#i am stronger than this. i am better than this!!

[loveharlow]

my unpopular obx opinions that no one asked for (unfiltered and in detail)...

Sarah cheating on John B was not unexpected. She ran into the arms of Topper Thornton whenever the opportunity presented itself which bring me to my next point...

Sarah does not like being a pogue. I believed she liked the initial freedom and adventure but when shit gets tough, she runs back to what reminds her of her old life (*cough cough* Topper). She has the luxury of being on the fence of Kook and Pogue sometimes.

Pope is technically the real main character of the show. On paper, yes, the show is about John B finishing the treasure hunt that his father started. BUT, after season 2, it was clear that the entire treasure itself revolved around Pope, a direct descendant of the man the treasure belonged to and I don't think we got enough of that.

Pope is a stronger character than he is presented to be. I think the show highlighted his self-defense capability in seasons 2 and 3 but it's widely ignored that this man has gone up against Rafe on multiple occassions and lowkey beat his ass. (Rafe beat his ass too but still).

Kiara will forever be wrong for how she did Pope. She treated him like SHIT. Like, if I was Pope, I genuinely could not be friends with her after like. P4L my ass. And then there are people who call him butthurt but if the roles were reversed...Hardcore Kie fans can defend her all they'd like but after a certain point, there was no excuse for her to be leading him on the way she did. She knew she didn't like him in that way and that's very clear from the start of season 2, but she proceeds to sleep with him and then tell him off.

Ward is a better father than Big John. Y'know, I pondered on this for a bit. And I am standing by it. Big John would break both of John B's legs and throw him onto a set of train tracks if it got him closer to finding the gold and excuse it by saying some shit like "But you didn't die, did ya, Bird?". Like that man was ALIVE for almost an entire year and made no attempt to contact his son. Ward is a criminal by all means but most of the time, at least what we saw as viewers, he was doing it for Rafe.

Cleo deserves more screen time and a better backstory. I know she's a new character and all but like WHAT'S HER LAST NAME?? Like does she not have one? Is she not real??

(edit) Kiara is very insensitive to the feelings of her friends and overall generally self-centered. She literally acts like her parents are the worst in the world. I get it, they don't like her friends and they are indeed hypocritical towards the pogues considering her father was one. But in season 2, she gets in the car and says "this shit would be so much easier without parents" next to JJ, aka the one with an abusive father. Not to mention, she's seen how John B fell apart after his father disappeared and how hard it's been for Sarah to go against her father.

CLEOPOPE BEST SHIP.

Anyway, I did this out of boredom. I had to take a break from actual writing for a moment.

#harlowstfu🤫 #jj maybank x reader #rafe cameron x reader #obx opinions #anti jiara #obx cleopope #jarah #obx jarah #rafe cameron #jj maybank #kiara carerra #john b routledge #sarah cameron #pope heyward #cleo obx #obx

[oobbbear]

I have two things to say!

First up, I have idea for a doll collector character whos like friends/acquaintances with O.K., am I aloud to maketh it?

Second, how did Worm go from this

To this?

I love her as the like big hand centipede thingy yes, but still, howwweeee

1. Yes of course go ahead!!! The only rule for human ok ocs is to not make soul gem crafters and family/relatives of ok, other than that anything is alright :]!

2.

-She’s stronger like this she can protect ok better

-Worm’s body is made with dismembered doll parts, It servers as a warning to the other dolls saying “this is where you’ll end up if you try to run away”

-Ok changes Worm’s appearance to her likings of the time, guess this is what ok’s into now days

#ask #orange knife #ok #worm

[matan4il]

do you think irans attack this past weekend was a test? a dip of the toe, if you will, to assess potential future plan viability?

can’t shake the thought unfortunately

Hi lovely, sorry it's taken me a moment to reply! I think you're justified in thinking this way, because when the top military experts all did not foresee Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel coming, we all have to take their threats very seriously.

That said, I personally find it hard to believe that Iran will make its "big move" before it has a nuclear weapon. Israel (supposedly) has nuclear weapons, and also has (again, supposedly) some of them loaded unto nuclear submarines. Why the submarines? Because those are hard to locate, which means that even if an enemy thinks they can somehow exterminate Israel with one decisive strike, they'll still pay the price of Israel's retaliation, launched from those submarines. And THAT is a serious deterrent. So if Iran wants to destroy Israel and live to tell the tale, it needs at the very least its own nuclear weapon, and a plan on how to stop Israel's nuclear submarines from striking back.

Iran is def not in a place where it thinks it can avoid Israel's retaliation (at least not yet). How do I know? Because of the money they invest in Hezbollah. More than any of the other terrorist organizations it funds, the Iranian regime arms, trains and prepares Hezbollah to be its main extension during an all out war with Israel. Hezbollah is believed to be at least ten times stronger than Hamas, at least in terms of manpower and number of rockets, and Iran was still reluctant to add its power to that of Hamas on Oct 7. They're reserving that terrorist organization and its power for the day they'll need it. The reluctance to use it during the current war tells me Iran is still not ready for the ultimate showdown with Israel. It's also supported by the fact that Iran was quick to announce after its attack on Israel, that they're done if Israel doesn't further attacks, and then the Iranian regime pretended like it couldn't determine who launched the (counter)strike on Isfahan, and also did all it could to hide the damage that we now know was caused to Iran's aerial defense systems, protecting its nuclear program...

Iran is not ready yet. Does that mean they're not learning from this little exchange of blows? They are. Just like Hamas used every time they fired rockets at Israel to study Iron Dome, and make their next attacks more efficient. But what did the Iranian regime learn? That even when it looks like Israel is more diplomatically isolated than ever, that doesn't mean that the world's leaders will stand by when unjustified aggression is launched at it. They DO understand that what Iran gets away with when it comes to Israel can come for their own countries next. That its air defense systems are still no match for Israel's attack capabilities, since the Iranians failed to even detect them coming in. That there is a coalition in place, which even includes identified and unidentified moderate Arab countries, back by western ones, and this constellation will be much harder to fight than Israel on its own, even with Iran's proxies. That 99% success at defending Israel means Iran is not even close to where it needs to be, if it wants to launch its ultimate attack.

We do have to be wary, and I'm sure the heads of Israel's security forces are. But I also think we still have time before Iran makes its "big move" to destroy Israel, because honestly, I do believe they know they won't get more than one shot. So... I have that's a bit of comfort. I'm not saying Iran won't attack, but I am saying I don't think we're there yet. And just like Iran can use this little exchange to study Israel, we can do the same right back. Remember, Israel has a laser defense system that's meant to go operational in the near future, and it's meant to be even better (in more than one way) than Iron Dome. So we have a few tricks up our sleeves, too... ;)

Sending you a big hug, I hope you're okay, and if you celebrate it, then have a happy Passover! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

#israel #antisemitism #israeli #israel news #israel under attack #israel under fire #terrorism #anti terrorism #hamas #antisemitic #antisemites #jews #jew #judaism #jumblr #frumblr #jewish #israelunderattack #iran

[mama-qwerty]

Knuckles Series - My Way

Okay, so overall, my whole family had fun watching it together, and there were things I liked about it, and things I thought could have been done better.

So how would I have handled the series?

Buckle up, this’ll get long.

We open the same way (without Sonic’s voiceover – let Knuckles explain things and get us into his mindspace) and see Knux training in his home-built obstacle course. Once he’s done, he feels victorious, before his smile drops and a new expression clouds his features as a thought occurs.

Now what?

He’s the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy. He’s bested countless opponents, survived harsh environments and any challenger who came forth. He successfully completed his quest to find the Master Emerald, allowing his tribe and ancestors to finally find peace.

But that’s something he can’t understand how to cope with.

Peace.

He’s never known it. All his life has been a struggle, a fight, a battle to be waged and won. Now that he is safe, without constant bounty hunters after him, without fearing being tossed into an arena to fight for his life, what does he do with himself? What’s next?

This is when he heads back to the house to ‘battle’ the handymen. Maddie tries to soothe things over, but they drive off, and she makes her way to Knux, who’s celebrating his victory over the ‘trespassers’ with Cool Ranch Doritos.

Now, instead of her getting frustrated and just walking off to talk to the others about the “little red barbarian”, she sits down with him and tries to have a real talk. Tries to get to know him, and understand him better. He’s still in the kind of arrogant, boastful, “I’m the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy” mindset, so he’s not really listening. But she tries.

Next thing you know, he’s on the roof with Ozzy and Sonic goes up to chat with him. He meditates, does the fighting pit and Iron Throne, and gets grounded. All that can stay the same.

Here’s where we diverge.

Sonic comes up, gives him the “Just relax” speech, and Knuckles does some grumbling about it before sitting near the Master Emerald. He vents a bit about how he can best any challenger, but doing nothing is harder than any battle he’s ever faced. He just doesn’t know what to do with himself, so he prays to his ancestors for guidance.

The ME glows, and his father appears before him in a vision. Dad tells Knuckles he is so proud of him, and when Knux questions what he should do now, Dad tells him that the time for fighting is at an end. That echidna weren’t always warriors—they were protectors once, using their strength to keep those weaker safe.

Knuckles contemplates this, and asks what that means for him. He has already pledged his life to protecting the Master Emerald, what else is there?

His father smiles, and shakes his head.

“My son, there is so much you have missed as you journeyed to finish our quest. You were so young when I left you. Do you not remember the village? Our tribe? We had songs, and history, and traditions that brought us a sense of belonging and togetherness. We were more than a tribe. We were a family. A home. Any man is stronger when he has those he cares for at his side. Those he trusts.”

Knuckles bristles at this. “I was hunted for most of my life. Constantly searching. I have no home. No tribe. Not anymore. I am alone.”

Dad shakes his head again. “That is not true. But I fear you will not believe me, so you shall have to come to see that for yourself.”

Knux gives a harumph. “The honor of the echidna falls to me alone.”

“Our honor was tainted by the actions of some so long ago that the truth has become lost. Your quest is ended. Your fight, over. You’ve returned what was once used and lost by those with ill intent. Your actions are noble. That is where true honor lies.”

Silence settles for a moment, before Knuckles speaks again, softly.

“I miss you. I . . . was not prepared for what I found in my journeys.” He paused. “For what found me.”

“I know, my son. I curse my own stubbornness for not turning back once the battle looked too lost. For leaving you so alone. I beg your forgiveness for being such a fool.”

“You were a warrior. Your brothers in arms needed you.”

“I was a father first and foremost. My son needed me more.”

More silence. Knuckles looks so much younger now, his face relaxed and pensive, his body no longer rigid and proud. Now he’s just a lost child, missing his father, and unsure what his future holds.

“You must stop living your life for us,” his father says, his voice soft. “You’ve completed our quest, and I am proud of you for that. But this was not the life I wanted for you. I have seen how some can become so focused on battling to the death, they forget to live life in between. I want you to live, my son. I want you to find happiness and light in your world. I want you to seek out those weaker than you, and lend your strength to them.”

Knuckles is quiet for a moment.

“I have done things I am not proud of. Trusted those who betrayed me. Hurt people. Been tricked into helping those who are evil.”

“The fault lies with those who have tricked you, or betrayed you. Not with you for trusting them. You have a pure heart, my son. Like your mother. Do not let the actions of others cause that heart to grow cold.”

So they finish up their little heart-to-heart and Knuckles decides to take his father’s words to heart. No time like the present, so he sneaks out of the house to wander the town and see where he can help.

MEANWHILE

I haven’t gotten Wade’s story all figured out, but maybe he’s feeling particularly down today because it’s the anniversary of when his dad abandoned him. He tried to go to the bowling alley to try and recapture that feeling of being with his dad, but it’s not working and only making him more miserable. He gets smack talked by Susie (or whomever) and feels so dejected he just leaves.

Now, normally when Wade moves through town, he’s all smiles and greeting everyone. But today he’s quiet and sullen and walking like he’s got a little rain cloud above him. No one seems to really notice or care, but Knuckles notices and decides to follow.

He watches as Wade throws his bowling ball into the trash. Curious, Knux digs it out and follows him back to his house. Wade goes in, goes to the kitchen, opens the fridge to grab a beer, and when he closes the door Knuckles is just there, scaring Wade half to death. (I have a headcanon that Knux can be so stealthy he seems to just appear sometimes.)

Knuckles asks Wade what troubles him, which launches into the whole “I used to love bowling with my dad, until he just left” backstory. Maybe Wade’s been writing letters, trying to get his dad to contact him, to at least get an answer for why he left. But he’s never heard back.

Wade’s father’s abandonment is what’s caused Wade’s meek and people-pleasing personality. Maybe he thinks he angered his dad somehow or disappointed him and that’s why Pete left. So Wade never wants to do anything to anger or disappoint anyone else. But this way of life is making him miserable, because no one takes him seriously, and he’s treated like a joke. He knows this but doesn’t know how to change.

Knuckles sees the obvious answer. “If your father’s disappearance is what caused you to lose your confidence, then confronting him would help you gain it back.”

Wade’s not so sure, but lets Knux talk him into going on a road trip to Reno, where Pete’s competing in the Championship Bowling thing.

They still stop at Wade’s mom’s house—because his sister is a big reason he feels inferior—and his mom is exactly the same because I love her, but his sister has got to have a personality change. Maybe she’s always been jealous of Wade because he was the favorite child, or she’s a bit angry because Wade always held out some hope that Pete would come back (which in turn, gave their mother that hope, which Wanda never shared and thought a waste of energy). Wanda holds a lot of anger toward Pete for running out on them, and because Wade and Pete were so close, she transfers a lot of those bad feelings to Wade.

She’s not in the FBI. She’s not some bratty kid in a grown woman’s body, being a real bitch to Wade. But she has anger and bitterness toward Pete, and thinks Wade’s trip to see him is a waste of time. And maybe she pulls him aside and tells him this, as a way to try and save him from being hurt again. Maybe she even tells Knuckles that this is only going to end up making Wade feel worse.

As the siblings bicker and argue, making Mother Whipple feel bad, Knuckles has had it and declares that they will fight to hash out these negative feelings. He hands them both Nerf bats, and they just pummel each other as they spit out everything they’ve felt. Eventually an epiphany happens, and Wade yells “I just want to know that he didn’t leave because of me!”

Everyone freezes. Wade goes on to say that ever since his dad left, he’s always thought it was his fault. Because he wasn’t what his dad wanted. Because he did something wrong, or wasn’t good enough, or something. And he knows that Pete leaving hurt his mom, and his sister was mad at not only their dad but him too, so he tried to be ‘good’ and not make others mad. He was always afraid to be himself since then, because if his own dad didn’t like him, then what hope did that leave for anyone else to?

Wade felt forced to change who he was in order to survive. That’s something Knuckles can identify with.

Basically, the whole thing would be both of them coming to understand that family legacy doesn’t necessarily mean that’s who they have to be. That they can choose who they are, without some expectation hanging over them based on their ancestors. That their strength comes from within, not from being the best warrior (Knuckles) or having his father’s approval (Wade).

And that you can still find your home and family, even if it’s been a long time since you’d been part of one.

We don’t even necessarily have to have a dedicated antagonist in this. It could be a form of Man vs Self, where they find themselves in situations that their current behavior exacerbates.

If there is an external villain, maybe something a little different, like a collector of exotic animals gets wind of Knuckles being out of the protection of Green Hills, and sets out to nab him for himself. Or it could be someone who wants Knux for his secret fighting ring or something. This could bring up bad memories for Knux, of being captured and sold as a child, and forced to fight in arenas for the amusement of others.

All in all, instead of having GUN as the villain of the week (again), with some dude who’s using Knux’s own power against him (again), this could have had a more introspective feel that didn’t fall into the “kids have to fight some big baddie” trope. The enemy they’re both fighting is within themselves.

The whole point would be for Knuckles to realize that he didn’t HAVE to fight all the time, and discover that there’s more to him than just being the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy. That he’s allowed to have fun, to have preferences and new experiences that in no way have anything to do with training or besting others. That he’s allowed to discover who he is, and get back in touch with the child inside he’d been protecting all these years.

I want him to see things in wonder. I want him to explore the world, to be captivated by things he’s never seen before. To feel comfortable letting his guard down, being close with others, and just being a little silly.

I want him to learn that it’s okay to be a kid. And I want Wade to learn it’s okay to be a grown up. Because Knuckles grew up before his time, and Wade kept himself from growing up for fear of being like his dad, or being abandoned again.

I think there were some good kernels in the series, perfect for the fandom to take and run with.

I’m not sure how much I’ll play with the events of the series, but I have had some scenes with Callie meeting Wade’s family percolating.

#knuckles series #knuckles series spoilers #knuckles the echidna #wade whipple

[wingsdippedingold]

I saw someone making a tik tok of Feyre talking to Nesta to an audio of Lexi and Meredith from Grey’s anatomy, and omg some of these Feyre fans have selective reading 😭😭

"I forgive you for treating me like crap” That’s fair, she was mean to you, and you don’t owe her forgiveness for that.

“I forgive you for letting me go into the woods” Nesta didn’t let Feyre go into the woods and I’m sick of people pretending like she did. Feyre did it on her own, which because she was a child was not her responsibility. You know who else was a child? Nesta. And I’m willing to bet that if Feyre didn’t, Nesta would find a way to put food on the table, because she was the one chopping wood, and I’m pretty sure Elain and Papa Archeron weren’t the ones taking care of the house.

“I don’t know how you get up in the morning, I honestly don’t” you know what? Neither do I. Nesta has been through so much, all of you have and y’all continue to treat her like she hasn’t done anything for y’all. She’s stronger than I am.

“Our dad abandoned you and our mom by all accounts was the meanest person ever, and you can’t love Cassian and it really really sucks” yeah it does suck. It really does, because Cassian forced her into a hike with no regard for her safety, forced her into intensive training, isolated her, locked her in a house, and was an overall shitty person to her. Forgive Nesta if she has a hard time liking him.

“But ever since I knew you existed, I had this fantasy about my older sister, and you failed on every occasion to live up to that fantasy” Oh my fucking god Feyre, did she fail when she trekked up a mountain to find you? Did she fail when she saved your life because your mate couldn’t be bothered to think about potential dangers of having a child beforehand? Did she fail when she sacrificed her own happiness and body to seduce men three times her her age so that you and your family could be better off? Maybe she was mean to you, but that is some real shit.

Obviously it’s not that serious and the poster needed it to match the audio, but it makes me so annoyed when people throw Nesta off a cliff

#anti sjm #anti acotar #anti sarah j maas #anti rhysand #sjm critical #anti inner circle #pro nesta #anti feyre #feyre critical #nesta archeron deserves better #nesta archeron #anti cassian #anti nessian

[mossflower]

loki season two has me screaming crying throwing up trying not to get dragged back into the mcu trenches

#i am stronger than this. i am better than this!! #by the trenches i mean consuming fanfiction at an unhealthy rate. fourteen year old me was insane i think i was on ao3 more than i slept #that’s not exaggeration. i was getting four hours of sleep on school nights and frequently went to bed at 5am on weekends #it is ONE good story. one. literally not worth it. i don’t even care about ninety percent of the mcu characters #i will ignore the little voice in my head reminding of the sheer amount of fanfiction. this was my pre-tumblr days #so my fandom interaction was like. youtube and ao3. maybe instagram posts sometimes. it was so much fun like. zero drama zero discourse #i was honestly living my best life. got less interested when i joined tumblr and went full doctor who mode #and after endgame i watched i think wandavision and loki and that was it. just didnt care anymore lol #i know exactly why this is happening tho. currently the thing i am insane about is my own damn project. which i am in the process of writin #for obvious reasons no fandom there. bc it lives in my mind twenty four fucking seven #i do wonder if i’m kind of growing away from fandom anyway? the closest i’ve got since toh ended was homestuck tbh #i want to feel obsessed with something again!! everything i’m into now - tma tlt and the like - i love them #but it doesnt hit like it used to. i don’t know it’s hard to explain #like video essays that i would have loved a few years ago!! the hour long ones about representation and queer media #they just irritate me now! i got halfway through one last week and had to bail i just could not care less #how did 2020 social media have me convinced that x character being gay was super important politically economically socially etc #ofc the answer is that i was a baby lesbian getting even less social interaction than normal #like representation is important obviously but also. sometimes it was not that deep #i don’t know if i’m making sense tbh but you get my drift #morganposting

[zaddyazula]

the most tragic thing about aot was mikasa being that obsessed with eren COME ON GIRL

#genuinely had my head in my hands like mikasa you are better than this #i’m fairly neutral eremika i don’t really ship them (i cried over them) but christ. come on mikasa #i do love mikasa my poor girl she is stronger than i’ll ever be but please stop trying to have sex with a bird 😭 your kids are watching 😭 #obviously i am joking the entire aot ending was tragic i was crying my eyes out for 40 minutes straight #but not even during season 4 throughout the whole show i was begging mikasa to do something for herself once #and saving eren’s life ten thousand times does not fall under that #zad talks #aot #aot spoilers #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #snk #mikasa ackerman #eren jaeger

[whumpshaped]

also not to be a robotfucker on main but do u ever think about how all the little sex toys we made feel soooo good and how itd be so cool to have a little robot partner. and how that could turn so fucking whumpy so quickly. do u ever think abt robot noncon. no? just me? ok

#im just saying those things r precise and Powerful #i just love robots bro #the whole idea of 'we made this thing thats literally better than us in 95% of areas and if it turned against us thatd be devastating' #not even irl but like scifi definitely lol #its sooo hot #its like basically the other side of having a monster bf #except w the monster bf ur like oh yea this is my monster bf i am taking a very clear risk here #and w the robot ur like ah yes this is my robot gf i will never assume a single bad thing and her bc she was programmed to be perfect :) #why would she ever maul me like ur monster bf thats so silly :) #yes i know shes even stronger than him whats ur point shes never gonna do it haha #anyway #whump #citrus scale #nonhuman whumper

[meirimerens]

i'm very sorry to say this, but meiri, you are a foul woman for making me (a lonely lesbian) lust for a gender bent version of a canonically male character.....keep going 👍

in a more just world there would be no more male characters and the female characters would be as diverse as them. in a just world a female character would be a 197cm tall bald lying secretive corpse-desecrator who would attack her childhood friend and almost-adopted-sister on sight, spitting in her face that it was she who slept by their mentor's feet like a dog. in a just world a female character would be a vaguely futchy¹ bipolar alcoholic who tries to self-immolate in front of you, participated in a colleague's murder with her sister (or did she?), delirious from guilt, illness and drink (and it NOT being the "sexualized crazywoman" trope. because she'd be worse), whose sister would be protective of her like a rabid dog. in a just world a female character could be a brown-eyed brunette in a tacky snakeskin coat, arrogant, haughty until circumstances beyond her comprehension break her spirit, able and willing to tell someone that if they're that much of a pussy about killing themself she'll fucking help. in a just world a female character could be butcher [as in the cutter of meat.], daughter of butcher, feared for her perceived violence but not more wicked than any other, collecting organs and keeping them in her little pouch.

but it is not a just world. so fine. (rolls up sleeves) i'll do it myself.

¹ the butch-femme scale is not real and therefore "futch" or "futchy" isn't either. however that is a really funny word for a joke

#when i typed ''artemida isidorovna burakh you are a stronger woman than i am. if my lesbian colleague was a brown-eyed brunette #with hairy arms and a little girlstache i would have had to be escorted out of the building #with ropes pushing on my croup like a wild horse'' meant it. as a man he's going to get the pit. as a woman...... she and i could fight #about it first. okay #thank you/you're welcome by the way. they're almost more like OCs at this point i pretend i don't even see it. #they're like. these men's sisters. #actually i have better: i have a hc that all tragedians are women and in my mind i think about tragedians being ''assigned'' a person to #''play'' so. those are the women under the masks......... yes............ #rule 63 #<- speaking of it. also if you don't want to read me speak about it

[procrastinatorproject]

Fuck it, I'm gonna start posting my own shouty thoughts on season 3 of Picard rather than just commenting on other people's stuff.

I'll keep taggin everything "#picard spoilers" (assume I'm talking about everything up to the most recent ep, I'll warn seperately for leaked/promo stuff about ep 10) and "#picard saltiness" so you know what to blacklist (or look for, I'm not telling you how to internet 😋).

I'm sorry/get ready.

Here's the thing. I would like to watch season 3 of Picard and think "Oh well, this wasn't made for me, the same way season 1 wasn't made for the type of TNG fan who is in heaven right now. And I'm sad my favourite characters and main reasons I liked the show in the first place got written off, but I'm glad these other fans are having the time of their lives. Good on them, I'll just mentally file this away as a season/new show that I don't connect with as much as I'd hoped." I really, really want to be able to think that and approach season 3 this way.

But the writers won't let me.

At every turn, and I mean every turn, the writers have gone out of their way to not just pretend the previous two seasons didn't happen, but to remind us they happened and they were stupid and you're stupid to ever have enjoyed them.

It's not just that Picard, in the middle of his disillusioned identity crisis, when he has been holed up on his vinyard for over a decade, talking to nobody, and feeling deeply disappointed by Starfleet, gives an impassioned speech to a bunch of young people about how Starfleet is the only family you'll ever need.

That's a type of discontinuity/soft retcon I don't particularly enjoy, but if it were just that, I wouldn't be writing this way too long screed.

It's not even just the implicit "we will do it right this time" on display e.g. when Picard "flies" the Titan out of the labouring nebula. In that scene, Picard walks up to the captain's chair to take the conn, the TNG theme swells, he sits down, the music becomes bombastic, and he gets to be the Heroic Captain We All Remember. That scene is, in my opinion, something of a parallel to the season 1 scene where Picard tries to hijack La Sirena to take Soji to her people. In the season 1 scene, he sits in the captain's chair, the TNG-inspired music swells, he is about to be the Heroic Captain We All Remember -- except then the music fizzles out and the moment deflates because Picard has been retired for a decade and a half and has no idea what he's doing (and is certainly not the most qualified to do it on an unfamiliar ship).

That parallel in season 3 rubbed me the wrong way, because it felt too close to a refutation of season 1. Too close to "See? This is how that scene should have played out!" But that is a me problem. If the writers were remotely aware of the parallel (and I honestly doubt it, because I'm not sure they know season 1 well enough), it's just as likely they wrote it as a tongue-in-cheek reference, more than a rebuttal. Assuming the worst would have been on me and my unwillingness to give this season a fair shake. And if that sort of scene were the worst of it, I wouldn't be happy about it, but I wouldn't make it everybody else's problem.

Except the writers didn't stop there.

I would (eventually) be okay with it if the writers had just quietly abandoned, ignored, or even outright retconned some characters, history, themes, and plots from season 1 and 2 they disliked. But instead, they repeatedly acknowledge the existence of these elements only to then dismiss them in frankly viscious ways.

It's not enough to ignore the Jurati-Borg in all their Eggness glory and how they would be incredibly relevant to this story season 3 is trying to tell. It's not enough to pretend that storyline never happened and move on. Instead, the writers acknowledge the existence of the new collective, but the only sentence where it's mentioned is a character talking about "That weird shit on the Stargazer."

Yes, Shaw is a dick, yes it fits his character, yes Watsonian reasons. But it was still an active choice by the writers to only bring up one of the major plot developments of season 2 in the most derisive way possible.

Another example: The writers apparently felt that the Troi-Rikers didn't belong on Nepenthe. But it's not enough to have them move somewhere else between seasons, or even to let them have a discussion about how Nepenthe is steeped in loss and grief and they want to move somewhere else and start over.

Instead, the writers have to take time out of their already shoddily paced season to have these two characters extensively shit-talk one of the brightest momenst of season 1 (figuratively and literally). It's not just "they don't like it on Nepenthe anymore", it's "they never liked it, everything about it is terrible, everything season 1 showed you about their life there is a lie, and it has always been shitty and cringey and stupid, and you were stupid to like it!"

It's not just "we dumped our diverse characters, challenging themes, and relatively fresh view on the Trek universe from outside Starfleet for starship porn, great (white) men, and more Starfleet nostalgia than you can even comprehend". It's not just "we're going to ignore the existence of season 1 (and to a degree season 2), because it's not doing the things we want to do." It's not just "we're making this show, knowing (and not caring) that it will alienate a large chunk of the people who enjoyed season 1".

It's "we see what previous seasons were trying to do, and we need you to understand, really understand, how much contempt we have for these seasons and the people who enjoyed them."

I know some people felt this way about season 1 and the way it deconstructed Picard's image as the Great Heroic Captain and laid open his flaws and the flaws of the Federation. And I now empathize with them more than I ever thought I would. But I think there is a big qualitative difference in there.

In season 1, Picard gets put in his place. He has women people telling him when he's wrong, where he has failed, where he should have stepped up and needed to do better. But the show is still deeply sympathetic towards him. By the end of the season, Elnor has forgiven him, Raffi has forgiven him (without ever getting an apology), and he gets to save the day [whether the end to this particular arc is well done (it's not) is a rant for another day].

The failures Picard is being reproached for in season 1 pretty much exclusively happen between TNG and PIC. They tie in to patterns and tendencies the character has always had and attempt to deconstruct some of them. But there's no direct evisceration of specific things that happened on TNG.

At no point does Picard get out his Ressikan flute to make a glib comment about what a useless trinket it is, and how he should have thrown it out years ago. At no point does he turn to Riker and say: "Man, do you remember that Darmok and Jalad shit? What a waste of time! I wish we'd blown up that ship when we encountered it."

Season 1 is critical of Picard's character, yes, and it might feel crass or unfair at times (not least because we're still not used to seeing Great (White) Heroic Men Of Our Childhood get deconstructed that way). But any reproach the season 1 writers levelled at Picard pales in comparison to the petty contempt the season 3 writers regularly display towards the show they've ostensibly taken stewardship of.

Season 1 might have been a bit glib or inconsiderate of the legacy they inherited. Season 3 is viscious. And I am so, so tired of it.

#star trek picard #star trek picard season 3 #picard spoilers #picard saltiness #and to head this off at the pass: 'the writers aren't trying to be mean they're just making jokes' #doesn't really make the situation better. #if you don't understand the material you inherited and your own writing well enough to realize your being a petty dick #that doesn't say anything good about you as a writer or the people who let you be in charge #last week i was incandescent with rage #this week i am just so so SO very tired #just make it stop #please #can it please be over? #i have deep respect for all the people who decided not to watch this season #you are stronger than me and you have made the right choice

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hi! I just wanted to say how much I adore the comic and art you make. You’ve put so much work into making this a long term project and your dedication really shows!

I hope you have a nice day! Here is a little sketch I am handing you a guy

Hands you a wwx that is so squishable.....

#fanart #Thank you so much for all your support and this lovely doodle! #AHHH!!!!! Look at them!!!!! This is *So* adorable!!! #pd-mdzs accurate to size too. Much to think about #I love his big eyes....he is thinking no thoughts at all and I love him for it #even if this is just a sketch I can really tell you have a lovely style...wrow #but seriously...thank you. You're one of the familiar names I see in my notifs and you've been here pretty early on too B'*) #I did this knowing it would be a few months or more but I never thought it would get *big* #it's definitely kept me going stronger than I would have on my own #I will finish this! I am the most tenacious beast to roam the circus #But I certainly feel better about it all knowing there are people cheering for me B*)

[camelspit]

thinking about stinas complete character 180° in stellarlune makes me so angry you don't understand. at least fitz's weird development, while not enjoyable, was at least a bit predictable. stina got so so much buildup in legacy (and tbh shes been getting it since around neverseen) and for what. what was the point if you're just gonna go "lol actually nvm shes mean again, but this time she doesnt even have a reason for it" like what.

#if i can think of the right words i might make a post explaining this better #but for now i just have to vent a bit because shes been on my mine and agh #shannon??? #favorite character out of both love and spite now #shannon may want me to hate her but i am stronger than that #kotlc #stina heks

[undergoing-mitosis]

what in the star wars shit is this why is literally everyone related

#jjk #jjk spoilers #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #i am not a manga reader for the record #so im just scrolling through the tag looking at all the family trees and being like wait what on earth is going on #let gege cook ngl #it's honestly funnier without context #like oh yeah yuuji's mum is kenjaku and yuuji's dad is sukuna's twin brother. this is a perfectly normal human being thing to happen #honestly the implications of this are so hype though. like yuuji genuinely had the capability to be as strong as #if not stronger than #gojo. like he could have inherited sukuna's technique?? that's insane #guess i better catch up with the manga haha #oh yeah and no /neg towards star wars star wars is great

[beevean]

I would like to ask Brain why does it love to compare me to people who have an inherent advantage over me that I cannot reach 🫠

#yes of course english natives use better english than i do #yes of course men are taller and stronger than i am (assuming we train the same) #it's okay brain i don't need to measure up to them! stop doing it! #(this brought by: me re-reading a fanfic i saved for inspiration and once again realizing that my vocabulary is poor)

[pebblezone]

I think she would collect the minions McDonald’s toys

#hellsing #hellsing ultimate #seras victoria #integra hellsing #pip bernadotte #a #ofc she would like the found family trope 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 #thank you cocolacola for inspiring this train of thought ❤️❤️❤️❤️🐟❤️🐟 #fun fact! my dad collected those minions McDonald’s toys no clue why but he was a big minions guy #I think his peak in life was watching the minions sing I Swear in dispicable me 2 in theaters. good for him yknow? #need to draw minion or da Bob seras for REALSIES but alas i am forced to work and be productive 💔💔💔💔💔💥💔💔💥💔 #need to make minions memes Now I have to fucking sprint with this. French posting fish posting Homo posting they can fucking wait #kinda fucked up they scheduled me to register for classes in the middle of one of my classes #granted it doesn’t matter shit exploded the fan and a strike’s going on so I don’t have that class but it’s the Principle #they want to see me fail they are praying soooo hard for my downfall 💥🔥🦭💥🔥🔥🐟🛬🇫🇷🇫🇷 #I mean okay they didn’t it went like incredibly smooth which was nice but they hate me they’re my enemy I am stronger and better than them #scheduling this so it leaves when I’m being held at gunpoint to do a group project. now those are legitimately people wanting me to fail #I’m sorry but they’re so unpredictable and ass the pros of them are so severely outweighed by the cons it’s binks

[detectivenyx]

i am extremely worried about people who are like, 'if you didn't like the barbie movie i don't trust you'. there are valid fucking reasons to distrust it that don't boil down to 'the dudebros are angry a film about a girl's doll doesn't have a man at centre frame'

the film very much DOES have a man at center frame and the film is really all about how ken's feelings are treated by the barbies (with the 'punishment' for the barbies treating the kens like shit being subjugated to their own oppression for a few hours - creating a weird implication that oppression will be solved if we oppress the oppressors, but only a little bit, and then they'll realise How Wrong They Were).

the criticism of barbie and what she'd done to the self esteem of generations of young girls is handwaived into a single scene that focuses on how barbie of all people feels about it - in a way that reads like barbie's making a fucking beauty guru tier apology. those weren't tiny criticisms but now mattel can claim that the barbie movie addressed it by making barbie sad at the accusations. (also the criticisms were very much related to barbie's thinness and whiteness, but that was erased for a more 'YOU'RE NOT PERFECT' vague message)

barbie's 'i'm a real woman now!' moment is her going to a gynecology exam - it isn't bad on its own, but it's what it's used to symbolize. it's considered the point where barbie is a 'real woman', and equates real womanhood to having a vagina. that would've been one thing but the film was put out by Warner Bros, whose CEO lights up red in shinigami eyes and is the media company behind the continuation of the harry potter franchise long after rowling's hatred and bigotry became mass public knowledge.

so yeah. forgive me if this film strikes me as less feminist than both its predecessors mean girls and legally blonde AND princess and the pauper which had a trans cat or two in it

#'you are loved and you are kenough' shut uuuuuup! you don't mean that! #you want to sell me corporate memes! #i have to watch people i know would know better years ago regurgitate your nonsense and make the corporate schlock you put out #half of their entire personalities #making people i know have stronger capabilities than this into mindless fucking bimbos #who believe your corporate garbage too afraid to shove the boat anywhere away from the pier is the pinnacle of feminism! #where seeing their beloved toy come to life in a vaguely feminist feature becomes the apex of the rights movement #in the same decade we've seen some really fucking bad rollbacks in both legislation with roe vs wade #and in the resurgence in racist anti-queer cishet white woman supremacy framing itself as a Divine Feminine #am i not trustworthy? am i on par with the dudebros because i see these as actual problems you're content to sweep under the rug?