alexmanesairstream

[alexmanesairstream]

Ahhh it feels weird to do this bc I literally re- joined tumblr after years for malex but I just couldn’t be bothered with this season or this show anymore so I think it’s finally time for me to change up my profile pic and maybe my name soon too. Even though I haven’t watched this season, I’m so glad I met so many RNM fans on here and that we got to rant about this awful terribly written show for so many years. It was always hilarious 🥹

My content is probably going to be exclusively k- dramas from now so if you’re still following me, hope you enjoy, you’re in for a treat 🥰

#malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael x alex #k dramas #never watching another cw show again lol #why did I sleep on l dramas for such a long time

[alexmanesairstream]

Okay so I haven’t watched any episodes other than the first ep of this season of Roswell NM. Tbh I’ve completely lost interest in the tired cw drama tropes and especially of the shitshow that is RNM. Also, I got into some really good kdramas, and American tv is just so bleak in comparison. BUT i am curious, has Alex really only been in one episode this whole season?? Can someone tell me why ? I can’t believe the show really pulled this shit in their last season lmao.

#malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #tyler blackburn

[alexmanesairstream]

Just finished Love all Play and it took me right back to all the feels I got from Weightlifting Fairy . K drama fans, please suggest some sports romance k dramas for me- I’ve found my new fixation

#love all play #going to you at a speed of 493km #k drama #korean drama #chae jong hyeop #park ju hyun #park twins #park tae joon #park tae yang #kdrama #romantic kdrama #korean dramas #weightlifting fairy kim bok joo #wfkbj #bok joo x joon hyung #bokjoon

[alexmanesairstream]

A Respectful Counter to “Real Life”

I am genuinely happy for those that finished 2521 and liked the ending. I wouldn’t ever want to take away somebody’s enjoyment of a show or movie, so if you really liked this ending then please continue to like it and enjoy it! I can appreciate what the writers were going for and their commentary on first love and if you prefer that perspective then please don’t take this as a condemnation of that.

I do want to touch on the argument that this ending was correct because it’s “Real Life”, which I’ve seen pop up a lot across the platforms. Because yes, that is true that this outcome is more attune to what we’d see in real life, but I’d argue that doesn’t necessarily make it the correct choice. Here’s why—

Something really important to stories both on screen and in literature is theme. The underlining message or foundation that the story is built upon. And two of the themes that we are introduced to early on in this show is determination and perseverance. Hee Do is determined to become a fencer even if it means she has to switch schools and get arrested in order to do it. Yi-Jin is determined to find a job and pay off his father’s debts so his family can be reunited. Ji-Woong is determined to win over Yu-Rim. Yu-Rim is determined to be a good fencer so she can help support their family. Ye-Jin is determined to quit fencing so she can pursue new dreams. Seung-Wan is determined to put a stop to the abusive teacher in her school.

All these characters face obstacles that they’re forced to look dead in the eye and overcome, and they all do. Hee Do goes to the new school and joins the national fencing team, Yi-Jin gets a good job as a reporter and can support his family more, Ji-Woong wins over Yu-Rim and two begin a relationship, Yu-Rim moves to Russia and thrives there financially, Seung-Wan puts a stop to the abusive teacher and sends a message to the world, and Ye-Jin gets to quit fencing.

This is also affirmed by the step analogy that Hee Do’s father gives her and which she also gives to Min-Chae when she wants to quit ballet. The idea they exemplify is that progress doesn’t happen evenly, and it instead happens in steps, and it’s only with perseverance and determination that you can jump up to the next level of whatever goal you’re trying to reach.

Yi-Jin fails many job interviews and eventually tries to run away from his problems – that’s him hitting the wall on his first step. Hee Do’s school cancels the fencing program and her mom won’t let her transfer – that’s Hee Do hitting the wall on her first step. Yu-Rim isn’t interested in Ji-Woong – that’s the wall on his first step. Yu-Rim fails to get the gold when she first faces Hee Do in competition – that’s her wall. Seung-Wan reports the teacher to the police but they don’t listen to her – that’s her wall. And Ye-Jin isn’t allowed to quit and the coach forces her to continue working – that’s the wall on her step.

But as we all know, they dig deep and rely on their perseverance and determination to overcome these walls and they advance to the next step. As more challenges head their way, they hit walls and they continue to advance up. They progress in steps after each new block is presented to them and causes them to stall out.

This is also clear in the relationships.

Hee Do and her Mother do eventually reconcile, but that progress plateau’s and hits walls many times as it does. Hee Do and Yu-Rim eventually become good friends, but that relationship also fell into plateau’s and hit walls before things healed and turned out good. Yi-Jin and Hee Do eventually become a couple, but that relationship also plateau’s and hits walls before they get there.

The underlining theme to this narrative structure is that of determination and perseverance for all the characters, presented through this visual step analogy.

Now, let’s take a detour to episode 12 and the storyline of Ye-Jin. While watching this episode, I said almost immediately that whatever choice Ye-Jin made at the end in regards to her fencing career was going to be the outcome of the Beakdo storyline. If Ye-Jin decided to stay and fence, then Beakdo would stay and fight for each other. If Ye-Jin decided to quit, then that was going to be Beakdo’s outcome. And sure enough *gestures to episode 16*. The pointed lines of “there being a challenge in quitting” was just too obvious to ignore. Ultimately, this was supposed to tip the audience off for what was to come.

HOWEVER. I don’t think this plotline did what it was intending to do and ultimately it’s a great example of exactly why the Beakdo ending doesn’t work in regards to matching the themes of the show, and why, even if it is “real life”, the Beakdo ending betrays the narrative it had set before it.

Ye-Jin doesn’t just want to quit something. She has new goal in her life that fencing is standing in the way of. And Ye-Jin doesn’t just get to quit fencing because it’s inconvenient and she doesn’t have the heart for it anymore. Coach purposefully makes her work for it. Coach tests her, pushes her, challenges her, and doesn’t give her the easy way out. Ye-Jin doesn’t just get to give up, she has to fight to reach this new goal with determination and perseverance. She hits a wall on her step, and is forced to work past it. Additionally, we see that after she reaches her new goal she’s happy. She’s elated to be in this new phase of life just like Hee Do was elated when she got to switch schools.

Hee Do deciding to break up with Yi-Jin is an anomaly because it’s the antithesis of the themes of perseverance and determination that are drilled home in the rest of the show. The first real argument or conflict the two of them have -- the first wall their relationship hits, and Hee Do decides that she’s done. We don’t see the two fighting to be with each other. We don’t see the perseverance or determination that was present in every other aspect of the show for either side to try and find a solution to the problems that they’re facing in their relationship. Hee Do sees that Yi-Jin isn’t receiving her support in New York (a wall that she is hitting) and instead of rising up and overcoming it, like going to visit him in New York, she just becomes melancholy and gives up trying to support him. Yi-Jin sees that his job is driving a wedge between him and Hee Do (a wall that he is hitting), but instead of rising up and overcoming that, like trying to take time off work or ignoring a work call every once in a while so he can be with her, he just continues to work more and more.

Both are obviously heartbroken by their separation, but it’s the blinding lack of effort on either of their part to try and fight for their relationship that gives the audience such a sour taste in their mouth when they eventually split. Because in every other aspect of this story, determination and perseverance is the backbone of the narrative. Seung-Wan has to persevere against multiple oppositions in order for her to call out the abusive teacher. Ji-Woong has to persevere and is determined to get over his fear of driving in order to say goodbye to Yu-Rim. Yu-Rim perseveres against the scorn she receives by switching nationalities so she can support her family. Every fencing match is a visual story of determination. Every training montage is a love letter to perseverance. Hee Do and Yi-Jin preserve to support each other via voicemail as friends even when they’re separated by distance. Hee Do and Yi-Jin are determined to be friends even when everybody warns them it could be a bad idea – but it doesn’t stop them.

It’s. In. Every. Part. Of. This. Story. Except the explicitly romantic relationship between Hee Do and Yi-Jin. A romantic relationship, I might add, that the two of them were determined to have even when it seemed impossible.

Even if a person wanted to say that the parallel between Ye-Jin quitting and the Beakdo storyline was intentional (which it was) and therefore validates the Beakdo ending, it still doesn’t add up. Because at the end of the day, Ye-Jin wanted to quit. And she was overjoyed when she finally could. She cries tears of joy when it happens because it opens the door for an exciting new chapter filled with hope and new dreams. Ye-Jin didn't give up, she changed her goal. It's presented as her "quitting" but in reality she's just pursuing something new. Hee Do and Yi-Jin, on the other hand, do quit and give up and don't replace the loss with any new happy dreams or goals.

They don’t get that same happy ending as Ye-Jin even though it was clear this was the comparison the writers were trying to present. They’re both miserable at the idea of separating. Hee Do even ends up in the hospital because of the stress of it. And the repercussions of this split are devastating. Hee Do is stuck in a marriage with a guy of zero significance or gravity. She loses her love for fencing and eventually becomes isolated in a woodworking shop where her only joy is remembering the past and what is behind her. And Yi-Jin becomes a workaholic with unresolved trauma who consoles himself with drinking and smoking. Unlike with Ye-Jin, there’s no joy or hope in this version of quitting something.

Whether or not the argument that the Beakdo ending is good because it’s realistic is up to you to decide. If that’s how you see it then that is totally okay and I am genuinely happy that you enjoyed this story’s conclusion. But my tiff with it, and I think the reason why it soured so many people’s opinions, is that it’s not supported by the shows themes and therefore feels ingenuine to the characters and the foundation that predicated it.

[alexmanesairstream]

K- Drama fans, I’m In serious need of some new recs please. Please recommend shows similar to/ with the same overall vibe of light heartedness as the following:

- Business Proposal

- My secret Romance

- My Beloved Summer

- Crash Landing on You

Please only recommend romcoms with happy endings and with no sad/ too serious storylines lol.

#k drama #abp #a business proposal #my secret romance #cloy #crash landing on you #my beloved summer #korean drama #korean romcom

[alexmanesairstream]

Okay okay sharing some Roswell NM SPOILERS so proceed with caution.

1) the renewal of the show is up in the air bc the cw network is getting sold so execs don’t have as much say with everything being uncertain. Shows were all instructed to end their seasons in a satisfying (series finale type way) given the uncertainty of renewal.

And now major major spoiler so don’t read this if you don’t wanna know:

2) Roswell NM shot a wedding for the upcoming season (on the assumption that it’s the last season). My money is on it being a Malex wedding

#roswell new mexico #malex #alex manes #roswell nm #michael guerin #michael x alex #tyler blackburn #rnm season 4 #spoilers! #rnm

[alexmanesairstream]

Can someone please help me out, I’m trying to watch ep 11 of A million Little Things but every single website I’ve tried has what I think is ep 12 or a later episode. Can someone please help me out with where I can watch ep 11.

#a million little things #gary x maggie

[alexmanesairstream]

Deep sky still makes absolutely no sense to me. So they’re this clandestine organisation that’s top secret and cuts you completely off from family/ friends the deeper you go but they have a snack bar and give mental health days??? Make it make sense

#one of the more underwhelming storylines this season #alex manes #roswell nm #malex #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #tyler blackburn #liz rotecho #max evans #Isobel evans #kyle valenti #rosa ortecho

[alexmanesairstream]

Has anyone figured out what the point of Jordan Bernhardt was this season? And also the entire storyline of Maria’s vision which took up 6 fucking eps? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE for the love of god

#rnm writers collectively share 1 braincell and they use it to come up with annoying quirky one liners #malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #kyle valenti #Isobel evans #liz ortecho #max evans #maria deluca #rnm season 3 #rnm season 2 #rnm s3

[alexmanesairstream]

While I’m on the note of complaining, can we maybe all get mad at the fact that Echo got to have more than 1 first date (okay only 1 of those was an official one but still), we’re probably gonna have Kybel having their first date on screen next season but ofcourse the malex first date happened off screen at the end of the episode so we’ll never see it :))))

#dont get me started on what racist wyatt x rosa got #or even maria and greg for fucks sake #god im just so mad at everything #and no i cant stop watching the show no matter how badly i actually want to #malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #rnm season 2 #tyler blackburn #michael vlamis

[alexmanesairstream]

So Tyler hasn’t been in New mexico in like weeks and now he’s on holiday. Haha at this point I don’t even think Alex is in s4 at all :)))

#its a big deal bc i watch the show for alex and malex only #also i hate this show and the stupid writing and malex and alex were my only call card #soz #im still v salty about the finale can you tell #the entire season and lack of alex really #alex manes #malex #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #tyler blackburn

[alexmanesairstream]

Can yall please share some Malex college AU fics in the comments. I am BEGGING 🥺

#malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #have a malex college au scratch rn that insists on being scratched

[alexmanesairstream]

You know if they weren’t gonna have Alex in the main group scenes with everyone and Jones, they could have at least given an explanation for it?! Like have Michael telling Alex that Jones knows Alex is Michael’s weakness and he’s afraid of Jones using Alex to get to him and also just for Alex’s safety and Michael’s sanity.

But no they couldn’t even fucking do that

#malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #rnm season 2 #tyler blackburn

[alexmanesairstream]

No like can someone explain to me why Alex wasn’t there when Kyle and Eduardo pulled up to the big fight ?! I’m genuinely out if any reasonable explanation

#have i mentioned how much i love hate this show #fucking cw shows ohmygod #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #malex #michael guerin #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #tyler blackburn

[alexmanesairstream]

Okay finally done. My thoughts:

Obvs Alex having 5 mins of screentime is a huge fucking let down. He wasn’t in any of the group scenes!? And basically all of his scenes were malex scenes. Is that what it’s become? Him reduced to just being the love interest of a main character?

On that note, where exactly is the “same treatment for Malex as Echo” when Malex had a short 2 minute scene together in the entire last two episodes when Exho were together the entire time handing out romantic declarations like 5cent coins. But if the straights are always gonna win, I’ll at least be happy with Kybel bc I’m just loving their slow burn. Yes yes yes. More of that.

Aside from that, the episode as a whole was a let down. Really expected more from Chris but it was to be frank a boring dull overused cliche of an episode. The dialogue was definitely lacking depth in a lot of scenes and we also wasted a lot if screen time on pointless shit (like Isobel the entire fucking episode ohmygod- like bless her soul I love her and I know this is the cw so it’s expected but can we catch a break with her many monologues and female girlboss warrior princess shit. I am TIRED)

The Max and Jones scenes with them constantly switching back and forth made no sense (also as expected- this show rarely makes sense), the final showdown was also underwhelming(?) and the Liz questionioning both of them was super overused cliche tropey boring.

Also, SO many questions left unanswered I can’t even keep track anymore sigh

I will however say that the last scene peaked my interest - and not necessa bc of Shiri- but still nothing makes sense and this finale just didn’t feel like a finale so big thumbs down for that.

#roswell nm #roswell new mexico #pls dont tell me that this show isnt about alex #idc #michael guerin #alex manes #malex #michael x alex #liz ortecho #isobel evans #kyle valenti #max evans #rosa ortecho

[alexmanesairstream]

This episode is so fucking stupid im sorry

#roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #alex manes #malex #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #rnm season 2 #tyler blackburn

[alexmanesairstream]

Lol this is literally the finale and where the fuck is alex?! Hes had ONE scene so far???!

#malex #alex manes #roswell nm #roswell new mexico #michael guerin #michael x alex #rnm s3 #rnm season 3 #rnm season 2 #tyler blackburn