#WandaVision parody

[imnotawitch]

Nexus: a better tomorrow starts today

#Wanda Maximoff #nexus #commercial parody #Elizabeth Olsen #WandaVision

[aparticularbandit]

Agatha All Along apparently has a Shave and a Haircut (TWO BITS) ending.

NO MATTER WHERE I GO, I GUESS I CAN'T ESCAPE THAT FUCKING SONG.

...no Toon can resist the old 'Shave and a Haircut' bit...?

#musings #agatha harkness #wandavision #wfrr #who framed roger rabbit #roger rabbit #leave me alone i know it's munsters but like #-GESTURES LOUDLY- #look even writing america chavez #she was in a painted universe in the multiverse #do you know what that means #CANONICAL TOONS IN THE MCU MULTIVERSE #THANK YOU VERY MUCH #the tune is older than that and gets used in a lot of things #there's a really cool video on youtube about the history of it #and why it's so alluring and cathartic as a tune phrase #but for me it's always going to be a wfrr thing #and also i really want to thoughts about #the differences between when wanda parodies a theme song for wandavision and how shot for shot it fits the exact vibes and themes by decade #but when AGATHA parodies a theme song #there's no mimcry of the style used (munsters or addams; those are the two primary influences #albeit it is MUCH more munsters than addams) #but agatha's just taking a tune she likes and running with it #as opposed to wanda picking shows that have essential value as a coping mechanism and creating loving homages to them with her themes #agatha just 'what are the coolest spooky theme songs? OKAY KIDS LET'S ROLL'

[flagggermus]

2 gays with zero prior marvel knowledge watch wandavision

#it does some things so amazingly #and then it has a marvel ass scene and youre like oh right this is marvel #every scene outside westview felt as much like a parody as the sitcoms did #but not in a good way anymore bc they were actually just being oblivious as to how dogshit they were #the credits scene was fucking amaxing best thing ever though #wandavision

[pinetreegoblin]

I have a silly and indulgent Very Important People fan theory:

Very Important People!Vic Michaelis is extremely insecure and lonely as shown by their dialogue throughout many of the currently released episodes. They seem down on their luck and frustrated by their lot in life especially in their career and their personal connections. They seem like the perfect character to go through a classic “self growth through a journey of meeting crazy characters” plot. 

Each of the characters seem like out of this world caricatures of people they could meet out in the world, and some (like Denzel and Vic’s Grandma), seem like representations of those in her actual life (I also have a fun theory that the dolls were her childhood dolls). Many of the characters themselves point out that Vic seems to be down on their luck and unhappy, and in some way preventing themselves from happiness. Off the top of my head, Vic has referred to their father being murdered, a divorce from their husband, and struggling to get a “real reporting career.” 

If I had to construct a story of how they got to this point I would say the death of their father pushed VIP!Vic into grief induced isolation and loneliness, which inhibited their personal connections as they were stuck in survival mode. The murder of their father inspired them to become a reporter, as an attempt to help other victims of violent crime, but they are struggling to find a foothold. Their unbridled grief and obsession with retribution for their father has put a strain on their marriage and their partner asks for a divorce. Maybe in their exasperation and the chaos of life they are spurred to follow a lead they have no business or jurisdiction to follow and they end up injured. It is in this injury they are experiencing this hallucinogenic state.

The VIP set itself feels very cultivated and its “old-fashioned” eclectic style gives it a vibe of a surreal manufactured reality. Each episode starts with Vic idly messing with some aspect of the set, before realizing the camera is on and putting on the reporter mask. In my memory, none of the people “on set” ever say anything, besides Vic and the interviewee, even when Vic audibly asks them questions. Additionally the cutting off to infomercials gives an uncanny feeling of parody, someone concocting the stereotypical formula of a show. Finally, there are the moments where there is an abrupt cut to a transition card from a more intense scene, almost to redirect the emotional plot. Overall, it has given me a kinda WandaVision vibe of a dreamlike state manufactured in VIP!Vics head in order to address their loneliness and disillusionment with life.

The closing question especially points towards this specific idea of VIP!Vic being stuck in this fugue state looking for answers: “What is the meaning of life?” This is both impactful if we go with the idea she is injured and experiencing this all in an unconscious state (almost "deciding" whether to wake up) as well as just in them searching for the next direction to go in their frozen life. What is the meaning of life amidst grief, loneliness, fear, and unfair circumstances? How can Vic find meaning? In creating this dreamlike fabrication, VIP!Vic is trying to recover and find a version of themselves who can live a more fulfilling life as they let go of the past which has held them back. “Remember to always be yourself, unless you'd rather be somone else” 

TLDR: Vic Michalis is having some sort of surreal, unconscious dream where crazy characters are attempting to help them heal from their father's death, their fucked up social situations, and to find meaning and happiness in their life. Through the interviewees eccentricities they teach Vic their personal meanings of life so Vic can find their own.

(This is all just to be silly, I know a lot of it is just stylistic choices of the show and the nature of the type of show it is, but I just love the show a lot and this little theory came to me)

#vic michaelis #very important people #dropout #dropout tv #vip #dropout.tv #this may be incomprehensible to anyone but myself #and is 100 percent light hearrted

[tonkysexist]

Happy Halloween season and let us all remember that WandaVision made a costume to parody the way the early comic Scarlet Witch costume looked while calling it a “fortune teller” look. This is heavily rooted in negative Romani stereotypes which is only made worse by the fact that Elizabeth Olsen used to the g-slur to describe Wanda and that specific costume in WandaVision. “Fortune teller” or other costumes that appropriate Romani culture (or ANY culture) are never respectful or appropriate Halloween costumes.

#dress up as wanda!! just… not like that #wanda maximoff is jewish romani #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #marvel #mcu

[artzychic27]

Wandavision AU

A parody of Agatha All Along, or in this case “Marinette All Along” intercut with scenes of Marinette meddling with magic to make everything go her way in canon.

Marinette: Oh, Nath… You didn’t think you were the only creative mind in the city, did you?

*The door suddenly locks, leaving Nathaniel with no way out*

Marinette: Oh, you didn’t miss much. Here’s a little recap! *Uses magic to make a series of clips accompanied by music play in Nathaniel’s head*

Who’s been messing up everything?

It’s been Marinette all along!

Who’s been pulling every single string?

It’s been Marinette all along!

She’s mischievous!

So perfidious!

That you haven’t even noticed, and the pity is, the pity is-

Pity, pity, pity, pity

It’s too late to fix anything

Everything for you has gone so wrong

Thanks to Marinette~

It’s been Marinette~

It’s been Marinette all along!

Marinette: And I sent Alix away, too.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #nathaniel kurtzberg #marinette dupain cheng #wandavision #agatha all along #answered ask #ask me stuff

[montygreen]

Happy 2023 everyone! Personally speaking, 2022 had some pretty great moments for me! I’ve been working on my grad school applications for my Masters, I’m really enjoying my honours thesis work, I got to sing my little science song parodies for one of my classes on multiple occasions, and I ended off the year by making my parodies streamable! (You should all check out my Linktree and then give me a follow/subscription on your chosen streaming service!)

I also recently hit 12k followers! It’s pretty astonishing to me that so many of you would want to follow and even stick with my blog, with my constantly shifting fandoms and my highly variable activity levels due to school, but thank you so much, it means the absolute world to me.

To show my appreciation, I wanted to celebrate all of you! 

Rules:

Reblog this post

Send me an ask with a ✨ + a request (please be detailed! The shows I’m willing to gif are also listed below)

Since I want this to celebrate my wonderful followers, this celebration is closed to people who follow my blog only.

Shows I’m willing to gif are: 1899, Abbott Elementary, Anne With An E, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Dark, Derry Girls, Killing Eve, Ms. Marvel, Never Have I Ever, One Day At A Time, Only Murders in the Building, Our Flag Means Death, Parks and Recreation, Schitt’s Creek, Sex Education, Shadow and Bone, Ted Lasso, The Good Place, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The Wilds, Wandavision, We Are Lady Parts, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Tagging some mutuals here: @trueloveistreacherous, @barbarahoward, @yenvengerberg, @xoxoemynn, @agentplant, @the-paris-of-people, @thefabulousfab-3, @jakeperalta, @nessa007, @useyourtelescope, @roseapothecary, @catty-words, @jakeyp, @chrissiewatts, @macperalta, @clarkgriffon, @rainbowbonnet, @blackbeardz, @basiltonpitch, @ivashkovadrian, @aryastaark

Posts for this will be tagged #leila’s 12k celebration, so feel free to blacklist that if you don’t want this cluttering your dash! I also cannot promise I will get to requests quickly, school starts again for me on Jan 9th, but I am hopeful that being motivated to fill your requests will keep me giffing throughout what will no doubt be a busy semester!

#leila's 12k celebration

[pastamansta]

Occasionally, I think about the film that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) is not.

While I had my fun in theaters, while I enjoyed getting to see Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire all get to share the screen, while there is a lot of good in the film... I always find myself wondering about the film that we didn't get. While there's been a few talks about what the original draft for a sequel to "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019) looked like, there's never been definitive answers. However, it seems obvious to me that there wasn't much setup for the direction that the end of the trilogy took. This isn't exactly shocking, however. After all, it's hard to imagine watching just the Watts trilogy without knowing anything about the greater MCU. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) is a very different film than the one that follows it, mostly due to the non-Spider-Man films that came between the two, especially the films where Spider-Man still had to make an appearance.

Lots of films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are like this, however. "Iron Man 3" (2013) notoriously ends on a dramatic send-off, one that would have to be ignored by the time of Iron Man's next scheduled appearance; "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015). "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) has a similar problem. If there were any fans of Ant-Man that weren't fans of the larger MCU, I'm sure they'd be wondering why exactly he was put under house arrest. That's not to say that the films don't mention what happened off-screen, they actually do a totally adequate job of re-capping previous entries, but that's to say that it's hard to picture why exactly the characters were taken in the directions they did when you don't watch the films... that they barely appeared in. These films were not just not made to be watched without becoming invested in the entirety of the MCU, they're nearly impossible to understand without.

This problem is made far worse by the introduction of the series. Now, you don't just have to watch twenty-six films, give or take a disputed entry or two, to understand the latest Spider-Man film... You also need to watch a six-hour series, "WandaVision" (2021) and a four-hour series, "Loki" (2021). That's intentionally discarding "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021) and "What If…?" (2021) as "truly option" content.

While I can't promise that the original draft, one that had not yet considered the MCU's coming fixation on the idea of the "multiverse," would be any more or less entertaining, it might, at the very least, feel more consistent than the film we received. Whispers of a film with Kraven the Hunter and/or Scorpion, hired by J. Jonah Jameson to take down the masked menace at any cost, sounds like a film that could reasonably come after Spider-Man's dramatic clash against Mysterio and more dramatic world-wide unmasking. To me, consistency means a lot, especially when you've got something good on your hands.

Funnily enough, though, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) is not the film I'm here to talk about.

I'm going to lightly criticize "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (2023) and then lock my doors.

The sequel to "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018) is one of the best films that I never asked for. Dramatic, high-concept, and more ambitious than I expected, even from a sequel to such an already ambitious movie, I can't help but wonder if it's too much.

The original film is so charming, funny, and easy to enjoy. It's perhaps the best starting point for anyone who's never seen a superhero film before.

So... why isn't the sequel another one of those? A lot of the film is dedicated to small, intimate discussions between Miles and his family, or semi-philosophical debates between dozens of variants of Spider-Man clashing over the concept of "canon events." Does this not feel somewhat out of place when you think about how the first film was so casual that it introduced Spider-Noir as a near-parody gulper of egg creams, when the actual Spider-Noir is best known for taking on a Vulture who cannibalized Uncle Ben and a Doc Ock who... well, you can research that yourself. Of course, I loved the endless references and throwbacks and reveals and action and spectacle... but is this really a sequel that feels like the first?

I've heard so many people criticize the film's ending, the hidden "See Part 2, Coming Soon" that soils what was otherwise a "perfect experience," but... what else is there to expect? It's not a family-oriented comedy with some stunning, dramatic moments anymore... It's just another epic, just another "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) and, frankly, as much as I like it, I'll always be disappointed.

However, I can't just end on that note.

I have to push my luck.

I have no doubt that some, upon reading this, would ask, "Then what direction should the sequel have taken?"

Well, we've got six mains; Miles Morales, Peter B. Parker, Gwen Stacy, Peni Parker, Noir, and the pig. What's a proper threat for a team of six Spider-Man variants to go up against that every director of every Spider-Man film and every company that's ever owned the rights to Spider-Man has daydreamed about, but called "too ambitious" to portray on the big screen? I'll give you a hint; it was set up in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014), teased in the after-credits of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017), and even worms its way in to "Morbius" (2022).

If you can tell me honestly that you prefer the idea of the sprawling epic we received to a fun, in-line sequel where the main cast returns to go up against a multi-verse spin on the Sinister Six, then we'll just have to agree to disagree. In the meantime, I'm heavily disappointed in this future winner of the 96th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Bravo. Well done. Five stars. I'm let down.

#spider man #across the spider verse spoilers #film

[darlin-djarin]

When I was a Twitter user I ran an R2-D2 parody account where all the droids went to college on Coruscant to learn their professions. Threepio and R2 were roommates and also BB-8 was there (I threw the timeline out the window pretty much.) I think that would be a fun crack AU to revive. If I were to pitch a sitcom to Lucasfilm I think that would be what I brought to the table

LMFAO imagine the roleplays this would induce. and oh my god they were roommates. this sounds like a fun concept actually, i'd thoroughly enjoy a sitcom like this with droids. maybe do something similar to wandavision and mix it up a little, that'd be cool.

#star wars #star wars headcanons #oil. #r2d2 #c3po #bb8

[blondeaxolotl]

LOLOLOL I WAS THE COMIC BOOK TV SHOW GUESSER I THOUGHT IT WAS A WANDAVISION PARODY HELP I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS BETTER OR WORSE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 (I look forward to seeing the horrors you put my fave servants through 👍 )

LMAOAOA ITS COOL I actually went to check out if dhmis had any books/comics that I didn't know of and the only thing I found was that fucking "what about my shredder" book on Amazon JFJIAJDJS

#mono ask

[therese-lokidottir]

It's amazing how MCU fans are quick to engage in revisionist history. You see it in how people buy Mobius's BS where he blames Loki for Frigga's death (when the only thing Loki's at fault for is inadvertedly giving Kurse directions to the generator controlling the forcefields, and the sole person to blame for Frigga's death is Malekith). It's the same with how people twist Wanda's actions in WandaVision and take things out of context to make it make sense as a "villain origin" story for her OOC turn in Multiverse of Madness (often by doing things like erasing the context of Wanda's actions and her emotions when doing said actions).

I hate how much people take everything Mobius says at face value just because the show says he's the expert. If you look back at conversations about his character Loki's decent into villainy was treated as something more sympathetic and tragic and the term "narcissist" rarely enter the discussion. Now people talk about Loki as if he was always just an entitled selfish villain from the start.

"Wanda held a town hostage" ignoring when she realized the harm she was doing harm she was horrified, gave it all up willingly and even admitted she was wrong. WandaVision is Wanda avoiding becoming the villain through accepting loss. MoM isn't just backtracking it's basically character assassination.

Wanda case is annoying because you don't have to like a character to recognize they're being written out of character. Like, I can complain about Tony's flaws all day but if a movie had him bombing civilians areas so he could get vibranium to increase Stark Industries profit I'd admit that was wildly OOC. Like the story didn't even tie in to what his flaws were and just had him act like a cackling Lex Luthor parody I'd criticize the story for being poorly written and shelve any criticism I had about Tony's character prior.

#Asks #wanda deserves better #loki deserves better

[filmmarvel]

Multiverse of Madness Thoughts

slight spoilers ahead

Just a forewarning: I’m not a fan.

Sam Raimi- I don’t like Sam Raimi. I don’t understand why MCU stans love him so much (all I heard was praise for him, but I’m personally not a fan of his extremely campy style). While I enjoyed the creepiness and violence he brought, that was about it. And honestly, even a lot of that just seemed so unoriginal. The whole movie felt like a bad parody.

Dialogue- The corniness of the dialogue goes too far, so much so that it transforms characters! Doctor Strange doesn’t even talk like Doctor Strange. It reduced the characters to cringy stereotypes lacking any depth or development (yes, even Wanda). It’s actually awful that they took such talented actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and Rachel McAdams, and forced them to say the most embarrassing shit you’ve ever heard.

Wanda- I don’t want to spoil anything too big, but I had high hopes that this movie would begin to deal with some of the loose ends WandaVision left. It didn’t. Instead it took all of Wanda’s emotional development and completely shitted on it. She was certainly a menacing villain, but lacked any sort of emotional depth or sympathy. She was completely flat and one dimensional. And the only ties to her backstory were related to her children. Nothing else. She has so much material in her backstory, but all they wanted to use was Billy and Tommy. Just to clarify- I don’t disagree with Wanda being a villain, and she was definitely a badass one, it’s more about how much her character has to offer, versus what the movie actually used.

Cameos- They were incredibly disappointing. Kevin Feige was right in saying that they spoiled too much in the trailers. There were only two interesting ones, and frankly I didn’t care about either, and I don’t care about them any more after how this film left them. It seemed wasteful, and (again) hinted at characters that may not have any real significance for years.

Plot- Marvel is just so convoluted (more on that down below) that the whole plot was a weirdly paced disaster. It was unoriginal, basic, and frankly, difficult to care about.

The visuals were cool though.

The Downfall of Marvel- I’ve gotta be honest, it’s caused me to lose a lot of faith in Marvel. Essentially all of the recent projects have been extremely flawed. They’re so concerned with future projects, and expanding the universe that they aren’t handling the current projects with the care that they should. There are far too many loose ends for anything to make sense anymore! There’s just so much on the table, and the timeline is getting increasingly convoluted. Think about White Vision, The Eternals, Agatha Harkness, The Young Avengers, etc. All of these storylines have been left completely open. What about Eros, Blade, or the X-Men? These characters have all been hinted at! But when are these characters actually going to show up or return? It could be years! Think about all the other characters and storylines they’ll introduce along the way. When will any of it be dealt with? I think Marvel is getting ahead of itself. It needs to take a step back and look clearly at all they have to deal with and be realistic about what they can accomplish. If Multiverse of Madness showed me anything, it’s that Marvel needs to slow down.

#marvel #mcu phase 4 #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #wandavision #wanda maximoff #dr strange and the multiverse of madness #multiverse of madness #sam raimi #benedict cumberbatch #rachel mcadams #doctor strange #scarlet witch #movie review #marvel review

[seasaltcosmos]

wandavision season 2 should premiere with a parody of the monty python and the holy grail intro

#wandavision

[streets-in-paradise]

@losersclubisms

Hear me out:

Imagine you are a witch who is in love with Andy, but he only knows you as a mortal woman because you have never come out to him since you know he hates magic.

At first hidding it was easy, but as time pases and your relationship progresses the whole thing feels like in Bewitched ( if you don't know this sitcom for reference, it was parodied in WandaVision - episode 2). It's exhausting, because unlike in the sitcom you not only have to hide from other regular persons, but also and specially from your boyfriend because you are so in love with him and so scared he will leave you if he knew of your magic.

He eventually discovers it because of Chucky. He comes to get you thinking that killing you in front of Andy would be very easy and fun revenge, what leaves you no choice but to use magic even when your boyfriend was witnessing it.

#possible fic idea? #i don't know this was on my mind and felt i needed to share it #andy barclay #chucky 2021

[superherokisser]

actually i AM thinking of a wandavision parody type thing with me and my f/os

#terrence rambles

[psionotic]

My favorite culture, 2022

I haven’t posted to this thing in years, and I’m not even sure if I have any followers left. But in any case, here are some of my favorite new (or new to me) things in what was probably the most difficult year of my adult life...? -Paper-

Mexican Gothic (2021). Sure, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel is basically a postcolonial mélange of “The Fall of the House of Usher”, Jane Eyre, and “The Yellow Wallpaper”, with a little dash of Lovecraft, but it absorbed and upset and disturbed me throughout.

The Priory of the Orange Tree (2020). A queer retelling of “St. George and the Dragon” within a mix of eastern and western fantasy, Samantha Shannon’s novel is full of delightful characters and magical hijinks.

The Three-Body Problem (2016). I mostly hated Cixin Liu’s Cultural Revolution-inspired anti-Contact while I was reading it. The characters are awful, both in their limited development and in their naked, selfish cruelty. The narrator is detached, looking down upon us from some distant star, without a care for those characters or for humanity generally. It is so profoundly cynical and pessimistic, at one point I almost threw it across the room. But then I kept reading and made it all the way to the end, frustrated and horrified all the while, and… I haven’t been able to shake this book since I’ve finished it. It’s burrowed its way into my psyche and won’t wend its way back out. Read/avoid at all costs.

I also enjoyed: The Windup Girl (2009), Gideon the Ninth (2020), Winter Tide (2018)

I was bummed out by: The Testaments (2019)

-Funny Pages-

Runaways volumes 1 – 5 (2018-). I put off reading this for years, because I’m so attached to BKV’s original run, and those that have followed in his footsteps have tripped over their imprint. But YA author Rainbow Rowell proved me wrong, letting me fall in love with these characters all over again.

Something is Killing the Children volumes 1 & 2 (2020-). Tynion and Dell’edera’s gothic monster slaying comic is a little X-Files, a bit Buffy, a smidge Sabrina, and basically a whole lot of the things I like.

Vision volumes 1 & 2 (2016). I read Tom King’s sad, wonderful run of Mister Miracle last year. This series (a partial inspiration for WandaVision) centers on the titular robot’s attempt to build himself a wife, two children, and a dog—the perfect American family. Things quickly go very very wrong in some ways that of course involve superhero shenanigans, but just as in MM and WV, the story zeroes in on the smaller tragedies of its misfit toys/wanna-be-real-boys inability to ever belong. 

-Movers-

Nope. Jordan Peele’s horror films become more diffuse in their themes and criticisms with each new installment, and many were apparently disappointed by Nope, but it really worked for me. Alien invasion story? Fable about our relationship to nature? A commentary on what we sacrifice to glut the slavering maw of spectacle? In any case, the film’s elusiveness is perhaps its great strength, and I went on thinking about it for months after seeing it.

Werewolf By Night. A direct-to-Disney Plus Marvel holiday short, featuring a character called The Man-Thing would not seem to promise much, but composer Michael Giacchino’s love letter to classic Universal monster movies is so focused, so economical, so un-tethered and therefore un-burdened by the MCU juggernaut (not Juggernaut) that I was just completely taken by it. Elsa, Jack, and Ted forever.

The Northman. Robert Eggers’ third film does everything his first two do, albeit on a larger scale: A particular/peculiar view of the past through the eyes of rejects and outsiders? Check. Long close-ups of actors staring intensely into the camera? Check. The presence of Anna Taylor-Joy and/or Willem Dafoe? Double check. It’s of course very possible that in a few years Eggers will descend into self-parody and become widely belittled for his repeating concerns and stylisms, but I for one am on board ‘til the longship sinks. (Also, I’d just like to point out that Taylor-Joy is an immortal mystical being, and all of her ‘characters’ are just different guises she takes throughout history. Do the research and follow the signs, you know this to be true.)

Glass Onion. Rian Johnson can’t miss. The Last Jedi was easily the best modern Star Wars movie (duel me). Knives Out was a titanic hit, beloved by audiences and critics. Follow-up Glass Onion is just as tight and fun, and it heavily features Janelle Monae, which is obviously a double-plus. It’s also quite timely, with characters resembling some of our time’s most obnoxious and narcissistic Main Characters.

I also enjoyed: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Prey, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, It Follows (2015) I was bummed out by: Thor: Love and Thunder  

-Telefusion-

Andor. It’s hard to sell anything Star Wars to those who aren’t already there. Long-time fans largely aren’t to be trusted, and I say this as one of them. For the already initiated/indoctrinated, the current wealth of SW content would seem to be everything we’ve ever wanted. No doubt that it is for some, but for me, at least, for every worthwhile product (The Last Jedi, The Mandalorian’s first season), we have been given a Book of Boba Fett or The Bad Batch or—force help us—The Rise of Skywalker. The problem with Star Wars is its caretakers have become increasingly terrified of doing anything new or interesting lest the fanboys strike back. As a result, so much of what is produced is nostalgia porn and easter-egg bait, endless fodder for YouTube channels churning out videos like “37 things you missed in Obi-Wan!”, and the effect of most of it is just to continually remind us of better movies made 40 years ago, to which all new content eternally apes and refers back to. It’s just terminally up its own tauntaun. Not Andor, though. Showrunner and head writer Tony Gilroy doesn’t like Star Wars. And this is evident watching the show—a show with no space wizards, no muppets, no Skywalkers or Solos or really anything that reminds the viewer of what’s come before. The villains in Andor are bureaucrats and pencil pushers simply upholding a system that benefits them; the heroes are not chosen ones from a Joseph Campbell diatribe, but ordinary people just trying to live their lives under creeping authoritarianism. There is some action—a heist and a prison break are highlights—but mostly it’s a political thriller, with a writer’s room built from veterans of Michael Clayton, The Americans, and House of Cards. Andor is brutal and bloody and timely and occasionally even hopeful. It is, as Lisa Simpson once said, “what I believe in now.”

Severance. Part corporate conspiracy thriller, part allegory on the meaningless of modern work and the cheap mythology of the great man entrepreneur, completely riveting. The finale simultaneously spools out four separate cliffhangers, making for the most anxious hour of TV I saw all year.

The Sandman. But isn’t this just a pretty-faithful live-action adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic and probably superior comic? I mean, yeah, that’s it, that’s the show, and honestly it’s all I ever wanted.

Interview with the Vampire. AMC’s adaptation is both exceedingly faithful and revisionist, and if that sounds paradoxical, well, as the great man said, “Very well then I contradict myself”. The core of Rice’s story remains untouched, while the concerns have been expanded to illumine American racial and sexual politics, life under the pandemic, and more. And that cast is incredible.

Players. This mockumentary by the creators of American Vandal explores professional eSports, following a team of League of Legends players over the course of one turbulent season. It’s a sports story, and a satire, and a character piece, and beyond all expectation the most heartwarming thing I watched all year.

I also enjoyed: Ghosts, What We Do in the Shadows, Our Flag Means Death, Wednesday, Stranger Things 4, She-Hulk, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Ms. Marvel, Lego Masters, How to Change Your Mind, Heartstopper, Murderville, Moon Knight, Star Wars: Visions, Light and Magic, Nailed It!, Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, House of the Dragon, Get Up

I need to catch up on: Atlanta, Reservation Dogs, Derry Girls, Station Eleven

I was bummed out by: Obi-Wan 

-Pixel-o-Games-

Elden Ring. I played FROM Software’s newest opus three separate times this year, about 300 hours. I’m not sure that it’s my favorite of their games (that’s still Bloodborne), but you could make a real argument that it’s their best.

Fortnite: Zero Build. For about three months I played Fortnite. A lot of Fornite. I never thought I’d be one of those people who plays Fortnite. But I was, all summer. The new-ish no build mode means that even newb-plebs like me can occasionally win. Still the best monetization model of any free-to-play game: I spent $10 and played for about 100 hours.

Marvel Snap! A collectible card game for those who are bad at collectible card games. That means me. I’m bad at collectible card games. But the fast matches, equalizing random battlefields, and generous card distribution and monetization (I have spent a total of $2.99 over about 75 hours) makes this thing addictive as hell. Speaking of, I just got Magik, the greatest comic book character of all time.

I also enjoyed God of War: Ragnarok, V Rising, Vampire Survivors, Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose, Stray, The Past Within, Dicey Dungeons (2019)

I was bummed out by: Diablo: Immortal and its rapacious monetization

-Sounds-

Susanne Sundfør – Ten Love Songs (2015). I just discovered Sundfør this year, and this album dominated my drive time over the summer and fall. Hard to classify--arty Europop, maybe? But she switches genres so frequently, often within tracks, that all schemas fail. Those songs, though.

Phoebe Bridgers – So Much Wine. Leave it to Bridgers to put out the most depressing Christmas album ever made. A nice follow-up to her 2021 album Punisher, already a modern classic. 

Andor - Original Soundtrack. Nicholas Britell scores small prestige films (Moonlight), and big prestige shows (Succession), and his compositions for Andor work in party by taking as wide of a diversion from John Williams as possible. Instead Britell relies on moody synths and itchy atonal noise, punctuated by really striking percussion sections.  

-Cast Pods- 

You’re Wrong About. Even with Michael Hobbes’ recent departure, this is still the best debunker/trivia/nuance podcast around. Sarah Marshall is a national treasure, which is something that I’m certainly right about.

Triple Click. Talking vidya games with Jason, Maddy, and Kirk is still the highlight of my week. 

WTF with Marc Maron. This is one of the oldest big podcasts, but I only recently started listening. Maron’s interviewing style is divisive—he often interrupts, mostly to speculate or spool out an anecdote—and he’s certainly not for everyone, but the old man’s really grown on me. I mostly tune in to the shows where I like the guest. And my god, what guests! Just this fall I’ve listened to his interviews with Neil Gaiman, Patton Oswalt, Clea Duvall, Elvis Mitchell, Rian Johnson, Tony Gilroy, and Quinta Brunson.

I also enjoyed: Strong Songs, The Besties, Get Played, Video Palace (2018) 

-Tube You’ers- 

VaatiVidya. This is a channel specializing in FROM Software games’ lore and secrets. I’m obsessed with them, obviously, but also the host has the most charming, mellifluous British voice. 

Folding Ideas. Dan Olson’s video essays on politics and culture always get me thinking, and the breadth of the subject matter he covers is staggering. His video on crypto and NFTs, and his one on modern conspiracy theories, are musts.

Girlfriend Reviews. He’s a dork and a video editor. She’s a backseat gamer and performer. Together they mock video games and games culture. Much hilarity ensues. 

I also enjoyed: YongYea, Digital Foundry, Nerdwriter1, Pitch Meeting, PBS Storied, Zullie the Witch, Weird Rules, Alanah Pierce, PeruseProject, Ellie Dashwood, Second Thought, Emmalition, LegalEagle, Jim Sterling, Game Maker’s Toolkit, Penguin0