cell phones when we're watching, otherwise we can't pay proper attention to it. But I wrote down some notes about the episodes I did watch (I watched up until ep 6, which is very ironic bc apparently today is its anniversary, so yay for my perfect timing). I actually remember most of the stuff that happened in s1, so here's mostly a few things I paid more attention to or noticed about the characters and the ships, or things i'm able to look at through a different view now that i've watched all the seasons. Strap in if you want to see my notes, if not just scroll please, no ship or character hate here please. Also, feel free to ignore, this is really just a personal look in some stuff I didn't notice in my first watch.

- Betty's character used to be much happier and lighter in season 1. I know we're introduced to "Dark Betty" right in episode 3, but still, I feel like the way Lili played Betty in season 1 did not hold the same "darkness" as it does in the following seasons. The scene where she is dancing happily in her bedroom because she's going to homecoming with the boy she likes? The scene where she introduces Jughead to the Blue & Gold and gets him to work with her? Her genuine innocent happiness at seeing her sister again after so much time? The way she interacted with Kevin and Veronica? Those were all chef's kiss because she actually feels like a teenager in them. In all her girly glory, she radiates youth energy and it's a thing that was sadly lacking after s1. Btw this is not a critique at Lili's acting at all, I blame it entirely on Ras and his obsession with dark Betty.

- There's actually so many indications of Cheryl being a lgbt character in the first episodes that I have no idea how I missed it the first time. But then again, there were many indications with Veronica as well, and sadly that's not the path Ras chose for her.

- Jughead in s1 is truly so superior in so many ways that it's not hard to see why he quickly became such a fan favorite. I think even if he wasn't played by Cole Sprouse, he still would have conquered many fans' hearts. Sadly, the things that made Jughead such a loving and interesting character for me also fizzled out in s2 when the writing team decided to make him a woke serpent leader instead of allowing him to sticking to his true personality as a passionate mystery lover, a dedicated friend and very nerdy, which was very cute. I feel that we got some of that back for him in s4, which was good, but sadly s1 is where my love for him really stayed to stay. But I still care for him, and s5 has a promising storyline for him which i'm excited about, so let's see if s5 Jughead can become better than s1 Jughead.

- Going back again to Cheryl for a sec, I just noticed that the red lipstick actually wasn't that common for her in s1? At least not in the first five. I wonder when did it start becoming her trademark? Anyways, it's actually a really good look her and allows you to appreciate Madelaine's natural beauty even more.

- Also, did anybody notice how Alice lowkey figured out who killed Jason in ep 2 lmao, like... in episode two she legit says she wouldn't be surprised if the Blossoms themselves had killed Jason, which... is what happened LMAO, considering we know it was his father. And even more hilarious and tragically ironic note, in ep 6 she's laughing at Betty suggesting that Hal killed Jason because "do you think your father has the stomach for it?!"... Ma'am... i'm-.... 😂😂😂😂.

- This rewatch has reminded me of how much I adored and how I much I miss Josie and the Pussycats. The girls were such a nice addition to the cast, and their songs were so beautiful. I truly wish we get to see them again someday, but at the same time I also think the actresses deserve to be at a work place where they're given the treatment they deserve and not completely ignored and treated like extras.

- Archie/Valerie was super cute and is very underrated in the fandom, but i'm glad Valerie stood up for herself and didn't take any of Archie's or Cheryl's sh*t. Still sucks because they were really good together, though.

- Why was Jason not allowed to talk, lmao? Like, i'm sure it's become a running joke in the show at this point, but back when season one was airing what was the excuse for it? He appeared in so many flashbacks and scenes and we still never heard a single word ☠️☠️☠️☠️. I just want to know what was the reason lol.

- I liked s1 Reggie, but I feel like Charles Melton's Reggie is better because he actually feels like a douche with good intentions lol, and he has more of a personality. Most of the time I even forgot about Reggie in s1, but after s2 he definitely made me more aware of him. So for that, I like Charles Melton's Reggie more. But the actor from s1 still did a good job with what he was given.

From now on I will be talking about the ships, so bear with me, and know that I am a multishipper. Yes, I have my preferences. No, my word is not law, it's just an opinion, so please respect it.

- Bughead is still super cute in s1. I feel like from s1 they will always be my otp, even if I no longer feel as strongly about them now and have a different insight as to where I would like their story to go, and now I definitely see the problem others had mentioned before of how they kind of took over the show, which is something I kind of closed my eyes to before... But I really loved them in s1. It felt like a very juvenile teenage relationship, they didn't give much thought on why and if they should be together, they just went for it like teenagers usually do, and they were very very cute together.

- I feel like if you don't count Beronica (because they really were the best no matter what you say or ship), if there's a ship that deserves "best chemistry" award for s1 is probably Varchie. I lost my interest in them years ago, but this rewatch reminded me of why I actually loved them once. They never really became an otp for me, but Kj and Camila's chemistry in s1 was VERY GOOD, and I really liked them. Their kiss in the pilot was electric and the s&xual tension was OOF, and that chemistry carries on through the season. You can easily tell something will happen between them eventually. It makes me sad bc I don't know what happened after s1, but their chemistry from s2 onwards was just... not there for me. Which is ironic bc it's the season they truly started dating and they got a lot of smexy scenes, but I just... didn't feel it. But I'll leave that comment to my s2 rewatch. For now just let me enjoy Varchie's chemistry in s1 while it lasts because it was really good.

- Now we get to Barchie, who I made clear was the reason for my rewatch, so let's get to it. I LOVED the way Barchie was written in s1. I remember when I first watched Riverdale, I was curious about their dynamic but didn't put much thought into it because I loved Bughead too much and wanted them to be together, and I thought Barchie would be the traditional "first og ship" thing and wouldn't have a big follow up, but boy was I WRONG and am I GLAD for it. I'll talk more about their development in the next seasons when I get there, so for now let's focus a bit on s1. Just in like the first two episodes, there is so much Barchie foreshadowing, like, it's legit insane how it was right there in my face and I missed it the first time! "I have never felt what i'm supposed to feel with betty", "it's not my fault he doesn't like you", "I can't give you the answer you want"... Omg, those are obvious eyebrow raising "this will come back to bite you in the a$$" moments and it's incredible how they actually DO! I would call it clever writing, but like... it's Riverdale lol. So I really am just glad that the ship was done this way, i'm glad Barchie has the back story that they do, they've really come a LONG way and i'm happy I get to experience their whole growing storyline. It's also especially good because s1 actually provides you with scenes that show you their friendship and how they're so close, you see them hanging out, talking, their pictures together, everything was just really done well with them. Still have a bit of critique with the way Archie contradicted himself sometimes regardinf his feelings for Betty, but let's be honest, we've watched enough Riverdale to know that's just a problem with the writing.

- Kevin/Joaquin is still my favorite Kevin ship, i'm sad it's completely impossible to go back to them someday so for now i'll just be really glad it existed and that I got to see them even if it was short-lived. They had great chemistry and their kiss scenes always outsold.

- Beronica... sigh. Beronica. The most wasted chemistry i've ever seen on CW and I've watched a LOT of CW shows. There was so much potential there, s1 was practically overflowing with them and it's one of the reasons it became some popular. I remember when the Beronica fandom was the biggest one, ah, good times. Veronica and Betty were easily the best part of season 1, their friendship, their lowkey romantic moments, they were just superior in every way. This ship deserved better, not even just as a ship, but as a friendship.

- Veronica's s1 hair >>> Veronica's hair in seasons 2-4. I loved the side part and I am glad it's back in season 5, it looks so much better like that.

- Cheryl, as always, deserves better. Can't wait for her to meet Toni so I can watch again Cheryl finally get to love someone and be loved back, which is exactly what she deserves.

For now, that is all! I will probably make another post soon when i'm done with season one and from season two on I will be live-blogging the episodes since I will be watching it alone. Once again, pls, no hate, my thoughts are my thoughts. Peace.

#bri rewatches riverdale #riverdale #barchie #choni

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valeriemperez · 5 years

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Do you get the sense that the subtext to 'Elseworlds' is that Oliver needs to do repair work as a person and mend his marriage to Felicity? I wasn't able to watch the 'Arrow' installment, but just from a couple of YT clips and Gif sets here, it seems like WestAllen is held up as the relationship that Olicity should be, and Oliver needs to be more like Barry. I don't watch 'Arrow,' so I don't know what's going wrong. But it seems that way.

Oh, for sure. Barry and Oliver both learned the other had to deal with tough stuff, and once again Oliver was inspired by WA to progress or repair his own relationship. I would say I’d like WA to get the spotlight one of these days but that would mean creating a problem out of thin air for someone else’s love to solve. So nevermind.

I have mixed feelings because on one hand it’s clear Caitlin was supposed to be Iris in that CS/FS scene and it’s so disrespectful that they wouldn’t let her crossover but I’m also glad she wasn’t because there’s no way Iris would have said what Caitlin said about “even there’s no trust or respect in your relationship hold on” or whatever bs

Basically. Then again, if it had been Iris, I’m sure the dialogue would have been tweaked slightly. But alas, we will never get the Iris-Felicity heart-to-heart that we deserve.

i think it’s hard as fans to ask for more physically intimate scenes btw people without sounding like horndogs or something. but it IS true that most shows never have issues with showing those scenes for their main couple, so most fans of a ship really don’t HAVE to ask for things like that. this is a unique case, oddly. i don’t quite know how people can ask for this- maybe bring up that people mock them for being so chaste and make jokes about immaculate conception. that might get through

I wouldn’t say most shows, seeing as the majority of shows I watch actually don’t. But most American young adult dramas do, so I think the easiest way to do it is to bring up specific scenes from other similar shows and say you want to see something like this for WA. Ex:

“Westallen on #TheFlash should totally get a romantic scene like the other gold standard, Clois, did in #Smallville. Can @flashtvwriters do the thing?”

God these anons are being ridiculous. You’re amazing btw I don��t know how you put up with it. Like you pointed out WA has already gotten way more than sp@llen ever did. Barry and Iris have been in bed together intimately discussing how they had sex 3 nights in a row. Iris sat on Barry’s lap with his hand right on her ass. Even the deleted WA toast scene was 10x sexier than sp@llen could ever hope to be. ANons need to stop having this memory loss when trying to prove their point smh.

Like I’ve said, I totally understand wanting more sexy scenes for your ship if that’s what you’re into. I just think some people downplay what we have gotten, and also that they need to direct those requests to the writers.

I’m confused…why would they not want to pay Candice to crossover but Danielle?

It’s probably in DP’s contract that she must be in the crossovers, tbh, back from S1 when she had more pull than most of the actors and had to make up for getting a smaller paycheck.

the other thing that concerns me is that i know writers cater to actors sometimes too, esp on long-running shows. i mean, you can’t tell me the reason they’ve completely dropped any pretense of an Iris/Caitlin friendship (after bringing it up last season and everything!) isn’t partly due to the coldness btw DP and CP. if she and gg don’t want to act more physical with each other or are uncomfortable with it for some reason, that could be an issue i guess.

The biggest reason why I don’t think it has to do with Grant and Candice’s comfort or lack thereof is because they’ve never gotten that kind of scene, even in the early days when they wouldn’t have had much say. Even the Iris/Eddie and Barry/Linda scenes from S1 were tame as hell.

But, yes, if for some reason they both felt uncomfortable with sexy scenes period then no amount of requests would change that. But then we also wouldn’t have gotten the 4.14 deleted scene, so…

#the flash #princessyennenga #anonymous #tatiana's thoughts #more asks under the cut #long post for ts

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