#except for s8 i was actually watching that for the first time

[roimp]

just watched the last episode of b99... i am T-T

#ITS THE PERFECT LAST EPISODE #especially the one year later part #so ya b99 rewatch officially over #except for s8 i was actually watching that for the first time #NINE NINE #gargi is keysmashing

[ppersonalsspace]

Update: making my bf watch SPN

He will only watch 150 episodes, so this weekend we have watched 8.11 (LARP and the real girl), 8.13 (everybody hates nazis), 8.17 (goodbye, stranger), and 8.19 (taxi driver).

He loves Charlie. He wishes she was as prevalent in the show as Cas bc shes awesome. He is worried about her future on the show… as he should be. 8.13 was one of his favorite episodes so far, if not favorite.

He sees Dean as bi. Between Benny and Aaron and Cas… my bf just feels bad for Dean this season bc he can’t keep a man.

He was thrilled to see his favorite character Bobby make an appearance.

He LOVES Crowley. He very much dislikes the show overall, with some episode exceptions. But he thinks Crowley is one of his favorite TV villains. This is definitely going to help him tolerate the rest of the show. Thank god for Mark.

He loved Benny. He was really upset when Dean and Benny said their final goodbyes, he TEARED UP even.

The main reason for his sadness over Benny is bc he thinks Benny is the man Dean deserves. But instead Dean just keeps going back to his “toxic, abusive relationship” with Cas. And… i know there are a lot of people who share this take but this is the first time I am really seeing it too... Lmao. He hates Cas bc he treats Dean like crap and I mean… he isn’t wrong but it’s more complicated than that imo but i love their fucked up love so I’m biased.

He still dislikes Sam but isn’t as angry about him being on screen in S8 since his sideburns are under control. He said “wow, he’s actually handsome now.”

I am dreading Charlie’s death, he is gonna be pissed. But looking forward to some of the higher points of Destiel to try and sell him on them.

#destiel #supernatural #dean winchester #bf spn rewatch #bf watches supernatural #deancas #spn #castiel #destiel is canon #dean is bi #deanbenny #sideburns #crowley #charlie bradbury #bobby singer #benny lafitte #spn season 8 #spn 8x13 #spn 8x17 #spn 8x11 #spn 8x19

[ocdeeznut]

In rewatching s8 i have some thoughts. Why it didn’t work as an ending, and what i think could have been changed.

WARNING THIS POST IS LONG AS FUCK, so strap in if you’re interested.

- The feel of the writing is distinctly off. Not bad, but it doesn’t feel like you’re watching Voltron anymore. It feels grittier and more like a high stakes adult animation than the other seasons. Which, again, isn’t necessarily bad, but the shift is too quick and it could have been executed better if they spent more time digging into the individual characters and their growth during s6/7.

- The issue of ‘there’s always a bigger enemy’ starts to make the plot feel stale. You get bored of a bigger robot, higher stakes, more to lose. They start killing people and planets for a cheap audience reaction when we weren’t all that invested in the first place. It felt like a split second decision by the writers to destroy Olkarion. Something like that needs to be pencilled in from the beginning. There were too many attacks on Olkarion, and as a consequence we got too used to seeing it’s people in peril. There should’ve been a distinct shift where we, as the audience, realised Voltron wasn’t going to be there to save them this time. Whether that’s a writing, animation or atmospheric issue i’m unsure. Maybe it’s just a me thing.

- The Atlas should never have been able to transform. That for me was the biggest investment turn off. Why do we need Voltron anymore if there’s a bigger, stronger robot on their side? If they were going to replace the castle, they should have made it clear and stuck with the intention. That’s not a support ship anymore, that’s something else entirely. I’d gladly watch a show JUST about the Atlas, with Shiro at the helm, but it’s not Voltron.

- Too many things happen at once, and it’s massively convoluted. 13 episodes is not enough time to: introduce a romance, have me actually care about that romance, kill off a main character, form a new version of voltron, redeem three main antagonists, AND cutely tie up all the glaring plot holes of the show. S8 needed to be two seasons at least. If things were spread out and more passion was pumped into the writing, it could’ve worked.

- Allura’s character was ruined. She became a nagging, reckless, martyred love interest. I love her dearly, i have from S1, but they did her SO dirty. Lance, too. They both deserved better.

- I think, personally, that Sendak should’ve been the final villain. Not Honerva. Her arc was rushed and her CORE motivation made little sense. They used the flimsy excuse of her corruption to redeem her love for Lotor, and his name was literally raked through hell and back for a very mediocre payoff. If that was the plan from the start, it needed to be hinted at more.

- There was too much, as i call it, flip-flopping. The alteans are alive, now they’re evil, now they’re not. We can’t get into Oriande, but now we can! Personally, i need explanations, and strict universal rules. If those rules are to be broken for whatever reason - it has to be a show stopping exception and a main event. Everything is excused and explained away when it doesn’t make any sense.

- Now, i actually really likes the subtle art style and animation adjustments in the season, visually it was spectacular so i have no critiques there. If only the plot could have done its outer shell some justice.

AND GET LANCE OFF THAT DAMN FARM.

#odesrambles #voltron #keith kogane #vld #voltron legendary defender #lance mcclain #takashi shirogane #hunk garrett #pidge holt #princess allura #coran #voltron season 8 #Odesrevisions #This is all a ramble and pure speculation on my part #don’t take too seriously pls and thanks #i so badly wanted to see this show succeed but alas it shot itself in the foot at the end

[single-malt-scotch]

Given we are two episodes in to bdubs this HC seasons I will ramble a tad about his format this season and the timeline/comparisons to past ones!

Let's talk in parts for a second. For thumbnails. I didn't really know what to expect tbh. He's been going more minimalist in thumbnails for a while now- HC S9 and Create have very simple thumbnails very focus on the builds (if they occur in the HC video). Go from season 7 HC to now and they've changed a Lot. S8 was simple too if you take away the color overlay. But S10 is mega simple. There isn't even a title on the thumbnails!

Then intros. S7 and S8 would randomly have an intro of "welcome to hermitcraft!" And sometimes none at all. S9 started "welcome to hoymicraf" (how do we spell this) consistently. Additionally all those seasons had some intros beginning with some third person camera to start a scene (more consistent as time went), or without that intro in season 7, 8 and 10 we'd also just start in first pov while bdubs is already in action. Additionally intro music was always very energetic, and so far what we heard in his first s10 intro (and based off the time lapses) we are getting something way more chill. Ep2's intro is one of those exceptions for the specific scenarios that happen sometimes. The choice of situational music.

General editing? Kinda crossed over with intros here because intros have very blatant editing with music and camera etc. Tbh the biggest thing to any season is music choice, which changes how things feel entirely. Past seasons had faster paced songs in intros and many building segments had orchestral, so on. The way those building segments play out has slowly turned into bdubs cutting it up to fit the beat of music, which is most apparent now in S10 and bwb S3. For S10 I feel like this enunciates the calm music even more as it puts emphasis on what is the louder/more striking note of the song. Through S10 episodes right now we have seen more use of replay mod in more than just the intro. Usually wide shots with music. Thought out compositions and wide shots often showing scale of things around him. Even purposefully taking moments to stop and pause and linger on the shot. Definitely more cinematic, and completely different with his it slows down.

It is interesting to see what some people might feel is a total 180! Considering I have seen the flow of his format for so long "slow" is not unfamiliar but because he has grown so much as a commentator he handles this very well. It's not "old inexperienced commentator" slow. Because you can tell if you pay attention he isn't different from who he has been in recent years. He's always the same and going this direction is done w the same level of development and experience. Hes still silly, he's still got energy. It's just presentation! It feels different a lot by how he's editing.

Even so it makes me wonder Why. Was his previous loud style and high energy more aimed at when his kids were just born and very little, and he had an obvious shift to making his videos possibly more appealing to children and be child appropriate? Has he 'mellowed out' for any particular reason? If you watch him a lot, especially his Livestreams (the member ones rly) bdubs thinks hard about his building skills. He is genuinely an artist aiming to improve every day and I think he's gotten a lot back into really expressing his thoughts and feelings regarding the art. It's been a gradual focus returning I have seen. Perhaps he has decided to lean into this more on purpose, and in doing so that shifts his focus away from what people felt was "childish" acting. But it's important to remember, as a bdubs lover, the analysis here isn't actually one to say he's "changed" because he hasn't. As a content creator he knows what he's going for and to some level has consciously made these changes. We still got bdubs, he's just doing it different. And honestly if you were turned off by the energy of S9, I highly recommend giving this season a watch if you want something more artistic, and good discussion about building process.

#hermitcraft #bdoubleo100 #bdubs #hermitblr

[cxhleel108]

LITG S8 Thots for this week: How eventful…

• Sienna don’t be mad cuz you decided to spread them legs for Jin and people found out. Be sneakier next time💁🏽‍♀️

• Outfit time!

• This a little too prom for me no shade.

• Gorgeous! Stunning! Magnificent!

• Not Oakley just wanted to check on us. The rest of you boys gon have to step your game up Idk what else to say atp.

• Jin kinda evil omggg why he lie to them bitches for no reason???

• OH NO HE DID KISS SIENNA NOW WE CAN NEVER BE TOGETHER😱😱😱😱😱

• Yeah you are high on my list Liam…my hit list.

• Wait she’s cutesyyyyy!

• Hazel real lucky I like her cuz I coulda just aired her tea out just now.

• Exactly! So glad you get it now😁

• Here Theo go admitting he has a crush on me yet again…are we still supposed to gag at this?

• And I���m annoyed because of the both of you so how about you either grow up or break up!

• GUYS PLEASE STOP MAKING SHAWN PINE AFTER ME ITS ILLOGICAL AND ITS BECOMING VERY AGGRAVATING!

• Our clip was actually so meaningless help.

• Liam unless you want me, me, me to get Oakley to break you, you, you in half I suggest you shut it!

• Why do y’all want me to help you pick who to get with??? Why???

• FINALLY MY SUFFERING ENDS!!!

• Wow every couple here really sucks except us LMAOOOO.

• I love Bea but I really cannot feel bad for her when she complains about Liam. Girl you brought that sorry ass nigga in here like what😭😭😭 Kyle was right there.

• Aww chin up Sie-monster! I’m sure one of the demons in Hell are ready and willing to give you the love and devotion you need😊

• Outfit time!

• This the first sleepwear we’ve gotten that ain’t just a lace bra and coochie cutter thong I’m cryinggg.

• Ain’t no way Liam just creamed all over me and Oakley…sorry my intrusive thoughts made me type that😭😭😭

• You telling me this bitch heard the shower running, obviously indicating someone was in here, and then just decided to walk in…ok.

• Girl why she mad when she the one that walked in on me and my nigga fucking😭

• Hazel…not Liam…no girl you better than this!

• Claudia and Hazel look so damn good in their heart-rate challenge outfits my gawd! Thick thighs DO save lives😩😩😩

• Outfit time!

• Wish I could BEEEEEEEEEEEEE…part of your woooooorrrlllddd!

• Yeah this clears the mermaid fit I’m sorry.

• Hari had to watch Hazel give all her attention to Liam of all people ooouuu I know he wanna kill himself now.

• Damn not only is she not pretty but she also stupid, bless her heart.

• Jin’s football outfit made my 🐱 jump a lil bit jrkslashdhdkd sorry.

• I just busted out laughing.

• Exactly what I asked for😈

• I’m so glad we got to redo our dance cuz we ain’t get freaky like I wanted the first time.

• He mid as hell I’m sorry likekfjfjsksmak. This the best y’all could come up with for the last bombshell?

• Liam at this point just start fucking the boys sis cuz this the 3rd time you done did some sus shit.

• Oh lord I’m so tired of these anticlimactic ass cliffhangers. We already know ain’t no other bitch in here raised our partner’s heartbeat but us, stop playing!

#i fear the stale part of the season is approaching #can’t believe it’s almost over #litg #love island the game #litg tempting fate #litg s8 #litg season 8

[esther-dot]

In s7 Dany told Jon that she was sold and raped. It means she acknowledge that Drogo raped her. Then why is her dragon named after her husband? Not only that she was basically shouting that Drogo has promised her 7 kingdoms which she get in s8. She even told Jon that Viserys was not good person. Yet she named her dragon after him. She even compared her grief of loosing her brothers to Jon's. It was confusing as hell.

It was confusing as hell! This is a really difficult topic since none of us agree on exactly where Martin stands on certain things, none of us know what D&D were attempting to do, and the combination and contradictions of all their ideas was ultimately, difficult to comprehend. 😂

One of the showrunners didn't buy that Dany would be "seduced" on her wedding night, so he chose to make it explicitly a rape scene, and Martin has complained about that decision multiple times, so their perspectives on Dany's relationships differ. I wouldn't be surprised if left entirely to their own devices, D&D would have never entertained the idea of Dany falling in love with Drogo, of her naming her dragon after him. But Martin did write that, so we ended up with some of Martin's ideas, some of D&D's, and it's just a little confusing to pick through it.

A lot of people really like the idea of taking extremes (love/hate), and making them cohabit a single relationship, as a way of….kinda examining the breadth of a human's feelings, how complex relationships can be, and I think Martin is very interested in that. Not just relationships, but the individual having so much potential for contradictory feelings. Doing so allows him to look at nooks and crannies of what people are.

So, you get Dany who loves her brother but also watched him die, was ambivalent about his death because it was to protect her/her child, but then goes and names one of her “children” after him. It makes no sense! Except, she believed they were the last Targaryens, distinct from other humans (basically), and if you look at other mortals as lesser, I suppose it might make you feel a little closer to someone of your own ilk, even if they’re awful.

Jon can’t quite cope with the different sides of Ygritte, her almost shy smiles and tears over a song, her ease with murdering an innocent man. She forces a sexual relationship on Jon, she also tries to protect him. This idea of caring for a person while being disgusted by some of their actions, of caring for a person even though they abuse you…it is something Martin is intrigued by. Viserys, although an abusive pos, kept Dany alive, Martin may have seen it as an examination of all that.

Actually, now that I think about it, Drogo gave her the silver which tasted like freedom, the first freedom Dany had known, so naming a dragon after that, the initial feeling and then the power she’s achieved since, perhaps that makes it a little more understandable? The scene of her riding the horse reads like she's flying and certainly feels related when you read how she experiences flying on Drogon. The dragon eggs are a wedding gift, it is Drogo's funeral pyre in which she births them. They are entwined in her relationship with him. Maybe that's the explanation there?

Or, Rhaegar was the Targ heir, Viserys obsessed over getting the crown, Drogo promised her armies to the cause, it's probably more about the connection to the throne than any of the other things. I mean, showwise, Jon was the rightful heir (Rhaegar's son who rode Rhaegal), Viserion (like Viserys) turned against Dany, it was Drogon that burned KL and (momentarily) "won" Dany the throne. In that way, those names make a kind of sense….I suppose it’s likely a blend of foreshadowing and characterization.

As for talking about losing her brothers, if you believe that s7 was D&D trying to sell a genuine romance, you need points of connection for characters, things that allow them to understand each other, that could have been their shitty way of doing that. If you think D&D were tryin to write a one-sided romance, you look at a comment like that and think D&D were showing how out of touch Dany was with Jon that she didn't even know how losing someone you never knew and someone else you watched get melted isn't exactly the same thing as losing your best friend, the brother you hero worshipped, or watching a baby brother die before you as you risk your life trying to save him.

Just depends on whether you're in the "D&D gave zero fucks" or in the "there was more to it that they dropped last minute" camp. :)

#dot chat #< for filtering

[the-chessboard-is-personal]

Welp, here it is. The moment none of you should have been waiting for:

Future Sight

Aka my terrible attempt at a watcher grian fic because I literally only watched grian in s8. Don't expect more. Feel free to tell me how much characters would not fucking say/do that in the notes

"This is the caves and cliffs update, and there's a cave in a cliff!" Grian looked over to Mumbo, who responded with affirmation, "There's a cave in a cliff! We did it! Update completed!" The two, along with Scar, let out a chuckle. The three hermits then made their way to the area that they were already thinking would make a good place for a town.

But, when Grian looks back over to the cave, it's not there. In it's place is a large alleyway, only partially blocked by a train. Grian looks around to see that Mumbo and Scar are nowhere to be found. There's a strange temple surrounded by crying statues in front of him, there's a big boat-house behind him, a stack of boats floating above a big hole to his left, a house with an end crystal on it to his right...

And destruction all around him.

Blocks everywhere fly up into the clouds, and some don't come back. "Mumbo? Scar?" Grian barely even realized he'd called out, but nobody answered anyway.

In a blink, it was night. For a moment, Grian didn't know this, only thinking a large cloud had covered most of the sky. He realized a second later that it was actually the moon, which had seemingly increased in size at least tenfold.

"-this is official first-class Swagon space suits!-" The glitched voice of Scar rang through Grian's ears, if only for a second.

"Scar? Scar! What's going on?!" Exclaimed Grian, looking around for his friend amidst the chaos, to no avail.

"-Is the moon big?-" What sounded like Mumbo said, voice glitching in the same way that Scar's did. "Mumbo?! Is the- of COURSE THE MOON'S BIG WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"

Suddenly, the block Grian was standing on started to float, fast enough that he couldn't react but slow overall. Grian yelled out for everyone who's names he could think of in the moment, before a voice rang out above all the chaos.

"I wasn't supposed to show you this, Grian."

Another block flew up to his level, a ways away but not so far that he couldn't see who, or rather what was on it. The being had two pairs of wings and glowing purple eyes all around it's head, but otherwise looked semi-human... except for the symbol that was in place of it's face. It was that symbol.

Grian pushed the memories of that symbol, that place to the back of his mind, back then was the least of his worries at the moment as he was flying towards the     all-encompassing moon at a breakneck pace.

"But I believe that you can prevent it, as long as you know beforehand."

Grian hadn't realized until now but the being was speaking to him in his head. "Wha-"

He was cut off by another rumbling sound piercing the air. The being did not give Grian a chance to say anything before it flew away, leaving the confused and terrified hermit to float up with ever-increasing speed. Right when Grian thought he would suffocate from being in space, suddenly, he wasn't.

He was back with Mumbo and Scar, and seemingly no time had passed between whatever the hell he just witnessed and now. The only thing that Grian noticed was what would just look like a bird to anyone else far off in the sky, Watching him. No later than he noticed it, it turned and flew off into the distance.

"Grian, come on!" Scar teased after a moment. Grian had slowed to a stop, in shock at what he saw. Both Scar and Mumbo were looking at him now. "...Grian? Are you okay?" Mumbo noticed his dismay almost instantly, rushing to comfort his friend. Grian was almost to the point of tears, but he brushed it off as best he could. "Y-yeah, just..." he trailed off, unable to find an excuse. "...I don't know." He finally said. After taking a minute or two to calm himself, Grian decided then and there that he was going to use that cave, but not for an alleyway.

...

"Hey Mumbo?" said Grian, a knowing sorrow in his voice that he desperately tried to suppress. "You're good with redstone, right?"

#hermitcraft #hc8 #hermitcraft season 8 #hermitcraft grian #hermitcraft mumbo #hermitcraft goodtimeswithscar #boatem #grian #mumbo jumbo #goodtimeswithscar #fic #hermitcraft fic #watcher grian fic #why are there so many tags for this #dumb writing

[the-girl-in-the-high-castle]

Some honest opinion

I wanted House of the Dragon to succeed so bad. I wanted it to rule tv for the next decade, because GoT and aSoIaF are something very sacred to me. But I have to be honest. It didn’t. Not for me. When I saw the trailer I was so happy that it gave that Westeros feeling again and I couldn’t wait for it to air. Then it fell flat to me. Maybe I set the bar too high, but it was just not that good. Actually, it was pretty bad at times and the glorification of the bad and cheap actually gave me the answer as to why S8 was allowed to happen. 

I expected to like The Sandman. But I didn’t like it, I loved it. I loved it far more than HoTD. And I hadn’t considered it that much of a great story, since I’m familiar with the comics. But it’s definitely the greatest adaptation in recent years. And it’s hard for me to admit that, since like I said, aSoIaF is sacred to me. I am a person who is bothered by things that are too woke, but nothing about this show bothered me except the part of the story that was straight from the comics because it was way too boring.

But what completely hit me in the face, heart and soul so unexpectedly, which is kinda obvious from my posts recently, is 1899 and no other show but 1899.

Almost two years ago I saw the teaser not even a minute long and I told myself “I’m gonna watch the hell out of this”. Since it had taken so long, I almost forgot about it, didn’t even watch the trailer, but once it was out, I jumped head first and my heart was completely taken by it and I don’t think I would ever be able to give it up. After so much disappointment I had in my favorite shows, after all of them got fucked and turned into dumpster fires, this was my saviour. I fell in love with this show, its characters and everything about it so deeply and utterly that I think it’s going to take years for me to recover from it. 

And of all of them, only 1899 was cancelled. There is no hope for humanity after all.

#house of the dragon #hotg #got #ASoIaF #The Sandman #1899 netflix #1899 #fuck you netflix #save 1899 #none of them deserve to be cancelled but this is painful

[absolutely-wretched]

finishing buffy s8 and starting angel&faith

spoilers under the cut

so, i did notice there were many writers in buffy s8 finally, confirming my suspicions that the badness of it wasn't joss alone. but let me tell you i was completely correct in thinking the last volume was going to piss me off. spike comes back and not only does she describe having sex with twilight to him, she KISSES HIM. i literally fell back onto my bed in exasperation. except she didn't actually kiss him, it ws a fantasy, which doesn't stop my annoyance, and neither does her immediately thinking she's gonna get into bed with him. i wanted to say like "buffy seems a little ooc, much more self-absorbed than she was originally". then i watched Hell's Bells since I was watching the dvd commentary, and her first words about Xander leaving Anya at the altar was "They were supposed to be my light at the end of the tunnel." and I was like oooooh nope she's still in character. just a bit worse, which is fair bc of the whole "leader of slayers" and "ultimate power" thing. also i was all excited about spike's design coming back in my last post bc of his nail polish, but then he's in like brownn boots and a tan sweater. idk just weird, i aggresively do not like it. i do like that Spike knew who twilight was immediately. very on-brand.

so angel kills giles and buffy doesn't stake him, but instead kills all magic. definitely needed to be done (poor willow, though), but it still seemed unrealistic that she didn't kill him, but i get why. angel&faith (abbreviated to a&f from here on out) pointed out the fact the angelus killed jenny in the same way, which i was surprised i didn't pick up on. faith gets giles' estate, which was a bit surprising but her explanation about it makes sense. that faith needed more help and all that. and faith is going to rehabilitate angel, which i love. angel's relationship with women like cordelia or faith are much nicer to me than anything about his relationship with buffy. and all magic is gone from the world except for the magic that's already there, tying these events to why the world is how it is in Fray (buffy having been the last slayer 200 years prior)

i'm curious to know how Willow was an Uber-witch then in the future, of whom Buffy goes back in time to kill. Also, Fray ended on a cliffhanger, the only continuation being when buffy went in time in s8. but i really want to know the rest of her story with Harth, especially because of that shocking kiss that's just like... what and why and what.

so warren is dead for good again, thank christ. everyone is mad at buffy for killing magic. it's all pretty fair since she boned twilight and birthed a whole universe and all that, being fairly selfish in their eyes, but since her and angel (mostly angel) were pretty possessed, it wasn't as selfish as it looks to everyone. but i'm glad they did it, a bit, because it brings us back to more of a similar world in the show. no more slayer military and all that, less bombastic fights and crazy mass demons. joss said "i learned what you like and didn't like" which i think means i'll like the seasons coming up much more. i don't like that willow has been nerfed, though. i love her so much, and she's so sad. and after goddesses and monsters, i knew she was into the snake goddess, and they're in love and she can never see her again. just... poor willow. i'm interested to know how that will turn out.

we also got to check in with riley, which i didn't care about, but it's part of the canon so i didn't skip it. and i was rewarded with finding out whistler is evil and an agent of twilight pulling the strings since buffy was 15. which was cool. oh! and giles leaving buffy the book that he pulled out in s1e1 was a nice touch. i dunno, the normalness of the epilogue gives me a lot of hope for s9 :) and so does the first vol of a&f

first off i'll say that I LOVE the art of a&f. Buffy art is really hit or miss, and while reading it i longed for the writing and art of Spike and Angel s5/6 comics (Urru and Lynch) even though when changing colorists/inkers around it could also be rendered hit or miss. But the a&f art? *chef's kiss*. The likenesses art great, the inking is amazing, I love the cell shading (which for comics is a much better fit to me than the airbrushing shading of buffy s8). I may be partial since it's the art style i'm personally trying to learn, and i'm seeing it being used professionally, but damn! it's really well done. and gone are the days of storyboarding being so confusing you dont know what's going on! i dunno if buffy s9 will lose that problem too, but here's hoping.

the characterization and story is really good, and angel is trying to bring giles back to life. i was thinking that wasn't really in character, but with eveything he did when he was (mostly) possessed by twilight, i can understand why. and faith promising to kill him, as usual. I just love it. it's got all the angel vibes of ats. I wonder how faith is going to reconcile that the slayers she helps want to kill angel. how she's going to allow him to bring giles back. it's a bummer, though, that new vampires that are turned since the seed was destroyed are like zombies. makes me uninterested in vampires. we get to check in with harmony at the end of the volume, which is fun. I love clem, he's continuously so cute.

i like the new villains. and they're working with Whistler, too. I'm interested to know more about the whistler lore. i wish they'd bring doyle back in some way. or cordelia. in comic form, not attached to an actor, i think i may actually like her, lol. i like that the seed rendered mohra blood unusable, since that could have changed angel's game completely, making him human. though, it doesn't make sense that he still says "i can't be what i need to be if i'm human". since he was human all through after the fall in Hell A and was able to save the world and all that while fighting demons constantly.

and what's up with that, too? so angel being twilight means eveyone hates him, he's infamous now. how does that reconcile with everyone in LA that he saved, making movies about he and Spike and Team Help the Hopeless, naming libraries after them and all that. Oh and I'm interested to know about the buddy comedy of illyria and gunn that was happening at the end of angel s6. i just love illyria and wanna know what she's up to.

TLDR: Joss says he learned a lot from doing buffy s8, seeing what worked and how certain things work in comic form. i feel like i'm going to enjoy the comics going forward, and really love a&f. the only thing that will make me really love s9 of Buffy when I start it, is if they change the entire art team (minus covers). I'm not sure if it's the inks that make it bad, but the shading definitely is bad. the pencils could be the problem, but since i can't see them, i'm not sure. the storyboarding was absolutely terrible, though, i had no idea what was happening a lot of the time. i'll be back after reading vol 1 of Buffy s9

#btvs #ats #buffy season 8 #angel the series #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy comics #btvs comics #buffyverse #angel and faith #angel & faith #a&f #angel&faith #angel s9 #angel season 9 #angel the series season 9 #angel & faith season 9 #idw comics #dark horse comics #comics #opinion #buffy the vampire slayer season 8 #buffy #alex's shit

[fearlessinger]

Hello, grieving Adrien stan here.

Do i need to read all the pjo and heroes novels to fully “get” trials of Apollo books? I was never that interested in greco-roman myth or those series as a kid when they were super popular. also I haven’t read a proper book in an embarrassingly long time. Nevertheless I’d like to give a chance if they’re as great as you say.

unrelated,a while back I had half a mind to watch smallville do you know if its worth it?

hey Anon, first of all, my condolences. I’ve been there too.

Second: no you absolutely do not have to read any of the previous novels to understand/appreciate TOA! I am a big proponent of the “TOA first” reading approach in fact (tho obviously you won't have to go back and read the rest of the saga afterwards either), and I’ve already written a little primer for fellow readers who may want to start directly from TOA like I did, based on my own reading experience and the knowledge gaps that I found myself having. I will add, given what’s your reason for wanting to check this out, a few caveats:

this story is not a romance. It's about abuse, emancipation and self actualization. It’s also simultaneously a redemption story because

this Adrien is older (like 4000+ years older lol) and both his personal history and the amount of character development he underwent before the story even starts reflect this. He’s had time to grow up, fuck up very badly in ways that his upbringing explains but does not excuse, and this story is also the story of him coming to terms with and figuring out what he can do about that.

He’s also an incredibly unreliable narrator, and not in the ways you’re led to expect (if you’re familiar with the Adrien The Liar meta know that it’s as much - at this point probably more lbr - about Apollo than it is about Adrien, except for Apollo you gotta multiply it for like 10000). Which means you may have a hard time recognizing him for a while (I think when it really clicked for me was between book 3 and 4). Or maybe not, bc apparently some people clocked the similarities since the very beginning

it’s all so cringe. You’re a fellow ML (ex) fan so I'm sure you can appreciate some quality cringe but I feel compelled to give a warning anyway. I love it, and I don’t think a story like this about a character like this could have been told any other way because (among other reasons that I won’t say bc I’m already spoiling enough) nobody who cares as much and earnestly as Apollo does could ever be Cool ™. But yeah. The narrative style either works for you or it doesn’t bc it’s 100% not a bug but a feature.

Last but not least, if you think it might be easier for you to digest a whole book series in audio format, I’ve been told by multiple people that the TOA audiobooks are really well done.

-

As for Smallville… well, the show as a whole is definitely… an acquired taste 😅 It’s so dumb in so many ways, and not self aware enough to make up for it. I have an incredible fondness for SV, and for its version of Clark & Lois especially; I’d dare say it is still my favorite modern interpretation of their dynamic on screen to date, but it took the show a while to get to the point where their relationship took center stage (S8-9-10, basically. This is after all technically a superman origin story) and it was a very bumpy ride. The show has some truly terrible writing mixed in with the brilliance lol. But yeah go for it if you feel in the mood! Fyi Lois Lane only gets introduced in season 4 which is also one of the show’s best, most enjoyable & silly seasons imho so if you’re on the fence you could try beginning from there (I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to figure out what’s going from context clues).

#toa #adrien agreste #smallville #clois

[mulderscully]

To cleanse the palette of that dumb anon, i wanted to know how you rank the seasons of X-files and a brief (or not so brief) reasoning of why :)

i know “ranking” can be quite subjective and superficial but it can be fun too so I hope you have fun with it :)) !

I’m a lifelong txf fan too btw, I have fond memories of sneaking behind the couch in the dark to secretly watch the show while my dad watched and it definitely helped shape my interests in life (from sci-fi and horror to mysteries and the paranormal in general). Have a great night/weekend and I look forward to your reply :)

aw thank you!

tbh this is hard for me because i am a very indecisive person and i all of the seasons have a place in my heart.

well, except s9. s9 isn't real. i don't hate it or anything i just forget it exists unless it's the original series finale lol

i think in terms of writing, s4 and s5 are objectively the best and have the best writing, especially in terms of the show's mythology. the cancer arc is one of my favorite parts of the show and i think the search for samantha was still intriguing.

that said, i think s1 is the most comforting and the easiest to watch. there is something so earnest about it and the way it's not "good" yet: david and gillian are both pretty green, the show is campy and some of the episodes are not the best but those things are what make it endearing to me.

s2 isn't real bc of mulder's porcupine hair.

s3 has some of THE BEST intense episodes like wet wired, grotesque and paper clip which are great if your want your brain ripped clean out. i think s3 gave me the most sleep paralysis in 2013 (this is a compliment)

i think s6 has some of the best motw episodes and i am a motw girl. i also love how it leans into the romance more. i loved watching the rain king and arcadia for the first time.

s7 is great but tbh i think it's a lil low on my list just because i love the others more. of course i love that it's the season that msr get together but tbh.....

i actually enjoy s8 more (crowd boos and throws tomatoes at me) i just LOVE arcs about people dying temporarily and i think gillian acted the hell out of it. mulder isn't in half of the season but his absense is felt the whole time he's gone and i always kinda liked how the only way scully was ever gonna truly believe was by mulder actually being abducted by aliens. ofc there are things i would change abt it but overall i am s8 apologist 😔

i also really do enjoy the revival for what it is. i don't like what cc did to them or to the audience but i feel like it was a sort of privilege to see them 23 years later. i just love the passage of time and their enduring love despite everything, you know? and i think s11 specifically has some genuinely good motw episodes that i enjoyed watching.

this wasn't a list more of a ramble but i had fun 😃 thanks for asking

#captainquixotic #reply #txf

[iheartbookbran]

Ok the dance on its own would be a gruesome yet interesting story to watch, Rhaenyra is certainly a different character to how most sane readers would read the Dany of the first books. But S8 told the public her character was ultimately an evil ruler who massacred innocents to 'rule with fear". So the overwhelming majority will just see a similar narrative repeat and certainly connect those characters/outcomes. In the context made by HBO the Dance becomes a 'doubling down' by default. 1)

And personally, I can't really think of any way the people behind the decision to go for Rhaenyra/The Dance didn't see that at all, it actually seems quite deliberate to me. So tbh, fuck everyone, and I MEAN everyone involved with this who thought this would be a great idea; a great story to tell now lol. 2)

Er… I mean I think it could go either way honestly? I agree that Rhaenyra, at least how GRRM presents her in F&B, is closer to how Dany antis think of Dany, y’know, as “spoiled” and “cruel with the people who don’t agree with her” than how Dany actually is in canon, which we know is the opposite. Honestly I don’t even think Rhaenyra behaved with any more cruelty than the rest of her peers during the Dance, at least not until after the paranoia had truly settled in her and she lost almost all of her children and was betrayed multiple times. Overall Rhaenyra only ever really fought for her rights and that of her children, which again should not be considered as this unforgivable sin because almost everyone else is kinda the same :/

And I understand how Rhaenyra’s ending can be compared to Dany’s in the sense that both of them are women claimants to the Iron Throne who were betrayed and killed by their male relatives, but I also think that the circumstances in which it happened are completely different. The tragedy with Rhaenyra is that ultimately she “wins” because her line does end up in the Iron Throne, but the claim of her surviving sons doesn’t come through her but through Daemon, and it effectively ends any chance of a future female Targaryen to ascend the throne. Some of those same themes of misogyny and sexism exist in Dany’s story undoubtedly, but I also think that her story has so many additional themes and it is “bigger” so to speak.

I mentioned in my original post how Rhaenyra is very different from Dany, like for example how, when given the possibility of giving two lordships to female claimants, as the eldest daughters of their houses, Rhaenyra chooses instead to give the seats to their younger brothers, arguing that her own claim to the throne should be considered the exception and not the rule, since Viserys chose her specifically as his heir. And to be fair, this could’ve also been because she didn’t want to give White and Hammer more power through their marriages to those girls, but she also didn’t make any effort to give the girls the lordship without the marriages. To me that’s a stark contrast to Dany who’s out there fighting for the freedom of slaves and linking herself to every downtrodden person she comes across.

Not to say that this should fall into a “good” vs “bad” woman dichotomy when it comes to each women’s morality, and therefore that’s why Rhaenyra deserved to die at the end and Dany didn’t. I don’t think Rhaenyra deserved to die, but I believe that’s exactly the point GRRM was trying to make, hence why Aegon II also died and why Alicent’s whole line ended up dead as well. That’s a entire different message from what we got from GoT with Dany, who is a abolitionist and liberator for 7 seasons and then spends the first half of the last season saving the people of the North without really asking for anything in return, only to do a complete turn over in the remaining 3 episodes and burn a bunch of innocent people in a battle that she could’ve easily won with barely any casualties, just so the writers could “justify” equating her to a dictator and a n*zi, and have their boring action protag kill her while ugly crying—that’s like, not comparable at all with what Rhaenyra and Aegon had going on if you ask me.

I also feel like the general audience should be able to make the distinction between Dany and Rhaenyra because the general audience was just as outraged by the GoT finale as like, diehard Dany stans or book readers. Tbh, anyone who didn’t have an agenda or shipping goggles on could tell what an ass-pull that ending was. People are not stupid and if the writers keep all the characters’ characterizations consistent throughout as many seasons as they’re planning on having, I think they’ll be able to pull it off.

Also I think it’s funny that you mention the people who decided to make this particular period of time a show because GRRM himself was the first one to propose it, according to this podcast. I don’t think choosing to tell this story is necessarily the problem, unless the upcoming Dunk & Egg show ends up painting Aegon V as a tyrant because he wants to give more rights and protections to the smallfolk, in which case I will start thinking HBO is pushing some kind of message lmao.

It is precisely that we’ve got an upcoming Dunk & Egg show plus who knows how many Targ and/or Valyran projects without a single peep or a minimal acknowledgment from the network that what happened with Dany was wrong, that’s the real issue imho.

Like I don’t mean this to sound as if I’m trying to defend the show’s existence or that I think people should watch it, I’m not even sure I will watch it. I just disagree with the notion that the problem sterns from the similarities of two women veering for power ending up dead, because the circumstances leading up to it are so wildly different to begin with.

#Anonymous #ask #ask pam #sorry for my rambling #daenerys targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #house targaryen #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #a song of ice and fire #got #dracarys to d&d #house of the dragon #hotd #fire and blood #f&b meta #meta #my meta

[janiedean]

How are you Lavi? I was wondering, have you have shared your opinion about the end of Supernatural? I would especially love to hear your thoughts about Destiel and that love confession.

hey! I'm... extremely tired because a lot of stuff is going on that I will partially share on main about soon but has been sapping my energies a lot (i'm OOOLD) but it could be worse, thank you <3

also, wrt spn: I think I did say it in scattered posts but if you want the condensed version:

I had quit spn like early s12 at the hitler episode then I finished it after the ending because I figured I owed it to them after watching the finale live as it aired so... it was something but going in order

I actually greatly enjoyed s12-15 up to the end and I was pleasurably surprised - like okay it was the usual crazy shit half of the time and it def had gone on too long but 12-15 were eons better than the slug that was 9-11 and I had a lot of genuine fun when watching them and like they actually look/are extremely coherent for spn standards so I mostly have positive stuff on the topic like the apocalypse universe was cool, the ketch redemption arc was cool, tombstone and the tarantino episode were a masterpiece (and the 80s rock episode too sdlgkjd same as the scooby doo crossover) and I loved chuck as the villain and how meta that was

concerning deancas and the love confession: I mean as the resident idiot who had written her first deancas fic after 4x03 aired I always thought that they didn't know what they had been doing until like s5 when they realized what they were doing (sorry no one convinces that 5x03 wasn't written by someone who didn't have the deancas agenda in mind in spades) but like I generally thought that if it went somewhere it was gonna end with sam retiring and being a man of letters or smth like that and deancas going off to fight monsters in a way where you could frame it as THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS™ in places where them being gay would be frowned upon

I also thought that if anything happened whether like... either canonization or adjacent-canonization it was gonna be the last five minutes of the series finale because otherwise some parts of fandom wouldn't have let anyone involved with that show live which is why I was pleasurably shocked the confession was in ep 18 and not 20

now: I think the network authorized it and then chickened out when covid hit because the way the entire thing is structured... like sorry but this story starts with cas rescuing dean from hell, in 18 cas ends up in the empty from which he can obviously be rescued, in 19 every single plotline gets wrapped except that one in an episode that can work as a finale-finale if you leave it at that and I'm supposed to think that the og plan for ep 20 didn't include a reverse thing where dean got him out and they made out? sorry at this point bite me I'mma put my money on that esp given that...

... episode 20 is the most useless finale i've ever seen in the sense that literally nothing happens in it, the show itself had fillers where more shit happened like honestly I've never seen 40 minutes of a show that were more... a waste of time and resources and effort as that one, it looked like they told the writers they needed to have dean and sam be bros™ one of them had to die and they met in heaven again and they did that but just that X°D like sorry but the vampire porn diaries had the exact same finale template - one brother dies the other lives a happy normal life and they meet again in heaven -, s8 of tvd was vastly worsely written than spn s15 like i'm not even arguing that, but if you look at tvd finale actually shit happens in it and when you watch it it actually looks decent/wraps things up/makes you feel stuff, the spn finale is just stupid but I can't even be angry at it because imvho it's obvious they did it on purpose X°D but like tldr if the og plans hadn't been scrapped whatever they were they would have had an ep 20 where shit actually happened and that wasn't the drag it was, and like if it had come at the end of a badly written season (like tvd) I'd have just shrugged and whatever but... it came after an actually well-written season that was actually coherent with the previous four ones so I can't believe that was the real endgame content really XD

anyway: the confession was imvho absolutely ic and coherent with the entire thing starting from s4 because like sorry cas being in love with dean since then is just blatantly making sense, I never thought once it was baiting or teasing because only ppl who never watched the show would think the delivery was bad or that either misha or jensen were cringing while saying their lines, cas saying exactly the stuff he said made absolute sense in context, dean's reaction (as much as I'm sure they cut stuff) was absolutely sensed as well and no one tells me he didn't reciprocate bc the entire thing was built so that he'd admit it to himself at the very end and I mean anon my friend my comrade when I watched that episode I cried for twenty minutes straight after I finished it so X°D

like okay yeah part of it was the SEE WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG FUCK THE DENIERS but most of it was that I honestly was moved and I found that entire speech extremely heartfelt, meaningful and a whole lot of things I'm not sharing on main because I don't want people deciding stuff based on it but like I have zero negative things to say about that confession, I'm glad it happened and I don't regret catching up also because it happened as it really felt like the natural reaching point of cas's whole arc, I'm just sad that whatever the fuck went on with the cw they didn't let dean have a decent ending bc honestly what the fuck was that thing and they deserved to be happy without presuming they met offscreen in heaven or whatever the fuck but honestly all my issues with spn's ending are with the cw obviously getting cold feet concerning episode 20

tldr: the ending-ending sucked but up until 15x19 I thoroughly enjoyed most of what I saw nonsensical or not because at that point spn was the kinda thing you watched bc you liked it with all the faults it has, I 100% believe that the last episode sucked on purpose because I've never seen a finale done with so little effort after four seasons full of effort ever like not even penny dreadful whose finale imvho sucked on purpose sucked this much but like getting there was worth it and deancas being canon in itself was smth I never thought we'd get this explicitly and I'm very very very happy it happened, peace

#anonymous #ask post #supernatural for ts #otp: don't ever change #otp: i'd rather have you #otp: i love you #i mean... i don't even know how to say it #but i've been shipping dc since 2009 #seeing it become A Thing was... something #like really fucking SOMETHING #and again that confession was written in a way that resonated with me a lot #so personally i have nothing to say about it except if i ever meet berens #i'mma cry in front of him probably #i mean #if i ever have spn convention funds again and get to talk to misha it's gonna be extremely embarrassing but #he prob deserves to know he made me bawl so #destiel for ts #/o\

[hellyeahomeland]

Homeland World Cup: best episode? (First Match). Best episode of S8 (Prisoners of War) against best episode of S7 (Paean to the People). Make your choice. (And does it clarify the reasons for choosing this option over the other option?)

Homeland World Cup: best episode? (Match 2). Best episode of S6 (R Is for Romeo) against best episode of S5 (Our Man in Damascus). Make your choice. (And does it clarify the reasons for choosing this option over the other option?)

Homeland World Cup: best episode? (Match 3).Best episode of S3 (Big Man in Tehran) against best episode of S4 (13 Hours in Islamabad). Make your choice. (And does it clarify the reasons for choosing this option over the other option?)

So... my bracket is a bit different than yours because my best episodes are different (I used a random list generator to seed the episodes, putting them in actual ranked order would be sort of silly lol).

Match #1, "Q&A" vs. "Marine One" is the most interesting because these are arguably the best episodes this show ever did. "Marine One" will always be my favorite ever episode of this show, but I think "Q&A" will be the show's legacy. If this wasn't my bracket, "Q&A" would win but it is mine so there.

Match #2, I think "Super Powers" is the best episode of season 5 for Claire's performance. I mostly agree "13 Hours in Islamabad" is the best of season 4, but is it actually "There's Something Else Going On"? "13 Hours" is the payoff but the build-up is pretty damn good and nothing in season four is topping the tarmac scene. "13 Hours" doesn't really make me feel anything while "Super Powers" has this iconic moment in television. Winner "Super Powers."

(god bless tumblr for upping their gif size limit so this could exist)

Match #3 also highly interesting. "The Star" is miles better than "Big Man in Tehran" although Claire's brunette hair and bun-ness.... phew. But the bun exists in "The Star" and the episode landed the three-years-long saga that was The Carrie and Brody Misadventures. That said "Prisoners of War" landed the eight-years-long Saga of Carrie and Saul. Advantage "Prisoners of War."

Match #4 is a forfeiture because no episode in season 6 is as good as season 7 so there ya go. But also is "Paean to the People" better than "Species Jump"? We could have that conversation.

Match #5 aka BATTLE OF SARA'S SOUL. "Marine One" remains that girl. We had hat. Hat >>>>>>>

Match #6 feels a little rote as well. Nothing is beating "Prisoners of War" in my heart except "Marine One."

Match #7 ... see above.

FOR YOUR BRACKET:

(you didn't choose a fourth match from the first two seasons so I was just a lil chaotic and chose two episodes that are often said to be the best of that season)

Match #1 "Prisoners of War" beats "Paean" pretty easily because one of them has Yevgeny and Carrie in Moscow listening to jazz and one of them ... doesn't. There's only so much that Claire's line reading of "Congratulations" can do, ya know?

Match #2 "Our Man in Damascus" remains that girl. Allison Carr did what she had to do and Carrie sprinting through a Berlin train station is forever and ever all-time.

Match #3 I'm gonna be a lil' chaotic again and say "Big Man in Tehran" JUST FOR FUN. Is "13 Hours" more genuinely thrilling? Yeah. But it's sort of like watching a Bruce Willis action movie (in goodbad ways) and as much as I love Quinn yelling "FUCK" into the darkness and screaming at Saul, is it making me feel anything the way that Saul screaming at Carrie "you really fucked it up this time!" or Carrie pleading with Brody across the courtyard or just speaking fluent French or being the originator of HAIR IN A BUN does??? I don't think so. Everyone in "Big Man" shows up with completely different hair than the previous episode and you can't top that.

Match #4 sometimes I forget that "The Weekend" is as good as it is because I have to maintain the part of my personality that worships "Marine One." But.... y'all... "The Weekend" was doing some things. My controversial opinion is "New Car Smell" is not as good as we remember, sorry. "The Choice" was doing more, but still not as much as "The Weekend."

Match #5 "Prisoners of War" wins over "Our Man in Damascus" because

Match #6 I'm going with "The Weekend" again because in the lore of Carrie and Brody, which is what both episodes are operating on, there is "The Weekend" ... and then "Q&A" ... and then everything else.

Match #7 is actually quite tricky because both episodes really do make me feel something. I watched both episodes repeatedly after I first saw them. Both episodes will stay with me forever. But I have to go with my gut and say "The Weekend." "Prisoners of War" is indeed spectacular, magical, almost awe-inspiring in how effectively it landed this big ol' plane. But "The Weekend"? That shit was on another level. It said, you know everything you're expecting about this Carrie and Brody cat-and-mouse game? You know everything you're thinking this story will be about? It's not that. "Prisoners" was so wonderful because it took everything we (I) wanted and made it somehow real and believable and true. But "The Weekend" is extraordinary because it took everything you thought you wanted and then gave you something so much better that it seemed silly to have ever wanted the other thing.

#long post #ask #hyh ask #anonymous #sorry i answered this so late that the world cup has come and gone

[jeanmoreaux]

what is the show u have an unhealthy relationship with? 👀

well, i have quite an unhealthy relationship with the u.s. version of shameless. for quite some time it was my guilty pleasure show, but nowadays you can scratch the pleasure part bc i’m only suffering watching them butcher their characters and storylines. i have millions of issues with this show and i know that at this point it’s objective bad. i don’t enjoy watching it anymore, but somehow i can’t seem to quit it. and trust me i tried several times. i think i’m just sentimental and nostalgic for what the show and characters once were 🤷‍♀️ i’m hyper-aware that the producers and writers don’t really care anymore and that it’s nothing like the show i once enjoyed but i’m still being a clown hoping for things to get better. i’m clinging on even tho i know i’ll only be disappointed.

#the first 3 season are really really good & they got me attached to the characters (particularly fiona lip & ian) #i could see myself in them in some way and relate to their individual struggles #((later on i really came to like mickey and sheila too but after that all newly intorduced characters were just meh)) #season 4&5 quite solid too as i can remember (with the exception of the last couple of episodes of s5) #and then after that the show just kinda lost its special something... #it’s probably bc they try to turn it from a drama into the comedy... which obvs didn’t work bc in the process they kinda forgot what made #the show so great in the first place..... it’s like they all suddenly drop everything they built over several seasons... #they just threw characterization and longterm storytelling out the window #and instead began distorting characters and not caring about the show’s internal history #i could go on hour long rants about all the incontinuity and plot holes and instances of bad writing #i get really riled up about it from time to time and i mostly bother my brother with my complaints #and he told me multiple times now that i should just stop watching the show if i am so annoyed by everything and can’t enjoy it anymore #and i know he’s right but......gosh idk it’s like i keep giving it second chances #i tried after 7&8&9 but i always came back to it after some time #season 6 was shit? well s7 will be better i’m sure! oh s7 sucks too? well i guess i’ll have to watch all of it to really be sure right? #s8 and s9 are bad too? oh well let’s continue anyway they might realize they wrong their characters and make things right next season...... #what??? they still don’t give a f about their show and characters??? #i guess i’m boo boo the fool and a massive clown for assuming they’d actually start telling meaningful stories again #....... #you see why i’d categorize it as an unhealthy relationship #it’s emotionally draining tbh #well i’m sorry for the ramble; i’m super tired and this post is full of typos.... i hope you forgive me for my little rant #anon #answer

[esther-dot]

Myrcella and Trystane had better chemistry than Jonerys despite less screen time. Myrcella had better reaction of her parentage as it was more family moment than Jon parentage.

They were so sweet!

It’s absolutely baffling to me that D&D had no trouble delivering romantic pairings that were believable except for their epic romance of the series. I personally don’t hold the actors responsible or even really blame lack of chemistry (in the 8x04 scene Kit acted Jon kissing Dany just fine), and think the problem was in the writing and D&D’s failure to decide what they were doing?

I wrote this a few years ago:

It’s so weird that D&D wanted to present J*nerys as forbidden love when the only thing that prevented them from getting together in s7 was…nothing.

Tyrion and Dany planned for a strategic marriage back in s6, we even have the Littlefinger/Sansa convo in s7 to clarify that a Jon/Dany marriage would make the most political sense, and Jon might “want” to marry her.

If they were meant to be a parallel to Jon/Ygritte, love between two soldiers on opposite sides of the war…well, that just doesn’t work when Jon and Dany are the ones in power.  If J*nerys was meant to be a parallel to Rhaegar/Lyanna…that comparison doesn’t make sense because a Jon/Dany union would have been the political solution, not a problem (pre-parentage reveal). Missandei dismisses the bastard issue, and since a marriage alliance would could have ended their stalemate in s7, the writers left no reason for Jon (or the advisers) not to suggest it. And it would have been far more believable that Jon suggest that than try to father a bastard with Dany (considering his trauma surrounding that issue). The only in-world reason they left us with for why Jon didn’t suggest marriage during s7 is that he didn’t want to.

It was on the writers’ minds because of that convo between Littlefinger and Sansa, so clearly they thought of it and just opted never to explain it in s8. Which means D&D tied the culmination of the show to a relationship that they hoped we would see as star-crossed love when the story they gave us said it wasn’t.

(link)

And, not only did they not pick a specific approach to make it overall make sense, they didn’t have heartwarming moments where J/D seemed to actually connect as equals. All their scenes involved political disagreements or reminders of Dany’s ambition. Well, all but the sex scene but they didn’t give any context for that, we just had them and Bran’s voiceover (he did nothing to deserve that!) in a very off-putting scene. The decisions were all so determinedly bad with them! I have watched couples that make me care about them in-spite of awful writing, but it’s unreal to me that D&D didn’t actually sit down and figure out what their angle was and the result was a toxic mess. So much of the impact of the finale rested on the horror of Jon killing Dany that it is inexcusable they failed there. I suppose at that point they could have been so checked out that they didn’t make sure the scripts aligned, but we’ve been told how they micromanage the performances so without a coherent thought behind the J/D story, and with them feeding ideas without a clear picture of what they were up to, I think they made it very difficult for the actors to do much.

Anyway, it really is amazing that such a huge chunk of s7 was dedicated to getting J/D to bang, and everyone (fans and critics) complained about how awful the relationship was while D&D had no difficulty with delivering other romantic pairings like Myrcella and Trystane that weren’t as pivotal to the ending of the series. I think that habit of changing the story in the editing process bit them in the ass big time with J/D because that relationship was just so jarring, I have to think they were going back and forth on different ideas and that contributed to how off it was. I wasn’t a shipper, was the most casual of fans when I first watched s7, but I didn’t enjoy any of their scenes. All were deeply unpleasant, and usually, there’s a breaking point where the characters connect emotionally and it draws you in and you see how they’re good for each other/make each other happy/or if it’s a toxic ship, you have that undeniable chemistry and believe they’re inexorably drawn to each other. But nope! I got nothin. When I watched the finale I thought D&D had been working against their own story during s7-8, and I still can’t figure out what the hell they were thinking.

I agree about Myrcella’s parentage reveal too. I can still remember her face when she’s talking to Jaime. It was presented in an emotional/relational context which makes it matter to the audience, but I actually can’t remember the specific words Jon says when he’s told, just that he was angry and stormed away. He tells Dany “it’s true. I know it is” so we know he accepts it, but I don’t know what to make of his feelings. Is he upset with Rhaegar? Ned? Is he ok with being a Targ? Did he wish he wasn’t? How did he come to accept it so quickly? What inside of him told him this was true? None of that mattered to D&D, they wanted to get Dany angry, isolated, and paranoid. That was all the use they had for parentage reveal. 😩

#dot chat