#i’m seeing people genuinely thinking their ‘arc together’ this season is a love one

[edandstede]

“stizzy” and “edizzy” this “steddyhands polycule” that i’m being violently sick on my shoes actually

#ofmd spoilers #fucked in the head if you think stede would touch izzy with a ten foot barge pole #stede might come to respect his skills as a pirate but fucking hell #he actively daydreamed about killing him for hurting ed #he left ed for fucking dead on the ship #and you think this is gonna be a love story that includes izzy #i’m seeing people genuinely thinking their ‘arc together’ this season is a love one #bro 🤡 #it is fucking not and sometimes you really are just wrong #like you’re actually radged. off your rockers #just. you have this beautiful love story between ed and stede #and you want to invite the dude who almost killed them both to the party #who is racist and homophobic and emotionally abusive to the point of pushing ed to suicide #the fuck is wrong with you actually #fandom wank #quill to paper #swinging a bat at a hornet’s nest i don’t care. ship what you want but it’s a no from me

[hannahwatchesbigbrother]

This has been a worse than average endgame (to say the least), but I want to acknowledge the highlights of bb25. I’ve been watching since bb16 (been a feedster since bb17), and this has truly been the most invested I’ve been. Despite how frustrated I’ve been with production this year, I really think this season has some really stellar stuff in it (especially pre-jury). So here is a (lengthy) list of how I’ll remember this season:

Cirie motherfucking Fields showing up!!

Izzy immediately clocking that Jared was Cirie’s son before the live premiere even ended

Izzy immediately clocking that Cameron gives serial killer vibes

Felicia destroying four mics by the end of the first week

Felicia falling into the hot tub

“Clean that shit up a bit”

Cameron thinking Felicia was related to Denzel Washington

“Izzy Fields” and the beautiful friendship between her and Cirie

Hisam’s villain arc

Cory in Blue’s pink outfit (and later Americas jumpsuit)

(Honestly just Cory being a genuinely good dude who would call out things that crossed a line and fought against toxic masculinity)

The target flipping every other hour for like the first six weeks of the game

Every time Zach Wurtenburger tweeted about BB

The nickname “fucking Bowie Jane” which was then just shortened to fbj

The still of Cory’s mouth wide open while he was saying “what the fuck” when they were thinking of keeping Hisam

Meme’s storage room rants

“If I’m a have not next week, I’ll self-evict” “I’ll be a have not with you” *america leaves* “(to self) Cory, are you the most pathetic person? They were right about you — you’re a pick me”

Felicia yelling at Jag while he was in a chicken suit

Felicia and “Mr. B” (smooches!)

The slow burn Americory showmance (I could write a thesis on how much I love it but I’ll spare you)

The fact they brought the pressure cooker back

Izzy crying about how much she hates being in the same room as Cameron

“Fuck jag and I said that shit” -America Week 4, a prophet

When Matt used the power on jag and even live feeders were shook because we had no idea

The fact that Cameron’s 14 hours in the pressure cooker didn’t matter because jag was just brought back into the game

Blue sucking up to Felicia bc she thought she was Jared’s mom for a solid 24 hours

Felicia’s sleep screaming/singing

The dramatic and out of no where red/Cameron break up

“Cam thinks he’s like a father to me, but really he’s like an absentee father who wants to sleep with my girlfriend”

Blue volunteering jag to go up as a “pawn” during Jared’s hoh

Cam winning hoh after being blindsided by the red vote (hate him but the absolute silence and his thumbs up is so funny)

“Okay Jasmine” “*crying* who’s jasmine?” “*singing* a whole new world”

Cam not telling anyone including production who he was putting up

Matt winning the prize swap veto but choosing the punishment bc he thought he’d get to hang out with the real Josh Duhamel

The Josh Duhamel punishment in general

Izzy’s kick jump during the piggy pals punishment

Jared destroying his game because Cirie was stuck in a kayak with Felicia for 48 hours

THE IZZY FLIP

(The fact the izzy flip happened bc she told Cory that he couldn’t sleep in the same bed as America anymore lol)

The Cory/Jared humiliverse fight

“To all my friends and family, trust I know that they are all liars and snakes… and cowards!”

“See you soon, pig!”

The Cirie/Felicia fight post-Jared’s eviction

Peak Unreliables when Jag fought for Cory’s LIFE against cams plan to backdoor him

People retweeting Meme’s tweets from over ten years ago that were weirdly relevant to the season

America lifting Cory after it was confirmed that they made jury

The musical that Cory got for his zing

The one time all the different stans came together was to celebrate Cams eviction

The “exquisite” bit

America causing Jag to want to shit his pants after telling him to “literally fuck off”

“Literally in this world, I am your biggest fan” 😭😭😭

Felicia being Cirie’s best friend and worst enemy (aka when she shaved her foot on her bed)

Americory saying “I love you” on Cory’s way out the door

Americas shrine to Cory/transforming into him

Cirie’s DR of her flipping off Jag, Matt, and Bowie

Izzy/Paige going as Americory for Halloween

The Americory “cradle robber” Halloween costume

“I’d be more impressed if [the wins] weren’t against two senior citizens, an airhead, and an idiot”

#bb25 #obviously I’m a big Americory fan but I also really loved watching Cirie Felicia meme Izzy and Hisam #sorry this is so long but I feel like it’d be nice to remember some of the great moments ☺️ #bb #big brother

[lovecolibri]

It’s funny how some shippers think the lack of detail given to Marisol and Natalia mean that they’re not endgame and Buddie will still be canon. When to me it’s the opposite. That WAS the end, the presumed end, and it was so important to the show that Eddie and Buck end up with women that the women themselves didn’t matter at all. They gave more attention to one-off victim characters than they did to the woman halves of Eddie & Buck’s supposed happy endings. The message isn’t “this won’t last.” The message is “the femaleness of this character is all that matters because straight. Straight straight hetero straight. 🙃” I genuinely think Buddie would have more of a chance if they had bothered to tell us why Buck likes Natalia so much, or why Eddie thinks there’s a spark with Marisol. Given us anything about the characters themselves. But they gave us female blank slates because they wanted to message that the female part is the most important thing. So it’s just wild to me to see people interpreting it as a positive sign. Which I guess maybe I’m just a pessimist, but it looks a lot like denial to me.

"it was so important to the show that Eddie and Buck end up with women that the women themselves didn’t matter at all." 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 SAY THAT Nonnie! I've also seen a LOT of comments about how "well they had to wrap everything up nicely because they thought it was the end of the show so I get it, they didn't want to rush if it was Buddie" and like....*Chidi voice* You DO get how that's worse right? Because a) they could have absolutely had an open ending with Buck picking out his own couch and Eddie being content with his life right now and how full it is with family and friends and Chris, b) they COULD have done ambiguous Buddie with the Buckley-Diaz boys on the couch together playing video games which could be seen as platonic OR romantic so everyone is happy because it's a fan favorite dynamic AND they have been shown as a family for years so they don't need the build up, or c) they could have gone full on Buddie and yeah it would suck to not get more but again, the build up is already kinda there AND it would break the internet if people knew THAT was the finale and the buzz might have gotten them picked up if ABC hadn't already made the announcement.

They literally chose the worst, most lazy option that even outside of Buddie very specifically goes against things the show outright stated in the text that both Buck and Eddie needed to do this season wrt their dating lives. Which....to ME is a bit of a headscratcher because it says they KNEW the backlash that would happen about these relationships (we had the hint about Marisol coming back but Natalia? If that live with Aisha hadn't happened we would have been fucking BLINDSIDED they kept it so under wraps). So rather than commit to telling the arcs well and just ignoring the backlash from "a small part of the viewership", they waited until the last second to drop these half-formed love interests into relationships with Buck and Eddie at a time they thought the show was done and they wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. So which is it? Is the Buddie fandom so small it's inconsequential and we should all just be quiet and realize the show doesn't need us and therefore will never give us what we want no matter how much noise we make? Or is the backlash from social media actually something that's taken into consideration and the show had to make sure to get to the end of the season without alienating that part of the fanbase? They can't have it both ways. Either we're not important enough to be taken seriously in which case it's just shitty storytelling, or we're loud enough to cause serious problems so they have to do jussssst enough to keep the backlash down until they don't have to anymore because the show is over. Which sounds a lot like "shipbait" to me.

I'm leaving of with this quote of yours because fuck me, I've yet to see anything more true about this situation.

The message isn’t “this won’t last.” The message is “the femaleness of this character is all that matters"

#my sweet nonnie friends #911 #911 spoilers #buddie #folger's girl #buck's theme of the week love interest #one is credited with one but in the SHOW neither of them even have last names #just cardboard cutouts of people and stiff as ones too #all so kr can give the middle finger to the people who didn't like her little self-insert characters #abc fire kr challenge

[indigoraysoflight]

What is Caryl's Future?

So Melissa McBride is returning to the new spinoff, and I am beyond excited to see her on my screen again. Seeing her happy made me tear up with happiness myself. I joined the fandom late last year, so I genuinely worried I would never see Carol again. So seeing her beaming in France – was the serotonin boost I desperately needed. I’m still thinking about the joy on her face. She deserves every bit of it. 

Even though I wasn’t here when the spinoff was canceled, I’ve spoken to enough Carylers to see the scars last year has left behind. Everyone has fought and waited for this moment. And most I have spoken to are cautiously optimistic for the future. 

Here’s where I stand.

Am I curious about S1? Yes. And I hope there are enough meaningful Caryl clues woven into the storyline to show us where Daryl’s heart has always belonged from the beginning. But will I subscribe to AMC and watch S1? No. Whether I subscribe to watch S2 and beyond depends on a few things.

I’ve formed my own opinion around this spinoff, and for me, it’s simple: Daryl loves Carol. Carol loves Daryl. They love each other, and most importantly — need each other. Anything less than that will never be enough 

I don’t have the energy for (and won't tune in for): 

Endless ship baiting – Manufacturing shippy tension that literally won't amount to anything is just that. Manufactured content that feels inauthentic. And I won't tune in for another 3-4 seasons of what I sat through in TWD. In my opinion, it dishonours Daryl's character development.

Separate arcs that don’t connect – I understand different characters have their own identity, and S1 will just be Daryl. Although I adore Daryl, I signed up to watch the Caryl spinoff. So if the goal is bringing Caryl together, the separate arcs should serve a purpose. I can't handle more of what we saw in S6-8 and S11.

The Caryl spin-off I want to watch includes: 

A Romance – I’ve watched 11 seasons of TWD where Daryl and Carol kept moving closer together. From the moment he handed her that pickaxe to the moment he told her he loved her, Daryl and Carol were always headed toward romantic canon. Their relationship was written as romantic (confirmed by a showrunner, mind you). As the longest-standing duo from TWD, they deserve their happy ending.

The Daryl we love – I fell in love with the Daryl who held Carol together every time her world fell apart. The Daryl who would do anything for his family. The Daryl who was vulnerable, who carried Judith in his arms and fed her formula, the Daryl who cried when he was hurt, who carried a self-help book to deal with his trauma. And most importantly, the Daryl who saw and loved Carol through it all. 

Melissa <3 – I adore Melissa McBride with every fiber of my being. And it physically hurt me to watch her get sidelined in S11, even though she was a lead actress on the show.

I trust Melissa’s judgement completely. If she has signed on for S2, I know she’s doing her best to honour herself and honour Carol’s story. I want that to reflect on my screen and on how she is promoted for the show. 

Soulmatism – The reason S10 was one of my favourites was because of every moment of soulmatism we saw between Daryl and Carol. I want to see more meaningful moments between them that connect to their overall story. With some old callbacks and new Caryl motifs. They should mention each other, or think about each other in moments when they're apart. They should include meaningful Caryl threads that converge when they reunite.

A name that reflects it all – Lastly, I want to see the show come up with a name that honours them and their journey. 

S11 broke many people’s hearts, including mine. If you’re one of these people who went through tough times last year and struggled with darkness because of what happened — I see you. 

I’m sure you have your own story about what Caryl mean to you. Maybe you just enjoy good ol’ slow burn romances. Maybe you find comfort in their connection. Maybe they’ve helped you navigate some deep and dark moments of your life. Maybe they’ve helped you find your strength or taught you how to hope.

Whatever your “why” may be, you’re here because Caryl is important to you.  

It’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. It’s okay to feel cautiously optimistic. It’s okay if you’re afraid of getting your heart broken again. And it’s also ok if you’re simply excited to have Melissa back. Last year was difficult, and having layered feelings about the spinoff is okay.

Caryl deserve their happiness.

You know what S11 showed me? AMC had trouble gauging what its audience wanted to see. That was clear enough by how Caryl kept getting separated and Melissa kept getting sidelined.

The more AMC hears us speak about what we want, the more they know what we’ll show up for and tune in for. And I see that as a win-win for Carylers, AMC, and everyone who’s involved in making the show. To me, it feels like doing what we can to make sure Caryl get the story they deserve.

Which is why I personally think it's important to speak more about your dealbreakers regarding the new spinoff. Make posts of your own. Talk about it on social media. Discuss with other Carylers.

Your voice has power. Make your voice heard.

Whether you share my sentiment above or not, I appreciate you reading this post. In the end, we all want Caryl to be happy. Here’s to hoping that one day soon, our redneck and his silver-haired queen get to ride off into the sunset together.

Remember that Caryl belong together. Always have, always will. Nothing changes that. To us, they'll never be ashes.

#caryl #caryl spinoff #daryl x carol #carol x daryl #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #darylneedscarol #caryl is endgame

[chaikachi]

Do you think part of the reason why Ruby was so upset at Blake and Yang in particular isn’t because she’s genuinely mad they got together (or homophobic as I’ve seen some people joke) but because she’s /jealous/ that they were able to take enough time for themselves to even think about their own personal relationship, when meanwhile Ruby has been fighting for her life since the end of volume 3? Like maybe Ruby would love to stop and talk to her friends and sister about her potential love interests (as a girl her age should get the chance to) but she doesn’t have /time/, and seeing Yang and Blake kiss just made her realize what she’s been denying herself in order to be the Heroic Leader. idk I’m in my rosegarden feels and I bet watching Yang and Blake be so close just makes her feel more alone than ever.

LMAO I'VE SEEN THE HOMOPHOBIC JOKES 🤣🤣 how anyone actually believes that allegation is very funny. But yeah I agree. Since the very beginning of the show, Ruby has just wanted to be a normal girl with normal knees who can "paint her nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute boys" with her friends (Note: Oscar has been called cute twice already in show). And Ruby has not had the chance to do so at all because she hasn't stopped moving. Even leading up to v9, everyone else had other things they were focusing on and she's just been trying to hold everybody up. Never taking time for herself to sort out her own struggles. So she's feeling alone and left behind. I went over it a bit in the Treasure Analysis about the framing at the end of v9e6 where the Bees are warm and cozy by the fire, Weiss is warm with her cup of tea, and Ruby is sitting cold by herself by the window across from an empty chair. All alone in crowded rooms without the one person that makes her not feel that way.

The volume starting with Oscar as the very first illusion that Neo uses - and RG being the only pair that was split up in v8 that didn't end up reunited in v9 - sets up his absence very strongly right out the gate. And that absence just seems to grow with each episode.

As much as I do love RG, I don't know that Ruby necessarily knows she likes Oscar or has reached that point. At least not yet, but distance makes the heart grow fonder (as we have seen with Renora and the Bees) and I have a feeling we're not ready for how close they're going to end up when everyone is back in Vacuo.

Part of her upset here in the Ever After, is that she is crushed under the weight of so many things that she doesn't even have time to entertain such an idea as a crush. In any other circumstance, Ruby would have been elated about so much of what they're experiencing. She would have been excited for the bees just like she had been in v6 and she would have been all over this fairytale nonsense in the Ever After.

But she's tired. Weiss is snapping at her every other hour, Jaune is a broken husk of himself and needs their help more than he can offer it in return, and the Bees got to spend time sorting out their feelings and find comfort and support in each other... while Ruby is just dealing with all of this on her own.

She doesn't feel seen. She doesn't feel wanted. She doesn't feel prioritized. The only person that ever asked 'what about Ruby' is in another dimension and the only one in Ever After that noticed before she broke was Little (who has VERY STRONG PARALLELS to Oscar as I just brought up in a recent ask).

This volume is very rough emotionally on our characters, but I'm really optimistic for Vacuo being an arc of resting, rebuilding, and recovering for all of them. But especially for Ruby. Because there ain't no way all of what was brought up this last episode can be resolved in the 3 we have left until the season is over. But at least Oscar is waiting for her with open arms once she gets there. 🌲💕

#sorry for rambling again!!! #there are fictional characters in my head #asks #ask #clashingharmony #chainalysis #rwby #rosegarden

[sugarcubetikki]

I can’t stop thinking about the way elmax is built up. I’m always debating whether it’s romantically coded or not because it’s so similar to the way Byler is written.

They built Elmax up way more than Mickey Mouse - these past two seasons they focused on breaking that ship down and showing us why they’re incompatible together whilst focusing a lot more on romantic Byler buildup and Elmax’s bond these two pairings clearly being prioritised over their main couple. For Elmax, it shows even more than Byler that their relationship/friendship is clearly being prioritised over Milkvan’s own.

I also need to point out that both Byler and Elmax’s relationship/friendship always seems to be intertwined with the state of Milkvan’s relationship. For both El and Mike, it seems that whenever their romantic relationship was on “good terms” they were respectively distanced from Max and Will.

As this is about Elmax, I won’t go in depth on Byler here and also because we’ve discussed it so many times before of how Mike can’t seem to balance his relationships with both El and Will and how narratively in the first two seasons Mike was physically distanced from one whilst supporting the other. This obviously plays into the huge love triangle aspect of these pairings as well as Mike’s conflicting feelings here.

For Elmax, it’s a similar love triangle writing style used here. It’s important to note that El and Max’s relationship starts off with hostility and jealousy from El’s behalf in S2 due to the fact that El sees Max as a romantic rival in terms with her relationship with Mike (due to that single misunderstanding). Her jealousy over Mike is what prevents her from befriending and getting to know Max so Milkvan was a barrier to Elmax’s buildup here. And this is not me just saying this future seasons (especially s3 support this notion too based on how the show depicts it).

(Not to mention, this was also the time a lot of people expected a typical love triangle with Mike in the centre and El and Max with mutual rivalry between the two but thank god the show did not do that instead they used love triangle style writing in a different way).

Moving onto S3 with a whole lot of Elmax development, Max really helps El grow as a person and embrace some of her own individuality and freedom they’re relationship is at its peak and presented in a positive light when Milkvan is at a very low point. In fact it’s them being at a low point that makes El approach Max in the first place and it’s Max who encourages El to initiate the breakup because Mike wasn’t treating her right. Max and Mike are also constantly butting heads because of this and he’s accusing her all over the place for “corrupting El” and “conspiring against him” whereas Max here believes that Mike doesn’t see El as her own person but treats her like “his pet” rather than an equal. Essentially it was Milkvan vs Elmax season and Elmax was being depicted as the narratively better dynamic as it fit with El’s character needs whilst Milkvan’s arc that season didn’t.

S4 Vol 2 is very Elmax-focused with El’s goal being to save Max from Vecna. I think the clash with Milkvan here mainly comes at the monologue part and how little impact it has at the end of the day. Mike’s dramatic monologue that’s supposed to be impactful and powerful falls flat for a number of reasons (not just byler-coded ones also the fact that it wasn’t genuine) it’s also that it was depicted as a plot device but did little to actually help save the day. I mean they would argue that it helped El free herself from those vines but did it really? Also if the monologue’s only impact is freeing El from the vines but after that sells short and isn’t actually the reason that El revives Max then it’s a pretty weak plot device and presented to be insignificant. Usually, love monologues are impactful when they contribute to an impactful moment of victory. Mike’s monologue did not do that at all. After El frees herself from those vines, the thing that keeps her fighting on isn’t even presented to be her love for Mike, it’s her love for Max. What was the point of that monologue again I’m sorry? Yeah that’s right it’s a lie and everyone knows it so it’s insignificant to the point that El doesn’t even acknowledge it after. In fact, after the show points out El isn’t speaking to Mike, we see that El is thinking about Max and mainly Max (which is reasonably so too but the way the scene is presented once again supports the narrative idea of Milkvan vs Elmax).

I think I’ve established that Elmax’s relationship is vital to the overall storyline of the show and prioritised over Milkvan’s and is constantly clashing with the pairing to emphasise where El’s true character wants and needs rest.

I’m not sure if it’s romantic or not like I said but they’re very queercoded (owens mistaking max for a guy only so el can correct him that she’s not which is a very odd thing to write in because hello it’s gay) also along with the love triangle-esque writing they have so much chemistry and buildup on their own and they’re clearly vital to the series too honestly they have as much buildup as lumax.

Both elmax and lumax are built up so well and beautifully written honestly. They both have chemistry and work so well together. Both are romantically coded too. I think no one considers Elmax because of how well-built Lumax is already and heteronormativity. I personally think either would work as an endgame ship or even better elumax lol sometimes my brain believes they’re building up to that because it would make sense (I can see El and Lucas bonding too next season with Max in coma). I mean both El and Lucas’s love seems to be what supported her in Vol 2 and their love seems to be what’ll save her in S5 too at least I hope. Romantic or not from all ends, elumax is definitely going to be key in S5. (However, if S5 ends with byler and elumax endgame shut up I’ll be talking about it for months on end).

Once again, as long as some Elmax and Milkvan analysis, a lot of these are my thoughts and my opinions based on how I view and interpret the show, if you don’t share the same view and opinion on Elmax/Elumax, that’s completely fine but please don’t harass me on that matter as I mentioned this is my perspective and reading on the show thank you.

#elmax #elumax #byler #milkvan is bones #sugar analyses #byler analysis

[eyesonstars-feetonground]

Ted Lasso 3x12: Why the Finale Felt a Bit Hollow

I genuinely think the only way to end Ted’s arc was to have him return to Henry. There’s no world in which he would ask his son to move across the world to him, much less not return to him. And so much of Ted’s pain is centered around being far from Henry. In a way, being a parent does really overshadow every other part of your life...some are saying Ted has gotten reduced down to just his fatherhood, but the point is that for him, and for a lot of parents, your child is your number one priority even if there’s a thousand more things on the other side of the scale. Henry needs him, and Richmond doesn’t, so there’s no way to justify the distance that Ted himself admits he keeps partly because he’s afraid of when Henry will leave him. It is beautiful that he can be confident now and take up the space he deserves in Kansas, in his son’s life. I hope Michelle gets it together, and hopefully that scene with Dr. Jacob being an asshole is what that’s about. 

I will read a hundred fics about Ted staying with Richmond to soothe the pain, and I’ve been rotating it in my mind all day. I also don’t particularly ship anyone but Roy and Jamie, so Ted’s ending isn’t about that for me. 

However, what really bugged me is that it seems like the show is treating Ted moving away to Kansas as if he will literally never talk to or see these people again, as if he didn’t involve himself with Henry’s life as much as possible from an ocean away. Why would the inverse not hold true with his other family, with his platonic soulmate and best friend(s) and pseudo child?? I am definitely buying into the dream sequence theory at the end bc otherwise that is what really pushes this into sad territory for me...why would he not be a part of those memories, those futures to come, as a friend and family member?

It seemed like the show couldn’t decide, like Ted was checked out of all of these emotional goodbyes where other people tried to tell him over and over again that they loved him and wanted him, without showing deep sadness or telling them to visit or giving a rambling Ted story. I’m hoping that’s because it’s a huge life change, but not one that moves him to sadness, because he’ll continue being there for them, and they’ll continue being there for him. 

I would have loved some reassurance though...Ted promising to call every day at Biscuits with the Boss time...Rebecca giving him a permanent airfare ticket so he can be flying in and out all the time, bringing Henry with him! Ted going to Richmond games whenever he can, Ted remembering birthdays and going to the book release and taking up space when the Higgins get everyone together. Ted showing back up with Henry, Sleepless in Seattle style, being greeted by Rebecca and the rest of the team to spend weeks and months back in his other home. Ted getting FaceTimed for advice about relationships and promotions and girl talk and the Diamond Dogs group chat and how to make a Richmond charity or women’s team or kid’s outreach program (best way to make Rebecca a mom in my opinion). Ted being a consultant bc Rebecca refuses to take him off the payroll until they win the whole thing, Ted being loved by the fans and journos even from afar, even years later. Ted being happy to be in London as a tourist with his son, with all that wonder and joy and optimism now that he can resolve the ache of both of his lives being one life! And vice versa, Rebecca and Beard constantly visiting, dragging Keeley or Roy or Nate with them, the players spending off season learning about Kansas and playing with Henry, celebrating holidays together !! The fans who now own 49% of the club being ok with some of its budget being “wasted” just making sure Ted and the team continue to be with each other in some way. Ted visiting and being greeted by all the people he talks to during his morning routine as if he never left. 

I just hope that he’s not cutting himself out of his community. It is about you, Ted. It is. 

Hope he creates a beautiful, whole life in Kansas (ideally in my mind he coaches a women’s soccer team there and then eventually moves back to Richmond to coach their women’s soccer team like years in the future, once Henry is an adult), but also continues therapy enough to know that he isn’t Mary Poppins!! He’s a Dorothy that loved Oz, he’s a Maria that deserves the Von Trapps. He’s the main character, he’s not a magical mentor type. He has immensely wealthy people who love him, he can make it work both ways. Some of the money that could have been his salary can instead be his travel and phone bill money. 

It’s a dream sequence not only because it had some truly unrealistic stuff in it (Jane and Beard getting married at Stonehenge, Rebecca meeting Dutch man despite the magic of their story being its ephemeral nature, Jamie with his dad, Trent taking out so much of Ted from the book cover/title after he said he wouldn’t change anything) but because, for me, the only part of the finale that was truly disappointing was the regression of Ted thinking he exists only to make those moments possible for others, with no place for himself within them. 

In a finale that didn’t really feel like an ending (in a good way!), where so many storylines didn’t get resolved because the point is that the characters will keep growing and changing and evolving beyond what we see of them, because now they have the tools to do that, I can’t Believe that the one hard ending we got was Ted’s life with Richmond. So I won’t.

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #ted lasso finale #ted lasso 3x12 #ted lasso: episode tag #ted lasso so long farewell #so long farewell #ted lasso episode 12 #analysis #richmond #this is to say i loved so much of the finale #the believe sign ?? #the game ?? #the half time speech??

[njararna]

i recently finished vld and i’m like. struck by how dissonant the final two seasons are. it really does feel like a whole new show and not in a good way; the plot is extremely flimsy, characters are introduced who wind up having no real narrative importance but eat up screentime anyways, relationship arcs are started and dropped, and the battles just wind up being a repeat of ‘we have to stop this laser’ and just fights in an empty wasteland with nothing interesting in the dynamic or strategy. when i was watching s7 i remembered why i stopped before the final episode, because seeing that new robeast come out of the sky immediately post-sendak just made me so tired.

s8 as well just…doesn’t know what it wants to do. allura is put through the absolute most and COULD have an interesting arc of being pushed down a darker path as a result of her unresolved grief and continuous loss but the plot of her taking in the dark entity really winds up having no actual consequence on the narrative. genuinely, her and lance’s relationship could have been easily one of the most interesting in the show had the writers actually paid attention to the stuff they had allura say in s8e1 to lance about not having a family or a home or anything at all. it could have been a really great exploration of two characters seeking solace in each other for the wrong reasons—allura because she desperately needs someone to not leave her, lance because he needs someone to love him to feel like he has worth. launch date left me feeling really sad at the end and i know it wasn’t the intention. their relationship throughout the whole season just seemed to be undercut by this feeling of sadness and a misalignment. i couldn’t believe they were really in love, even at the end. they had little moments together and when they did, it was so devoid of chemistry or energy. honestly i really just mourn all the potential allura as a character really could’ve had especially in s8, and how the end for her after all this loss and pain and grief was for her to essentially kill herself, that her best ending was to reunite with her dead father and not to keep living despite it all, that she wouldn’t get to see altea restored or to be the leader for her people she wanted so much to be. it’s a tragedy and not in a good way.

and i think vld’s desperate attempts at ‘nuance’ and ‘morally grey’ characters really wind up sabotaging it in the end; i can’t tell you how hard i rolled my eyes when they tried to convince me zarkon was simply blinded by quintessence or when lance told those kids how ‘allura saw good in everyone, even in zarkon and honerva’. this isn’t how you write nuance, zarkon prior to quintessence had been shown to believe firmly in the castes in galra society and saw the potential of quintessence as simply a means to create greater weapons. the galra were an empire before they went galactic, and empires have never been good in the first place. nuance isn’t about saying how ‘the bad guys have a little bit of good in them actually’, or that ‘in another reality, alteans are evil’. and these muddied messages lead to people actually saying the galra empire wasn’t all bad. looking at the series as a whole, i feel it was doomed from the start to be this way, and its unfortunate. there is so much potential here, and its wasted.

(also the belief that s8 was edited and reanimated is a bunch of bs, while certain elements like ezor being alive were 100% edited in and shiro’s wedding a last minute edition, doesn’t mean the rest of the season underwent major overhauls. its clear the studio was under a tight schedule and the amount of money you’d need to animate a different character over/remove a character for entire scenes or scrap entire pre-existing footage is ridiculous and not to mention an exorbitant amount of work. the reality is is that s8 was poorly written from the jump, and while executive meddling is likely (as always), i think we have to accept there’s no secret s8 or conspiracy. it was bad. when you listen to the showrunners, they’re proud. i don’t think major editing was the case OR that they sabotaged their own work because of the fanbase. these are all just excuses to cope with the reality)

#vld #.txt #endlessly fascinated by s8 its like a mecha id watch and go ‘oh thats…huh’ and think abt it maybe once or twice #like aldnoah.zero 💀

[thranduel]

i know a lot of us make jokes that we’re “delusional” and sure, sometimes we might reach a little bit, but for the most part we’re just able to understand basic character analysis and understand which relationships work better and which don’t. it’s very simple and i actually think it’s wonderful that we’re able to notice and discuss these things instead of just taking what gets shoved in our faces and accepting it without question… like fiction is there to be analysed and that’s what makes it so much more meaningful and entertaining. looking deeper into the subtext and how characters behave and finding parallels in previous seasons… that’s what we’re supposed to do.

i also feel like people need to understand that just because something is canon doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. sometimes the writers make decisions that just simply… aren’t good. just look at how they messed up game of thrones season 7 and 8 and how so many character arcs were rushed and destroyed. being an official writer on the show doesn’t always mean the writing is going to be the best. i’ve seen many shows where fans actually made better theories that made much more sense than what we actually got. but anyways, with mike and will, i don’t even think people have to analyse that much to be able to see that they have the closest and most genuine relationship on the show. anyone that pays attention just knows that they’re different to everyone else and they’re actually be able to be themselves around each other. the show has also focused on their relationship differently than all the other platonic relationships which suggests that there’s something more going on, and i’m not just talking about will being in love with mike (which is already confirmed), but i think mike could also reciprocate those feelings. in season 1 and 2, mike actually initiates most of their moments together and goes to will first. he has always treated will differently to everyone else and it’s obvious.

they’re two wonderful characters (i mean, mike hasn’t been the best recently but i guess we can blame the writers for that since he feels so out of character) and it’s no surprise that people are rooting for them to be in a relationship, especially when you know that they can only be themselves around each other and they’re so genuine. i talk about why their relationship is the best for so many reasons here and it also explains why so many people find comfort in them (and yes, it would be really nice and important to have a healthy queer ship represented too!). they have a relationship that so many of us would’ve loved to experience but never could. it’s not often that you get to have a childhood best friend (your first friend in fact) become your partner as you grow older. it’s always been one of my favourite tropes and i love slowburn and how the people in the relationship don’t realise how in love they are until they’re older. it’s even more fun when there’s angst in between and you think they won’t end up together but then they always end up making their way back to each other because that’s what soulmates do. i don’t know, i just think they have so much potential with byler here and after seeing season 4 and mike’s awkward behaviour towards will + the writing that contradicted things in the past and made absolutely no sense, i think byler is the only thing that’ll work at this point. there’s literally no explanation for some of the stuff we saw this season and mike’s monologue/love confession was full of lies and exaggeration, and if you go back and watch earlier seasons, you’ll know. not to mention, it was a direct response to will’s monologue/love confession which makes it clear that mike was actually responding to will’s feelings, just disguised as el. basically the whole thing is messy unless they clear it up and make byler canon lol

#byler #will byers #mike wheeler #stranger things

[arceespinkgun]

Quick Earthspark thoughts on the first ten episodes!

My expectations were blown out of the water. I love it so far—if it continues like this, it will be my favorite TF show by far! Even if it makes some mistakes, it’s been so consistently good that it may still be the best. 

I was worried that I wouldn’t like many of the characters—that Robby or Mo or Alex or Bumblebee might be annoying, but I was so, so wrong. I actually love all of them. This show has a lot of emotional maturity and depth and the motivations of all the characters are totally believable.

The Terrans are great so far as well. I love Thrash and especially Twitch so much. Twitch is up there with some of my favorite characters in the entire franchise.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the designs, but now that I’ve seen them in motion, they're all great and so expressive. Love the lighting effects in the Terrans’ eyes! And I think this is the best show at portraying nature by far. They really showcase Dot's job as a park ranger, but not only that, every member of the Malto family is shown interacting with the world consistently! And the lighting and details on the plants and animals are beautiful. I love Fluffy Ears lol

I also worried that the representation in the show was going to be shallow, but it wasn't at all. There are a lot of great little details, like Mo and Robby wearing a bonnet and beanie to sleep, and the new non-binary Terran discussing their pronouns. Having Alex be a history PhD was a great way to tie in exploring the Malto family’s heritage, too! And I liked that if people initially missed Dot’s prosthetic, they take the time to showcase it in a dramatic scene. The gender balance in the show has also been very good so far.

I think what really demonstrates how good Earthspark is was when I realized I would watch an entire season of just the Malto family growing closer. I want an episode about Dot’s and Alex’s anniversary and the kids (including the Terrans) trying to make it special for them and learning about their relationship, while Robby is embarrassed by his parents’ sappiness and Twitch wants to make anniversaries for events in her own life and Mo teaches the Terrans about birthdays. I want to see a vacation episode with the whole family. I'd be totally happy without the larger plot involving GHOST shown at all!

That being said, GHOST is a really strong villainous presence so far. One of the creepiest things about the TF franchise in general has been how closely the military is involved with the Autobots in many series, and GHOST is a good way to explore that. It's very clear that Optimus is going to end up eating his words over his “the ends justify the means” approach. And it has been cool to see a more morally grey Optimus here. He literally appeared in Robby's nightmares to take away the Terrans!

I’m excited to see where this plot ends up heading, and I want to know all the lore—especially about Dot and Megatron. I feel the need to say that as somebody who doesn’t like MegOp and was nervous by how many people say this show gives so much evidence for it... fortunately I would say their relationship is quite terrible, actually! It’s mostly Megatron constantly bringing up genuine concerns and Optimus treating this like a "temper tantrum" even as they both try to work together for the greater good.

And it becomes very clear why Dot can’t stand Optimus when he went along with things like GHOST’s plan to pretend to give her a dream job just to trap her into working with them when she doesn’t agree with them at all.

I like everything we've seen of Megatron so far, but I can’t really speak much on his and his relationship with Dot until I know more of the backstory. What I can say though is that the “divorce arc” with Soundwave was great and to be honest, I think Soundwave (and all the Decepticons who have been shown so far) have a good point and are portrayed shockingly sympathetically given that this is like an alternative future of the Sunbow cartoon (where the Decepticons are so laughably evil). I think this is an interesting new approach. 

Oh, and of course outside of GHOST, the main villain has been Mandroid—and I was really surprised by how compelling he's been so far. At first I thought he was going to be a laughable tool (like all the GHOST members have been so far) but actually he’s menacing and his motivation is realistic. I know Cybertronians have a history of destroying everything they touch, so I think he’s a good way to explore how someone would react to that.

One of my only complaints so far is that Elita-1 hasn’t been showcased much. I love what we’ve seen of her, but in the first part of the season her motivations haven't been explored. I do get why based on what the plot has been so far, but I’m waiting for more of her. She and other characters who haven’t had a ton of time to shine yet like Arcee, Wheeljack, and Swindle have all been excellent and I want to see more of all of them! This Arcee especially takes all the best aspects of every version of her!

Some closing thoughts: didn’t expect this version of Bumblebee to become my favorite of all time. Love Frenzy and her redesign and that she got to scream in Optimus’s face. Mean girl bully Skywarp (who actually gets to warp!) is amazing. This OST is impeccable. 

#Transformers Earthspark #earthspark spoilers #my analysis #Best human characters in the franchise by far

[maya-matlin]

I’ve been watching Degrassi for the first time and love Maya as much as you do so far! I loved her with Cam and can’t really fully embrace her and Zig, but maybe that will change! Don’t worry, I’m not one of those people who thinks Zig is at fault for Cam’s suicide – I think maybe Zig just isn’t my type?! Cam is the sensitive awkward troubled but sweet sort of guy I seem destined to love. I would love to hear how you think Maya and Zig are different and how you think they’re similar. And I saw someone saying that Zig and Maya would be an even more popular ship than it is if the writers had kept zig more of a goofball screwup than rewriting him as a drug dealing gang member criminal and wondered if you agree? This is actually the first ask I’m sending to anyone so I can’t wait to read your reply!

I think that's a pretty common reaction to their season 12 story line. Maya's relationship with Cam was so short lived and mostly untainted by anything "bad" or "toxic" due to Cam dying so young. So as a result, he's technically Maya's boyfriend that made the least relationship mistakes. I should make it clear that my interpretation of their relationship and Cam in general is kind of marred by the fact that the fandom has consistently misunderstood the suicide arc and Zig's alleged culpability in it for years on top of unfairly villainizing Maya for choosing to move forward in her life while having negative emotions surrounding Cam. But needless to say, Cam was fine? It's funny you think he was sweet, because I never saw it that way. He wasn't mean, but like.. he was more neutral? I think he was polite and very unsure of how to approach Maya and others, but I don't feel like his personality was on display enough for me to say any differently. I do believe he genuinely cared for Maya and was aiming to be a good boyfriend, though. Especially after getting back together with her.

I answered an ask very similar to this one not too long ago re: the similarities and differences between Zig and Maya, so I'm just going to copy and paste that.

Honestly, I’m not sure Zig and Maya are all that similar. The main similarities that jump out to me is that both seem to value a relationship based on an emotional connection and friendship rather than a mostly physical one. Both are extremely loyal people and will do whatever they can for their friends and loved ones as well as each other. Neither is afraid to get involved, often being the one to step in to defend someone else.

As for their differences, Maya’s more ambitious than Zig. By the time we meet Maya, her heart is already set on having a future in music. While her passion eventually shifted from being a cellist to wanting to be something akin to Taylor Swift, Maya always tried to put her dreams first. It’s not that Zig is lacking in passion, but he doesn’t have the confidence in himself to be successful. There are hints that he’d make a good chef and it’s implied Zig continued to cook off screen during Next Class, but we never see any story line or moment that suggests he’s all that passionate about cooking. It’s just something he does and seems to enjoy, but it’s never presented as his “thing” the way Maya has her music, Tiny has marine biology or Grace has technology (?). What’s funny is that compared to a lot of characters, Zig has a decent variety of talents. It’s just that they were eventually dropped or in the case of music, Zig was retconned into being a bad guitar player to make him look like an obsessive, pathetic boyfriend for wanting to join his girlfriend’s band when he’d literally been the lead singer/bassist of Maya’s last band. Zig is much more open about his feelings than Maya. Throughout their relationship (even before they were officially dating), Zig was the one voicing his wants while Maya was more hesitant and introspective. Maya had a tendency to go into denial if it meant her feelings would cause friction within her friend group. So in that way, you could say Maya is more selfless while Zig is a bit more self involved? He’s more impulsive than Maya, not always seeing the bigger picture, while she seems to consider everything first. When Maya is hurt and upset, she shuts down, removing herself from the situation and refusing to engage unless provoked. Zig feels the need to overcompensate, sometimes acting like an asshole to convince the person hurting him that he doesn’t care. In spite of all this, I actually think Zig is the more sensitive of the two and the more observant one. Maya’s also sensitive and pays attention, but she sometimes misses the mark.

I'm sorry, but I kind of hate that? Zig didn't choose to be a gang member. He was forced into that situation due to his upbringing and where he lived. I don't think it makes him lesser or defines his worth as a person or a love interest. It reeks of classism to me. I'm sure that wasn't your intent, but I've seen many comments that severely misunderstand Zig and what he was going through. The entire point of his gang arc during seasons 13 and 14 is that he too didn't want to be forced to sell drugs and do other gang affiliated activities that the writers couldn't be assed to expand on. It's easy to say people like Cam and Miles were "better" or "safer" than Zig because they came from very different worlds than he did. Like, once Zig and Maya started dating in season 14, Zig made it clear he wouldn't have blamed Maya for dumping him and felt like shit over the circumstances of them sleeping together for the first time. If anything, I actually think this era of Zig's life made him a stronger, richer character. In the long run, it was also one year of Zig being gang affiliated vs three where he wasn't? I can't change anyone's opinion, but this is mine and I can't fathom Zaya being "ruined" over that when season 14 was arguably their best season. In spite of the circumstances Zig found himself in, he was consistently a great, supportive friend to Maya even before they became a couple. Regardless of what anyone thinks of Zig personally or how they might judge him for circumstances mostly out of his control, Maya still felt safe with him. I think that's pretty telling and says a lot about the depth of their connection. And, honestly Zig as a person. My main take is that Zig was the same guy from season 12 during seasons 13-Next Class. This was even pointed out by Maya herself when telling Zig she initially thought he'd changed when they met up again in the rubber room. He hadn't. He'd literally just cut the sleeves off his shirts and adopted a new persona. He didn't become a worse person because he was pulled into a gang.

#Anonymous #Long post #Also I know you said this is your first time messaging me but just in case it isn't it's nice to hear from you again

[lowcountry-gothic]

Why Sayid ends up with Shannon—not Nadia—in the sideways church

I feel like I’m one of the few Lost fans to actually like Sayid and Shannon’s relationship, and to think they actually have chemistry together. Most people prefer him with Nadia, since so much of his life was devoted to finding her again, and I often hear the complaint that he should have ended up with her, not Shannon, at the church in the show’s final scene. 

I happen to vehemently disagree—and not just because I ship Sayid and Shannon. The two ending up together is actually a better resolution to Sayid’s character arc.

Just think about it for a second. What is the greatest obstacle to Sayid’s growth, to his struggle to heal from the pain and suffering in his past? Guilt. He feels he’s done terrible things, as a soldier and specifically a torturer, that can never be erased or justified. His moral compass is intense and exacting, so it’s nearly impossible for him to forgive himself, leading to a pattern of rehashing the same toxic cycle of doing new terrible things for “The Greater Good” (the title of a season 1 Sayid-centric episode), hoping that this “greater good” can counterbalance his sins while simultaneously knowing it never can. Ultimately and inevitably, this results in adding further guilt to his grand total. 

So what’s the solution? How can he break free? Well, he tries doing constructive (pun unintended) good by building houses for charity in the Dominican Republic. And that seems to work to some extent, in the short term. He’s never really given the chance to see if it works in the long term; but maybe that’s a good thing. 

Because Sayid is a smart guy. On some level he’s gotta realize: how do you ever erase the guilt of so much torture and killing? What is the exchange rate between one house built and one human life taken?

No, the only way out of the cycle is just that—to get out of the cycle. To forgive himself. To opt out of this transactional paradigm of redemption altogether, realizing that the worth and goodness of a human being cannot be measured merely by the sum of their best or worst deeds.

Now, stepping back for a minute, I think the main role Nadia plays in Sayid’s life is as a representation of this transactional view of his worth. She’s someone he has wronged in the past, so if he can find her, help her, and love her, he can finally be redeemed, because these positive deeds will outweigh the harm he did to her. That harm represents all his worst deeds in his mind, so mending that specific harm would represent, to him, atoning for all of his guilt. 

I would argue that this is less genuine love, and more an entanglement, perhaps what a Buddhist would call attachment. He freed her from the prison in Iraq because she had become a mirror of his cruelty back to him, choosing to show love to him rather than hate or resentment, and making him feel the weight of his actions and the pain they caused her. 

Which is both interesting and ironic, because by showing him love rather than hate—by insisting on seeing his continued humanity in spite of the inhumanity of his actions—she is showing him the true way out. 

That’s his road to healing. If he could see himself how she sees him, he could begin to forgive himself. 

But he doesn’t see any of that. He only feels the horrible weight of his guilt, and clings to her as a way to earn himself a redemption.

(I think it’s also meaningful that, while he has always struggled with guilt, it never really weighed him down in a crippling, existential way until Nadia died. To my mind, that further links her, or rather the idea of her in Sayid’s mind, to his chance to redeem himself and ease his guilt via loving her and making her happy.)

Meanwhile, in the present day on the Island, we have Shannon, who at the beginning of the show is herself stuck in a similar state of entanglement / attachment with Boone, although one based on resentment and blame rather than on guilt; she resents the love his mother never gave her, as well as the privilege and career success he enjoyed while her dreams were consistently frustrated. She is stuck in a similar cycle of taunting Boone, giving him a little of what he wants, and then pulling away from him again in an attempt to punish him or to even the score.

(None of which is conscious, of course—just as Sayid’s guilt / redemption cycle is probably entirely subconscious to him.) 

But then in comes John Locke, who tells Shannon that on this Island, everyone gets a new life, a new start, a new chance. And she listens. She at least begins to take that chance, begins to disentangle herself from Boone (though not entirely; but who among us has ever entirely reached their goal yet? It’s always a journey) and allow herself to be happy with Sayid.

So if Nadia represents Sayid’s belief in a transactional method of redemption, in which good can outnumber the bad and thus somehow undo it or give it less meaning, then Shannon represents this path of disentangling from old, toxic cycles and beginning to start over, leaving the past in the past, and living in the present moment. 

I don’t think Sayid ever really escapes his own toxic cycle in his lifetime. Without subtracting from its meaningfulness in any way, his sacrifice in “The Candidate” is still nonetheless an attempt to balance the scales. So it makes perfect sense that, in the flash-sideways world, he continues in the same vein. I think it’s significant that right before meeting Shannon again in the sideways, Sayid asks Hurley, while waiting with him in the van in front of the alley, what he has done to earn Hurley’s trust. Note the key word here: earn. 

Even now, Sayid is still thinking transactionally. But note also Hurley’s reply: he merely says, “I think you’re a good guy, Sayid.” 

In other words, Hurley affirms Sayid’s inherent worth and value and goodness, regardless of his actions.

When Sayid finally “wakes up” by touching Shannon, the memories he flashes to are not the moments when he proved his worth to her or to the others on the Island, but the simple, lighthearted moments when the two of them were beginning to build something new, when he began, for the first and perhaps the only time on the Island, to let himself leave behind the weight of his past. 

So yes, I think it’s beautiful and resonant and meaningful for him to be with Shannon, rather than with Nadia, in the church in “The End.” With Nadia, I think the implication would have been that he had finally redeemed himself, had somehow magically earned enough good deed points to climb out of that yawning pit of moral debt. But being with Shannon shows us, rather, that he’s finally ready to forgive himself—to allow himself the peace and happiness he‘d unconsciously denied himself in life by clinging to guilt as a part of his identity. He’s finally free.

#text #mine #lost #sayid jarrah #shannon rutherford #noor abed jaseem #humanity’s inherent goodness and worth #guilt #self forgiveness #in this essay i will

[redwhale]

Quick Yellowjackets thoughts so I can clear my head – once I watched the final episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, it’s going to be hard to shift mental gears back!

SPOILERS:

Spoilers! Spoilers! Spoilers!

Like a lot of folks, I spent the episode in the present timeline narrowing down who was going to die – and was heartbroken when I realized all the evidence towards Nat kept building. There was an instant around the campfire when I realized Nat had no one in that moment. Shauna had Jeff and Callie there for her, Misty had Walter, Van had Tai, and Lottie had her people and her belief. In the next scene, Lottie in the past gave over the leadership to a shocked Natalie, and I heartbrokenly realized it was done. Oh, Nat, my darling. I think I'm still processing.

I’m absolutely shattered for the loss Adult Nat and Juliette Lewis, but I adore from a narrative structure and perspective to see a character’s arc coming to a close in the present day as the younger version of the same character begins the next step in their arc. I love that that I know where Natalie as a character begins and ends, but I’m still missing the in-between. As Yellowjackets as proved many times this season, one of its great strengths are plot revelations that completely recontextualize existing scenes.

I was holding it together well with Nat dying, until Adult Nat began to cry on the plane. It was such a raw performance from Juliette Lewis that I had an involuntary little sob with her. Lewis will be dearly, dearly missed.

Whether you prefer the supernatural or the rational reading of the show, how heartbreaking that Natalie was back on the goddamn plane in the moments before her death. And whether ‘It’ is real or not, seeing Natalie's final moments accepting ‘It’ before her death and letting it in was hard. I so wish she’d been free from that.

I know a lot of people had predicted Natalie saving Lisa and dying in the process, and I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have been correct, as it means the focus of Natalie’s arc was solid. Nat, you were the best of them.

It was riveting watching Young Nat’s transition from shock and discomfort to giddiness and joy at become the leader.

It was also fascinating seeing Young Misty be the one to give Lottie hardcore cannibalism survival pep-talks: the group needs to do this and believe this to survive. Pep talking the messiah, as you do, though Lottie passed on her crown quickly.

There were so many great theories after 2.08 that the one who survived the hunt became the next Antler Queen, but now that Lottie has passed the leadership torch to Nat, I presume she becomes the Antler Queen in a static role. She also now has a fascinating foil in Coach Ben, who was surrounded by antler imagery all season. Is he an antagonistic foil to Nat, or a potential sacrifice?

Coach Ben, I still hope you live on to this day. I’m so intrigued where that leaves his character now, with his intention to kill the girls by burning the cabin. Does he still live on in the cave? Will we still follow his POV in the past? Does Nat figure it out what happened and the group goes hunting for Ben in vengeance?

Van continues to be a walking bundle of complex ambiguity. In the present, I think part of her was genuine in wanting to take responsibility over Lottie, but she also wanted another chance at life and her cancer going into remission. The weight in the final look between Adult Lottie and Adult Van sure was something.

I loved seeing Shauna in the past wanting to be the leader, and not being chosen, and how that entangled into her blaming Jackie for feeling invisible, but realizing that feeling didn’t end with Jackie’s death.

I’m fascinated to see how Nat dying affects Misty, especially by Misty’s accidental own hand. Misty is the main character we have the least amount backstory for, so I’m curious if next season Misty coping with Nat’s death might reveal more about her past.  (I'll also always carry a torch for Misty/Nat.)

I wonder if there will be a bit of a timeskip in the present day next season, eg. Simone and Sammy, Van’s cancer, Shauna/Jeff/Callie trying to go back to normal lives, Lottie recovering, everything surrounding Kevyn, Misty dealing with the loss of Nat. Tai is the only character for me it would be a little jarring to do a time skip with, but I feel like it would benefit the rest of the cast.

There were two spoiler-y behind the scenes pictures for two potentially different storylines that didn’t get used this season. I won’t spoil here, but very curious if they were filmed and will be used later, or were cut entirely.

Both the younger and the adult casts were absolute powerhouses all season. Can everyone win an Emmy?

It’s hard to beat S1 because it’s so brilliant conceptually and in execution, but I thought S2 was a very enjoyable (and stressful) follow up. Ep.9 was a solid end of the season for me, with enough resolved to feel satisfied for now, but with plenty of questions to still be answered. My big hope was that the Adam Martin storyline would fully come to a close. I know we saw Walter tying up as much of that subplot as he could, but we still have the question of why had Martin made all those paintings of Shauna…. so I’m still wary whether that storyline has been fully resolved yet. It may be intended by the showrunners that he painted them all in the time he knew Shauna… but given his Yellowjackets yellow-blue keys, the time some paints can take to dry-? Hopefully some post-finale interviews give clarity there. I’d be happy to be done with the subplot, though.

Off to catch up on other people’s thoughts and watch the final episode of Mrs. Maisel. From cannibalism to comedy!

#yellowjackets #yellowjackets spoilers

[peronasghosts]

TOH or Haikyu(?) for the show ask game, take your pick :)

i’ll do the owl house bc you know it too.

Favourite character:

hmmm i think i have to say luz. she’s one of the best main characters ever and i love her and her arc.

Funniest character:

eda. i enjoy her middle aged bisexual swag. she manages to be really funny and also a genuinely incredible character and i appreciate that.

Best-looking character:

amity. i think that she is very pretty and i understand luz a lot esp in season one.

3 favourite ships:

lumity: one of THE ships for me. weird girls overcoming their differences to be very cute together <3

raeda: this is the angsty one. it makes me sad and i enjoy that. also hot take (?) idc that they didn’t kiss during the show. i think that their friendship that we see is really cool and i kinda like the idea of them being friends for a while before potentially getting back together

amischa: i enjoy the exes. their friendship was definitely homoerotic but they didn’t actually date so the breakup was confusing on both sides.

Least favourite character:

hooty. my irl friends who watch the owl house with me love hooty but i just don’t get the appeal. his voice is fucking annoying + he never really gets any character development.

Least favourite ship: 

huntlow. it’s every other basic m/f ship: angsty loner guy who has trouble talking about his feelings but tries when it’s the girl x sweet anxious girl who helps the guy. what’s the point anymore? i’m tired.

Reason why I watch it:

it’s sweet and cute and i love the world and characters. very good comfort show

Why I started watching it:

so so so many people were talking about it both online and irl and it sounded like my kinda thing

#toh #anti huntlow #<just in case #lumity #raeda #luz noceda #amity blight #leon gets asks #lilmerh

[lesbianrobin]

This is extremely late but I agree with everything you said about ronance that one time. It would be so great for Robin just to have friends and for Nancy who has almost every season have some part of her arc be something to do with romance to just have friends and to have fun with Robin as her friend, would be amazing. Like they just have besties who are girls and it would be so cute. It would also be amazing that they are friends in the first place! Also idk if it’s just me but I find it highly annoying that Robin’s cannon crush goes completely unnoticed. The fandom just seems to gloss over it!!! I just think it’s really annoying that the person who she has genuine interest in and the person who she says she has a crush on in cannon just gets ignored by fandom. And the scenes that Robin has with Vickie isn’t appreciated enough. She literally accidentally outs herself to Vickie in their first scene together by saying that she thought Tammy’s singing was good cuz she had a crush on her. And this was after convos of her saying that she had to be careful of who she comes out to! Also it annoys me that scenes that should be about platonic Stobin (like that boat scene) gets turned into talk about ronance when it’s about ROBIN SEEING HER BEST FRIEND DRAGGED INTO THE WATER AND POSSIBLY DYING!!! Also just wanted to let you know that you aren’t the only one feeling this way about this ship. While I’m not a lesbian, I am questioning my sexuality and consider myself to be in the queer community and sometimes I don’t even vibe with half of these queer ships cuz I’m all about platonic love in media soo!!

you're SO REAL for all of this omg like. straight up it sucks how much people ignore robin's canon crush when she and vickie are so cute and the way people twist Everything robin does to be about ro/nance is like. gross. like goddamn bro people can have friends!! idek what else to add you're just so right on all counts

#asks

[winns-stuff]

Hello!It's me!♡Ihope you're having the time of your life!🌺🌸❄💙

So , I just wanted to know something,I can't be the only one thinking that persephone's university student arc being completely glossed over by the narritive was a terrible choice ,right?I mean college was a particularly significant point for her as a character and symbolised her doubts about herself and the desire to grow into her own , it was practically one of(if not the) the first serendipitous junctures of circumstances that worked in favor of her newly-budding sense of independence and identity as an adult!She herself expressed how much she loved school, she was genuinely passionate about it!and when she began to be more and more involved with hades we got to see her deteriorating academic situation and her wistful remorse and concern over it ,this could have been a great way to create conflict between the two and a way for persephone to set boundaries between her,hades and her aspirations for her career and education.Then a lot of convoluted plot points escalated and by the time she was dubbed the "queen" (as of season 3) her college arc basically vanished into thin air!You know, as one of those highschool seniors who are working and studying their absolute a$$es off to get accepted into a nice college of their choice and to ,lordwilling, establish a stable job based on a field they're interested in, I just feel a crap ton of anger towards hades on persephone's behalf😭😭😭Imagine going through so much hardship and putting so much effort and being genuinely excited to have something going on and to develope new friendships as a young college girl,and then some grown a$$ 30-40 year old comes along and ruins your social reputation by taking your classmate's eye out, and then gets you so dependent on him you forget you have a life outside of him , and then fawns over using your uterus as an off-spring factory .Also I'm beating a dead horse at this point but demeter is demonized for wanting perse to have a career and accomplishments and overall life outside of men .

Any way, That's the end of my rant, Hope I didn't give you a headache🥲 if you're reading it,thank you for your time and have a fantastic day!❤🌻

aww I am actually having a really good time in life, my grades are actually pretty good so for once I’m just relaxing! hopefully you are too! and I completely agree with everything you said. I feel like that’s one of the reasons why I was so disappointed in LO honestly, the college thing had so much potential to really be one of the vocal points in Persephone’s development. her being able to pick her own courses and major in something that interests her instead of something her mom chooses would’ve been a really good arc for her. not only that but her being able to work through her doubts and really grow more mature, because everyone knows with college comes a lot of responsibility so that would be an even greater way to show how she’d mature and stuff! plus can you imagine the little group studies and people she would’ve met that could’ve made her support system larger?? there’s so many great ideas that can come from Persephone continuing to pursue her goals in college and it all just got swept away for the sake of romance. I wouldn’t even label what H and P have as romance though because nothing about them really screams romance to me genuinely. as someone who basically grew up on watching romantic movies and rom-coms LO doesn’t even come close to what romance and chemistry should be between two beings. but I just felt so bad honestly as soon as P met H and started working under him, like you said she loved school and you could tell that she really wanted to thrive there and make it work. but Hera was just so weird about getting her together with her ex that she didn’t even care about her feelings at all. I hate that Persephone’s story is literally being stolen from her, what was the point in giving her any ambition or character at all if you’re just going to give all of that up to make her some sexualized mary sue. I hate how butchered her character became and it just makes everything worse within the context of the story. no woman should ever have to surrender her goals, dreams, personality, or any of that just to fit a man’s idea of what he wants in a damn wife.

Anyways, that’s my two cents on it but you really did say everything I had in mind! your rant was wonderful to read and thank you for taking the time to send me it I appreciate it! Also it’s literally fine, Demeter does deserve better and shouldn’t be demonized because of the fact she wants more for her daughter than to be some accessory to Hades’ marriage, hell I would too especially by a man who time and time again patronized me and insults people who works directly under him. Hades is a really disturbing unhinged character that barely gets addressed, he verbally abused and gaslights everyone (even the people who gives him no problem) also he’s so quick to anger that he gets aggressive if he doesn’t get his way. How anyone sees him as a stable husband or romantic interest just because he hasn’t done “anything bad” to Persephone YET is beyond me.

#lo critical #anti lore olympus #anti lo #lo demeter #lo persephone #lo hades