#I’m sure cleverer people than me can write something about the subtext here

[justfriendsbestthings]

Baking with Wilmon ✨

#coming to your YouTube subscription box #young royals #wilmon #just wilmon things #wille and simon #young royals season 3 #yr s3 spoilers #yr s3 stuff #I’m sure cleverer people than me can write something about the subtext here #anyway in another universe they have a baking YouTube channel but an aesthetic one with no narration only subtitles and beautiful shots

[arpmemething2]

Sherlock starter sentences

Send one for my muse’s reaction

"I wrote my own version of the Nativity when I was a child, "The Hungry Donkey". It was a bit gory, but if you're going to put a baby in a manger you're asking for trouble."

"I was just playing the game."

"I can't make bricks without clay."

"I play the violin when I'm thinking and sometime I don't talk for days on end. Would that bother you?"

"You were thinking.  It's annoying."

"Oh, hell! What does that matter? So we go round the Sun! If we went round the Moon, or round and round the garden like a teddy bear, it wouldn’t make any difference."

"Not important? It's primary school stuff! How can you not know that?"

"I'm not a hero, I'm a high-functioning sociopath!  Merry Christmas!"

"What's the point in being clever if you can't prove it?"

"And exactly how many times did he fall out the window?"

"There was once a merchant in the famous market at Baghdad. One day he saw a stranger looking at him in surprise and he knew that the stranger was Death. Pale and trembling, the merchant fled the marketplace and made his way many, many miles to the city of Samarra, for there he was sure Death could not find him. But when at last he came to Samarra, the merchant saw, waiting for him, the grim figure of Death. “Very well,” said the merchant. “I give in. I am yours. But tell me, why did you look surprised when you saw me this morning in Baghdad?”, “Because,” said Death, “I had an appointment with you tonight – in Samarra.”"

"And we're having quite a lot of sex."

"You are a living, breathing man. You've lived a life; you have a past."

"Look at them. They all care so much. Do you ever wonder if there's something wrong with us?"

"I've always been able to keep myself distant. Divorce myself from feelings. But you see, body's betraying me. Interesting, yes? Emotions... grit on the lens, the fly in the ointment."

"Look, this is a six. There's no point in my leaving the flat for anything less than a seven, we agreed. Now go back, show me the grass."

"What a couple of lightweights! You couldn’t even make it to closing time!"

"She provides, shall we say, "recreational scolding" to those who enjoy that sort of thing and are prepared to pay for it."

"Sex doesn't alarm me."

"No idea why people think you’re incapable of human emotion."

"Careful! Some of those skulls are over two hundred thousand years old! Have a bit of respect!"

"You ripping my clothes off in a darkened swimming pool. People might talk."

"Down girl."

"Don't talk out loud.  You lower the IQ of the whole street."

"That's not what people normally say."

"Should I answer chronologically or alphabetically?"

"I've got a better question: is everyone I've ever met a psychopath?"

"Kill you? Um, no. Don't be obvious. I mean, I'm gonna kill you anyway, someday. I don't want to rush it, though. I'm saving it up for something special. No no no no no, if you don't stop prying... I'll burn you. I will burn... the heart out of you."

"No, I just said that in one of your stories."

"You think he lost a lot of money? Suicide is common among city boys."

"He will outlive God trying to have the last word."

"Listen, what I said before, I meant it. I don't have friends; I've just got one."

"I'm not dead.  Let's have dinner."

"So he'll have to make a speech in front of people. There will be actual people there actually listening."

"Don't make people into heroes. Heroes don't exist, and if they did, I wouldn't be one of them."

"Stop talking, it makes me aware of your existence."

"This is my game face.  And the game is on."

"Oh, I may be on the side of the angels... but don't think for one second that I am one of them."

"We solve crimes. I blog about it, and he forgets his pants. I wouldn't hold out too much hope."

“Do you always carry handcuffs?”

"When I say run … run!"

"He’s planned something, something long-term. Something that would take effect if he never made it off that rooftop alive. Posthumous revenge. No, better than that – posthumous game."

"Intuitions are not to be ignored. They represent data processed too fast for the conscious mind to comprehend."

"You can't arrest a jellyfish."

"Brainy is the new sexy."

"Taking your own life. Interesting expression - taking it from who? Once it's over, it's not you who'll miss it. Your own death is something that happens to everybody else. Your life is not your own. Keep your hands off it."

"Oh, I'm sure something will turn up. A nice murder. That'll cheer you up."

"So what if there are right? They are always right, it's boring."

"We all have a past. Ghosts. They are the shadows that define our every sunny day."

"Is it nice not being me? It must be so relaxing."

"Once the idea exists, it cannot be killed."

"It's not a pleasant thought. I have this terrible feeling from time to time that we might all just be human."

"Friends protect people."

I'm not implying anything. I'm sure she came round for a nice little chat, and just happened to stay over. And I assume she scrubbed your floors, going by the state of her knees."

"The universe is rarely so lazy."

"Everybody dies. It’s the one thing human beings can be relied upon to do."

"I gave you my number. I thought you might call"

"Really hope you don't have a baby in here."

"How did he recognize her from.. not her face?"

"I'm suddenly realizing I probably owe you some sort of an apology."

"I always hear "punch me in the face" when you're speaking, but it's usually subtext."

"People don’t really go to heaven when they die. They’re taken to a special room and burned."

"We've got a serial killer on our hands. Love those, there's always something to look forward to."

"Dear God.  What is it like in your funny little brains?  It must be so boring."

"Fear is wisdom in the face of danger. It is nothing to be ashamed of."

"To a great mind, nothing is little."

"I was thinking more about our imminent and daring escape."

"Fine. We'll start with the riding crop."

"Pass me your revolver. I have a sudden need to use it."

"No, no, NO! Of course he's not the boy's father! Look at the turn-ups on his jeans!"

"Dear Lord, I have never been so impatient to be attacked by a murderous ghost...!"

"What I'm trying to say is that, if there's anything I can do, anything you need, anything at all, you can have me.…"

"Look at those cheekbones. I could cut myself slapping that face. Would you like me to try?"

"I would have you right here on this desk until you begged for mercy, twice"

"Are you wearing any pants?"

"When he was dying, he was always cheerful. He was lovely. Except when he thought that no one could see. I saw him once. He looked sad."

"Does yours rub off too?"

"I'm in shock. Look, I've got a blanket!"

"Get out.  I need to go to my mind palace."

"The world is woven from billions of lives, every strand crossing every other. What we call premonition is just movement of the web. If you could attenuate to every strand of quivering data, the future would be entirely calculable. As inevitable as mathematics."

"You should put that on a t-shirt."

"I'm soooo changeable. It is a weakness with me, but to be fair to myself, it is my only weakness."

"Every fairy tale needs a good old-fashioned villain. You need me or you're nothing — because we're just alike, you and I. Except you're boring. You're on the side of the angels."

"Just once, can you two behave like grown-ups?"

"Sentiment is a chemical defect found on the losing side."

"None of the cabs would take me."

"Also, your loss would break my heart."

"I can open any door, anywhere with a few tiny lines of computer code. No such thing as a private bank account now. All are mine. No such thing as secrecy. I OWN secrecy. Nuclear codes? I could blow up NATO in alphabetical order. In a world of locked rooms, the man with the key is king. And honey, you should see me in a crown."

"And you read my writing upside down. You see what I mean?"

"London. It’s like a great cesspool into which all kinds of criminals, agents and drifters are irresistibly drained. Sometimes it’s not a question of who, it’s a question of who knows."

"You've gone all croaky, you getting a cold?"

"All lives end. All hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage"

"I hope you'll be very happy. You deserve it. After all, not all people you fall for can turn out to be sociopaths."

"Is that a British Army Browning L9A1 in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?"

"...Murder. Sorry, did I say murder? I meant to say marriage. But, you know, they're quite similar procedures when you think about it. The participants tend to know each other and it's over when one of them's dead."

"That's clever.  Is it clever?  Why is it clever?"

"Interesting thing a tuxedo. Lends distinction to friends and anonymity to waiters."

"If I wasn't everything you think I am, everything that I think I am... would you still want to help me?"

[tirorah]

Road to Berlin’s ‘Road to Berlin’ Sure Was a Road to Berlin Episode

Hiya, everyone! It’s that time of the week, but don’t worry, your assigned reading is pretty light this time. Because, honestly? I don’t have much to say about this episode in terms of character arcs or themes or the like. Instead, you’ll find my brief thoughts under the cut, as well as my favorite stuff from Episode 11.

In the end, this episode was a follow-up to the ending of Episode 10, and also the start of the final offensive, which makes Episode 11 the middle chapter of a three-parter. This is always difficult to make satisfying--look at any pre-planned trilogy and you can see the struggle with ramping up the tension while also not blowing the series’ full load, as it needs to set up the final, climactic piece.

Consequently, Road to Berlin (the episode) didn’t do a lot of exciting things; it simply moved the story along. And that’s 100% fine. It’s just not as richly packed with content as most of the season has been. There was also some blatant reuse of old footage again (they really love that shot of Trude brandishing her guns, don’t they?) but again, I felt it was within acceptable parameters. I did feel like the episode was holding back a bit with the aerial combat, though. Seems the Ratte was the biggest star of the show for this week.

Without further ado and in no particular order, here are my favorite things from this episode!

Patton’s Redemption

Sort of. He was still a gloating idiot, but he actually valued Yoshika’s power enough to argue the 501st’s case to his fellow generals, and he showed admirable tenacity when the Neuroi’s full power gradually revealed itself. He didn’t shout nearly as often either, and was much more reasonable. Overall, he was far less cartoony and made a decent start at showing us why he attained his current rank.

Although I’ll never forgive him for this. That, and calling Yoshika a ‘little missy.’

This Line from Minna

It’s delivered calmly, but I like to think this is Diplomatic Minna Speak for ‘Fuck off and up yours, she saved your damn butts!’

And another thing: the doctor said it’d take Yoshika a week to be able to fly again, but Minna wants a delay of ten days, not seven. It seems she wants half a week extra so that Yoshika can recover more, which is both prudent and kind of her.

The Generals Being Children

Both amusement and disbelief filled me as I watched the generals of different nations bicker like bloody schoolyard kids. It’s true what they say: War. War never changes. (And especially not the ego of man.) The fact a bunch of grown men devolved into chest-thumping and throwing crap at one another is hilarious. Even Lucchini’s been more mature than that this season, and that says something!

Shizuka’s Turbulent Emotions

Again, Shizuka shows off her similarities to Trude; I feel like she’s definitely the type to hold this in until it comes spilling out in one ugly cry like it did here. She just wasn’t able to hold it in as long, likely due to her relative youth.

We also finally got to see the one character arc thing in this episode I was hoping for: Shizuka and her relationship with orders. For the entire season, we’ve constantly seen Shizuka’s rigid obedience to orders reinforced. But when Mio tells her to keep the Shinden’s presence a secret, we see the first time an order brings her true, internal conflict. Although it culminated in a good cry and not her disobeying said order, I have a feeling she’ll buck the trend and either tell Yoshika about the Shinden, or fly it herself.

Finally, it’s nice to see that she doesn’t let her injury scare her, and channels her guilt into some awesome attack runs. Much credit to her; she’s grown quite a bit, and not because she’s emulating the others, but by growing into her new responsibilities as a combatant.

Yoshika Doing What She Can

Respect was earned by Yoshika this episode. Although she was obviously disappointed she wouldn’t be able to fly with the others into the final battle, she didn’t let it get her down and decided to do whatever she could to help. That meant we finally got to see her newly attained medical skills again! All those books she checked out in Episode 1 sure came in handy now.

If you will, think back all the way to Season 1, Episode 2 for a moment. A Neuroi attacked the ship bringing Yoshika and Mio to Europe, and a sailor was injured by shrapnel. Back then, Yoshika was severely shaken by the combat, and when she tried to help the sailor with her healing magic, she was promptly rebuked by someone else, as healing him with the shards still inside would only hurt him further.

But here, people rely on Yoshika’s medical knowledge and even Patton greatly respects her for it. Her suggestion to hole up in the Flak Tower is also a huge success, likely saving all of their lives.

Shirley's Amusement at the Ratte

Why, Shirley, what are you insinuating here? Surely Karlsland isn’t compensating for something! They just like their prototypes huge.

And Perrine’s Dismay

Harrumph! Size doesn’t matter, obviously! Just look at Perrine’s chest.

But honestly, someone else pointed this out too: the fact they’re relying so much on experimental and/or new things shows how desperate they are, and how fragile their gains are.

Speaking of The Ratte

The Ratte is awesome. The way its rounds punched through the Neuroi walls... *chef’s kiss* It’s obvious where the love and attention went this episode: all the carnage! We also got to see a lot of Berlin’s ruins, which is a nice change from fighting over ocean and rural landscapes. In my opinion, this was the way to go with the budget.

Also, Dem Walls!

They were so cool! I was amazed by the way they could reform to cover the gap where they were under attack! They even showed the little drones coming in to stack on top of one another. And later on, how the main body used the walls to shield itself from the Ratte’s full power was also very impressive! I love how powerful the walls were, but that the Neuroi’s resources weren’t infinite. That’s how you write your antagonist.

Not to Mention the Dome of Death!

Let’s be honest: we all knew a snag was coming. But not only was this a clever trap by the Neuroi, it also showcased the Neuroi using the debris to build more of themselves!

Miscellaneous Things

Something I didn’t mention in my Episode 10 post was Lynne’s support. She’s been really good at looking out for Shizuka! And she also scored a huge hit on the drone horde, which was great. And this time, Perrine also took the time to reassure Shizuka; as the one who was originally assigned to train Shizuka, it’s good she’s showing her gentler side now.

The 502nd made a brief cameo! I haven’t watched Brave Witches yet, which I’ll have to get on after this season finishes. It was also really cool to see how the other Joint Fighter Wings were pitching in for the war effort. The 501st are definitely the stars of the operation (as they should be), but there’s a multi-prong attack going on off-screen. Exciting stuff!

I also really like the little touches that RtB’s been so good at this entire season. For this episode, it’s the blue tulip on Yoshika’s bedstand. Seeing as the episode starts on the day after the ending of Episode 10, this means someone (maybe Perrine?) had a Queen of Nederland shipped out to Kiel really quickly, just for Yoshika. It’s sweet!

Finally, while Minna and Trude clashed during the previous episode, here they work together to support one another during combat. Trude comes to Minna’s aid the moment she’s attacked.

The Stuff I Thought I’d Get, But Didn’t

I’d speculated on this episode and came up with things I thought I’d get to see. But nope!

First of all, what’s RtB’s deal with Mio? I can’t believe Minna’s had more subtext with Trude than with Mio this season! Even when the two of them finally spoke with one another for the first time since Episode 2, there was no blushing or anything like that! Are the days of Minna and Perrine fawning over Mio over? Is there someone on the writing team who loves Trude like I do, and has the same problems with Mio that I do? This is really...well, weird. I can’t describe it in any other way.

Anyway, she’s now bringing the B-17 to Berlin, meaning she might get involved somehow (and is also bringing the Shinden, possibly so Shizuka can fly it.) But here I was, thinking, ‘Oh, that plane they showed Mio with in the opening, she’ll fly that, and it’s going to have anti-Neuroi armor!’ and yet I’m not seeing any indication of that happening at all. Mio isn’t even in that plane right now. It’s the Ratte who got the anti-Neuroi treatment, and again, Mio’s presence felt...functional, I guess.

There’s something about her screen presence that bothers me, actually. I didn’t think about it before, because she was absent so much it just didn’t cross my mind, but...what happened to good ol’ jolly Mio? I don’t mind her being a bit more serious--RtB’s been a more serious season, after all--but we haven’t had a patented Mio Laugh since the first episode, and I miss it. Let’s hope the final episode gives her a nice sendoff.

Secondly, for all the fuss they made about Yoshika and Shizuka’s conditions with that downright tragic ending in Episode 10, the two of them bounced back pretty fast. It’s literally been a day and Shizuka’s already running around fine? And Yoshika doesn’t seem to be experiencing any lingering negative effects of her overexertion? (Aside from the obvious.) For a season that’s so focused on consequences and a consistency in tone, I feel like the two of them got off a bit light.

I was also expecting Trude and possibly Minna and Lynne having sad moments because ‘oh no, people we care about are hurt!’ but because Yoshika and Shizuka seem mostly fine, that didn’t happen at all.

Usually, Episode 11 is the one that ends on a somber note, but here it seems they moved that to Episode 10, and instead had Episode 11 strike a more optimistic tone. No one really showed off their flaws, either; maybe Episode 10 was the bookend to that theme after all?

Into the End

The episode ends on a very interesting note. Everyone finds out Yoshika is also trapped inside the Neuroi dome--and why, exactly, was no one informed of her presence on the Ratte?!--and they’re ordered to mount a rescue operation for their besieged comrades.

And then Trude comes with this absolutely surprising revelation:

I imagine at least one staff member had a chuckle at the fact the cast is now embarking on another Road (in)to Berlin.

The what, now? This wasn’t built up or alluded to at all; I have questions, show! Not to mention, how does Trude even know about this? And why is she the one announcing it, and not Minna, the world’s best mom and team captain?

Anyway, the preview seems to indicate some sort of tunnel run--I briefly wondered if they’d have to venture in on foot, but it seems to be big enough for them to fly.

This shot is ominous.

I’m highly intrigued by this decision. Obviously, the final confrontation will play out outside, but to yank the Witches from the air and into a much more claustrophobic space is a confident move. I can only imagine the surprises the final episode has up its sleeve.

Anyway, all in all, this was a decent episode, and while it did have lots of neat little character moments, it’s obviously setup for what I hope to be a spectacular ending. 

Even if it doesn’t quite deliver next week, though, RtB’s been so consistently great that it’s already cemented itself as my favorite show ever.

#strike witches #road to berlin

[itsbylethbish]

Intentions

Maybe it’s because he’s only been aware of his Leicester heritage for a short time, but Claude has never really thought of himself as a deer. They’re not particularly tricky animals. He thinks they’re pretty, even majestic, but they’re...well, prey. And he knows it’s corny to think of himself as a predator, but if he has to identify with a cuddly forest creature, he thinks a fox is much more apropos.

Okay, so the Golden Foxes doesn’t have the same ring to it. And foxes aren’t considered sacred animals in eastern Fódlan, so that’s another point against them. Still, he doesn’t think of himself as deerlike at all.

Until Jeralt corners him right after their mission to investigate the sickness in Remire Village.

It isn’t alarming at first. Claude’s just walking past his office on the way to the library when the grizzled knight leans out into the hall and beckons him over. Sure, he’s never really chatted with the ex-mercenary before, but then again students and knights aren’t exactly encouraged to fraternize.

Besides, he’s the professor’s father, so maybe it has something to do with a class or one of their missions.

Claude doesn’t even realize he’s walked into a trap until it springs closed around him.

Jeralt asks him to sit—pretty normal so far—and takes a seat himself. He looks as though he’s in a pretty decent mood. He’s even smiling a little, like he’s about to tell Claude some sort of amusing anecdote. Then he leans forward, puts one elbow on his knee, and stares at the younger man with eyes so piercing that Claude feels his body freeze in place.

Just like a startled deer. One that’s now at the mercy of an expert hunter.

“You know, I like you, kid. You’ve got a way about you. I’ve met a lot of people through the years and most of them are full of shit, but most of the time you’re only pretending to be. And while everyone else is writing you off as some prankster, you’re already eight steps ahead of them. Isn’t that right?”

It sounds like a compliment, but Claude’s shoulders don’t relax. There’s steel under the words, and even Lorenz would be able to tell that there’s a great big ‘but’ coming.

“Uh, usually just one or two steps ahead, to be honest,” he replies. Jeralt chuckles appreciatively.

“See? That’s what I mean. You know how to disarm people. Trust me son, it’s not a common skill.”

“Er...thank you.”

Jeralt nods. “So, now that you know that I know how clever you are, we can ignore the preliminaries and get right to the part where you’re honest with me. Because I can see straight through your bullshit, boy.”

Claude bristles automatically at the word boy. It reminds him of the condescending way Judith refers to him. Then he shrugs it off. It’s not like provoking Jeralt will lead to anything good.

“It seems as though you’re the one eight steps ahead of me,” he says as he folds his arms behind his head and leans against the back of his chair. “What is it you need me to be honest with you about?”

Jeralt’s lips twitch into a smile that’s almost sarcastic. “Isn’t it obvious? What every father wants a boy to be honest about. What are your intentions for my daughter?”

“For Teach?” Claude blurts, and there’s this odd screeching quality to his voice that he’s never heard before. “I don’t have any intentions for Teach. Cross my heart.”

He does, too, sketching an X over the aforementioned organ with his index finger.

“I can’t say I’m not relieved to hear it.” Jeralt is staring at him so hard that Claude feels as though he’s been pinned to his chair. “Let’s keep it that way, shall we?”

The captain’s tone has gone all jovial again, but there’s more subtext here. I’ve got my eye on you, is what he’s actually saying. And from Jeralt Blade-Breaker, it’s intimidating enough for this tired old cliché of a conversation to work.

“Anything you say,” Claude agrees, now desperate to flee. He knows his cheeks are red. And he knows now that he is most definitely, beyond a doubt, just as skiddish as those sacred deer that everyone in Leicester love so much.

“Good, I’m glad we cleared that up.” Jeralt stands. “I’d hate to hear of anything inappropriate happening.”

Claude nods, now so focused on getting to the door that he almost doesn’t realize what’s coming out of his mouth.

“This kind of...came out of nowhere. Unless...Does she have intentions for me?”

Jeralt lays a hand on his shoulder. Gives it a friendly squeeze. Keeps squeezing.

“Ah, kid...questions like that are going to make it hard for us to be friends.”

Friends? Claude’s not even sure he’s going to make it out of this office with all his body parts intact, and they’re less than a foot from the door.

“Point taken.”

Jeralt’s fingers relax. He gives Claude’s shoulder an affable pat. “See that it is,” he says, then he shoves younger man gently toward the door.

It’s a bit of a relief when Jeralt leaves a few days later on a mission. At least now he can scamper off to the library without having to worry about getting pounced on by any angry fathers.

—

Five Years Later

Finding Byleth in the wreckage of Garreg Mach feels suspiciously like a miracle, and he’s never believed in those. But Claude thinks he may have to readjust his position on that topic when it comes to Teach; she just keeps making them happen. He knows he’s staring at her as they share the small meal he’s brought along, but in his defense it is truly hard to believe that she’s real. After five years of waiting, he wouldn’t be surprised to discover this is all some vivid daydream.

“It must be strange for you to feel like we saw each other last just a few minutes ago,” he comments. “Jeralt dying, Edelgard’s attack...that all just happened for you.”

Byleth nods. He can see how fresh those pains are. Then he kicks himself. He doesn’t want to be maudlin today. Teach is back! They should be celebrating.

“You know,” he says with a sudden laugh, “the last time your father and I talked, he asked me what my intentions were regarding you. Scared the living daylights out of me. To this day, I don’t think anyone else has ever intimidated me quite so effectively.”

She looks up with a bemused smile. “You mean he was trying to scare you away from me? Why?”

“Wellll...” Claude rubs the back of his head, suddenly feeling shy. “I may have been harboring a bit of a crush. But I barely even knew it! I have no idea how he figured it out.”

This time Byleth is the one that laughs. “It might have had something to do with you being the first person that made me smile.”

“I...was?”

She nods. ”Right in the beginning, I kept thinking of how you were so sure I picked the Deer just to get to know you better. Jeralt noticed and asked me what was so amusing, and I told him.” She shrugs. “I think he was pretty worried that you’d steal my heart, after that.”

“Well it turns out he was worried about the wrong one of us, Teach. You were the only one stealing hearts. We were all half in love with you by the time that ball rolled around.” He flushed and looks away. “Some more than others.”

Her hand finds his, and he squeezes her gently.

“I must still seem like your student,” he observes, his eyes now on their entwined fingers. “It feels like a hundred years have passed since that time for me.”

She tilts her head and studies him in the light of this new day. “No. I can see that you’ve grown up. You must be older than me now.”

“Only by a year or two,” he says so quickly that she can tell he’s already done the math as far as he’s able to estimate, given her lack of a birth year. He’s smiling again. “The student has surpassed the master.”

She lifts her eyebrows at him, and he laughs.

“Okay, maybe I haven’t surpassed you. But at least I’m not a kid anymore. That’s got to count for something. Now...let’s see what we can do about these bandits, shall we?”

She nods and dusts herself off, then goes to retrieve her weapons. Claude watches her and thinks that somewhere, Jeralt is looking down at them. And he must really be starting to sweat, because those intentions Claude didn’t have five years ago? He’s got them now. He’s got them bad.

#bylaude #claudeleth #claude x byleth #protective jeralt #protective dad #one shot #fe3h #fe3h fic #f!byleth

[dictacontrion]

Hey for the ask thing F, I, and U ! Thank u I love your blog and your work !

Thanks, nonnie!! These have been a blast!! 

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Okay so I actually love writing dialogue, it is kind of my fave, and I don’t have one single favorite, but this one, from Make Me a Headline (I Want to Be That Bold) came to mind: 

“I want you.”

“For—bed?” Harry asks, eyes flitting nervously upwards at the ceiling and, presumably, the bed above them.

“Yes,” Draco answers, “but not only.”

Harry takes another step towards him. “What else?”

“Dancing,” Draco says. “Champagne.”

“Yeah?” Harry prompts.

“Dinner,” Draco adds. “Letters.”

“Answered letters?”

“Answered letters. And…dates.”

“Public dates?”

“Yes. And…” Draco takes a turn at stepping forward, “breakfast.”

“Breakfast?”

“Breakfast,” Draco repeats. “After…”

“Bed?”

“Yes.”

“For breakfast, you’d have to stay.”

“Yes.”

“And you want?”

“Breakfast.”

“Oh,” Harry breathes. “Breakfast.”

I like it because I think usually I’m drawn to snappy banter, and clever characters who are able to explain themselves, and when there’s lots of witty subtext, and this is sort of the opposite of that. It’s a very emotionally naked moment for them, and it felt like piling on the words wasn’t going to work. What matters here, for them, is how well they understand each other without words, that they know each other so well they don’t need further explanation to get what’s at stakes. Well, and that they’re able to create this space that works emotionally for both of them, such that Harry can be reassured while Draco doesn’t have to put himself so explicitly on the line that he recoils into defensiveness. But how to get them to communicate that when saying it would defeat the purpose? This felt like the really right solution - the economy of language, the repetition, the construction of the story so that the readers and the characters have to recall a lot of complicated history in order for this to have meaning, and (hopefully) that the simplicity of the actual words pushes the reader to be present alongside the characters in being attentive to the complexity of the meaning behind them. And I thiiiiink it does that successfully? Though readers would know better than I would! 

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

My writing guilty pleasure is 100% the banter mentioned above, which wouldn’t be a guilty pleasure at all, vs something very fun, except that I tend to do it when I’m stuck or stonewalling, so will occasionally feel a bit guilty when I notice that’s what I’m doing.

My reading guilty pleasure (though as a phrase, I prefer smug indulgence to guilty pleasure!) is probably 1D/BBC RPF AUs, which, there are just some really fun ones, and it’s in this fic space that I don’t write or rec or mod or really blog about very much, so it’s work-free pure indulgence. 

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

I take this question to ask what I like about three of my favorite fic writers’ writing but, if you’ll bear with me, anon, I am going to intentionally misinterpret this for a moment (and will do it over properly if you like!) and tell you about three of my favorite fic writers and why they are some of my favorite people (with the caveat that I could easily do this for a dozen more!) and #sorrynotsorry, hopefully these lovely individuals will be up for tolerating some tenderness.

1. I have had the extraordinary luck to be within driving distance of @firethesound​ for most of my fic-writing life, and while I’m sure many of you, like me, admire her writing enormously, I am here to tell you that it is the tip of the iceberg. I have lost track of the number of times I have been having a crap week, only to show up at fire’s house and find the kettle on and cookies waiting, or the number of times she’s listened while I talk through whatever’s bothering me, or the number of days that have been improved by her company. She can be very stealth about how funny she is, and how incisive her commentary is, and how thoughtful her views are, and how observant she is, and how creative and resourceful and resilient and patient, and how she cares for the people around her, and how curious and interested she is, and how good at figuring things out, and how determined, and how generally much of a stone cold badass she is when the situation calls for it, but it’s all very, very present and I am perpetually blown away, and so, so grateful to the universe that our paths crossed. It’s made my life more balanced and fuller and funner and funnier and inspired, and that’s very much par for the course when spending time with fire. 

2. @gracerene09​ is a brilliant writer who just knocks my socks off a little bit more every time I read her latest work, and also has been my adventure buddy across two continents, three countries, and two (soon to be three or possibly maybe four!) states, and holy fuck she is amazing. She is so thoughtful and so unbelievably on the ball and possessed of good common sense and feet firmly on the ground, and she is the rare human who manages to be all of that and imaginative and silly and hilarious and adventurous and game for flights of fancy. Like, we can have a spreadsheet and a plan A and a plan B and then get drunk and have a selfie competition and end up wandering some random places absolutely cackling our butts off. And having seen her in all of those contexts and done loads of fandom and RL stuff with her, I can absolutely say that she’s one of the few people in the world whose judgment I trust implicitly. Even when we disagree, I trust her process and her ability and willingness to talk it through and figure it out. I also have the hugest admiration for the way she approaches the world with an eye towards growth; if she notices something she wants to change, she changes it, and she does it in ways that are deeply reflective and considered and dauntless and principled, and it’s truly incredible and an honor to see how that’s played out, is playing out, over the years. 

3. When it comes to fandom, and to life, @writcraft has become one of my absolute favorite people to talk to. Writ’s approach to writing and thinking is so masterful and meticulous and smart, I am constantly in awe. I have endless appreciation for the way they’ve written queerness into fic, which takes it so seriously and pays homage to its history, and would happily listen to them talk about queerness and culture for hours, both as it has to do with fandom and as it matters in the world beyond. And alongside this phenomenal, blinding awareness and knowledge, they’re also so much fun. I often come away from my conversations with writ reminded that all things - fandom, politics, the daily business of life - are meant to have elements of joy and connection in them, that the object isn’t only to learn and work for change, but to remember what it is that’s worth working for, and to stop and enjoy it, and to change things, even when that involves taking risks, in order to build a more enjoyable, connected, intrinsically motivated life. Whether it’s a serious conversation about political commitments and practice, or a serious conversation about fandom, or getting drunk and sweaty and dancing till ready to drop, having writ around is guaranteed to make it richer and sweeter and better. 

Fic asks!

#there were so many people i wanted to do who are artists or bloggers!! #and so many other authors i wanted to do and then felt like i'd set this bar at knowledge that comes from hanging out #when the observed online stuff could be its own posts! #and you three - this is a no response needed situation!!! #memes #irl #yay asks!

[thesinglesjukebox]

BLAKE SHELTON - GOD'S COUNTRY

[4.17]

Well, at least two of our writers turned around their chairs for you, Blake...

Alfred Soto: "Blake's Country," judging from the fake humility. [1]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: A clever title given the song's subtext flips the definition of "country." Shelton is a 21st century pharisee here, and the vague spirituality that defines this is meant as a warning to all of the genre's heretics. Naturally, the reason this song can function successfully as a song about Real Country Music is because it follows the same tactics that are utilized to keep Real Christians so sure of their received convictions: Shelton looks to history, religion, and tradition to detail a future that needs saving. He explains that "the Devil went down to Georgia/but he didn't stick around," and if Shelton's having any say in this culture war, the same fate awaits the country devil incarnate: Florida Georgia Line. But really, saying "This is God's Country" (especially after saying "it ain't my ground") encapsulates the full breadth of why so many people support legislation like the heartbeat bills. It's yet to be seen if this will soundtrack any pro-life rallies, but really, the existence and success of this song already shows that its logic is already ingrained in countless Americans' minds. [8]

Katie Gill: I'm faced with writing a review of a song that attempts to talk about a specific place via rural imagery (one church town, dogs running in the wild) and country-western imagery (The Charlie Daniels Band, mentioning "Dixie") but is so generic that there is a Shelton-sponsored website with a "God's Country" image generator where you can say that literally any city, no matter the location or population, is God's Country. I don't care if "God's Country" is a state of mind or whatever mealy-mouth nonsense Shelton wants to use to try and sell this song north of the Mason-Dixon line, he mentioned "Dixie!" You don't mention "Dixie" unless you're trying to appeal to a certain demographic. Anyway, my review is just to link this Bo Burnham bit that I know I've already linked for at least two other country songs of this ilk but it's not MY fault they keep setting themselves up like this. [2]

Katherine St Asaph: Tolling church bells, seething guitars, cackling voices, twang cranked up to 11 -- all the elements of post-"Old Town Road" country camp. But instead of going the full "Mea Culpa" melodrama, "God's Country" shoves everything but the twang to the back of the mix, leaving up front the same old Southern rock. The conceit could've been a play on words, i.e., "God is country," which might actually be funny -- but again, instead the lyric's the same old mythologizing BS. As you may have heard, there's some big news ongoing with Georgia's abortion laws, and even if you don't think "this is God's country" is a big-ass dog whistle, the issue is such that both sides would find it compelling evidence that maybe the devil stuck around. Or if he didn't, it's because the uncredited female background vocalist belted him right back into hell; but she's also shoved to the back of the mix, so you probably didn't notice. [5]

Taylor Alatorre: Upon closer examination of the lyrics, there doesn't seem to be anything inherently reactionary about "God's Country," though I can't shake the feeling that at least someone involved in its production wanted people like me to think there was. I'm not even totally opposed to reactionary thought in music if it's done in an interesting way -- where are all the synthpunk songs based on Italian futurist principles or the concept albums inspired by Spengler's Decline of the West? Far from a full-throated declaration of cultural allegiances, "God's Country" is a damp squib of a psuedo-anthem that paints over its noncommittal core with a mix of bluster and overcompensation. I believe Blake Shelton has real pride in his small town Oklahoma roots; why does he sing like he's faking it? [1]

Jonathan Bradley: Country is having a Christian moment, and as a Southern music, its Christian moments are often best when there's a bit of hell in there too -- like Patterson Hood told us, Satan is a Southerner. But why would this song of community and salvation growl with such darkness and drag with such sick, hot menace? "God's country" is a phrase that denotes awe -- think of the expansive beauty in the similarly named U2 song -- but Blake Shelton's track turns it literally territorial: he is marking out the boundaries of a land and of the people who belong on it. It's hard not to suppose, then, that he might also be marking out the people who do not belong. Sometimes country music's esteem for tradition can leave you wondering what happens to the people who don't fit into it, but Shelton leaves less room to wonder. God's country sounds like a place you don't want to be caught in after sun down. [3]

Stephen Eisermann: The moodiness and dark aesthetic of this song are really sexy, as is Blake's rough vocal, it's just that there's this burning question in my mind: can someone remind me of which native tribe "God" belonged to? [4]

Isabel Cole: The church-bells melodrama comes across so dramatic and stark that I listened probably harder than I should have for a hint of some irony or complication that would make the idea of describing an implicitly white American setting as "God's country" in the year 2019 less than totally repulsive. And I'm open to someone more familiar with genre or artist telling me there's something I'm missing, but really all I hear is a song about how much reality TV star Blake Shelton loves farmers and manifest destiny. [3]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I come from a tradition that has not, for much of its history, had a country to lend to God, so the sheer physicality of Shelton's worship music is appealing as a novelty. That's much more in the music than the lyrics -- the metal-leaning production job and Shelton's bombastic vocal performance complete their goals with more clarity than the lyrics, which feel more like an empty listing of signifiers and metaphors than a sermon proper. [5]

Iris Xie: "God's Country" is composed very strictly to accompany an unrelenting montage of images in its lyrics. The brusqueness of this approach honestly reminds me of when Phil Collins wrote his adult contemporary songs for Tarzan, and its overall determination to wring every possible emotion out of the images. The crunchy slaps and grunting guitars impart a type of stressful dominance which makes me wonder about Shelton's relationship to God and why it is so cortisol-spiking, but I guess if striking fear and awe is the goal of the song, it's not too bad. [5]

Alex Clifton: I like a song that fills me with the fear of God, and Blake Shelton comes very close to that here. "God's Country" is a foot-stomping revival song, but I wish he'd gone a bit further with it. The issue is that he sounds too polished when I want the grit and more devils, but I'm relieved this isn't a "God bless the USA!!!!!" song like I worried it might be. [5]

Ramzi Awn: Blake adds some spice to what could have been a dull song and surprisingly, "God's Country" more than makes its mark. Thanks to a rollicking vision and all the right bells and whistles, the track succeeds in conjuring up the danger Blake warns against and leaves you wanting a shot of whiskey. [8]

[Read and comment on The Singles Jukebox]

#Blake Shelton #country #pop #music #music review #writing

[thesearchforspirk]

1 x 9: ‘What Are Little Girls Made Of?’ {Subtext Study}

Please read my manifesto here if you haven’t already- it better explains my beliefs as per the Kirk/Spock dynamic and what I aim to accomplish with this blog.

An episode that barely features any direct K/S reactions yet seems to say a whole lot about them in 50 minutes time, through strategic use of androids. And Lurch. 

So, Chapel’s on the bridge this time around which is a bit of a switch-up. Turns out she’s anxiously awaiting news of her fiance’s whereabouts and whether or not he’s still alive. Kirk is cautiously hopeful; reminding her that said fiance, Dr. Roger Korby, has been missing for 5 years despite several search expeditions to find him. I guess that doesn’t make her love confession to Spock in The Naked Time too terribly awkward then... yikes. Dr. Korby asks that Kirk personally come down to the surface which has ignited Spock’s suspicions, but Kirk is hesitant to refuse given Dr. Korby’s reputation for being a brilliant scientist or something. 

When Spock asks for confirmation that Chapel knows Dr. Korby’s voice beyond any shadow of a doubt (likely because of his increased concern now that Kirk’s wellbeing is on the line) she teasingly asks if he’s ever been engaged. Kirk gets a personal amusement out of his reaction. Yeah what a hilarious thought, there’s NO WAY Spock has ever been engaged hahaha.

(just wait for Amok Time you little shits) 

Kirk and Chapel beam down to the tundra-like planet (apparently impervious to the cold as neither of them seem the slightest bit affected) and, having not seen Dr. Korby anywhere nearby, decide to head down into the cavern to see if he’s somewhere in there. Kirk contacts the Enterprise and asks Spock to beam down two expendable red shirts just in case (Spock of course not neglecting to ask if there’s been any trouble). All for the better, as one ends up falling off a ledge somehow just as Dr. Korby’s assistant, Brown, shows up and Lurch (LURCH NO!!) slinks away. 

Brown’s acting a little weird around Chapel, as it takes him a moment to recognize her. Kirk’s suspicions are being increasingly aroused but Chapel continues to seem hopeful (he’s also super beat up about his red shirt guy dying which isn’t significant to the point of this post but I just like James T Kirk so much and how much he cares about each member of his crew ok). Unfortunately the other red shirt guy gets suffocated or something by Lurch before he can give Kirk’s orders to the Enterprise. 

Brown explains that Dr. Korby’s discovered how the inhabitants of the planet moved underground as the sun dimmed and created a mechanistic type culture, which he hopes to harness and implement everywhere for some reason. When they get into the main living area a sexy lady barely wearing anything shows up and I freaking love the look Kirk gives Chapel- he’s not checking sexy lady out, he’s looking over at Chapel to see how she feels about this super hot, scantily clad woman and the fact that she’s apparently living here. “Girl, can you believe this?” Sure enough, Chapel’s like what the fuck. 

Sexy lady introduces herself, very mechanically, as Andrea. Then Dr. Korby shows up and he and Chapel have some kissy-kissy reunion times and Kirk looks so happy for them because he is perfect. Korby apologizes for Kirk’s lost crewman, Kirk assures him it wasn’t his fault, and then attempts to call his redshirt posted outside. When he doesn’t answer he makes to try the ship, but things escalate quickly when Brown points a phaser at him and says “NO COMMUNICATIONS” 

Geez, y’all aren’t really going for warm and hospitable, are you?

Dr. Korby insists, instructing Andrea to take it from him. Kirk flips her around as a sort of hostage and then does his infamous barrel roll to hide behind the desk. He then presumably attempts to stun Brown, but instead blows open and sizzles his circuits because GASP he’s a robot! Kirk also gets fucking picked up like a toddler by Lurch and thrown against a wall. So far as I can tell these are the same actors, not stunt doubles, so that means Ted Cassidy literally hoisted Shatner up and held him. HELD HIM THERE. LIKE A BABY. 

I just find that hilarious and precious. Anyway. 

Kirk does indeed contact the Enterprise- or rather, his voice does. It turns out Lurch can do excellent, spot on voice impressions so he calls the bridge and gives a pretty level-headed, standard message about the progress of the mission. 99.99999% of people would not have heard anything worth suspicion. I would guess that would even include McCoy. Of course, 99.99999% of people don’t know Kirk as well as Spock (nor are they secretly in love with him) so of course Spock notices something is off and asks as much and says he sounds tired. Very logical and unemotional of you, Spock, A++++ Vulcaning. 

Korby apologizes for being so shady but, y’know, it’s necessary. Because of reasons. Lurch does some more impressions, proving he can do ANYONE’S voice (as a voice actor I’d kill to be as good as him) and Kirk is clever enough to convince Korby to order Lurch not to disobey Chapel’s orders. Because Kirk is such a smarty pants and I love him forever and always. Anyway, Korby attempts to convince Kirk to have an open mind about things so he can help him facilitate this new android technology he’s been working on. Kirk’s not having it. He attempts to escape and is ONCE AGAIN picked up like a baby by Lurch. Whoever had the idea for this to happen not once, but twice, is a hero, honestly. 

(I’d like to thank god and also jesus) 

Meanwhile Andrea is asking Chapel some weird questions like, “How can you love Roger if you don’t trust him” and “Why does it bother you when I call him Roger?”. She seems genuinely confused, but of course Chapel is having a hard time believing that...all things considered. Korby shows up and tells Andrea to call him Dr. Korby since the alternative bothers Chapel and that’s sufficient enough. He then also explains that Andrea is an android, a computer, a machine, and Chapel shouldn’t be jealous because she’s incapable of love. Supposedly. He even has Andrea kiss and then slap Kirk, reiterating that she’s a totally logical computer incapable of feeling, that only responds to orders. 

Huh. Who else has been described in such a way time and time again? What’s more, Kirk doesn’t seem in the least bit convinced. In fact, he seems somewhat angered by this assertion. Certainly that could be because it seems wrong to talk about living things as objects, but given all the familiar descriptors that have just been used I’m going to guess that it’s more than that for him. Much more.   

As if to confirm this, Kirk challenges the assertion, that if these things only act as Korby programs them and have no feeling, then why did Brown turn a phaser on him with an order? Korby doesn’t give a direct answer, he basically just says ‘lmao let’s go give you an android twin, will that help?’ This they do (and Kirk’s laid out like a fucking snack, but I won’t waste time on a visual tour of that this time, I promise) and when it comes time to copy over his mental patterns so that android Kirk is just like real Kirk, Kirk makes a quick decision to instill his thoughts with an openly hostile opinion of Spock to be transferred over to the android. “Mind your own business, Mr. Spock,” Kirk chants. “I’m sick of your halfbreed interference, you hear?” 

While there is something to be said for that fact that no Kirk is a real Kirk if he isn’t enamored with (or at least respectful of) Spock, I think it’s also telling that Kirk knew Spock would inevitably ask concerned questions and so supplied a telling uncharacteristic answer. Perhaps there’s something else in the fact that Kirk had to be so openly hostile to convincingly mask and block any of the strong familiar feelings of affection for his First Officer. Something to think about anyway. 

Chapel sits down to lunch with Kirk, insisting that despite the moral dubiousness of Dr. Korby’s current work she knows him well enough to ensure that he hasn’t lost his mind and that they should trust him. But whoops, this Kirk is the android, so perhaps when he asked her if she’d obey his command to betray Korby he was testing the waters. He has Kirk’s intellect after all. Man, someone writing this show really liked the idea of dual Kirks didn’t they? Can’t say I blame them. 

(a decidedly tastier sandwich than The Enemy Within version, sign me the fuck up) 

The two Kirks verbally spar for a bit and Korby flatters himself that he’s made a perfect duplicate. Kirk says somewhat knowingly, with a slight grin, that there are still certain differences between them. Korby insists that if they exist they are entirely unimportant. Something tells me Korby has never come between a Vulcan and and the object of his (logical) affections before. 

Korby finally pushes his game plan on Kirk, saying he needs his starship to transport them to an Earth colony where he can begin integrating androids into society, to make the perfect immortal society without jealousy or hate or any unpleasant emotions (but also without love, Kirk argues). Not willing to be Korby’s pawn, Kirk takes him as another captive and keeps Lurch at bay as he manages to escape through the cavern. Korby orders Lurch to ‘protect’ though (how he’s protecting by chasing a guy long gone through a cavern I don’t know). 

Thankfully, Chapel orders that Lurch not hurt Kirk so when he has the chance to send him falling off a ledge, he instead has to help him up. And, yes, Kirk gets hold of a dick-shaped rock and poses for the picture that makes it into every tongue-and-cheek write up about Kirk/Spock or anything gay/Trek related so let’s just get that out of the way right now:

(har har penis joke)

Meanwhile android Kirk goes back aboard the Enterprise to get some info for Korby. Spock looks just about beside himself to see him again and bounds after him as Spock is wont to do when Jim makes a surprise appearance. Spock is understandably confused, however, as Kirk wasn’t due back for awhile, so when he pushes for clarification android Kirk busts out the whole halfbreed interference thing. Almost immediately after this he asks Spock why he looks upset, which is...rather hilarious. Spock doesn’t seem upset after that though, rather he appears justifiably suspicious, if not convinced that this is not his Kirk. 

Android Kirk then passes on possible planet settling info to Korby while real Kirk gets Andrea to kiss him again- but not the cold, mechanical kiss, this time he kisses her passionately and invokes in her feelings that confuse her (specifically with that intent). In keeping with this attempt, when Lurch comes in to attack him Kirk starts asking him difficult questions, like what happened to the ‘old ones’ and is it possible to go against his creators if they’re illogical. Kirk essentially pits Lurch’s violent need for logic against the programming given to him and discovers that Lurch can indeed kill his programmers if their orders override his need to survive. As such, he turns on Korby but Korby just kills him with the evaporation phaser or whatever it is.

Neither Kirk nor Chapel can seem to figure out why it is that Korby has such a flagrant disregard for life now, but when Kirk attempts to fight him again they learn why; HE’S AN ANDROID TOO!! He disturbingly assures Chapel he’s the same Roger inside, that he had to make this change to survive, and Chapel wonders how true that it is. 

Meanwhile android Kirk shows up again and Andrea is tasked with intercepting him. She wants to kiss him like she kissed real Kirk before but he says it is “illogical” and so she angrily zaps him away. When she comes back into the main room, however, she realizes it was android Kirk she zapped and not the real one. Kirk challenges Korby, asking him if this is the ‘perfect world’ he envisioned, of androids killing each other off without a second thought. Korby blabbers some more about being the perfect computer or whatever, showing Chapel that this absolutely isn’t him anymore, 

Andrea, however, doesn’t kill without a second thought. She kills to protect, because as she’s discovered through Kirk’s accessing, she has the capacity to love Korby and does. She insists she does but he tells her it’s impossible. She’s not human after all. When she kisses him he presses the phaser she holds between them and kills them both. Obviously, his work has been for naught. 

Spock shows up then (a little too late) with the landing party he’d planned for earlier. He, of course, asks Kirk if he’s alright first even as Chapel is sobbing right beside him. When Spock asks about the Doctor Kirk tells him, solemnly, that he was never there. 

Back on the bridge Chapel says she’ll be staying with the ship, even if her original intent for boarding one died long ago. After she leaves Kirk notices something is off about Spock and asks about it, to which Spock replies that he didn’t really appreciate the use of the term ‘halfbreed’, even if it was implemented in an android’s head for a good reason. He says Kirk has to admit it’s an unsophisticated expression. Kirk assures him he’ll keep that in mind for the next time he’s in a similar situation. Spock all but rolls his eyes but can’t seem to fight a little bit of a smile. Neither can Kirk. 

It is not insignificant that this episode deals with beings of ‘pure logic’ and the feelings each of them has repressed or justified as a means of maintaining said logic. It’s also interesting that the only being among them that could not display morality, feelings of mercy, etc, was the one who had engineered the whole thing and fancied himself more of a human than the rest of them. Lurch could feel anger, Andrea could feel love despite Korby’s insistence otherwise, Brown protected without a direct order. There’s argument to be made that android Kirk could not have felt them either, as when Andrea tried to kiss him he insisted it was ‘illogical’, but perhaps it was only real!Kirk’s effort to drive out his affections for Spock that made this so. Without those affections any Kirk copy has no heart, it would seem. Interesting.  

It’s also not incidental that Kirk is the one who correctly guesses that these supposedly emotionless, logic-driven machines were indeed capable of feeling and knew how to drive that feeling out of each of them. Who better to guess that a robotic entity who insists logic is the only thing that fuels him might be mistaken in that respect? What’s more, Kirk knew the weakness of each android and exactly how to press the right buttons to bring it out. He does this on a daily basis, after all. 

This episode also explored the depths to which Kirk and Spock know each other; Spock can correctly tell there’s something off with Kirk’s voice even when he’s down on a planet, giving a routine order, not sounding off to anyone who wouldn’t have that intrinsic knowledge and concern. Kirk used his knowledge of Spock’s emotional weaknesses to exploit the pitfalls in the android’s engineering. Even if they barely get any screentime in this episode, it’s not hard to see why all of it functions as a thinly veiled metaphor for their dynamic. 

EDIT: I often go back to my predecessor, TOS Commentary, after I’ve finished evaluating an episode just to make sure I’m not missing anything and have put everything in my own words. Something was pointed out there for this episode that I thought might be of interest to anyone reading this evaluation, and it’s something that can easily fly under the radar. In her words, “ Chapel intimates that engaged couples can always tell their lovers' voice. Later, when Android Kirk appears on the Enterprise, Spock is immediately suspicious, and Android Kirk's insult confirms his suspicion.” What’s more, Spock recognized that Lurch’s imitation was NOT Kirk’s actual voice. I found this a VERY interesting coincidence, one of those that makes you really wonder just how intentional all of this was. Bits like this make me think someone has always had it in the back of their mind. 

Hopefully I did this episode justice as that’s about all I have! Join me next time for ‘Dagger of the Mind’!

#spirk #space husbands #slash #season one #episode nine #what are little girls made of? #subtext study

[curriebelle]

Episode Ignis Feels Like Fanfiction and That’s a Good Thing

Ok so I’m having a Thought.

You know when people say something reads “like fanfiction”, and it’s meant to be a criticism? The phrase is one of those intangibles, one of those agreed-upons, where no one can define it quite accurately but everyone thinks they know what it means. Usually it’s a combination of deviation from the original tone, bleaching out character flaws and complexities, a lack of understanding of nuance, and a reverent or worshipful attitude towards old characters, moments, settings, and iconography (and iconography is just the Stuff. Star Wars iconography is lightsabers, wookies and Jedi robes).

That’s a pretty reductive description of fanfiction of course, because a lot of fanfic - whether it’s well or poorly written - doesn’t necessarily follow those patterns. Weirdly enough, saying a sequel or reboot reads “like fanfiction” often implies that the writer doesn’t understand something about the source material - that they’re oversimplifying, or they’re fanning about while failing to understand what a “good” sequel would actually require. And that’s pretty ironic, because fans - obsessive detail-hoarding, secondary-character-worshipping pastiche-crafters that they are - often know the source material better than anyone, sometimes better than the creators themselves, and they are very aware of what they are erasing or changing when they move Marvel into a fluffy coffee shop AU. 

But I’m kind of digressing, because my point is that “this feels like fanfiction” shouldn’t be seen as a criticism, but rather as a gut feeling that we need to unpack. Sometimes it leads to legitimate criticism that, while worth addressing, actually has very little to do with fanfiction. And sometimes it leads to this weird 4:30 am conclusion: Episode Ignis is when “this feels like fanfiction” should be deployed as a compliment. Spoilers onward, for both Episode Ignis and FFXV.

I’m talking specifically about the alternate ending, here, which is tantamount to an FFXV fix-it fic. In this version Ignis averts the tragic ending of FFXV, and though he prepares to sacrifice his own life to do so, it ends up costing nothing. Ignis survives with even prettier hero-scarring than he gets in the regular plot. The episode fills in a sizable story gap after Leviathan knocks Noct out, and closes a few additional plotholes (I wondered what happened to that one obnoxiously overdesigned Imperial guy: turns out Ravus stabbed him). It spends some time with likable characters (Ardyn, yeeee) and underdeveloped characters (again, Ravus). Ignis gets roughed up and drenched, loses the glasses, and I’m 90% sure the animators made his eyes bigger in the cutscenes for extra pretty. He gains maximum plotline power, and Adam Croasdell voice acts the shit out of some sassy comebacks and anguished screaming (ok, this is unrelated, but when he’s doing the regular stormbind combo, it sounds like he screams FUCK in one of his battle grunts and it makes me laugh every time). He can liberate Altissia more or less by himself, and that’s before he drives a goddamn speedboat away from pursuant megarobots. So for anyone calling Mary Sue, yes, Ignis dives headfirst into that. He basically becomes Magic James Bond.

The whole episode is also pretty blatantly queer-coded. We get a very cuddly flashback to kid Noctis, and Ignis’s vow to stand at his side. Ignis is monomaniacal when it comes to finding Noctis. Noctis eiher drops the l-word, referring directly to Ignis and the freshly fridged Lunafreya (I’m still salty about that one, sorry), or says Ignis will always be in his heart depending on the ending. There’s a fantastic gifset going around of the official couples in previous Final Fantasies (Squall and Rinoa, Tidus and Yuna) declaring the exact same thing Ignis does in the alternate ending. “Rinoa, even if the world turns on you, I’ll be your knight”. “There’s no way I’ll let Yuna go”, even if I have to break all the rules of your stupid religion. Even if it costs my own life, I won’t let you take Noctis away. The queer subtext here is one of those things where it’s purposefully vague - just enough emotional evidence and physical contact that you can read romantic feelings there if you want, but just short of an actual romance to leave interpretations open. If you’re convinced Noctis and Luna were in love, Episode Ignis probably won’t debunk that.

So Ignis and his Episode are both powerful, emotional, pretty, potentially kinda gay, and ridiculously awesome.

And honestly, it is phenomenal.

Episode Ignis is a blast to play. His combat style is very fun and quick and fluid and flashy, and the grappling hook in the first portion makes you feel superheroic. Killing Ardyn, meanwhile, makes you feel godlike. It is an incredible surge of adrenaline to take on armies and deities by your lonesome. The gameplay and narrative reflect each other here, just like they do in the base game. FFXV seems happy at first, and the combat is pretty entertaining with all the goofy combo-attacks, but that game is a tragedy. It’s all the more tragic by how fun it is to begin with, and by the end it is painful to play. Characters get older, places fall apart, people die, and you have to escort Ignis around for a chapter while he grows used to being blind and Gladio constantly bitches at you for walking too fast. The photo mechanic is introduced to break your heart later, to show you how fleeting youth and pleasure can truly be under backbreaking destiny.

And in retaliation, Episode Ignis thrives on the power of Fuck You. Long commutes by car, mundane in the moment but peaceful upon reflection decades later? Fuck You, I have a grappling hook. Sections that force you to walk slowly through a dungeon and think about what you’ve done? Fuck You, I’ve got two daggers, lightning teleportation and button-mashing hands. Musings about the ravages of time, and aching nostalgia for youth? Fuck You, Ignis is prettier than ever. A tragic ending pre-ordained by prophecy? Fuck You, Ignis is going to re-write that fate by being clever, patient, and brave enough to sacrifice his life, but double Fuck You, he gets to live as well. Bullets flying, health bar low, multiple explosions and Atlas Ripped decking airships in the background? Fuck. You. It’s time to make some fucking soup.

With all that in mind, it makes sense that people might accuse Episode Ignis of being tone-deaf, of being fanfiction in all the “bad” ways - it neglects the nuance of the original, and papers over complex themes so everything can end up hunky-dory, but I still think that’s too easy.

Here’s the thing: Episode Ignis can only exist as fanfiction - or as alternate-ending DLC, I guess. FFXV is the story of Noctis and his story has an ending and it’s horribly, horribly sad, but it’s also what the story is built around. You might find it too depressing or too grim or you might find it just right, but it is well-structured. FFXV is careful with its themes and patterns and foreshadowing.

Because of that care, Ignis screwing Ardyn’s plans out of whack and saving Noctis from his fate couldn’t occur in the main game. FFXV is not about Ignis. It’s about Noctis. And the gameplay, built as it is around creating nostalgia - photographs, long car rides, camping, friendship - wouldn’t work if the ending wasn’t agonizing enough to make you long for the good old days. Maybe Noctis didn’t have to die or maybe he did, but the ending of FFXV was always going to hurt.

FFXV is an emotional project, and that project is to make the player painfully nostalgic. With that intriguing goal achieved, Episode Ignis exists as a response, and it can never really be more than that. It’s an ending I like better, but it is an alternate ending.

If you think about it, Episode Ignis didn’t need that alternate ending. It could have existed perfectly well as a companion to FFXV, filling in a much-needed blank (and without the alternate ending that’s exactly what it does). But in making a response to FFXV instead, they challenged a lot of assumptions FFXV needed to make in order to tell its story. FFXV assumes its prophecy is the only answer, as do its characters. FFXV yanks a great deal of agency away from Ignis, Prompto and Gladio when it asks them to sit still for a decade and wait for their friend to die without hunting for an alternative

Why can’t they try something else? Why can’t they defeat their nemesis on their own terms? I mean, who the heck does Bahamut think he is, anyway? Who says the ending can’t be happy, and the future can’t be bright?

Those are exactly the questions a fanfiction writer would ask. FFXV created those questions, and Episode Ignis addresses them, but in a way that acts as more of a breach than a closure. It’s one route to a happy ending - so maybe there are more. This is also the reason I brought up the queercoding in Episode Ignis. If there is any genre that needs a complete overhaul from grimdark tragedy into happy endings, it’s the scourge that is the modern queer romance story. There are so many of those bloody stories ending in anguish or separation or suicide or displeasure, and not nearly enough fairytales. Having a tragic ending overturned by the power of queer love is an insanely empowering experience, and that’s probably why you see so many posts about how Ignis’s gay love can pierce the veil of death and save the day. Episode Ignis didn’t need its queercoding any more than it needed its alternate ending, but the two make sense together: both of them are stories that people are absolutely aching for.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like this - a company actively revising their story, overturning its mood, questioning its plot, granting a completely different ending, and then asking fans to pay 6.99 for it. It’s different from alternate film endings, because those are DVD extras and one always wins the theatrical release. It’s different from re-imaginings or adaptations because Episode Ignis is...just not quite that. It can’t exist on its own, unlike most remakes. Video games are always fluid texts to a certain extent, but now developers are even relinquishing the solidity of lore and cutscenes. It’s so odd.

At the decision point of Episode Ignis, you can use R1 and L1 to flip the camera back and forth, moving between a shot of Ardyn and a shot of Ignis. It’s a tiny, insignificant moment, one that almost feels like a mistake - like maybe the developers couldn’t figure out how to stage a normal shot-reverse-shot. But that moment became an oddly powerful synecdoche for what Episode Ignis was to me. If you want to look at this story from a different angle, well, go for it. Here’s another place you can point the camera. Maybe the sun will rise over there too.

#ffxv #episode ignis #what the fuck it's six am #happy 2018

[sowhatisthisfor]

Movies 2018

 List of films I watched in 2018 from best to worst.

Updated soon after I’ve seen them.

A Ghost Story [David Lowery, 2017, United States] No film has made me feel this melancholic ever. This is a film so profound, it examines existence in the simplest yet most esoteric way possible. It surely goes straight to the top of my all-time favourite list. 10/10

Burning (Boening) [Chang-dong Lee, 2018, South Korea] Shows the interrelation of hunger and class, the truths and the unknowns. Of how desires could either free you or cage you in unhappiness and despair. A mystery of misery that parallels its political viewpoint. 10/10

Roma [Alfonso Cuaron, 2018, Mexico] Its technical expertise in every element of every frame and composition is overwhelming. It's a movie about contrasts and how each opposite gives life balance, told with such authenticity, it's luxurious cinematic experience. 10/10

Women of the Weeping River [Dayoc, 2016, Philippines] A film about a generational blood feud, and also a metaphoric portrayal of the unending armed conflicts in Mindanao where the vulnerable is the most at risk, and the strong isn’t really unbreakable. 10/10

Kung Paano Hinihintay Ang Dapithapon [Carlo Catu, 2018, Philippines] a small film that tackles layers after layers of things too close to heart. Sincere and profound, definitely my favourite. 10/10  

Loveless (Nelyubov) [Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2018, Russia] cold and chilling in all aspect from start to end. It has such great observation of the recognizable societal apathy. 10/10

Beats Per Minute (BPM) [Robin Campillo, 2017, France] Goosebumps. This is a film clear of its objective, it is exhilarating and exhausting in the good kind of way. 10/10

Cold War (Zimna Wojna) [Pawel Pawlikowski, 2018, Poland] Makes something despairing so beautiful with its artful composition, rightly-paced narrative transition, and cold but affecting character treatment. 10/10

Faces Places [JR, Agnès Varda, 2018, France] Wow. This is the film to watch when your soul is dying for art. Tears, I can't help them from falling. 10/10

Sid & Aya [Irene Villamor, 2018, Philippines] It’s too beautiful, I’m crying halfway through the film for how beautiful it is. You can watch this film without audio and understand it by its lighting, it’s that amazing. 10/10

Arrhythmia (Aritmiya) [Boris Khlebnikov, 2017, Russia] For a movie with characters of increasingly tenuous emotional bond, this is teeming with sensitivity and sensibility. It has so much love, neutrality, and longing, yet so cold and fleeting. Definitely, an emotional rollercoaster of my liking. 10/10

Shoplifters [Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2018, Japan] a film that questions if blood is thicker than the ties that bind us. Here’s Kore-eda capturing our hearts again with his gently-observed humanism. 10/10

Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus [Dwein Baltazar, 2018, Philippines] a genius anti-romance that plays along the lines of loving the thought of being in love and making yourself believe in your own ethereality. I love it. 10/10

Balangiga: Howling Wilderness [Khavn, 2017, Philippines] Disheartening and provocative in all its hypnagogia. 10/10

A Star is Born [Bardley Cooper, 2018, United States] If only for its music and its astounding performances, I'm already sold. 10/10

Oda sa Wala [Dwein Baltazar, 2018, Philippines] Is an ode to nothing, to the unseen, to the nobody, to the dead that's more alive than the living and to the living that's more dead than those who died. Baltazar has this gilt-edged technique that leaves its audience wretched yet buoyant. 10/10

The Shape of Water [Guillermo del Toro, 2017, United States] Elegant in its visuals, storytelling, and performances. It is del Toro’s best yet. 10/10

The Guilty (Den Skyldige) [Gustav Möller, 2018, Denmark] Is clever in its minimalism. A fast-paced action thriller and a psychological suspense, all shot entirely between four walls. 9.5/10

Hereditary [Ari Aster, 2018, United States] Unsettling down to the core with a convincing cast and a powerful storytelling. 9.5/10 

Batch 81 [Mike de Leon, 1982, Philippines] In its subversiveness and its sardonic undertone is a remarkable spectacle of expertise, bravery, esoterica, and dynamism. 9.5/10 

Dogman [Matteo Garrone, 2018, Italy] Examines a man's need to be recognized as a chihuahua in a shepherd's world. 9.5/10

BuyBust [Erik Matti, 2018, Philippines] a spectacular display of astounding filmmaking where every element is designed and choreographed fittingly well. Entertaining yet harrowing from start to finish, it's the kind of film that stays. 9.5/10 

God’s Own Country [Francis Lee, 2017, United Kingdom] Features a kind of romance with such carefully-observed realism. It was very well portrayed. Very well. 9/10

Sunday's Illness (La Enfermedad del Doming) [Ramon Salazar, 2018, Spain] Scene after scene of mesmerizing mystery and such powerful attention to detail. 9/10 

Annihilation [Alex Garland, 2018, United States] Though at times flawed, it ended with such thought-provoking, ambitious, and lasting impact. 9/10 

Captain America: Civil War [Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, 2016, United States] it’s hard to point out which part of the film I didn’t like, that’s if I hated anything. 9/10 

The Florida Project [Sean Baker, 2017, United States] Kids, no matter the social class, are still just kids in search for adventure, friendship, and love. This movie doesn't feel like a movie at all, it's brilliant. 9/10

Signal Rock [Chito Rono, 2018, Philippines] Very raw and phenomenal. Each character formidably plays an important role in characterizing a small town of heartwarming spirit. If not for its distracting bad CGI which I think is unnecessary, I’d give it a perfect 10. 9/10

Beti [P. Sheshadri, 2017, India] manages to oppose patriarchy in Indian culture in such an innocent yet intelligible perspective. 9/10 

Train to Busan [Yeon Sang-ho, 2016, South Korea] When everyone's becoming a monster, humanity is the way to survive. Fast-paced. Thrilling. Heartfelt. I honestly feel like Train to Busan lacks a stronger female character, but it's interestingly very human that I'm completely captured by it. 9/10

ML [Benedict Mique, 2018, Philippines] teeming with ingenuity and masteful filmmaking, it’s a suspense too relevant for anyone to miss. 9/10

Liway [Kip Oebanda, 2018, Philippines] Is at most powerful when it exposes the correlation of facts and fiction. Doesn’t hit you right away but when it does, it hits hard. It hits still. 9/10

Sicilian Ghost Story [Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza, 2017, Italy, France, Switzerland] Cinematic and poetic. Beautiful in all its mythological symbolism. 9/10

Get Out [Jordan Peele, 2017, United States] a satire of utmost significance, it lives. 9/10

Si Chedeng at Si Apple [Rae Red, Fatrick Tabada, 2017, Philippines] Hilarious with punchlines, intelligent with comebacks. This is comedy with brain, soul, and heart. 9/10 

Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro Felice) [Alice Rohrwacher, 2018, Italy] a charming small film with a subtext of such vivid social allegory. 9/10

I am Not a Witch [Rungano Nyoni, 2018, United Kingdom] For a debut film, this is quite a remarkable take on exploitation, abuse, and misogyny. 9/10

A Quiet Place [John Krasinski, 2018, United States] For a film that’s supposed to be silent, I find it quite overscored. Still a good watch though. 9/10

Ang Panahon ng Halimaw [Lav Diaz, 2018, Philippines] Sarcasm at its best. Quite fun. 9/10

L'amant Double [Francois Ozon, 2018, France] Wild and mindblowing, a film of endless curiosity. 9/10

Seklusyon [Erik Matti, 2016, Philippines] a thought-provoking jewel on the corruption of divinity and an examination of people’s inner evils. 9/10

BlackKKansman [Spike Lee, 2018, United States] Although satirically exaggerated, this film is teeming with entertainment and importance. 8.5/10 

In This Corner of the World [Sunao Katabuchi, 2017, Japan] It stays. Films like this, they always do. 8.5/10

Euthanizer (Armomurhaaja} [Teemu Nikki, 2018, Finland] An examination of how suffering is commensurate with cruelty. For something so bleak, it is surprisingly a good exemplification of moral values. 8/10

Padman [R. Balki, 2018, India] Speaks volumes in a humorous way. Something enlightening and empowering, I love it. 8/10

Gutland [Govinda Van Maele, 2017, Luxembourg] For a debut feature, Van Maele is a master of slow-burn tension. 8/10

The Square [Ruben Ostland, 2017, Sweden, Denmark] An ironic and satiric take on elitism, privilege, and humanity. 8/10

A Prayer Before Dawn [Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, 2018, France, Thailand] For something that feels hesitant in showing violence, this is already quite a tough watch. 8/10

We Need to Talk About Kevin [Lynn Ramsey, 2012, United States]

A Taxi Driver [Hun Jang, 2017, South Korea] an entertaining yet affecting tribute to nameless heroes. 8/10

Memoir of War (La Douleur) [Emmanuel Finkiel, 2017, France] Sadly, its visual choices, experimental scoring, and drawn out structure don't match Marguerite Duras's poetic writing. 8/10

The Wound (Inxeba) [John Trengove, 2017, South Africa] More than the physical wound from a boy's transition to manhood, this movie tackles a deeper kind of pain, the kind that scars forever. 8/10

Pan de Salawal [Che Espiritu, 2018, Philippines] a hard-hitting reminder that the most painful challenges people overcome are also the most rewarding. Don’t be afraid to feel them all. 8/10

The Great Buddha+ [Hsin-yao Huang, 2018, Taiwan] Not sure if saying "this is my kind of humour" is something I should be proud of but damn this film is hilarious! Oh and really clever too. 8/10 

Leave No Trace [Debra Ganik, 2018, United States] a small film of massive authenticity and warm touch. It will leave a trace. 8/10

Manila by Night [Ishmael Bernal, 1980, Philippines] a classic representation of the realities of how Manila is a witness to the city's moral lethargy. 8/10 

Coco [Lee Unkrich, 2017, United States] Understands what La La Land doesn’t – relationships shouldn’t suffer when achieving our dreams. 8/10

Don’t Breathe [Fede Alvarez, 2016, United States] Alvarez has some serious skills to make this suspenseful with only a blind villain inside a small house. 8/10  

The Other Side of the Wind [Orson Welles, 2018, United States] Not for a Welles beginner but is surely a completist's delight. 7.5/10

Felicite [Alain Gomis, 2017, Senegal, Congo, France] With such lyrical tone, its narrative was thinly sketched that some of its elements don't match. 7.5/10

Malila: The Farewell Flower [Anucha Boonyawatana, 2018, Thailand] A beguiling narration of existentialism, redemption, and the philosophy of Buddhism. All told in such calming gaze, it's actually hypnotic. 7.5/10 

Revenge [Coralie Fargeat, 2018, France] Caution: explicit cursing while watching and cheering to this. 7.5/10 

Aria [Carlo Catu, 2018, Philippines] Could have gone deeper and darker to make a more harrowing but lasting impact. It borders on the safe side, but still able to tell something important. 7.5/10

Billie & Emma [Samantha Lee, 2018, Philippines] There's magic in its production design and an amusing chemistry that would remind you of what it's like to fall in love the first time. It is everyone's teenage romance, the kind that buries heteronormativity. 7.5/10

Of Love & Law [Hikaru Toda, 2017, Japan] Questions the intricacies of Japanese culture through a collection of simple yet meaningful moments. 7.5/10 

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom [JA Bayona, 2018, United States]

Saving Sally [Avid Liongoren, 2016, Philippines] Is the freshest and has the most creative visual style I’ve seen in a long long time. I want more of it. 7,5/10 

One Week Friends [Masanori Murakami, 2017, Japan]  There’s a good reason for my sunken eyes right now, right? 7.5/10 

Room 8 [James Griffiths, 2013, United States] Unique and smart. Too amazed, I had to share it with everyone. 7.5/10

Isle of Dogs [Wes Anderson, 2018, United States] A quirky imagination of a simple narrative, told in a hyper-stylized artistry. 7.5/10

Black Panther [Ryan Coogler, 2018, United States]

Hintayan ng Langit [Villegas, 2018] I'm not completely sold on a couple of its elements but boy, Gina Pareño is a gem. A sparkling one.  7.5/10  

Avengers: Infinity War [Anthony and Joe Russo, 2018, United States]

The Invitation [Karyn Kusama, 2016, United States] I know a psychological thriller like this is effective when I find myself so uncomfortable, wanting to leave, cautious of being brainwashed. 7.5/10

Ready Player One [Steven Spielberg, 2018, United States] Too amusing to the point of apathy. Still entertaining though. 7.5/10

Disobedience [Sebastian Lelio, 2018, Ireland] Depicts the beauty of internal turmoils and hidden desires, it’s gripping. 7.5/10

Apostasy [Daniel Kokotajlo, 2017, United Kingdom] the more it rolls, the more I loathe religion. 7.5/10 

Wonder Woman [Patty Jenkins, 2017, United States] More than it being a feminist is it being human and that I think is more important. 7.5/10 

Meet Me in St Gallen [Irene Villamor, 2018, Philippines]

Never Not Love You [Antoinette Jadaone, 2018, Philippines] Beautifully and realistically written. It’s just really hard for me to like Reid’s character. 7/10 

Eight Grade [Bo Burnham, 2018, United States] One of the most important and most natural teen movies of the year. 7/10

Cam [Daniel Goldhaber, 2018, United States] Pushing its flaws aside, this is actually quite an accomplished thriller of a possible near future. It didn't end with an impactful resolution though. 7/10

The Miseducation of Cameron Post [Desiree Akhavan, 2018, United States] Provocatively presents how emotionally abusing conversion therapy could be. 7/10

Crazy Rich Asians [Jon Chu, 2018, United States] Important and feel-good, but that's just it for me. 7/10

Distance [Perci Intalan, 2018, Philippines] a tender family drama with powerful performances of characters who choose to love no matter how wrong or right. 7/10 

Showroom [Fernando Molnar, 2014, Argentina] is a showroom of how beautiful and luxurious an artificial world could be. 7/10 

Contagion [Steven Soderbergh, 2011, United States] Believable but somehow lacking in its scare tactic. 7/10 

Zodiac [David Fincher, 2007, United States] Intelligent drama, boring thriller. Not a fan. 7/10

The Greatest Showman [Michael Gracey, 2018, United States]

Smaller and Smaller Circles [Raya Martin, 2017, Philippines] Suspense done right but there's something about its exchanges that seems unnatural. 7/10 

Pop Aye [Kirsten Tan, 2018, Thailand, Singapore] Is as slow but as heavy as its lead. 7/10

The Day After Valentine’s [Jason Paul Laxamana, 2018, Philippines] Brilliant in its canny use of language to illustrate people's tendency to miscommunicate emotions. 7/10 

Thoroughbreds [Cory Finley, 2018, United States] The kind of film that doesn't lead to what you think. It's black comedy of my liking. 7/10

Nearest and Dearest [Kseniya Zueva, 2017, Russia] displays the weakening social and moral values in contemporary Russian society. 6.5/10 

Hearts Beat Loud [Brett Haley, 2018, United States] Magical in its little ways. 6.5/10

Me Casé Con Un Boludo [Juan Taratuto, 2016, Argentina] Nothing much in here but laughter after laughter. 6.5/10

Delinquent [Kieran Valla, 2016, United States] a small-town thriller with a set location that breathes on its own. 6.5/10

Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wifi [Jun Lana, 2018, Philippines] I thought it was just a cutesy take on appreciating moments and living life in the present, but heck no, prepare to find your tears falling. 6.5/10

Bakwit Boys [Jason Paul Laxamana, 2018, Philippines] a warm and light-hearted family drama with beautiful original songs to brag about. 6.5/10

Musmos Na Sumibol sa Gubat ng Digma [Iar Arondaing, 2018, Philippines] At times, it feels like it's trying too hard both to make a point and to sound subtle to a point that it feels a bit disconnected. 6.5 /10 

What If It Works [Romi Trower, 2018, Australia] Delightfully charming amidst the chaos of mental disorders. Works quite well. 6.5 /10

Eternity Between Seconds [Jan Alec Figuracion, 2018, Philippines] There’s comfort somewhere between the discomforts of bad acting here. 6.5 /10

Love, Simon [Greg Berlanti. 2018, United States] It’s a very familiar coming-of-age romance, but that familiarity is what made it stand out. 6.5 /10

Blockers [Kay Cannon, 2018, United States] Definitely my kind of humour. The sarcastic wit is overflowing. 6.5 /10

Alex Strangelove [CraigJohnson, 2018, United States] Nothing too new but isn't short of likeable. 6.5/10

Lobster Cop [Li Xinyun, 2018, China] Hilarious. I’d like it to be more brutal with its action scenes but it’s already otherwise quite entertaining. 6.5/10

Ant-man and the Wasp [Peyton Reed, 2018, United States] Funny as always, but I'm in love with Paul Rudd so I must be biased. 6.5/10

Kuya Wes [James Mayo, 2018, Philippines] explores the fundamental need of being appreciated in a light yet stinging narrative. I don't like a number of things, but the soundtrack works well, it's satiating. 6.5/10 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before [Susan Johnson, 2018, United States] There's substance in its shallowness, it's charming. 6.5/10

The Snow White Murder Case [Yoshihiro Nakamura, 2014, Japan] It’s a little too long to keep it entirely interesting. 6.5/10

Cardinals [Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley, 2018, Canada] It was burning slowly until it was shot to the head. Could have been more painful if not for its loose ending. 6.5/10

Unli Life [Miko Livelo, 2018, Philippines] Not a fan of its comedic banters but I find its rare seriousness quite a gem. 6.5/10

The Cured [David Freyne, 2018, United Kingdom]

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance [Park Chan-wook, 2002, South Korea]

Berlin Syndrome [Cate Shortland, 2017, Australia, Germany] Cold and riveting with a third act that would push you to the edge. 6.5/10 

Wonder [Stephen Chbosky, 2018, United States]

12 Strong [Nicolai Fuglsig, 2018, United States] All that technical expertise and still end up saying nothing. 6/10

Goodbye, Grandpa [Yukihiro Morigaki, 2017, Japan] depicts the kind of mourning we tend to overlook and is only intensified by the bonding of family. 6/10 

Deadpool 2 [David Leitch, 2018, United States] Started off fun, ended up exhausting. 6/10

Bird Box [Susanne Bier, 2018, United States] a film with no emotional connection, no proper climax, and therefore no sensical resolution. 6/10

Madilim Ang Gabi [Adolf Alix, 2018, Philippines] seems like a show-off of stars after stars after stars playing bit roles to the point that it already feels unauthentic. 6/10 

Call Her Ganda [PJ Raval, 2018, Canada, Philippines] I'm not convinced of its storytelling, still an important one to watch though. 6/10 

A Million Happy Nows [Albert Alarr, 2017, United States] Despite the smallness of this film, it actually hits big. 6/10 

Bomba [Ralston Jover, 2017, Philippines] is brave in its defiance, bold in its commentary but it somehow failed to deliver. 6/10

Oceans 8 [Gary Ross, 2018, United States] Slow and mediocre, quite a waste of powerhouse cast. 6/10

Koxa [Ekrem Engizek, 2018, Turkey, Germany] Uninteresting for the kind of fact it exposes. 6/10

2 Cool 2 be Forgotten [Petersen Vargas, 2017, Philippines]

Beastmode [Manuel Mesina III, 2018, Philippines] ingenious and inventive but it’s not the kind I enjoy. 6/10 

Dedma Walking [Julius Alfonso, 2017, Philippines]

Can We Still Be Friends [Prime Cruz, 2017, Philippines]

The Belko Experiment [Greg McLean, 2017, United States] The experiment and the film are both pointless, but pointless sometimes is entertaining. 6/10

Hooked [Max Emerson, 2018, United States]

Sierra Burgess is a Loser [Ian Samuels, 2018, United States] I was enjoying it until its last act which felt rushed and unnatural. 5/10

Skyscraper [Rawson Marshall Thurber, 2018, United States] Plot after plot of action-packed impossibilities. 5/10

Glorious [Connie Macatuno, 2018, Philippines] Watching it is like riding a taxi cab with a clutch driver, it’s making me dizzy. 5/10

Rampage [Brad Peyton, 2018, United States] Feels like a bargain with nothing much to offer but cool CGI. 5/10

Je Ne Suis Pas Un Homme Facile [Eleonore Pourriat, 2018, France]  

Mga Mister Ni Rosario [Alpha Habon, 2018, Philippines] Entertaining but also miserably problematic. 5/10

Carrie [Kimberly Peirce, 2014, United States] Is quite an urban myth version of a school shooting. 5/10

Rough Night [Lucia Aniello, 2017, United States] Watched it on a plane, not sure if it's as fun if landed. 5/10

Bomba [Rolston Jover, 2017, Philippines] is brave in its defiance, bold in its commentary but it somehow failed to deliver. 5/10 

Avengers: Age of Ultron [Joss Whedon, 2015, United States] Boring with a capital B. 5/10

The Meg [Jon Turteltaub, 2018, United States] Mediocre. Very mediocre. 5/10

Final Score [Scott Mann, 2018, United States] It has potential but didn't quite scored a goal. 5/10

Uncle Drew [Charles Stone III, 2018, United States] I can't force myself to get comfortable watching this. 5/10

A Piece of Paradise [Patrick Alcedo, 2017, Canada, Philippines] It’s okay but there’s nothing much in there. 5/10

Happy Death Day [Christopher Landon, 2018, United States]

The Flu [Kim Sung-soo, 2013, South Korea] Stupid but fun. It's the kind of silly you enjoy. 5/10

Ali and Nino [Asif Kapadia, 2017, Azerbaijan, Georgia] Badly-acted, badly-designed production. Offers nothing much of excitement. 4/10 

Unexpectedly Yours [Cathy Garcia-Molina, Philippines, 2017] Fun at times. Corny at most. 4/10 

Forget About Nick [Margarethe von Trotta, 2017, Germany] is as if made as an example of movies that failed the Bechdel test from supposed to be feminist directors. 4/10 

I Love You, Hater [Giselle Andres, 2018, Philippines] I find its main plot gender insensitive so it’s a nope nope for me. 4/10

The Mumbai Siege: 4 Days of Terror (One Less God) [Lliam Worthington, 2018, Australia, India] That’s an annoying take on a siege that marked world history. 4/10

Life is What You Make It [Jhett Tolentino, 2018, United States, Philippines] For some reasons, I’m not sold on how it tries to inspire. 4/10 

We Will Not Die Tonight [Richard Somes, 2018, Philippines] If you're looking for brutal action and relentless stabbing where blood and sweat are like fireworks, go see it. If you're looking for sense or better fight choreographies, go somewhere else. 3/10 

Bleeding Steel [Leo Zhang, 2018, Hong Kong] Feels like switching between channels. 3/10

Citizen Jake [Mike de Leon, 2018, Philippines] Is like a collection of everything de Leon wants to try. Not effective at that. 3/10

On Again Off Again [Arsalan Shirazi, 2017, Canada, India] Undesirable characters in undesirable performances. 3/10

Jigsaw [Spirieg brothers, 2017, United States]

Tomb Raider [Roar Uthaug, 2018, United States] Impossible but fun. 3/10

Insidious (The Last Key) [Adam Robitel, 2018, United States] 

Pitch Perfect 3: Last Call Pitches [Trish Sie, 2018, United States] The worst of them all pitches. 3/10

When We First Met [Ari Sandel, 2018, United States]

Attack on Titan: Part 1 [Shinji Higuchi, 2015, Japan] Lacks character development, lacks plot continuity, it’s the movie adaptation disappointment of the decade. 3/10

Alright Now [Jamie Adams, 2018, United States] is said to be a feel-good movie but more like a feel-regretful for the time wasted watching this. 3/10

Hostel [Eli Roth, 2006, United States] Nothing here is pleasing. Not its concept, not its execution, and not even its gore. Down to the trash bin. 3/10

One More Chance [Cathy Garcia-Molina, 2007, Philippines] I’m sorry, I really can’t stand this movie. 3/10

Slumber [Jonathan Hopkins, 2018, United States] Is a snoozefest as simple as that. 3/10

In Un Giorno La Fine (The End?) [Daniele Misischia, 2018, Italy] Is funny in a bad way. 3/10

Peter Rabbit [Will Gluck, 2018, United States] RBF the entire freaking time. 3/10

You, Me and Him [ Daisy Aitkens, 2018, United Kingdom] Just one of those films that pass you by. 3/10

The Dawnseeker [Justin Price, 2018, United States] With that kind of premise, I honestly wanted it to be at least a decent watch. It isn’t. 2/10

Mara [Clive Tonge, 2018, United States] Generic. Mediocre. Forgettable. 2/10

Office Uprising [Lin Oeding, 2018, United States] Dumb. 2/10

School Service [Louie Ignacio, 2018, Phiippines] the intention is there but the concept isn’t concrete enough to be decently executed. 2/10 

The Strangers: Prey at Night [Johannes Roberts, 2018, United States] What a freaking stupid family that was. I could go on and on and on with my disgust towards this movie, but the bacon is cooked and bacon is more important. 1/10

The Matchmaker's Playbook [Tosca Musk, 2018, United States] a misogynist piece of bullcrap. 1/10

The Do-Over [Steven Brill, 2016, United States] Wow. That was boring. 1/10

Aswang [Michael Laurin, 2018, United States] a film perfect for when you can’t sleep. 1/10

The Lookout [Afi Africa, 2018, Philippines] is a joke after joke after joke, so unfunny, it deserves a laugh. 1/10 

#movies

[uomo-accattivante]

You’ve been very busy recently with a number of projects, including OPERATION FINALE, can you tell us a bit about what are you working on now?

The Eichmann movie [OPERATION FINALE] starts shooting in the Autumn. It’s the first time I’ve been through this  process and it’s exciting. And I’m also working on a political thriller with a wonderful director. So yeah, juggling those little guys.

So how do you juggle multiple projects? How do you manage?

That’s a really good question. Very little sleep is part of it. A bigger part involves dividing my day. I try to be disciplined with getting up really early and finding a cut-off point in the day that allows me to switch over to something else, so I can work five or six hours on one project, take a pause, go and have lunch, and spend the same amount of time on another one.

A lot of the management of this stuff is quite admin-y, so it’s also about not letting the admin side of it overwhelm the creative side. So I try to turn my phone off all day, unless it’s a window of time when I’m replying to emails and doing calls, just to make sure there’s enough time to focus on the creative things, because ultimately that’s what’s important.

You don’t want to spend more time writing emails than scripts.

Exactly. Sometimes it really feels like you’re doing that.  This is the other thing as well, working with America they’re obviously eight hours behind, so people will sometimes ask, “Can you do a call at 1 PM?” and I just don’t think about the fact that that’s at 9. So that’s where the lack of sleep comes in.

But there are fun parts of it too. Yesterday I got to have a long call with our wonderful director, Chris Weitz, and an anesthesiologist about anaesthetics that were used in the 1960s. Those kind of calls are always worth staying up for.

SELLING A SPEC

In terms of OPERATION FINALE, am I right in thinking that was a spec script?

It was a spec script. Originally a friend put me on to the idea, and then I started doing a little bit of digging around. I thought it was a great story about the formation of Israel. It’s this huge moment in this country’s history, the first real moment where Israel was presented with an opportunity to hold its past executioners to account.

This was an incredible moment for a country which had for 12 years done its best to ignore the Holocaust. There are all these amazing and awful stories about Holocaust survivors being called nasty things and forced into poor housing, being ignored rather than comforted.

When I went to Israel and spoke to people, universally the one thing that they all remembered about the Eichmann trial was that it was this moment of national catharsis. It was this moment of them finally confronting the past, mourning together, and finally being able to move on.

And I, in reading about the main character, this guy Peter Malkin, found someone who personified that journey really well. He’s this guy who’s haunted by the death of his sister, who died, she and her children, during the Holocaust, though not via Eichmann’s hands.

He’s this guy who’s stuck in arrested development and he begins to imbue this mission to capture Eichmann with the sense that this might be the thing that will allow him to move on with his life, as opposed to someone who’s haunted by his past tragedy. That to me mirrored the story of Israel.

As I started to dig into that, I was lucky enough to make contact with the son of the anesthesiologist who ended up putting Eichmann to sleep. It’s incredible, you go to Israel and speak about this story and strangers in a cafe will overhear, and say, “Come over here, over here, come talk to me!” You don’t get any work done, but it’s brilliant, it’s an amazing country.

I slowly ran myself into more and more debt doing research trips like that, but then ultimately I had this script which MGM bought, and that was a really big moment.

That’s the dream when writers sit down to write a spec script. What was it do you think that was in that script that appealed to MGM? What something made it stand out among all those other spec scripts?

I wish I knew the answer to that! It’s a story that has been told several times before, but never really, and I hope it’s okay to say, never really to great effect. For one reason or another, people have tried to glorify it in the wrong way, or they focused on the wrong bits, or they tried to present Eichmann as someone different to who I think he was.

One of the sources that really inspired me for this story was this amazing book called Eichmann Before Jerusalem by a woman called Bettina Stangneth, a brilliant historian.

She presents a very alternative vision of Eichmann, not as Hannah Arendt presented him, as this banal bureaucrat, but actually as this sort of social chameleon. A performer who could read audiences really well, who knew exactly what kind of character and personality to affect to get certain things out of the people he was sitting across from.

We go to great lengths to humanise Eichmann in our story. I think that only serves to make him all the more unpleasant and unbearable when we finally get a glimpse of his true self. But it’s his humanity, his weakness, that’s what forces the Mossad agents to really question who this guy they’ve caught really is.

That was a very long-winded way of saying that I think there was an interesting antagonist. It had a clear structure – they capture him at the midpoint but then are forced to stay in Argentina for 10 days, and so the forces searching for him slowly draw closer and closer.

And I love the ending, I won’t tell you what it is, but there is a final moment that ties the story together and that is my favourite part of the whole thing. It is the one thing that has been left untouched. So a compelling villain and a clear structure really helped.

One last question on this creative development, in terms of creating something that appealed to the studio, ultimately commercially. How calculated were you when you were writing it? Was that a thought at the forefront of your mind, or in your mind at all?

That’s a really good question. There’s an appetite at the moment for true stories, obviously. We can see this when we look at the films that are playing at the cinema. So that’s one thing.

Another is finding a theme that speaks to something higher than the actual content of the film. If you can make it “about” something universal, or have a theme that really matters to you or society – say, female empowerment, or letting go of the past – and allow that theme to permeate your script, without distracting from a compelling story, then you’ll be on to something good.

Having something that you can immediately put on a DVD shelf, like “OK, right, this sits roughly between ARGO, MUNICH and ZERO DARK THIRTY.” It’s in there, somewhere. That’s quite helpful.

One thing that I was quite militant about was making sure I had a clear midpoint, a very clear end to Act II and a very clear climax. They’re all these archetypal story beats, that I hope I made my own and original, but ultimately they’re there. There’s nothing “art house” about it.

So basically, big themes, high concept, so, “it’s a thriller, it’s a kidnap movie.” It fits into clear marketing spaces. And then the last thing I said, which was not art house. Not art house, but not wanting to succumb to a temptation of maybe being too clever, or to outfox the audience.

One of the things that my scripts often suffer from is that I try to be too smart too early. That’s not to say that’s always a bad thing, but I pump intellectual ideas into something that should be much simpler.

Often that’s because I haven’t quite cracked what a scene should be, or what the emotional core of it is. So I’m like, “it might be interesting if they’re talking about this or that or whatever,” and often in my vomit drafts I’ll see that there are cool conversations but the characters aren’t speaking, I am.

But that’s almost part of your drafting process?

It is, yeah. Because within that you find really interesting themes and ideas and strands that you can pull on. And then suddenly you find the subtext of a scene, what the characters might really be having a conversation about beneath the context of the scene. You can then reveal that with just the smallest turn of phrase, some suggestion or comment that just speaks to a much higher idea or tension to the scene.

In my favourite scripts of mine I can now see those moments where there was once a scene that was two pages long and it’s now half a page, and contains just a very concise observation on people, or humanity, or human nature, or legacy, or something.*

*Read the rest of this article here (it’s good, but  it’s a long one!): https://screenplayscripts.com/matt-orton/

#oscar isaac #peter malkin #operation finale #adolf eichmann #spoilers #matthew orton #screenplay #matt orton #industrial scripts #interview

[awed-frog]

Hi! I've just gotten back into the fandom after a few years break. I've watched SPN since it aired in 2005, but I've left four times, each time for at least a year, because I keep feeling like we're being queerbaited w/Destiel and it really upsets me. In short, I feel like investing so much time, and so many emotions, into this pairing is a waste of time because it will only leave me disappointed in the end. So my question for you is, what keeps you positive enough about this pairing to stay?

Hey, sorry for getting back to you so late. I wrote and erased several answers to this, because, I don’t know, on some days I was trying to be clever and go all meta-stuff but it always sounded pretentious and stupid, and then on other days I felt dramatic and angry and got all upset and it would generally read as too much or not nearly enough, so. And today I really think I left this unanswered for way too long and that if you asked me, then you wanted my opinion on the matter and this is what I should be trying to do - just to say what i think, without too many frills.

So, first of all - I’m a weird person, and sometimes I get too worked up about stuff, and I obsess a lot, and thank God I’ve got people in my life who keep me grounded and remind me about what really matters. And the truth is, Supernatural doesn’t. It’s a good show, and we all love it, and sure, like all popular works of fiction it probably changed someone’s mind and had an impact on someone’s life, but at the end of the day, you come first. As I said, I had periods in my life where I was putting too much energy on the wrong things, and a TV show is definitely the wrong thing, especially if it leaves you frustrated and upset and angry. I say this with a lot of respect, because I know we all love Supernatural and everything, but let’s be honest - it’s a TV show. It’s not real. If it makes you cry for the wrong reasons, get away from it and good riddance. What truly matters in this life is to find a way to love yourself and to be there for other people - to be kind, and to be strong, and to maybe make our world a little better. So if a story helps you do that, embrace it; and if it doesn’t, let it go. It’s just a story.

For me, personally, I had a very emotional time with Destiel (you can read about it here), because I felt cheated and let down and pretty much what you describe - I knew I’d invested so much of myself in the show, and that they’d let me down for stupid reasons. And it was really bleak for a while, so I get where you’re coming from. Back in S9, I spent many days feeling listless and depressed, and quite a few nights ranting and raging and even crying about it, and when I snapped out of it I realized that sure, they were being cunts and cheaters but there was something wrong with me, as well - because, as I just told you, it’s just a show, and it shouldn’t have dominated my feelings in such a way. So I tried to be objective and rational and I thought about it and I realized it was a bunch of things - I was stressed in school, and my grandparents were sick - all I’d wanted was to take a big step back from reality and as a result I’d fallen too deep into the show and that’s why when it let me down, it really felt like a physical blow. And since not getting lost in fiction, my own or other people’s, is not an option for me, I’m learning to deal with real life stuff better so I can tell apart what really matters from what doesn’t. I know I’ve made some progress there because I was really invested in Sherlock and Johnlock, and yet after the series finale I was - normal. I was upset and angry, of course, because it sucked balls, but it didn’t ruin my whole week or anything. My general mood was more a sort of, It’s not real and I can’t change it, so fuck them. 

(I think this is what happens with everything, by the way - most sport fans get so invested in their teams because it’s a sort of victory by proxy and it compensates for those things that are wrong in their lives. So, really - I don’t know you, and I don’t want to tell anyone how they should live their lives, but if this kind of ‘external’ things such as TV shows and movies make you so unhappy, my advice is to get to know yourself and understand why you feel that way. If there is something in your own life you’re not dealing with, the best thing is really to try and be brave and go at it head-on, because life is unfair and bad feelings and bad situations - that’s not something that goes away on its own. And it’s your life - you deserve to live it fully.)

So now - now there are shows I watch because I think they’re objectively outstanding, like Westworld, and there are shows I watch as a guilty pleasure and I’m mostly rolling my eyes at the screen but who knows, maybe it’s healthy to cry once a week so whatever (yeah, I’m a Grey’s Anatomy aficionado), and then there’s Supernatural, which is neither. I guess the reason I keep watching is because most of it is well-written, even if I dislike the fact they clearly have no idea as to where they’re going and what the whole thing even means, and I keep watching because I love the characters, and I keep watching because I met a lot of nice people in the fandom and writing about the show is helping me to get better as a writer (I think). The truth is, I’m an unusual Destiel shipper (if there’s such thing as a regular Destiel shipper, that is), because I’m not that interested in romance and even representation - well, it’s very important and stories should be more inclusive, but a good story can work even without being PC, in my opinion (take Reservoir Dogs, for instance). So what I resent the most in this situation is that they got me to care - they clearly wrote the story one way - and then they made me feel like there was something wrong with me for seeing what I was seeing. This is textbook abusive behaviour, and the fact it was targeted directly at the gay community (because, on the whole, they’re more likely to pick up on subtextual clues about sexuality) made it even more horrifying and wrong. 

That said, I don’t think there was a malicious intent there. I’m sure they knew what they were doing, because that’s their job, after all, but they all seem to be pretty decent people, so it’s not clear if they did not realize how significant a love story between Dean and Cas would be, or how attentive their own fandom was - I simply don’t know. Maybe they were going for some old-fashioned ‘alas, that it shall never be’ nonsense - back in the day, it happened very often that you were left with the feeling of things unsaid and you never knew if you were right or not, and also you mostly forgot about it because real-time fangirling over stuff wasn’t a thing. In a way, that’s also what happened with Sherlock, which became a worldwide phenomenon because of the fandom, something Moffat and Gatiss acknowledged without never realizing, apparently, the full implications of.

I think that, to an extent, we’ve always lived in a world of lies and deceit, and that’s just human nature; but as far as I can tell, the spreading of capitalism and consumer culture, on the one hand, and that of democratic societies, on the other, elevated the importance of honesty to a whole other plane. Corporations lie to us as a matter of fact - all advertisement is a lie, after all - and politicians also mostly lie, both to us and to themselves. This was always bound to have disastrous consequences, which we are now starting to witness. For this reason, mostly, I think it’s more important than ever that artists are honest about the stories they tell - they can talk about anything, of course, and decide which kind of story they want to create, but they should stay true to it. I sometimes feel that, like other important concepts, such as freedom of expression, the idea that a story is its reader’s, and not its creator’s, is sometimes perverted beyond recognition. To say that the story belongs to its readers means that we all come to the story with our own experiences, and that we all get from it what we choose to get, to some extent; this is, perhaps, some form of cognitive bias (we see the world as we are, and not as it is: that sort of thing), and a good writer will create a story that is deep enough all of us can recognize ourselves in a part of it. But some modern creators, like current politicians, intend the concept in a very different way. Their method is to deliberately appeal to everyone in order to get money or votes, and they forget, or pretend to ignore, that in so doing they are bound to deceive a significant part of those who believed in them. Just as the centrism in politics is an illusion, a story which tries to make everyone happy is plain dishonest. When push comes to shove, Dean and Cas are either in love or they aren’t, and it’s not my job as a viewer to guess what they really feel - it’s the show’s creators job to tell me.

So, you know - you ask how I stay positive enough to keep watching the show - it sounds weird, since I write metas every week and I write Destiel fanfiction and everything, but personally, I’m trying not to think about Destiel at all. For me, it is real, in the sense that I still see it in the story, but I think that for a variety of reasons, there will be no steady love stories on Supernatural until the very last season. My hope is that, since a convincing gay story is harder to write than a straight one (because, apparently, many people are still unaware of the fact gay people are a thing at all), the Destiel subtext will get stronger quite soon(ish) if Destiel is indeed endgame. I mean, you see it very clearly from that whole Saileen business - in Sam’s case, two episodes are plenty enough to build a believable love story and make us root for Sam and Eileen and daydream about their darling little house and their fluffy future dogs, but, again, when it comes to gay couples - even if Dean and Cas do get together in the very last episode or something, you need to build that up quite openly and not too late, or it will feel forced to a casual viewer. As I said, I try not to think too much about it because there are a lot of ifs, but - if Supernatural has an end date in sight, if this is a coming of age narrative and not a tragedy, if nothing messy happens IRL - then I think that yes, we still have a chance for Destiel to happen textually. That dreadful Sherlock ending, after all, and mostly the outraged and angry response from both critics and the fandom, should serve as a warning to Dabb and his team: planning to go big and then not going big doesn’t endear you to anyone, because people’s hearts are wild, unpredictable, irrational and beautiful things, and even Hotelling’s law has its limits.  

#ask #destiel #spn ending #queerbaiting #spn fandom #saileen #sherlock #unsolicited life advice #hope you're feeling better btw

[l0nd0ninnit]

Bonkai Reunion 8x14 (part 2)

Ok, I know you’ve been waiting for an analysis of this scene and I am ready to deliver. I want you all to know that it is almost impossible to convey in words the level of excitement I feel when I write about this scene but just know that with each word I type, there is a smile on my face that can’t be removed. Like this reunion scene is not even close to what I had imagined or would have wanted their last scene to be, but DAMN...Kat and Chris’ acting/chemistry made what could have been a mediocre scene, a scene full of depth and sexual tension. I mean how many actors can make you feel the intangible connection and sexual tension between their characters when they are on opposite sides of a bar?!! HOW MANY?!! I would be lying if I said I only watched this scene multiple times to analyse because the truth is, I can’t get enough of it. So without further ado

Part 2 of the analysis, The Game:

Keep in mind that when Kai sees Bonnie, he is absolutely unaware that she has put him in another prison world for about a third of their conversation. So imagine his perception of the situation when she saunters in the bar and teases  him with cheeky responses which is a drastic change from how she reacted a day ago to his return. A day ago, she wanted nothing to do with him. Now she is actually talking to him in the flesh. And what is more, she has chained him to a chair in a bar (side eye *smirk* smirk*) and they are alone! He is in the spotlight. She is in the shadows and as she speaks, she slowly walks towards him...there is nothing about this scenario that doesn’t seem sexual. It is like electricity. It is intense and there is this constant feeling of anticipation. And not only that, but her behaviour is different in a way that he can’t quite put his finger on.

It has been years yet she is more confident than ever! She is relaxed and very comfortable in his presence. No attempts to chop his head off yet so everything is looking good. Kai is probably thinking wtf is happening? This must be a dream. Of course, by the end of the scene, we know exactly why Bonnie behaves like this, but the above gif is an example of what he is feeding off of.  Hence, the reason he has this look on his face: 

Kai is intrigued by Bonnie’s behaviour and the unusual setting she chose for them to have this chat. He is trying so hard to contain the joy he feels when he sees her with very little success. He knows that she is playing a game. He doesn’t exactly know what her intentions are, but by the looks of it, it seems to be going in the right direction if you know what I mean. ;) Therefore, he is willing to sit back, get comfortable in his chains and let her play it out, because her behaviour in this moment is the reason why she is the only person he still has a soft spot for. It is like seeing her again, after five years in Hell, has only confirmed why she has always meant something to him. 

So when Bonnie says that Hell no longer exists and he responds:

He is not trying to be condescending; there is low-key admiration in that voice and expression. He isn’t surprised that she helps kill Cade but still, she ceases to amaze him. His tone is soft and honestly he views this entire interaction as some kind of mental foreplay that they always do with each other. 

I mean at this point he could reveal that Katherine takes over Hell, but what is the fun in that? Why stop the game when he doesn’t know how it will end? For all he knows, there could be hate-sex waiting for him at the end of this. He doesn’t know so he prolongs it with banter. It is like a mystery he has to solve. 

Oooo what has Bonnie Bennett planned for me today? 

After all, Kai loves games and no one plays games with him quite like Bonnie does. 

His next line of action is to spew out one-liners to feel her out. He wants to get this game going, put some spice in it. Suss out what her intentions are 

And with each line, the sexual subtext becomes less and less subtle:

This line seems innocent enough but it is also unnecessary. Kai knows Bonnie will not let him loose so why say it? Yes, it could be interpreted as him being clever but remember, underneath that banter, there is a lot of sexual tension. I mean Bonnie literally chuckles in response and the camera suddenly (to my chagrin tbh) goes to a wide-shot where we can’t see their faces but we do see all the red and Bonnie walking towards him...so I would infer if this wasn’t CW but HBO, the line would read: Let me loose, and I’ll totally finger blast you. And you can fight me on that 

And then Kai is like....

You know what, let’s stop mucking about and let me get to the question that has been on my mind since you walked in... are you here to 

 ...because I was totally getting that BDSM vibe from you and i’m literally in chains soooo...if that is what you planned to do then I just want to tell you that I’m ready. My body is prepared and I’m ready for you to punish me *wink*

And then Bonnie says 

which basically makes Kai go mad with lust. If he wasn’t hard before, he is definitely hard af now. To Kai, this is Bonnie just trying to outdo him in their mental chess game and the fact that she is using his own method of delivery to threaten him (such as the head tilts and similar facial expressions) turns him on.  In gif form he is like...

HOLY FUCK! SHE IS SOOO HOT! She just took our mental foreplay to a new level! Using my own fears against me...that is something I would do! Is this woman real? I need to up my game 

 *lowers voice a full octave, husky tone, bedroom eyes*

^Oh Bon, you naughty girl. You know that is not possible so let’s stop with the chit-chat and get to the frick frack. 

Look at his facial expression, tone and mannerisms, without any context, what would your caption be?

Does it look like a man that: 

Is turned on?

Is thinking about sex?

Thinks this conversation will end with Bonnie revealing that she created another prison world specifically for him? 

yes, yes, and no. He thinks he is playing the battle of wits, for fuck sakes. He knows Bonnie is smart, but he doesn’t think she would waste her energy making an ascendant when it has been years since they interacted and he hasn’t tried to hurt her. 

As soon as he sees the ascendant tho, he realises he should have seen this coming. All the qualities he adores about her are the very qualities that would allow for this to happen. He attacked her friends and attempted to kill the twins (*rolls eyes* I blame Plec), so of course Bonnie Bennett would create another prison world to protect the people she loves. 

And yet, the shock is still there  He clenches his jaw to maintain his composure, but he is internally spazzing out. Despite their bad history, he thought this would end differently. He knew she was playing a game but he didn’t think it was that type of game (if that makes sense). She made her final move and checkmate him 

The anger starts to appear when he realises that he has been in Bonnie’s prison  world for their entire conversation. And now, each word that leaves her mouth cuts into him like a knife 

He is scared, he is fuming but most of all, he is hurt which is surprising because he is supposedly free of emotion now 

See the look he gives Bonnie and the deep intake of breath^ 

It is as if he is thinking 

Fantastic! We are that Bonnie and Kai again. 1994 prison world Bonkai... we play mind games and then hurt each other at the end of it. She is still punishing me for what I did to her in 6x22. 

And what surprised me is that his initial response is not to return the favour, but to plea for Bonnie to stay. It is true that his fear is to be in another prison world, but his worst fear is to see the only person he cares about, Bonnie, once again leave him like in 6x17. He is far too vulnerable in this moment to think of his next ‘chess’ move or even hide the power she has over him.

It is only a flicker tho He wasn’t suppose to show Bonnie that he cares 

Part 3: How the tables turn 

@bonkai-legacy @albion19 @bonkai-diaries @ohh-my-josh @animelifecx @ms-ss

(None of the gifs used in this post are mine. Here are the links to the original gifsets: X, X, X, X, X. Please take a moment to reblog the original gifset if you haven’t already. It takes time to make gifsets and I am sure the creator will appreciate the love. :) )

Part 1 

#bonkai #kai parker #bonnie bennett #bonkamily #meta #tvd

[maggiemay67]

The person who dared to talk about the elephant in the room-An open letter to Moffat-

“It is infuriating, frankly, to be talking about a serious subject and to have Twitter run around and say, oh, that means Sherlock is gay. Very explicitly it does not. We are taking a serious subject and trivializing it beyond endurance,” Moffat said.

Mr Moffat, I wanted to write directly to you, in order to discuss your above statement, as well as addressing a few other things that have been troubling me recently. I sincerely hope that this finds it’s way to you somehow.With that said then I shall begin.

In regards to your statement above:

It is you ( not the fans) who has taken a serious subject and trivialised it beyond endurance.

What do you really know about the Johnlock/TJLC element of your fan base?A selection of drawings or fan fictions of compromising positions and plotless porn, picked specifically to raise some eyebrows and generate a few smirks on a show like Graham Norton, maybe?Look closer at us please.For the majority of us it is not simply gay sex that fans lust after at any cost to plot line or character development.It is rather the confirmation that (sexual or not) John and Sherlock are in love and are in fact in a deep, meaningful and exclusive relationship with one another.A relationship that is stated, not simply implied, and that transcends friendship to the point of it being the most enduring and important of their respective lives.People can be in love and be absolute soulmates without ever consummating it in a physical sense.The TJLC community is fully aware of that fact and respects it as a lifestyle choice, as equally as they respect any other representation of sexuality.If you think that this passion from the fans for these two characters, simply boils down to a bunch of rabid and hormonal young teenage girls wanting a cheap thrill by seeing Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch shag on a BBC screen,then you really don’t know the fans,the TJLC or the LGBT community tied to this show at all.You really don’t understand a thing about this and why it matters to so many people.Trivialising a serious subject?How can a group of people be trivialising a serious subject, when the entirety of them are either supporters of or LGBT themselves?How are these people therefore trivialising it?Trivialise the subject?How so?By backing your versions of these characters and placing their trust in you because they believed the story you were actually telling ( using credible and talented A list celebrities) could be ground breaking, monumental and would actually give them the representation that they desperately deserve on the scale that they desperately deserve?

Trivialising?

No Moffat, trivialising would be to knowingly involve yourself in queer baiting for seven years in order to exploit an element of the audience that follow your show.The actions of someone dramatically letting down an element of society who are relying on them.

I’m sure you are already clued up on the expression that defines what you are doing but I’ll remind you of the specific definition just in case…

“In a fannish context, queer baiting (or queerbaiting) is a term used to describe the perceived attempt by canon creators (typically of television shows) to woo queer fans and/or slash fans, but with no intention of actually showing a gay relationship being consummated on screen.”

I’m not going into all the examples of your queer baiting in Sherlock. Quite frankly, there are too many embarrassingly BLATANT instances purposefully loaded throughout every one of your episodes.I’m therefore going to ask the TJLC/Johnlock fans that you seem to view with contempt for ‘trivialising homosexuality’, to think of their most obvious example/s and then ask themselves this key question?

Knowing what you know (of the show as it stands), who has really succeeded in trivialising sexuality beyond endurance in this instance?Yourselves or the creator of this show?The one I am currently addressing..

My brother is about as big a fan, and as knowledgable,of the original canon as yourself. he has told me that he is actually slightly uncomfortable with the way you are, ‘including completely unnecessary gay subtext/references in every episode’.He suggests that their wasn’t a need to allude to that in his fav version (Jeremy Brett) in order to make it successful, so why the need now?

Seeds have to be planted in people’s minds for them to grow.Even those non TJLC viewers like my brother are able to see it.

So please feel free to answer the perfectly reasonable question from a non TJLC member.Why exactly have you felt the need to include so many queer references?

Do you need some reminding of these references?Very well…

You began your first episode with a dinner conversation between the two main male leads regarding boyfriends and girlfriends all being fine.You made it sound like John was coming onto Sherlock and Sherlock was rejecting him.You made the land lady believe that they were gay ( time and time again you had her mention it).If you had stopped there and never said another damn word about it after that first episode,or even season, then I ( and others like me) would have likely forgiven you and accepted the mild queerbaiting at the beginning of your show. Accepted it as a way to simply address the notion that some people believed the relationship to be more than what ACD actually imagined it to be.

HOWEVER

You continued it…..you continued it through most ( if not every) episode you’ve ever written.You continued to make the gay jokes/the relationship jokes.You continued to plant the seeds and water them for seven years and now,when the garden is blooming in all the colours of the rainbow, you are complaining about the suffocating landscape!

If what you have said in your interviews turns out to be the truth (platonic bromance and not romantic relationship) then how dare you attack and mock those poor fans (whose only crime in all of this was to actually be tricked into believing your blatant lies through the narrative you presented to them).

You might still be wondering what could possibly have been the catalyst for such a rant from myself.Well read on because there’s an East wind coming….

I just watched a video of the Q and A section at the screening and you completely let yourself down Mr Moffat.So rude and abrupt to a person who clearly has their heart invested in your show. I am Embarrassed and mortified to call you a fellow Scot because that kind of attitude is why people wrongly assume we are miserable c**** at times!

The thing that really made my blood boil ( apart from your condescending tone and borderline sexist remark to that person )was the fact that you actually had the audacity to jump down their throat for daring to mention something which your OWN show members/staff have been tweeting and teasing for months.That damn elephant in the room ehhhh! Always causing problems….however self inflicted it is..

In that screening, I watched you completely cut that person to the bone as you callously talked over and demeaned them. You said something really patronising and sarcastic about Sherlock and John going away to do the dishes now ( because they asked about their relationship).Something about them solving crimes cause that’s what the books say they do ( like the person isn’t fully aware of ACD and his far superior narrative ).

You felt it was a good idea to Mock someone for their ‘lack of knowledge’ of the original canon, whilst you yourself are arsing up your own fan fiction version of the canon by choosing to M Night shamalan it to bits at the final curtain call. It’s now at the point where it’s got that many gaping plot holes,that it resembles Sherlock’s sitting room wall during a particularly complex case! It’s not even remotely clever any more! Has anyone had the balls to actually tell you that to your face?Through all the gushing and fawning has anyone provided a reality check this season?I mean the simplicity and brilliance of series ½ compared to series ¾.Moriarty just being wonderfully Moriarty in those seasons, to what we must endure now…Scooby Doo villain reveals …to name but one… If you are so virtuous and true to your beloved ACD and his books, then why did you have an entire season of Mary and even introduce a baby?Do you honestly think that ACD would ever have enjoyed or wanted the Watson and Sherlock sitcom that we got landed with for a time?Coupled with the ridiculous Mary/Assassin backstory. Don’t even get me started on the secret sister/ evil genius plot.

Jumping the shark much Moffat?

This ain’t lesbian aliens and their assistants from Doctor Who that we are dealing with after all.It’s ACD and we can’t offend him by changing or defining the relationship of his two male protagonists, can we?

You have the cheek to mock that person at the screening for asking about a Johnlock relationship ( specifically where it goes from here) when you yourself cultivated and encouraged fans like them to latch onto and care about that very thing. Perhaps you did do that in the beginning to hook a certain type of audience in order to generate a cult popularity.However the show got massive very quickly and you still continued it. So I ask the question again.Why did you continue to do it? You seem to despise and deny it’s very existence at every opportunity, so why continue it?One mention (by an eager Johnlock fan) about the Johnlock relationship (fuelled by your loaded subtext) made you completely lose your cool in front of an entire room of people on Thursday. A member of an online community who ( on the most part) have done nothing but shower you with admiration,warmth and kindness in the last seven years.You let that person down on Thursday.You let us all down in that instant.They probably went home with red rimmed eyes, a trembling lip, the memory of a partially mocking audience, laughing at them, pitying them,and what’s worse, the memory of someone that they trusted and held in high regard,treating them with contempt, to the point that they probably now feel that they are somehow wrong for thinking the way they do about TJLC.The person who dared to question the elephant in the room was not wrong to do so….and Moffat you stood there and spoke to them like that whilst being fully aware of that fact.That is what is truly disgusting about your actions on Thursday night and why I simply couldn’t stand back this time and let this go without saying something.You are fully aware that all the person was guilty of is picking up on your queer baiting and questioning you about it. You are perhaps embarrassed that they asked you that elephant question because you know you’ve led people right up the garden path.Are you ashamed about that,so your first response (rather than simply own up to it) is to lash out to prevent anyone from calling you out on it?

Trivialising?

You bet your ass you have Moffit…..

Now be prepared because there’s an East wind coming and you’re going to have to face up to it very soon.Maybe you could start that process by apologising to the person who dared to talk about the elephant in the room.

Remember….elephants never forget and we certainly won’t be forgetting this anytime soon…

#sherlock #johnlock #tjlc #sherlock series 4 #it's not a game anymore #the girl at the Sherlock screening #I feel so much lighter now

[monikakrasnorada]

Eurus and Mary

 ***DISCLAIMER*** I began writing this mess in the week between TLD and TFP. After watching the trainwreck that was TFP, I retreated in despair at what I saw. Finally, with a little time, space and hindsight, I half-heartedly feel the urge again to look more closely at the eps and try to glean a little light from the darkness.

***ETA*** I’m not on board the tin hat train. Do I hope there is something else (please PLEASE let there be because this cannot stand as the end)??Absolutely!! I just refuse to set myself up for further disappointment if it doesn’t happen. Call me cautiously guarded and somewhat optimistic.

EMP is real and no one will ever convince me we were wrong.

I wholeheartedly believe in villain Mary and S4 only reaffirms that belief.

No one wants to believe the worst about people. About friends. About family. People they trust and love. But sometimes, it happens. People fail us in all sorts of ways. Betrayals come in all shapes and sizes.

I think Sherlock has this problem. His life’s work is dealing with the worst of humanity- rapists, murderers, psychopaths. In all their disgusting shapes and sizes. But those are other; they aren’t part of his carefully cultivated little orbit of existence. Family and friends.

The thing is though- you never know. Even the great Sherlock Holmes can’t know what truly dwells in the deepest darkest parts of us all. Family secrets. Friends that aren’t exactly who you thought they were. 

No one is immune. It can happen to anyone.

So, I believe it all comes back to running scenarios. 

The stage is set. The curtain rises.

This is the line we get in TAB. TAB which follows on immediately (*cough*~6 months later*cough*) from the events of HLV. Mary shot Sherlock and showed ZERO remorse in doing so. But then we have them hugging and kissing each other goodbye as if nothing happened. (Sure, Jan.)

It feels wrong. It is wrong. That everything is merely swept under the rug between the three of them. It’s all good. No it isn’t! I refuse to accept that. I know everyone claims Mofftiss dropped the ball here, changed characterisation mid-stream just for shits and giggles, but I don’t buy it. They are smarter than that. They are savvy in ways we could never begin to understand. So to think, and accept, that they wrote Mary shooting their HERO, only to say, “No big deal. Everyone makes mistakes. Forgive and forget.” Is just not a thing I can accept from two of the greatest writers in the biz. 

This is their sleight of hand.

TAB wasn’t just about figuring out how Moriarty did it. That was the surface level reason, certainly, but the subtext- the meat of the matter- was Mary Watson.

The stage was set after Mary was revealed to be the shooter. All the players of The Game were finally in place and Sherlock, in TAB, began his long and painful journey to figuring out how they all fit, and who exactly is playing for which team. 

As clever and as amazing as every single aspect of this show is, do we really believe Mofftiss lost sight of the story they were telling? I doubt that. Not after everything they’ve done to make this the most fascinating piece of media that’s been made to date.

Sherlock makes the Mary / Moriarty connection in TAB:

Sir Eustace’s wound is a mirror image of Sherlock’s own, and finding the “Miss me?” message attached sent him reeling with the realisation and implication of Mary’s involvement.

The curtain rises. The last act. It’s not over.  

That’s the text Mary receives from Sherlock in The Six Thatchers just before we get “Mary’s sacrifice” in order to save Sherlock’s life. Again, I believe this is all fake- this episode and this entire series to this point. This is Sherlock’s continued flaw of seriously underestimating the people in his life. He can’t see the forest for the trees, and for all his self-proclaimed sociopathic-ness, he can’t help but think the best of those people he has chosen to love. Even though he now knows believes Mary to be in some kind of cahoots with Moriarty, he still can’t help but think she might truly care for him and be willing to sacrifice herself to save him.

Once the idea exists, it cannot be killed.

This thought plays along nicely with EMP theory. Sherlock continues to run-through scenarios, hoping to get to the correct conclusion that makes sense. Because, let’s face it, nothing up to this point makes a lick of fucking sense, especially when it comes to Mary.

Along comes Faith Eurus

First question: Just as it was senseless for Lady Carmichael to engage Sherlock in keeping Sir Eustace alive, it follows that it makes no sense for Culverton to give Eurus Faith’s note- literal ammunition to bring him down.

It’s TAB 2.0. Another scenario Sherlock is working through to try and suss out Mary’s motivations and connections.

“Culverton gave me Faith’s original note. A mutual friend put us in touch. Did Sherlock ever tell you about the note? I added some deductions for Sherlock, but he didn’t get the big one.”

MISS ME?

Added deductions?? Coincidence??

Eurus is “Mary”?

The moment Eurus said she was Sherlock’s sister, I laughed. Like, seriously guffawed, because- what even are they doing? I’m of the mind that maybe she ‘was’ his sister- quite possibly his twin- but whatever it is that has ‘made’ him this way was the tragedy of her. Whether she died young, or was a troubled youth that had to be institutionalized (at Sherrinford, maybe?). If Sherrinford doesn’t turn out to be a 4th sibling (because people give up after 3)

ETA: Hahahaha, definitely wrote this before TFP aired.

Whatever the case may be, I do not believe she is a ‘real’ character in this ep. Again, I’m a full-on EMPer for a year now and since it’s all in Sherlock’s head anyway, it means no one is ‘real’.

ETA: Nemo!

For me, it seems Eurus is a manifestation of Sherlock’s pain and trouble from his past that is now bleeding and morphing and combining with his present pain and trouble- Mary.

COMPARE:

“I met him before, we spent a night together. We had chips.”  

Disguise:

Sherlock missed the biggest one of all and it haunts him still:

“Amazing the times a man doesn’t really look at your face.”

“You can hide behind a sexy smile-”

“-Or a walking cane.”

“Or, just be a therapist, talking about you all the time.”

“I’m sure the therapist who actually lives here wouldn’t want blood on the carpet. Oh, hang on. It’s fine. She’s in a sack in the airing cupboard.”

Going through all these images and writing up this post has now brought into play several other ideas that I want to explore. Especially in light of TFP and the general newfound fandom consensus that ep3 is in John’s mind bungalow- a theory I am sorry I just cannot agree with- and hope to post these additional supporting bits and bobs asap.

Further posts will be linked and cross-posted with this one eventually. 

@tjlcisthenewsexy @gosherlocked @loveismyrevolution @yan-yae @ebaeschnbliah @isitandwonder (please, let me know if you don’t want to be tagged in further meta posts, Kathrin <3) @tendergingergirl @skulls-and-tea @loudest-subtext-in-tv @impatient14 @doomsteady @shawleyleres

#sherlock #s4 #eurus and mary #emp #reality vs mind palace

[a-reocurring-dream]

This is NOT okay.

So, earlier I said that I would write about the “UNCOUNTABLE loose ends” in this episode. But I do not only want to write about that; I want to get those shitty doubtful thoughts out of my system, too, because I’m aware that they are WRONG. Because Moftiss did it wrong. And we don’t and never have.

Yesterday evening truly devastated and traumatised me. I’m not joking here - I still feel like reality comes crashing down on me. And I’m aware that you all out there reading this post might feel the same. It’s a shame how things turned out. And there are countless reasons for that.

THE FINAL PROBLEM

Where should I begin this? It’s painful thinking about it, but well, it is what it is, here we go.

At first, I want to talk about the time before the BFI screening:

Moftiss repeatedly stated over all the years that this show wouldn’t be about the cases but the relationship between Sherlock and John.

Everybody involved in the show promised this to be the best episode so far. And we believed them.

They protected it from spoilers vehemently (a promo picture was even removed from many blogs by the use of lawyers), so The Final Problem was the episode we knew least of.

They said that it would be “groundbreaking”, it would “write television history”, it would be “beautiful”, a massive “rug-pull”, “insane wish fulfillment”, “something that’s never been done before” and many other things.

Benedict said at Comic Con, “Love conquers all.”

Amanda even promised us a kiss via Twitter-emoji-hints.

Mary died in The Six Thatchers and The Lying Detective was all about reuniting John and Sherlock.

Arwel still tweeted elephants after The Lying Detective.

What else would we think but that The Final Problem would be about Johnlock?

Then, there was the BFI screening without NDAs and a lot of other weird things happened: The episode was leaked by Russia and Turkey within less than a day and the people involved with Sherlock twittered about it - “please, do not share #KeepMeSpoilerFree”. No lawyers at all. It felt so ridiculous. I didn’t watch this episode, because everyone said that it would be as absurd as the fact that it was leaked twice WITHIN ONE GODDAMN DAY - Clue-theory was swirring around. Nearly everyone was convinced that the leaked episodes and the one of BFI were fake. I mean, under given circumstances, who would not?

Nobody would stay that calm and be that careless with their “best” episode after being so protective about it, if there was no plan going on under the surface. Nobody would just go and say, “Oh, well, what bad luck! But hey, c’est la vie. Let’s inform all our followers about it and ask them not to share that information we just shared with THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.” Nobody would say, “Just some days left, fuck the final sprint of keeping secrets now, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it, I don’t mind all the effort we took to create this season - oh, yes, and all the previous ones, too, sure. Even though that is ‘everything we’ve been building up for for the last seven years’.”

Oh, you’re telling me that this is exactly what happened? Oh, okay. I see. All plausible. Wait, WHAT?! olaenwoywehdaejf

I wanted to believe in Clue-theory so deeply. I still do. I still want to believe that our Dads are so clever. I want to believe that they love us as much we do(/did).

And then, yesterday’s episode aired. And it was already the first scene that told me that the next one and a half hours would be horrible and hurtful. Honestly, the first half hour I repeatedly felt the urge to cry, as I was forced to watch what the creators did to our beloved characters and show. When they brought in Oscar Wilde, I almost bursted out into tears. And everything was like a cheap joke, a not-so-scary version of Saw and The Ring. NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING really reached me emotionally, not even the reveal of Redbeard actually being Sherlock’s childhood best friend who was killed by Eurus. I was so caught up in the shitty, teary feeling that they messed up the whole series. And the ending ... the ending literally tore my emotional life apart. Why is Sherlock visiting Eurus to save her twisted psychopathic psych? Why the fuck are they are playing a violin duett? Why are Mycroft and his parents there, watching like it was a redeeming moment? Why does the coded blackboard say that they trolled us? What do they mean by that? And why does Mary say that it does not matter who Sherlock and John really are, that all that matters is the legend, the cases, the adventures?

Everything in there is ridiculous and unreasonable. I don’t know where to begin. It’s better I leave it like that and point out some of the highlights:

Mycroft’s umbrella is actually a gun disguised as a sword.

John Locke cried blood red tears. (Me, too.)

Mycroft and Moriarty were in contact. Mycroft invited Moriarty to Sherrinford in order to give Eurus her ... Christmas present - five unsupervised minutes with Moriarty. Moriarty and Eurus planned everything on from The Reichenbach Fall - predicted everything, FIVE YEARS. Within FIVE MINUTES. (Didn’t see that coming.) They even predicted that Sherlock would choose to shoot Mycroft. No more words needed.

The Three Garridebs were just adapted for the sake of ... their names?

Eurus forces Sherlock to call Molly and make her confess her love for him. Molly refuses, saying Sherlock has to say it first. Sherlock says it - that’s what we get to see in the trailer #2. Why. Just why. I don’t ship Sherlolly, but even my heart was broken by that scene. Sherlock freaked out after that and so did I.

John was put in a well by Eurus and chained to the ground - but he could climb up a ladder as soon as it was put there.

Eurus was the fake girl on the fake plane. Btw, that girl was played by the same actress that has already taken part in A Scandal In Belgravia.

Sherlock “has always been the grown-up”?

Sherlock ... “forgives” Eurus? He ... “feels responsible” for her now?

A MESSAGE TO EVERYONE WHO’S IN NEED

Either Moftiss trolled us all along, being the worst LGBT+ supportive, queerbaiting sadists in tv history, or they’ve fallen victim to the success of their show, the heteronormativity, as Mary’s “Missed You”-message implies.

Either way, all that matters now is: We weren’t wrong. We believed in something. And as for me, I still do. I won’t stop that. Because this whole episode was created by heteronormativity. This is not the show, not the characters we’ve known and analysed for years now. And I think Moftiss are secretly aware of that, too. What I’m trying to say is: The Lying Detective even confirmed the drink code, the romance. That was so much. Nobody can take these triumphs from us. And TFP shouldn’t ruin the smart revolution we have built up with our knowledge, our minds, our beautiful and clever community.

I especially want to thank:

@quietlyprim: Thank you for your remarkable videos and sharing your belief with us. <3 You’re charming and beautiful.

@loudest-subtext-in-tv: You’re brilliant, your points are mind-blowing. <3 Never stop analysing and writing meta.

And @ all the others, TJLC and Johnlock-believers out there who may be reading this post: Never despair; you deserve so much better. Keep what this community gave to you - a family, revelations, emotional journeys, brain-stormings and so much more. I love you all. You can all be so proud of ourselves.

#tjlc #the final problem #tfp #sherlock #johnlock #queerbaiting #moftiss #believe #something's fucky

[alltingfinns]

While I see others in the Tinfoil Hat Society are using The Abominable Bride and The Geek Interpreter as decoder rings for this episode, I've been inspired to go even bolder and more daring. To understand The Final Problem, I will use... The Final Problem.

What? you say. But they already adapted this story, and this episode is TFP in name only. Or is it? Think about it, why is this titled exactly like the canon story? When have they ever used an exact title like that? The Great Game comes to mind, but that was about the meta game within the reading of the stories. So what if this is a meta game? What if they kill the show instead of the character? What if this is their answer to Doyle's final problem?

We've talked about Doyle not being able to tell the story he wanted to, and killing his character off in frustration. But the public weren't satisfied. And they're not now either, because what the hell? This is what we waited years for? Not just johnlockers but casuals as well.

We know it's "gay or trash" but the general public still doesn't/didn't. They needed to see how bad it is when the real story isn't told. It is important to remember that we're an unexpected casualty, too clever for our own good. Too well versed in queer subtext from our hunger for representation. If we hadn't seen the conspiracy, we wouldn't be devastated, only flabbergasted like the rest of the world. This is when we become martyres in the war. It's not right, and it's not okay, but it is what it is. Me writing this is not a way of excusing what they've done, but rather explaining it. Don't read further if your heart can't take any kind of hope or faith right now. Take care of yourself first, you don't have to jump into the rabbithole with me. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, and I can dealwith that. This is I think the essence of tinfoiling at this point.

So if I'm Charles in the mail room, then the title is my Pepe Silvia. Barney, who got me looking into Pepe, is Eurus Holmes. I already mentioned in this post here, that Eurus is the modern equivalence of what Doyle did with Moriarty. It's hard to wrap our minds around, because a hundred years of pop culture has firmly established Moriarty as Holmes' great foe. But if you reread The Final Problem, and keep in mind that the character was invented for this story, it all starts to sounds eerily familiar.

"You have probably never heard of Professor Moriarty?" said he. "Never." "Aye, there's the genius and the wonder of the thing!" he cried. -snip-

"What has he done, then?" "His career has been an extraordinary one. He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty. -snip- But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which. instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. -snip-"

"As you are aware, Watson, there is no who knows the higher criminal world of London so well as I do. For years past I have continually been conscious of some power behind the malefactor, some deep organising power which forever stands in the way of the law, and throws its shield over the wrong doer."

Never before mentioned character suddenly has been in the background all along? They're the greatest brain Holmes ever encountered? They're just evil for evil's sake? It should also be pointed out that the idea of a criminal mastermind running their own criminal empire undetected by the poice was a ridiculous notion at the time. Now it's so commonplace in both reality and fiction, we don't bat an eyelash at it. What we would find ridiculous is everything about Eurus. She's Moriarty in this scenario.

It doesn't end with Eurus. There's several details like Watson conveniently being alone at the time because his wife/daughter is away with friends, Sherlock disguising himself/the show (because it's the show not the character being killed in this version), a convenient posthumous message. The convenient posthumous message, which was left by a character that a later installment showed not to be dead (Mary and/or Moriarty). The tone of it, the slight absurdity that Moriarty would just go "oh sure write a message, I'll wait here". (Especially when the message includes instructions for the downfall of what is left of Moriarty's criminal empire, and this supergreat mind didn't think that might happen?) Compare this to both Moriarty's and Mary's clipshows, they're also laced with absurd convenience.

This reading of "The Final Problem"ing the show indicates self sabotage, which goes both with the reading that they were denied by BBC to tell the story they wanted and with the idea of a secret episode yet to come. My money is on the latter for one reason:

"I keep saying to people if we’ll pull this off it will be television history. I think it really will because it’s kind of groundbreaking." - Amanda Abbington

We joke about how she must not have seen Orphan Six if she attributes this quote to Siân Brooke's performance. But I'm more interested in the pronoun problem, because it's hard to argue that that was any real group effort. If "we" pull off what? Honestly, canon Johnlock didn't ever fully sit right with me as an explanation either. Because why would that still be a question of "if we pull it off" if the film is in the can? You know what would be groundbreaking television history, that requires a lot of luck and hard work to still "pull off"? A secret episode that no one out of the loop would know about. That's something that could go wrong, be discovered before its time of revelation.

I want to point out that this still doesn't necessarily mean johnlock is going to be canon in this secret episode, and that this means we weren't queerbaited. I think it's possible that johnlock happens, but it's not absolutely tied into this reading, since the point is that it's a secret episode being groundbreaking.

You can say that I am in denial or bargaining here, maybe you are right. What I think is that this episode doesn'tmake sense unless it's deliberately bad with the canon story as inspiration. And that I am just looking for a logical explanation that satisfies if not all the facts, then at least more than "they're just bad writers which we didn't see before because accidentally good stuff" does. 

Because take johnlock entirely out of the equation, say we just saw unintentional subtext. And this episode still doesn't make sense. It's still too poorly written, badly executed, and nonsensical. Especially in comparison to previous episodes, whether you saw johnlock in them or not. At some point, it has to be deliberate. Too many odd details and plotholes, that no one picked up on? Simply because the writers had big egos being fed on by the mass appeal of the show? I guess that is an explanation, it's definitively possible. But it doesn't feel like it satisfies all of the facts.

Anyway, it was fun to write a longer meta (if still not on par with others' work) at least once for this show. It’s not good, I could probably go into more detail. But I just wanted to get this brainfart out there, you know?

Tagging other tinfoil hats I’ve seen on my dash: @toxicsemicolon @teapotsubtext @bbcatemysoul @kinklock I’m probably missing some.

#fake or trash #tinfoil hat #reichenbach theory #sherlock meta #tfp