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mirai-desu · 2 months

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I agree with this article 💯, as Rachael New et al. are now undermining the entire premise of the show, and I want to highlight and comment on a few parts of this excellent take:

We're losing a central character whose emotional journey we were invested in and a vital piece of the primary reason we were told to watch Miss Scarlet & The Duke in the first place. Whether you want William and Eliza together romantically or not, the show was always predicated on and grounded in their relationship, and to pretend otherwise is to deny the original premise behind its very existence.

Exactly this. "Miss Scarlet" might be considered more lead than him, but he was still a titular character, and we were invested in his journey as well as hers. Their bond is the foundation of the show. The teenage flashback episode in particular proves this to us--and proves William’s importance to the greater story. But even before that, it's been there all along:

And, honestly, the official description of Season 1 is blunt about what’s happening: “Eliza and The Duke strike up a mismatched, fiery relationship that will crackle and smolder with sexual tension as they team up to solve crime in the murkiest depths of 1880’s London.” So let’s say it as plainly as possible: No one planned to tune in to this new program simply because it promised a crime drama in period dress. The series’ hook, apparent from its first marketing materials, was this unique relationship at the show’s center. The real story of Miss Scarlet and the Duke has always been just that: Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

While RN et al. can dig in their heels and claim that the story has always just been Eliza's, but we know better than that. Since Day 1, the promotion and the interviews all catered towards the UST. As time wore on, Stuart really began championing the romance in earnest, and it was a logical next step. He was not wrong to do so. What was actually happening on screen was heading that way, as part of a beautiful slow burn.

After literally years of dancing around the rarely mentioned but blatantly obvious feelings between them, this season finally pushed their relationship forward. We got a whole flashback episode dedicated to how they first met! There was a kiss! William said the L-word! The genuine forward relationship progress that so many fans had been waiting for was finally happening! [...] What makes this even more painful is that Season 4 finally felt like the show was moving forward, at last, at least where its central relationship was concerned. Yes, William left, but it was for a good reason: to give Eliza the space and opportunity to decide what she wanted from their relationship on her own terms. (That, as the kids say, is growth.) But if he was never coming back, why bother with most of Season 4?

While we know that in part we got some of the romantic moments in S4 due to Stuart's requests, but I think ultimately, RN's reluctance to move things forward with Wiliza is what put Stuart at odds with her, as she likely did not take too kindly to him suggesting his own input (even when he became an EP) and perhaps felt like he was telling her what to do with her own show. And her goal is to keep it stuck in a cynical pattern; one that William wanted to resolve, and one that Stuart had to remove himself from, because RN favors rinsing and repeating, versus actually diving deep into longer character arcs. That's how she think she can keep the "longevity" of her show, or so she thinks.

Because look, I love Eliza. But I realize it's really because of the potential of who she could be. William never returning prolongs her characterization being stuck. She was supposed to spend the year thinking about what changes she needs to make so they could be together. If he never returns, then what's the point? The catalyst for change is gone. William staying on the show should have actually forced her to grow, not kept her stuck. Removing William entirely reinforces the patterns versus ending the cycle. Especially if he is just replaced with a new love interest, who just flirts with Eliza to keep a "will they / won't they angle" that's never moved forward.

Any writer worth their salt would have Eliza grow in interim and have major development upon William return. But that would end the "put them together / pull them apart." Which is not what RN wants, hence why she refused to put them together. She thinks these patterns are what maintains the show vs spending time on actual storytelling. And this is also why I cannot believe the party line, and truly feel that we haven't gotten the whole truth on why Stuart's exiting.

Thinking about the scenes in the flashback episode of William and Henry, and how important they were, it makes me sad that apparently in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter to RN. And it's sad they keep trying to paint it that the two most important people to Eliza were “overshadowing” her all the time.

I fear is that this new retooled version will just ignore and erase the importance that William has had on her life. At least in the S4 finale we saw how his words still affected her, even when he wasn’t there, encouraging to reopen her own agency. But I can’t see them continuing that, when clearly they want to reboot the show without him.

I had been working on my post S4 fanfic before the news of Stuart's departure hit, and I looked back on how I was developing Eliza from where we left off and how I wrote William's return. When I was outlining it, I was thinking about how RN only just barely has touched the surface of Eliza's psyche. I wrote her as torn up about William leaving--and how he left not long after he almost died. Eliza should have grown from the trauma of almost losing him and we seemed to be on that path in the show, with her at his bedside, and having him recover in her home. We could have dived into how the lost of her mother at a young age affected her, and how Henry's death still was painful. At her father's funeral (which mind you, is in the very first episode) she talked about being alone, and William wiped her tears away. And now... Eliza has lost another person close to her. Literally, it's not William's existence stopping Eliza's development--it's RN's lack of talent, I'm afraid. And who knows, maybe that statement that she cannot be developed while he is around is just a cover to explain his exit, as it's clearly not an actual reason.

Likewise with William, in addition to dealing with his feelings for Eliza, there's so much they could done with him leaving Scotland Yard and the trauma he survived. He didn't have to have PTSD, but he's already had a pretty traumatic life and survived so much (which again… why show all that in the flashback if they were ditching his character - Ben, not RN, wrote that episode so maybe that was a sign). But he held onto the identity of being part of the police, because of how he came get that job (i.e. Henry) and get off the street, and they could have explored what would it be like to shift away from that identity. There just was so much potential and so much richness that could have been written, for a man who came from nothing, but wanted to belong, and wanted to be loved. And maybe Stuart was just so very aware that the show was refusing it take it there. He took William as far he was allowed to, but not as far as the character could have gone, if written by the right people.

Frankly, both William and Eliza deserve better. Stuart deserves better, and we the Wiliza fans do as well. Ultimately, regardless of what (and at what point in time it) really went down between Stuart and RN, the series should have ended with S4, but with a happy conclusion. All signs pointed to William joining Eliza at her detective agency, but now we just have to imagine them there, working together as equals and in love.

#this got way longer than I planned but at least read the link if not all my ramblings #miss scarlet and the duke #msatd spoilers #mirai's text posts #(also for those of your on other platforms yes I did borrow some of my own wording elsewhere to share here lol)#edit: I'll add a caveat that they simply could just straight up change Eliza's characterization in S5 - been there seen that.#anyway remains to be seen but not by me bc I'm out

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scarletshroud-a · 2 years

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"G" Slur mention and The Quarry Review

So I finished watching the full game the other day and like while I liked most of the characters and even the plot premise of a werewolf, Supermassive Games still needs to be held accountable and called out on the use of the "G" slur (Gypsy) since it wants to double down on a "morally grey" cop calling a boy the slur and then the narrative leading into stereotypes about Roma people working in travelling side shows and being fortune tellers in the modern era (with that in mind, I do understand that there are some Roma who do make a living as fortune tellers but the who "travelling sideshow" doesn't really make any sense if the curse impacted the family 6 years ago) out of everything, the "showdown" with Silas felt really underwhelming, especially when it's a narrative of where a Roma boy has to die in order for a curse of unknown origin to be lifted and on top of the fact it's framed like he (this child) wanted all of this stuff to happen. Just barely and sympathy or believable sympathy.

I even read a comment saying "basically the Gypsies were behind everything" when that's not the case at all. Silas was just a child that was as much of a victim as any of the other characters. Supermassive Games, even when they at least tried to make you sympathize with the mother, she didn't really have much of an impact on the story other than being a ghost that pops up to scare the characters with her eerie presence.

What would've been impactful is if she appeared one last time and became an obstacle for Laura, Ryan and Sheriff Hackett, explaining her side of things and making a point that her child is just as much a victim here. We could even get a more impactful scene of at least a mercy killing. Speaking of, out of all the characters, Laura should've been Roma / Romani and played by one at that. No offense to the original actress, I think she did a stellar job but with this kind of narrative of trying to put the blame on Roma characters, they least they could've at least wrote them with better written sympathy / backstory and have Laura be Roma since she's the one that ends up killing Silas.

another thing of Romani stereotyping, the cop describes the mother as a "child abuser" which is part of the stereotyping of them being written or called "child traffickers" "child stealers" etc. Near the end and especially with the flashback, that looks more like a mother trying to keep her boy safe. As much as it sucks to keep him in a cage (which is a reality that Roma have experienced via being captured and rounded up by the government) I imagine she was at least doing it to keep the curse of his from hurting others until she found some way to reverse it.

But at the end of the day Its just God awful racist and bigoted writing that could've been written better, this involves the pacing of the game and tension build up in the story. Eliza and Silas are victims, NOT antagonists. A Better naunce of humanity vs monstrosity could've been written and I feel like for Silas specifically it could've made him of a humanized character like everybody else.

#g slur mention #g slur #the quarry spoilers #the quarry game #the quarry #supermassive games

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dirtytransmasc · 2 years

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question, from someone who just really sat and watched Hamilton (I've seen it before but couldn't get into, then I saw it live and now I'm invested)

how do people truly like Hamilton, not enjoy his character, not be intrigued by his legacy, but like him? that on its own confuses me, but then people dislike burr. it genuinely confuses me. and this isn't to shit on anyone who likes him, i just want to know how.

I see him as a selfish, impulsive, haphazardly caring (he cares when it's convenient and will hide his feelings from himself when it's necessary to keep climbing up. he actively keeps himself from what he wants by not thinking a step ahead. he wants to lead a battalion, yet proves he's too impulsive by going against this Generals word and helps lead a duel, then gets pissy when he can't have what he wants. he trashes all three of his meaningful relationships, Burr, Eliza, Phillip just so he can get in top, yet pity's himself when he has nothing left. he lacks the complexity necessary to make him enjoyable. (I will admit, a few tweaks to his character could change my mind so I'm not sure where my dislikes of his personality ends and my dislikes of his characterization begin).

now burr is no angel, but there is a clear meaning to madness. protect yourself, make change, pick the lesser evil lesser danger, prolong your legacy for the sake of your country. he isn't perfect, but i would take him over Hamilton. he sticks behind his women even if he can't use her as a social peice, even if it is in the public's mind wrong. he strives to create world fit for his daughter. he holds himself back for the greater good, doesn't let his need to be impulsive cause harm. every fight with Hamilton has a reason, one Hamilton created most of the time, that or it was a misunderstanding blown out of proportion yet again by Hamilton (my perspective). he caused much less damage, even in his indecisive nature. he is emotionally complex, he cares about more then just climbing, more then the competition. i reckon even in his hatred of Hamilton he still cares about him, you have to care about someone at one point to hate them (my perspective). he wishes to strive just lkem Hamilton, but life is more then the climb to him.

I find him much more bearable, his flaws are the same as Hamiltons, but he still has his strengths, his positive attributes. I honestly find there is much more to like in him then hate. especially his ability to live and smile so fully. his ability to see the whole story (up until the end when he's honestly losing it and his grasp on reality is fading quickly) and care about even his enemy.

gonna make 1 major edit to this. I don't give 2 fucks about the crusty old men that actually existed in history. in this post I'm talking solely about the men we see in the musical and the actions we see on screen, that's it. i don't care about who they were or what they did in real life.

this is all my perspective (as I've stated a million times to hopefully spare myself some hate) and if you disagree thats fine, I actually love hearing other people's sides of things, and even if my wording sounds harsh i mean it with genuine curiosity. do keep in mind I've only watched it 3 times and every time I notice something new. my memory is also pretty spotty so I have probably forgotten some details since the last time I watched it. I also wrote this pretty quickly, and didn't put much thought into it, just wanted to get it down so it's probably not the most cohesive of writing's. this is just something that's stuck with me, irked me a bit, so I thought I'd put it on the internet.

#Hamilton #alexander hamilton #aaron burr #dirtytransmasc

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 years

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Raven why your alternative scenarios make me go damn I wish this actually happened 😭

[Referencing this post!]

You get a ghost slap, and you get a ghost slap, and YOU get a ghost slap! Ghost slaps for everyone— 😌

I wanted to make the scenarios flow well in the natural course of Ghost Marriage’s story! I think the most interesting part for me to write was the ending, because not only does it finish on a strong note that leads into Ace’s big speech, but it gives Malleus a moment to stand out without relying so much on his “loneliness” or being generally overpowered. Instead, his scene expands upon the canon reason why he cannot propose to begin with: he has a duty to his own country and its people. I incorporated elements of Maleficent’s entrance from Sleeping Beauty, as well as the concept of “blessing” a child; I thought these would be good callbacks!

I think that Malleus would be able to relate to Eliza, but in a very… ominous way. Eliza appears to have died young, so she doesn’t yet have a grasp of her responsibilities as royalty. She still holds very naive expectations about love and about the world. Meanwhile, Malleus has lived long enough to see past all of that, and he has the grace to put others before his personal feelings, even if that brings him a sense of loneliness from being “at the top”. But at least his people are alive and well because of his sacrifices. Looking at Eliza, Malleus sees another path he could have taken. If he were to be selfish, would his people suffer the same fate as hers have? It’s a quiet, unspoken fear that tempers his rage and makes it icy cold when he takes the slap--because Malleus knows he’s right. Eliza also knows he’s right, but she won’t admit it, because the truth makes her uncomfortable... and her happy ending is SO close. That was my thought process behind the lecture he gives her.

It would have been easy to let Malleus save the day, but I avoided that and allowed him to baton pass his opportunity to Ace. After all, Ace is the event SSR, not Malleus--and I think it works on a character level too. Since when has Malleus (or most of the NRC boys, really) cared enough about his classmates to save them out of the goodness of his heart? He’s mainly there seeking to be amused. It also fits Malleus’s “final boss” vibes, letting others do his dirty work for him while he sits back and watches.

I don’t think Malleus would have been able to talk some sense into Eliza as well as Ace can, either. Malleus can lecture Eliza all day about how irresponsible she is, but in the end, it’s the common man, Ace, who shatters her beliefs about the “perfect prince” and “true love”.

Not gonna lie, I, too, wish this had happened 🤣 Not that there was anything wrong with the original Ghost Bride due to the omission of Malleus and the other characters, but I feel like Malleus really needs more moments that show him actually acting like a leader instead of being TOLD that he is.

#Malleus Draconia #Ace Trappola #Eliza #Ghost Bride #notes from the writing raven #feedback for the writing raven #spoilers

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deadcactuswalking · 2 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 27/08/2022 (Aitch/Ed Sheeran)

It was a decently close race, but LF SYSTEM are at #1 for an eighth week on the UK Singles Chart with “Afraid to Feel”, and welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

Outside of a couple big debuts, this is a pretty slow week, and I mean really slow, even if some of the traction or momentum within the songs already on the chart is pretty promising. We still have to – as always – start with our notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. There aren’t many of those either: “Jimmy Cooks” by Drake featuring 21 Savage is out after being eclipsed by “Massive” (which similarly had a large decrease this week), and “Dandelions” by Ruth B. is gone after 30 weeks without even hitting the top 40.

In terms of the songs filling in to replace them, well, we have at least two new big arrivals that might stand a chance, but of course, we have our notable gains and returning entries. “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” by Lizzo and “Another Love” by Tom Odell are back at #71 and #70 respectively, and then of course we have the gains: “Atlantis” by Seafret at #68, “Matilda” by Harry Styles at #56, “Victoria’s Secret” by Jax at #53 (kill me), “Yellow” by Coldplay of all songs at #52 off of the return last week, “KU LO SA – A COLORS SHOW” by Oxlade at #50, “Mary on a Cross” by Ghost at #43, “Turn On the Lights again..” by Fred again.. and Swedish House Mafia featuring Future at #40, “Remind Me” by Tom Grennan at #38, “Under the Influence” by Chris Brown at #24, “Late Night Talking” by Harry Styles at #12, “Big City Life” by Luude and Mattafix at #11, out-charting the original and finally, “Super Freaky Girl” hitting the top 10 at #10, becoming Nicki Minaj’s first top 10 hit as a lead artist since 2014 with “Anaconda”.

Our top five consists of “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic at #5, “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé at #4, “Green Green Grass” by George Ezra at #3, “B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)” by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal at #2 and finally, of course, “Afraid to Feel” at the top. Now’s the time for me to talk about albums released in the past week or so that didn’t really impact the chart, and this one does get a bit long because, well, most good music doesn’t chart, but regardless...

Off the Charts

HOLY FVCK – Demi Lovato

There is one album I absolutely adore in this short list of four non-charting records, and for the rest? Well, I don’t have much to say about any of them. Lovato’s newest album, charting at #7, seems to sacrifice much of the growth and interesting character that was developed in their last record for a cheap, derivative pop-punk takeover that spends much of its time in generic, overly-compressed mediocrity, even if some of the riffs do rock and some of the hooks are catchy. Demi is perfect for this kind of music, but the writers and producers gave them the short end of the stick. My favourite track is “CITY OF ANGELS”.

Awakening:Sleeping – MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS

I liked what I heard from this Japanese alternative rock band a lot, but the newest album falls kind of flat. It’s still a decent, well-produced set of colourful, heavy bangers but the production is less dynamic so despite the squelching guitars and soaring nature, everything is a bit too clear and tangible. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if it were more cohesive, but sonically and conceptually from the standpoint of someone definitely blocked by the language barrier, it feel s a bit formless to me. I’d still recommend it, and it definitely picks up by the end, but I’m not a fan overall. My favourite track is “Birds and rhythm”.

PUP PACK EP – Kenny Mason

There’s not much to say about this one, either: Kenny Mason delivers three good rap songs, and whilst he’s a bit less on the rappity-rap side here (which honestly is what I prefer from Kenny), I do think his melodic chops are improving and he still has plenty of conscious lyrical bars on the closer. It was pretty exciting to hear him on the minimal plugg-esque groove on “Dip!” with DavidTheTragic, which is my favourite track here, and I hope that next full-length is coming soon.

Ibiza Dreams – Departure

I had unusually tempered expectations coming into this new Departure album, considering that the one review was lukewarm and the title of Ibiza Dreams seemed far from an aesthetic that the largely darker, cryptic production from Departure could really encapsulate. I was therefore pretty surprised by how much this gorgeous album actually resonated. Whilst the other two records from Departure I’ve heard this year were ambitious to a degree, the first was free-flowing and chaotic and the second felt like pretty intricately crafted beats that worked best in isolation. This album has a level of ambition that I did not expect, considering the constant layering and collation of samples that is insanely dense, even more so than other plunderphonics, the guest features and generally longer runtime of some of these tracks and what feels like a more realised concept behind everything here. It’s so clear that Departure – or whoever the character here is – is not at peace, but what this album elevates most to me in terms of a goal or theme is still stability.

The jangling, Summery and wistful tones are always contrasted with these echoing drones wherein one instrument or really one present voice careens through the mix. The “Ibiza dreams” still seem very far away, but the album feels very laser-focused on at some point gaining that sense of peace and escapism, even if the album is indebted to the chaotic overthinking on “Real Ibiza Summers (Thoughts 6)”, the political frustration on “Freudian Analysis (You’ll Never Stop Suicidal Weakness”, and especially that mantra of self-hatred on said track: “loving you is complicated”. Coming into stability and self-esteem will be a rocky, manic road and the level of back-tracking, repeating yourself and predisposed melancholy throughout this record is a pretty nuanced slice of what that journey can be like. That’s not to say it doesn’t work sonically of course, because I’ll always like chipmunk vocals over breakbeats like on “Jacksonville Beach” with High Life, the cathartic, blood-curling scream on the aforementioned “Freudian Analysis”, the paranoid, meandering loops of “Korinthisch” before the soaring guitars kick in and let the track devour itself in its own emotional distance over the frosty drums, and, I mean, “Strobelight” with MMIII is just groovin’.

Katherine Bogue’s ghostly performance on “Isolation and Responsibility” as she recites “Father and Sons” by Cat Stevens / Yusuf Islam genuinely made me tear up a little bit, even when her intimate performances is drenched in the kind of echo and reverb that makes her seem like she’s singing from the heavens above. The beatwork on the closer “Humanity’s Tale” is immaculate with those trip-hop drums punctuating the densely-packed samples, including one of “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion which probably only works in this context. The advice given by the sample on this track, whilst he acknowledges is completely meaningless because it’s advice that goes by his own specific life experience and ultimately, what he’s saying is that it would be best to not take advice from anyone and instead trust in yourself, still resonates because it’s the last step that it feels needs to be taken before “Ibiza dreams” are in reach. It’s at that point that “Ibiza dreams” are evidently not the Summer party fun, if that wasn’t clear already. It’s more of a gateway to balance, and only with that balance is the protagonist, whether that be Departure or whoever else, is able to admit those closing lines: “I want to feel alive, I don’t even want to die anymore”. This album deserves a lot more analysis than I think I can give it justice in a shorter format, and my thoughts on the record are still not entirely assembled, but this album already within just a few days of release means a hell of a lot to me, and I fully recommend it if you’re willing to take a plunge into some at times heavy but genuinely inspiring sampledelia. Seriously, though, trust me on the sunscreen.

NEW ARRIVALS

#57 – “All These Nights” – Tom Grennan

Produced by The Six and Andrew Wells

There are only three new arrivals this week and honestly, I doubt I’ll have much to say about them, so you may as well call this a Departure album review with added bonus pop music. At least this has a decently unique concept, with the song mostly being about how despite the relationship getting closer and closer, he just wants to hear that extra step in hearing his partner say “I love you”. It’s sold pretty decently as well, or at least competently. My main gripe is the mix given how compressed it all is, cheapening the impact of pretty much any moment, and the drums sound cheap as hell within the same old 1980s synthpop pastiche, but there is a genuine drive to that chorus that feels pretty punchy. Tom Grennan is kind of lacking in presence here, which is surprising given he’s front and centre in this mix: I feel like he has nowhere near the personality to make these inflections work. Like much of the guy’s work, I feel like it could be a great song – and really, this is a brilliant chorus – but the structure’s too jerky, the mix isn’t dynamic and the vocals are just not good enough. This is the closest that Grennan has gotten to greatness to me, but I know it’s possible and that might be the most frustrating thing.

#22 – “Pink Venom” – BLACKPINK

Produced by Teddy Park

...What in the fresh Hell is this? Okay, maybe I should have been expecting something like this: BLACKPINK have a tendency to make the most... out-there and obnoxious elements of K-pop front and centre, but this still feels a bit... much, which is odd because for a lot of the time in this song, the mix feels gapingly open and kind of empty. The constant 90s rap references seem to try and make BLACKPINK’s bilingual raps have something more “tough” to them, but I highly doubt these girls are catching “bodies on bodies”. The wonky, south Asian-influenced trap production isn’t awful in the verses, with the jerky percussion potentially working in a context that isn’t going to scrape it all off for the big finish in the chorus, which has always felt really cheap with BLACKPINK. The chorus is this low-energy looping refrain that whilst hypnotic, completely halts the song’s momentum, before an awkward G-funk rhythm with dusty drums in the second verse which is out of nowhere and has some piercing synths that I definitely don’t like... but at least Jennie’s Big Sean-esque rapid, all-over-the-place flow is kind of fun. This isn’t as manic as “Kill this Love” might have been, but still, by the bridge, I have no Goddamn idea what is going on. Maybe I need to watch the video to understand the BLACKPINK lore and maybe that can make me find out why they’re doing a Big Shaq impersonation on the outro, but for now... I think the girls are at their best solo, when they can play with a certain level of restraint that BLACKPINK does not allow. This isn’t awful by any means, but it’s a sight to behold.

#6 – “My G” – Aitch featuring Ed Sheeran

Produced by Fraser T. Smith, WhYJay and LiTek

Usually with Aitch, and honestly with Ed Sheeran, I pull out the jokes but I don’t think that’s all that inappropriate for this song in particular. Aitch’s new album, Close to Home, debuting at #2 on the albums chart behind Steps, just managed to debut one song on this week’s chart. It’s a pretty sweet one, in all honesty, as Aitch raps about his little sister who has Down syndrome, with some really detailed accounts of the memories that he shares with her, even if some of them aren’t all that positive. Written in an almost letter format, he expresses his motivation to continue being there for her even as times go on – quicker than he expected – and briefly touching on how he wants her to not pay mind to people who may stop and stare because of her condition. It might be a tad heavy-handed, but the narrative being as genuine as it is, especially in that second verse, is more emotion than I think I’ve ever heard from Aitch, and it’s to be commended. Ed Sheeran is also here, and whilst I don’t think his guitar-laden hook blends in with the kind of awkward percussion as well as it could, it’s pretty catchy and for this kind of rap ballad, it’s serviceable. I can see it sticking around.

Conclusion

I probably prefer “All These Nights” sonically but “My G” put a smile on my face so I think I’ll give it Best of the Week, with whatever “Pink Venom” by BLACKPINK is as the Worst of the Week. I do wish I liked any of these three songs more than I do but that’s how the UK Singles Chart works as always. Thank you for reading – I know most of it wasn’t focused on the chart but I frankly don’t care – and I’ll see you next week!

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zodiyack · 3 years

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Curiosity Killed The Cat

Requested by Anon: I know we do happy Elizabeth Shelby but, could you imagine teen Elizabeth figuring out that Bonnie was never her real dad? And it was a dead beat bastard? I’m feeling kinda angsty????

Pairing: Bonnie Gold x Female!Shelby!Reader, Mentioned Male!Character x Female!Shelby!Reader, Bonnie & Reader + Elizabeth Shelby (platonic)

Warnings: Angst, swearing, mention of teen pregnancy

Words: 1,898

Summary: (See Request)

Note: I like- I had an idea, altered it a little halfway through, and then went with it. I hope you like it, anon!

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @simonsbluee, @fandom-puff, @marquelapage, @stuckysslag, @psychkunox, @darling-i-read-it, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow, @i-love-superhero

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist | Elizabeth L. Shelby Masterlist

She had never meant to invade another’s privacy in her life...but one little detail pulled the small bit of string sticking from the yarn ball, unraveling into one big mess. That was how she’d ended up in the situation never meant to happen. But it did.

It was a slow morning, Bonnie out to help with the Peaky Blinders and Y/n helping Ada and Polly with the boys. Elizabeth had a free day from her schooling and her ever growing mind was still as inquisitive as it was when she were just a babe.

The study, in which her parents did most of their work, was not off limits to her, just a place where she hadn’t been as often. Because of that, she decided she’d spend her time taking care of her boredom by snooping around.

All was going pleasantly until she found a letter, hidden in the bottom drawer of her mother’s wooden desk. Elizabeth frowned to herself, knowing better than to stick her nose into things that were not hers to know of, and began to move the items in the drawer to return the letter to its original place. However, the glimpse she caught of her name, or what looked like her name, sprawled in messy handwriting, caught her like a fish on a hook and reeled her in.

The word had been seen slightly between the folded end and the middle. She wasn’t completely sure it had been her name, so she debated leaving it alone and moving on with her day or giving into the pull of the hook of intrigue.

Biting her lip, she looked around. Then she breathed slowly and carefully unfolded the paper.

When Bonnie and Y/n returned to their home, they had expected a few things. Perhaps the house would be spotless and Elizabeth would act as if it were nothing, or the house would be a mess and she would have a boy over- that idea caused Bonnie to almost crash the car. Thinking of many things they’d find, Elizabeth with her arms crossed, a paper in her hand and a conflicted look upon her face was not one of them.

It was like they were the teens caught out and about in the middle of night by returning after curfew and she was the angry parent. Her expression caused her parents to stop in place and give her a questioning look. Ellie unfolded her arms and held up the paper. Right at that moment, Y/n’s heart stopped and dropped into her stomach. She squeezed Bonnie’s hand tightly.

“Who wrote this?” The two exchanged a knowing glance. “Mother. Who wrote this?”

Y/n hesitated getting the answer out of her mouth. The letter was something she hadn’t thought about, something she yearned to forget. “Your father.”

“My father? But I thought he was my father.” Elizabeth gestured to Bonnie, who sighed and moved to take a seat opposite to Elizabeth. “Have a seat, mum, I think we have something to talk about.”

“Indeed we do, Elizabeth.” Bonnie avoided his daughter’s- step-daughter’s eyes as he spoke, staring at his hands.

Y/n did as her daughter requested, more so demanded, and sat beside Bonnie. She too held a sheepish manner.

“Please, tell me, why am I just now learning of my father? Why not when I was a little girl? Why is he not a part of my life?”

The final question led Bonnie to surge upward from his seat, finally making eye contact with a now startled Elizabeth. “That man will have nothing to do with you if I have any say in this whatsoever!” His face was as red as a tomato, but calmed a few shades as Y/n put a soft hand on his arm.

“You don’t have a say in it. This is between my mother and I.” She looked at him apologetically, “You will always be my dad, but I want to know my real father.”

“He’s right...ya know? I never really wanted you around him...but-” Was it worth it? Ruining his image before Elizabeth had the chance to even meet him? He lived right there in Birmingham, she could meet him and see for herself, but, as Y/n thought more about it, he was a cruel man, one who neglected to even care for his child or his lover who was carrying said child.

“But what? Is he dead or something?”

“No, but-”

“But nothing!” Moments prior, Bonnie had scared Elizabeth with an outburst of his own, but it was the adults this time who nearly fell out of their chairs in surprise. “Either let me meet him or leave me to find him on my own.” She whipped around, her shoes clacking against the floors as she paced quickly to her room, leaving her parents to discuss her ultimatum.

Each meal went by with an awkward tension hanging over the three, the room filled with silence if you didn’t count the scraping of spoons against bowls or forks against plates. The simple sound only worsened the strained feeling in the air.

No answer came to Elizabeth, so she took matters into her own hands, following out her second offer and sought to find the man who gave her life. Each day she’d ask the name of which had been signed on the letter, going as far as to put his name in the newsprint. As a Shelby, she didn’t have to pay a single thing to have the people put anything in the news, but the goodness of her heart got the best of her and the people themselves. They offered to call the place she had been staying when they had a lead, but sadly, no calls had been made.

But one day, while she sat with the same hopefulness by the telephone with a cup of coffee in hand, the ringing filled her ears and a smile struck her face instantaneously. She almost dropped the coffee onto the carpeted hotel flooring as she jumped to set it down and grab the phone. “Hello?!” Her voice beaned with joy.

“Miss! There’s a call from the newsprint office,” the woman from the front desk said, voice ringing with a sense of rush, “they’re on hold- they say it’s urgent!”

The smile on Elizabeth’s face widened, “Please, put them on the line!”

“Miss Shelby, we have him!”

He waited for her in the lobby of the hotel, confusion obvious on his features. Elizabeth slowly walked down the stairs and the second her eyes met his, she felt sure that it was him. “Father!” She grinned and raced to him. Ellie threw her arms around him the second she reached him.

A small feeling of uncertainty picked at Elizabeth when he didn’t hug her back right away. She noticed his hesitation almost instantly but brushed it off when he finally wrapped his arms around her small frame. “You must be...”

“Elizabeth. Elizabeth Luludja Shelby.” She paused, furrowing her brows a little when he scoffed at her middle name, but continued nevertheless. “I’m um...your daughter.”

“Did your mother tell you about me?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, sucking in a breath bitterly. “No.”

“Oh...It’s fine with me. Never liked the whore that much anyways.”

Another pang of guilt struck Elizabeth, but again, she ignored it. “Yeah...” She laughed nervously, the unsure feeling growing deeper, twisting into a big sign that told her in capital letters to RUN. But she didn’t.

The two spent the day together, bonding and discussing what he would’ve done with her had he been given the opportunity to be her father. Of course, he never wasted the chance to call Y/n slurs and ghastly words. All seemed fine, Ellie wondered why on earth her parents thought he was a bad man, until he did yet another thing to make Elizabeth’s fight or flight mode prepare itself despite her not exactly wanting to.

He offered to hold her bag whilst she used the toiletries, then when he handed it back, took her to a shop. There, when paying, she found that a large amount of funds she’d been saving up since childhood had been missing. She bit the inside of her mouth and shook her head. But still, she refused to give up on him just yet.

They walked the streets, making small talk as they went by. “You got a lover yet?”

“Not quite. Mother said I should be sure before giving my heart to someone.”

“Yeah, well, your mother got herself knocked up before she was even of age so. Best think about who you’re getting advice from, Eirene.” He butchered her name off the bat, but she’d ignored that too, only correcting him each time- just not this one. “Date and fuck whoever you want, don’t let that bitch boss you around.”

He leaned closer to her, allowing her to smell the alcohol under his breath, the tobacco and surely, without a doubt, plenty of drugs. She cringed, scrunching her face and looking away from him in hope to get fresh air, but something about that smell stuck with her. What had he used her money on? Did his breath smell like that before? Was he intoxicated at the hotel?

“Listen, I think it’s best I get going...” She tried to pull away from him, but he caught a grip on her arm, tighter than he should’ve.

“No. You’re staying with me and that’s final. Come on Eliza, lets go meet my friends. You ever try snow before?”

That was the final time the red lights flashed. In what felt like a split second slowed dramatically, Elizabeth socked her father in the nose, hearing a cracking sound before he let go of her arm and she stumbled backwards a little.

“You bitch!” His grumble was muffled from behind his hand. He covered his nose and mouth, blood on his hand from either places but Ellie didn’t know which. “Why the fuck would you do that?!”

She was ready to apologize, but for once, it felt good to do something un-ladylike. “I seldom act as barbarous as that, but I know one thing. I feel not guilt for my actions, but justice. You call my mother horrid names that she would never be defined by, you can’t even stay clean for a visit with your own daughter nor keep your thieving hands out of anything that is not your own! Let alone remember my name!”

“And?!”

“And-” She hesitated, but rolled her eyes and let it out. “And fuck you. I believe there is good in everyone, but you have shown me otherwise. I thought mother and...and my father were wrong, that my birth father was a good man, but the day started with joy and ended in disappointment. I’m ashamed to even be from your blood. May you rot in the deepest depths of hell, you dishonorable bastard.”

Gasps came the people around them, making Elizabeth look around and glare at the bystanders, “Fuck off before the Peaky Blinders have you all...”

She turned to the man, still on the ground clutching his face, and thought about how she’d spent just a little less than a month searching for him; news traveled fast in Birmingham. “In fact, you’re lucky all you got was me. Because, if you have any brain whatsoever, you’ll leave Birmingham before you get the Peaky Blinders too.”

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the-fourty-7th-gamer · 3 years

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Nickelodeon All Star Brawl

... Is a game I am definitely excited for.

And I'm actually going to do a very big post to talk about things I am hoping to see in seeing in the game.

Characters I want to see in the game

Starting off, I want to say that so far the roster is looking good especially on the Nick Toon side of things, but one thing I'm going to talk about is that the game is called Nickelodeon (not Nick Toon) All-Star Brawl, meaning that we're going to see representation from throughout the Nickelodeon line up of properties.

Characters I would like to see include

Ed from Good Burger

A live-action sit com charecter

Miko and Hector

The Game Shakers team (this will make sense later)

Rocko

Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, And Dawn

Marc Summers

A music artist/group

Tigress

Skipper + The penguins of Madagascar

Otto

Timmy Turner

jimmy neutron

Henry Hart/Kid Danger and Captain Man

Harvey beaks

Nacho Libre

Rango

Otis

Tak

Dudley and Kitty

Making Fiends leads

Harriet the spy (maybe, it was the first Nickelodeon movie, so I feel obligated to put it on here)

George Lopez (also obligated because I can't remember any other original shows on Nick at night that could fit on this list.)

A Nick Jr character, probably Dora or Diego due to the movie coming out (also obligated because I feel like I should put in a Nick Jr character here)

The Thundermans or The X Family

The Supah Ninjas or Three Delivery

Kappa Mikey

Hugh neutron

Dib

Sway Sway & Beduce or Sanjay & Craig

Brendan and Evan

Adam Conover

CatDog

Squidward

Garfield

The musical versions of SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy

Stages

Now, well I do know that characters are definitely a big part of a game, where they're fighting is also a big part as well

The hotel from "Hotel For Dogs"

The Irkin ship

The town from Rango

The city from Albert the Christmas tree

The Stage from the SpongeBob musical

Fairy world

The location from Rocket Power

A stage from a music concert

A location from at least one Nickelodeon licensed game

Either Retroville or the location where the climax set on Jimmy neutron the movie

The Wayne

Wayside School

A location from the Spiderwick Chronicles (I don't really know that much about the books but I do remember that the locations from the movie will be cool)

Either Double Dare, Nickelodeon arcade, Legends Of The Hidden Temple, The Crystal Maze, or Guts as a stage.

Nickelodeon animation studios

A Nickelodeon hotel or resort

Other stuff

In this game, I feel like we should have other stuff aside from the main fighting game, like mini-games and such

Things that should be included in the game, an obstacle course mode, a tournament mode, an arcade mode, a museum mode, clips from the cartoon, and lastly...

A story mode

A story mode is what I hope most for this game, something akin to the Timmy Jimmy power hour or subspace emissary. With cutscenes, a good story, and an epic villain.

Here's what I think a story should be

Throughout the Nickelodeon version of Earth, great chaos is happening, The world is slowly breaking apart due to an unknown force. It turns out this is being caused by the collector, a being who is obsessed with Nickelodeon so much in fact that he wants to take it over. Now it's up to the Nickelodeon characters to save their world before it can be put on The collector's shelf.

Now the collector is the villain I made up for this, but don't worry there will still be villains from throughout the shows but some of them will be willing to put their villainous actions decide to not be put on a shelf. I wasn't kidding when I said that the big plan is to be put on a collector's shelf.

One major part of the story is everything takes place in the same world for this game. That means that there are aliens fairies ninjas talking animals, glitched video games, and all that jazz.

A couple of examples of the world crossing over since the game has one big connected world are...

Professor membrane finally having to come to terms that the supernatural exists

Da Rules being broken causing fairy world to be revealed

The Glitch Techs in the Game Shakers forming a partnership due to the common ground of games (I said it would make sense later)

Callbacks to previous crossover events

Time travel and alternate universe shenanigans causing multiple versions of characters to coexist

How does Nickeloden exist as a Cartoon channel in Universe

In acknowledgment of how Eliza Thornberry's powers work, due to the question of whether or not you can talk to characters like SpongeBob, Garfield, the Tuff Agency or CatDog

And a solid timeline of events that happen within the show.

I hope this is pretty accurate but I don't mind some alterations to my ideas that I will happen for the final game and its possible DLC.

And that is all I have to say

Good day

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kaibutsushidousha · 3 years

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Your opinion on Pepe? Also do you have any speculation about his character arc in future LBs?

I’m really sorry I answered that ask a few months saying I had already run out of things to say about Hakuno because I was lying.

Yuga Kshetra’s biggest narrative weakness and main reason why it’s my favorite FGO chapter is its overreliance on CCC references and parallels. Pepe reflects that not only by mentioning Gatou once, but mainly by having way too much in common with Hakuno. This is easy to notice on the surface level of them being people nice to everyone around them while firmly rejecting the idea that they are good people because they killed a lot out of self-preservation, but honestly, they remain extremely similar both in their complexities and in the circumstances that lead them to be like that.

Pepe was born with the awareness that he’s on his last reincarnation, but he considers himself too flawed to reach enlightenment on the one lifetime he still has left, so he sorta gave up on everything before he started. That’s his one key character that defines pretty much the whole rest of his character. On one hand, he cares more about helping the other Crypters than about anything pertaining to himself, because he believes there's a future for them and not for him. But, paradoxically enough, he’s also unwilling to do anything for self-preservation, up to willingly choose the death of all non-Crypter humans over his own, also out of consciousness that he’s the one guy who gets no next time. And his fascination for myths with reincarnation cycles is a case of longing for what you can’t have.

Similarly, Hakuno is something of a digital ghost who can’t exist outside of the Moon Cell. They fight for their survival in the Grail War, but touching the Grail would kill them instantly. Both Hakuno and Pepe are people with no past and no future choosing to make connections to derive value from the present, because that’s the only thing they have.

If I had to say they have one key difference, that’d be Pepe’s ability to cut people off. Hakuno’s lack of a past is just as much of a part of their circumstances as their lack of a future, but Pepe’s lack of a past was entirely his own choice. He actively chose to kill his entire family including all vassals. Even his later life, where he lived years as a mercenary, came into contact with many different people, but never found he felt he belonged to until he became a part of Chaldea’s Team A, there’s an element of agency in Pepe not forming bonds with anyone. This is reflected best in how, after spending the whole Lostbelt as our companion, Pepe jumps back to his Crypter job with no remorse, bluntly saying “I don’t think we ever had any deep conversations”. Hakuno is someone who can give up on people, as Eliza’s case shows, but they would never deny any connection they made.

Well, moving a bit away from the Hakuno topic, another really good angle to look at Pepe’s character is in how he reflects Kirschtaria’s ideals. At his most cynical, Kirsch believed that the human mindset was hardwired into taking away from its peers and that only those raised under very circumstances are capable of truly loving, acknowledging, and valuing others. Pepe sorta works as a proof of concept here, as someone who once murdered his entire household in one set of circumstances, and then became Friend Man the Friendliest on a different set.

But more importantly, their actions are an example of what Kirschtaria valued the most: humanity’s potential to inadvertently help each other by simply moving on with their goals. Kirsch revived his fellow Crypters and gave them Lostbelts mostly out of necessity for his plan, but in doing so, he allowed Pepe the second chance at life he always believed he would never get, and if everything went according to his plan, Pepe would be free from his worries about his definitive end. Meanwhile, Pepe naturally provided the exact kind of support Kirschtaria needed the most: a mind-reading companion who could understand him even while the alien god’s contract prevented him from talking to his dear one-sided friends about his dreams or the time they spent together.

Now we move on to the second question, where I think Pepe is going next. Well, starting with the obvious, Pepe left Olympus saying he’s after Beryl to avenge Kirschtaria, so we’re guaranteed to have him in Avalon le Fay. However, Yuga Kshetra builds up his relationship with Daybit, and Olympus also reiterates it with the “I refuse to die in a world without Daybit” line, so I believe he’s surviving and moving to the Amazon Lostbelt.

With that out of the way, let’s move on to the crazier theories. First off, one thing I’ve been wondering since somewhere mid-Yuga Kshetra was with if Pepe was secretly a tengu because tengus are generally abhijna practitioners who fell of the Buddhist ways and Pepe is an abhijna practitioner who already gave up on enlightenment. His deadname being Arou meaning “crow son” adds to the tengu imagery. The end bit of his Lostbelt convinced me he was not a tengu in disguise, but I always held on to the idea that he was one step away from becoming one. This January delivering an event that’s there almost solely to establish how tengus work in Type-Moon and confirm that they follow the “fallen abhijna people” version really reinforced my confidence that we’ll see Pepe becoming a tengu in Avalon le Fay.

Lastly, a much less likely alternative to tengu Pepe, my plan B theory for the very off-chance Pepe won’t become a tengu: Servant Pepe. In Rin’s first exposition on what is a Servant, she explains that the people marked in history are removed from the reincarnation cycle by Alaya’s Counter Force, becoming Heroic Spirits. So, it’s still possible that Pepe is on his last life not because he’s out of second chances, but because he’s becoming a Servant as Scandinavia Peperoncino. The Crypters’ story is a story about second chances, after all. That said, I really fell off of this theory when Little Big Tengu happened and revealed tengus are immortal, meaning Pepe wouldn’t need to become a Servant to escape the permanent end of his existence.

#type moon #fate grand order #scandinavia peperoncino #kishinami hakuno #kirschtaria wodime

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entertainment · 5 years

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Entertainment Spotlight: Sofia Wylie, Shook

If you’ve watched the Disney Channel recently, you probably recognize actress, singer, and dancer Sofia Wylie. She starred as Buffy Driscoll on the hit series Andi Mack for three seasons, plays the lead in Shook, the Disney Channel’s first original scripted series made exclusively for release on YouTube, and and will star in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series for Disney+, which is set to debut later this year. On the film side, she recently starred in Back Of The Net, which will premiere on Disney Channel later this month. This year, Wylie launched AIFOS, a production company that focuses on optioning and developing material that highlights strong female storylines that celebrate a diversity of cultures and experiences. Outside of acting and producing, she also writes and performs her own music and choreographs dance pieces for various platforms. Sofia took a few minutes out of her packed schedule to answer some of our questions. Check it out:

How would you describe Shook to a five year old?

Shook is about a 15 year old girl named Mia and the struggles she deals with at home, with her family, at school, and with dance. She loves dance with all of her heart, but it was something that was shared between her and her dad. Ever since her dad passed away she hasn’t been able to love it as much because it reminds her of her dad, which makes her sad. So she doesn’t want to open up about her sadness so she just pretends everything is fine all the time. Shook is about her journey to figure out how to finally deal with losing her dad.

What’s the funniest photo that you have on your phone right now (either share or describe it)?

This isn’t even a very funny photo but I just love these girls so much!! Sneak peek at some hair and makeup looks for Shook!

Do you have any interesting behind the scenes facts about the making of Shook?

It’s shot in locations all around Los Angeles! We shot in a real home for Mia’s house and Fredgy’s house. We shot in the arts district for all of the dance crew scenes and at an all boys school for the school scenes. This definitely made the vibe of the show feel a lot more grounded and real, because it was all shot in places that people are actually living.

If you were to come up with an alternate title for Shook, what would it be?

Body Language. I think this could be an alternate title for school because my character, Mia, struggles the most with communication. Dance is really the only way she knows and feels comfortable with expressing herself.

How did you prepare to play the role of Mia in Shook?

We had two weeks of scene study and dance rehearsals which gave me a lot of insight into who Mia is, who she has relationships with, and what those relationships mean to her. Knowing as much about her and her life, so that when I am on set I can truly just know her as well as I know myself. Putting myself in Mia’s shoes and fully becoming her became very difficult the farther into the story we got. This is because truly feeling the loss of her father as much as I could imagine someone would feel broke my heart. I felt all of that pain and grief. It was a struggle but to know that I could be helping people who are struggling with overcoming adversity like Mia is, made it all so worth it.

Do you have a dream role that you’d like to play one day?

Yes!!! I would love to be part of a historical drama, play a mermaid, superhero, or Eliza in Hamilton! All of these things characters or genres are my favorites!!! It would be an absolute dream to be part of a world like this.

Thanks so much, Sofia! Shook premieres on September 28th.

#entertainment spotlight #shook #sofia wylie

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sunsetcurve · 3 years

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so...the last year has been rough. for everyone. but i’ve been lucky in a lot of ways, especially with the people in my life, and i wanted to take a second to thank some people on here. because genuinely, you guys mean so freaking much to me. i’ve had a lot of online friends in my life but none that feel so much like family. these are the people who have carried me through the last year, who’ve made me feel seen and heard and supported me in all my endeavors and just been wonderful to me all around. i love you guys, and happy new year <3

i’m about to get into it now. and i’ll try not to cry too much along the way.

@neshatriumphs nesha, when i say that you’re our fandom mom i mean that you’re my family, i mean that you’re my biggest supporter, my inspiration, my rock, the person who makes me want to be my best self, all the time. i can’t explain to you what your support has meant to me over the years. whether it’s leaving me incredibly kind notes on my fics that make me want to write more just for you, or sending me asks when you know i’m feeling down, or just making me laugh with your hilarious takes, you have always, always been there for me. you’re the toughest person i know and you make me want to keep pushing every day. you’re so incredibly talented; your ideas are just always stunning and inspired and despite being humble about it you’re amazing at everything you do. your art, your writing, your aesthetics, all of it. loeg and share-a-lair were just spectacular and such a show of how complex and original and smart your writing is. barring just your talent you’re also an inspiration in how passionate and kind and dedicated you are. you care for others everywhere you go. you come on here and constantly make me want to be a better person. it’s not just me, either—you’ve taken on the role of helping all of us in any way you can, and you just make us feel loved and supported and give us someone to always look up to. i love you. plain and simple, you’re my family, and i’m so, so grateful to have you in my life.

@juliesdahlias you know when you meet someone younger than you and you’re like how do they have this much talent in their body? and you can’t even be mad about it because you just want to root for them and you want good things for them and you think of them like a little sibling? that’s me around you all. the freaking. time. pearl, i’m constantly blown away by how smart and driven and passionate you are. you have so much talent to offer the world and i love seeing you thrive more than anything. you inspire me every freaking day; i mean, your tiara thief drabbles literally made me pull my fic out of my drafts for the first time in months. every time you post it’s something iconic and beautiful, whether its your fics or your edits or your headcanons. and not just that, but you’re so incredibly supportive of everything i put out there. like with ths, the way you latched on to it and are one of our biggest fans and made content for it literally as soon as we started!! that was amazing!! you’re just such an incredible person in every sense of the word; you’re talented and hilarious and kind and passionate and i love you so so much. i cannot wait to watch you do amazing things because i know you’re gonna be one of the greats. ily.

@ciara-knightly i can’t even put this into words. i’m sitting here trying to say it right and every time i start i just turn into “!!!!!!!!” cause i love you so much. i know i’ve said this before, but shona, you’re honestly like my older sister. this whole year of just, really getting to talk to you beyond tumblr has shown me how honestly kind, passionate, smart, and supportive you are. talking to you is one of my favorite things in the world, whether it’s rambling about tiara thief, or discussing feminism in media, or just getting life advice. you always know what to say to lead me in the right direction and reassure me that things are gonna be okay. i look up to you more than i can tell you; i’m constantly inspired by your talent and your drive. you’re endlessly supportive and you make me laugh all the time, and i hold literally every convo we have close to my chest because it means so much to me to just be able to have them with you. i’ll never be over the fact that you basically discovered jatp, or us talking and making predictions for weeks before it aired, or us plotting out the whole dystopia novel together—which, even though it didn’t really pan out, was such an amazing experience because i got to do it with you. and i absolutely scroll back through our convos on a regular basis to scream over our tiara thief headcanons. everything i’ve done with you has been incredibly fun and meaningful, so what i’m trying to say in this very long winded way is that i’m so, so glad i know you, and i can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.

@bitchmilsky lizzie, i literally think of you like you’re my little sibling. my weird, crazy, hilarious, incredibly kind and supportive and creative and amazing little sibling. ever since i met you you’ve been nothing but fun and friendly and wonderful to me. your posts never fail to make me laugh and i love seeing whatever you’re up to, even if it’s video games that i understand nothing about. you have so many fun ideas and you’re so freely yourself, it’s honestly inspiring. the things you make are always adorable and every time we go live together and chat i always have so much fun, and talking and i just want to meet you in person so badly because i know we’d be an amazing, unstoppable duo and that you’d make me laugh until my sides hurt. i’m still waiting on that cross-country road trip. we could roll the windows down and belt our way through the entire hd musical soundtrack, and it would be epic. for real, though, you’re one of my favorite people ever, and i hope this year brings you nothing but fun and good things because that’s what you deserve. i’m sending you a million virtual hugs and also booty shorts that say poggers on the ass. i love you <3

@zackmartn i know i’m gonna start crying right now because i love you so much and i’m trying not to because i just did my makeup but dammit, nikki, i just love you so much. i remember when i first came on here and was afraid to talk to you because i was like “ohmygod she’s so cool she’s the king of this fandom she’s amazing” but i thank god that you reached out to me every day. i honestly can’t imagine my life without you; you’ve been such a presence in it for so long that you’re inseparable from it. even the times i’ve gone on hiatus i’ve been stalking your blog from a distance like “i just wanna know what she’s up to...”. you’re honestly like an older sister to me and you’re one of the people i admire the most; you’ve been through and continue to go through so much and yet every day you come on here and decide to be a freaking light to all of us, to make me smile, to support me literally endlessly. like, the amount of times you’ve driven me to near tears from your reviews of my writing is ridiculous. the freaking umana fan club?? the way ths is one of your top tags??? it’s just...insane and such a show of how boundless your support is. and that’s not even getting into how freaking talented you are!!! i stare at your gifsets all the time!! and your fics like....holy shit you literally created this whole universe that i’m so freaking invested in and is better than literally anything that canon could ever do, and i know i’m honestly terrible at responding to messages but i hope you know you never have to start holding back with me. most of the time when i get stuff you send i have to sit there and get my thoughts together and that takes forever, but i love love love reading it anyway. the way you get excited about the things you love is everything, it’s something that i really really love about you, and i hope you continue to keep that passion and love for everything. and i hope that this year brings you nothing but good things, because you deserve that more than anyone. i love you.

@willexs eliza, babe, i know we joke all the time that we were put on opposite sides of the ocean because we’d be too powerful if we were together but i really think it’s true. imagine us meeting. the universe just wouldn’t be able to handle it; it would implode. listen, you’re literally like my twin, my other half. we have so much in common that it’s honestly ridiculous. we operate on the same brainwave, and every time we talk i’m blown away by how easy it is and i honestly love it so much because i could not have picked a more talented and creative and fun person to work with. writing ths with you has literally been like...one of my favorite writing experiences ever. i can’t believe that it started on such a whim because it’s such an important part of my life now and getting to have you next to me while we figure this whole thing out is honestly the best part. it’s not just all the characters and dynamics we’ve created, it’s the fact that i can send you incoherent ramblings at ungodly hours and you’ll pick them apart, it’s the 3-hour phone calls to make playlists, it’s you always making me feel heard and inspiring me. it’s this like...excitement of building towards something amazing with someone i love. you understand me on this crazy and fundamental level, and sometimes it blows my mind how similar we are and how well you know me without us having even met. i feel like we’re the embodiment of “nobody gets me like you”. and i know i’ve said this before, but i really do think you make me a better writer. i love how you make me laugh, i love that you always have the best takes and i love how talented you are with your incredible adorable art and your fics and your gorgeous edits and i love that we egg each other on and hype each other up. i love that, despite being on opposite sides of the ocean, we’re still best friends. and i love you <3

@cactus-con lou!!!!!! i literally just...ahh i love you so much!! i know i’ve said this before but you were the first person i talked to in this fandom, and you made me feel so freaking welcome. and that has never changed. talking to you is so easy and natural, and you make me feel loved and heard all the time. i love getting to share stuff with you because you always always always hype me up. not just that but like...your talent?? literally unmatched!!! you’re amazing at everything you do it’s ridiculous. i love love love all your artwork, i could stare at it literally all day. you have so much talent and i literally cannot wait to watch you do such great things with it. i just...you’re such a wonderful person to everyone around you. you spread all this love and support and kindness and i think you’re one of the most genuine people i know and i’m so so glad i know you. i hope this year treats you so well because you deserve nothing but good things. i love you. <3

@owenjoyners where do i even start?? brooke, you’re like my other twin. i know i’ve said this before but it’s literally insane to me that we’ve known each other for less than a year because it feels like i’ve known you my whole life. you are such an incredible freaking person. you’re funny and you’re kind and you’re talented and you make me smile every damn day. i love getting post notifs from you because i swear to god i light up every time. your gifsets are always gorgeous, and i’ve watched you learn and improve and you’ve gotten so good, it makes me so happy every time. your art??? you say you’re just starting out but i can’t even tell you how much i love it. your fics!!! you’re good at everything and it’s honestly ridiculous. and it’s not even about your consistently amazing posts, i also just...i love talking to you more than anything, even if we’re just simping over owen together. you make me laugh all the time and you always hype me up; you’ve let me ramble about my fics and helped me get my ideas together, you’ve talked stupid life stuff like school and college with me, and you’ve given me someone to go to whenever i need it. i think of you as one of my best friends and i can’t get over how fast we clicked or how easy it is to talk to you. i need you to come visit me so i can give you so many hugs and we can have a sleepover and talk for literally hours on end. in the meantime, we need to call again sometime because that was honestly so much fun. i love you with all my heart.

and some people i want to say thank you to, because even though we don’t talk as often as i’d like you’re still amazing, and you make me smile all the time, and i love seeing you on my dash or in my notes: @taylorswiftrulestheworld @onplanetmars @dr-rigatoni @swellviews-finest @symphonic-concert @molinasmercer

#nikki tag! 💛#lizzie tag! 💜#nobody gets me like you tag ❣️#nesha tag! 💟#brooke tag! 💙#lou tag! 💚#shona tag! 🌟#heather tag!#otter tag!#jamie tag!#k tag!#faith tag!#monisha tag!#pearl tag! 💖

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coffeeandcalligraphy · 3 years

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What are some books that influenced your writing style/prose? Also now that you're writing Urban Fantasy I recommend The Raven Cycle quartet by Maggie Stiefvater. She has wonderful, undefinable prose. The series has a plot, but the novels are really abt her characters. Great series, changed my writing, and overall outstanding!!!(pps Adam's my fav character)(pps has psychics, ghosts, queer characters, ravens, and trees) (ppps writing style is hazy, dreamy, and makes one yearn/ache 10/10)

There have been many! Major ones: The Girls by Emma Cline (opened my eyes to how language could be used in almost a painterly way - haven’t looked back since), Demi-Gods by Eliza Robertson (taught me how to really hone language to a near crystalline finish of image), History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (how to write clear prose, how to play with tone and suspense in a scene), Ghost Wall by Sara Moss (how to tell an efficient story, how to control pacing), and most recently, Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson (how to play with structure and form to amplify tension and character). I also think it’s critical to remember books from my very early writing career, so definitely a few more from my early teens: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (I love this book?? The prose is incredibly helpful for learning to return to YA, also Alex is a legend, reading her new book now and it is 🙏🏽🙏🏽 TDM taught me how to develop character relationships and layer psychology beyond character archetypes), The Host by Stephenie Meyer (SM is... trash but this was my favourite book as a child, taught me how to increase intimacy in a cast and how that can lead to conflict), Slated by Teri Terry (how to inform tension through concept, how to layer plot through complex character psychology), and of course The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (worldbuilding, atmosphere, voice driven, yet refined prose). Also thank you for the rec! For reasons that are personal, I probably can’t read TRC but I’ve been recommended it a few times now so thanks to those of you who have thought of me!

OH i should also add (just in general, not to the asker): I’ve had a handle on my own writing style for about 3 years now, so I no longer really need inspiration for my style, more I can read a book and see ways to apply techniques I enjoy to my own unique style to further develop it, rather than “create it”! Totally fine if you’re not there yet, but just wanted to note!

#Asks

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amandaklwrites · 3 years

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TV Series Review: Miss Scarlet and the Duke (2019)

Genre: Historical Fiction/Murder Mystery/British Period Drama

Rating: 10/10

TV Show Review:

I. LOVE. THIS SHOW.

Pretty much this review will be me talking about everything I love this series, just a warning. I hope you love it too, so you can enjoy my blabbering and gushing!

I will do this review a bit differently, since it’s still relatively new, especially here in the US. I’ll talk about my general thoughts, and then I’ll do a “keep reading” when it goes down into spoilers for each episode.

So, here, for the spoiler-free part of my review:

Let me start out by saying that these characters make the whole damn show. Yes, the mysteries are great and all, but it’s the characters in this series, for me, that drives the whole thing. Eliza Scarlet is a masterful main character, and I love everything about her—from her determination, her willingness to fight the crowd to be what she wants, how she’s willing to admit some issues, that she still relies so heavily on her father after he passed away. Her humor is so incredible, and I think she’s just someone I wish I could be. Her feistiness is so wonderful. And then our Inspector Detective William “the Duke” Wellington is… one of my favorite leading men, fictional of course. I like that he’s overprotective of her (sometimes, to funny extents), that he does his job well and follows a lot of the right paths, that he doesn’t seem surprised by much of anything, and that he’s willing to fight even when he’s falling apart at the seams. And their relationship! They are so clearly in love with each other (probably have since that “chaste kiss” when they were teens…), they bicker like a married couple, and though they annoy the living hell out of each other, they would die for one another. I like that their relationship isn’t perfect and they take note of that in the show, but it feels real. It’s one of the most real relationships I have ever seen.

Moses and Rupert are such important characters and I LOVE their relationship with Eliza, their friendships that seem so different, but they just fit. I can’t go much into detail about either of them, or it will spoil entire plotlines of mysteries, but I will say that I love what the story does with their characters, how it gives them breaths of their own, that they become some of the most dynamic characters in the show with so much to them and that take a life of their own. That they feel real and important and interesting, and I love the representation. That’s all I’ll say about them in the spoiler-free review.

Now, the mysteries, were incredible. They kept me guessing through every episode, and I would have some feelings about things/people, but I wasn’t sure how it would get there. At times, I thought of the truth, but figured that they were going to trick me with it (my grandpa always told me that I have a brain for a detective, if I had some training, so that’s fun!). But still, they were so innovative and different from other mysteries that I had experienced. And I liked that each episode felt a bit different—we had a taste of ghost story feeling, even an intense thriller. They were really, really good mysteries, to me at least. And I do love me some mysteries.

Okay, so the costumes, sets and music. MY GOD. It was all SO BEAUTIFUL! Eliza’s clothes were magnificent and they had POCKETS!!! William was way too sexy in those clothes (can we bring those back??? We can leave out the discrimination that came with the time period, but let’s bring back the clothes at least!). Everyone had gorgeous clothes. And the sets were beautiful—those dirty, Victorian, coal covered streets… I loved it! (My mom says she’s not sure why I’m so in love with the dark atmosphere of the Victorian era, but I am!). The MUSIC. Can they just upload a damn soundtrack already? I need to listen to this music all the time! It sounds different and cool and I’m just so in love with it.

THE HUMOR! My god, I had never seen a murder mystery show set in another time that does humor so well. I love how they travel between scenes to make it funnier, the lines they say to one another. It makes me feel like these actors absolutely had a blast filming this show. They were so on point, and some of the funny scenes made me laugh harder than any comedy movie I’ve seen.

As you can see, I’m obsessed with this show altogether. I love it, and I want to watch it over and over. The vibe, the love stories, the characters, every. single. thing. is my jam. I know they’re planning a second season and I cannot wait for it. Ugh. My god. It’s wonderful.

So here ends my spoiler-free review. After this, I’m going to talk spoilers. So if you have seen the show and/or want to read the spoiler-y thoughts, please click on the “keep reading.” If not, see you around after your watch the show! It’s well worth it!

Let me start out by explaining more of my thoughts on the relationship between William and Eliza, because I worried that some of what I had said would give away possibly too much. So here’s that part:

The (hilarious) way that William mutters “oh jesus” whenever he finds Eliza waiting in his office, or the fact that Eliza calls herself his wife (or in one instance, something worse, but to save herself) to get what she wants also feels like a sly to personally agitate him. How that he would toss her into jail/into court when she went against things he said she shouldn’t do (though he released her/got her out at some point) never got old and even funnier to me each time. I told my mom, she was like a toddler—he couldn’t keep her in sight, so he had to lock her out. But I liked that she still argued with him despite it. Their back and forth was perfect.

I will say here, that I have seen people’s comments online how they wish that William was more on board with Eliza’s detective dreams and support her 100% much earlier on. And I get that, that he can seem like an ass at times. But honestly, I think he feels more realistic that he’s a little harder about it in the beginning. Trust me, I love this show and the way they play with characters and storylines, and that they are so forward (I mean, Eliza is so forward-thinking and modern, it’s amazing), but to me, if they made EVERYONE, i.e. William especially, it wouldn’t ground me into the time very well. I like that it was more gradual for him, to fully support her. And actually, I think for a man in the Victorian Era, with his position, he supported her as much as he could. Though he fought her on it at times, he eventually gave up trying to stop her. And I do think, in some respect, he was trying to protect her, because he does care for her. He was a man of his time, in his position, and he is changing. Can we at least give him that? Because, in all throughout history, it took a while for things to change. And it was men like William that started to understand, that started to recognize that, that helped make it happen. Plus, Eliza didn’t let him pull shit all the time, and she did fight him on it.

Now, I’m going to comment on each individual episode with my thoughts. I’ve never done this before so yay! Here it goes!

EPISODE ONE: Inheritance

I knew the weird uncle wasn’t the girl’s uncle. I didn’t expect that it was her husband (I should’ve!! We knew he was a cheat and a conartist!!), but I knew it wasn’t her rich uncle. I knew from the moment he came on screen—I remember thinking, this guy looks too young around his eyes. His beard and mustache look fake. So, I was right to an extent.

I can’t be the only one who was horrified to discover what the police did to women who worked as prostitutes or in dance halls—they could be arrested and searched for venereal disease? Seriously??? For men who were so obsessed with wanting their wives to “stay safe” and “be protected,” they sure were fine with flipping the case when it came to women that they would also gladly pay to sleep with? Why don’t they check the male clients who are PAYING for this industry. It was appalling and horrendous, and it made my skin literally crawl as they tried tying Eliza down to the chair.

On the note of that scene, Eliza calling herself William’s favorite whore to save herself is literally one of the funniest (though, darkly) things—especially in the next scene, when you see the two of them sitting in his office in silence and William is mortified, annoyed, and I think amused at the same time.

I loved how Eliza tricked that bastard husband—she set him up, AND she gave him laudanum to make him pass out? This woman knows what’s up!

Instantly from this first episode, I knew I loved this show and these characters. Eliza shows her charm and wit and humor and smarts. She’s skilled and I love her personality so much. Though I can see how she could be aggravating to others. William absolutely adores her. Rupert annoyed me a bit at the beginning, but by the end—when he asked Eliza to not marry him, I knew I would like him. And Moses! A Jamaican man brings in the race question of this dark, old world, but I love that he likes Eliza and finds her interesting. He’s terrifying, but I think he’s a good, decent man, he’s only trapped in this world because no one will let him be anything else. But he’s such a rich, interesting character.

EPISODE TWO: The Woman in Red

This episode brings in the reality of homosexuality in this world. That it has always been there (damn those bastards who think otherwise), but it has been hidden away. That men and women have to fear for their lives, and also marry people they do not want because they want to not be noticed. I loved finding out Rupert was gay—my mom called that one!—and the friendship he develops with Eliza. That he trusts her to tell a secret that could literally have him killed and ruined. And that Eliza doesn’t even blink, that she’s willing to keep his secret to the grave, and I cried when she basically told him that. It’s quite beautiful that Eliza even seemed to be grateful that he trusted her enough to give her that secret.

Which was used in interesting juxtaposition to the gay man, accused of murdering his lover, and his wife. I understand the woman’s hurt, that she loved this man and it turned out he didn’t love her in the same way. But that didn’t mean her willingness to let him die for a crime he didn’t commit was at all good or called for. With Eliza talking her down, to prove that the woman’s husband was innocent, I think proved that though she was hurt beyond reason, she did love that man who was her husband and didn’t want to see her die. It’s really a hard situation, especially during that time, when people were constantly shoved down their throats that homosexuality was bad. Not that I’m giving her a “it’s okay,” but I can understand the pain and confusion she went through. Especially because she pulled through.

Through this whole episode, we thought it was the wife that had murdered the lover (the other man). I was surprised to find out that he had killed himself, cut his own throat (which I had heard wasn’t possible to do—but my grandpa, who had worked as a detective, told me that is a myth people talk about, that it’s really easy to cut your own throat). That was a shock, and it made me so sad. That he was dying because he was unhappy, because he hated what he was, because of damn society telling him so. I actually started crying, because as someone who is bisexual, I would be condemned in this time during for openly being with men and women, though I couldn’t even compare to people who are gay or lesbian, because the situation is not the same. But I could connect, I could understand. And I hated knowing the pain all those people were in, that a man had killed himself because of what he was, and that another man had to live with that. It truly breaks your heart.

William’s response to finding out the dead man was gay was interesting. I thought his comment “in my line of work, nothing surprises you” funny, but also telling. He didn’t act disgusted, he didn’t mistreat the husband when they questioned him afterward. The show didn’t directly say his thoughts on homosexuality, but I got the vibe that he was “whatever” about it. Like he knew it was there, and he wasn’t condemning it publicly. That gives him credit, in my book.

Another great episode that got deep and beautiful.

EPISODE THREE: Deeds Not Words

Is this show just obsessed with getting right down to modern issues that were also faced in this time, but not as strongly discussed? Because I’m all for it! This episode was all about the suffrage movement. But I liked the take they did on it.

Yes, they spoke out about the treatment of women. That men, white men, controlled this whole world. But I also thought it was interesting that they made this main suffragette not the greatest person. It made everything complicated. Like, everything she said to Eliza made sense, and I found myself cheering with her. But she shot a man in cold blood, she was willing to bomb a whole building of men—even though it seems justified because of what their club represents.

I think this episode was discussing the balance. That there can be change, but when you attack the people who you are trying to change, it may not work in your favor. At least, that was the vibe I got. Not to stoop to their levels, to become just as horrible as them. Her ideas and words were great, but her actions were a bit… skeptical.

Eliza and William’s response were interesting as well. Eliza felt a passion for the cause, William thought it a bit extreme. But, to me, by the end of the episode, they had a common understanding, they had reached a comfortable middle. I think, this show was showing that was how change came. People seeing eye to eye, and then it spreading from there. Of course, William has faults, but I think he’s truly trying. Especially with each episode. And the more Eliza and he grow.

EPISODE FOUR: Memento Mori

We got our ghost episode! I wasn’t even expecting it, it was incredible! A ghostly image of a dead wife that had killed herself reappearing in photos? How wild and cool is that idea!

I didn’t know that the Victorians had a thing where they took photos of their dead loved ones, looking like they were alive (y’all, the Victorians were obsessed with death…), but it’s an interesting concept. Maybe even sweet. I get what they were trying to do, even if it did seem morbid. How I feel about it is, if it brings you peace, then go for it (as long as it’s nothing disturbing or harming anyone).

The twist was one I had a hint of but hadn’t expected the whole thing. I knew the daughter had something to do with it (how disturbed is this poor girl??), but I hadn’t expected that the mother had planned this before she killed herself because she knew the woman and her husband were already having an affair. It was interesting and a creepy twist, but I was all for it.

Still, I loved how we had moments of eeriness and the haunting feeling in the house when Eliza stayed over. I felt scared and freaked, and most people that know me know that I do not like horror. But this was the perfect eeriness, which I do love.

That scene from this episode where William screams at the poor telegram young man to give them the message or he’ll break everyone bone in his body and then being like “are you crying?” was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I laughed so hard that I couldn’t breathe. I mean, it’s terrible, but the way it was done was hilarious and amazing.

EPISODE FIVE: Cell 99

This episode was… dark. I liked that it was set in an abandoned prison, and my god, was it creepy as hell. I loved all the shots of William walking through gave me the chills.

This one felt like a thriller to me. How it was filmed, set up, how everything went down. Except for the hilarious scene when they are both so annoyed with each other (Eliza and William, that is) that they both scream in frustration is brilliant. But otherwise, it took a dark tone that made me feel like something was watching my back. Especially as that big, scary guy came walking down the stairs when William and Eliza were trapped, ready to kill them both. I was nearly screaming at the tv in utter horror.

My mom had called it—and I had a feeling—that Eliza’s father had been murdered, not just drinking himself to death and found in the gutter. And there’s a gang now? How interesting!

The masked man was strange, as well as the forger locked away. But he was shot and killed, and it confused me.

I have a strange confession to make: that whole time with William in his dress shirt (without the coat), with his arm covered in blood, was weirdly…. Hot? Please don’t ask me explain. I have weird things to me. But I think it was also hot that though he was hurt and bleeding, he was gearing up to fight that big, scary man to protect himself and Eliza. I like that kind of shit, so much.

This episode was twisted, and it left me with more questions than anything.

EPISODE SIX: The Case of Henry Scarlet

My mom knew William’s boss was in with the gang! I liked that they actually explored the reality of corruptness in the police force (my grandpa had personal experiences himself, and that was why he left), and they laid it all bare. Despite the things that we are learning in this present day, it’s always been there. Which is horrifying and disturbing. That these police who are supposed to protect us are willing to delve into the corrupt world to bring themselves more power and money. Because that’s what it boils down to, doesn’t it? Powerful men wanting more and more.

I liked that William was okay with the truth unfolding, and not fighting it, trying to prove innocence for his boss. To me, it made me feel like that he knew something was up with that man (just beyond not liking him). For his character, it made me think that he was one of those people that was actually good and good at his job, trying to do the right thing. Even if he got distracted and didn’t give Eliza credit where it was due, and fought some things, he was trying to do what he thought was right. He didn’t kill anyone, he didn’t go after anyone specifically. Though him and Moses had some standoffs because he wasn’t sure about the other man, he gave him some thanks and shook his hand. Which is huge for that time period.

I did suspect William’s buddy. I always felt like something was happening with him, and that he would be the perfect bad guy because he knew what was going on at all times. And it was proven right! Though it wasn’t any less terrible, William having to realize that his close friend at Scotland Yard as the bad, bad guy who killed their boss when things were turning ugly.

But Moses to the rescue! I loved that he swooped in, teaming up with Eliza, and taking the guy out! I love Moses so much, he’s one of my other favorites.

And their ending, with a promise of dinner, of love on the horizon was exactly what I needed.

Lasting thoughts:

Besides all the amazing storylines and characters they brought in, besides Eliza and William’s chemistry and relationship, to me, this felt like a story about a daughter and her father. We see flashbacks of Eliza as a child with her father, how he taught her his detective work, when that wasn’t something men did typically in that time, and how she would still talk to him after he had died. That though she had chosen this profession for herself, it was also some way to connect to her father. Something they had shared when she was motherless and only had him, and he gave her these skills and talents, helped her hone in on them. And once he had passed, she fought like hell to keep it, but make it her own. I liked that their relationship wasn’t perfect, but they loved the hell out of each other. She was a grown woman, who believed in herself, but she still turned to him—a ghost, a memory, or whatnot—when she felt at the bottom.

This series is incredible, perfect and just all around so masterful in so many different ways. I knew from the moment I heard about it that I would love it. And it turns out I was right, but even more than I had expected.

Now, I think it’s time for a rewatch.

#miss scarlet and the duke #eliza scarlet #william wellington #i love this damn show #tv series review

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heavencollins · 3 years

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Top 10 Films of 2020: Part Two

And the last five of my top ten are...

5: Unpregnant, directed by Rachel Goldenberg and written by Rachel Goldenberg, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Jenni Hendriks, Ted Caplan, and Bill Parker.

This HBO Max Original was the tipping point for me actually purchasing HBO Max, and I haven’t regretted it since. Starring two absolute queens, Barbie Ferriera and Haley Lu Richardson, Unpregnant tells the story of a teenage girl who finds herself in a situation she wants nothing to do with: pregnancy. Her boyfriend informs her that the condom broke a few weeks ago but he didn’t tell her, which is fucked up in it’s own right, but that they should keep the baby and raise it and get married. Veronica, played by Richardson, quickly says no and runs to her old friend’s house; Bailey, played by Ferriera. Veronica learned that you cannot access abortions in her state without parental consent, so she makes a plan to roadtrip to New Mexico from Missouri to get an abortion that should be a human right.

Veronica and Bailey have been estranged for years, as Veronica became popular and Bailey fell into the realm of introvert, pothead, and nerd. But Bailey misses their friendship, and says yes to going on this road trip because she knows they’ll have time to grow close again. Throughout the road trip, the girls reminisce and become closer than they have before; Bailey revealing her sexuality, Veronica facing the reality of her shitty relationship and not-great friends, and the fact that chosen family is often better than real family.

The film is aggressively pro-choice and feminist, but also is a feel-great movie, not just good, but great. it made me both laugh and cry, as well as cheer on both characters. There’s a lot of really, really, really wholesome narrative within this and it’s a film targeted at teens for teens. It shows what a healthy relationship is and that no matter how different your best friend is from you, you’ll still have the same connection as always. I love this one.

4: Saint Frances, directed by Alex Thompson and written by Kelly O’Sullivan.

One of my favorite facts about this film is that the lead star wrote it, and she works as a team with the director, Alex Thompson, and is partners with him in life as well. Saint Frances focuses on a 30-something woman named Bridget who finds herself with no set path in life. She’s childless, sleeping around, has no real career other than waitressing, and doesn’t know what she wants to do with herself. Her friend recommends her as a nanny to a lesbian couple around her age who are having their second kid and need help with their six year old daughter, Frances.

Shortly before starting her job as Frances’ nanny, Bridget undergoes an abortion via pill, which means you bleed in the safety of your home and get to do it outside of the medical appointment. This plays heavily into the plot, as her periods end up being heavier than ever throughout the rest of the film and it becomes a slight joke between all of the characters. It also shows how little Bridget really cares for her own health, as she doesn’t think to go to the doctors at all and that it’s totally normal.

Frances helps Bridget grow up, as well as bringing her two mom’s together after the birth mother of the newborn suffers from extreme post-partum depression. Bridget and Frances end up becoming best friends, and it’s a truly touching film that feels like a home, if that makes sense. I could watch this again and again and never get sick of it. O’Sullivan and Thompson are a fantastic writer-director team.

3: Shirley, directed by Josephine Decker and written by Sarah Gubbins and Susan Scarf Merrell.

A movie about one of the greatest horror novelists and short story writers of all time set in Vermont starring Elisabeth Moss? Alright, I’m in. Shirley held very tightly in the number one spot until just this month, because it was that good. Moss plays Shirley Jackson, the horror writer we all know and love, and there’s something haunting about her.

While the story is highly fictionalized, with two characters being completely made up (the young couple played by Odessa Young and Logan Lerman), the film takes place right after Jackson published The Lottery and as she’s writing her next novel. Her husband, Stanley Hyman (played by Michael Stuhlbarg), is a professor at Bennington College and Jackson finds herself shying away from the stereotypical role of a faculty wife. She’s aloof, callous, straight up rude to the other wives and prefers to spend her time alone in her room, writing. Hyman prefers to cheat on her with younger woman and yell at Jackson for not being more social. This is most likely true to real life.

The young couple work as a mirror for Jackson, people she can project her novel onto and try to see how it will play out. It’s reflective of her writing style. This story is told with lavish cinematography and a score that reminds you of wind whipping between the trees, one of the best scores I’ve ever heard, actually, and it’s just lovely. Despite being mainly fictionalized with some truth sprinkled in, it’s by far Decker’s most palatable work for a wide audience (though I loved Madeline’s Madeline). I highly recommend this one to anyone.

2. Never Rarely Sometimes Always, directed and written by Eliza Hittman.

I’ve loved every single film that Hittman has put out, but this one is especially poignant in the current political climate. Abortions should be widely available, but sadly they aren’t and often teenagers have to travel to other state’s to have to have their procedure done without putting themselves in danger by telling their parents.

In Never Rarely Sometimes Always, two cousins go on a trip to New York City to procure an abortion procedure, not informing their parents beforehand. Except nothing goes to plan; they end up having to sleep in strange places, use all of their savings, and even steal portions of money from the grocery store they both work at. This film is quiet, sad, and real.

Perhaps the best scene in this is when the title comes into play. Anybody who has been to a physical appointment knows the questions they ask, but it’s especially nerve wracking when your body is at risk for something. The nurse asks questions, stating never, rarely, sometimes, or always after each. Skylar, played by Talia Ryder, starts to hesitate as the questions get more and more personal. And then she finally breaks down. It’s overwhelming and scary and she’s finally vulnerable for the first time in this entire movie.

While Unpregnant and Saint Frances provide more witty and funny tales about abortion and unwanted pregnancies, Never Rarely Sometimes Always gives a dark and gritty tale of what having no help in those situations can look like, ultimately putting yourself in the most dangerous situations possible to make the right choice for yourself.

1: Swallow, directed and written by Carlo Mirabella-Davis.

I don’t want to say much of this film because it’s something you truly have to experience. Hunter, a woman who finds herself pregnant with her rich husband’s child, finds herself having what can only be called abnormal food cravings. Except, what she eats isn’t necessarily food—she suffers from an extreme form of pica, causing her to eat everything from marbles to staples to little figurines. She proudly displays her collection on her desk, cleaning them off meticulously once she passes them. It’s a horror film but the horror isn’t necessarily in what she eats, it’s how she’s treated.

In fact, her eating habits are the one thing she has control over in her life until even that’s taken away from her. Her husband’s family doesn’t care about her—only the fetus she’s carrying. It’s a really good representation of an abusive husband that you don’t often see, because none of the abuse is physical, rather, emotional.

I can’t say anymore because then I’d be spoiling—all I have to say is go watch it. Please. It’s so amazing.

#films #top ten #2020 #swallow #never rarely sometimes always #eliza hittman #unpregnant #saint frances #shirley #elisabeth moss #film review #review

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