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deltaengineering · 2 years

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Fall Anime 2021: Extra Large

It appears that tumblr has put a limit on the number of images per post. Oh well, I'll just use good ones I have then. Speaking of which...

Tawawa on Monday S2

I watched the original Tawawa and didn't like it, because ginourmous gazongas are as lowbrow as cultured interests get and it occasionally panned up to show faces, which I didn't like either. So why watch the sequel? Well... it made a good companion piece to Douki-chan and a show doesn't actually have to be good for a few minutes a week. I'll say that it's slightly better than S1, because it's better made and at least occasionally as absurd as it needs to be. 4/10

Adventure Anime Triple Feature feat. Takt Op.: Destiny / Fena: Pirate Princess / Sacks&Guns!!

I'm just going to group these three together because they have a lot in common: They're all old-fashioned odd-couple action-adventure hyphenated-anime. They're also all not good, and the most fun I can get out of this is pointing out how they're differently bad.

To start with the most obviously bad one, Takt Op.: Destiny is just severely lacking in most regards that matter. If nothing else, it gave me a lot of newfound appreciation for the kind of deep, multifaceted relationship memetic dumbass Shirou and fencepost-with-a-frown-on-it Saber have. I can really only assume the people behind Takt Op saw that and thought "well, if even Fate can do it it can't be that hard" – but the joke's on them, since for all its faults, Fate is at least intricate and fundamentally well thought out while Takt Op is as shallow as a puddle. This goes from top to bottom: Takt is an utterly unlikeable theater kid that gets a pass from everyone (especially the script authors) because he is good at teh musics – and every time the show pretends to be about music (which it most definitely is not even remotely), it reads as laughably pretentious. The villains are moustache twirlers that would have been parody fodder in an SNES JRPG. Battles consists of overdesigned girls shooting lazors while the dudes stand aside and wave a stick around. The setting only makes sense as an alternate timeline where headphones were curiously never invented. And why yes, this can all be handily explained with this being based on a mobile RPG that desperately wants to be F/go, but that gets us right back to the "lacking Fate's underappreciated fundamentals" part again – and by fundamentals I mean stuff as fundamental as "Masters are humans so shoot them first". That said, it's not all bad; Takt Op has some upsides that keep it from being entirely worthless, such as the fights occasionally looking really neat and things like "Destiny eats a pancake and dunks on Takt" indeed being the kind of surefire, no-effort-required crowd pleaser that the makers seem to have thought the whole show would be. Mostly bad is still bad though, and honestly one of the best aspects of it is that "trying too hard" is not an avenue of failure it opens itself up to often. 4/10

Fena: Pirate Princess has the opposite problem; where Takt Op doesn't seem to aspire to anything but being a superficial Fate copy, Fena goes off in so many scatterbrained directions that it's hard to tell what it's even supposed to be. Sure, at first it seems like it's going to be an Akatsuki no Yona type story where the princess learns to get increasingly badass while going on a treasure hunt, but you might be surprised to hear that by the end of it, Fena barely turns out to be a character in her own story. There's so many characters and subplots that barely any of them go anywhere (I won't even start to list them, suffice it to say that if it's there it probably doesn't pay off), and even the conclusion of the "main" storyline eventually comes down to a version of Indiana Jones that's equal parts about the villain and thinking "huh, Joan of Arc and Noah's Ark sound kinda similar, isn't that neat?" This sounds pretty inexplicable but becomes entirely explicable once you realize that The Guys From Bee Anime Are At It Again. Except B: The Beginning was two anime awkwardly smashed together and one of them was good, while Fena is more like 5 anime awkwardly smashed together and none of them are good. Fena is somewhat more ambitious than Takt is (no shit lol) and the benefit of doing everything is that you're probably going to like something in it, but it really is just a mess. 4/10

Sacks&Guns!! (the original name of Sakugan and one so amusing you can't make me use the real one) handily outplays both of these by knowing what it wants to be and providing a workable narrative backbone. That said while it's usually juuuuust about as good as it needs to be, it's never any better. The main story is interesting, yes, but there's also not a lot of it and everything in between feels like filler that vastly overestimates how fun it is to just watch these characters bicker among each other. This could easily work much better if the characters were stronger, but they just... aren't. And when the story does come around, it's not so much "too little too late", but of course "barely enough and barely in time", which is fine but hardly fulfilling. Speaking of not fulfilling, this show gleefully doesn't have an ending, but in characteristic fashion it provides just enough thematic/character closure and explanation to make me feel like I didn't waste my time. It's still a bold move to leave the entire narrative closure to a sequel that it may or may not get, but I'd probably watch it, accompanied with copious sighing. Sacks&Guns!! naturally gets the lowest possible passing grade. 5/10

Rumble Garanndoll

Gimme some Akio Watanabe character designs in a show that doesn't totally stink and I'm satisfied. Here, there's your review of Rumble Garanndoll. Though that statement is incredibly loaded, since the elephant in the room is why I think this self-congratulating heap of of "us otaku huh" doesn't totally stink. Well, for starters it's pretty funny occasionally, which is a big plus in the sea of brutally unfunny otaku comedies. A lot of it comes down to knowing when to not be funny, since the setup is plenty jocular on its own already. I think Garanndoll just gets the balance right; I wouldn't want a show that is all harem jokes, or all Akihabara celebration, or all heartfelt references to old school mecha, but apparently I can stomach the right blend of these just fine. It works both as a comedy and as a straightforward mecha show, and while it doesn't excel at either, I'm still surprised that even it comes out as "acceptable seasonal fodder". 6/10

Heike Monogatari

Oh boy, where to start with this one. I guess I'll start with the good, and the surprising: Aesthetically, Heike Monogatari is close to perfect – I love how this show is made, how it looks and sounds and moves. And I say this as someone who has been an outspoken critic of Naoko Yamada's directing style before, it just works much better for this somewhat abstract period piece than it ever has for stories about teenager problems. But that gets us right to the issue, and why you're reading about this Very Important Piece Of Literary Adaptation right after the dumb comedy about mechas powered by harem: Quite frankly, I give maybe a fifth of a fuck at best about the Story of the Heike, and this anime failed to convince me otherwise. It's not that they didn't try either, their OC (do not steal) Biwa is easily the best character in the show, it's just that she necessarily doesn't have much to do with the story. If I may be real for just a second, I think it's respectable and a good idea to not dick too much with this literary classic you're adapting, because it really wouldn't be the Heike Story then. But that still doesn't mean I have to like the result. This anime is mainly for people who take the importance of the narrative as a given (i.e., the Japanese), but for me this tale about a bunch of kids who really just want to play the flute but are sad because their Granddad had too much fun being a dick really lacks the sort of gravitas and pathos it seems to be shooting for. Yes, it is insufficiently Shakespearean, this tale from a couple of centuries earlier and the other side of the planet, excuse my gaijin. Anyway, Heike Monogatari really is at its best when it just stops trying to recount whose uncle mustered how many horses and becomes almost entirely abstract, which is at least somewhat frequently. So, didn't care much for it, but A+ for effort. 6/10

Lupin III Part 6 Part 1

Yo, yet again with a show that didn't actually end, what gives? Yeah, Lupin III Part 6 is obviously split into two and the first half indeed had a definite ending, so I'm counting it. First thing, I'm going to view Part 6 (Part 1) as an anthology show, because that's really what it is. Part 5 already flirted with a half-episodic approach but the main difference is that while Part 6 (Part 1) has an ostensible main story, it's really not more complex (or any better) than the side stories, just a bit longer. The real unifying factor is the theme, and that is "referencing famous mystery literature" for the most part. As most anthologies go, there's a wild variety of story content and quality. Some episodes are outright shoddy, a lot of them a "meh" (including the alleged main story, which is actually far too long for how meh it is), many are classic Lupin tomfoolery, and a few of them are excellent. Being the pompous ass that I am, I am of course referring to the too-clever-by-half Oshii episodes, the second of which is hands down the best episode of the season and a big contender for best episode of the year. If you want a practical tip, just watch those two (4 and 10), since they're not connected to anything but general Lupin-ness. Anthologies are hard to rate and this is the definition of a mixed bag, but overall I'll say it's just fine – Lupin has done better before though. 6/10

Yakunara Mug Cup Mo S2

Yakunara Mug Cup Mo was a surprisingly solid Kiraralike (read this if you want the actual take, even if there wasn't much to say back then either), and one should not be surprised that a very quick S2 just keeps on rolling. It's still not much of a show, and its shorter length still helps it immensely. There maybe weren't as many gay Mika daydreams as I'd hope for this time around, but Mug Cup remains an inoffensively good time. 6/10

Ganbare Douki-Chan

Ah yes, here's the Chad to Tawawa's Virgin. I've been debating ranking this higher, but this time around I think I'll disregard the meme. Douki-chan is adorable, and that's the long and short of it. It definitely is less of a cultural milestone than Miru Tights is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In actuality, it's probably hurt the most by me having read all the source material already (there's not much), so there was a lot of saying "yep, that's that page alright". Good time, cute faces, rooting for Douki-chan, 3 net minutes well spent. 6/10

My Senpai Is Annoying

So this one is definitely simpatico with Douki, except more so. By that I mean there's more of it (natch), but also that it's even more barebones, if that is even possible. This anime right here is 100% exactly what you would expect. Good thing I generally expect my anime to be good then, amirite? This is Doga Kobo, and they've really made an artform out of taking these basic ass mangas and making them entertaining and it's pretty scary how much I enjoyed this crap. KyoAni cannot pull this off, just watch Maidragon. Oh wait, Maidragon fans already think the manga is exceptional lmao

Uh, where was I. Okay, everything about this is as lame as it gets once you think about it, probably the most extraordinary thing about it is that it has no baseball episode and does a basketball episode instead. But it doesn't do a single thing wrong (incredibly predictable ending emphatically included), and it doesn't mean it's not fun to watch. It is a ton of fun to watch, in fact, and it does put in the work to make you not think about it, but sometimes you just can't help it, such as when writing this down. tl;dr Sakurai is best, don't @ me. 7/10 (while watching) / 6/10 (while not watching)

Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu

So how much do you care about early 60s Soviet aesthetics and the romance of early space exploration? Because that's what's really going to make or break this show for you. I do on both counts, so this is a show that feels like it was made just for me. It's remarkable that you can still find a light novel with this level of dedication to a setting that isn't... you know. The one. But it's not just the setting and that they care about it a lot, it also gets a lot else right. It has good, rounded characters with an appropriate amount of depth (even if Anya won't let you forget that this used to be a LN in a hurry), it's fairly nuts-and-boltsy but it assumes people who care don't need endless explanations, and it doesn't romanticize its setting too much. So good job there, but there's still a few things that hold it back. First of all, it's not a looker. Not too shabby, but obviously cheap. Second, that ending. I don't disapprove of them not playing hardball to the end, but it really is just far too simple and convenient by any standard. And third, well, it's all good, but besides being a treat for those who care it never goes that extra mile. So go in with limited expectations and you won't be disappointed. 7/10

Isekai Shokudou S2

Can I repeat my Mug Cup bit here? Well no actually, because I apparently never reviewed S1. So first of all, this isn't an "isekai show". No, that doesn't make it one. No, it just doesn't. Secondly, Isekai Shokudou seems like a very simple concept on the surface (one of those food anime where they celebrate uncomplicated dishes), and that's good and all, but it's not what makes it. I'm really here for the sly worldbuilding and how the the restaurant makes an impact on the other world, both globally and personally – it's very amusing to think of this as the wholesome, delicious version of Casablanca. Which is a small but not insignificant part of the show, to be honest, but it being so naturally presented as a side effect of a cute food anime just tickles my fancy. And if you've seen S2, you'll know that I fucking loved the last arc here. Aside from that, it's another slim show that works very well, fundamentally being already good at its thing and then adding another layer of unexpected delight on top of it. Dunno, sort of like a good cake with like, frosting? Soup, salt? Or like, comfort food and stuff? Did I meet the quota of unimaginative food similes every review of Isekai Shokudou is legally obligated to have? 7/10

Taishou Otome Otogibanashi

Taishou + Otome + Fairytale = a winning combination. What we have here is what I'd describe as "the good version of Sangatsu no Lion" and I'm only half trolling. So this is the story of a sad boi who learns to love again with a generous helping of instant cute girlfriend, except it makes much more sense in this setting and Tamahiko actually has very good reasons to have a sad all the time. It's also much more consistently self-aware funny, as opposed to 3lion which just recklessly swings between sitcom antics and drowning in sorrow with no stop at self-awareness ever. But enough about 3lion, Taishou Otome may be a magical girlfriend joint but it's a really good one. It has a really good grasp of switching between broad archetype comedy and serious character work when it matters – and it does get serious, since the "Taishou" is right in the title so things eventually get shaky. The cheesiness can't be denied, but that's what you're here for, I hope. And Yuzu is just cute as a button – which she better be, because that's the show. This is another one that isn't terribly ambitious, but executes very well on the modest ambitions that it does have. 7/10

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope

And finally, here's the last word on Aquatope. I already gave this a preliminary review last season, and I was right about doing that – the second half really is a different show, and in my opinion, a much better one (yes, I know that people seem to disagree with this – let's just say that they were probably here for what it started as, not what it became). It actually turned out to be the second coming of Shirobako that I was hoping for, and in some respects it's actually better – such as not being so in love with its setting that it can't stop talking about it, and also being more evenhanded on the our guys/bad guys spectrum. While the beginning of Aquatope seemed to be mostly about sad Fuuka being healed by Okinawan magical realism, by the end of the first cours it already was mostly about Kukuru – and the second half is almost entirely about her and her struggle in the workplace/growing up in general, with the magic almost completely evaporating (because you see, that is the point – Can I quickly say that "lack of magic is a plot point" is a level of writing I'd ever have expected from the Iroduku team?). It pulls no punches on this because often, Kukuru doesn't actually like what she's doing and also isn't really good at it, which cuts deeper than Aoi just herding a bunch of wacky manchildren for the sake of art. The side character stories (including Fuuka's, but she's now only one of several) are also all very good. So you might be asking, what do I not like? Not much to be honest, the show is now consistently very good and occasionally knocks on greatness. It's still a bit blunt and obvious in places, but that's just anime writing for you. And I'm not sure about the ending. It does absolutely everything it needs to do and then some (including tying up a few story threads from the first half that don't show up at all in the second otherwise), which is an achievement of its own, but it seems a little quick and convenient for everything to fall into place so neatly. So it's by no means bad, it just doesn't go the extra mile that Aquatope otherwise often does and is less good than the "season 1" finale. Still, if you want some well thought out character drama that never forgets the levity, you can't go wrong with Aquatope. 8/10

#anime #review #fall2021 #Tawawa on Monday #takt op.destiny #fena pirate princess #sakugan #rumble garanndoll #heike monogatari #lupin III #yakunara mug cup mo #ganbare douki chan #my senpai is annoying #tsuki to laika to nosferatu #isekai shokudou #taishou otome otogibanashi #shiroi suna no aquatope

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pipipinyyy · 3 years

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Explaining why I have added every song in my entire and very long Niragi playlist because I can and because over analyzing him is my passion (I usually update it from time to time but I'll do it with the current songs)

Completely self indulgent post, but I decided to share to feed my fellow Niragi stans (*˙︶˙*)☆*°

This is entirely based on my view of the songs and how I interpret them while thinking about Niragi. I'm aware that most of them have entirely different meanings, this is just for fun :) (Also sorry if my explanations don't make much sense, English is not my first language and I might make mistakes when trying to put my feelings and thoughts into words)

This may contain manga/s2 spoilers

Hayloft-Mother Mother: Vibes

Criminal-Britney Spears: The whole song describes him ("he is a sucker with a gun") and the fandom's obsession ("mama I'm in love with a criminal")

Daddy Issues-The Neighborhood: I feel like he would act like this, using the most vulnerable spots to pick on someone ("cry little girl, nobody does it like you do")

Psycho-Jin Dogg, OVER KILL: Vibes

Riot-Hollywood Undead: He'd definitely start a riot like he did in the 10 of hearts, burning and destroying anything that crosses his path

Bitches-Mindless Self Indulgence: He most likely thinks he's a total fuckboy and popular with girls since he can get almost anything he wants out of scarying people

Baby's on Fire-Die Antwoord: Vibes

Insane in the Brain-Cypress Hill: This man is being consumed by his own way of protecting himself

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing-Set It Off: Based on how he feels towards the people who hurt him in the past ("Listen, mark my words, one day, you will pay" "You've always been a huge piece of shit, if I could kill you, I would" "Karma is gonna come collect your debt")

Death no more-IC3PEAK: Vibes

Gasoline-I Prevail: Sort of similar to Riot, ("So burn it all down, burn it all down, I don't give a fuck")

Toxic-Britney Spears: The whole fandom knows how much of a piece of shit this dude can be, but we still find ourselves liking/enjoying his character (to an extent), a toxic addiction

Nice Guy-GRLwood: As much as I love this man, he'd use the "I'm a nice guy c'mon" card just to fuck. If he wants to, he'll get it, if he doesn't, he'll most likely get mad

Dernière danse-Indila: Vibes

TRRST-IC3PEAK: Mostly vibes, I kinda see this song as how he felt the first time he killed someone on purpose inside the borderlands ("mama they say I'm a terrorist, I did nothing wrong but I got on the blacklist")

Saint Bernard-Lincoln: Vibes

Nowhere To Run-Stegosaurus Rex: Being with him at the Beach would either be ignoring each other completely or a game of tag, no inbetween. If this man wants to kill you, he'll get his fun time out of it as well ("You're gonna die, I'm gonna kill you")

The House of Wolves-Bring Me The Horizon: Based on how he sees life after being consumed by his current mental state ("Show me a sign, show me a reason to give a solitary fuck about your god damn beliefs" "What you call faith, I call a sorry excuse")

Smells Blood-Kensuke Ushio: Vibes

SIU-Maretu: Similar to Daddy Issues, don't expect this man to be a therapist. If he sees anyone crying or panicking in or outside a game, he'd most likely tell them to suck it up, just like this song.

Judgement-Kensuke Ushio: Vibes

MONSTER ENERGY GUN!-KevinKempt: Vibes + He for sure has an energy drink addiction, specially pre-borderlands

HURT-1 800 PAIN: Vibes

Fear Is The Mind Killer-Zheani: Vibes

I Bet on Losing Dogs: Based on how I know Niragi is toxic, and most likely unsaveable of his deteriorating mental state, but I still have him as my biggest comfort character ("I bet on losing dogs, I know they're losing and I'll pay for my place")

Emo Boy-Ayesha Erotica: He's been in an emo phase (and maybe still is), the lyrics are pretty self explanatory, they describe us Niragi simps perfecrly ("come on fuck me emo boy")

Crybaby-Destroy Boys: Vibes

The Fox's Wedding-MASA Works DESIGEN: Vibes

You're a useless child-Kikuo: We don't know much about his past, but judging by the unstoppable bullying he's suffered, his parents didn't care about him, or were straight up absent. He's been insulted by pretty much everyone in his past to the point of believing it and telling those things to himself ("You're a useless child, the most useless child in this world" "Drool in snot, dandruff, shit and piss" "I'm a useless child" "Nobody will save me" "I'm a lonely kid")

Take A Slice-Glass Animals: Vibes

Fighting With The Melody-Jimmy Urine: Vibes

Comics-Caravan Palace: Vibes

Rhinestone Eyes-Gorillaz: Vibes

Butch 4 Butch-Rio Romero: Mostly vibes, sort of how I think the most "peacefull" moments in a relationship with him would feel like, kind of bittersweet feeling

Suki Suki Daisuki-Jun Togawa: Yandere Niragi. If he's interested in someone, he'd go through an obsessive phase, most likely forcing the other person to "love" him. This man is so confused about the feeling of love that he's unable to tell when he loves someone or when he's obsessed with them due to his lack of attention ("Like you, like you, I love you. Say you love me or I'll kill you")

:(-The Garden: Vibes

Kitty City-Cyriak Harris: Vibes

Blood-My Chemical Romance: If Niragi went to a therapist, he'd act like this song, with his signature cocky and sarcastic personality (at least before he gets better) ("I can't control myself because I don't know how" "They can fix me proper with a bit of luck" "I'm the kind of human wreckage that you love")

A Mask of My Own Face-Lemon Demon: He feels like he needs to protect himself or else he will get hurt inside the borderlands by others again. He uses another personality, a completely ruthless one, even if he doesn't like it and hates himself for it, he doesn't see another way to deal with his fear, allowing his "new self" to consume himself. ("I'd wear that mask of my own face" "I look into my eyeholes and what do I see? A handsome motherfucker motherfucking looking back at me")

I'm a Murderer-Freddie Dredd: Mostly vibes ("I'm a motherfucking murderer")

'Cause I'm a Liar-Mcki Robyns-P: He would lie just for fun even in serious situations. If he needs to manipulate someone to survive, he'll do it his way, after all, he doesn't care anymore, he just seeks for excitement. ("Without emotion, without devotion. It's much easier to fake something happy")

I Disagree-Poppy: I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I feel like this is how he sees and feels the world and those around him, feeling misunderstood and going his own way ("If only all of you could see the world I see, then maybe everyone could live in harmony")

Personal Jesus-Mindless Self Indulgence: He has a superiority complex, that's for sure. I don't think he sees himself as a god, but I see him joking about it

Rainbow Factory-GLAZE, WoodenToaster: Vibes

Frontier Psychiatrist-The Avalanches: I kinda see this as Aguni taking the role of Niragi's "father figure" inside the borderlands, realizing he's turning insane and is unable to control him ("That boy needs therapy")

Hate it. Hate it. "JIGAHIDAI!"-WADATAKEAKI Kurage P: Jealousy. I can see it either in a pre-borderland situation where he hates the popular students in school, or inside the borderlands hating both Chishiya and Arisu. Jealousy takes over him constructing a big ego, causing himself to develop his superiority complex ("You see, I hate that popular girl!" "Does she think I don't notice? How she looks at me as if I'm trash" "I want to be praised" "I'm different from you all, I have my own ego! I'm not a side character" "I have zero common sense. I'm special")

Villain-Stella Jang: He knows damn well he's a villain, that's his goal after all, but what if someone took his point of view? wouldn't the villains be all of those who hurted him in the first place? ("We all pretend to be the heroes on the good side, but what if we are the villains on the other")

Violent-carolesdaughter: This is how I view an argument inside a relationship with Niragi. He's used to violence, to cause fear, and getting what he wants, so being in a healthy relationship would require a lot of patience and strenght. While he's getting better and suppressing those violent actions, there will be times where he accidentally uses violence or threatens the other person unintentionally, mostly hurting himself and his partner psychologically. The lyrics change between both points of view ("Don't make me get violent, I want my ring back baby that's a diamond" "She knows I'm a wreck" "I gave you all my trust and I told you just don't break it")

Hey Bunny-Baby Bugs: Based on how I think it would feel to partner up with him inside the borderlands and catching feelings for him while knowing the huge mess he is ("Hey bunny, what's with those evil eyes?" "Hey bunny, what the hell is wrong with us?" "Hey bunny, what if I loose you too? If I become the monster, together we can always be blue")

Kokoronashi-majiko: I'm pretty sure Niragi isn't able to see himself as someone able to love, even if he doesn't want to be alone (just like when he confesses this feeling while fighting with Chishiya and Arisu). If someone truly loved him and was willing to not letting him go, it would hurt. He can't see himself as someone who can love or be loved, so he can't accept the love he's seeking for in case that turns him "weaker" making his true self confront with the protective mean personality he's created. He could learn how to accept it, so he might want the other person to stay in the end, but it wouldn't be easy for him to accept it ("It's awful, I'd rather you destroy my body, tear it to sheds, do as you please" "No matter how much I'm loved by you, my heart is just one" "I don't know this, don't leave me alone")

Nightmare Parade-FAKE TYPE.: Vibes

Slipping Through My Fingers-Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried: Niragi seeing himself loosing his young, gentle and caring personality due to his fear, being unable to control what's happening inside, nostalgia and sadness kicking in ("The feeling that I'm loosing her forever" "That funny little girl" "Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture and save it from the funny tricks of time")

Kuroneko No Tango-Pink Martini, The Von Trapps: Vibes

YKWIM?-Yot Club: Him confroting his feelings of loneliness when he's left alone with his thoughts ("It feels like I care too much when I'm alone, oh no")

Romantic Lover-Eyedress: Just appreciating his physical appearance ("She's a killer, I love her features")

Wrecking Ball-Mother Mother: Based on how he sees himself as someone who needs to destroy everything in a way or another in order to be powerful + the fun he has with it ("Call me a reckless wrecking ball" "Let's break it just because we can")

Edge-Rezz: Vibes

Freaks-Surf Curse: Again, confronting feelings when loving someone, but not in such a painful as Kokoronashi ("I need a place to stay where I can cover up my face" "Don't cry, I'm just a freak")

Little Bit-Lykke Li: Vibes

6up 5oh Cop-Out (Pro/Con)-Will Wood and the Tapeworms: Vibes

PHONKY TOWN-PlayaPhonk: Vibes

I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE-Måneskin: Freaky time. He would absolutely love this song, definitely his type of thing ("You could be the beauty and I could be the monster" "I wanna touch your body so fucking electric" "I wanna make you hungry, then I wanna feed you")

#BrooklynBloodPop!-SyKo: Vibes

A Cold Freezin' Night-The Books: Vibes

A Pearl-Mitski: My most favorite song to associate with Niragi. Represents his evolution as a character. Creating an scenario where he is loved by someone,he rejects it at first, acting tough ("I don't want your touch") and then proceeds to explain why ("It's just that I fell in love with a war, nobody told me it ended" "it left a pearl in my hand and I roll it around every night just to watch it glow") the war being the borderlands and his new personality, he loved it, but nobody drew a line and it's getting out of hand. The pearl is the feeling of power, the one he has to remember when feeling weak just to feel something. At the end of the song it changes to ("Sorry I can't take your touch"), realizing that he wants love, but he's not able to take it or else he'll become the Niragi from the past

Problematic-Bo Burnham: Him acknowledging his problematic actions but not wanting to apologize because he doesn't feel the need to. He knows he's done bad things but he is going to laugh at it and be a sarcastic mf about it

First Love/Late Spring-Mitski: Similar to Kokoronashi, he wouldn't be able to accept love and how it makes him feel. He would think that he prefers for everyone to hate him and be lonely instead of sacrificing his tougher side. Also talks about how he's grown way too quickly for him to understand feelings properly ("So please hurry leave me, I can't breathe, please don't say you love me" "One word from you and I would jump out of this ledge I'm on baby" "I was so young when I behaved 25, yet now I find I've grown into a tough child"

The Other Side Of Paradise-Glass Animals: Vibes

Bodybag-Chloe Moriondo: How I feel about liking his character, confronting feelings basically ("Don't know if I hate you or if I wanna date you" "I don't wanna like you, I just wanna tie you up, then keep you in a cage and watch you sleep for ages"

Get Into It (Yuh)-Doja Cat: Vibes

Psycho Killer-2005 Remaster- Talking Heads: Vibes

HOT DEMON B!TCHES NEAR U!!!-CORPSE, Night Lovell: Vibes

INFERNO-Sub Urban, Bella Poarch: Again, another song that describes him pretty well ("Baby I'm the reason why hell's so hot" "Terribly like terrible, she's a villain" "Think I'm getting butterflies but it's really something telling me to run away")

Bad Morning-Omori: Vibes

Trouble Brewing: Vibes

Dueles Tan Bien-Bruses: Another song about my confronting feelings with this man ("You know what? You taste better than alcohol to me. You know that and you've got control" "Because you hurt, and you hurt so good that I don't know what to do")

And that's it!! This took me the whole day to write but it makes me very happy to be able to share it :)

I've you've read the entire thing, hope you enjoyed the character analysis! ლ(◞‿◟ლ)

#Spotify #imawa no kuni no alice #alice in borderland #alice in borderland netflix #niragi #niragi suguru #suguru niragi #character playlist #aib niragi #aib #overanalyzing niragi is my favorite hobby

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ofmythsandmadness · 4 years

Text

MY THOUGHTS ON TUA SEASON TWO: PART TWO (spoilers)

So...I finished season two.

I’m putting ALL my thoughts under the tab so please, don’t click unless you’ve seen it all, and/or you just....like don’t care about spoilers? But please if you’ve not watched it, watch it first ‘cause it deserves all the hype and attention.

You can read part one to this here.

FIVE HARGREEVES…

I deadass thought he was gonna die.

I thought throughout the entire show that he was going to die, and ESPECIALLY at the end, I thought that was it. I guess I’m glad though that he didn’t die of course. But I was convinced, and glad he didn’t and that there was no shock-value death of a major character.

(though like maybe one of them should have gotten hit by a bullet in one of those final scenes?? I mean….there were bullets EVERYWHERE. By SO many guns. How did they miss every time????)

Aiden Gallagher did a terrific job with the character. I don’t agree with the things he personally has done but I am convinced on his acting abilities, I mean JEEZ. He sold the act and alongside Diego/David Casteneda, was really one of the best actors on the show. I am thoroughly impressed. I didn’t really like him much in Season One, but he’s sold the role to me now and I’m very impressed.

That being said... I kinda hated Five. That’s it. I liked him in general but some parts, I was so pissed off and just didn’t like. He was an asshole and I know he IS an asshole but it was beyond just being a grumpy old pisspot. And I don’t know really how to feel, because I know being 45 years alone and lost and then becoming the world’s best assassin or whatever will fuck your head up, so it makes sense. I just think there were points where he lost most of his humanity, and then he’d flip-flop back to a more caring being. I sort of just wished there was a clear definition to all of his thoughts and emotions on it all.

But at the same time his character makes sense so I don’t know how to feel??? Maybe I’m just pissed on how he treated Diego and shit. But I’m very very glad he’s not dead!!

ALLISON HARGREEVES…

Okay, I thought she was REALLY dead in that scene. You know the one I’m talking about.

Holy shit.

I was so scared. And also it was so sudden (and a little cool admittedly how Lila just threw it back at her like that - HOW DO I WORD thAT NON-SEXUALLY) and I was so fucking worried they’d kill her off, because I find sometimes her character comes off a little disposable. Not because I want her gone, more that the show finds her an afterthought and pushes her with someone or ‘silences’ her.

But overall I loved her storyline. I didn’t know if I’d like her just being married, it felt again like an afterthought and she was being pushed to be with someone, but the civil rights movement plot was really well done, in my eyes. I loved too the agony of having such impressive powers, but scared of the effects of doing so and also not wanting to be the person she was before. I felt for her and I was so impressed with her separating herself from her past, trying to push away from being the one who had it all and trying to be her own self. I think that this season did that really well, with all the characters and finding themselves, and I just...I want her to be happy, and successful and I want to see her find a way to use her powers without causing pain to herself or others.

And not be with Luther. Please, anyone who can do a thing about it reading this, do not make her and Luther a thing.

(also - emmy raver lampman is in general so goddamn talented and beautiful and i wish her the best. i just heard her rendition of satisfied and me oh my, that gal deserves so much more love, i hope this show catapults her career even more forward)

VANYA HARGREEVES…

Literally invented cottagecore.

Also, I love her.

I was so impressed with the way they handled her queer storyline. I was so worried about it, admittedly because television shows have a history of handing out stereotypical plotlines and not caring about the depth of them but dear FUCKING heavens, I loved this one. I cried like a baby, and yet I was left almost happy, at the end? Not happy, because they’re apart and Sissy’s stuck in a world that she can’t be herself in, but there was a beautiful bittersweetness that I adored about it. And it was realistic, and they didn’t just follow a trope and leave it there to wither up and die.

Vanya was adorable in this season and while I normally hate the amnesiac storyline, I think it’s an easy way out, I liked it here! Because yeah it was I guess an ‘easy way out’, but it worked and it made Vanya be able to be here and actually start over. I didn’t want to see her so burdened with who she had been and who she was forced to be, I wanted to see her smile and dance and love her siblings and she could and I couldn’t be happier. I mean, when she was just saying how she loved her family and her family was amazing...obviously it’s funny cause the family’s so messed up, but she meant it and I just want so much good for her.

I just love how they naturally developed the idea of the Hargreeves genuinely liking each other. This season really brought them together but unlike the first, it wasn’t necessarily because they had to, but because they wanted to. And I think Vanya did that for them.

Basically...I don’t know how to put it all into words without making this a 70-page thesis essay. But I love her and want the best for her.

(side note - I really also was impressed with Harlan. I was scared that somehow they were going to do something stupid with him, but he was adorable and I loved him. his character made me tear up a little, too. as someone who has close family with severe autism, it’s rare to see a show that doesn’t make an upsetting and non-accurate portrayal out of someone on the spectrum. but he was so precious and smart and good and Sissy loved him and dammit, I would die for that little family)

I’m ALSO curious if Vanya’s gonna visit Sissy ever? I mean I thought she would have at the end but obviously the cliffhanger didn’t leave room for that...idk know though because I think with multiverse theories and whatnot, she wouldn’t even know her but...eh.

KLAUS HARGREEVES…

I don’t actually have much to say on him, which is shocking because in Season One, I could have written a whole book on his character. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love him! He’s still one of my favourites, and I wish I could just take away his pain because that boy deserves at least a kernel of good in his life. But truly, there’s just not much I know to say about him??

The scene in the restaurant with Dave and his uncle though hurt. What hurt more though was his nonchalant nature about it, because he’s been through that so many times and he almost expected it, which hurt. It’s expected and I knew he couldn’t just waltz up to Dave and confess his love and they’d be dandy, but as a queer person, it was a punch to the heart just watching him go through that.

I just want him to be happy someday, and bond with his siblings because there’s a deep sadness that lurks with Klaus, and maybe it’s from the actor too but there’s a melancholy that I relate to, which I hate because that melancholy is a heavy burden to carry. A worthlessness, and a deep depression that he’s seemed to have fallen into that’s a bitch to climb out of and I’m scared that he won’t be able to. He covers it up in funny gestures and vices but it’s still destroying him. Even the cult - he lacks any real love and he finds it in meaningless places, never remembering their names or anything about them and coming off as an asshole when really, he’s just looking for someone who truly cares about him, who he is on the inside and listens to him without yknow, becoming brainwashed and treating him like a god.

I’m interested to see where the show takes his character.

BEN HARGREEVES…

This show really said fuck my feelings on this one, huh???

EPISODE NINE MADE ME SO NUMB AND SAD AND JUST - FUCK.

I cried so hard when he got to save the day. He finally could do more than just follow Klaus around, and he finally got to be more than their dead brother. For so long, Ben was just an idea, a memory and I can only imagine the pain of having to deal with that. They touch on it in the show but it’s so much deeper than just being alone with only Klaus to talk to - I mean Ben was literally nothing, to any of the others, aside from being their dead brother. And when he finally got to save them, and save Vanya and fucking HUG HER AS HE PASSES ON TO THE AFTERLIFE….when I tell you I sobbed....

And his hug with Diego, how HAPPY they both were….the way that they both just….:’((

And that scene with young Klaus and Ben....Netflix when I said I wanted more Ben content I don’t know if I meant THIS.

At the same time...it was beautiful and bittersweet because he was happy, almost, moving on to his next life. He was able to do what he needed to and move on and that was beautiful. And, he got to say goodbye to at least some of his siblings, and so I can’t truly be sad about his passing. Even though it made me sob like a newborn babe.

But also...what the fuck was that ending?

And by that I mean, who the fuck signed off on that stupid lil’ haircut??? HUH???? WHY DID HE LOOK LIKE HE WAS WEARING FUCKING FAKE BANG-CLIPONS AOIHWGOIHWOIWHOIGWH

IN CONCLUSION. Fuck Reginald Hargreeves and also just FUCK.

In conclusion, I really loved this season. It ended happier than I expected and that makes me happy, so much more happy then I thought I would have been. TUA has been one of my favourite shows, and I’ve over the past while waiting for S2, developed several strong loves for these characters. More than I’ve ever cared about others. And for the most part, they were given the justice I hoped they would be.

Overall, I am happy. And I hope we get season three, almost entirely just so I can figure out if Ben Hargreeves is wearing fake-bang clip ons or not. And also...like for everything else.

Also, what the fuck is a Sparrow Academy? Whomst??? And where’s miss Lila?? And are they technically related and if so HUH?? And also...no rights to Mr Reginald.

This is such a messy summary, lmao.

But let me know what you think! I’m going to rewatch it soon, probably tonight and I’m so excited to fall even more in love with it. (and them)

#tua #tua spoilers #the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy spoilers #diego hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #ben hargreeves #allison hargreeves #luther hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #lila pitts #raymond chestnut #umbrella academy

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k-s-morgan · 4 years

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Love your tomarry fics. I also follow your thoughts on Merlin, and I was inspired by your posts to jump on the Hannibal wagon. I liked it, it's weird and beautiful but I am still confused with the characters. Which moment did Will decide to support Hannibal in season 2 is blurry to me, he was playing along nicely I seem to be missing which moment did he honestly like/love Hannibal ! Will seemed to be angry and hating Hannibal is all I got :( Season 3 last scene was the only exception.

Part 2 of the question. I have also huge doubts about several things. Does Hannibal really 'love' Will in any capacity ? If yes then why did he abuse him relentlessly ? Does Will love him - He tries to catch him in s-2 but fails because he becomes disoriented when Abigail shows up. Then tries to kill him and finally gets married, Will seemed to love his wife and child a lot, then suddenly at the end he embraces Hannibal.

Final question - minor doubts. What meat did Will bring to Hannibal ? Because Freddie was later not-dead :D ! How did Hannibal not recognise the meat as not-human ? I think it's a plothole. Once I watched the series I ended up shipping Alana with Will, the two kindred souls.

---------------------------

Hello! Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed my story, and it’s great that you decided to watch this show)) That said, I do think you need to watch it again! It’s a complex one, and many people realize its nuances only after several re-watches.

Will never hated Hannibal. Even in the first half of S2, when he was feeling betrayed and thought Hannibal doesn’t care about him, he couldn’t bring himself to feel hatred. He says as much to Peter in E8, admitting that he envies him his hate because killing Hannibal would have been much easier if he hated him. Hannibal is the only person who understands Will. You mentioned Alana, but she and Will are absolutely incompatible. Will craves normalcy, but he isn’t a normal person, and his feelings for Alana were only ever superficial, considering how he acts toward her and how he doesn’t give a damn about her at all in S3, easily risking her life. Alana was a socially acceptable potential partner, but she didn’t have what Will needed: darkness, the ability to understand it, and willingness to accept it in Will.

When Will is released from prison, he makes a plan to entrap Hannibal, but he’s drawn to him more and more. He’s genuine in most of their discussions, such as the ones about their loneliness, Will’s love for murder, darkness as a concept, etc. Will doesn’t take chances to arrest Hannibal when he can because he enjoys being with him too much. He set him up to be killed by Mason, but when his death became the real possibility, he changed his mind and saved him. Then he covered for him by lying to Jack - they agreed Will would arrest Hannibal when he tried to kill Mason, but Will did and said nothing. Will fully chose Hannibal in S2 finale when he called him. This is how he explains it later:

Will: I wasn’t decided when I called him. I just called him. I decided when I heard his voice. I told him to leave because I wanted him to run. Because he was my friend... and because I wanted to run away with him.

So, Will didn’t become disoriented after seeing Abigail. He already chose Hannibal and he wanted him to leave. He rushed to his house and took out a gun after hearing Jack is inside - he never pointed it at him. He directly tells Hannibal:

Will: You were supposed to leave!

Will chose Hannibal but it was too late, and he got his heart broken just like he broke Hannibal’s. He also dreams about murdering Jack with Hannibal as the version of his perfect world. Will has always been a closeted killer, and Hannibal gives him the freedom to be who he is. Will admits it further in S3:

Will: I’ve never known myself as well as I know myself when I’m with him.

In E2 of S3, Will keeps talking to himself about how much he wants to go to Hannibal still, how he shouldn’t have lied to him, and how they should have left together. He forgives him, he appreciates his gift (a Valentine heart), and he’s trying to find him. This episode is a huge love confession from Will to Hannibal. His attitude begins to change only after he meets Chiyoh and Bedelia, thinking he has been replaced and getting bitter and angry again.

I’m curious, in what scenes did you feel like Will loved Molly and Walter? Because his marriage is deliberately shown as weak. He and Molly share about two nice scenes where they are smiling and laughing, but other than that, there is no closeness. Will doesn’t go fishing with them, even though he loves it and dreamed of doing it with Abigail; he doesn’t return Molly’s “I love you”; he doesn’t initiate physical contact with her, which is a contrast to his behavior toward Hannibal, and he leaves her at the first opportunity. We know he never told her the truth about who he is - she easily jokes about him having the criminal mind, having no idea how dark and dangerous this topic is for Will, who delights in murder and who killed, mutilated, and ate people (bringing and cooking the meat of one of them with Hannibal willingly). He reunites with Hannibal at the first chance and he leaves Molly and Walter after the attack, concentrating on his feelings for Hannibal instead. He plots with Francis, who tried to kill Molly and Walter, and leaks information about the transfer to him, setting loose two dangerous killers at once - killers who targeted his family. It’s not something Will cares about, which proves how cold and self-centered he usually is. Molly and Walter come from nowhere (we have no idea how they met, how their relationship developed, etc.) and they disappear when their use runs out.

Hannibal loves Will with all his heart. He sacrifices his reputation, freedom, and life for him. He didn’t abuse him, although his S1 behavior may indeed be seen as such. From the start, Hannibal’s intention was to help Will Become, accepting his real self. He used his illness in S1 to blur his self-control and make him understand who he is. Starting with S2, when Will’s aware of everything, Hannibal is the one being manipulated. He’s loyal to Will - the only times he hurts him happen after Will hurts him first, like in S2 finale or in E6 of S3. Their relationship is mutually violent. But Hannibal learns from his mistakes sooner. By E7 of S3, he realizes he doesn’t want to live without Will, so he admits Will’s victory over him and gives himself up, hoping that one day, Will is going to choose him, too. He agrees to his TWOTL plan despite knowing it might involve his death, shields Will from the bullet, and allows him to push them down. He stays with him after they survive and they hunt Bedelia together.

Will brought Hannibal’s Randall’s meat, so it’s not a plot hole. We saw him store his butchered parts in his fridge.

If you’re interested, you can see more about the evolution of Will’s feelings for Hannibal and Hannibal’s love for Will here https://k-s-morgan.tumblr.com/post/618023666166464512/wills-vs-hannibals-ways-of-expressing-love.

Hope that clears up things a bit!

#hannibal #will graham #hannigram

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pynkhues · 4 years

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I’m so excited they renewed, but I’m so scared too. Let’s say we get two more seasons, where do you think the story will go?

I totally get that, anon! Honestly, it’s so hard to predict where this show goes / is going. It’s certainly a show that loves to surprise its audience (for better and for worse), but it’s also a show that likes to unpack characters in ways that are ugly and human and often unflattering too. I think we see that particularly with characters like Beth and Annie, but with minor characters too like Nancy and Max.

So yeah! I don’t know is probably the short answer, haha. I’m buckled in for the ride though, whatever that might look like!

But if I had to make predictions, well.

Behind a cut to save your feeds!

On the Homefront

- So first thing’s first, I do actually think we’re going to get our Beth x Dean divorce. The post s3 interviews with Jenna in particular certainly seemed to point that way to me (albeit Bill’s quotes less so), but – and this is purely speculation – I think there might be some uncertainty in the writers room right now on what that looks like and how to handle it?

All the precursors are there on screen for us. The writers are constantly telling us that anything romantic or intimate between Beth and Dean is done, but I think there’s anguish in that process on a writing front of how to keep Dean around in a way that makes narrative sense. Matthew’s a lead, and seems to be pretty beloved on set. They’re not going to push him sideways like Greg, and I think really since 1.08 the show’s been curious to explore how Dean can operate in the crime world.

He’s actually been complicit since s1 in a way Stan wasn’t until he stole the pen cap in 2.01 and Greg still isn’t, and this has been used a few times over in a lot of different capacities – mostly in a black humour way i.e. Rio practically cuckolding him with Boland Motors, the baby hitmen, and the scene where Dean tries to get a gun in 3.04 – but also in ways that have played with Dean’s privilege as a straight white man, and shown him to be naturally underhanded (moving the botox for Beth way back in 1.08 immediately springs to mind).

I think the writers are overall interested in exploring that further – that certainly seems to be what they’re going with with Boland Bubbles – and I actually think it’s also important in the sense of a divorce. Right now, nothing’s stopping Dean from pulling a 2.08/2.09 and taking the kids. If he’s involved in crime though too? That actually gives Beth a leg to stand on.

- I think Stan and Ruby are going to continue to be the show’s OTP, and in the domestic sense I think that their storyworld will be expanded particularly through Stan’s parents, in a similar way to how the show’s used Judith. We know Ruby’s father’s dead from 2.08, and I feel like it’s implied that her mother is too, and that she doesn’t have much of a relationship with her brothers. Stan’s parents though have been mentioned a lot (in fact, more than any of the girls’ parents, and almost as much as Dean’s), across both s2 and s3, and I feel like it’s building to us eventually meeting them.

How this happens, I’m not sure! It could be through one of them passing, through Sara getting sick again, or even through something smaller like them just moving closer. I do think it’s going to have really big ramifications for the Hill family overall though – particularly as Stan and Ruby have found this sort of equilibrium with their morality and where they stand now. I also can’t see it not tying into Stan leaving the police force too.

- As for Annie, after s3, I really think she’ll be the one to try and properly leave crime. I’m not sure if she’ll be successful, but I do think her growth arc will continue, and that it’ll likely continue to be one step forward, two steps back, but hopefully, eventually transition to two steps forward, one step back, y’know?

Even in the early days of this season though, I think the show was demonstrating that Annie didn’t have the same interest in crime as Beth, nor the same desperate need for it as Ruby. Annie likes the rewards of it, and she likes the feeling of success with it, and that immediately transferred to non-criminal activities aka the EMT work. I think that’ll continue to be the focus of her journey, which I think will only be making her inevitable sideways slide into crime all the more painful for us as an audience as it continues.

Crime time

I think that we were about to be easing into a bit of a success period for the girls (*me, sobbing* please, haha), and that from what Jenna and Bill both said in the s3 finale interviews, something was about to be bringing Beth and Rio closer again, not tearing them further apart.

As much as I’d love for Beth and Rio to be proper partners in crime, I don’t think that’s somewhere the show will settle on. I think they’re really going to be on and off – I think they’ll be shady partners and true partners, enemies, lovers, reluctant accomplices – all of it. I think though that the show is invested in Beth having an operation outside of Rio, and it’s something I think will be built to over and over again until it sticks. I just also think circumstance will constantly push the two of them together again too.

And I actually think the girls have a few game flips in them. I think we’ll probably always narratively circle back to funny money, but that other business opportunities will be explored beyond that (and beyond prescription pills). I think the show’s more and more easing into Ruby’s criminal capacity too – particularly this season with both the nail polish and the hockey jersey – and I think we’ll see her become a true crime partner to Beth, and probably end up with her own hustles with Stan too.

Otherwise, I guess I just really see the crime world expanding, y’know? Through Rio’s networks and beyond, but also through Dean and Stan’s deepening involvement, and honestly – I feel like Greg and Nancy might end up entangled in a scheme or two too? I don’t know!

Beth and Rio

And haha, I’m sure this is what most people want to know.

I do think Beth and Rio will be intimate again. I don’t think I ever see them pursuing a conventional relationship on the show, but I think there’ll be something, and I think it’ll be more than what it was in s2. I think a lot of that will tie into their ever-shifting dynamic more broadly too.

And look – I don’t think they’re endgame. I think Beth’s endgame has always been Beth x herself (or, well, Beth x Ruby x Annie), but I actually do think the show will keep it open as to what Beth and Rio can be in the future. Realistically, the worst thing that could happen between them – y’know, the multiple attempts to murder each other – has happened now, and hell, if they’ve been able to bounce back from that, I think they’ll keep bouncing back, y’know?

But this is all pretty broad, haha. What do you guys think? Do you have any theories?

#gg season 3 #gg season 4 #speculation #nbc good girls #beth boland #rio #dean boland #ruby hill #stan hill #annie marks #greg #nancy #crime time #welcome to my ama #Anonymous

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justinstolemybike · 5 years

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sigh. season 3. here we are.

i watched the first five episodes and... i felt so uncomfortable. it was bad. not all bad but... pretty bad. so bad, that it wasn’t enjoyable for me and i didn’t care to watch it all the way through, so i read other spoilers and i am not sure if i will watch the final season. but with it being said that i did not watch the whole thing, this can’t be a full review. so, here comes my first glance. spoilers obviously.

instead of weaknesses and highlights, lets just say likes and dislikes. likes first.

LIKES

- tyler’s storyline. last season, i was skeptical of how they would handle his rape and emotions about it, but i am relieved they gave his character proper care and devin druid did a magnificent job. my only gripe is that i wish they had him do something other than boxing to channel his anger. like, i understand why he would be learning self defense but i would like to see him do something less violent??

- jessica’s reclaiming of her body. at first the whole intro to the sex toys was weird but it actually was really touching (no pun intended) to see jessica begin to love her body and love sex again after what she’s been through. also, female masturbation is so underrated. nice to see it encouraged. know your bodies, ladies.

- the classic jensen tour. i’m surprised they still allow him to do the tours. like, none of the exchange students from the last time reported him? oh.

- chloe and the abortion. as a character, i don’t care for chloe, i’m sorry. she’s not a character to me, just a plot device. also, she gets no cookies for lying for bryce in the trials (i know abusers and victims have a twisted dynamic and that’s why that happened but nah chief) but i do like how they showed that some pro-life clinics will mask as abortion clinics and manipulate women into coming and trying to get them to keep their babies. totally real and fucked up.

- bryce was held socially accountable (kind of) and i think that makes an interesting point about rape culture. in the real world, jail doesn’t scare men in power because they can buy their way out. they don’t care about women and what they feel, obviously. what’ll really fuck sexual assaulters up is when they have no friends and no one likes them. that’s what they (kind of) showed with bryce this season. and he died which, yes fucking rad awesome wow.

- i know that justin also had a kind of darker storyline (with seth, i think? you can tell me if i’m wrong but don’t be rude) but he was a lot of the comic relief it appears and brandon flynn was great at it.

- alex and jessica broke up. hallelujah.

- justin is a abuse survivor. makes sense with his background.

- monty died too AND went to jail. cool amazing beautiful.

- tony is still ferociously loyal and apparently there was a scene where clay and tony said they loved each other. rise clony. rise up from the ashes.

- “i write fanfiction” - clay jensen.

DISLIKES

-ani. ani, ani, ani. i can understand why people find her annoying and she was probably the biggest reason i was uncomfortable watching but i didn’t hate her. she just... didn’t make sense. the things she did,the things she said, how she was involved and everyone just takes to her and loves her immediately, no questions asked, no buildup necessary... none of it felt natural or believable. a new girl comes in and it’s just a coincidence that clay gives her a tour and she decides to go up to jessica and says shes amazing and lives in bryce’s house and connects herself to the house of horrors that is the tape club (which was so dumb on the tape club’s part by the way, as she could have snitched and destroyed them all) instead of just finishing out her high school career in peace considering she moves around a lot and she starts college in a year and half and probably won’t talk to any of them after that. no, she’d rather potentially go to jail for a bunch of fucking strangers and criminals and rapists. sure, okay.

and for someone who just fucking got there to basically insert themselves in the traumas of these kids and make things worse in some respects and do some fucking shitty things (not listening or caring when she heard about bryce being a GODDAMN RAPIST, accusing jessica of SLEEPING WITH HER RAPIST, accusing clay of being the killer, yelling about chloe’s pregnancy in the street, the list probably gets longer) and think they’re allowed to pass judgment when THEY JUST FUCKING GOT THERE. LIKE, WHY IS SHE SO INVESTED? WHAT DOG DOES SHE HAVE IN THIS FIGHT? DOESN’T SHE NEED TO STUDY OR SOMETHING? WHY IS THIS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE SHE HAS GOING ON IN HER LIFE?

now, i get what the show was trying to do here. they wanted another, fresh perspective/narrator and i guess a love interest for clay (a wayyyy too convenient love interest, ‘she loves robots and drawing and not minding her business too! swoon!). but they could’ve had both of those things without adding someone to the payroll. honestly, i don’t think they needed a narrator at all but if they really wanted one, they could’ve added an ACTUAL ADULT detective, with no biases so they can be completely reliable to the audience and their investment would be justified. for love interest, yall already know how much i love and miss sheri. she could check clay without sounding patronizing and had chemistry with him and actual nice, romantic history. she could have been his second cop and they could have reconnected and become a couple and... we could’ve had it all, rolling in the deeeppp.

it’s like with ani, the show wanted to kill two birds with one stone but they missed them both and i think the backlash on her character says it all. i’d just like to remind everyone to give the actress who plays ani respect and courtesy because it’s not her fault.

- was it just me, or does it seem like the tape club has learned nothing from what they went through? they’re still keeping secrets and trying to hide shit and keep it all inside and i’m like..... but.... this behavior is what got ya’ll fucked up in the first place? and i totally understand it’s about protection and whatever but.... it also feels like an excuse to not be held accountable for wrong doing. like, alex killed bryce. although he had all the reasons to do it and i’m glad he’s dead, he killed someone fam. that’s not okay. and his dad is wrapped up and it’s just... i just... i dont know. then, there was the whole “let’s not tell on tyler so he doesn’t go to jail” thing and i have mixed feelings about that. i think they should’ve turned him in and got clay’s mom to rep him for rehabilitation and therapy instead of a jail sentence. they’re hiding the guns and trying to trust tyler and luckily that worked, but how long? what if someone fucks with him again and it’s too much for them to help him with?

- speaking of help, clay needs it. oh my god, does that boy need it. they were so focused on getting tyler professional help but, clay’s out here putting guns to his head and having night terrors. he needs therapy more than anyone. honestly, what i would have liked to see, wayyy back in s2, is as soon as justin saw that, he wouldve went to clay’s parents and got him back on his meds and seeing a counselor. he’s been through so much trauma and guilt and he’s tired of his own fucking hero complex. it’s enough man.

- they tried to have their cake and eat it too when it came to clay stopping tyler from shooting up the school. they tried to be like, clay shouldn’t have done that but oh, he was so brave and what a great guy he is for doing that. no, that doesn’t work. clay should not have confronted tyler in that situation. period.

- zach was disappointing because i agreed wholeheartedly when he said that they should have called the cops but... he didn’t. he was blaming them for letting tyler go free but he was too. damn, zach.

- it’s like they give clay a new lackey every season and.... ok, i guess.

- i also thought it was kind of weird that after everything they’ve been through, they still walk on eggshells with each other? like i guess because now we’re dealing with murder but... i would think they would trust and care for each other a lot more than to accuse each other and spy and interrogate and not just simply ask... like... this season made me not understand the tape club’s relationship. like are they friends? allies? allies trying to be friends? friends out of necessity? do they know?

- bryce does not deserve to be humanized. that’s all.

- monty does not deserve to be humanized. that’s all. also, it’s so disappointingly predictable that he’s closeted.

- the new characters (ani, caleb, chloe, winston, cyrus ) i still don’t care about. plot devices, all.

i may edit and retract some things, should i decide to watch all the way but i’m tired.

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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

Text

December 23: 1x29 Operation Annihilate!

I’m very tired but at least I’m done with work for the year! Now to...set about furiously writing because I’m behind on like 3 different events, including, most egregiously, Chopped. Woah well. Here are some thoughts on the FINAL EPISODE of TOS season 1.

This ep isn’t messing around with the drama. Very first scene involves chasing a ship that’s flying into the sun.

Sam! I have a lot of Kirk brother feels even though tbqh they’re entirely about a relationship made up in my head. Like, there’s not really a lot of canonical Kirk brothers content, in either TOS or AOS (okay, nothing in AOS...technically...) but in my head it’s like this whole Thing and I’m obsessed.

This is one of the most beautiful planets in the galaxy I guess? Looks a lot like generic California to me. Cool architecture though.

I think I missed the explanation of what this planet does lol.

Sam is a research biologist.

His wife has such a weird name that I sometimes think of her as an alien but I guess they are all human. Less interesting lol. She might become an alien in HAICG but probably not.

All the people are in their homes, hiding out. I know this is to save money on extras, and then in-universe I guess because people hide from that which scares them, even when that’s pointless, but all I could think was “they’re self-isolating.”

Kirk and co. go to Sam’s lab to find him, but his whole family is there... do they... live in the lab?

We finally meet Sam...and he’s already dead. So bitter about this.

I remember a specific close up of just Sam’s face where it’s super obvious it’s Shatner with a mustache but this seems subtler... has it been edited, or am I mis-remembering?

Spock doesn’t know what to say. Does he really “understand” lol? He wants to be comforting though.

Guess Aurelan calls him Sam too. Thought that was only Jim.

I remember someone on tumblr pointing out that Jim beams down to the top of the stairs just so he can walk down them dramatically and now I can’t unsee it.

I’ve also heard people make fun of the aliens but I legit think they are alien looking and scary and gross. “It’s not life as we know or understand it.”

Been a while since we saw Christine and here she is.

“Spock’s readings are strange... even for him, which is saying something!”

“If you can’t do this, get another nurse!” What other nurse lol? This whole ship has a medical staff of 2.

“His body’s full of tentacles.” That is legitimately disgusting.

This is a very bad day for Kirk.

Spock’s on the loose, we must catch him--oh how convenient, he is here on the bridge!

Must...pinch... Captain...

“I apologize for that mutiny attempt back there. We’re all good now.” And miraculously, he actually is.

I HAVE MY OWN WILL. LET ME HELP. Interesting phrase there!

The needs of the few do outweigh the needs of the many. He MUST save Spock. And his nephew.

Is Spock, uh, hypnotizing himself? I don’t know if I believe that Vulcans can just stop themselves from feeling any pain.

“I was confined to sick bay. I unconfined myself.” He is really determined to run this errand. This needs to be the attitude I take toward my errands.

Bad ass Scotty. “Captain, your space husband is trying to escape.”

Kirk is so in love. “Your logic, as usual, is inescapable.”

McCoy just wants his patients to stay put.

I love when McCoy just randomly examines people.

“Your affection for Spock.” That’s one way to put it.

I feel like it took them way too long to figure out that the sun produces light. “What are the properties of the sun?” / “It exists.” Starfleet’s finest minds, everyone.

These creatures are sort of...like vampires. In a way.

Cool specs. I want a pair of those (prescription).

“The best first officer in the Fleet!”

“I am also quite blind.” What a drama queen. He knew he was blind already, obviously, he just needed to bump into something and make a big production out of announcing it.

And then literally seconds after blinding Spock, the tests they were ALREADY RUNNING come back and they realize that they never needed to use the blinding light. Like... I appreciate the drama but omg you dumbasses. And you call yourselves men of science. It wasn’t even like they hadn’t thought to do the tests. They were doing them!

Jim’s mad now.

Ew, gross, disintegrating vampire creatures. Clean up is going to suck.

I feel McCoy’s grumpiness about the weird eye thing lol. Unexpected...optic nerve...thing. Except actually it’s the eyelid? Developed to respond to “the brightness of the Vulcan sun”? That Spock just FORGOT he had? Very suspicious. I suspect more manufactured drama.

Uhura’s really enjoying this banter.

YOU FORGOT ABOUT HIS VULCAN EARS.

This whole last scene is so good. If you’re going to go on hiatus for 6 months, this is the way to do it.

I legitimately love this episode. Yes, there were moments when Kirk and friends were kind of dumb: taking forever to think about light (not buying McCoy’s line about how “light isn’t harmful” because first of all, there are nocturnal creatures on Earth so the idea that a living being might not like the sun isn’t weird, and second, even if it WERE weird, these are ALIENS so--think more broadly!); and being so quick to test out the light on Spock (while the results from the first test were still ongoing!) but I’ll forgive them that. Everyone has blind spots. Even very smart people can get caught up and not think about stuff that seems obvious as soon as they realize it. Plus, with the tests on Spock in particular, I can see how the urgency of the situation, the excitement of coming up with a potential solution, Spock’s desire to be free of the pain and also to be Dramatic again, and Kirk’s general commanding presence, might have all combined to lead them to jump the gun.

Also they totally forgot about Peter by the end lol. I mean we assume he got the same light treatment that Spock and the planet did but he’s also an orphan so...where does he go lol?

But other than that, pretty perfect episode! Got some good K/S moments. Some Kirk family stuff, even if it’s not a big element and also probably superfluous given that Spock being injured gives Kirk exactly the same personal stake as a family member being injured does. GREAT alien: I’m always here for any ep that can reasonably sneak in an “it’s not life as we know it” line. I like that they’re one giant organism, but spread out over a great distance; they’re using people for their bodies, to build ships and basically be their colonizers for them; they infect people in a gross and scary way; they’re defeated in an unusual manner. Basically, a great combination of Alien, as in unusual, and frightening.

And it’s a PERFECT triumvirate episode. A lot of focus on all three, and on their strengths. A philosophical problem that puts the difference between Spock (we must destroy the comparatively few to protect the many) and McCoy (we cannot kill that many people for any reason) into stark contrast, and then sets up Kirk as the fulcrum between them (we’re not killing anyone, now or later, just find my a solution--that great combo of optimistic and commanding). Kirk gets a special spotlight appropriate for him as Captain: he has to make these big decisions that could lead to a million deaths, while also thinking about the people important to him. Spock gets a spotlight that emphasizes his Vulcan nature. Mccoy gets a spotlight that emphasizes his role as doctor. They all get to interact together in a way that shows their real affection for each other. There are great moments like them all squashed in the doorway, or when Spock is blinded and Mccoy has to hold Kirk back from helping him TOO much. The banter at the end is easily among the top end-scene bridge dialogues of the season. And it’s a good note to end on because it sets up the importance of the triumvirate going to S2.

I am not going to take a 6 month hiatus lol. Next time, probably next week, not really sure, is Amok Time! Truly a wild choice to start out the season.

#the year 2020 #2020: star trek #2020: fandom thoughts #star trek tos

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sometimesrosy · 4 years

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Hey Rosy! Have you heard Marie’s comments about s7 at Dutch Comicon? She said Octavia “finds her peace in a place you’ve never seen her before.” And “you guys are going to see a bunch of different planets.” She also said “I can’t tell you who’s where or what’s what or where’s where, but it’s ugly and it’s crazy because it’s the 100 and no one ever smiles. There’s challenges and there’s wars and there’s stuff. Different circumstances this year.” What do you think is going to happen in s7’s plot?

It’s hard to guess what will happen in the plot because they like their plot twists, so the only thing I can do is think about the storylines that are still open, the narratives that are already being told and need to be finished, and the clues they’ve been dropping.

Becuse, this is, like, the LAST season, so they need to wrap up the storylines they’ve left open. It’s kind of a big challenge because they’ve been working on a LOT of long term storylines, so if they manage to get them all wrapped up next season I will be VERY impressed. I don’t think most tv shows DO manage to tie up all the loose ends. Most shows just kind of drop them over the years? Or don’t present them at all. So let’s see. I think they’re going to do it because they’ve started to resolve things I thought they had dropped.

Bellarke is going to get together romantically. It’s a big narrative, and has been relentlessly getting closer and closer. I know people call me delusional or a clown for still seeing it, but if they weren’t still moving it forward, I’d say they weren’t. They ARE. Season 6 leaves it clear without a doubt. No they don’t go quickly. That’s the way they’re telling it. And that is okay, even if it frustrates the impatient. BUT one of the requirements, every season of The 100, is that Clarke and Bellamy come together in order to reach victory, and every season, what brings them together is a deepening level of love. Actually it’s the most easily predicted outcome for any long term narrative. The others are less certain.

For Clarke herself, she’s been through the ringer. She started out the golden girl, the heroine who was idealistic and determined and full of love for humanity and her people, and as time went on, we found out she was ruthless, sneaky, and determined, and you really wanted her on your side. HOWEVER her heart was broken many times over, she was terribly betrayed, she bore the burden of terrible acts, she lost her belief in humanity and in herself and that there even WAS a right choice or a good guy. But in the last season, she’s recovered some of her belief in humanity, mostly through Bellamy, actually, and has come to learn that love is a strength, not a weakness, so I expect to see her fully coming into her heroic powers as she saves and redeems humanity in season 7.

For Bellamy, he started out at the bottom of the hero pile, being an actual villain in season 1a, and rising, expanding the circle of who he would protect out from Octavia, to his delinquents, to arkers to all of humanity. I believe Bellamy actually completed his hero’s journey in season 5, when he came back from space and did the right thing, saving everyone, spacekru, wonkru, eligius, and thus restoring Clarke’s faith in humanity because HE was good. Right? So that meant for him s6 and 7 need to have a different story, and I speculate that Bellamy has moved on to fulfill his archetypal character trait of “The Heart.” I think the end of the 100 for Bellamy is going to be a romance. He needs to search out that good life lived in love. And we saw it in season 6, as his goal, what/who he needed to save was his soulmate. And it was a dedicated mission that had ONLY Bellamy doing the saving and he used HIS HEART to save her. No guns. No diplomacy. No wars. No distractions. No make it go boom. No delinquents. JUST bellamy, and his hands and heart, because he needed her and couldn’t lose her. See? Bellamy was already the epic hero, now he’s the romantic hero. So that brings me back to Bellarke, because that means getting CLARKE is his goal now for s7. That’s his story. Because in romance stories, the goal is the romance. Clarke’s story may still be to save humanity, but I’m guessing that this is part of the overall story. Clarke saves humanity, Bellamy saves Clarke. Just like Bellamy inspires the masses but Clarke inspires Bellamy. See they trade off who supports whom, and that’s why they are the best.

Octavia will be redeemed. She has to be, because she’s symbolic of humanity itself. That she became evil for a while also fits because humanity is what destroyed the earth. I do not think that JR is writing a grimdark show that says humanity is evil at its root though, because the redemption of Octavia is happening. That was in doubt for me for a while. I thought they’d switched the humanity symbolism to Madi maybe? Or were cheaping out on a martyr sacrifice instead of real redemption. Not after they took away her martyrdom, though. ALSO a slow narrative. It seems like a war is brewing with whoever is in the anomaly, and she may use her warrior skills...BUT it might be important that she DOESN’T??? not sure. She might actually need to use them to better the world. This story DOESN’T say that violence is always the wrong choice, so being peaceful MIGHT not be the answer. Being peaceful has sometimes been the wrong choice in this show. But also, just because you HAVE the power to kill people doesn’t mean you should. So I’m not sure HOW she’s going to manage saving people. But she’s going to care about THEM, not her own power.

Raven will find a way to save everyone with technology. We’ve been talking a bit about her roll on my blog, and it’s highly likely that she might redeem BECCA, as a mirror of Becca’s tech destroying the world and leading to all of this, Raven has learned that it’s not jus getting to the goal that matters, but also HOW you get there. She’s learned ethics and morals. So if Octavia serves as a kind of symbolic salvation of humanity, Raven might be the redemption of technology, cleverness and advancement, as we see her no longer making it go boom, but rather unlocking secrets or creating tools or defense or who knows what? Not sure how this is going to work out. I also think that Raven and Clarke will reconcile, again, not sure how it’s going to work out because I thought it was going to happen through a spacekru story but Raven’s reckoning came through Abby instead, and therefore a kind of symbolic siblinghood with Clarke. I don’t think spacekru will be against Clarke anylonger though, because she was the last holdout and a lot of it was personal issues which she worked through with Abby.

Murphy... now Murphy is a question. We were talking and thinking that maybe HIS growth might be SPIRITUAL in direction. Which would be quite a twist for that s1 villain. But it might be true that he always wanted to be a part of something bigger, he always wanted to belong, to be loved, he also, until s6, was actually able to understand morality the most clearly of anyone, even if he chose to be bad sometimes. Then he had his spiritual reckoning when he died and thought he was going to hell... so we’ve got these questions coming up for him. Now he’s “immortal” and I hear tell that in s7 he’ll be living in the castle and that some of the sanctumites might still worship him. So that’s interesting. If his journey on the show has been a spiritual one, and now he’s being worshipped... he might decide to scam them be, well, leading them as “a god.” Of a type. Which might actually help to settle everything in the village. Oh, yeah. This is an interesting concept. I’ve actually had a long term theory that the 100 is actually a kind of origin story of the “gods” who redeemed humanity. And if we consider that Murphy is (for now) immortal, and he’s such a scammer, and he’s been a witness to Clarke and Bellamy from the beginning...oh holy heck, what if MURPHY is really the narrator of this tale? Oh holy heck. Murphy has taken part in all the storylines except for Mount Weather and Pike. AND he played the role of fleimkepa for a while. Holy Heck. Murphy as religious leader. Possibly god. Religion founder? s1 no god. s2. searching for god (literally on a quest for the city of light.) s3. fake(?) prophet/priest. s4. clarke’s morality (while you were saving them I was saving you,) and his own. s5. needs to be a hero/to be good/sacrifices himself. s6. dies/goes to hell/becomes immortal. s7. holy heck murphy’s found god??? is god??? leads the people to god???

Echo. Echo is Ash. This is important. She also needs to be her own person, who she is. She can’t be the good spy anymore. This is a plot point, not my wishful bellarke thinking. Echo’s story is about independence and identity and finding herself again. This is not a romance story. This is a feminist story of breaking free of the dictates of the past and choosing her own path. She needs to stand on her own two feet and not follow her leader anymore, who is now Bellamy, her boyfriend. Having your boyfriend be your king is already a suspicious dynamic. Ditch him, Echo. First off, you can make your own decisions. Secondly, you need someone you can share your soul with and for some reason it’s not him. (oh right because he’s already given it away and she’s standing right there.) Thirdly, you need to figure out who you are. I think Echo needs to make a choice for herself and it might not be the choice that Bellamy makes. Last season I said she’d choose to stand with the slaves of sanctum over her own people. This might be how it works out in the end, but it would look different because they’ll integrate at least some of the sanctumites into their people. IDK we’ll see.

Madi. IDK. I think that’s part of her story. What is her role now that she’s no longer heda? Child? She’s not just a simple child either.

Emori. Mostly Murphy’s storyline. She steadies him and gives him love. His early redemption started with “I don’t want to die alone.” and she gives him that. (Oh no. What if that means they are going to die... but not alone, together. a possibility.)

Jordan. Not actually my favorite character, but he’s a main, so that says his role will be bigger next season. He’s been brainwashed. So we’ll either have to get him out of it, or he’ll end up being kind of a villain. :(

Biggest mystery. The anomaly, Hope, Diyoza.

The anomaly is a gateway. It leads us to multiple planets. We already knew about those planets, so that makes sense. There are five, I think, of which Alpha is the first. There’s a guy there who made Hope bring Octavia back? Hope is a grown up now but Octavia is still her own age. The anomaly not only messes with space but also with time. I have not given up on our heroes going back in time and back to earth (they have been filming in and around a yellow farmhouse which I have speculated might be Diyoza’s father’s farmhouse where she went to hide from being captured but eventually WAS found in.)

We also know there will be upheaval in Sanctum, not all of the sancumites accepting what happened, Jordan being brainwashed and Murphy and Emori being worshipped as gods. lol. Wonkru is awake unless they put them back to bed and we have some Eligius prisoners awake because we saw the casting. Why wake them? Marie said a war. Are they going to war against whoever stole Octavia? They need them for a war.

I still think it’s about the redemption and salvation of humanity and maybe making up for destroying the earth, either by fixing what they did on earth, or creating a new, non toxic society in the colonies. I am not keen on colonies being the answer, because I think that’s not the answer to redeeming humanity for what they did to earth, but I also wonder if our delinquents might separate and choose different paths. Maybe some go back to earth. 200 years later it might be habitable again. I could see most of the delinquents going to different planets but Clarke and Bellamy going back to earth to see if they can fix it and living in peace, their own adam and eve. It’s a theme we’ve seen used before so it could happen. Also it would give them a The 100 style happy ending like Marper got. idk. I predicted marper’s ending as a possible bellarke ending a while ago... in other words, got the right story but the wrong couple. but marper is a mirror of bellarke so it could still happen.

I have a hard time saying what the plot of s7 will be. They’ve given us less than they ever have before. I got quite a bit from s5 hiatus, and I’m actually still going on things we found out then. I feel like it’s all one story, not two separate stories each season.

#the 100 #series finale #speculation #idk

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 5 years

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Anons wanted an explanation for the placements I had on my previous tier list, but upon going back and looking it over, I realized that I wanted to move a few characters around, so I ended up getting a new template and remaking it.

I wrote little bits about each character [yes, each one] below the cut, but be warned, it’s long.

“I love you so much that I would sell my soul to make sure you’re happy”

Lee Everett: Lee is a goddamn legend. He deserves to be at the very top. He’s one of the best protagonists I’ve ever played as in a game, his backstory is incredibly interesting, and his relationship with and dedication to protecting Clementine never felt forced and is one of the highlights of S1. Even now, having replayed S1 a million times, seeing him get bit and slowly become weaker and weaker as he refuses to give up on Clementine still breaks my salt encased heart. Watching him die in the end never fails to put that lump in my throat. I love him.

AJ: I love this kid. I was so worried that they wouldn’t do him justice when the game was announced and I saw the trailer, but I was floored by just how much I grew to love him. He feels like my kid, my responsibility and I want him to grow up strong and smart, but also human. His voice acting is terrific, and I think he’s one of the best child characters we’ve ever been given in video games. His relationship with Clementine rivals Lee and Clem’s relationship and that’s what I wanted. This kid earned his place at the top.

S4 Clementine: This Clementine is my absolute favorite. While I love all the Clementine’s across the four seasons, I feel like she truly hit her peak in S4. I fucking love her, I’m proud of who she grew up to be, and seeing her journey to this point only solidifies that she’s my favorite. She’s strong and stern, but she has her softer moments with AJ and Louis/Violet, and what else is there really to say? She’s Clementine.

Louis: ....Do I really need to explain this? I mean, c’mon. If you’ve been following me for a long time- shit, if you’ve only been following me for a few minutes, then y’all know how much I love Louis. I can say with 100% certainty that Louis is my favorite non-playable character across all four games. I’ve made numerous posts, answered over a hundred asks, written thousands of words about him. Everything about him from his character design, his personality, his traumas, his voice acting, his expressions, his relationship with Clementine and AJ and Violet and Marlon and everyone- He’s the best. I love him.

Rosie: Rosie is the bestest girl in the world. ‘nuff said.

“I fucking love everything about you.”

S1 Clementine: Alright, before y’all come at me with the whole “Why isn’t little baby Clem SS tier you monster??” let me explain: I adore S1 Clementine. She’s still in S tier, after all. However, after playing through these games several times over again, I realize that this really is just the beginning of Clementine’s character and her growth. She’s lovable, she’s cute, and I want to protect her, but she’s not... a compelling character? She doesn’t fully come into herself and develop a stronger personality until S2. Like I said, I still love her and I can’t deny the impact that she had on the characters and us players, but she’s not my favorite Clementine of the bunch.

S2 Clementine: I fucking love S2 Clementine. I’d actually say that she’s my 2nd favorite Clementine. I give S2 a lot of well-deserved shit, but she is the high point of it all. Something about her character is compelling to me, like how she’s stuck with a bunch of adults who underestimate her yet want her to do everything for them and she just... is so done with it hahaha. But her growth is what it really does it for me. We went from little baby Clementine who whimpered at a small cut on her finger to a Clementine who fucking sews her own arm up, covers herself in walker guts with barely a flinch, can shoot a gun with great accuracy and take down walkers like they ain’t shit, and can survive and make her own decisions. Also, her instant connection with AJ is great. Love it. Love her.

Javier Garcia: Yo, I love this beautiful man. This man is honestly the best part of ANF, and without him it would’ve been such a shitty game. I found his backstory as an ex-professional baseball player booted from the league for gambling a cool concept. He’s hilarious and charming, too. Honestly, he deserved a better game with better, y’know? The only reason he’s not SS tier is because of the writing and his nonsense with Kate when you don’t want to romance her. It makes it seem like he led her on and then was like “Wait nevermind lol” which is annoying, but other than that, he’s great. Love his relationships with most of the characters, and the ending he got was pretty good.

James: I don’t talk about him as much as I should because I find James fucking fascinating. If they ever made a DLC or a mini-game for twdg, I want it to be about James and his journey in finding and joining the whisperers, his relationship with Charlie, and how he escaped them. His views on walkers, his survival and killing skills, his past traumas haunting his every moment for fear that he’ll revert back to what he was, his extreme pacifism that ironically turns violent- just what a cool fucking character. And while he has his wild moments [cave scene, anyone? “Oh ouch!” hahahahahaa] he’s still one of my favorites.

Violet: Oh, Violet. She’s amazing. I love her so damn much. If there’s ever been a character that I see a lot of myself in, it’s her.... which is why I tend to be a little harsh with her sometimes, but I can’t deny that she’s one of the most well-written characters across the whole series. She’s not perfect [both she and Louis do have their tiny inconsistencies that I blame the writing for] but that’s a good thing. And while I don’t ship her and Clementine, I 100% get why a lot of people do. Their relationship is adorable and way more compelling than her previous relationship with Minerva.

“I love you <3″

Carley: My beautiful girlfriend... you were taken away far too soon. Carley’s one of my favorite characters from S1. I wish we could’ve had more time to explore a relationship between her and Lee, but what we did get is enjoyable. She’s a badass, and I will always love the moment she tells Lilly off for being a little bitch, even though it results in her death. Not a day goes by where I’m not salty about that one.

Molly: Molly’s a goddamn badass. She scales buildings like it’s nothing, she named her weapon Helga, and her backstory with Crawford and her sister is terrific. Also, she’s funny and I love her. That’s that.

Omid: This dude was literally a light in S1. He brought us some humor when we needed it [ “...You broke that dude’s face.” ] and his relationship with Christa was so sweet. Also, him and Lee bonding over being history nerds? Yes, please. It’s bullshit that he was killed off two seconds into S2 but hey... S2 had a lot of bullshit in it so... Justice for Omid 2k19.

Luke: *deeeeeeeep inhale* Big Brother Luke did not deserve that bullshit. Literally one of the best characters in S2 and y’all just.... did him dirty like that. And for what? To make room for Kenny and Jane? Bull. Shit. Luke was so damn good, and the only reason he’s not higher is because of what they did to him after ep3. He starts out so kind and supportive and seriously like a big brother character then SUDDENLY he’s stupid and “makes it” with Jane while walkers are trying to eat us and then he gets himself shot and then fucking dies and akjsjdlkjasdkjaslkjasdklerwedascasads-

S3 Clementine: ...So, here’s where y’all will probably get pissed. S3 Clementine is my least favorite of the bunch. Don’t get me wrong, I still love her and she is still in A tier, but... how do I explain it? She’s in her 13-year-old, emo/angsty phase and it’s hilarious when it shouldn’t be. There are moments where I do become emotional for her, like when David takes AJ away and Javi hugs her, or when Gabe dies and she’s saying goodbye, or when she gets her first period, y’know moments like that! BUT... then we have moments where Javi goes to talk to her and she’s all “HAVING PEOPLE IS GREAT AT FIRST BUT EVENTUALLY EVERYONE DIES” or when she straight up shoots that guy who gave her faulty bullets OR WHEN SHE’S LIKE “IMMA KILL ME A LINGARD” AND.......... it’s too much for me! I can’t take her seriously when she’s this angsty, even when I understand why she is the way she is. Again, to reiterate, I still love her but in ranking all four Clementines, she comes in last for me.... and I can already hear the shit that’s gonna be thrown my way haha

Conrad: The most underappreciated character in S3 and it’s nonsense. Don’t come for me, but this dude is my favorite npc in S3. I love Conrad, and I wish we got more of him. He does have his own little arch if you keep him alive through the end. His grief over Francine is heartbreaking and his downward spiral that leads him to act out and threaten Javi, Clem, and Gabe so that he can get his revenge is wonderful. And btw, he does apologize for pulling the gun on them and makes up for it in the future. And y’know what moves him up into A tier? The moment you let him kill Badger. One of the best kills of the game. I prefer it over beating the shit out of Badger myself.

Aasim: This boy is my son, and I’m sorry, but he’s really fucking cool. You’ve got this kid who was sent to Ericson for being a pyromaniac [according to Kent, it’s not actually mentioned in game] and grew into this guy who documents everything so that they’ll have a form of history to look back on and help not repeat mistakes. His banter with Louis is funny, and even though he gets fed up with Louis for not taking anything seriously, he still cares deeply about him given how he reacts when Louis loses his tongue. His crush on Ruby is adorable, too. I just love him, he’s great.

Marlon: Now, originally I put Marlon in a lower tier [the “I like your role in the story” type of tier] but upon reflection I actually find Marlon to be a compelling character. He’s high on the list because of how well he’s portrayed. Marlon has some of the best voice acting across all the games. There isn’t a single moment where I don’t believe what he’s saying, which says something. There are moments where Clementine will say something and I go, “Really? That’s the take they went with? Okay...” but not with Marlon. For only being in ep1, he played his part really fucking well. I won’t defend any of the shit he pulled because it’s awful, but I understand everything he did. He is a coward, a sheep hiding in a wolf’s coat, pretending that he’s got everything under control and putting all the pressure of a leader onto himself and it eventually breaks him. I know they killed him off to further the plot and show how ruthless AJ can be as a child growing up in the world, but I wish he survived past ep1 so that we could really get into the meat of his character. I’ll say it: I love him as fake-friend-to-full-on-antagonistic-character and his role within the story.

Mitch: I fucking love Mitch and the only reason he isn’t in SS tier is because of how goddamn dirty the writers did him. You give me this boy- this butterknife wielding, foul-mouthed, angry, hilarious, bomb-making boy and make me fall in love with him and THEN YOU KILL HIM OFF IN THE STUPIDEST WAY POSSIBLE. “Oh, lemme just run at the crazy lady with a knife and- OOF! It appears I’ve been throat stabbed bleh-” I’ve complained about this since ep2, but lemme say it again: Mitch had so much potential to be an amazing character but never got the chance to because we had to add to the death count and make us more afraid of Lilly even though it didn’t do shit because it was a reaction kill rather than one made out of malice.

Tenn: Tenn is such a tragic character for me. In my personal canon ending, he dies because he was “messing up again” and AJ shot him. This poor kid was so full of hope that the walkers would go away one day, he’s so genuine and never wants to hurt anyone, even if they’re trying to hurt him, and he’s so fucked up from seeing Minerva that he stops thinking and tries to go to her even as she’s being devoured right in front of him. Tenn is like this game’s Sarah, but done right. He deserved better, but he was a well-written character and I love him. His friendship with AJ was so sweet which makes it even more heartbreaking when he dies. Yet another terrific child character.

“I like you and/or your role within the story”

S1 Kenny: This dude is such a chaotic topic. I feel like 90% of the fandom has an incredibly strong opinion on him, and of that 90%, 45% of people absolutely love him and if you say anything negative you’ll get a boat to the head while the other 45% loathe him. Then you’ve got the 10% who don’t have such strong opinions, and that’s where I fall. I like Kenny, and I like S1 Kenny more than his S2 counterpart. He has a great arch throughout the season regardless if you’re his best pal or not. He has some funny lines, some emotional scenes. I’ll never forget the first time I played the scene where Kenny’s crying over Katjaa’s dead body while Duck is laying against the tree on the brink of death. And I definitely will never forget the part where he finds the boy in the attic. Overall, I like him and what he brought to S1.

Katjaa: She was really sweet and her death broke my heart. I don’t have too much to say about her, but I liked her a lot. She loved her family and met a tragic end.

Ben: Fucking Ben, man. This poor kid. Another character with wasted potential. I’ve mentioned this plenty of times before, but I wish we could get an alternative ending where Ben was the only one who survived and became Clementine’s new caretaker. There was so much room for growth. He just wanted to help out but kept screwing up and it’s just.... sad.

Christa: I’ll be honest, the first time I ever played S1, I didn’t like Christa. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way and I didn’t care about her as much as I did Omid. However, the more times I replayed it, the more I grew to love her. She’s strong but sweet, and you can’t deny how much she loves Omid. And while I wish we did get to know what happened to her in S2, I can live with it remaining unknown.

Chuck: As much as I like our guitar playing hobo friend who deserved so much more, I would probably put him a tier lower if it weren’t for the advice that he gives Lee on the train. Because of him, Lee stopped treating Clementine entirely like a little girl in need of protection and cut her hair, taught her to use a gun, and furthered their communication by building a plan together. Without Chuck and his wise hobo words, Lee might’ve fucked both of them over. Also, Chuck’s pretty badass with that shovel, he got a lot of chuckles out of me, but his death was off screen and disappointing.

Andy St John: Okay. Okay okay okay. Andy. He is so high here [and so much higher than his mom and brother] because to me, he’s the scariest of the St John’s. Why? Because he’s the most normal-appearing of the three. He acts and talks like any normal guy would. He’s someone that I could see myself running into in real life. He’s so good at hiding how fucked up he is from everyone, unlike his brother who you can just look at and go “hahahahaha no thanks” and his mother who’s character design is just awful. I find him to be the strongest of the three, the smartest and the most dangerous. And the final fight between him and Lee is amazing. I love how you can be so furious with him that you keep punching him even after the prompt goes away and then his face goes all purple and swollen. Easily the greatest antagonist in S1.

Eddie: This dude is the best character to come out of the 400 Days dlc. End of story.

Alvin: He gave me a juice box and that automatically puts him here. Real great guy but we didn’t get too into his character. Wish we could’ve, though.

Rebecca: She grew on me tbh. Didn’t like her in ep1 when she was being all pissy and all, but for the most part, she’s pretty good.

Mike: I will forever wish the writers went through with the concept of Mike being one of the guys who attacked Christa because then he could’ve had a better character backstory. Regardless, I still like him. He’s pretty funny.

Nick: Nick? Oh, you mean PURE WASTED POTENTIAL. I mean, they really did give us this super flawed but sympathetic and interesting character and kill him off-screen. They really did that. Honestly, S2 really pisses me off sometimes for the way they treated these characters. It all goes downhill once everyone escapes. Yeah, yeah, blah blah not everyone gets a meaningful death blah blah but y’know what? You can do better than that. I loved Nick and I was so excited to see what they’d do with him in the end but NOPE! Justice 4 Nick 2k19

Pete: What a good dude. He stuck by Clementine’s side even when everyone thought she was bit. Love him. Wish we saw more of him.

Sarah: Ha. Ha. PURE WASTED POTENTIAL 2.0. What else needs to be said? This girl had the foundation for a great character but again, NOPE! I really liked Sarah! I wanted to teach her to use a gun to protect herself! The loss of her father fucking broke her and it was hard to watch but I wanted more and just ahaklsdjlaskjdlkakjaskjsaadkljas ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

Ava: Yo. Ava’s a fucking gorgeous badass. Really liked her and how she was sweet on Clementine. Also, it’s interesting that she stuck by David’s side like that.

David: I have a lot of mixed feelings about David. On one hand, the complicated relationship between him and Javier is good, even if it’s a little bullshit at times. On the other hand, David’s an asshole. But he’s a great antagonistic character. I do love that about him. The shit with him and Kate was a little annoying, but only because they didn’t ever elaborate on anything. On what level was the marriage fucked? Was it straight-up abusive? What happened to David’s first wife? Why did Kate and David get married in the first place? I got questions! But, like Javier, I think David deserved a better game with better writing.

Jesus: This dude parkour kills walkers. Pretty fucking badass.

Tripp: I feel like I don’t like Tripp as much as some people. I like him fine, but I know a lot of folks gush about him. I think he’s a good dude, a little pushy with Eleanor, but he’s loyal and strong.

S2 Lilly: I fucking hate Lilly. I hate her so goddamn much. She pushes every wrong button with her bullshit “Where's our new recruits?? Lee would be so disappointed knowing he taught you all the wrong things! You’re one of my people now, Clementine” AND THE GODDAMN “Yes, Ma’am” SHIT. Nothing irks me more than every time someone from the delta acts like Lilly’s the baddest bitch and call her “Ma’am” I HATE IT AND I HATE HER. SHE KILLED MITCH. SHE KIDNAPPED MY CHILDREN. SHE DARES TO TRY AND HURT LOUIS LIKE HE’S NOTHING. AND I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT HER....... That being said, y’all are probably thinking “wtf if you hate her so much why isn’t she in F tier???” and that’s because no other antagonist in these games has ever gotten this strong of a reaction out of me. Lilly is a damn good antagonist. She’s not perfect, and there are definitely things I would change or add, but she does her job and makes me absolutely livid [yeah yeah I know ha ha ha ha] every time she’s on screen doing her bullshit. I hate her and that counts for something. She’s easily the best “villain” in the entire series.

Ruby: I love my funny little hot-headed medic. Ruby’s amazing and I love her.

Willy: This kid really grew on me. I thought he was weird and creepy at the beginning but I adore him now. His brotherly relationship with Mitch should’ve been explored more, and at times his voice acting is kind of jarring, but I still love him.

“You’re fine, I guess...”

Duck: He’s fine. I like Duck. I like the “what if” scenarios we’ve come up with surrounding his character, and his death always puts a lump in my throat, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to say I love him, y’know?

Doug: Again, he’s fine. He has some funny moments when you save him, and he’s got a cool little panda bear on his sweater but... yeah. He’s okay.

Mark: Oh hai Mark. He’s cool, and the reason he’s not lower is because the iconic moment of finding him in the hidden room with his legs chopped off choking out the words “Don’t... eat... dinner” forever haunts my nightmares.

Russell: I’m not a big fan of most of the playable 400 Days characters, but I think if I had to pick a favorite, it’s Russell. His backstory of being with the group that believed in the power of 7′s [I think it was 7 I dunno going off of memory here] was cool and his weird thing with Nate was fun and disturbing. He’s a pretty cool character.

Carlos: I’ve made posts about Carlos before and how I think he had a lot of potential, but looking strictly at his role in the game and I’m left underwhelmed. I did get a lot of shit for where I placed him in my previous tier because he was [and still is] above S2 Kenny but I’m not going to lie and say I like Kenny more than him because... I don’t. I just think Carlos should’ve been given more development.

Carver: A cool antagonist who was defeated waaaaaay too early in the game. They were doing a fantastic job at making me hate him with his treatment of Clementine, beating the shit out of Kenny, murdering Alvin and pulling all that shit with Rebecca, but killing him off so quickly didn’t make it feel as satisfying. Again, underwhelming.

Sam: This pup betrayed me and he ain’t no Rosie, but we played frisbee so he gets a C I guess

Gabe: Y’know, Gabe could’ve been so good. But every time I play through ANF, he ends up annoying me more than Ben. What does that tell you? He’s fine, but he could’ve been a lot better.

Mariana: I’m not so much “meh” on Mari because I think she’s sweet and likable! The problem is I don’t want to put her any higher because really? What did she do? She died horribly because Badger’s a piece of shit.

Abel: Meh this guy’s garbage. I only put him up a little higher because the scene with him in the basement is really good.

Brody: Brody is like the Mariana of S4 for me, just a bit better. I do like her. She had some development but her whole purpose was to die by Marlon’s hand and get the plot going. Would’ve loved to learn more about her, but I couldn’t give her anything higher than a C.

Minerva: Controversial opinion but........ I don’t like Minerva as much as a lot of people do. If I could be brutally honest, if I were ranking these characters solely on how I feel about them without looking at their roles in the games and character development, Minerva would be in E tier at the highest. However, I can’t deny how tragic and complex her character and backstory is. It’s similar to how I feel about Lilly, but different. I think she’s just so fucked up from the delta that she’s become a husk of who she was and it results in her constantly pissing me off with all her shit. Also, the bridge scene alone bumps her up. That shit was crazy in a good yet tragic way.

Omar: At one point, I forgot Omar existed until he got shot in the leg...... but he’s also God so y’know. I like him but I also had to make up my own little backstory for him so...

“Meh”

S1 Lilly: I don’t care about S1 Lilly in the slightest, she’s awful. They made her way more compelling in S4. And she killed my girlfriend which is bullshit on it’s own.

Jolene: If I could rewrite S1, I would’ve thrown out the Stranger and had Jolene be the kidnapper. As Danny said, “What a waste.”

Bonnie: She’s pretty disappointing, tbh. I didn’t like how the game help pushing her onto Clem and overall she’s pretty forgettable.

Vince: He’s okay, I guess. He killed a dude one time. And shot a guy’s foot off.

Wyatt: “Meh” hahaha Eddie was a cooler character than he was

Jane: I wish Jane had been the Molly of S2 and stayed gone after she left the first time. I like that she taught Clementine some useful survival tactics and that’s what puts her on this tier, but I think we all know how I feel about the whole Jane vs. Kenny thing by now so...

S2 Kenny: This Kenny actually moved up a tier because I fully took in everything he’s been through thus far and.... “Meh.” I don’t think he’s good for Clementine, I think she and AJ need a group like Wellington. I recognize that he’s a lot of people’s favorite, but like I said above in his S1 counterpart, I’m the 10% that doesn’t have that strong of an opinion on him. I’d much rather discuss other characters over him.

Sarita: Forgettable, really. Except for when you get the chance to cut her hand off. That fucking scream of hers is anything but forgettable, yeesh.

Walter: Again, mostly forgettable. His death was sad, and I do think he’s a good example of what happens when you’re too trusting in this world, but overall he doesn’t stand out to me.

Kate: I probably would’ve liked Kate more if her romance wasn’t so damn forced. She has some funny lines, but she’s also pretty selfish and fickle when it comes to a lot of things. And I will forever be annoyed at her inability to keep her mouth shut about her and Javi’s relationship [or lack of] in front of David.

“I don’t like you but you’re not the absolute worst, I guess...”

Danny St John and Brenda St John: I put these two together because they have the same issue: They’re fucking creepy. Where Andy was normal and deceiving, these two look like they want to cut my legs off and eat them. I think they’re much weaker in character than Andy was, even with Danny’s weird sexual fixation of his gun and Brenda talking about her husband.

Vernon: He’s not the absolute worst because I do feel a little sympathy for him losing his daughter, but everything else just makes me not like him.

Shel and Becca: Easily my two least favorite characters in 400 Days. I had no real interest in either of them.

Arvo: This guy. I didn’t put him in as the absolute worst because of all the unnecessary shit Kenny put him through. No wonder he wanted to get the hell outta there.

Clint: I literally couldn’t give a single shit about this dude or what happens to him.

Eleanor: I don’t like Eleanor. I found her annoying. Her one good quality is her want to help people, but that want didn’t do much to help Tripp now did it, Eleanor.

“The absolute worst”

Larry: Did you expect anything else? Fuck this guy.

Stranger: Worst final antagonist ever. You’re telling me I have to fight this Mister Roger’s tootsie pop? I’ll bet you $1 I can do it with one hand. Fuck this guy.

Troy: Fuck Troy. All he does is smack Clementine around and then get shot in the dick.

Joan: This lady is a laughably bad antagonist. The worst fucking “villian” jfc...

---

There ya have it. Do you agree, disagree? Maybe a character I found boring you really liked! Maybe you want to tell me why Kenny is the best/worst again! We can discuss it.

I’m always open to talking about these characters!

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oveliagirlhaditright · 4 years

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I sent Tumblr user rainhadaenerys why she might like the show Dark Angel, and I thought I might as well also post it here since I never shut up about it (for anyone curious)

So, I think there's a chance you might like the show "Dark Angel" (at least the first season. The second season had some good ideas but bad execution. But while most people prefer the first season, the second season fans are more vocal online. Probably because Jensen Ackles is in it).

The first season came out in 2000 and takes place in 2019-2020 (the second season is 2020-2021 and came out a year later, after 9/1 in real life, which is why season two toned down some of S1's themes). The show is about this created/genetically engineered girl, Max, who was designed to be the perfect soldier and who--alongside those like her in her unit, who she sees as “siblings”--was tortured by her military creators (such as her main traitor and surrogate awful father, Lydecker), until she and eleven others of them escaped when she was nine. From there on out, she's on the run, staying under the radar so she doesn't have to go back to where she was created and had been kept (Manticore).

In the year 2009 (the year Max escaped, when she was nine) terrorists set off this electromagnetic pulse, that basically wiped out all of America's technology and turned it into a third world country over night (so this is part of how Max is able to keep her head down in this world). But because of all of this, there was anarchy and bad people overtook the good ones and stole their positions, returning things to the law of the jungle (there's a lot in this show about corrupt political figures, police brutality), etc.

At first journalists tried to report on all of this, but then they were silenced. But one--Logan Cale--went underground as "Eyes Only", an anonymous cyber journalist who hacks into people's broadcasts and tells them the truths being kept from them, and is seen as a terrorist by those he'd try to expose.

At the start of the show (2019), Max works in Seattle as a bike messenger (also in the city where Logan is), which is the worst job you can get and the only one the underprivileged can (many of these being people of color) and steals things from the rich to give to a private investigator trying to help her find her siblings.

Eventually she tries to steal something from Logan (not knowing he's Eyes Only, but she finds this out here). And there's an immediate attraction, because they get into this conversation while Logan's holding her at gun point--trying to keep her there until the guards come--because they realize they have something in common (like admiration for the goddess Bast, which is the statue Max was trying to steal), and Logan is actually happy Max is just a thief because he thought she was an assassin.

This one drug company is acting like they're selling the drug to people--that will save their lives--but is really just selling them candy, and selling the real thing for a higher price overseas. And a woman who knows this is going to testify about it, and Logan is keeping her and her daughter at his apartment until they can get to a safehouse.

Max eventually bolts, and Logan sees her use her powers in doing so. He tracks her down, partly to see if she's going to be a danger to him, but also because the audience can begin to see that he wants to enlist her help. The two of them debate about morality, about how Logan wants to make a change and give people choices again. But Max is skeptical that he wants to get it back to the "good old days", where people still died of diseases they didn't need to and spent obscenes amounts of money redecorating their homes to match their cat. She leaves again when he questions how she jumped out of, like, an eleven story window unscathed.

They meet up one more time, and Logan kind of seduces/tricks Max into letting her see the barcode on her neck (that all those from Manticore have, as its encrypted into their DNA. He’d gotten an anonymous tip about Manticore years ago and put two-and-two together that Max was one one of the escapees), and Max is hurt by this (as she had really liked him and feels hella betrayed here. I think Logan for sure liked her, but he's just way too focused on his mission above all else at first, and that's one of the flaws he has to work on).

He bargains with Max that if she helps him get the woman and her daughter into witness protection, he'll help her find her siblings. Max understandably disagrees, since so far she's gotten by by keeping to herself and wants to keep it that way.

Logan tries to do the mission by himself but it fails. He's shot and ends up in a coma for a time, and is paraplegic in the end. And the little girl is kidnapped, but the mom makes it back to Logan's apartment. Max sees all of this broadcast on TV and feels guilty, and actually goes to see the unconscious Logan at the hospital (and tells him how she's not sorry and sees it all as his fault, even though she doesn't), and saves him from another assassination attempt. She runs into the little girl’s mother (the little girl’s named Sophie) and promises to save Sophie, and does so rather impressively.

She even gets Manticore, that had been on her tail the whole episode, to fight for her--by getting the address for the girl's location on a line that she knew was tapped and that Manticore was listening in on. And there's a chilling moment at the end where Max, wearing a mask, walks by Lydecker while carrying Sophie and he realizes at the last moment that it was her. Edit: They also bring all those who were duping people--and selling them candy, so that they ended up dying because of it:(--to justice.

A few months later, Max visits Logan at his apartment and he's back in the fight for the less fortunate. Max ends up asking if he thinks he can really make a difference, to which he says he thinks he can with her help, and Max agrees to his deal and this is where the show really starts.

And it's just... so good. I like the political commentary, that I could see you really getting into (and I'm sad they tone it down in S2, after 9/11), but my favorite bits is the stuff with Max, Lydecker, her siblings, and all things Manticore that I barely even touched on here.

Most of the transgenics (those created humans) are PoC, too (including Max) to show how they're oppressed.

And Max is just SUCH a good character (who's even a chosen one in S2), with such great development, who has to be one of the best characters of all-time (especially for female heroes).

And in S1, there's so much showing of how men can be awful, and Max is like the hero to women from them (beating up many of them and even killing a few. It reminds me a bit of Daenerys. And is why I say claims against Dany--saying that when she did things like Max, it was hints of her madness--is bullshit. They'd probably do the same to Max if her show had come out today, but it didn't and instead she got to be the awesome hero she deserved to be).

She also eventually stops stealing altogether--even though I was okay with her not being a goody-goody hero--unless it's from the bad and for the poor.

She also becomes a leader...

There's also so much fun swapped gender role stuff with her and Logan (with her being the superhero and him the sidekick, her being the brawns and him the brains--though Max has equal brains, too, if not even more than Logan--and her doing comic book type things, like super speeding away and Logan getting irritated by it: usually it’s a guy hero who does this, and a normal girl annoyed with it... and Logan can even cook exceptionally, and is always cooking for Max, and she can’t even boil water, etc.).

And speaking of which, Max and Logan are my favorite ship of all time. They're so interesting... and fun (but there's loads of angst there, too), and are SO good for each other. Logan helps Max become more selfless (which really, she always was and wanted to be) and she helps him to chill. And they're both liberal lefties.

The first season of this show is my favorite show of all-time.

Edit: The character, Original Cindy, is also one of the first lesbians on TV (maybe even the first, and before Willow in Buffy). And the show tried to have a positive story/episode with a trans character (with, once again, this stuff was huge for the time... There were some definite misses there, but they at least tried). And disabled representation on this show! And the disabled person eventually winning the heart of the superhero girl!

#dark angel #James cameron's dark angel #dark angel season one #season one #dark angel pilot #pilot #there's also a gay character in an episode of s2 and a bi one. but I think she's sadly offscreen #and sadly the gay character only exists in a dream episode of s2 but shh

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incarnateirony · 5 years

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S 2-3, 3.10 -> S14, 14.10

So I’ve been talking about the S2/3 parallels in S14 for a while, but I finally got back up to 3.10, and I am. Legit. Screaming.

(edit, trimming down this OP and adding a cut, now that I’ve managed to form legible thoughts)

I’m. Screaming?

LIKE.

can’t?

Go watch??

Like if you can’t binge all of S2-3 in the next few days at least go rewatch 3.10?

Fuckin’ it’s even in the same episode position?? like??

“What do you want?”

More behind the cut. After the snap cut to black, of course.

Okay, I’m going to try to form some coherent thoughts here, but I won’t deep dive each independently, just 3.10

Though I may get strung up for saying it, season 13 had a lot of Dean-John parallels, most explicitly, grieving!Dean and arguably grieving!John, as in the attitude imparted by the loss of Mary, a foreground laid out for us almost like a prequel in S12 (which I argue is essentially what S12 is to the 13-14 era.) Read it as Destiel, read it as family being equal to Dean, I really don’t care about it as much as we can understand that Dean reflected John, to the dismay of many Dean stans, while still coming to a healthier resolution -- because John isn’t Dean. But I believe it was even Davy that giggled in public about similarities, which we can, I dunno, pretend they were only there accidentally, or maybe planned. *shrug*

Either way, S1->S13 reasonably has a lot of reflections as a result, but I don’t think we’ve properly explored that and now that this may bring it into some retrospect I’d love to see other people talking about it.

But I’m going to shorthand S2&3->S14. Why both seasons together? I dunno. Maybe because 13 was truncated. Maybe they just blended well.

I’ve already hollered about 2.01->14.04, Ghost of the Comic Shop Owner Bearing The Keys To The Legacy upset, and lashing out at one of the legacies. People were quick to associated some things but oddly ignored things like the squirrel T-shirt while he was downed, I dunno. Reasons I guess. If you want to extrapolate your own thoughts, just... 2.01->14.04; there’s a lot to unpack there.

S2 & 3 are pretty rich in surrounding parallels. Blood experiments and special children, hives and extending “family” in unusual ways, the inability to let go, versus depressed letting go, versus just letting go; everybody’s been on about season 14′s fairy tale themes when 3.05 Bedtime Stories literally exists and, while it’s Snow White and the fandom’s been more locked on Sleeping Beauty, realistically the two aren’t so dissimilar. You know, the whole Deep Sleep thing, and I might poke people to relook at 3.05.

Optimism also rings strongly with “what’s dead should stay dead,” which harkens to 2.04 Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things over unhealthy refusal to not Let Go. Also taps on John issues and thus cycles back to 2.01, I mean... oh and the Colt’s gone kinda like the magic spear they chased instead. I mean, I could go on.

But 3.09 greets us with “Nothing can save you because you don’t want to be saved,” (given we also hear this for Cas later in the show) but this was Sam to Dean regarding his deal.

And then 3.10 strikes. The freddy kreuger head hopper. We find Bobby in his dream original house, but haunted by his worst nightmare; he’s liberated, but the threat remains and they dive back in.

They get out of the car, looking around. As they walk in front of the car, music can suddenly be heard. DEAN looks behind him and then when he turns around, a corner of the clearing lights up, and there sits LISA BRAEDEN (from episode "The Kids Are Alright") on a little blanket and a picnic basket. DEAN just looks at her and she smiles up at him. (MUSIC starts playing: "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by the Mamas and Papas, with an echo reverb)

LISA Hey. You gonna sit down?

DEAN doesn't move, he just looks at her. She has a glass of red wine in her hand and she reaches for another glass in the basket.

LISA Come on. We only have an hour before we have to pick Ben up from baseball.

She holds the glass for him, giving him another smile.

Dean stammers in denial, having No Idea What That’s About He Swears (because she totally wasn’t his original endgame or anything, but we’ll get back to that), before... tripping into his nightmare.

I know some people have speculated FacedownGuy is Dean too, I know I sure have, but this... well. Let’s get a little further into this sequence. LONG transcript blurbs inbound.

DREAM DEAN Talk about low self-esteem. (he chuckles) Then again, I guess it's not much of a life worth saving, now is it?

DEAN (to himself) Wake up, Dean. Come on, wake up.

DREAM DEAN I mean, after all, you've got nothing outside of Sam.

DREAM DEAN (continues) You are nothing. You're as mindless and obedient as an attack dog.

DEAN (smiling in denial, braving it out) That -That's not true.

DREAM DEAN No? What are the things that you want? What are the things that you dream? I mean, your car? That's Dad's. Your favorite leather jacket? Dad's. Your music? Dad's. Do you even have an original thought? No. No, all there is is, "Watch out for Sammy. Look out for your little brother, boy!" You can still hear your Dad's voice in your head, can't you?

He motions with the weapon to his head.

DREAM DEAN Clear as a bell.

DEAN (smiling) Just shut up.

DREAM DEAN lowers the gun.

DREAM DEAN I mean, think about it ... all he ever did is train you, boss you around. But Sam .... Sam he doted on. Sam, he loved.

DEAN I mean it. I'm getting angry.

DREAM DEAN Dad knew who you really were. A good soldier and nothing else. Daddy's blunt little instrument. (angry) Your own father didn't care whether you lived or died. Why should you?

DEAN (angry) Son of a bitch!

DEAN pushes DREAM DEAN hard, knocking him into the wall above the desk.

DEAN (screaming angrily) My father was an obsessed bastard!

DREAM DEAN tries to get up and DEAN kicks him down on the desk again. DEAN holds the weapon as a bat and hits DREAM DEAN once and then pins him to the wall with it.

DEAN All that crap he dumped on me, about protecting Sam! That was his crap. He's the one who couldn't protect his family. He-

DEAN steps back and swings the weapon again, hitting DREAM DEAN twice.

DEAN He's the one who let Mom die.

DEAN pins DREAM DEAN again.

DEAN – who wasn't there for Sam. I always was! He wasn't fair! I didn't deserve what he put on me.

He backs away from DREAM DEAN.

DEAN And I don't deserve to go to Hell!

DEAN shoots DREAM DEAN twice in the chest. As he lowers the weapon and looking at DREAM DEAN, we see the latter is dead. Blood is splattered on DREAM DEAN's face and his eyes are closed.

DEAN approaches DREAM DEAN on the desk, looking at him. Suddenly DREAM DEAN's eyes flickers open and they're completely black, as when a demon possesses a human. DEAN widens his eyes at that. DEMON DEAN sits up, looking into DEAN's eyes.DEMON DEAN (hard and angrily) You can't escape me, Dean. You're gonna die. And this? This is what you're gonna become!

We see DEAN, when he first snapped his fingers. His eyes are now black as night, he's a demon. He smiles and snaps his fingers and the screen goes black.

Huh. That’s kind of wild now, isn’t it?

So again, there’s a lot to unpack here and this I will, in shorthand. Dean’s daddy issues aren’t new, but we’ve been hollering about John coming back and, as if by magic, or almost like they’ve been coding and prepping it to come back, he’s coming back! But Jack has helped Dean already deal with many of his issues, the ghost of those keys to the shop/car. His family has extended.

Reel back to Lisa.

5.22 - “It’s never too late.” - Dean almost had that ending, had it taken from him, and yet what was it that everybody was banging drums about in 13.5? Oh right, It’s Never Too Late. That was his Big Win. Can’t forget that.

Again, read into that side of the relationship however you want. What I’m here to bang on gongs about is what did Dean want - “They chose family.” And Michael tried to get his hopes up, tried to crush them, and packed Dean away.

Tell me again bardude isn’t some part of Dean.

We see in the preview that the blue is a powerful blue, depressing and ominous. And when the family comes in, Yellow light instead takes the bar for the battle. This is something I already discussed earlier in the season with the use of Blue & Yellow in 14.06 as exploration of the psyche, and in a side meta dividing Red and passion from life choices, with Dean followed by family yellow rather than red drive.

So I mean,

And here it is again. I mean, try to get bolder with it, I dare you.

Either way about it, a question given to Dean, by Dean, more than ten years ago is about to be faced, and they are about to come in support of him, but in reality, Dean Winchester will need to save himself. He will need to recognize he has what he wants - he has family, it isn’t too late, it’s here, and they’re there for him, facing his shadows.

Dean spends season 3 teaching Sam things, like how to take care of the Impala when he’s gone; but that’s because Sam, like his inner self literally taunts him over (as if, perhaps, in wanting of that Family Dream?) was all he had. But he’s no longer all. He’s important, but he’s grown. He doesn’t need to just Take Care of Sammy. Sammy’s taking care of himself, strong, building his own legacy. Dean instead spends S14 teaching Jack, letting go of the wheel. It’s Jack that learns about the Impala now. It’s family. And they’re here for him. Facing his shadows.

Season 3 was “I have to get you ready for this.” Season 12, Dean looked at Sam and said, “you’re ready for this.” And season 13, Sam was ready for this. And they’ve grown. It’s about family. And they’re here for him, facing his shadows.

“And in the end, isn’t that really the whole point?”

Where that leads us from now, I’m starting to highly suspect I’m going to have to watch a little bit further into S3 to figure out, but the question is if saving himself spins out another ending, or if he truly accomplishes it, or if it comes back for him - or if “see you soon, Dean” strikes and we do endure a trip to the Empty to overcome. After all, the Empty will come once Cas is truly happy and Take It All Away. Is that to be the end of our season? Dragged not by hellhounds to hell, but instead, by the shadow to the Empty? And does that leave us at the cusp of S4 again in how to recover Dean?

#supernatural #spn #meta #kinda #help #my meta

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mittensmorgul · 5 years

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today on the TNT loop (which I slept through because migraine which is mildly better now, so I'm watching the blu ray today), 2.13 Houses of the Holy. Aka that one where Dean's skepticism is put to its first real challenge and he's left with a HUGE question he can't answer. It's also where I can clearly see Chuck at work in the narrative, directly challenging Dean's beliefs and forcing him to consider this.

DEAN: That's cute. I'm just saying, man, there's just some legends that you just, you file under "bullcrap". SAM: And you've got angels on the bullcrap list. DEAN: Yep. SAM: Why? DEAN (looks up): Because I've never seen one. SAM: So what? DEAN: So I believe in what I can see. SAM: Dean! You and I have seen things that most people couldn't even dream about. DEAN: Exactly. With our own eyes. That's hard proof, okay? But in all this time I have never seen anything that looks like an angel. And don't you think that if they existed that we would have crossed paths with them? Or at least know someone that crossed paths with them? No. This is a ... a demon or a spirit. You know, they find people a few fries short of a Happy Meal, and they trick them into killing these randoms

Troubled people are being visited by "an angel" giving them orders to carry out "divine will," stopping others from committing horrific acts against innocent people by killing them before they can hurt anyone else. Sam wants desperately to believe it's actually an angel, and he confesses to Dean that he does have faith in God and that he prays every day. We also learn that-- because Mary had faith, had always told Dean that "angels are watching over you"-- that Dean hasn't trusted in that faith since Mary died.

There's a lot in this episode that will become the framework for actual angels when they eventually show up, as well as Heaven itself. Think of this as a smaller-scale version of what we eventually learn Heaven is, in an "as above, so below" sort of way:

DEAN: But she seriously believes that she was ... touched by an angel? SAM: Yeah. Blinding light, feelings of spiritual ecstasy, the works. I mean, she's living in a locked ward and she's totally at peace.

But then they start looking into the person she killed, and discover a literal pile of skeletons buried in the man's basement.

SAM: So much for the innocent churchgoing librarian. DEAN: Yeah, well, whatever spoke to Gloria about this knew what it was talking about, I'll give you that.

But Dean is still convinced it's some sort of spirit, and not an actual angel. Sam desperately wants to believe.

DEAN: Huh. Well, I guess if you're gonna stab someone, good timing. I don't know, man, this is weird, you know? I mean, sure, some spirits are out for vengeance, but this one's almost like a do-gooder, you know? Like, like a -- SAM: Avenging angel? (DEAN turns away) Well, how else do you explain it, Dean? Three guys, not connected to each other, all stabbed through the heart? At least two were world-class pervs, and I bet if you dug deep enough on the other guy —

What they do discover is the connection between all the victims and angel-inspired killers. They all attend the same church, where a priest had been murdered for his car a few months earlier, right before these killings began.

So they go to the church to find the truth, under the false pretenses of wanting to join the parish. Irony much? Even after being caught out in the lie about the previous parish they attended, they persist.

FR. REYNOLDS: Yes. The victims were parishioners of mine, I'd known them for years. SAM: And the killers said that an angel made them do that? FR. REYNOLDS: Yes. Misguided souls, to think that God's messenger would appear and incite people to murder. It's tragic. DEAN: So you don't believe in those angel yarns, huh? FR. REYNOLDS: Oh, no, I absolutely believe. Kind of goes with the job description. SAM: (nodding to a painting on the wall) Father, that's Michael, right? FR. REYNOLDS: That's right. The archangel Michael, with the flaming sword. The fighter of demons. Holy force against evil. SAM: So they're not really the Hallmark card version that everybody thinks? They're fierce, right? Vigilant? FR. REYNOLDS: Well, I like to think of them as more loving than wrathful. But, uh, yes, a lot of Scripture paints angels as God's warriors. "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, the glory of the Lord shone down upon them, and they were terrified." (SAM nods, DEAN looks confused) Luke. Two nine.

(moment to remind everyone what Cas's opinion on Luke was, from 4.18, when Dean was incredulous about learning that Chuck was a prophet of the Lord to be protected: "You should've seen Luke." Apparently prophets are historically disaster humans...)

It's interesting that Sam and Dean come away from this conversation with such wildly different conclusions based on their own personal biases-- Sam's Faith vs Dean's Skepticism. And then after visiting Father Gregory's grave, it's Sam the "angel" chooses to speak to, using his will to believe against Sam, to manipulate him, just like he had with the other troubled people he talked into doing his bidding. Because that's what he'd done.

Father Gregory's spirit believed he was doing the Lord's will, using information gleaned from listing to confessions, and possibly gleaned after his death about the ongoing lives of these people. Like Sue Ann in 1.12, he chose troubled yet essentially good people (drug addicts, alcoholics, mentally ill people) to give this twisted shot at "redemption" to by committing murder in the name of God, killing people guilty of far, far worse crimes. And post 14.20, I'm wondering if his spirit wasn't given just a bit more info about certain members of his parish specifically to push Sam and Dean into their own crises of faith, especially considering what has come after this.

This episode has always been a game changer with Dean's experience throughout-- refusing to believe in anything he hasn't witnessed with his own eyes. And it's Sam's first test of his own faith in God that shakes his belief in a higher power when he's experiencing so much doubt in himself already. In some ways, we learn that it's his hope that God and angels and good things exist that powers him through his self-doubt, his feelings of unworthiness and impurity and his own confusing powers. We'll see this aspect of Sam's will to believe in God play out over and over again-- being tested by all his life experiences afterward, from learning about the demon blood by the end of s2, to his months without Dean developing his powers, to s4 in believing he can turn his demon-granted powers into something GOOD by saving people's lives... everything that leads to Sam's downfall is directly tied to his need to believe that a divine force he prays to is actually answering his prayers for help. Right on through desperately wanting to believe it was God talking to him in s11 (it was Lucifer), and believing that Chuck might actually help them deal with Jack by healing instead of manipulating and killing. It's 14.20 that finally shattered Sam's belief.

FR. GREGORY: You can't understand it now. But the rules of man and the rules of God are two very different things. SAM: Those people. They're locked up. FR. GREGORY: No, they're happy. They've found peace, beaten their demons. And I've given them the keys to Heaven. FR. REYNOLDS: No. No, this is vengeance, it's wrong. Thomas, this goes against everything you believed. You're lost, misguided. FR. GREGORY: Father. No, I'm not misguided. FR. REYNOLDS: You are not an angel, Thomas. Men cannot be angels. FR. GREGORY: But . . . but I, I don't understand. You prayed for me to come. FR. REYNOLDS: I prayed for God's help. Not this. What you're doing is not God's will. "Thou shalt not kill". That's the word of God.

Heck, Chuck's said a lot of things over the years, hasn't he? He simultaneously ordered the angels to watch over and protect humanity, while leaving instructions for the Apocalypse. Two orders that directly contradict one another, on a very basic level. Yes, thou shalt not kill, but... there's always that caveat of "no, they're happy! they found peace in death! heaven awaits the righteous and that's where they'll eventually find happiness and peace! life on earth is irrelevant in the face of eternal rest despite any and all suffering experienced while alive!"

eta: also, “Men cannot be angels.” Well, Jack may have proven that wrong, but he had to destroy their human souls and warp them into angel grace, just as destroying human souls to warp them into demon smoke makes them no longer human. When we didn’t know this was possible, it was more a theological curiosity, but now? We can see it for the sinister implication of the bigger picture at play on Chuck’s level of the narrative. And it’s chilling.

But Dean? He had to be crushed, to be brought to the point where he doubted everything he's ever stood for, be forced to doubt his own free will and identity through repeated possession and manipulation by Michael to be brought to the point where he would even be willing to sacrifice himself and Jack both in the belief that he truly had no other choice, that his lifelong belief in his own autonomy was a sham and that God's Will was the only force to be obeyed. And even then, gun raised to Jack's head, he couldn't submit. But that seed of doubt was planted in this episode, watching a series of events he could not explain nor justify with his current understanding of reality. He couldn't even explain what he'd seen to Sam.

All he could say in the face of having stopped this man from committing assault (and possibly worse), ending in a car chase where the man is impaled through his chest by a flying piece of pipe flung from a passing truck, was "Holy..." After which he's forced to confront the evidence of his own eyes and find an explanation for what he's seen on his own. He still isn't comfortable declaring it's proof that God exists and interfering in human events, but it shakes him:

DEAN: Gregory's spirit gave you some pretty good information. That guy in the car was bad news. I barely got there in time. SAM: What happened? DEAN: He's dead. SAM: Did . . . you? DEAN: No. But I'll tell you one thing. If . . . The way he died, if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes I never would have believed it. I mean ... I don't know what to call it. SAM: What? Dean, what did you see? DEAN: Maybe . . . God's will.

The one thing Dean has yet to work out, once he's confronted with the reality of Angels, Heaven, and God's existence later down the line, is whether or not God's Will and God's Plans can even remotely be considered a good thing... and after 14.20, he's got the essential proof. "Good" and "Evil" become irrelevant in the face of that revelation. It becomes a case of Divine Manipulation vs Human Will, and the struggle for individual identity and free will in the face of some Grand Plan of the universe. Divine reward of peace and happiness in Heaven after a life of obedience and suffering? Nah, Dean wants his life back now. Screw the end of the road.

#spn 2.13 #spn 14.20 #s14 hellatus rewatch #it's spirals all the way down #spiders georg of the tnt loop #spn cosmology #that's what free will is #if you say 'mysterious ways' so help me i will kick your ass #spn 4.18 #spn 1.12

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