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#i’m seeing SUCH positive reviews for black widow
japrilsanatomy · 1 year
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Hey, so I’ve had this story in my drafts for a while now. I’ve never actually written fanfiction before, so this might be absolutely terrible, but sometimes you’ve just gotta get it out, you know?
Anyways, this story takes place at the end of Black Widow (2020). It dictates how Natasha reunited with her former teammates and how everyone got to the positions they were in in Infinity War. Romanogers, too, of course. Let me know if I should keep writing. Reviews are appreciated!😊
How We Stay Together
After the events of Black Widow, Natasha is on her own again. But what happens when she comes across a familiar face while breaking Team Cap out of prison? Can she earn their trust back? 
Chapter One: Everything Has Changed
Nat approached the stolen quinjet, her freshly died platinum bob mussing a bit in the light summer breeze as she said her farewells to Mason. “Where are you gonna go?”
     Nat had been pondering that question for a few days herself. She knew she was still a fugitive and she had to law low for a while after all of the uproar the events two weeks ago sparked. “It’s funny, my whole life I didn’t think I had any family. Turns out, I’ve got two.” Over the past month or so, Nat had felt a sort of emptiness. She didn’t realize how much the Avengers really meant to her until she didn’t have them anymore. “One of them’s a bit of a mess right now, I’m gonna go break a few of them out of prison, see if I can’t help patch things up.” She gave a last glance to her friend before turning and walking away.
     A few hours later, Nat sat thoughtfully in the pilot seat, feet propped up next to the controls. Now that she was thinking about it, she was quite nervous to see her former team members again. After all, she chose a different side when it came to the whole accords situation and fought them in Leipzig. She wasn’t sure if they’d accept her again. Wanda, Clint, Sam, they were some of her closest friends, but she didn’t know if they’d forgiven her yet, or if they ever would.
     But if she was being honest, the person she was most worried to see again was Steve. The two of them had grown close after working together as SHIELD operatives for two years, and then proceeding to take down HYDRA and the Winter Soldier largely on their own. He taught her how to trust and open up to people, and now he meant more to her than probably anyone on Earth. She didn’t know what she would do if he rejected her. It hurt to choose Tony’s side over Steve’s when it came to the accords, as she of all people knew how corrupt a government could be, but she made the best choice she could to keep her family together. Of course, that wasn’t the outcome, and now she’d maybe lost the few people she’d ever called friends. Of course, she’d ultimately let Steve and Bucky go in the end, but would it be enough to make him forgive her?
     Not long after, Nat could see the faint outline of the raft prison. “Good God”, she said to herself. “This is a bit overkill, don’t you think, Ross?” It just occurred to her that she didn’t really have a plan. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
     Nat circled the perimeter and concluded that there weren’t any guards in the area. She touched down as quietly as she could near the edge of the building. She was thankful for the cloak offered by the dark night sky as she made her way to the nearest window. On her way she saw another quinjet a few hundred feet away. Someone’s already here… she thought.
     Of course the window was locked. Why wouldn’t it be? Natasha kicked the glass hard with her boot a few times, and once the glass was cleared away she slowly squeezed her way through the small opening. She landed on her feet at the end of a dimly lit hallway, and she could see what she assumed was the main control room at the opposite end. Perfect.
     She cautiously made her way towards the center of the floor, glancing down each branching hallway and sneaking past a few guards before they could see her. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw her former leader and friend hunched over what appeared to be the surveillance system, surrounded by unconscious men who must have been on duty when he arrived.
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avengerrs · 3 years
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i think part of the reason why so many of us our losing our minds over phase four is because we’re actually seeing what a difference it makes when you have female directors. we have kari skogland for tfatws, kate herron for loki, cate shortland for black widow, and soon to be chloé zhao with the eternals, making SO MUCH of the mcu content we received this year directed by women. it’s just nice to see women in the directing chair for the mcu and honestly just in general. that’s all. it’s been long overdue <3
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starshipsofstarlord · 3 years
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In retrospect, bend over spy - Natasha Romanoff x reader
Masterlist Link
Summary; Natasha is on a mission, however she certainly gets more than she bargained for whilst undercover
Warnings; smut, gxg, rimming, fingering, strap on sex
The redhead slipped out of her panties, dropping the black lace to the ground, as she kicked the well loved material, that was inked with her wetness, from around her ankles. She bunched the material of her dress up she bent her bosom over your desk, slotting her legs open as she grew eager as she heard your approaching footsteps.
Your fingers plucked at her round and full cheeks, spreading them apart so you could gouge a explicit view of her quivering cunt, and the tight ring of her asshole. It’s spiral of tight skin clenched as she felt your penetrating gaze upon the close knitted ring of muscle. Allowing some spit to douse your finger, you rubbed it against her back entrance, stringing a web of a moan from her engorged and swollen mouth.
She was inadvertently biting her lips, gnawing upon her flesh and sufficiently plumping it, as she awaited for you to do something more. The assassin wiggled her ass back, as she felt you drop to your knees, feeling the curl of your tongue prodding at her rim. “Fuck, y/n.”
You moaned as you peeled the straps of your cami top down, shoving the material down to below your breasts as you pinched at your own nipples, tugging out some relief for yourself, as your tongue firmly pressed through the conviction of tight entryway, as your free hand that was failing to milk your breast slithered up to her pussy.
The fingers on your right hand spread her affiliated juices around, as you delved your nose against her crack, pushing your wet and smooth appendage further into her hole, drawing positive sounds of encouragement to continue your administrations out of her lying, scoundrel, avenger lips.
To frustrated her, you pulled back, instigating a whine from her, as you wore a dirty and privileged smirk. You stood, disappointing her, though she remained in her poised position, watching with wild forest eyes as you rounded the dismissal of your reviewing centre, coming to face her, and blessing her with the sight of your nude and stiff pebbled breasts.
“How’d you know my real name, Natalia?” Shit, she was exposed, in more ways than one. She readied to retaliate in her sultry craft of exposition, however, she stilled as you waved your hand in dismissal of her actions. “Come on tell me, and perhaps I’ll let our fun continue, may even tell you whatever you want to know, Black Widow.”
It seemed like a fair trade, for a moment in thought Natasha pursed her lips together, cocking her flushed head as she ran over her options. This was the easiest way to access an answer, and well, if you were to double cross her, then it’d be no hassle to take you out.
“You have hydra files that you recovered from a base, Coulson has been tracking you for some time. He noticed that your company provided export and import, and wanted to ensure that you weren’t spreading the word on the intel that you recovered.”
“Hm.” Crossing your arms over your free breasts, you paid her a due smile, amused by the information that she had been told. “Open the drawer to the right, Romanova, the flash drive is in there.”
Her hands obeyed your suggestion, slipping inside the storage, retaining a red keeper of files from within. Natalia held it to her face, speculating its exterior, seeing the infamous skull symbol that prompted all content the organisation stamped their works with.
“I used to be like you you know, a heroin, though I found it to be a means to an end. There is so much to sacrifice, and in the end, all you have to give is yourself. Over time, I’ve figured it’s better to be alive than dead, there is no use in instigating the title of superhero if one day you are to lose.”
“You mentioned fun after I recovered this from you, this conversation you are elaborating on hardly seems like the type.” The redhead spy spat with a quirk of her scarlet brow, as she peeled the fabric of her midnight dress up and over her head.
“Guess shield agents don’t like speaking about their travels, they used to have no mind back in my day.” Well, that supposed that you had been a traitor, having the folder of files in your possession. “I guess you don’t either considering who you have been.”
“I’m not here to trade pity tales, if you wish to enjoy our last moments together, I suggest you take those slacks off from your legs, and show me how you can possibly make my remaining presence here worthwhile.”
“Oh honey, it’s definitely going to be worth the wait.” You replied, harshly tugging at your belt, as you unravelled the Italian leather from around your waist, unzipping your trousers as they fell down, and to the ground in a figure right around your feet. “Like what you see?”
There was certainly something to see. A harness enveloped your waist, a faux appendage in the shade of lilac hanging from the centre, taunting her with surprise. It wasn’t what she had been expecting, not in the slightest.
“It’s okay.” She shrugged, no longer having to keep up the facade of an interested intern, though her pupils told a different story as they gazed lustfully at the strap. “Guess it’ll do.”
“It will do something widow, and I can prove that.” The two of you both nude, except from the attachment that’s prime purpose was instigate internal pleasure, walked towards each other, you noticed her leave the drive on the desk, but you didn’t allow her to witness your lingering view.
Instead, you ambushed her against the hardwood platform of your desk, teeth biting their way into her mouth, gaining access to slip your sly tongue within the contents of oral communication. A hum escorted out from her lungs, as her hands dug their manicured nails into your shoulders, scratching red lines into the skin, as she awaited for you to enter her.
“Prove it then.”
Well, that predicament was easy, as you bent her to your will, and arched her back against your work desk, sifting the items in the way onto the floor. “I’m glad you said that Natalia.” Her statement only gave you a rush to do exactly as she said, boy was she going to regret letting that mouth of hers run confidently against you.
Her legs spread, allowing you to stand between them, as you ran your fingertips over their tops, your teeth stretching forwards and nipping at her lip. With her hips, she shuffled, rubbing her sodden folds against the toy, she was desperate. The exterior that she portrayed, the cocky one that was here for a mission and nothing more, had been swept away as she urgently wrapped her legs around you, sending you closer to her.
“I knew you weren’t as blunt with your emotions as you are with your words.” You grabbed the base of the toy that was attached to your harness, dragging the tip of the plastic through her slit, as you readily entered her. Once you were situated completely within her, your hands changed position to be on the table, as she adjusted, your hand slid to the drive, flicking it onto the ground by your chair, changing it out for one that was beneath the mouse pad.
She was oblivious to the settlement of underlying mischief prominent in your actions, instead of focusing on your seclusive intentions, she was perused by the seducing revels that you wantonly deposited upon her, as your hips ground ceremoniously against her own, leaving a trail of erotic pecks up the expanse of her neck, as your other hand opposed a grip around the strap.
It felt like power embedded in your hand, as you provided it stability against gravity as you teased her folds with the ludicrous tip, entering the length within her walls as she cowered a mewl at the sensation of penetration, as you nipped down at her pulse point, sliding your competent fingers down to fiddle with her satirised clit, moving it around like a paddle in water. Once she was adjusted to the size of the toy, you began to retract it, only to thrust back into her.
Her head whipped back, exposing her clavicle which you eagerly traced with your tongue. With one moderately ravenous hand, you groped her breast, it filling your palm as you prowled deeper inside her, tracing your hips back and forth to create a sustainable rhythm. A glow brew upon her skin, defining her collarbones with a powerful sheen that gripped her pores wonderfully. Moans rattled huskily out from her throat as she received, as she bent her shape against yours, optimally accepting the rounds of stimulation that you adorned upon her body.
“I’m gonna cum y/n.” Her nose crinkled as she made her statement, and thus, you made your administrations that much more fast, belting into her to appease her a gyration that brought her closer to her orgasm. The last method that had her half screeching through her retrospective high, was a bittersweet pinch to her clit, that had her hurtling over the edge. You continued to move for a few moments, until it became too much for the spy.
As she caught her breath, you gently stroked her nipples, causing her to heave heavier. “Shame you were only here on a mission, that means I have no chance of convincing you to go out on a date with me.” Pulling the fake cock out of her cunt, watching as she whimpered from the notion. She grabbed for her items of clothing, slathering them back into appropriate placement upon her body.
“I don’t do dates.” She thickly stated, making you hum in acknowledgement, Natalia tried to soothe her hair with her hands until it looked presentable enough, going to turn, until you caught her arm, preventing her from doing so. You picked up the hard drive off from the desk, and simply handed it to her. “It was nice meeting you, you definitely made my breach here... interesting.”
“I aim to please.” You brashly shrugged, accepting her grateful smile as you watched the deceived and overplayed spy walk out of the door to your office. You threw your shirt over yourself, removing the harness that hugged your hips, and rolled your panties up your legs. You bent to the ground, retrieving the true aspect of your game. “Well, I guess you can’t have it all.” The real flash drive was pinched between your forefinger and your thumb as you blinked towards it.
You had managed to deceive an avenger, yet the whole cover would only be viable to hold up for so long. Your entire operation would have to move elsewhere if you were to have to avoid that fine fox and her friends. Paging your assistant, you filled her in on the business cards that were currently laid out before yourself.
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veliseraptor · 3 years
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there is my black widow movie
wow been a while since marvel movie write up, let’s see if I even remember how to do this. just got back from the theater with @ameliarating and @portraitoftheoddity and honestly you guys, non-spoilery first emotional reaction: I loved it. I had a fantastic time watching it. this is the first Marvel movie in a long time that I’ve watched and gone “oh wow I could watch that again.” I might actually watch it again. the only barrier is ticket prices.
anyway! yeah. so. positive feelings. proudly: there’s my black widow movie
to get more specific (with multiple spoilers below):
this is all going to be very stream of consciousness so I apologize in advance
to paraphrase an internet meme: WOMEN
seriously though this was a movie that was about women, centered women, the most prominent relationships were between women and I loved it, okay, I loved it so much.
the opening sequence with tomboy!Natasha who was clearly already semi-feral and had probably killed a man before.
child!Natasha screaming at everyone that she was going to kill all of them if they touched Yelena.
“you were even younger.” well fuck!!!
in general lots of angsty backstory juice in here. like, it doesn’t get lingered on because that’s not the point but there’s some...Yelena’s description of the forced hysterectomies, for example, is kind of a joke but it’s also extremely visceral and puts the emphasis on the violation of bodily autonomy, which, if you’re going to take that from comics that’s what you should be getting from it.
in general: dear Black Widow movie team I see you guys pulling from the Richard K. Morgan run, I see you, right down to the ‘violence inhibiting pheromones/breaking your nose to circumvent them’ thing.
me, in the theater when Natasha started provoking Dreykov into hitting her: HEY HEY I SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING
I would like to watch those opening credits again more closely because damn was there a lot going on and I’m pretty sure it gave implied confirmation (combined with the amount of punishment Nat took in this movie and got up again) that Natasha is more than baseline human to one degree or another, and I’m just pleased with that because it’s been my headcanon for ages.
YELENA BELOVA MY BELOVED oh my god Florence Pugh was a delight and so funny and just! her relationship with Natasha! the fact that that relationship was so central, was the driving force of the movie, and their dynamic was...
look, I have a lot of feelings about the way that Natasha acts younger around Yelena in the way that you get younger around your family, the way she’s less serious, she smiles more, it’s just...it’s good. it’s getting more of the Natasha we’ve seen glimpses of that isn’t just the badass spy/assassin.
anyway it’s just aslkdjsldkfj many many feelings about Yelena and Yelena as the one left behind
Natasha denying that they were real sisters? ouch. big woof! I want more of Yelena’s head in general because there’s a lot going on there, so hope some fic digs into that. or maybe I’m going to have to? I have so many things to write already without picking up a fic with a very small audience sldkjfslkdjfhhhh
the fight choreography was a delight to watch. and also delightfully brutal. especially loved the Yelena v. Natasha fight but there were lots of good ones.
Taskmaster reveal was a good choice and I’m so glad that Natasha got her out. flashbacks of Ava Starr a little bit but like
Natasha as a savior of women and girls in particular and how that’s been a thread in recent comic runs for her? yes, thank you, into that
shallow but: this movie had some prime Natasha hair. excellent, the one she has at the end of the movie pre-hair dye is maybe my favorite ever
teared up when Natasha and Yelena hugged. congratulations Marvel, punched me right in the sister feelings
straight up cried during the post credits scene alkjsdf I’ve spent the years since Endgame in a vague state of denial about Natasha being dead so that was a rough wake up call
there was a tiny tiny part of me that was like what if they bring her back though and...yeah, they weren’t gonna do that but. I was still thinking it for a minute there.
but damn what a hook for (probably???) the Hawkeye series and does this mean that there’s going to be more Yelena, cause if so then good, and also yes thank you for the grief/mourning aftermath of Natasha’s death being a thing maybe because I was not vibing with how that was (not) happening
anyway. loved it, the accents were puzzling and I’m sure the spoken Russian was appalling but like. it gave me a lot. I am so pleased
(also just. reminding me how much I fucking love Natasha sldkjsdlkfjsdlfkj my girl!!!!)
other shit will probably come up but I’ll call it for now and leave this vague screaming emotional post here. could I write a coherent review? probably if I tried but that sounds like a lot of work
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2021 Year In Review
(stealing this format from a review I did for last year. It was a tag game I think but I’m too lazy to start that up. I say after writing all this out, haha.)
Top Five Films you watched in 2021:
Your Name, 2016 (the animation! The music! The angst! Ahhhhhhhh)
Dune, 2021 (absolutely stunning, cannot recommend enough, whether or not you’ve read the book)
Wolfwalkers, 2020 (I loved the first two films in the Irish Mythology trilogy and this one completely blew me away)
Black Widow, 2021 (found family, no romantic subplots which is practically unheard of, women kicking ass, and a canon ace character? Sign me tf up)
Weathering With You, 2019 (utterly adorable and I listened to The Great Escape afterwards on repeat for hours)
Top Five TV Shows in 2021:
The Dragon Prince (Yes, we’ve been on hiatus for like 2 years. No, I don’t care. I rewatched it enough times to count)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (recommended by @starsinyourskyes in retaliation for getting her hooked on the Stormlight Archive. Well, it worked. I’m obsessed, and I am absolute Royai trash)
Derry Girls (recommend by @iwillhaveamoonbase and her plethora of Sister Michael gifs. I laughed, I cried, good times)
The Wheel of Time (Siuanraine for the WIN. Also we're getting Aviendha next season right? Right??)
Uhhhhhhhhhhh freespace lol
Top Five Songs/Albums in 2021:
The Best Is Yet To Come by Shepard
Sky Full Of Song by Florence and the Machine
Heaven Knows by Five for Fighting
War Paint by Fletcher
Paper Planes by Elina
Top Five Books of 2021:
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (deep breath) (incoherent screaming)
Educated by Tara Westover
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (so. Much. Fun)
Artemis by Andy Weir (A rec from @mountainsatellite ! Let Jazz Bashara have her own private bathroom 2k21)(it's funny bc it's set in the future)
Wintering by Katherine May
Top Five Fanfictions of 2021:
Homeward Bound by @numptypylon (The Dragon Prince, an ongoing slow-burn Rayllum modern AU. It’s got fluff, it’s got angst, it’s got hurt/comfort, it’s got Rayllum being dorks--the emotional bandwith is both deep and wide!!)
delicate by @lantur (FMA, a Riza Hawkeye character study spanning from pre-canon childhood to well post-canon. Plenty of Royai, naturally. Words cannot give justice to how good this fic is and how much I love it!)
snipers solve 99% of all problems by silentwalrus (okay so like. I’m not usually a crossover person but holyyyy frick frack this FMA/Harry Potter one is fun. Still ongoing and basically 80 chapters of Edward Elric bitching about wizards and saying fuck 3,000 times. I hadn’t laughed this hard since I read The Martian.)
Son of Thorns by @truthwatcher-vez (The Stormlight Archive; I’m admittedly wayyy behind on this one, but it’s a post-RoW fic centered on Renarin Kholin. He definitely deserves some time to shine after we were robbed of content for him in RoW 😤 The author’s Rlainarin series, Chasms Between, is also excellent!)
Controlled Burn by madelinescribbles @okiedoketm (FMA role reversal where Al & Ed are climbing the ranks of the military and Roy commits human transmutation, blinding himself and getting Riza stuck in a taxidermy hawk. Ongoing fic, the characterization is soooo on point despite the role reversal, and the plot is so intriguing!)
Five good/positive things that happened to you in 2021
Seeing friends again!! I got to go visit a good college friend I hadn't seen in years since we graduated, and another friend I'd only seen once since we graduated came to visit twice! (Why do all my friends live across the country?)
I wrote. So much. Fanfiction 🤣 Hit a major slump this fall when rising COVID cases in my area started to make work hellish again, but I'm starting to get back into it!
Started therapy for the first time back in May. Also recently started a new antidepressant, after a bad adverse reaction scared me off from them for a while. Still have a long ways to go, but I'm feeling much better, and I haven't had an anxiety attack at work since.
Realized I'm asexual! Which explains soooo much about my life 🤣 Still coming to terms with it in some respects, but simply knowing brings so much peace and pride in my identity.
I got a Tumblr in 2020 but this was the year I really started becoming active in a few fandoms and really connecting with people on here! It's been a blast, and I love freaking out about shared interests with you all💕
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bereft-of-frogs · 3 years
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I always find it odd how broadly speaking, MCU things do well with gen audiences, like Loki got the highest critical scores out of the three MCU shows so far but then for each project there seems to be some really passionate hate too from certain internet corners. Like, I heard someone say Black Widow was awful and I'm like... really?... awful?
Presuming this ask is from me talking last night about I wish the Loki series was the worst show I’ve ever seen, because god I’ve watched some bad shows - Black Widow certainly had its flaws and I wouldn’t count it in the top of the MCU by any means, but again, good god I wish it were the worst movie I’d seen this year alone.
I think the reason general audiences rate these things higher is contextual. Most general audiences go in knowing roughly what they’re going to get out of a high budget tentpole film. They’re going in expected to be entertained and not expecting to have to really think so much so they’re largely satisfied because their expectations have generally been met. Good rating. Boom. Done. And then they don’t think about it until they’re looking for the next thing to do on date night.
The two groups of people who hate these films loudly, consistently, vocally tend to be: the people who think Marvel is ruining all of film and culture and is a moral blight on the world because people aren’t watching Citizen Kane anymore or something. That was a pretty extreme generalization of their viewpoint, I’m sorry haha, and they do have half a point - Disney is fast reaching a terrifying monopoly status in the industry, and their distribution model is really hurting smaller cinemas, and it’s hard to get started as a filmmaker nowadays, just to name a few problems with how dominant they’ve become. But also no, you, individual moviegoer who just wants to watch some pretty people fight each other with good special effects, are not responsible for the death of all culture, and also these people are around for every mass popular phenomenon and surely will be to the end of time.
The second group is the diehard fans who are constantly analyzing and building up expectations, sometimes for years, and are disappointed when those expectations aren’t met, even if otherwise the thing is well constructed. These are people with a personal investment and possibly some...unrealistic ideas about what Marvel Studios is actually able to do, and also have sort of lost sight of what general audiences would want, so they’re crushed when the narratives they’ve built up over time aren’t actually done. I mean, I think sometimes that they’ve even lost sight of what other diehard fans would want, and assume that their singular vision is of universal appeal. I just remember a lot of the most dominate ‘the Loki series better do [this]’ stuff had me going ‘oof I kinda hope it doesn’t...’
But yeah, I think the hate comes from passion and...building up unrealistic expectations and losing sight of how and why these movies appeal to other fans or general audiences.
And I can certainly sympathize, because that was definitely Endgame for me. I think the difference is I can recognize that Endgame was a fairly well produced film, even if I was personally really disappointed by the tone and plot decisions, and I got why people liked it. I think we should really make more room for people to be like 'personally, it was really bad for me, but I also understand how others can like it'. I also often cite Kingsman: The Secret Service as a movie that I personally hated. I really hated it. I had a huge problem with it (and similar to Endgame was also going through some personal stuff that may have colored my experience) but I can still recognize why people enjoyed it and it was a ‘good’ movie.
I also think a lot of the really extremely online fandom types that get this upset over Marvel movies/series...don’t watch a lot of TV. And that’s not me just making stuff up, people talk about that! There are so many posts nowadays where people specifically talk about not being able to get into any new things, or only caring about Loki, or only reading fanfiction. And like, do whatever, I don’t care, but I do watch a lot of television. I make time and space to watch a good deal of television, and I feel like people who are watching more have more of a grasp on the highs and lows, shall we say. Aka, there’s a lot of shit to filter through and when you watch a greater breadth of TV (or film...I’m more in a TV phase right now, but same for film) I think it’s easier to recognize quality and be able to sort things into ‘objectively good’ ‘objectively bad’ categories. (And the related ‘good but I didn’t like it for personal reasons’ ‘bad but I did like it for personal reasons’ subcategories.)
And I will say, I can also sympathize with feeling really confused when you really don’t like something and then it gets a bunch of positive reviews. The true worst TV series I watched this year, Amazon’s Dark/Web, has a good blurb from Den of Geek and a few Emmy nominations (though I’m assuming they were technical...I have to assume they’re technical lol). My so-far least favorite film, Pieces of a Woman, has a 7.1 on IMDB and got good reviews. And it does kind of suck when you’re like ‘hey what the fuck, how is everyone not seeing how bad this is?’ but...I think that’s only solved by watching a lot of TV/movies and getting a sense for your own tastes and different levels of quality, and our society opening up more space for people to feel comfortable saying things like ‘I really didn’t like it, but I can see that it’s well-made and I’m glad you enjoyed it!’ or vice versa. (Which, given how we can barely get people to stop looking for moral reasons to hate something when they just don’t vibe with it...I don’t have a lot of hope lol.)
Disclaimer: not everyone, etc etc, and obviously I’m not talking about the people who say things like ‘eh it wasn’t for me’. That’s a perfectly natural response! It’s okay to not like things, obviously. What I’m specifically referring to is the people who say whatever new Marvel thing it’s the worst show/movie they’ve ever seen, which thus far seems to be no more than a handful, but their posts occasionally make it to my dash and I do think of them every time I’m watching an objectively terrible TV show like ‘god I wish that were me’ XD
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Nightwing #81 Review
i swear i actually thought no one was interested so i didn’t write one but a grand total of two (2) people said they wanted to read it, so here it is. honestly, my opinion’s been going a bit downhill, but the art is really cool and there are some decent parts so. holding out i guess? i really hope taylor has an end goal or at least a cohesive plan, otherwise i don’t see this series going anywhere i’ll particularly enjoy
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the cover is very straightforward in its imagery, this villain has nightwing in the palm of his hand, easily manipulated, easily controlled no matter the action dick thinks he’ll take. 
what i find interesting is the colour: both previously and heavily in this issue, the colourist has chosen to make pink this villain’s main colour, with different shades of pink as accents. so why the red in the cover? possibly to just make it more eye-grabbing, though one could argue that pink is even more eye-catching than red. maybe to convey a sense of dread or fear that pink won’t fully get across. either way, it’s definitely a decision i’m curious about.
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so melinda zucco is in a high enough political position within bludhaven that she is next in line to become the mayor after the previous mayor died and dick just,,,,didn’t have any idea she existed? dick didn’t know anything about her? forget dick’s own brilliant detective skills, forget his doggedness at anything zucco related, you’re telling me bruce never found her and told dick about her? maybe he wouldn’t have now, but back when dick was a young kid, he definitely would have at least made dick aware of her existence, to let dick know and ask if he wanted to interfere with her life or anything.
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i have a thought about zucco’s facial expressions. she is very much stone-cold poker face throughout the entire issue. the only time i see her pull a different expression is near the end when dick corners her against a wall with an arm around her throat. 
this is most certainly intentional, what with the varied and intense expressions we see on other characters, dick most prominently. i’m wondering what exactly is the creative team’s reasoning behind this. in these panels, zucco is meeting with the most dangerous, powerful, near-bloodthirsty man in all of bludhaven and becoming the mayor of the city respectfully. in both of these panels, there is barely a hint of emotion in her face: no fear, no determination, no satisfaction. it’s just odd, considering the circumstances she’s in, regardless of any training recieved.
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just spitballing here but. like. from what i’ve read so far, dick doesn’t really seem like bludhaven’s guardian angel. more like when peter parker first put on spandex and blindly stepped out into new york.
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dick, how exactly can you underestimate someone from one move. so he caught your escrima. anyone with enhanced reflexes can do that. you still don’t know how he can actually fight, and this is shown in the next set of panels. 
i just don’t like the wording here. dick’s “underestimated” him, but beats him up easy in the next page. in addition, i don’t know much about combat, but i would assume it would take more than one move to determine exactly what an opponent’s skill level is, made even more complex when you add physical enhancements and metahumans and aliens into the mixture.
idk my first thought when i saw that he caught the stick was “ah ok he’s enhanced” because obviously he couldn’t have reacted fast enough if he wasn’t (as there are few people trained enough to catch it on human reflexes alone.) then the wording in the next panel, i’ve underestimated him, made me think “oh no ok so he’s not enhanced, he’s just a really good fighter and can give dick a run for his money in a fight.” then, it turns out my first assumption was proven correct in the next panel. it just comes across as misleading to me.
(also sidenote but his curls are cute.)
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have i praised the art enough in this series? no, i have not.
i adore the way this is laid out and illustrated. without even having to read the text, the action sequence is visually engaging and intense, and easily followable from one panel to the next. dick’s physical expertise comes through quite efficiently, and i love the special attention shown to draw our attention to dick’s escrima in the bottom right corner.
also that move in the middle row leftmost panel that’s the mcu black widow move to get up off the ground it was the first thing i noticed and it made me laugh; thought it was worth noting
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i’m really loving dick’s escrima sticks in this run. they’re just so multipurpose, it’s hilarious and exhilarating. kinda reminds me of bruce’s belt, the way the button in the middle does eevveeerrryyytthhiinngg. 
got a problem? don’t worry! dick’s installed a feature into his escrima that can fix that! (i like thinking dick helped make them it makes me happy and makes my engineer!dick side satisfied)
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yawn. your big heart is your one true weakness yadda yadda the fact that you care will be used against you blah blah we get it. jesus can the villains please find a different weakness to exploit, this is getting old.
i need dick’s capacity to empathize and care and love to stop being a weakness that villains sneer about. bonus points if dick saves everyone anyway, either because of or despite his great big heart and the villain is surprised by the goodness of mankind or some shit like that.
i need it to be a strength, right from the get-go. the fact that he cares so incredibly much should be an asset that dick has and will use. he’s a very complex character with years of background, it can’t possibly be that hard to find another weakness of his. 
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ooooh this is cool, gosh i absolutely love this.
because what exactly is the reader doing? we are seeing the fear in dick’s face, just as this villain intended. even better, we’re seeing the reflection of it from the villain’s glossy mask, telling us exactly what we’re seeing and exactly what he likes so much about it.
dick’s standing up straight, shoulders drawn back, looking up at this villain’s face with determination and resolve, but his suit is tattered. one eye looks to be swollen. his hair is falling limply around his eyes, as opposed to the curls from earlier. his escrima aren’t even part of the main focus, instead blending into the side of the mask in the outer corners of the mask’s eyes, which tells you exactly how big of a threat they are to this villain.
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poor bitewing’s quite alarmed.
also on second thought why would you bring your puppy out like this, when you know you’re gonna end up fighting someone in the suit. a) how many grey three-legged adorable little puppies live in the bludhaven area dick? and how easy will it be to connect the doggo running around with nightwing with the doggo that dick grayson owns? and 2) is this puppers trained? does she have fighting experience? how exactly can you ensure she will survive this highly stressful situation?
dick take better care of your dog 
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you know what? i was with tim on this one. why exactly is dick so optimistic and trusting about the people of bludhaven? bludhaven, which has been described as gotham’s smaller, smellier, more corrupt sister city once or twice. it’s not just the corrupt people in power, the entire system needs to change and people need to have faith and hope in order for them to come together, espcially if they’ve been living in conditions like how bludhaven has been described. from how clueless dick is about his own goddamn city, i can tell he hasn’t been here long.
it was a nice moment of hope, i’ll admit. but it was a tad unrealistic for me.
also it was in a weird place in the comic. this sort of confrontation and big get-together of the people to rejuvenate hope in each other feels like it should come near the end of a run, if not the end of an issue. certainly not in the first third of an issue. the pacing’s a bit off to me.
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loyal little puppy patiently waiting for her human to wake up. i love her so much.
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no it’s not. it’s bitewing.
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living for this t-shirt honestly. do comics of dc characters exist in the dc universe? they must if the mug and the shirt are any indication
(now i’m imagining the first batman movie that came out in the dc universe and bruce just. being so offended at who they chose to play him.)
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well, yes. but when a group of people are put through hellish conditions over and over again, they soon become desensitized to the pain and terror of their everyday lives in order to both stay sane and keep their life relatively stable, and part of that becomes ignoring or blocking out anything that isn’t directly important to you or your loved ones. having a bleeding heart will most likely get you killed in a city like bludhaven if you don’t have the same skills that vigilantes have.
and of course, people are more than capable of coming together and rallying under their city’s vigilante after seeing the good they’ve done and how they’ve helped the people, but that sort of trust takes time and effort to build. dick also had the whole ric arc and was gone for a while, which has been referenced several times in this particular issue in fact. that’s not going to make bludhaven’s citizens any more likely to trust him.
maybe i’m being a bit harsh but this comic is comic off as a bit too idealistic for the amount of change nightwing can do in a city given the present and past circumstances as well as nightwing’s own abilities. even dick grayson can’t pull off everything.
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ok seriously this needs to stop this needs to stop.
right now, dick reminds me of oliver queen in the few episodes of the cw’s arrow i watched. he does the punchy-kicky-fighty and occasionally has smart insights due to the skills he gained from his past that he certainly definitely totally has but only ever exhibits once, while his team does all of the background research and information gathering and actual work.
this is dick’s city. if he has the same intelligence, worth ethic, and stubbornness in this run that he’s been shown to possess all his life, then he knows this city inside out. he’ll have meticulous notes organized in a ridiculously efficient system, he’ll have scouted out zucco long before this started, he’ll have known when anything big happened in the bludhaven political landscape in an instant.
i’m really not liking exactly how much dick’s relying on babs and tim in this series. sure, he loves them and cares for them and likes working cases with them. but he always pulls his own weight, has always been a mentor figure to tim instead of what’s weirdly becoming the other way around, and takes point on the cases in his own damn city.
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what kind of weak-ass oracle is this?? redacted fbi files are child’s play. babs used to hack into the fbi for fun. this one particular picture is so out of character i want to laugh.
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reading this series has unfortunately made me confront that, despite the tiny fluid acrobat dick that lives in my head 24/7, canon dick is impossibly 5′10 and muscular at that.
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mmm. titties.
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tim said hydrate or die-drate bitch
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love how dick’s doing all this intense brooding and stuff meanwhile bitewing is curled up in a soft comfy post having the time of her life.
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you don’t understand i would legitimately kill myself for her.
also the lighting in this one scene is cool. the blue tones come off so well.
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they’re just. so multipurpose!! they can become a bo staff. they can cut glass. they can become a grapple hook/line. they can electrify someone. they’re a funky colour. i’m becoming really attached to these things. absolute solid choice in weaponry.
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if you’re gonna write up every rookie mistake dick has made during this series to head trauma, then dick shouldn’t be out and about at all, much less in costume.
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see this? this is just straight up wrong. dick most definitely should have spotted her, and would have immediately moved to take her down.
scratch that, dick would have done a full check of the building, because he knows not to break into places uninformed, especially if the owner of the apartment was raised by the maroni family. someone as highly trained, experienced, and competent as dick wouldn’t have done this.
and if you chalk it up to head injury, (which is probably true), than his ~love interest~ and his little brother should have done a much better job making sure he stays in his house.
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zucco looks so awkward it’s fucking hilarious
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are those shadows that mimic a domino mask, to both reflect and hide the fact that his mask is missing? are those bruises around his eyes, to show how, despite what good he’s doing, being nightwing is hurting dick right now? 
(isn’t his domino mask supposed to have an electrifying feature that keeps people from removing them?)
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it’s a little odd how the three known villains of this series are all coloured in warm shades, more specifically pink. meanwhile, in earlier issues, dick’s fondest memories were in pink, memories of him and alfred in particular. why has the colour pink changed from signifying something benevolent to something malicious? idk i hope this gets explained later.
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this i did like. either it’s just a display of brute force in anger, or dick slipped the ties and pulled them off once untied. both ways, it’s an unintentional display of power, and i think that’s kinda cool.
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again. dick is,,,tall? sort of? weirdddd
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i’m so glad most readers are unified in the notion that this was the absolute dumbest fucking thing.
i’m hoping this gets disproved or something soon. and i hope dick doesn’t fall for it, because he definitely knows better than to take something as important as this at face value.
what exactly is taylor trying to accomplish here? why is he trying to go back on what we all knew was a happy, loving childhood and throw strife and disharmony and (what i’m assuming will be) infidelity? this will not end well at all.
---
,,,,,this review got way longer than expected lol. and i realize most of it just became me ranting. i guess i didn’t realize how ticked off i was originally. fingers crossed it gets better.
tag list: @woahjaybird @birdy-bat-writes @anothertimdrakestan @subtleappreciation @screennamealreadyused @bikoncon @pricetagofficial @catxsnow @thatsthewhump @xatanna-troy @red-hood-redemption @capricorn-stark @batshit-birds​ @comics-observer
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tsarisfanfiction · 3 years
Text
21 Asks: Fanfiction Q&A
Well I got tagged by @onereyofstarlight @gumnut-logic and @janetm74 for this, so here goes (answering on fic blog, because... fic!)
This is going to take a while, but it’s also going to be fun, so let’s get started :D
1. What fandoms have you written for?
Uhh... several.  In alphabetical order because that makes my brain happy, we have:
Published: Bleach, Boku no Hero Academia (My Hero Academia), D.Gray-Man, Detective Conan, Flight Rising, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Märchen Awakens Romance (MÄR), Mortal Instruments, Naruto, One Piece, Team Fortress 2, Thunderbirds, Twilight.
WIPs (Unpublished): Avatar: The Last Airbender, Dragon Orb, Flame of Recca, HunterXHunter, Inuyasha, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures (Part 7/Steel Ball Run), Kuroko no Basuke (Kuroko’s Basketball), MI High, Yu-Gi-Oh (Duel Monsters, GX, 5Ds), Yuri On Ice
A couple of those are only because of crossovers... which we’ll get to later.  Similarly, a bunch of the unpublished I have no plans to publish, but I’ve written them so they count in my head.
2. How many works do you have on AO3 &/or FFNet?
AO3: 150 FFN: 149 (the difference is due to a co-authored fic with @lenle-g on AO3, because FFN doesn’t support co-authorship)
(Tumblr has many more because so many of those fics are actually fic collections)
3. What are your top 3 fics by kudos on AO3 &/or favs on FFNet?
AO3 Kudos:
Tales From The Heart (1449)
The Combat School (524)
Succor (348)
FFN Favourites:
The Combat School (681)
Tales From The Heart (185)
Succor (136)
4.  Which 3 fics have the least kudos & favs?
AO3 Kudos:
Wishes of the Dark (0)
4am Forever / Leave Out All The Rest (2)
FFN Favourites:
A Little Fall of Rain / He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, Leave Out All The Rest / See You In The Sky / Stolen Shadows all have 0
5. Which Fic has the most comments and which has the least?
AO3 Comments:
Tales From The Heart (618)
37 have 0
FFN Reviews:
The Combat School (608)
After Sundown / Heroes Made of Gas / Splatter / Stolen Shadows (0)
6. Which complete fic do you wish had gotten more attention?
I mean, I always like attention :P  That’s a hard question because my fandoms vary wildly in size, so for example, while Tales is one of my most popular fics, it’s still pretty tiny in comparison to the big One Piece fics out there, but ones like Grounded numerically barely rate while actually getting the attention of a much larger proportion of the fandom.
Honestly the fic that’s getting less of a response than I’d hoped is still incomplete... but I think I’ll go with Vulnerabilities.  It’s an older fic, and a drabble collection rather than a cohesive story, but it never really got any traction.
7. Have you written any crossovers?
Ah yes, crossovers.  I’ve got three published at the moment:
The Combat School (Harry Potter/D.Gray-Man)
Vampire vs. Shinobi (Naruto/Twilight)
Stolen Shadows (Flight Rising/Thunderbirds)
As far as WIPs go, I have (who knows when or if I’ll actually finish or post these):
Alliance (Naruto/Team Fortress 2)
Black Phoenix (Harry Potter/D.Gray-Man)
Legend of the Exorcists (D.Gray-Man/Yu-Gi-Oh/GX/5Ds)
Untitled (Avatar: The Last Airbender/Thunderbirds)
Untitled (Inuyasha/Lord of the Rings)
8. What is the craziest fic you’ve written?
What even counts as crazy?
Okay, I say that, but Vampire vs. Shinobi is a stupid, Twilight-bashing, parody crossover thing so.  Probably that.
9. What’s the fic you’ve written with the saddest ending?
Ahaha.  There are a few.  All of these have MCD warnings (two are canonical), two of which are suicide, so watch out if you’re poking around:
Deception (canon)
I Promised
The Fish and the Mermaid
The Light That Shines Twice As Bright... (suicide)
Torture (suicide)
Unwanted
Whirlwind (canon)
10. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
Tsari likes positive endings.  I’m not actually sure what the happiest is, though.  I often write... hopeful, rather than happy?  The happiest I can think of... is a WIP that I have the ending planned for but that’s spoilers~
I’ll go with Riding the Dragon, I think.  But honestly just take your pick out of the family fluff.
11. What is your smuttiest fic?
Tsari does not post smut.  She has written some, she has not posted it and will keep it that way.
Out of the posted stuff... there is kissing in Briefings?
12. Have you ever received hate on a fic?
I think when you hit 100+ fics, you’re lucky if you don’t.  I’ve had a few here and there, but they’re ignorable
13. What is the nicest comment you’ve received?
Oh boy.  I have had many nice comments, but I am going to highlight this one in particular because it’s the one that forever and always springs to mind when I get asked this:
Wow. That was pretty great. You writing managed to keep everyone in character, and still kept the story from falling flat. It's almost as if you stole a page from Cassie's story, and stuck it here. I really want to see more from you.
On: A Tradition of Pride
It’s nowhere near the longest I’ve got, and long comments make me super happy, but this one?  Being told it fits in with the original book?  Makes me beam like an idiot every time.
14. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
[insert eyeroll here]
I have had fics reposted, yes.  Tales From The Heart and Whirlwind have both found themselves posted on sites I don’t use - I managed to get Tales taken down, but the site hosting Whirlwind isn’t paying me any attention.
15.  How many fics do you have marked as incomplete?
Nine, which is both too many and not as many as I thought.  Although if you ignore the collection fics - Tales From The Heart and Behind The Scenes, which are basically eternal wips - it’s seven.
16. Which of the WIPS will most likely be finished first?
Just A Bruise, because it’s already just about finished, @lenle-g and I just need to tie up the final chapter and editing the rest of it before it’s posted.
17. Which WIP are you looking forward to finishing?
Long Way From Home, because it’s going to be huge and finishing that will feel amazing.  But it’s going to take a long time.
18. Is there a WIP that you’re considering abandoning?
Nope.  I will, one day, finish all of them.  Yes, even Uchiha Itachi.
19. Which complete fic would you consider rewriting?
Complete?  None.  However, the above mentioned Uchiha Itachi is being (very slowly) rewritten - and is actually on its second rewrite - because it pains me in its current state.
20. Which complete fic is your favourite?
Asking the hard questions I see.  I have a soft spot for In Your Shadow, I admit, although I have several fics that I love (mostly my Military Bros stuff...).  Also Tales, although that’s technically not “Complete”.
21. What’s your total published word count?
AO3: 956,962 (I aim to break 1 million by the end of the year... just watch me!)
FFN: 1,102,070 (FFN counts author’s notes, AO3 does not)
If someone is brand new to your writing, what work would you want them to start with to get to know you, your style, what you’re all about?
This is not a numbered question, I see, but it was on the post I copied these from, so I guess this is 21+1 questions!
I’ve answered this before, and honestly I think I’d stick with the same answer - Black Widow.  It’s not my biggest fandom.  It’s not my most recent work.  But it does contain a lot of playing around canon without breaking it.
Although, if someone has the time, Tales From The Heart does great for showcasing the range of things I write.  But that’s also 250+ chapters, so probably not a good one to start with.
And this is where I tag people, yes?  Not entirely sure who’s been tagged already, but let’s go with @lenle-g @ak47stylegirl @thetwelvecaesars @gaviiadastra @willow-salix @scribeofred
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trying to articulate my frustrations with Marvel’s treatment of female characters and characters of color
Hi, hello, hola, bonjour. I've been having a lot of thoughts about Marvel’s lack of diversity and of how they treat minority characters, so I'm taking a page out of Luisa’s (@its-tortle) book and just making a long, rambley post to get it all out.
Please bear with me while I try to encapsulate all of my frustration within the limitations of English language.
(ALSO, I'm white. I’m Spanish-American, but I do not have the ability to speak for fans of color and the other grievances they have. This post is just a combination of my own thoughts and what I've heard other people say on Tumblr, in YouTube videos, in articles etc.)
Now that we've had over week to collect ourselves after the WandaVision finale, because it was such a tearjerker and the end of a true masterpiece of a show, we really need to talk about how Marvel treats their their characters of color and female characters. I'll specifically be looking at Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff, and Monica Rambeau.
Let's start with Sam.
Until Monica Rambeau became Photon just a few weeks ago in WandaVision, Sam was THE ONLY Black superhero in the MCU.
He first appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier 7 years ago in 2014, and he's been in 4 movies since then (not counting the post-credits of Ant-Man).
Let's see what we know about Sam in the MCU:
He was a pararescue airman in the U.S. Airforce
His wing-man, Riley, died in combat, prompting him to leave active duty
He works at the VA to help other veterans adjust to civilian life
That's it. This is all we know about his backstory, separate from Captain America. However, the MCU decided to include these parts of his backstory, (and exclude others) because they make him a better supporting character to Steve.
Sam's a vet - so is Steve. They have the same, early-morning run routine that alludes to strict military training. Steve is still new to the future and hardly knows or approaches anyone, but Sam is wearing his VA sweatshirt, so there's some sense of connection, one that is furthered when they talk about their beds being too soft. Sam is someone who can understand him, aside from being a super soldier.
Riley, Sam's wingman, died in combat - Hmm, haven't heard that one befo - oh, wait. *Bucky waves from the abyss of the Alps*. Yeah.
I'm not saying that these connections are bad, in fact, I think the opposite. In terms of storyline, these connections are incredibly important for their friendship. Steve is lost and alone in the future. No one he knows cares about him for any reason other than the fact that he's a super soldier, nor can he relate to any of those people on any level. Sam just fits. He's funny and kind and although they are 60 years apart in age, he can, to some extent, understand what Steve is going through in a way they no one else can.
But for the last 7 years in the MCU, all he's been is Steve's supportive friend.
Almost immediately after meeting Steve, Sam is dragged into an end-of-the-world battle. He readily agrees to put his life on the line to fight by Captain America's side. After SHIELD falls, Sam gives up his life for 2 years to help Steve find Bucky. When they find him, Sam, without a second thought, becomes an international fugitive to protect Bucky and Steve.
I mean, he practically says that he lives in Steve's shadow himself: 
"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower."
Who does all this? Seriously? Sam is also a recovering vet. He, in theory, has a life, a family, a job, his own mental well-being to consider, but he immediately gives it all up to help Captain America, to follow in his shadow, to be his back-up and support in every battle. Marvel wrote him as a 2D character that lacks his own identity and agency.
Sam deserves his own storyline; he deserves to exist outside the orbit of Steve Rogers.
What Mackie has been able to do with the character is astounding. He took Sam off the page and truly brought him to life, turning him into a beloved character. I'm ecstatic that both Mackie and Sam finally (hopefully) get their time to shine in TFATWS, but it should have happened WAY sooner. Marvel has continuously overlooked Mackie, despite how much he brings to the movies and despite the significance of Sam as the only Black superhero. It's just so clear that they do not care about representation.
(And let's not start with the whole "Bucky should be Captain America" thing, thanks)
Next, let's talk about Natasha.
Nat has been in the MCU for 11 years, starting with Iron Man 2 in 2010. She was heavily featured in an additional 6 MCU movies (not including small cameos/post-credit sequences). She's one of the few female superheroes in the MCU, and the only one that's been there since the beginning. Nat was the only female superhero for 4 years until Gamora appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Let's see what we know about Natasha's history:
She's a former KGB operative and assassin, trained in the Red Room project
When she was a part of the Red Room, she was sterilized
Clint Barton got her out of the Red Room and converted her to a SHIELD agent
THAT'S IT. The second point is actually nauseating because this is what she says to Banner when we learn about her infertility in Age of Ultron:
"They sterilize you. It’s efficient. One less thing to worry about, the one thing that might matter more than a mission. It makes everything easier — even killing. You still think you’re the only monster on the team?"
Like, actually, what the fuck? I remember watching this scene and having to rewind because I thought I mis-heard what she said. In truth, Natasha is probably referring to the terrible things she was forced to do as a KGB operative are what make her a "monster," but why in the world would they include this anecdote here?? It's just so distasteful and disgusting! It makes it seem like her infertility is what makes her a monster, perpetuating the misogynistic belief that the center of a woman's identity and purpose is to have children.
As Vox says in this article, the subject of Nat's infertility 
"rears its head sub-textually when Black Widow sacrifices herself for the Soul Stone. [...] It’s reasonable for Natasha to make the calculation that Clint’s kids deserve to have a dad when they come back to life after the Avengers complete their “time heist.” But because of that Ultron plot, there’s also an insidious implication that Natasha’s infertility renders Black Widow just a little bit more disposable than the rest of her teammates."
Furthermore, Nat's death in Endgame serves for nothing more than motivation for the other characters working in the time heist, WHICH ARE ALL MALE. Even then, the other characters talk about her death briefly (in a mostly unaffected manner), and by the end of the movie, she's been pretty much forgotten about,  completely overshadowed by Tony Stark.
I don't want to say that Nat shouldn't have died in Endgame. It caused me so much heartache and emotional pain, but I truly believe it was a great way to end her arc. CinemaWins on YouTube put it best:
"She needed to save her family, Clint included, finally wiping the red from her ledger. So much of her jouney in the MCU was trying to find her purpose, figure out which side she was on, and she finally feels like she's found it, just in time to die for it. 
"It's not wrong to feel cheated by her death, [but I think] she deserved this moment because of it's importance."
She says it in the movie: 
"I used to have nothing, and then I got this. This family. And I was better because of it."
Nat shouldn't have to die, but it's on her terms, and she is absolutely ready for it. Saving her chosen family... that is her purpose.
But altogether, over the course of the MCU, Natasha was cheated out of getting the storyline she deserved. Like Sam, she was relegated to the position of the supportive friend of Steve, but also of Bruce and Clint. For the audience, her identity is tied to this role that she plays. The identity and motivations she has independent from these other characters, her history, is skimmed over, and treated with immense disrespect.
It took 11 years, but it is thrilling that Scarlett Johansson finally gets to be the start of her own Marvel movie. There is no way that Black Widow will be able to completely make up for her and Natasha's mistreatment by the MCU, but I hope it will at least bring us some closure and allow us to have a better understanding of Nat's history and who she is away from the other Avengers.
Last, but certainly not least (despite what WandaVision may have you believe) is Monica Rambeau.
I spoke about this last week after posting about this review of the show, but it bears repeating.
Monica is a new character. You'd hope that, after 11 years of extremely limited diversity in the MCU, much to the dismay of fans worldwide, and after recognizing this and creating a movie with a cast like The Eternals, Marvel would try to get their shit together across the board.
Nope!
Monica was seriously the token diversity character of the show. It seemed like they would give her more depth after the episode during which they flashed back to the her during and after the snap, losing her mother, and seeing a little bit of what she's done as an adult since Captain Marvel, but that ended up being the most we got.
But why? Monica literally became a SUPERHERO. She became Photon! She deserved a much greater role in the show, especially in the finale, where she instead had maybe 5 lines and just stopped some bullets for about 30 seconds.
As the review I linked says, 
“There are so many black writers, fans, and critics noting how Monica got relegated to a complete lack relegated to meaningless best friend protector lacking in their own self agency and story except for making a shoehorned comparison of grief.”
Marvel made the same, bull-headed mistake that they made with Sam with Monica!
Let's do this again. Monica was snapped away for 5 years, and when she was snapped back, she learned that her mother had died. Losing someone you love and having the whole process of mourning and pain be complicated by the snap? What an interesti- oh wait. *Vision phases his head through the wall with a smile*
The only reason we got this backstory was because it made her a more sympathetic character towards Wanda. Her understanding of what Wanda is going through allows her to be the catalyst in the creation of the ideological fork in the road between herself, Darcy and Woo, who see Wanda as a victim of grief and loss, and Hayward and the rest of SHIELD, who see her as a dangerous threat.
How do you make the same, major mistake that you've been making for the past 7 years again? Guess what? You don't! Maybe it's not intentional, but Marvel, again, clearly doesn’t care enough about their characters of color to consider the roles they relegate them to in the MCU, realize what they've been doing is harmful, and then change it.
Hopefully, they will not continue to treat Monica this way and will remedy this in the next Captain Marvel.
In conclusion: MARVEL GAVE A FUCKING ROBOT AN ACTUAL ORIGIN STORY, A RELATIONSHIP AND MORE INDEPENDENCE THAN ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS.
But in all seriousness, Marvel needs to be help accountable for how they treat women and their characters of color in the MCU. I just looked at 3, but you could also make a similar argument about Rhodey, Hope van Dyne and Valkyrie, as well as Jane Foster, MJ, and Ned, although they are supporting characters and not superheroes. And I'm sure there are many others. Marvel (and Disney!!) has had an awful track-record, and change is long overdue.
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ordinaryschmuck · 3 years
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What I Thought About Loki (Season One)
(Sorry this is later than it should have been. I may or may not be experiencing burnout from reviewing every episode of the gayest show Disney has ever produced)
Salutations, random people on the internet. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.
Do you want to know what's fun about the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It is now officially at the point where the writers can do whatever the hell they want.
A TV series about two Avengers getting stuck in a series of sitcoms as one of them explores their personal grief? Sure.
Another series as a guy with metal bird wings fights the inner racism of his nation to take the mantel of representing the idea of what that nation should be? Why not?
A forgettable movie about a superspy and her much more mildly entertaining pretend family working together to kill the Godfather? F**king go for it (Let that be a taste for my Black Widow review in October)!
There is no limit to what you can get with these movies and shows anymore, and I personally consider that a good thing. It allows this franchise to lean further into creative insanity, thus embracing its comic roots in the process. Take Loki, for example. It is a series about an alternate version of one of Marvel's best villains bouncing around the timeline with Owen Wilson to prevent the end of the universe. It sounds like just the right amount of wackiness that it should be too good to fail.
But that's today's question: Did it fail? To find out my own answer to that, we're gonna have to dive deep into spoilers. So be wary as you continue reading.
With that said, let's review, shall we?
WHAT I LIKED
Loki Himself: Let's get this out of the way: This isn't the same Loki we've seen grow within five movies. The Loki in this series, while similar in many ways, is still his very own character. He goes through his own redemption and developments that fleshes out Loki, all through ways that, if I'm being honest with you, is done much better in six-hour-long episodes than in past films. Loki's story was already entertaining, but he didn't really grow that much aside from being this chaotic neutral character instead of this wickedly evil supervillain. Through his series, we get to see a gradual change in his personality, witnessing him understand his true nature and "glorious purpose," to the point where he's already this completely different person after one season. Large in part because of the position he's forced into.
Some fans might say that the series is less about Loki and more about the TVA. And while I can unquestionably see their point, I still believe that the TVA is the perfect way for Loki to grow. He's a character all about causing chaos and controlling others, so forcing him to work for an organization that takes that away allows Loki time to really do some introspection. Because if his tricks don't work, and his deceptions can't fool others, then who is he? Well, through this series, we see who he truly is: A character who is alone and is intended to be nothing more than a villain whose only truly selfless act got him killed in the end. Even if he wants to better himself, he can't because that "goes against the sacred timeline." Loki is a person who is destined to fail, and he gets to see it all with his own eyes by looking at what his life was meant to be and by observing what it could have been. It's all tragic and yet another example of these shows proving how they allow underdeveloped characters in the MCU a better chance to shine. Because if Loki can give even more depth to a character who's already compelling as is, then that is a feat worth admiration.
The Score: Let's give our gratitude toward Natalie Holt, who f**king killed it with this series score. Every piece she made is nothing short of glorious. Sylvie's and the TVA's themes particularly stand out, as they perfectly capture who/what they're representing. Such as how Sylvie's is big and boisterous where the TVA's sound eerie and almost unnatural. Holt also finds genius ways to implement other scores into the series, from using familiar tracks from the Thor movies to even rescoring "Ride of the Valkyries" in a way that makes a scene even more epic than it already could have been. The MCU isn't best known for its musical scores, partly because they aim to be suitable rather than memorable. But every now and again, something as spectacular as the Loki soundtrack sprinkles through the cracks of mediocrity. Making fans all the more grateful because of it.
There’s a lot of Talking: To some, this will be considered a complaint. Most fans of the MCU come for the action, comedy, and insanely lovable characters. Not so much for the dialogue and exposition. That being said, I consider all of the talking to be one of Loki's best features. All the background information about the TVA added with the character's backstories fascinates me, making me enthusiastic about learning more. Not everyone else will be as interested in lore and world-building as others, but just because something doesn't grab you, in particular, doesn't mean it isn't appealing at all. Case in point: There's a reason why the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise has lasted as long as it has, and it's not entirely because of how "scary" it is.
There's also the fact that most of the dialogue in Loki is highly engaging. I'll admit, some scenes do drag a bit. However, every line is delivered so well that I'm more likely to hang on to every word when characters simply have honest conversations with each other. And if I can be entertained by Loki talking with Morbius about jetskis, then I know a show is doing at least something right.
It’s Funny: This shouldn't be a surprise. The MCU is well-known for its quippy humor in the direct acknowledgment that it doesn't take itself too seriously. With that said, it is clear which movies and shows are intended to be taken seriously, while others are meant to be comedies. Loki tries to be a bit of both. There are some heavy scenes that impact the characters, and probably even some fans, due to how well-acted and professionally written they can be. However, this is also a series about a Norse god traveling through time to deal with alternate versions of himself, with one of them being an alligator. I'd personally consider it a crime against storytelling to not make it funny. Thankfully, the writers aren't idiots and know to make the series fun with a few flawlessly timed and delivered jokes that never really take away from the few good grim moments that actually work.
It Kept Me Surprised: About everything I appreciate about Loki, the fact that I could never really tell what direction it was going is what I consider its absolute best feature. Every time I think I knew what was going to happen, there was always this one big twist that heavily subverted any and every one of my expectations. Such as how each time I thought I knew who the big bad was in this series, it turns out that there was an even worse threat built up in the background. The best part is that these twists aren't meant for shock value. It's always supposed to drive the story forward, and on a rewatch, you can always tell how the seeds have been planted for making each surprise work. It's good that it kept fans guessing, as being predictable and expected would probably be the worst path to take when making a series about Loki, a character who's all about trickery and deception. So bonus points for being in line with the character.
The TVA: You can complain all you want about how the show is more about the TVA than it is Loki, but you can't deny how the organization in question is a solid addition to the MCU. Initially, it was entertaining to see Loki of all characters be taken aback by how the whole process works. And it was worth a chuckle seeing Infinity Stones, the most powerful objects in the universe, get treated as paperweights. However, as the season continues and we learn about the TVA, the writers show that their intention is to try and write a message about freedom vs. control. We've seen this before in movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Captain America: Civil War, but with those films, it always felt like the writers were leaning more towards one answer instead of making it obscure over which decision is correct. This is why I enjoy the fact that Loki went on saying that there really is no right answer for this scenario. If the TVA doesn't prune variants, it could result in utter chaos and destruction that no one from any timeline can prepare themselves for. But when they do prune variants along with their timelines, it takes away all free will, forcing people to be someone they probably don't even want to be. It's a situation where there really is no middle ground. Even if you bring up how people could erase timelines more destructive than others, that still takes away free will on top of how there's no unbiased way of deciding which timelines are better or worse. And the series found a brilliant way to explain this moral: The season starts by showing how the TVA is necessary, to later point out how there are flaws and evil secrets within it, and ends things with the revelation that there are consequences without the TVA keeping the timeline in check. It's an epic showcase of fantastic ideas met with exquisite execution that I can't help but give my seal of approval to.
Miss Minutes: Not much to say. This was just a cute character, and I love that Tara Strong, one of the most popular voice actors, basically plays a role in the MCU now.
Justifying Avengers: Endgame: Smartest. Decision. This series. Made. Bar none.
Because when you establish that the main plot is about a character getting arrested for f**king over the timeline, you're immediately going to get people questioning, "Why do the Avengers get off scot-free?" So by quickly explaining how their time-traveling antics were supposed to happen, it negates every one of those complaints...or most of them. There are probably still a-holes who are poking holes in that logic, but they're not the ones writing this review, so f**k them.
Mobius: I didn't really expect Owen Wilson to do that good of a job in Loki. Primarily due to how the Cars franchise discredits him as a professional actor for...forever. With that said, Owen Wilson's Mobius might just be one of the most entertaining characters in the series. Yes, even more so than Loki himself. Mobius acts as the perfect straight man to Loki's antics, what with being so familiar with the supposed god of mischief through past variations of him. Because of that, it's always a blast seeing these two bounce off one another through Loki trying to trick a Loki expert, and said expert even deceiving Loki at times. Also, on his own, Mobius is still pretty fun. He has this sort of witty energy that's often present in Phil Coulson (Love that character too, BTW), but thanks to Owen Wilson's quirks in his acting, there's a lot more energy to Mobius than one would find in Coulson. As well as a tad bit of tragedy because of Mobius being a variant and having no clue what his life used to be. It's a lot to unpack and is impressively written, added to how it's Owen Wilson who helps make the character work as well as he did. Cars may not have done much for his career, but Loki sure as hell showed his strengths.
Ravonna Renslayer: Probably the least entertaining character, but definitely one of the most intriguing. At least to me.
Ravonna is a character who is so steadfast in her believes that she refuses to accept that she may be wrong. Without the proper writing, someone like Ravonna could tick off (ha) certain people. Personally, I believe that Ravonna is written well enough where even though I disagree with her belief, I can understand where she's coming from. She's done so much for the TVA, bringing an end to so many variants and timelines that she can't accept that it was all for nothing. In short, Ravonna represents the control side of the freedom vs. control theme that the writers are pushing. Her presence is necessary while still being an appealing character instead of a plot device. Again, at least to me.
Hunter B-15: I have no strong feelings one way or another towards B-15's personality, but I will admit that I love the expectation-subversion done with her. She has this air of someone who's like, "I'm this by-the-books badass cop, and I will only warm up to this cocky rookie after several instances of them proving themselves." That's...technically not B-15. She's the first to see Loki isn't that bad, but only because B-15 is the first in the main cast to learn the hidden vile present in the TVA. It makes her change in point of view more believable than how writers usually work a character like hers, on top of adding a new type of engaging motivation for why she fights. I may not particularly enjoy her personality, but I do love her contributions.
Loki Watching What His Life Could Have Been: This was a brilliant decision by the writers. It's basically having Loki speedrun his own character development through witnessing what he could have gone through and seeing the person he's meant to be, providing a decent explanation for why he decides to work for the TVA. And on the plus side, Tom Hiddleston did a fantastic job at portraying the right emotions the character would have through a moment like this. Such as grief, tearful mirth, and borderline shock and horror. It's a scene that no other character could go through, as no one but Loki needed a wake-up call for who he truly is. This series might heavily focus on the TVA, but scenes like this prove just who's the star of the show.
Loki Causing Mischief in Pompeii: I just really love this scene. It's so chaotic and hilarious, all heavily carried by the fact that you can tell that Tom Hiddleston is having the time of his damn life being this character. What more can I say about it.
Sylvie: The first of many surprises this season offered, and boy was she a great one.
Despite being an alternate version of Loki, I do appreciate that Sylvie's her own character and not just "Loki, but with boobs." She still has the charm and charisma, but she also comes across as more hardened and intelligent when compared to the mischievous prick we've grown to love. A large part of that is due to her backstory, which might just be the most tragic one these movies and shows have ever made. Sylvie got taken away when she was a little girl, losing everything she knew and loved, and it was all for something that the people who arrested her don't even remember. How sad is that? The fact that her life got permanently screwed over, leaving zero impact on the people responsible for it. As badass as it is to hear her say she grew up at the ends of a thousand worlds (that's an album title if I ever heard one), it really is depressing to know what she went through. It also makes her the perfect candidate to represent the freedom side of the freedom vs. control argument. Because she's absolutely going to want to fight to put an end to the people who decide how the lives of trillions should be. Those same people took everything from Sylvie, and if I were in her position, I'd probably do the same thing. Of course, we all know the consequences that come from this, and people might criticize Sylvie the same way they complain about Thor and Star Lord for screwing over the universe in Avengers: Infinity War. But here's the thing: Sylvie's goals are driven by vengeance, which can blind people from any other alternatives. Meaning her killing He Who Remains is less of a story flaw and more of a character flaw. It may be a bad decision, but that's for Season Two Sylvie to figure out. For now, I'll just appreciate the well-written and highly compelling character we got this season and eagerly wait as we see what happens next with her.
The Oneshot in Episode Three: Not as epic as the hallway scene in Daredevil, but I do find it impressive that it tries to combine real effects, fighting, and CGI in a way where it's all convincing enough.
Lady Sif Kicking Loki in the D**k: This is a scene that makes me realize why I love this series. At first, I laugh at Loki being stuck in a time loop where Lady Sif kicks him in the d**k over and over again. But a few scenes later, this setup actually works as a character moment that explains why Loki does the things he does.
This series crafted phenomenal character development through Loki getting kicked in the d**k by the most underrated badass of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's a perfect balance of comedy and drama that not every story can nail, yet Loki seemed like it did with very little effort.
Classic Loki: This variant shows the true tragedy of being Loki. The only way to survive is to live in isolation, far away from everything and everyone he loves, only to end up having his one good deed result in his death anyways. Classic Loki is definitive proof that no matter what face they have, Lokis never gets happy endings. They're destined to lose, but at least this version knows that if you're going out, you're going out big. And at least he got to go out with a mischievous laugh.
(Plus, the fact that he's wearing Loki's first costume from the comics is a pretty cute callback).
Alligator Loki: Alligator Loki is surprisingly adorable, and if you know me, you know that I can't resist cute s**t. It's not in my nature.
Loki on Loki Violence: If you thought Loki going ham in Pompeii was chaotic, that was nothing to this scene. Because watching these Lokis backstab one another, to full-on murdering each other, is a moment that is best described as pure, unadulterated chaos. And I. Loved. Every. Second of it.
The Opening Logo for the Season Finale: I'm still not that big of a fan of the opening fanfare playing for each episode, but I will admit that it was a cool feature to play vocal clips of famous quotes when the corresponding character appears. It's a great way of showing the chaos of how the "sacred timeline" works without having it to be explained further.
The Citadel: I adore the set design of the Citadel. So much history and backstory shine through the state of every room the characters walk into. You get a perfect picture of what exactly happened, but seeing how ninety percent of the place is in shambles, it's pretty evident that not everything turned out peachy keen. And as a personal note, my favorite aspect of the Citadel is the yellow cracks in the walls. It looks as though reality itself is cracking apart, which is pretty fitting when considering where the Citadel actually is.
He Who Remains: This man. I. Love. This man.
I love this man for two reasons.
A. He's a ton of fun. Credit to that goes to the performance delivered by Jonathon Majors. Not only is it apparent that Majors is having a blast, but he does a great job at conveying how He Who Remains is a strategic individual but is still very much off his rocker. These villains are always my favorite due to how much of a blast it is seeing someone with high intelligence just embracing their own insanity. If you ask me, personalities are always essential for villains. Because even when they have the generic plot to rule everything around them, you're at least going to remember who they are for how entertaining they were. Thankfully He Who Remains has that entertainment value, as it makes me really excited for his eventual return, whether it'd be strictly through Loki Season Two or perhaps future movies.
And B. He Who Remains is a fantastic foil for Loki. He Who Remains is everything Loki wishes he could have been, causing so much death, destruction, and chaos to the multiverse. The important factor is that he does it all through order and control. The one thing Loki despises, and He Who Remains uses it to his advantage. I feel like that's what makes him the perfect antagonist to Loki, thanks to him winning the game by not playing it. I would love it if He Who Remains makes further appearances in future movies and shows, especially given how he's hinted to be Kane the Conqueror, but if he's only the main antagonist in Loki, I'm still all for it. He was a great character in his short time on screen, and I can't wait to see what happens next with him.
WHAT I DISLIKED
Revealing that Loki was D.B. Cooper: A cute scene, but it's really unnecessary. It adds nothing to the plot, and I feel like if it was cut out entirely, it wouldn't have been the end of the world...Yeah. That's it.
That's my one and only complaint about this season.
Maybe some scenes drag a bit, and I guess Episode Three is kind of the weakest, but there's not really anything that this series does poorly that warrants an in-depth complaint.
Nope.
Nothing at all...
...
...I'm not touching that "controversy" of Loki falling for Sylvie instead of Mobius. That's a situation where there are no winners.
Only losers.
Exclusively losers.
Other than that, this season was amazing!
IN CONCLUSION
I'd give the first season of Loki a well-earned A, with a 9.5 through my usual MCU ranking system. It turns out, it really is the best type of wackiness that was just too good to fail. The characters are fun and likable, the comedy and drama worked excellently, and the expansive world-building made me really intrigued with the more we learned. It's hard to say if Season Two will keep this momentum, but that's for the future to figure out. For now, let's just sit back and enjoy the chaos.
(Now, if you don't excuse me, I have to figure out how to review Marvel's What If...)
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I can't say I'm surprised that reviewers, who have traditionally always had a, let's say... skewed take when talking about and perceiving Natasha's role in previous movies, are doing the same thing with her movie. They usually critic on the basis of what they expected to see, not what they actually watched. I'm still haunted by all those "Black Widow was merely a sexy lamp in Avengers" reviews.
I want to be really careful here, because I have been in the position of being a big fan and being disappointed with something my favorite text did and how much that feels upsetting and isolating. I don't want to make anyone feel that if they don't like this movie, it's because they're not a real fan or don't appreciate Natasha enough or whatever. There are going to be differing opinions, and I don't want to pull that thing where because it works for me anyone who disagrees is categorically wrong.
That said, there are plenty of comic book movie fans who have never been interested in Natasha, never tried to figure out her deal while she was a supporting character, didn't care enough to do any research now that she's a lead, and are now disappointed the movie isn't what they wanted it to be- which is to say, a movie not about Nat. And it frustrates me that theirs are the voices getting heard, both because they're influencing the people who are deciding if they want to see the movie, and because they're making it harder for me to figure out my own opinions.
There are some Marvel movies that I can tell are good but don't fully click for me. There are others that hit all the pleasure centers in my brain and I enjoyed the hell out of them but I can still identify the parts that aren't actually good. I 100% do not have that with Black Widow, and I would legitimately love some professional opinions to help clarify what I think and figure out if the movie works or just works for me. I can't even figure out if my reactions are responding to the text or responding to what I feel must be underlying the text.
I took notes with specific quotes so that I wouldn't have this uncertainty, but it I really do feel super adrift with this. This is part of why I'm trying to answer asks but also hesitating on a bunch because I worry I'm not giving a full or accurate picture, because so much of what I retained was just me wallowing in the fact that it's Nat and she's on screen and I have been waiting for this for a decade and I love her.
I saw this movie doing a lot that didn't show up in reviews, in ways that made the movie exponentially more satisfying, and I still can't tell if that's because I'm making up a story in my head that doesn't match what's on screen, or if critics are willfully ignoring what was blatant text because it doesn't fit their own preconceived narrative. It's one thing for me to be wrong- it happens frequently, I am very aware- but another to mislead other Nat fans who worried about what they're going to see on screen. I don't want to give anyone false hope if I'm wrong. But I also can't figure out how to twist the narrative as I understood it enough to make certain critical interpretations seem more on-target than my read, when mine seems to more closely match what behind-the-scenes interviews said they were trying to do with the story.
I'm pretty twisted up here, is my point, and I really wish critics were making it easier for me to sort all of this out. I'm going to be grateful on Friday, once more people who I know love Nat have seen it, and we can figure this all out together.
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nev3rfound · 4 years
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almost lost, but not quite : avengers
brief summary: you are hydra’s weapon, something no one would expect. but when you’re forced to fight the avengers, they realise how vulnerable you actually are
word count: 2.1k requested: yes by @sevenmorningstars​ - thank you for reaching out a while back with your idea i hope you like it! warnings: mentions of abuse (scenes described similarly to winter soldier) 
(everything on my blog is my own writing. if it is shared on another page or website know it isn’t me. all rights reserved. - thank you to everyone who helped regarding the wattpad situation, you’re all amazing)
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You listen as the door is unbolted, but you keep your eyes trained to the floor. 
Three pairs of boots were stood in front of you now as the door creaks in desperation. “Soldier,” The superior speaks up and you slowly lift your head up, locking eyes with the man in the middle wearing his full uniform. 
“What is my assignment?” You question, void of emotion as he nods. 
You watch as the men either side of him stand at your sides, lifting you up. 
Fighting against their hold, they look to the superior with concern. He sighs to himself as you continue to struggle in their hold. “Come, soldier, don’t fight.” He states. “We don’t want a repeat of last time, do we?” 
The memory causes chills to run through your body, and you stop fighting. You fall limp in their arms, letting them drag you through the door and down the endless corridor filled with screams and sorrowful pleads of freedom. 
 Within minutes you enter a room that you’re no stranger to. A single chair awaits you, the ties ready to be wrapped and a Doctor on standby with a metal tray of instruments he won’t hesitate to use. 
“Sit, soldier.” The superior motions to the chair, and you comply. 
Sitting down, you shut your eyes as you feel hands around your wrists and ankles, securing you into place. Privacy was a luxury you could only dream of now, it was long forgotten and something that was never introduced into this unit. 
“What’s my mission, Sir?” You question again as the ties are secured and the men stand in front of the door, their guns already loaded and waiting to be fired if required.
You watch as images flash in front of your eyes, a dozen people that you recognise in New York city. “They’re planning an attack on us, on this unit.” The superior explains as he paces around you, watching closely for any sign of sorrow. “They will steal everything we’ve worked for and burn us to the ground.” He scoffs. “Not that they’ll get that far.” 
“Where do I come into this, Sir?” You look up at him, blinking the projection away as a smirk form across his lips.
He bends down, resting his hand on your thigh and squeezes it forcefully. “Your job is to defeat them, protect us as a family.” You can feel his nails digging into your skin, drawing blood. “You’ll do that, won’t you, soldier?” 
You nod in response, knowing you have no choice out of this. “Yes, Sir.” You tell him, keeping a straight face as you ignore the tears welling up in your eyes. 
Once, a long time ago you knew the Avengers. You admired them and what they did for Earth and those who lived on it. But then you watched them tear apart Sokovia, the damage caused. You watched everyone you knew disappear, pools of blood soak snow as you stood and pinpointed those you cared about, dead. 
When HYDRA found you, they knew something about you was special. They told you to trust them, and as a young adolescent, you had no reason to not comply. That was your biggest mistake, you should’ve noticed the soldiers holding guns ready to shoot if you tried to run. You never had a choice in the matter. 
From the moment they laid their eyes on you, you belonged to them. 
“Good.” He states as he rises back to his feet. “Just to be sure, Doc?” He waves the Doctor over as you turn your head, seeing him holding the mouth guard. 
“Wait, please,” You begin to panic as you try to fight against the restraints, but they’ve learnt from last time. “you don’t have to do it, I, I’ll comply. I promise!” You try to reassure them, but the superior shakes his head.
“We just have to know, Soldier. This is the only way.” He smiles to you sweetly as he reaches out, resting his hand on your cheek.
You spit in his face, watching as he harshly steps back. “Full power.” He yells to the Doctor who forces the guard into your mouth as you fight back tears. “There’s no coming back now, Soldier. Good luck.” He turns on his heels and the guards part from the doorway as you watch him leave. 
Cool metal rests against your forehead as you look at the Doctor. “I’m sorry, dear.” He mutters to you as he shuts his eyes, pulling the level as you scream. 
*
Securing your gun to your side and knife into the sheath you were ready. 
“You know the plan, right?” You feel someone tug on your uniform, tightening your belt around your waist. 
“Yes. Do you?” You retort, looking over to your accomplice with a sinister smile as he secures his helmet. “They’ll be here any minute,” A laugh escapes your lips as you take a deep breath before walking out onto the roof. 
“Won’t know what’s hit ‘em, will they kid?” Simon turns to you, watching as you shake your head in anticipation. “Come on, we better get into position.” 
Lying on your stomach, you hide behind the edge of the main unit. Closing your eyes, you listen out for the sound of footsteps and muttered commands.  “Two left, three to the back.” You listen to a voice instruct and turn to Simon, giving him the signal.
“Be safe, kid.” He tells you as he stands on the edge of the roof, jumping down as he rope around his waist eases him to the ground. 
You rise to your feet as you watch Simon trying to fight against three of the Avengers. Your eyes follow their movements, memorising their basic combat training and main stances. “Too easy,” You mutter under your breath as you build energy into the palm of your hands, watching the trees beginning to shake.
“What the hell?” Steve yells as more soldiers walk out from the unit, firing guns.  “Just keep going, try and get inside Cap.” Tony calls out as Natasha tackles several soldiers whilst Bruce throws multiple at once. 
Tony rises from the ground and flies forward, unaware of the tree being lifted from its roots and being thrown in his direction. 
“Tony, watch out!” He turns just in time to avoid the tree as it crashes beneath you. 
“Damn.” You sigh as you lift three trees up at once, focusing on them as you hover them above Captain America, Scarlett Witch and Black Widow.  Just as you go to drop them, you’re tackled off of your feet to the ground. 
“What’re you doing?” Iron Man yells at you, trapping you beneath him until you punch his shoulder, sending him flying back. As Tony hovers in the air, disbelief crosses his face as you stand up, brushing gravel from your clothes. “That, that’s not possible.” He states as you run at full speed and jump from the building with nothing to hold you back. 
Landing on the ground, you watch as soldiers part for you to walk through. 
“They’ve got a weapon oncoming guys.” Tony announces, watching as you pass through, taking a gun and firing it. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” He mutters to himself as he flies over, firing down at HYDRA soldiers. 
The Avengers continue to dodge your bullets and Natasha runs toward you. 
As you fight her, she struggles to keep up. “You’re a kid?” She questions as you smile sweetly before punching her square in the face, knocking her unconscious with your sheer force.
Quickly you weave through their defence systems and attacks. You might be outnumbered, but they’re underestimating your potential.
“Kid, give up. You don’t wanna do this.” Steve stands in front of you as blood covers his face. 
You wipe away the blood that coats your lips as you hold your fists up. “Trust me,” You start, squaring him up once again. “there’s nothing I’d rather be doing.” 
Steve can feel himself losing momentum and looks around for a split second, noticing Natasha in Bruce’s arms as he runs back toward the Quinjet. Wanda is trapped by three trees as Vision fights off anyone who comes near her and Tony is above firing down on the soldiers surrounding them all. 
Holding your gun in front of Steve, you watch as he lowers his shield. “You giving up, Captain?” You raise an eyebrow as he pants heavily. 
“No,” He tells you, securing his shield as you both remain still. “I just have to ask, why are you doing this?” 
Steve watches as your hand twitches. He can see you fighting with yourself as your eyes remain focused on the gun, but your hand wants to lower it. 
“I have no choice, Captain.” You admit sadly, a glimpse of yourself fighting through. “They’ll torture me and kill me eventually if I give up.” You tell him, and for a split second, Steve can see Bucky in you. 
“I have a friend like you,” Steve steps closer cautiously, keeping his eyes on you but occasionally glancing to the gun. “he was HYDRA’s weapon, so I understand that you feel like there isn’t a way out. But I promise you, there’s a way out.” He explains, resting his hand on your gun. 
Your eyes plead to be saved, but your hand remains tightly locked around the gun. 
“I’m sorry,” You mumble as you pull the trigger, watching blood seep through the blue on his shoulder as he falls back. 
His shield falls to the ground, and you lower your gun. “It’s done.” You tell yourself as you close your eyes, stopping the tears from returning. 
“You’re just a kid,” Tony lands behind you as you quickly turn, holding your gun back up as your trembles return. “let me help you.” He states and you shake your head.
“Why should I trust you? I’m safe here, I, I’m home.” You try to hide the fear in your tone as the soldier's retreat, leaving you alone on the field as your mess is left for the superior to review. 
“This isn’t a home,” Tony states, motioning around you. “this isn’t somewhere you should be kept. We can help you, stop them from using you in this way.” 
“I can’t. If I try they’ll kill me.” You tell him. “The last person who tried to escape didn’t make it to the gates. He was hung there for weeks to serve as a reminder.” What you didn’t mention was how you had been at HYDRA for a month at that point, a twelve-year-old exposed to the true horrors they held. 
“They didn’t have the Avengers to help them though, did they?” He retorts as he removes his mask, revealing a kind face. “Let us save you, we can stop them from getting into there.” He points to your head. 
“How do you know it’ll stop?” You question, desperation in your tone as you wish for freedom more than anything. “How do I know you won’t just kill me? I’m HYDRA after all.” 
“You deserve a chance.” Tony tells you, his eyes focusing on you closely. “If you can release my friends, I promise to get you out of here alive.” 
You sigh to yourself as you look over to see the trees still crushing Scarlett Witch. “I thought she could’ve gotten herself out.” You mutter under your breath before forcing the trees up. 
“Are you alright, Wanda?” Vision helps Wanda to her feet as she stumbles over her footing. 
Holding onto Vision tightly, she looks over to you with fury in her eyes. “Don’t, Wanda.” Tony states. “She means no harm.” 
“She’s HYDRA, of course she means harm.” Wanda bitterly retorts. 
“I’m sorry,” You call out, lowering your gun to the ground and holding your hands up. “I, I had no choice.” 
Wanda can see your whole body shaking as Tony looks back at you. “Were you in that room?” She questions, walking closer toward you as Vision closely follows. “With that Doctor?” 
Flashes of the events run through your mind as you nod. “Daily.” You tell her and her heart breaks for you. 
“It’s okay,” She tells you, resting her arm around you. “you’ll be safe.” 
“We better go before more come back.” Vision states as he takes Wanda, flying off with her as Tony helps you and Steve. 
“He’ll be okay, won’t he?” You motion to the unconscious soldier in Tony’s arms as you fly alongside him. 
“That’s like having a papercut, kid.” Tony jokes, watching as you finally crack a smile. “We just need to make sure you’ll be alright.” 
“Thank you,” You mutter as you reach the Quinjet, looking up at it before glancing back at the gates now behind you. “and I, I’m Y/n.” 
Tony smiles softly to you as he steps aboard the Quinjet, waiting for you to follow. “Come on, then Y/n. A new life is just ahead.”
t a g l i s t (thank you for the support!) link in my bio & at the top of this piece to add yourself☺️
@biss-stuff​   @psychicforest​  @lourightm​ @mywinterwolf​   @justsomedreaming​ @stanlux17​ @supermoonchildbroski @xrosegoldwolfx​ @courtneychicken​ @marvelsangels​ @supraveng @tommy-lee-81 @fandom-princess-forevermore  @sarge-barnes-sir
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dangerstxrlet · 3 years
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+ @artificiallyimplantedmemories​ gets a plotted thing ! 
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+ Mary Jane had a love-hate relationship with premiers. The red-carpet parts were fun, for the most part, but she wasn’t sure if waiting to see everyone’s reactions was something of a VALIDATION or rather something to be FEARED. The movie’s reputation had already preceded it, even before MJ had signed on to play the lead role. There’d been big movies in her career before, but playing the BLACK WIDOW on the big-screen ? There had been expectations that she’d found IMPOSSIBLE to ignore. The early reviews had been positive, but until she saw what most of the world thought, Mary Jane wasn’t going to be put at ease so quickly.
“ Here’s HOPING ... “ Swirling her glass around, she forced a deep breath into her lungs before taking a small drink. “ Otherwise, I’m sure the tabloids are already ready to dig into me. “ 
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zalrb · 3 years
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hi! same anon from before, hahah. first of all thank u so much for answering - i'm a big steve mcqueen fan too and i was wondering if you were ever interested in reviewing your favourite mcqueen movies? a few words for each kinda thing. i love your movie reviews because way more often than not, i find myself agreeing with you and you seem to find the exact right words. of course, it's merely a request you don't *have* to take seriously.i hope u have a great day!
OK so here is my list, starting from favourite to least favourite. The only feature film of his that I haven’t seen is Hunger.
What I will say are general Steve McQueen characteristics that I like about all of the movies is the fact that his films require patience and attention. If I’m tired or not really in the mood to devote my focus but I want to watch something, I’m not putting on a Steve McQueen film. I want to be fully present. His work demands that. I appreciate that.
I have also come to respect that there are what you would consider holes in his movies. Like we don’t really know anything about Brandon’s backstory in Shame, we know his sister says that they come from a bad place but we don’t know what that place is and the movie doesn’t find it necessary to divulge that information. Widows has a lot of loose ends that a typical heist movie may at least attempt to sort out but I don’t think McQueen really concerns himself with those details, he concerns himself with the emotional present and he concerns himself with the present to such an intimate and almost unbearable degree that it can make you flinch and cringe as a viewer because it’s uncomfortable to kind of stew in emotional truth like that, it’s uncomfortable to stew in the present that way.
There is an artistry and a poetry to his movies, it reminds me of paintings and I can say without irony or without being corny or without being pretentious, that these movies really do examine the human condition, do deep dives into emotion or deep dives into emotions that a particular event or issue would bring about.
1. Lovers Rock
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I love this movie for so many different reasons. It means so much to me as a woman of Jamaican descent to see an ode to Caribbean party culture in the diaspora
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and even though it’s in London and even though it was in the 80s, there is so much overlap in Canada, it was basically like a spiritual experience watching this movie and on twitter, there was so much outpour of gratitude and feeling seen by Caribbean Canadians, it was like a whole moment, so this movie makes me super emotional.
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Like this scene, where they yell “Jah!” “Rastafari!” it got me in my chest and I had never experienced feeling so seen in film before because it’s specifically Caribbean, in this case Jamaican, and what I usually see is African American or movies from the Continent and this was diasporic and it was Caribbean
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But what I also love about it is that even though it takes place over one night, it’s a love story between two young dark-skinned Black people and it’s handled with the kind of grace and beauty and weight that I like in my love stories, like it’s not Atonement, it’s not POTC, but it’s this culturally specific courting and coming together and it’s super sweet and just very nice
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2. Alex Wheatle
There is this scene in this movie that is excruciating to me in its simplicity and it’s one of McQueen’s techniques or choices. So this installation in Small Axe is about Alex Wheatle who is an author and in the beginning we see his life in an orphanage and how he’s abused and ridiculed and how as a child he would be thrown in a room for hours just lying on his side
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Then we get to him as an adult and we see the way the police harass Black youth and they take Alex throw him in the back of their van and he’s bloodied and beaten and he’s just lying on his side for hours. And I cried because that callback to his childhood was so brutal to me even though we don’t see excessive violence onscreen, it was just him lying on his side like when he was a kid and how systems upon systems are failing him and failing Black children, Black people and I didn’t need that spelled out for me, I just needed to see him lying on his side for minutes. And that’s kind of the power of McQueen’s directing/storytelling to me?
Another reason I really like Alex Wheatle - and the Small Axe anthology as a whole - is showcasing Black history in other countries
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and it’s a great story about identity and figuring out your history, your roots, where you come from and how it informs you
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3. 12 Years A Slave
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I didn’t know if I was going to watch 12 Years A Slave or not, I kind of make it a point not to watch movies about enslavement now and I haven’t seen a movie about enslavement since (I did watch the show Underground though). What I love about this movie is how it examines the human condition, how it examines resilience, how it examines the soul, really, through many of the characters but particularly Solomon. It’s that unflinching portrayal of emotion and the present that really stuck out to me. And also again some of McQueen’s choices, like when they’re on the slave ship, for a lot of it we don’t see inside, we see the rudders
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but that inspired such dread in me? We see the trees a lot.
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We see the setting. We see the environment and that just adds a whole other layer, Lupita Nyong’o spoke about that when filming, about just thinking about the trees and what they witnessed. But I watched it, I didn’t cry until the third act then I wouldn’t stop crying then I pulled myself together and a week later, my roommate was playing it in her room and I could hear it and I was trying to write for workshop and it was just the score that I could hear and I got so emotional I had to ask her to put her earphones in so I could work.
4. Education
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This installment of Small Axe was again an educational one for me (pun intended) because I know the ways in which the education system in my country and in my province and in my city fail Black children and I know enough about how that happens in the States, I didn’t know so much about how it happened in England and this was very illuminating for me without it taking on the tone of a docu. There is this scene that is just so uncomfortable to watch because it’s long and it’s boring and it’s irritating and that’s exactly what you’re supposed to feel because you’re supposed to feel exactly what the characters would feel in those moments:
Education also has a scene where we hear an entire song, but it’s deliberately not fun, when the teacher torments all the kids with his acoustic version of “House of the Rising Sun.” Why that song? That happened with me!
Oh my god. The teacher brought in his guitar, and he started to strum. We’re this captive audience. That was it. But it’s interesting, about that sequence. Because it’s funny, and then it gets irritating, and then you get bored. You have to go through boredom to get to the other side of it, and then you get to something else. And then there’s another understanding of it. So it had to play out that way, in real time.
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and you know by the end, the movie explores how to engage children, how to encourage children, how to advocate for children and the different ways you can educate children so it’s an optimistic movie and I appreciated that
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5. Widows
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My second best experience at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) was watching Widows. TIFF screenings tend to be very quiet. But there’s a scene in Widows where after the protagonists (four women) do the work and get the money, Daniel Kaluuya watches them, holds them at gunpoint and takes the money, then leaves in his car. Then you’re with him in this car and he’s feeling good about himself and he’s laughing and he’s listening to this speech his brother makes then you see another car gain on him, run into him and it’s the protagonists and they take their money back and the entire theatre cheered and clapped and it was awesome. And that is the type of “girl power” scenes I like that aren’t “girl power” scenes? Where it’s just this man thought he could take what he wanted from these women and leave and they were like ummmmmmm?
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I would say Widows is McQueen’s most commercial movie and it still doesn’t read very commercial and unfortunately Liam Neeson is in it but again I like the choices he made, I like that when Colin Farrell’s character is going on this racist rant in his car, we see the exterior of the car with his dialogue as a voiceover.
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I like how controlled and tight the direction is and how throughout the movie I was on the edge of my seat in a different way, I was just tense until it was all over. It was also interesting watching his direction with Gillian Flynn’s screenplay interact with each other.
I had issues with this movie, mainly one moment which is when Alice, who is white, slaps Veronica (Viola Davis) -- Veronica slaps Alice first but Alice is a character who has been abused and who has been controlled by the men in her life, by her mother and she’s finding independence and so she exerts that by slapping Veronica back and I just thought there were other ways to show that.
6. Red, White and Blue
Another installment of Small Axe. My first husband stars in it and won a GG for it
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and has this gem in it
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It’s a good representation of what it looks like trying to right a system from the inside, since this is about Leroy Logan who became a police officer and ended up policing the neighbourhood he grew up in and how he was trying to be a positive change in the environment and in the police force and the racism he experienced as an officer
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7. Mangrove
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The first installment of Small Axe. To be quite honest I wanted to like Mangrove more than I did. It’s Steve McQueen so it’s a good movie, although the accents had some Trini people I know be like mmmmmmmmmmmmno, and again it’s also an educational movie because you learn about the Mangrove restaurant which was a Caribbean restaurant and hub for the community and for artists and authors and the police saw it as a threat so they constantly harassed the costumers and did raids and did everything in their power to shut it down.
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And there are some great lines in this movie, I was most compelled when it became a courtroom drama, because that was some masterful directing
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8. Shame
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Shame was definitely uncomfortable for me to watch haha and it’s interesting because there were reviews that were like the title doesn’t match what we see because are we really expected to believe that the protagonist feels shame when we see him in New York having anonymous sex with [conventionally] attractive strangers and he has awkward moments with his sister and I was just like ............ if there’s anything McQueen is able to do is show how mechanical and compulsive Brandon’s sexual conquests are and his inability to actually connect because once he does he becomes impotent and pushes Marrianne away, his life is sterile and unfulfilling
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so, I don’t know, some of the reviews had me like, what movie were you watching?
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cutie1365 · 4 years
Text
A Kid from Queens Part 19
Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader
Info: CA: Civil War Era. Tony Stark enlists his daughter to find the web slinging spider in Queens.
Word count: 4.2k
Warnings: Language
A/N: I think this is the longest chapter I’ve ever written, but y’all deserve it since I’ve been on hiatus for school. Enjoy!
Any and all feedback is much appreciated!
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Masterlist linked in my bio. Taglist in the reblog.
- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -
The light peeking through the curtains caused Peter to stir, as he reached across the bed for you. Instead he found your spot empty, and cold, so you’ve been up for a while.
He pulled the covers from himself and made his way into the kitchen, not bothering to put his shirt back on.
“Hi.” You smile as you see Peter sauntering towards you, sleepy, shirtless, and with his curls gathering into a messy mop on top of his head.
“It’s early,” Peter groaned, rubbing his eyes.
“I know. I have to go upstate and I want to make sure I’m back in time for dinner.” You explained.
Peter noticed your bag and keys ready to go on the counter, and assumed you were waiting for him to wake up.
“Oh, sorry I can-” He motioned towards the balcony but you cut him off.
“No, no you’re fine. Stay. Here, I made some breakfast,” You pushed a plate towards him as he sat down at the counter. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. can help you if you need anything.”
“Are you sure?” Peter asked, hesitantly picking up the fork next to his plate.
“Positive,” You smiled, “Stay as long as you need, F.R.I. will lock up after you leave.”
You grabbed your bag, keys, and the helmet sitting on your chair.
“Um, what’s that for?” Peter raised a brow and pointed the end of his fork at the sleek black helmet.
“Well, last I checked its state law to wear a helmet while riding.” You shrugged.
“You have a motorcycle?” Peter asked in shock, his voice raising an octave.
“Something like that.” You smirked, pulling the helmet under your arm.
“How?” Peter asked, still baffled. He never pegged you as the motorcycle type.
“Steve taught me a couple years ago”, You brushed it off as if it was nothing, but Peter’s eyes were still wide. You chuckled “You wanna see it don’t you?”
“Um yeah.” Peter said as if it was obvious, and jumped out of his chair as you slipped on your black leather jacket.
Peter followed you out of the door into your private garage and his eyes landed on a sleek, black Stark Industries bike.
“This looks like something straight out of Mission Impossible.” Peter gushed.
“It was Nat’s, I’m holding on to it for her.” You explained.
“I didn’t know Stark Industries made bikes like this.” Peter said, totally fixated on the bike and the fact that the Black Widow rode this.
“We make a lot of things, we just don’t mass produce them. My grandfather did try to make a flying car after all.” You chuckled as you straddled the bike, pushing the key into the ignition.
“I should be back in a few hours, I’ll see you tonight.” You smiled as you kissed Peter goodbye.
“This is super hot by the way.” Peter motioned to you on the bike as he stepped back.
“I know,” You smirked, slipping on your helmet, revving the engine and driving away.
Peter chuckled and shook his head.
“I’m in trouble,” he muttered with a goofy smile on his face as he made his way back into your apartment.
- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -
As you pulled up to the compound, you knew what you had to do. No more lies, just like you’d promised. You walked into the lobby, running your fingers through your hair after releasing it from your helmet.
“Hey, Y/N!” You turned to see a familiar face walking by, and that was a miracle in and of itself.
“Rhodey! Where’s the old man?” You asked with a smile.
“He’s up in his office.” He directs you.
“He in a good mood?” You asked with a chuckle, knowing you were about to ruin it.
“For now, troublemaker.” He tousled your hair.
“Hey, trouble finds me.” You smirked, causing him to laugh as you flattened your hair.
You started walking toward the elevator as you heard his voice call out to you once more.
“Oh, I think Pepper’s looking for you.” Rhodey said as you stepped into the elevator.
“Oof, then I really am in trouble.” You replied as the door began to shut, you saw him chuckle and send you a wave that you returned.
You got off the elevator and walked the long hallway to your father’s office. You missed the tower– here everything was so spread out, at least in the tower you could just take the elevator all the way up exactly where you need.
You noticed his door was cracked as you approached it.
“Dad,” You knocked on his door, simultaneously pushing it open and stepping inside.
“Yeah?” He was standing behind his desk, his eyes not leaving the file in his hands.
“I wanna tell you something.” You chose your words carefully. You weren’t necessarily asking for permission, but you did want to be open and honest with him.
“Ok.” He said calmly, closing the file and setting it on his desk, his eyes focused on you, telling you to continue.
“I like Peter.” You said slowly.
“Yes.” He stated, as if that was obvious.
“And I want to be with him.” You continued, gaining a little courage.
“Ok.” He nodded, and picked up his file once more as if you didn’t just drop a bomb on him.
“Ok?” You asked, confused. Had he not heard you?
“That’s what I said.” He shrugged, flipping a page in his file.
“Just like that? ‘Ok’?” You pressed, surely there was a ‘but’ coming.
“Look Y/N,” He dropped his file once more and put both hands on his desk, leaning towards you, “I’ve seen you these last few months and you haven’t been yourself. You’ve been overworking yourself in the lab, and I haven’t seen you truly happy in a while. I figured there might be a correlation.”
“And you’re ok with this?” You raised a brow, suspicious at how he’d suddenly changed his tune about you and Peter.
“I’m giving it a chance. One chance.” He nodded, and you couldn’t contain yourself.
“Thank you, dad.” You jumped into his arms, practically squealing.
He stopped you after a moment, pulling away and holding you at arm's length.
“But you have to be careful. You can see the kid, but you can’t get caught up when he puts the suit on.” He gave you a stern look.
“I know, I know.” You nodded. Tony smiled and you hugged him once more. He patted your back.
“Alright pipsqueak, go see Pep before you head out.” He said once you’d pulled away, you nodded as he kissed the top of your head, sending you on your way.
You made your way across the compound, wondering why the hell their offices were on opposite sides of the building. You were sure getting your steps in today.
As you made it to Pepper’s office, her assistant nodded to you, letting you know to head right on in.
“Hey Pep.” You smiled, a little nervously as you headed into her office. You didn’t know what this was about.
“Hello sweetie, sit.” She motioned to the chairs in front of her desk. You did as she said.
“I looked over your proposal for the internship program. It’s good Y/N, really good.” Pepper placed her hand on the packet you’d put together for more specifics on the program, budget, and schedule.
“Thank you.” You smiled, relieved.
“You really care about this don’t you.” She asked.
“Of course I do, I mean this is more than just an internship for a couple of months. This is investing in our company's future and in these students' futures.” You explained, showing how clearly passionate you were about this.
“Speaking of our company's future...” Pepper said slowly, leaning back in her chair, “Your father and I were talking, and we think you’re ready to take on more than just Philanthropy.”
“What exactly did you have in mind?” You asked, excitedly. This is what you’ve been waiting for, something more, a chance to use your skills.
“We want you to be on the Robotics Review Board. All prototypes the team designs will have to be tested, inspected, and approved by you. What do you think?” Pepper tilted her head, smiling once she saw your eyes light up.
“That sounds perfect,” You beamed, before furrowing your brows, “But, why all of a sudden?”
“You’re turning 19 next week, you’ve proven you can handle Philanthropy and this Internship Program, and we think you’re ready for more. You’re going to be running this company one day Y/N, we want to put you in the best position to do that successfully.” She explained.
“Thank you, Pepper.” You smiled somberly. You knew you were being groomed to take over this company one day, but it seemed so far away. Pepper isn’t set to retire for another twenty years at least.
“Don’t thank me, you’ve earned this. Come here.” She stood, waving you over into her open arms. You stood, and she wrapped her arms around you. It was warm and comforting, she was the closest thing to a mother you had.
“Now you better get going, you don’t want to keep the kid waiting.” She chuckled, rubbing her hand up your arm.
“How do you-?” Your eyes went wide, as she just smirked.
“Go get him, Tiger. And remember what I taught you.” She raised a brow.
“Don’t put out on the first date?” You smirked. She shook her head with a chuckle.
“The other thing I taught you- never show up to someone’s home empty handed.” She shook her head, she swore sometimes you were just like your father.
“Way ahead of ya.” You smiled starting to walk towards her door.
“But the first rule still stands young lady!” She yelled after you, you chuckled as you spun and waved goodbye as the elevator doors closed around you.
- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -
As you walked back into your building the concierge stopped you and said they’d received a package for you. You raised a brow, you really didn’t give out this address and you hadn’t ordered anything, but you accepted it with a smile.
You took the small FedEx box from his hands and made your way into the elevator. Once the doors had closed you ripped the strip down the side and opened it. Dumping the box upside down, a small burner phone fell into your hand.
You stepped out of the elevator onto your floor as you looked into the box, looking for a note, but found none. You raised a brow, curious as to who it could be, as you walked into your apartment.
The living room was dark, and you assumed Peter got home alright. You flipped on the light and slid the phone out of the box once more, walking straight towards the kitchen counter to set it down. You didn’t question things like this anymore, ever since you had started assisting the FBI in their investigation of the major.
“I see you got my gift.” You hear from behind you, and jump around with a slight scream, your hand flying to your chest.
“Steve?” Your brows furrow as your eyes land on a familiar face, “What the fuck!”
“I need your help.” He stands from your chair in the living room, with an authoritative tone.
You turned your back on him, still angry for everything that had happened, now he had the balls to come ask for your help. You placed the phone on the counter, discarding it.
“I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. Plus I’m pretty sure it would be treason if I helped you.” You huffed.
“I just need some files.” He pleaded with you.
“Then steal them, why do you need me?” You snipped, whipping around to face him.
“They’re old Shield files.” He tried to explain, stepping closer to you. You’d forgotten how tall he was as he towered over you.
“And?” You retorted, knowing there was more he wasn’t telling you.
“And only Tony has access to them.” Steve said, causing you to sigh.
“Look, I know you wouldn’t have come here unless it was important and you’re risking a lot by even being in the country right now, but I’m going to need a little bit more than that to go off of if you’re asking me to betray my father.” You placed your hand on your hip, snapping at him.
“It’s for Bucky.” He was ready to give you his famous puppy dog eyes if you didn’t agree to help.
“Isn’t it always?” You rolled your eyes.
“We’re trying to help him. Take out whatever they put in his head. But we need to know how they did it. There’s a notebook, Zemo had it in Berlin, then the Task Force turned it over to Tony to keep safe. We need it.” He was finally giving you a little bit of information, although not much.
“Who’s ‘we’?” You crossed your arms over your chest.
“I can’t tell you that.” He shakes his head, he knew he could trust you, but no one could know they were in Wakanda.
“Of course you can’t.” You let out a dry laugh, shaking your head and looking off in the distance.
“Y/N, I’m sorry to put you in this position-” Steve tried to apologize but you cut him off.
“It’s been six months Steve!” You yelled, stepping towards him and waving your arms as you yelled, “We haven’t heard from you, hell we didn’t even know if you were alive! You couldn’t check in just once?”
“I’m sorry Y/N.” He said, genuinely.
“I thought we were friends Steve.” You shook your head with a frown, speaking just above a whisper.
“We are, and I promise I’ll make it up to you, but right now I really need these files.” Steve pleaded once more, hitting you with the golden boy puppy dog eyes.
You groaned, whipping around and starting to walk towards your lab.
“Come with me.” You called to him, and heard his footsteps behind you as you entered your lap. Thankfully you had access to all of the Stark servers.
You sat down in front of the large desktop screen and started typing. You had backdoored into your father’s account years ago, so that wasn't going to be hard. Now you just needed to be careful to not alert him to any presences in the system while you find the files. One slip up and you were toast.
Steve stood silently, leaning on the table next to you, watching you work.
“So... who’s the guy?” Steve asked, breaking the silence.
“What?” You turned to him, your eyes popped. How the hell did everyone know about this?
“The guy I saw leaving your place a few hours ago.” He clarified, and you rolled your eyes.
“Peter,” You spoke, turning back to the computer and typing while you talked, “You’ve met him.”
“I have?” Steve raised a brow.
“You decked him if I remember.” You chuckled, your eyes not leaving the screen.
“I what?” Steve asked, horrified.
You glanced to your side and pushed a piece of paper from your desk towards Steve. It had diagrams of Peter’s suit on it.
“The Queens kid?” He asked, picking up the paper, you nodded in response, “Hmm, that’s a nice looking suit.”
“I’d make you a suit too if you weren’t a war criminal.” You teased.
“Ouch,” Steve put his hand to his chest, fiening insult.
You turned to him and chuckled, shaking your head at him. You missed this, you missed the team all together. Back when they were a team, not divided, scattered all around the world. Suddenly the computer beeped and flashed, turning your attention back to the screen.
“Shit.” You muttered as you examined the screen, you had just found the files, you were so close.
“What?” Steve asked, worried. He came closer, leaning over your shoulder to get a better look at the screen.
“There’s a password.” You explained, Tony didn’t use passwords, everything was biometrics: facial scans, finger prints, etc.
“Five letters.” Steve said, even he knew that wasn’t a secure password. To you, that meant this wasn’t a password, it was a reminder.
“The file is just the notebook?” You asked, turning back to Steve.
“Yeah, it should just be a scanned copy, why?” Steve furrowed his brows, but you didn’t answer. Instead you turned and typed in the one word you knew it had to be.
The screen lit up with “Access Granted” and started downloading the file.
“How’d you know?” Steve asked, you’d been so confident in it.
“It’s his mother, the one who Bucky-” Your voice trailed off, not wanting to complete the thought. Your grandmother: Maria.
“Oh.” Steve nodded in understanding.
“You want a paper copy or digital?” You asked, changing the subject.
“Both?” He answered and you nodded, typing away to begin printing and transferring a copy of the file to a blank flash drive for Steve to take.
“Shit,” You muttered, looking down at your watch, “I need to get ready. Just wait here, that’s gonna take a while to print, it’s almost 200 pages.”
You pushed out of your chair, and Steve nodded at your command, as you left him in the lab. You could not be late to this dinner, and you knew how long it would take to drive all the way to Queens at rush hour.
You came back into the lab about 10 minutes later, now in a casual dress with your hair down and some red lipstick on. Steve didn’t say anything as you began digging through some drawers in your lab, before pulling out what you were looking for and slipping it in your purse.
You made your way back over to the computer, reaching behind it to pull out the flash drive.
“Here ya go.” You smiled, handing it to Steve.
“Thanks,” He nodded, before continuing, “You look nice.”
“Not too much?” You asked, nervously, brushing down the skirt of your dress. He shook his head with a smile as the printer spat out the last page. You gathered the pages and placed them all in a manila file folder before handing it to him.
“Anything else I can do for you Rogers?” You asked as he followed you back into the living room.
“No, thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.” He said, graciously.
“Well, everyone deserves a second chance, now you can help Bucky get his,” You said as you slipped the burner phone into your purse, “You know how to reach me if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, I owe you.” Steve smiled.
“Yes, yes you do.” You smirked, as you left your apartment, going your separate ways.
This was definitely not how you expected your day to go.
- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -
Just as the clock struck 6:00 you rang the doorbell of the Parker residence. May pulled the door open with a smile.
“Y/N, come in!” She said, with an apron wrapped around her dress, as she motioned inside and held the door open for you.
“Thank you, these are for you,” You smiled, handing her the bouquet of flowers in your hand.
“Oh how sweet, they’re beautiful. I’ll put them in some water. Peter!” May called to her nephew as she made her way towards the kitchen.
“Coming!” A voice came from the back of the apartment.
“What’s this?” May asks, pointing down to the box in your hands.
“Oh, it’s just a little something.” You smiled, handing her the box as Peter’s door opened.
“Hi,” Peter smiles at you with a goofy grin on his face, “You look really pretty.”
He’s seen you with no makeup, and he’s seen you in full glam. But standing before him with natural makeup and a plain dress, you looked gorgeous.
“Thank you,” You blushed, as you hugged him, breathing in his familiar, comforting scent.
A sudden scream makes you both jump. Both of your instincts kick in. You turned to see May holding the open box, exposing a new pair of the shoes you wore on TV.
“Are these?” Her eyes went wide, unable to contain herself.
“If they don’t fit, blame Peter.” You pointed to her nephew with a teasing smirk.
“Oh my god,” she squealed.
Peter smiled down at you, his arm still wrapped around you. His aunt needed this, he hadn’t seen her this happy since Uncle Ben died. He had no idea you were going to do this, but he thought it was really sweet.
“Oh, I have something for you too Peter.” You began to dig through your purse, before pulling it out.
“Aha! Here,” you pulled out the small metal disk roughly the size of a tennis ball, “It’s an exact replica of Cap’s shield... scaled down of course.”
“Woah,” He examined it with wise eyes, flipping it over in his hands, “Is this vibranium?”
“Yep, so don’t lose it,” You chuckled, “My grandfather used this prototype to pitch to the US Army, to convince them to fund the real thing. He even shot it to show it was bulletproof. You can still see the scuff mark on the back.”
Peter flipped it over and his eyes landed on the spot you described. He couldn’t believe he was holding this, it reminded him of the time he held Cap’s real shield for a moment, all those months ago when he’d first met you. If someone had told him back then that Y/N Stark would be standing in his living room for dinner, let alone his girlfriend, he would have thought they were crazy.
“Y/N, I can’t accept this, this should be in a museum.” Peter said, holding the disk out towards you.
“It’s ok,” You pushed it back towards him, “He made two, I’ve got the other. I know you’ll keep it safe.”
“Y/N...” He tilted his head, still not convinced that you should be giving him something this valuable. After all, vibranium is the rarest metal on earth.
“Please, for your birthday.” You smiled, giving him your best puppy dog eyes until he gave in.
You giggled at his defeat, as he leaned in to give you a quick kiss.
“If you two are done being adorable, dinners ready.” May said, with a smirk.
Dinner was exactly what you needed. It was filled with laughter and happiness. Was this what a normal life looked like? The closest thing you’ve ever had to a family dinner was team dinners in the tower, and even then you weren’t always present with school keeping you away. Did normal people sit down and eat dinner together every night?
This was definitely a feeling you could get used to.
After dinner you were sitting on the couch with Peter as May sat in the chair next to you. She spoke up after a lull in conversation.
“Ok, I have to ask,” May’s tone changed to more serious, and Peter knew what that meant.
“May-” Peter warned her. She’d mentioned this to Peter before you arrived and he really didn’t want to make you answer this question, especially considering what had just happened last night.
“No, it’s ok.” You nod towards her to continue. You didn’t have anything to hide... well, barely anything.
“I thought...” She took a second to choose her wording, “Well from the papers, I thought you were dating the mayor’s son until about a week ago. I’m just looking out for my nephew here.”
The question caught you a little off guard, but it wasn’t uncalled for. You could definitely see why she would be concerned, and she deserved an honest answer.
“As you should. But no, Thomas and I broke up months ago after the attack at the mayor’s fundraiser. After that, it was publicists who wanted to keep up the image. They’d stage an outing a week for pictures, but it wasn’t real. I didn’t want to keep living a lie, so we staged a break up.” You told her the truth, well, most of the truth, leaving out the part where you kept fake dating to protect Peter, who’s Spider-Man, and investigate the major’s black market dealings. But basically the gist is the same.
“Guess the magazines don’t tell you everything,” May nodded in understanding. Peter looked embarrassed and he felt bad that May was interrogating you. You reached next to you to take his hand, to reassure him that everything was ok.
“They get a lot wrong, that’s for sure...” You paused for a moment, “Miss Parker, I know you don’t know me very well, but I really care about Peter. I have since the first day I met him, and I’d never do anything to hurt him. I can promise you that.”
“Aunt May.” She said slowly.
“What?” You furrowed your brows.
“You can call me Aunt May.” She smiled, and Peter’s eyes went wide. That was big, that meant she really liked you. You’d gotten the May stamp of approval, and to Peter, that meant a lot.
- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -
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ks-caster · 3 years
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Beth Liveblogs Black Widow
Bought that premium access on Disney+ so I can have the privilege of pausing for snacks and using subtitles as needed - so let’s go! 
Beth’s Spoiler-Free Review: Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the movie - the plot was compelling, the characters were likable, and the stunts were really excellent. I felt like hair and makeup dropped the ball on realism multiple times which I was sad about, because how she looks seems to be pretty important to Nat so I expected it to be done well in her movie. 
I did not like the way they framed the tail end (denouement - obviously because this movie is mid-series we know how it ends to an extent) - I felt like the connect-up to Infinity War was lackluster, especially compared to how enjoyable and dynamic the rest of the film was.
Spoilery live-reactions are under the cut. Click at own risk! Feel free to rebagel with your own impressions, thoughts, jokes and rebuttals!
The movie begins with a young Nat with blue dyed hair and visible roots, showing her natural red. Do you know how hard it is to get natural red out of hair, enough to make it blue and not green? And I’m supposed to believe that a middle-school age girl in 1995 Ohio had access to these chemicals? I’ll give her the white hair in IW/Endgame because she’s an adult with a lot of experience as a spy altering her appearance. But as a child? In the 90s? While her family is apparently in hiding? Sus.
The scene with Alexei laying on the on the wing while Nat learns to fly? AMAZING stunts. Amazing. AND someone in an action movie is finally smart enough to shoot the tires.
Nice skills on young Nat, getting the gun. Since we know from Endgame that Nat’s father is named Ivan, we know that Alexei isn’t really her dad. She also refers to presumably the red room as going “back.” Was she lent out to these agents to legitimize their family?
-0-
Nice knife moves, Yelena - I love the hand switch.
Ooooh so she was being mind controlled and the red stuff freed her? Interesting.
-0-
Nat is in Norway - visit Thor! He’d love to have you. (I’m mixing up my timeline, aren’t I?)
Supplies Dude whose name I didn’t catch refers to the Avengers breakup as a divorce - I kinda love it. It’s accurate!
BUDAPEST omg are we finally going to get the story?? Are we??
Box dye? I’m supposed to believe she got all that red out of her hair with flippin’ Loreal? Really? And that toner isn’t even the color she ultimately went - it’s too yellow. Sus.
-0-
Oop, looks like Nat got caught up in Yelena’s desertion.
Do not give Nat your metal frisbee, robocop - she’s been around Steve long enough that she knows how to use it.
I laughed out loud when she did the string him up thing with the cables - literal spider move, I love it!
Mystery box is empty - classic bait and switch.
-0-
BUDAPEST - WE ARE IN BUDAPEST - IT’S HAPPENING PEOPLE
Nat closing the door behind her is a small thing but I appreciate it - no sneaking up behind her.
When Yelena throws Nat in the kitchen and her feet hit the door and she spins before she hits the ground? That was a helluva stunt.
Oooooh honey. No body left to check is ALWAYS movie code for they lived.
Dreykov’s daughter? Another hint from Avengers 2012? C’mon, movie.
Riding the chimney down? Another incredible stunt. 
Dreykov can scan his soldiers’ bodies and terminate them if they’re too damaged to keep fighting? Big yikes. With Nat where she is character development wise, the stakes are now much higher because if she injures an opponent they may be killed remotely.
“Do you want me to chase him down and un-steal it?”
The car door under the bike was an excellent stunt - as was the car going into the subway. Though I’ve never seen a subway entrance big enough to admit a car.
Who hasn’t wanted to slide down the middle to avoid the crowded escalators lol.
Yelena making fun of Nat’s sexy poses I am LIVING omg.
Running water for wounds. RUNNING WATER. NOT ALCOHOL. The vodka goes on the INSIDE for the pain - the running water cleans the OUTSIDE. If there’s a convenience store then there’s a bathroom, with running water. Cleansing with something like alcohol is a LAST RESORT and you do not look like you’re at that point resource-wise. I thought these ladies were supposed to be highly trained in all of the things?
“Could be fun though.” “I saw where he put the keys” “Top drawer green cabinet.” I love their chaos.
Yelena’s vest and its pockets and the resulting conversation are positively majestic.
“You are sensitive.” “You’re a very annoying person.”
-0-
Do! Not! Move! Around! Like! That! While! Getting! A! Tattoo!!!! That poor artist was trying his best and Alexei just...
Ooooh was Red Guardian like Captain Russia? Interesting.
“Just don’t make a scene.” “You made a scene didn’t you.”
David Harbor running up that wall and then wiping out after the guard shocks him... I really loved that stunt, especially since they don’t show him being all super cut - he’s a big guy! He’s allowed to have fat over his muscles and still be a strong dude! I love it.
“Such a poser.” Girl, you need to meet Loki - he does a lot of hair flips too lol.
The sibling energy between the girls during the rescue!!!
“Whooooooa... this would be a cool way to die.” Yelena, I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you but get your head in the game girl.
Poor Alexei - he never gets to do the dramatic escape from *inside* of the aircraft.
Hang on, no ovaries? So all of these women are now in immediate, surgically-induced menopause? The uterus part makes sense if the intent was to prevent them from getting pregnant if they have sex during a mission, but, what, they gotta be on estrogen supplements for the rest of their lives? That’s just really poor planning. Like it was hilarious the way Yelena went into the biology of it to make Alexei uncomfortable, but that really doesn’t make sense to do to your superhero kids. It’s just bad science.
Love that Yelena keeps her vest even after she changes into her matching white flight suit. That vest better make it to the end of the movie.
-0-
“Honey, we’re home.” I 100% expected her to shoot him on sight tbh. it would have been funny.
Alexei squeezing into the uniform is such a post-pandemic feel. Also all of the fancy braids at that table; I see where Natasha got her propensity for them.
Animal cruelty warning, ugh. Poor piggy Alexei.
Oooh the photo album and Natasha remembered staging the pictures; they’re emotional for her but in a different way.
I wonder if robocop’s shield is actually Alexei’s.
The singing between Alexei and Yelena was a really beautiful moment because it was neither auto-tuned-good nor hilariously bad - it felt really real, especially the way Yelena’s so choked up she can barely make sounds come out.
Uh-oh, mama has one of those monitor your vitals and kill your ass suits. The suits I understand - the eyeliner though... when and why did she do her makeup?? That’s not really the thing that comes to mind for me when I’m getting ready to do something athletic, like say kidnapping my supersoldier fake family.
“This is a much less cool way to die.” Also WTF why would they do that. Wouldn’t it be easier to get the information out of her while her brain is still attached to, y’know, her mouth??
CLEVER CLEVER CLEVER they switched outfits and faces ooooooh like mother like daughter.
The door opening as Alexei is leaning against it dramatically bahahahaha
I love the plan. I’m thoroughly weirded out that Melina has a red wig just lying around that perfectly immitates Natasha though. 
“Yelena, it’s mama. You have a two-inch blade in your belt.”
Oh. My. God.
Antonia.
A pheromone lock preventing them from hurting them if they’re close enough to smell him - I like it. It’s clever and new.
Bahahaha poser! You posed I saw you! Still love the vest.
Natasha is really good at manipulating people’s emotions to get what she wants - I mean, scary good. So if she’s provoking Dreykov into beating her up, there’s a reason. 
“Using the only resource the world has too much of - girls.” Kill him. 
-0-
When I say I whooped out loud... SEVERING THE NERVE. Thank you for your cooperation. YAAAAAAS QUEEN.
-0-
“Slight change of plans - we are going into a controlled crash.” The way she said that was just so mom-like omg!
-0-
The grenade as a delivery system was super smart - but yikes what if she’d mistimed it and blew Natasha up? Also, after the beating she took and how hard she had to wack her own face into the desk to sever her olfactory nerve and the amout of blood we saw her leave behind from doing that, her face should be a LOT more messed up, come on makeup department.
“Get as far away from here as possible.” And then keep going because General I-Collect-Supersoldiers-Like-Stamps Ross is about to turn up at your location looking for trouble and he’d snap you ladies up like there’s a fire sale and you’re going out of stock.
This crash doesn’t look all that controlled, Melina. I’m starting to suspect that most of the widows won’t live long enough to make their own decisions...
All of the aerial stunts were amaaaaaazing - the way Nat slowed herself by sliding down the panels so Antonia could catch up with her and she could deploy her parachute... 
The vest survived the movie!!!
Fuuuuuck Ross is showing up and he sucks and I hate him and I’m super worried that he’s gonna take the vest from Nat if he takes her into custody. Please don’t let her lose the vest. 
Okay, there is now zero reason for Nat to stay behind. They have an aircraft. She had plenty of time to just board it and leave?
-0-
Okay okay okay Ross did not get her and did not take the vest. But am I supposed to believe she bleached her hair, toned it blonde, and then re-bleached and re-toned it to silver? Who does that? That would be terrible for her hair. Her scalp would be burned all to hell from the amount of chemicals needed to not only get all that red out but THEN get the blonde toner out. Y’know what color silver toner is? Blue/purple. Y’know what happens when you mix that with yellow? Green. And not a nice green either (I speak from experience). No. Her hair at the end of the movie? Cancelled. 
-0-
SHE GOT THE DOG!!!
Oh, ouch. Big ouch. I hurt like a lot now. This is so not an okay way to end the -
...
Countess I-Forgot-Your-Name-Already?
Oh no. Oh no. That’s worse. That’s a lot worse. We are now setting up the Hawkeye series and I while I’m horrified that this was how they ended the film, I gotta say that’s going to make for some wonderful angst in that series on both Clint and Yelena’s parts and I am here for it!
OVERALL IMPRESSION
I really, really enjoyed this movie, I thought the story was compelling, the stunts were really excellent, and I liked the character dynamics and the twist
I did not like the ending - it just sort of fell off quickly and didn’t feel satisfying after an otherwise really fun movie. I also take issue with the hair and makeup as shown among the characters, as seen in my several rants to that effect.
I would have liked to have seen a few more childhood/training flashbacks, and absolutely would have loved a cameo from Jeremy Renner (not just his voice) and to see him and Nat meeting and him giving her the whole dad speech that he does so well - bonus points if she could have then quoted him to Yelena or Antonia, showing the way that multiple people had a formative effect on her (an answer to the “The Avengers aren’t really your family either” comment).
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