#so if it’s season 5 it must be from either the first or last episode

[ozzo-the-wozzo]

More thoughts/reasonings on a theoretical Truman Show like reality in season 6 because I can’t stop pondering over it:

1. Gabriel’s exact words when using the wish was to read his heart to figure out what he wanted, and to read his souls to figure out what to sacrifice. I don’t know ab y’all, but if this entire new universe is made up of Gabriel’s heart and soul, I don’t trust it 💀💀

2. We see Adrien FINALLY beat Gabriel’s ass and tell him he’s a terrible father right before the finale, and after all the stuff Gabriel pulled with Marinette, it’s hard to believe Adrien would just… suddenly look up to him right? Something tells me Gabriel wouldn’t want Adrien remembering all of that in a universe where everyone suddenly looks up to him and Adrien has free will… so is it possible Adrien’s memories of his father are muddled? I mean why not right: after all, it IS a universe of Gabriel’s creation.

3. Now leaning more into the Truman Show-ness of it all, everything seemed TOO perfect at the end. Every second of the ending was all hazy and strange. The first shot we get is Adrien being awoken with a kiss, like in a fairy tale, and we know there’s been hella set up with Adrien as a story book protagonist locked in a tower. What if this new world is his new tower created by Gabriel? Adrien is trapped in a perfect bubble with nothing but people to care about him and weirdly pleasant memories of his father, but it’s FAKE. And what about the outside world? Something tells me Gabriel wouldn’t care too much about that. Also, the last two episodes focused on nightmares… hmmm…

4. If Emile is really back, ADRIEN HAS TO QUESTION IT RIGHT? WHY WOULD HAWKMOTH IF HE WAS JUST SOME DUDE MAKE A UNIVERSE WHERE HIS MOM IS BACK??? ADRIEN WOULD HAVE TO CONNECT SOME DOTS RIGHT??? Again: MUDDLED MEMORY! THAT HE MUST BREAK FREE FROM! Not to mention, Adrien seemed strangely… really chill? And overly happy in the finale? Considering his dad just died and his mom is randomly back from the dead? Again, I know there’s a time skip, but STILL.

5. Like Truman, I imagine everyone will lie to him/gaslight him, either due to Gabriel’s wish or to “protect” him. And we know how Adrien feels about that.

I already hear ml salters going “you really think the show enough is smart enough for that? 🤓☝️”, and even though every time I’ve gotten a comment on a theory like this in past seasons I’ve ended up being RIGHT, this time I must concede a little bit and say it would be a lot to juggle. But all I’m saying is if we spent the last 5 SEASONS hearing about how this wish couldn’t be made and how we had to stop Gabriel from making it, I better see some pretty messed up consequences, and this just feels so right! Adrien thinking he’s free, but really he’s trapped in another prison of his father’s creation…. cinema.

#ml Truman show theory #is what I’m calling this now #sorry this was long but GUYS HEAR ME OUT OKAY #if I’m even the slightest bit right I refuse to let it go #miraculous ladybug #ml spoilers #mlb #ml #ml the last day #miraculous ladybug spoilers #mlb spoilers #ml season 5 spoilers #ml season 5 finale #adrien agreste #ml theory #ml season 5 #mine #ml recreation #gabriel agreste

[percheduphere]

Loki Season 2 - End Game Theories Part 2

Part 1: (read here)

Part 2:

5.) Mobius's Plotline

6.) Sylvie's Role

7.) John = Mobius?

8.) The Original Timekeepers & Time Paradoxes

He is so wounded and lost. If he can't get a hug from anybody, he'll settle for something sweet to eat.

MOBIUS'S PLOTLINE

As I mentioned in Part 1 of my theory dump, Mobius is narratively positioned to be at his lowest point. Renslayer claims he cannot make the hard decisions or the sacrifices required to do what must be done, Brad accuses Mobius of being a nobody, and Sylvie accuses Mobius for not taking the danger facing the multiple timelines seriously (more on this in Sylvie's section).

*Sidenote: I bet Mobius has a really common name like John. More on this in John = Mobius? section.

With the latest screen captures of the mid-season trailer, it's confirmed we will see Mobius in his original timeline, but we don't know HOW he gets there. I believe there are 3 possibilities:

1.) The Loom explosion immediately throws everyone back into their original timelines (with possible exception to the gods).

2.) Mobius, with the TVA falling apart, chooses to return to his original timeline, believing that he is not necessary and will only cause more harm.

3.) The TVA and its inhabitants (with exception of the gods) slowly spaghettify and Mobius bids Loki farewell.

The images below suggest #2 and/or #3, but Loki's attire gives me pause. Unless he travels backwards or forwards in time, who would put him in the jumpsuit and collar in the present? Himself via magic, to relive how they first met before a final goodbye? If it is a final goodbye, why are they not embracing like in S1? Because it's too painful?

I wish I could figure out the timing of this moment because of its impact on the story.

If it happens BEFORE Mobius returns to his original timeline, we know Loki and Sylvie will seek him out.

If if happens AFTER Mobius is returned to his original timeline, then Loki and Sylvie found Mobius, and Mobius chose not to stay.

Regardless, when Loki finds Mobius, he does not expect Mobius to have no memory of him. (Again, sigh)

Another possibility is that this Mobius is not Loki's Mobius, and that Loki's Mobius will eventually see what could have been his life as an observer. This option, however, lowers the stakes and thus seems unlikely.

Whatever the case, I think we will find that Sylvie's and Mobius's narrative positions will be reversed in the last 2 episodes. Pre-Loom explosion, Loki and Mobius needed to convince Sylvie to join them. Post-Loom explosion, Loki and Sylvie will need Mobius back.

But the cost will be exceptionally high. Mobius was right: he knew knowing his life being incredibly good will tempt him away from the TVA and all the responsibilities, violence, and stress that come with it. He will need to give up his dream job, a lovely home in the suburbs, and family. Mobius won't be the only one challenged by making this choice, the weight of it will fall on Loki's shoulder's, too, and Loki needs to articulate how much Mobius means to him because Mobius has been more vocal and active in tending to their relationship, Ep 2 not withstanding.

We know why Loki would be motivated to find him, but what would motivate Sylvie to bring Mobius back? How can she help Loki facilitate this?

SYLVIE'S ROLE

We know that Sylvie has the ability to see other people's memories through enchantment. It's possible she will either share her memories with Mobius directly or act as a conduit between Loki and Mobius. The latter makes more sense since Loki has more positive memories of Mobius at the TVA than Sylvie does. I think she will offer to do this because: 1.) She wants to protect her timeline, and 2.) Like Loki, she will come to realize Mobius means more to her than she thought.

From what we've seen of Sylvie in her 1982 McDonald's timeline, she understandably wants nothing more than to live a calm life and make friends of her own. All of this is perfectly valid, and she is deserving of a peaceful life.

Her outburst at Mobius during the pie scene strikes me as a projection of her own guilt and feelings of helplessness, which she does not yet have the tools to deal with in a healthy way. Sophia is an exceptional actress: her micro-emotions shift from guilt to anger so quickly it is almost imperceptible if you're not watching closely. Sylvie is very much Loki as he used to be: deflecting responsibility by blaming others, mocking softness as a weakness, outbursts of yelling and violence. She wants to be left alone! And yet ...

*Sidenote: I jumped out of my seat when I saw that kid's name tag: it says "John", my personal original timeline name for Mobius since forever ago.

This is a lie. Sylvie never wanted to be alone. She wanted a place to feel happy and safe.

Look at that smile. Are you kidding me? How can anyone hate her? Mobius wants pie and hot cocoa. Sylvie wants a fast food job. Both want the comfort of normalcy. So does Loki. All of them deserve happiness.

She seems to have found a degree of these things in the 1982, Broxton, Oklahoma, Branched Timeline. Someone, however, enabled her to make a living there by getting her a job at a fast food chain ...

JOHN = Mobius?

This theory is quite a reach since the timeline is a branch, but the dates map out just right. If John (Mobius?) can't drive yet in 1982, he'd be 15, which makes his birthday 1967. Assuming this story is set in 2023 and John is Mobius, that makes John/Mobius 56. Owen Wilson is 54. Pretty darn close! I mean, look at that hand-hip pose and brown/neutral color scheme, not to mention his enthusiasm for the menu. The tie suggests he's a shift manager (someone with promising leadership skills), and he has a distinct accent.

If this kid pays off as being teen!Mobius, then I don't doubt Sylvie has a certain affection for him. In the parking lot, she asks if his mom is going to pick him up and he assures her, yes, he'll be okay. He then asks if he will see her at work the next day, and she in turn assures him she will. (If someone can find a gif of this, please let me know!) What was the point of this interaction, if not to show that Sylvie is capable of making friends and showing care towards others? If John is in fact Mobius, then what irony: they will soon create the TVA and work alongside one another again!

Sylvie will likely also feel more compassion towards Mobius if she met him as a teen. She seems to have a soft spot for kids, seeing as she gave a kid a Kablooie! which allowed Mobius and Loki to find her in S1. If John isn't Mobius, then Sylvie has at least 1 person in a timeline to protect, and that will motivate her to bring Mobius back.

They will be friends. We know, based on the image below, that they're going to make amends. We know it's going to be okay. They will unite as the 3 timekeepers because it is the right and hard thing to do. Sylvie will stay and (at least until HWR is dealt with) so will Mobius.

THE ORIGINAL 3 TIMEKEEPERS AND TIME PARADOXES

I've written before in asks to @bebx and @mobius-m-mobius that I believe the story is in a timeloop, whereby killing HWR triggers a series of events which causes Loki (and possibly Sylvie) to recruit Mobius, B-15, and Casey from their respective timelines, which means their pasts. Because the TVA is destroyed by the Loom explosion, the TVA consequently needs to be created.

And I suspect the Loom, which constrains the number of branches that can exist, was put in place by HWR after the TVA was formed by the Loki and Sylvie when they went into the past to recruit the people they've already worked with.

HWR said, "See you soon" after Sylvie kills him.

Because the Loom exploded, the Loom no longer exists.

Since the Loom no longer exists, multiple timelines come to being with variants of Kang.

Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie form an alliance against Kang to protect all timelines.

To do this, Loki and Sylvie must find Mobius in his timeline, which for the purposes of the TVA, takes place in the past.

The TVA is therefore created in a past that is running along concurrent timestreams in which the TVA already exists or is in the process of being destroyed. Remember: branches run concurrently but at different points in time. Sacred Timeline Loki's timestream is ahead of L1130 Loki's timestream; LL1130 Loki is in Sacred Timeline Loki's past before he diverges.

The TVA's original purpose was to monitor for threats like HWR and combat him.

At some point, HWR and Ravonna infiltrate the TVA and wipe everyone's memory. Note that Loki suspects it's happened more than once. They likely do this on a different concurrent timestream while Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie are actively forming an alliance and combating him in another concurrent timestream. This is why the original 3 timekeepers are consistently missing. They are in the TVA's past and future at the same time but never truly in the TVA's present. HWR rules the TVA's present.

They wipe memories once (1) to make everyone forget the original timekeepers (Loki, Mobius, Sylvie) when HWR wants to be responsible for the Sacred Timeline. His image is then brought to the TVA, the Loom is installed, and pruning begins. HWR ensures that only his temporal aura can access systems when Miss Minutes overrides TVA's control.

They do it a second time (2) to make everyone forget HWR when he gets tired of his role and wants to retire via death. The 3 timelords imagery and robots are put in place to create a lore based on fact.

HWR, being a megalomanic, does not want anyone else to govern time even though he's too fed-up with it to do it himself. He will count on another HWR to do this form him.

HWR paving the road for Loki and Sylvie to find him was never about giving them the power to govern time (lies!). He needed them to facilitate a timeloop in which HWR always returns to create and control the sacred timeline in the TVA's present.

Sylvie kills him. The "end of time" takes place. The timelines branch uncontrollably. The Loom explodes. Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius build the TVA in the past.

Rinse and repeat.

The loop in itself calls into question free will.

Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius need to figure out how to break out of the loop.

This is a lot! If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think!

#Loki #Mobius #Lokius #Sylvie #Sylkie #loki s2 #loki series #loki meta #my meta #my theories #time paradox #time loop

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, major bracket quarterfinals

*Daisuke Jigen x Lupin III and Mystique x Irene Adler are now an alliance since they tied in the last round. Old Gays as in they've been around for decades at this point, gay and doing crime.

Propaganda:

For Arsene Lupin III and Jigen Daisuke :

The start of be gay do crime! Jigen literally buys Lupin flowers while Lupin calls him "Jigen-chan" but they also shoot and kill and steal!!!

Lupin and Jigen have been Partners in Crime (and more) for over 50 years of media history. From the very beginning, when Jigen thinks Lupin has died in Part 1 episode 13 he openly weeps, tears streaming down his face and everything. Earlier that same episode Lupin tells Jigen he looked sexy in the maid costume he wore for the heist. In Part 5, they pretend to be two old men living together in an apartment above a cafe. They bicker like an old married couple. People are tying to track Lupin in the first half of the season and this: ‘As Lupin’s Lover where ever he is Lupin must be too’ is said about Jigen. In Part 6, Lupin keeps giving Jigen flowers. (He’s buying the flowers to keep an eye on someone and doesn’t want to look suspicious but he gives them to Jigen, after telling the store owner their for his wife) he calls Jigen either a ‘Fuzzy Angel’ (sub) or Hairy Hunk (dub). Jigen also tries to break Lupin from mindcontrol by bringing up their partnership. Like Sub line is ‘I’ve always been your partner man’ and the Dub line is ‘is that any way to treat your partner?’. The biggest thing though is in Lupin Zero, where Lupin declares he’s going to make his first official heist as Lupin III. He walks up to Jigen, places his hand on his chest, closes his hand and draws it back to himself then asks Jigen ‘So Jigen…was I able to steal it?’ To which Jigen replies ‘I’d say so’ while pulling his hat down over his face. Lupin’s ‘first real heist’ was STEALING JIGEN’S HEART! Also in Lupin III vs Cats eye Lupin pats Jigen on the ass (sound effect and everything) and Jigen doesn’t even react. There’s way more stuff from various movies and specials, this is just some of what jumps to mind right now. They may not be CANON but they’re pretty close :)

They are in fact husbands and they do be murderin’ (since 1960)

For Irene Adler and Mystique:

They have a daughter they train to be evil. They've been gay for so long they're one of comics first be gay and do crime couples ever. They're wives.

They are married and in love and have been for decades! Mystique is totally down to kill anyone in her way and so is Destiny. Destiny died years and years ago and for all that time up until recently one of Mystique’s most common motivations was trying to find a way to bring her back to life, which succeeded a few years ago

For the Leverage trio:

No murder (except occasionally by Elliot) but the theifsom as they are sometimes called rob from every kind of evil rich asshole they can find. Three of the best criminals in the world. Be poly do crimes. 

A canonical (Word of God) triad who run cons with the ultimate goal of helping people. Hardison is a hacker, Eliot is a hitter, and Parker is a thief

#gay wrongs tournament quarterfinals #leverage #x men comics #lupin the iii #lupin the third #jigen daisuke #arsene lupin iii #raven darkholme #mystique #irene adler #leverage redemption #leverage parker #alec hardison #eliot spencer

[alexseanchai]

so on the one hand, Yuuko's massive nosebleed in ep 3 is an obvious example of the anime trope in which nosebleeds indicate sexual attraction and/or arousal, and the comically large volume of blood is equally obviously an indication of the strength of that attraction, exaggerated for effect

on the other hand, there's no scientific basis for sexual arousal to relate to nosebleeds:

and I'm not sure how to estimate the volume of blood Yuuko is shown losing, but it's plenty enough that Yurio shouting for help (in the English dub) or asking Yuuko if she's sick (in the Japanese dub) is an entirely reasonable reaction:

and after all, Yuuri and Yuuko would both be well aware of this anime trope, and there's no reason to think Yurio would be; it makes sense that neither Yuuko nor Yuuri would be concerned, but the fact Yurio is, and he's making no effort to pretend otherwise—Yurio, who until now has made such a point of growling at Victor and hurting Yuuri in order to not look like he cares about either—

and a week later, when Yuuko sees Yurio in what must be a costume from one of Victor's first two seasons as a junior, age thirteen to fifteen to Yuuko's eleven to thirteen at the time:

ah, so someone told Yurio about the nosebleed-indicates-arousal trope

fascinating characterization all around

...speaking of nosebleeds:

and I'll link to both these metas as soon as I find them again, which I'd appreciate assistance with since I'm blanking on who posted either:

one observed that Victor noticed Yuuri flubs his jumps when there's something on his mind, and that we don't hear Yuuri's thoughts for most of his free skate in ep 5, but we do see him screw up the last jump, and the final scene in the episode is Yuuri's love confession to Victor—which suggests Yuuri realized on the ice that he loves Victor, the mortal human he's been learning the past five months, even with all the ways Victor frustrated Yuuri earlier in ep 5

the other observed that Victor was wondering who Yuuri's defiance of his coach reminded Victor of, and he was surprised to realize it's himself, a thought he had only after Yuuri took his final pose—which suggests Victor was also surprised by Yuuri's final pose

connect those two dots and we get, Yuuri changed the final pose on impulse, same as he changed the final jump in ep 7 on impulse, because he realized on the ice he loves Victor

can't help but suspect, given the nosebleed and everything, that he's thinking of sexual as well as romantic love

#yuri on ice #nishigori yuuko #yuri plisetsky #yuuri katsuki #victor nikiforov #victuuri #yoi meta #by alexseanchai

[canonicallyobserving911]

Overall Assessment of Season 6

I’ve completed 15 detailed “Constructive Criticisms” posts regarding season 6 and I wanted to wrap everything up with an overall assessment for the entire season.

Even though 17% of the season’s 18 episodes were ok, overall, the majority of it wasn’t anything to be excited about especially since 9-1-1’s had some awesome seasons in the past (season 3 was the best). There were three good episodes but the rest could have been sent in an email or yeeted to the sun.

6x3 “The Devil You Know” had great cinematography and the acting from the main and recurring characters along with the guest stars was superb but in my opinion the storyline should have been included in a different franchise.  Mainly because it was so dark and heavy that it seemed like it would have been a better fit for “Law & Order: SVU” especially since Tonya Kingston was a special victim.  One thing 9-1-1 did EXCEPTIONALLY WELL BEFORE SEASON 5 was balance the lighter storylines with the heavier ones but for the past two seasons they haven’t done a great job of it.  Season 5 was heavy enough with Maddie’s PPD and Eddie’s PTSD storylines, therefore the third episode of season 6 shouldn’t have been that heavy and dark.  On a positive note, it was part of Athena’s origin story regarding why she became a cop and it properly closed out her storyline even though it started back in season 2.

6x6 “Tomorrow” was good but someone didn’t fact check a lot of the details for it and they didn’t ensure the continuity was there.  At the end of 6x5, the promo for 6x6 included Karen calling 9-1-1 but that scene was NOT INCLUDED in the episode.  Also, in CANON it was never mentioned that Chimney orchestrated Hen and Karen’s blind date.  Finally, the closeout of Hen’s medical school storyline wasn’t fact checked either since in 2x6 she said the reason she became a paramedic was because she got shot when she was 16 and the paramedics who came to help took care of her.  Then in 3x9, she told Karen the woman they saw at the spa, Stacy Mullins, was the reason why she became a paramedic.  So which one was it or was it both?  The audience will never know especially since she didn’t mention either option at the end of 6x6 during her explanation to Karen regarding why she decided to drop out of medical school.

6x13 “Mixed Feelings” was my favorite episode overall because it included A LOT OF BUCK & EDDIE, BUCK & CHRIS AND THE BUCKLEY-DIAZ FAMILY.  FULL STOP!  Their relationship was missing for 99% of 6A; therefore to see Buck and Eddie side by side along with the Buckley-Diazes spending time together again like they did in 6x1, it was absolute PERFECTION.  I’ve already explained in post “#15 – Buddie” how Buck and Eddie’s relationship is the main reason why I watch the show so I won’t elaborate.

All the other episodes didn’t meet the expectations that 9-1-1 established during previous seasons.

6x10 “In a Flash” could have been one of the best episodes of the season but IT WASN’T because the Buckley parents’ and Sang Han’s presences ruined it.  It was supposed to be about Buck being struck by lightning (which was shoved into the last 5 minutes of the episode) but they spent the first 40 minutes showing more of his parents, Chimney’s dad and Albert’s mother than they did showing the 118, Athena, May and Chris.  Also they SPOILED the majority of Buck’s injury a month before it aired with all the stills and promos they released.

Overall, my biggest criticism about the season is the show didn’t commit to anything.  Everything seemed like it was a false start which is kind of sad since they "thought" (I still don’t believe they thought it was the last one) or wanted the audience to believe it was going to be their final season.  My false start metaphor can be compared with a “false start” in a track meet.  When runners are on their marks and one of them starts before the starter pistol is fired, everyone must go back to the beginning.  That’s how I feel about season 6 because every main character was sent back to the beginning instead of showing how far they’ve come.  No one, not any individual character or their ships were shown to have moved forward.  The finale was a rushed mess and none of it made any narrative sense.

Basically, it appears there was no real purpose for season 6 and if there was one, it got lost in translation since things were discombobulated and all over the place.  Storylines were unequally distributed, recurring characters’ arcs were rewritten to make them likeable and the metaphors just kind of fell apart in the end.  If there really was a purpose, what was it?  The items below are overall assessments for the nine main characters.

Athena needed more storylines than what was provided in 6x3

Bobby’s AA sponsor storyline was atrocious and shouldn’t have been included

Buck’s gazillion storylines should have ended better

Chris deserves his own storylines.  He’s a main character but he never gets his own storylines even though Denny (bio dad) and Jee-Yun (Maddie’s engagement ring) had individual storylines this season

Eddie NEEDED MORE STORYLINES!  (I’ll keep screaming it because EDDIE DESERVES BETTER!)

Hen’s, Chimney’s and Buck’s quest for interim captain should have been handled better

Hen’s medical school storyline should have ended better

Maddie and Chimney deserved a better plot for their proposal storyline than that raggedy IRS Income Tax mess

May had one main storyline for the whole season but after that, she was barely there

After 6x18 aired, it seemed like someone had an idea about where they wanted the season to go but they didn’t know how to execute it in a way that would make the audience want to return after the HIATUS.  Additionally, a lot of time was spent copying storylines from other shows and it appears they didn’t think anyone would notice but it’s apparent from the comments that were left on social media sites, some viewers who watch similar series did notice and they were vocal about it.

In the past, 9-1-1 was unique but somewhere along the way they lost the thing that made them special.  In the wastelands of network TV, it was refreshing to watch a show that included everything instead of having separate shows for the police, firefighters and dispatchers like other franchises.

When the season ended, I asked myself the same question I asked after 15 of the 18 episodes aired; “Is that it?”  Maybe my expectations were too high but I don’t believe they were since I still watch episodes from seasons 2-4 (3x2 - 3x3 – the Tsunami were fantastic and 4x13 - 4x14; Eddie being shot still haunts me but I love Eddie so I'll watch all the episodes where he gets the screen time he deserves).

Was season 6 supposed to be their legacy? If so, then it was filled with a bunch of raggedy storylines that focused primarily on Buck while ignoring the rest of the main characters.  It was like they didn’t want to commit to anything risky or something that would have cemented the show as a groundbreaking TV series that would have audiences talking about it for the next decade or maybe even longer.

This is my overall assessment of season 6 and whenever the show returns, hopefully it will have returned to being uniquely 9-1-1 instead of some knock off version of the other 3 or 4 firefighting shows out there in the already oversaturated market of emergency television shows on network TV.

I’ve included links to all the “Constructive Criticisms” posts below along with their topics.

#1 - Lack of and/or inconsistencies with interviews, promos, stills, trailers, etc.

#2 - Recurring Characters OVERSHADOWED Main Characters

#3 - Undeserved and Unearned Parent Redemptions

#4 - Unequal Distribution of Storylines

#5 - Continuity Errors and Forced Narratives

#6 - Season Six or Season of Sex

#7 - Stereotypes in Season 6

#8 - Lack of Professional Development and Growth

#9 - The use of Metaphors, Themes and Theories

#10 - Bathena

#11 - Henren

#12 - Madney

#13 - Evan “Buck” Buckley

#14 - Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz

#15 - Buddie

#9-1-1 Season 6 - CANON Constructive Criticisms #Canonically Observing 9-1-1 Speaks #buddie #henren #bathena #madney #eddie diaz #evan buckley #maddie buckley #christopher diaz #athena grant #bobby nash #chimney han #hen wilson #911 fox #911 season 6 speculation #911 season 6 #911 s6 #911 on abc #911 meta #911 abc #911 on fox #911onfox #911

[jamietxrtt]

so, maybe i’m being a conspiracy theorist here, but i’m pretty sure the reason the last episode felt so jarring to a lot of people is because of the rewrites.

if you don’t know, production of s3 suffered a delay due to extensive rewrites done on the script. the puck article about the production issues seem to imply that the idea for an episode set in amsterdam was a result of these script rewriting sessions. the amsterdam episode is the next episode, so we’re certainly into rewrite territory now.

it would make sense to me if ep 5 was employing those changes that were generated from the rewrites. it sounds like the back half of the season got the bulk of the new material, so they may have had to cut original plotlines (like shandy and zava) in order to make room for the new stuff they came up with. so that’s why shandy and zava were both sent away so suddenly; they originally were gonna stick around and have more to do, but the rewrites added new material and so the show didn’t have time for them anymore.

which is not to say that shandy and zava won’t be back— i have a hunch that shandy at least will be— but if they are, they’ll be a part of the narrative in some different capacity than they were in these first 4 eps— in a different capacity than they were originally planned to be, maybe.

this is all pure speculation, but it makes sense to me. a couple pretty big plotlines get suddenly wrapped up, right before the amsterdam stuff (which we know came from rewrites) is about to happen. makes sense that those plotlines were rewrite victims.

i personally am optimistic to see where they go from here! the amsterdam episode i have high hopes for, and whatever they planned during the rewrites, if it was good enough to push out all the stuff they’d planned before, then it must be exciting!

i just think that the sudden resolution of the plotlines and characters that played a big role in the first third of the season makes more sense when you consider the timeline of production for s3, and the fact that we’re probably plunging headfirst into rewrite material now.

though, who knows, this is fully speculation! maybe this was the plan from the start. either way i’m excited to see where the season goes from here!

#ted lasso spoilers #the article i linked is paywalled but u can get around it pretty easily by using reader view #its an interesting read! sheds light on the production delays and the money side of the whole thing #ALSO. it says that the final epidodes of s3 ballooned the budget so. SOMETHING extravagant is gonna happen!! #exciting!!

[squirrellypoo]

The coffin dent - fight or fuck?

Near the start of episode 7 (just after the encyclopedia salesman/blood cancer deaths), there's an overhead shot of the coffin room where Louis' coffin is very clearly dented. There is no explanation for this given in season 1, though considering the amount of practical effort that went into creating a second prop, there must be a reason for this.

But let's back-track to when we last saw the coffin with an undented lid, in episode 5, just after Claudia leaves home.

It's hard to see here as the lid is open, but as it closes you can see it's pristine.

The next time we see it is post-reunion in episode 6, just after the scene with Antoinette's finger.

I've brightened up my screencap here to better see the dent.

So this means that whatever caused the dent occurred in the latter half of episode 5, or the first half of episode 6. Which doesn't really nail down the time period at all, considering this covered most of the 1920s and 1930s.

Let's zoom in on the dent and see what we can determine...

It looks to me to be two forearms crossed and pressed into the coffin lid, with other contact happening behind the arms. This could result from either someone being grabbed from behind, or grabbed from behind, if you know what I mean… 😏

Most people seem to think it's related to whatever the hell happened off-screen in the coffin room during the fight in episode 5, but the indentation also matches the pose from levitating sex in episode 1…

We know the show creators have said that the events of episode 5 will be revisited in season 2, so with a bit of luck we may find out the cause afterall. What do you think?

#I'm on team wild reunion fuck personally #coffin dent #fight or fuck #iwtv #interview with the vampire #loustat #lestat de lioncourt #louis de pointe du lac

[isleofair]

Tiger & Bunny Week Day 2

Tiger & Bunny First Series Anniversary

(allowing for airtime shenanigans lol)

I can't quite put together a full review, but I want to list some moments in Season 1 that I found striking/intriguing/wonderful/thought-provoking when watching it for the very first time (around the end of December 2021):

1 - The princess carry

I said I started watching T&B at the end of 2021, but I had actually been distantly aware of its existence well before that, for a reason I find extremely amusing: I had seen Taibani BL doujinshi while browsing for doujinshi of other anime shows 😂. My vague impression, based solely on the name of the show and the cover art of said doujinshi, was that "Tiger and Bunny" were something like two detective partners... and that the original series was explicitly a yaoi one, because, come on, surely you wouldn't name your characters Tiger and Bunny otherwise, right?!?

I knew by the time I clicked play on Netflix that that last bit was wrong. The princess carry told me that I was not that far off, though, either. 😜

2 - The reveal that The King of Heroes is actually a massive dork

You kind of catch glimpses of it in the previous episodes, but I sort of dismissed them as "eh, it's his over-constructed Hero TV persona, this guy is the King of Heroes, after all, he must have all of his ducks in a row".

But in the very first episode we see him out of the suit, we find out that Keith is, if anything, even more of an overeager puppy when he's not on the clock as Sky High, and this made me fully realize what a rich world of characters I had landed in (and made Keith start to rise very fast in my personal preference ranking of all the heroes).

3 - Barnaby's fear (?) of fire

This one was, to me, a missed opportunity for what could have been an even deeper look into Barnaby's character.

Barnaby here says he "hates" fire (火が嫌いです). From his expression, and the flashback that follows, I think it would be fair to assume that fire makes him at the very least uncomfortable, if not downright afraid. And Barnaby has both and enemy and an ally who have fire as their power, as evidenced specifically in this episode, so I was expecting that to be addressed... but nothing specific ever came of it.

It's true that Barnaby in this first half of S1 is very cool and collected at all times, but finding out if and how his feelings about fire color his perception of and interactions with Nathan and Lunatic would have been extremely fascinating, IMHO. (Even just an explicit acknowledgment of the fact that he doesn't let it influence his relationship with those two characters in the least would have been interesting, and added to his characterization in some small way.)

4 - Episode 17 ("Blood Is Thicker Than Water.")

Definitely one of my very favorite episodes overall (which means a lot, considering it doesn't feature Nathan, or even Keith, for one single second, lol).

We learn so much about Kotetsu, his family, his history; at one of his lowest points, he manages to shine when it matters the most, where no one can see him, but the thing he cherishes most in the world, Kaede, is at stake. And the thing that struck me the most is that he saves her by completely subverting the way we've always seen him apply his power to being a hero: by being still and quiet and attentive, instead of strong, rash, loud. And then he doesn't even need his power to finish rescuing Kaede, to be her hero; just a good old jolt of parent-with-a-kid-in-danger adrenaline.

It's a really fantastic episode.

5 - The ending of episode 24, and the title of episode 25 ("Eternal Immortality.")

(And I don't just mean the whole "gosh, the fried rice thing was pretty gay, but the eyelash comment was REALLY gay, huh?" stuff, lol.)

See, when I watched this, I already knew that season 2 was coming up, so I should have logically assumed they would not kill off their main character here... But I was way too caught up in the story and way too distraught to remember any sort of logic, and I was staring at my screen like "surely they wouldn't... right? RIGHT?!? 😥"

And then I remembered that oh! The last episode is called "Eternal immortality"! It's the only one with a title that doesn't fit the proverb scheme! It must be very significant!

And so I was fully convinced, for the, oh, 10 minutes between here and the moment Kotetsu stands back up in the last episode and explains he had just simply passed out, that he had indeed died, or about as close to is as to not make a difference, and that his Hundred Power, after diminishing, would actually fade completely right there and then and turn into a different power, that would grant him infinite regeneration (see: him healing himself with Hundred Power in episode 13), and thus, essentially, eternal immortality.

Hey, it would have been pretty cool.

(the prompts!)

#tiger & bunny #tnbw

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls Season 2, Episode 15, "Lost And Found", Aka The Bracelet Has Breached Containment, Aka BraceletGate, Aka QuarterOnAStringGate, Part 6

Five minutes to go. We've finally arrived at the rotting meat of the episode. Since I won't watch Teach Me Tonight (or the episode that comes after it), this is the last episode for a good long while solely focused on Lorelai Gilmore's paranoia. Thank Gawd. I am drained.I have nothing left in me. She has sucked out my life force the way she sucks the lifeforce out of Dean Forrester. Parts 1-5 (!!) and all other episodes can be found in my pinned post.

Out of context, this looks terribly ominous.

Sweaterpaws.

Jess was seriously going to just go home and not even bother to ask for any money (well, he did say "I'll be back to collect it later, I know where you live", like the old timey Italian mobster he is). But he could have used that $5 (I do wish I could tell how much she's holding). Even though Jess must wait on Lorelai's table at his place of employment at least once a day every single day, I wager this is the first time Lorelai has ever paid him or tipped him squat. The boy was too stunned to speak. Better make sure its not Monopoly money or something.

I love how cautiously he takes it. He's such a smart boy, he knows this is a trap.

Time for my favorite #SadBaby joke, one I made up myself many years ago: Why does Jess Mariano love Santa Claus so much? Because unlike his father, at least Santa Claus visits once a year.

You dropped this, my king.👑 The fact that he's so utterly unbothered by Lorelai, making this a completely one-sided argument by an adult with a minor child will always be hilarious to me. Lorelai: Why would you do this? Oh, the DRAMATICS! I would never be dramatic.

WHATEVER WHATEVER WHATEVER WHATEVER!!! How you like them apples?

"Don't whatever me, you ittle jerk! You let Rory run around PANICKED! Thinking she lost her boyfriend's bracelet! She was MISERABLE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"

You ever wonder if Dean Forrester is perched on a rooftop somewhere with a sniper rifle and if Lorelai doesn't say "Dean is great" "Dean is tall and pretty" "Dean is the best lover I've ever had" out loud at least twice a day, it's lights out for her? It's either that or he's blackmailing her and is going to spill their illicit relationship if she doesn't kiss his ass on the regular, or maybe he used some advanced brainwashing techniques on her (this one is highly unlikely, he's barely literate) there are no other possible explanations for this behavior.

Way to go Lorelai, that's four rapid fire lies, exagerrations and falsehoods in the span of mere seconds. I'm impressed. I think Jess has to be dying of laughter on the inside right now listening to this crazy bitch's lunatic rantings. Actualy, in the second picture, from that angle it almost looks like Milo is smiling lol

Baby, you're so smart. I know you didn't finish high school, but you should still win some kind of award for smartness. #AdmireTheBaby

Lorelai can't call Dean "son", it would clash with his other title, "Rory's Future Stepfather."

Lorelai's face after Jess pointed out Rory didn't miss the bracelet for two weeks. SHE KNOWS HE'S RIGHT. Come on, just admit this kid is right and we can move on with our lives!

Lorelai goes back to the living room to contemplate how Jess Mariano is right about everything all the time.

Okay, since we know Luke isn't getting a new apartment, I'm intrigued. Ahhh, a second Nuclear Luke rant in one episode! It almost makes up for the rotting meat of the previous scene. "Taylor is systematically buying up the whole town! He's gonna turn it into Taylorville! Everyone will wear cardigans and have the same grass height! He's gonna buy the building next to the diner and turn it into a plate shop for freaks without enough brainpower to buy stamps! I walked around in a blind rage. I was crazy. I bought one of those Belgian waffles with the ice cream dipped in chocolate. But I didn't eat it, I'm upset, not suicidal." LMAAAAAO. Oh Luke Danes, I love you so fucking much. "I had your voice going around and around in my head, I heard you saying, "take a chance Luke, make a move! Can't have a single bed! So I bought the building!" Told you Lorelai's nagging wields tremendous power, leading men to emotional and financial ruin.

For a few brief moments, Lorelai is the voice of reason and rationality. She suggests he could back out of the purchase, or barring that, expand the diner or rent the building to someone Taylor really hates, which is an idea I could get behind. Luke has 100k to spend on real estate, huh. I've said this before, I envision an au where Luke signs the paperwork to just get Jess his own seperate apartment. Even he had to wait until his 18th birthday. Jess could contribute to some of the rent and bills and Luke could pick up the rest. Everyone would be happy. I just want Jess to thrive and be happy. I'm going to imagine him thriving and happy.

A moment later, Lorelai is back to her old self. Holy hell, woman. The fuck is wrong with you? Poor Rory! Can Luke front some of that 100k to pay for Rory's future therapy bills, that she'll surely need after the damage you've caused?

I honestly have no idea what the fuck she's talking about. When have they been "thrown together"? When you think about it, Rory and Jess so far have had minimal interaction aside from some brief conversations, the majority of which Lorelai isn’t even aware of, and we're 10 episodes in after Jess' arrival. Do you mean the Bracebridge Dinner? The thing you set up and invited him to? Literally, Lorelai doesn't even know that Rory and Jess interacted in her backyard this afternoon. Or do you mean the picnic basket auction? Where Jess committed the unspeakable crime of having lunch with Rory?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Luke thinks Rory and Jess would make a good pair. Lorelai is so in awe of the power of Jess Mariano that she fears coupling him with her daughter might rip a hole in the very fabric of space and time.

Luke is my favorite Literati shipper.

"If Rory dates Jess, my shnooky-ukkums Dean will stop coming over to my house. Jess Mariano must die."

At least the last minute of the episode brings us one of the most splendid endings in Gilly Girls history.

Promotional poster for my horror movie called The Hollow: Luke Danes' Revenge. He's got a sledgehammer, a troubled nephew, and a thirst for Taylor Doose's blood.

I LOVE how hard Milo flinched when the hammer went through the wall. THIS EPISODE IS OVER. I SURVIVED THE ENTIRE THING. Where's my cookie?!

#gilmore girls #denise rewatches gilmore girls #anti lorelai gilmore #jess mariano #milo ventimiglia #rory gilmore #gilmore girls season 2 #lost and found #HALLELUJAH #You guys just dont know how many hours these things take me #luke danes #Luke Danes is a confirmed Literati shipper #literati #another one where Lorelai Talks For Rory #taking it upon herself to assume what Rory is thinking and feeling without actually asking #and then wreaking havoc

[foggyworksbutbetter]

MORE SILVER SPOON CHARACTER ANALYSIS ‼️

finally making the part 2 i eluded to in my last post, since iii 15 and i have a ton more to add

for context, last post i outlined all of silver spoon’s char development from the first episode up to iii 14, but now that a new episode has come out i have more to say

major spoilers for iii 15 obvi

i had originally seen silver’s devotion to candle after her elimination as a good thing. he was thinking about somebody else for a change, being a better and more selfless person. candle did a complete 180 on me, and i completely agree with her. this episode ultimately showed that despite this confident persona he puts on, silver is a follower. without candle’s direction, he was suddenly lost. he thought that by “keeping her flame alive” she could still guide him through the competition in spirit. as though her tuning fork and crystal were an extension of her inner flame, something he had never truly understood throughout the series. at the end of the episode, it finally clicks.

candle says, “and now, you can tend to your inner flame.” as in allowing him to focus on himself. allowing him to be selfish like he once had, but in a completely different way. in a very indirect way, she is telling him that it is okay to think of yourself for once, that he isn’t who he once was. i think he might have been afraid to do so in fear of losing his growth and regressing to who he once was. candle’s patience with him is what allowed him to grow into himself, but he isn’t using it. he only wants to rely on her direction, as though he doesn’t trust himself to make the right decisions. but, she assures him he can continue on without her. even the most selfless people must think of their own needs too.

silver finally letting go of candle will allow him to completely focus on the competition. i think this has secured him a spot in the final two. and, as a side note, i think cabby will be alongside him. it makes the most narrative sense considering how much attention they’ve both gotten and how much character development they’ve gone through.

this is my prediction for the final 5 eliminations:

iii16-17: balloon and nickel (they set up for nickel to finally apologize and have the two make up, finishing their arcs and ending in their eliminations. i could even see this being a double elimination as a parallel to their season 2 elimination.)

iii18: blueberry (it will be close because of his new competitive spirit, but without allies he will be easily ganged up on by the two more experienced contestants)

iii19: who knows? i could genuinely see either silver or cabby winning this. they’ve both fought so so hard to get where they are, and grown so much. although, i’m leaning towards cabby since she has allies in the indefinites, bot, and likely test tube as well.

please give me your thoughts and additions if you have any ! and if you’d like more clarification on any of my statements you can always go to my ask box, stay safe yall 🫶🫶

oh also !! im double-posting this to the r/inanimateinsanity reddit! if you want to support me or look at the discussion over there, head over! itll probably be titled “thoughts on silver after iii15?” or smth idk

#this MIGHT be silvercandle propaganda #my elim predictions for iii15 were right so im pretty confident in these ones #i really like silver spoon hes very cool and awesome #osc #ii #inanimate insanity #silver spoon ii #candle ii #ii silver spoon #ii candle #inanimate insanity invitational #osc theories #iii 15

[tomwambsgans]

so i've assumed for the longest time that 2x7 must take place in march of 2020 because in 2x9 DC, gil refers to march 12th as the night that tom sent greg the "can't make a tomlette" emails, and of course a deleted scene from that episode is the only time we would have ever seen that phrase mentioned otherwise. it also makes complete sense, narratively, to essentially do a little fakeout: "tom, is [the date that you burned the documents] significant to you?" "nope! (feeling confident bc there's no proof of him having done that on that day)" "well that's the day you sent all these batshit emails, and how i know for certain you are well acquainted with greg hirsch." "uh oh"

ntm the fact that it makes a lot of sense as a character choice for tom to specifically send greg that email over and over again on the night that he's kinda trying to punish greg, and where he's probably totally unable to sleep.

anyway, there's a But incoming... i fucking wish there wasn't, but. somehow i've only just now realized that in DC, gil refers to the thanksgiving of 1x5 as "last year." which would indicate that it's still 2019, and therefore the march 12th he's referring to should be a day very close to tom's wedding. and, admittedly... it's not totally out there that tom's initial reason for coining the phrase was because he learned about the Greg The Egg nickname, from shiv having told him after hearing it from caroline. hell, maybe it was when they first started at ATN and it was tom's anxiety spilling out to match greg's Principles.

obviously it's a lot of personal bias that mainly makes me not want this to be the case, like... the sheer amount of fic i've written just confidently using the timeline where a year has passed in the first 7 episodes of season 2, which would be fucked to hell if i accept that DC is in 2019 lol

however..... it IS pretty undeniable that at least a year passes in season 2. do the math: exactly 2 years between the pilot and 4x1. ~5 months pass in s1. 2 and a half weeks pass between 2x9 and 3x5 (according to frank). the rest of s3 takes place - MOST LIKELY - over the course of no more than 4 months. about 3 months pass between s3 and 4, based on knowledge of shiv's pregnancy. and no gaps between seasons otherwise... that's a year left. there HAS to be at least one months-long timeskip somewhere in there. and it's always seemed very plausibly to be between tern haven and argestes, given the notion of pierce "fucking them about." for the longest time i've even specifically imagined argestes as being after the holidays and in january of 2020, partially bc that's convenient for why any notion of logan's 81st bday, the recny ball of 2019, and the holidays are all completely missing. the holidays would also be a good excuse on pierce's end not to rush a deal, and finally, i took into account the weather in that episode.

frankly, i consider the climate heavily when i'm working out the timeline of a show. especially this one. if they wanted to make it plausibly deniable what time of year it was, they'd set the episode indoors. or they'd pick a different part of the world for the roys to visit. and in the season 2 finale, they're on a yacht and explicitly swimming in the mediterranean. it's VERY unlikely that they'd be comfortable hanging around in swim trunks and swimming in those waters if it was any time between october and march. going off of that... if s3 begins in late 2019 as opposed to april/may of 2020, then caroline sent out her wedding invitations no less than 6 months early.

basically it's split between this:

what gil said has more weight. we can assume that the seemingly conflicting weather is a metatextual flub to be ignored. DC is in 2019, the emails were around the time of the wedding, and the huge timeskip containing the holidays is in s3 which also means that caroline sent out her invitations very early

settings and characterizations have more weight. we can assume either that gil misspoke or that it's a metatextual flub to be ignored. DC is in april of 2020, the emails were sent during The Return, and the huge timeskip was in s2 and took the holidays of 2019 with them

#2x9 dc #meta #tomgreg #<- bc all this comes from me not wanting to have a wrong timeline for tomgreg reasons #and of course the tomlette and gregs thing

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Through Imperial Eyes"

Spy antics, infiltrations, and endless stress holy crap.

Obligatory live reaction version. Be forewarned there's a lot of incoherent screaming in that one.

IIRC from the Rebels Recon for this episode they had briefly considered doing the whole episode as a POV shot from Kallus, which would have been cool and interesting and very artistic as a narrative decision but which they probably realized very quickly would have been a crapton of work they'd never finish on time.

So a bit of a compromise with this opening shot here, still getting across the pun, as we are literally looking through an Imperial's eyes.

Poor man looks exhausted.

They still haven't started strip mining the planet surface just yet. That wouldn't happen until right when the factories were ramping up production in preparation to start shoving TIE Defenders off the line.

So Thrawn literally had his funding pulled last minute. No wonder he was so cranky in the finale lol.

Lyste has put the light carrier on full red alert for a stolen shuttle. Not the first time he'll be flaunting his authority this episode.

Hi Ezra!

Straining the limits of Kallus' poker face already lol.

Love this little uncertain look before he takes the opportunity to sass that Stormtrooper.

Troopers once again just bullying around a teenager for no reason. Ezra's literally their favorite target for this, even when the others have gotten captured they aren't manhandled nearly as much.

I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything...

I do remember thinking that this seemed a rather dangerous course of action, and it's a bit at odds with the events of "The Antilles Extraction". Despite Ezra's reassurances to Kallus that most troopers don't actually know what he looks like now, he still has a pretty recognizable face. That was why they sent in Sabine the last time.

Buuuuuuuut Sabine's not here anymore. And they can't exactly send in the aliens of the group either. Rex and Kanan could have infiltrated by themselves though. So why exactly is Ezra sent in alone with just Chopper and AP-5 as backup?

He must have insisted on being involved in the extraction plot, like he couldn't have been for Skystrike, for the same irrational emotional reasons--because his sense of hyper-responsibility means that he will deliberately take on the most danger in order to prevent any potential harm or hurt coming to the people he cares about. It has to be him, because if he takes all the risks, no one else has to, and no one else will get hurt.

This loops back into his guilt over Malachor. Ezra's been projecting his shame and fears about Maul, about his failure there, onto everything else. He's still a bit prickly and suspicious towards Kallus several times this episode, not willing to trust so easily again and repeat his mistakes.

"I have to do this, I have to destroy the Sith and fix my mess, I have to protect my friends." Ezra's been trying to take on way more than he can actually handle, and it's gotten him in trouble multiple times this season. At Reklam, when he leaves himself for the last to get out and winds up stranded and plummeting to his doom. In the krykna cave, when he insists on going in alone without Kanan and nearly gets mulched. On Dathomir, when he nearly winds up possessed by Nightsister spirits, just to get a hint at the "key to destroy the Sith".

And here, where things very nearly go completely pear-shaped due to Thrawn unexpectedly turning up, and Lyste hoping to present Ezra as a bid for the Grand Admiral's favor.

I'll talk more about this character arc, as I've said, in "Twin Suns" when we get to the end of it.

For now let me just enjoy the hysterical strain in Kallus's voice as he bitches about being rescued. David Oyelowo does "shrill and full of stress" really well.

I love this expression so much, he cannot comprehend the Rebels risking so much just for him it's so sweet.

Despite his complaining, Ezra looks very ready to maybe trust Kallus, look at this face.

Feigning prisoner mistreatment shouldn't have worked as well as it did but lajhafksfjhkjh this is the Empire.

Thrawn conveniently turning up right when the Rebels have made a move again. It's uncanny how the man can do this. It never felt like normal narrative contrivance it always held just a bit of uncertainty and paranoia about it all.

So yeah ONE THING THIS EPISODE DOES REALLY REALLY WELL IS AMP UP THAT SUSPENSE AND TENSION. I was so anxious watching this the first time, pins and needles, it was effective but horrible.

Ezra with that brief fearful flash of, "Ohhhhh crap, we did not plan for this."

Knew from the moment we panned down to Ezra's helmet on the floor there with that brief music box snippet of Thrawn's theme that it would come into play.

Ezra's hidden cheeky smiles at AP-5. <3

And a nice little callback to "A Princess On Lothal".

See, this is what I'm talking about there's literally no reason to smack his head here, they're just being petty and mean.

Love the subtle worry in Kanan's eyes here. <3

Hi Brunsen! Hi Titus! Hi Slavin!

This moment here in front of the door serves two purposes effortlessly. First, it lets Lyste kick the dog by pulling a Karen on this poor guard, so we're not as sad when he's framed for the Fulcrum deal later. (Though I was still a little bit sad, he was pitiful and didn't deserve that.) Second, it establishes the obstacle we're going to have to overcome later.

....All right, fine, the Thrawn girlies can have one cap.

I'm pretty sure this music cue is a carryover from TCW.

God the fondness and admiration in Kallus' voice at seeing Yularen, ouch. This is a man he used to look up to and now he's betraying everything his old mentor stood for.

Right, so obviously showing them the map was a ploy, but it's wonderfully clever of him. Thrawn likes to throw curveballs at his opponents to see how they react and adapt. He develops the same kind of villainous respect for Kallus that he has for Hera, though more to do with how Kallus outmaneuvered him in the mind game and spy espionage thing.

Kinda dig that Pryce wasn't in the previous meetings because her loyalty is without question.

Also yes, I do crack!ship it a little bit.

Oh hey, the moment that inspired my "Mirrorverse" AU!

Will never not laugh at Kallus' tired, "Please stop that." at Ezra on the ceiling of the cell.

It's kind of astonishing how good Ezra looks in Imperial outfits. Really too bad his interactions with Kallus are limited because they bounce off each other in one of the most interesting and entertaining ways.

"Oh good, the thankless job." AP-5 is the best and I will hear no slander.

I was... unclear on how exactly the decoy planet was supposed to have fooled Thrawn. Still am, a bit. Surely the man has a photographic memory, right?

But then maybe that was one of the things that pinged him as being too clever for Lyste to have done.

Hilarious that Kallus managed to pull a Stealth Hi Bye on a Jedi.

This scene is so well done in the tension department. The cloying silence. Thrawn calmly walking in to check the map. The sudden attack from the sentries with a flare of dramatic music. Ezra feeling like he's just barely hidden out of sight behind the retaining wall. (Once again, symbolically using Sabine's artwork as a shield, I mean what?)

And props to Thrawn, he does really well surviving against his own sentry droids. I'm down with letting the man have a little physical combat to show off his athletic prowess. As a treat.

And I dig that the override code is his bodyguard's name. :)

This expression is delightfully chilling. The man is seething.

Another episode which does a good job handling Kanan's blindness, Kanan has to ask for clarification on what Rex is "Woah"ing over and he doesn't recognize Pryce by voice so he doesn't know not to try the Mind Trick on her.

And again, the competence of other Imperials increases dramatically with Thrawn merely present. Yularen immediately finds a shuttle asking to dock right after an assassination attempt fishy. Pryce tries to arrest them immediately and recognizes the attempt at a Jedi Mind trick. Thrawn makes people smarter just by being in the room.

My girlboss just straight up Thunderdome-ing it with Rex here. I love that she's so physically tough and brutal. <3

Lyste still would have gotten in trouble for stunning Pryce here, just saying. That bit of idiocy is all on him.

Awww a snippet of the "Shenanigans" cue!

Like I said, Lyste is kind of pitiable here. I wonder if they ever let him go, at least for the "treasonous spy" thing.

Kallus you're playing it up just a little too much here, my love.

Gods, it's just instantaneous, all he has to do is look at the helmet for a second and he recognizes, "That's Sabine Wren's work."

And then immediately draws the line from "Sabine Wren painted this helmet." to "Clearly it was done for Ezra Bridger to wear."????

See, even Thrawn can tell how close they are and how important they are to each other. He must have noticed from, idk, security holos or something that Ezra likes to wear things that Sabine's painted for him.

Thrawn sounds really smug here, I think he'd long suspected Kallus for Fulcrum and is gleeful at being right.

He's such an arrogant prick. "That's why you've been deceived." oh shut up you pompous ass just because you're super smart doesn't mean you need to be condescending about it.

And the "Thrawn's Web" organs to close us out. Nice.

*points inarticulately*

This episode! Many much good! Stress! Espionage! Cat and mouse mind games! Ezra peril! Did I mention the stress?

Hhhhhnnnnnghhh I love this one so much, it's my favorite of the season, just barely eeking out "Twin Suns".

It's all hits from here, baby. (Maybe? I don't actually remember "Double Agent Droid" that well I don't rewatch it often. We'll see.)

#star wars #star wars rebels #ezra bridger #agent kallus #grand admiral thrawn #rebels rewatch #liveblog #cute boys in peril

[alicepao13]

So. The 7th episode of Hudson and Rex after a long and fully undeserved hiatus. First of all, good episode. Even if the plot is ridiculous and overdone in other crime shows, and the concept “Russian spy in St. John’s” is kinda laughable. But hey, I’ve heard more improbable stories in the news lately, so who am I to judge what’s realistic anymore?

How many English speaking people would be able to differentiate a French accent from an Eastern European accent in three words? Just wondering.

I don’t usually laugh in this show (not where I’m supposed to, anyway) but Jesse’s deadpan delivery of "Is it interesting?" was spot on.

Absolutely thought the boyfriend would have somehow ended up being tied to the murder. That didn’t happen. Then I thought the professor would have something to do with it. Didn’t happen either. Either I’m broken or they finally wrote a good script.

Charlie speaking out loud his findings as he searched the victim's library. It's probably for Rex who can't read lol

"I'm not a caveperson". Nope, it's still caveman, you can have this one, boys.

A Canadian getting banned from entering the US for violence? That’s truly a bad guy.

I did not understand anything about oil rigging in the Arctic. Nor do I want to. You guys can keep your Canadian secrets.

It happens in every show. If it's a cop show, we hate the feds. If it's a show about feds, the cops are morons.

How come I've watched so many shows referencing Russian spies and I don't remember Novichok nerve agents being mentioned by that name?

The moment Sarah gave Charlie the antidote that was pretty much where my hopes for a ride to the hospital were dashed. Like, come on, man, let me live a little.

Joe was rightfully pissed about getting stonewalled, although I don't think this case would have been necessarily solved faster if CSIS shared their intel.

Ah, Trina. That must have been her on the phone. It's nice to see they kept in contact.

Charlie’s house??? On my screen???

Charlie and Sarah in Charlie’s house??? On my screen???

Charlie knows the story of Sarah’s family. That’s cute.

Some mentions of Sarah’s family this season. I’m getting my hopes up.

*Charlie and Sarah about to kiss* Rex: Oh shit they’re gonna fuck again. *runs away* Charlie truly meant it when he said that Rex knows to make himself scarce.

“CSIS Safehouse” in large, Arial font letters. Oh boy, I’d like to see the audience screening that warranted that. (People are dumb. I know.)

So the first three letters of CSIS are for Canadian Security Idiot :P

Rex with the syringe in his mouth: Anyone with thumbs around?

Of course Charlie would inject himself with the antidote as he was dying like we’re in some Die Hard movie (I’ve never actually seen them). This was like 5% of the whump I was hoping for.

And then he gets up and stumbles a little and that’s it? How is it that difficult to write some whump? Arrest him and then pass out!

I liked that they finally managed to set up something comedic in the first arc and finished it in the last scene, with Jesse’s interpretation of what every other character’s reactions meant. I agree with them, by the way, Austin Powers is a bad choice, Jesse.

Also, Rex would make a fine ballerina apparently. Charlie secretly agrees.

It was a good episode, I don’t feel let down. As I’ve said before, it’s hard to have that promo hanging out there for 3.5 months and have the episode live up to the expectations. But it had the team working as a team again, Charlie’s house came back from the war, there were cute Charah moments again, there was team banter and funny scenes and Rex saved Charlie's life a bunch lol. I’m not sure what they were trying to do with the first couple of episodes. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The next episode is promising me whump again. I refuse to get my hopes up again but at least it will be only a week until then. Sadly, it seems like Rex is inside the prison. Like, what the fuck. That alone would be a major red flag for any inmate, they wouldn’t even need to know he’s a cop. Although if Charlie ends up getting beaten to protect him, I’ll forgive them for that and for that atrocious undercover hairstyle. However, it truly was an opportunity to see them working separately.

I love that they mention that Charlie has arrested so many guys in there. Maybe it would work if Charlie slicked his hair back… and Rex turned into a cat.

#hudson and rex #this is the trimmed down version lol

[jadelotusflower]

Stargate rewatch: 1x20 Politics

We pick up right where the last episode left off, Daniel getting his shoulder wound treated and trying to explain the alternate reality to his sceptical team.

It’s funny to see the team not really believing Daniel because it’s still early in the run, whereas later on any of them could say the weirdest shit happened and the rest of them would just roll with it no questions asked.

Jack: “And you were there, and you were there, and there’s no place like home.” Daniel: “As a matter of fact, you were there.” Heh. Is Daniel just frustrated or did he not get the Wizard of Oz reference? Works either way.

I’m curious how the team thinks Daniel got shot by a staff weapon if it was all a dream though.

“Yes but the defining event, the death of Ra, took place in both worlds.” A bit of a logic leap by Daniel but hey, it’s what he does.

This is a clip show. I give SG-1 a lot of credit for actually making an effort with their clip shows, always building them around an in-universe plot to give context and cause. They’re still annoying to watch in these days of binging, but they’re as successful as they can be.

Written by Brad Wright (not including excerpts) and directed by Martin Wood.

“How’s our boy?” I find this very cute? Hammond really is the mama duck to SG-1’s ducklings, the epitome of restrained affection.

His absolute and obvious disdain for Samuels is also a real treat. He rolls his eyes!

Samuels is played by Robert Wisden, who was also briefly in Smallville as Chloe's father Gabe. Both shows were based in Vancouver, and both ran for ten seasons, so there's quite the guest star crossover.

In a private meeting with Jack, Hammond goes from “this is what I look like when I’m not laughing, Colonel” to almost laughing when Jack cracks another joke. I love Hammond so much.

I think Ronny Cox as Kinsey is actually the longest running villain in the entire show? Apophis finally bites it in season 5, but Kinsey makes it all the way to season 8.

“And this must be the drain through which the money flows” is such a great line for a pontificating blowhard politician, as is his hypocritical speech. You immediately know who Kinsey is, and you hate him even though he’s actually right about a lot of stuff.

“Oh you’re right, we’ll just upload a computer virus into the mothership.” lol, the shade at Devlin/Emmerich here.

We get a date for the Chulak mission - 10 February (presumably) 1997. The computer in the previous episode indicated it was December 1997 so assuming time was the same in the alternate universe, it's been approximately 11 months since the pilot which seems about right.

The purpose of the mission is described as “to rescue both Dr Jackson’s wife and her brother, and determine the Goa’uld threat” which is the first mention we’ve had of Sha’re and Skaara in a while.

lol, Jack looking to Sam to give the correct pronunciation of Goa’uld because he doesn’t want to.

Lt Colonel “secondary objective” Samuels being the one to read from Jack’s report about Skaara being chosen really twists the knife.

“Because what is right cannot be measured by strength.” Great Teal’c line.

Argos gets discussed and it’s mentioned that SG-2 made recent contact with them - a nice little background aspect of the show that they do check in on the worlds they’ve visited from time to time.

Much is made of the lack of benefit to the Stargate program - guess that wonder drug from Emancipation didn’t pan out? Or maybe everyone just wants to forget that episode happened.

Sidebar - with all the clips it’s obvious that Daniel’s hair has been getting longer throughout the season - irl because Michael Shanks’ hair was shorter and was growing it out as filming progressed to get that Daniel look, but my headcanon in universe is that Sha’re used to trim it for him on Abydos, and since her abduction he can’t bring himself to get it cut

There’s an ongoing metaphor by Kinsey for the Stargate being a Pandora’s Box that’s kind of apt, the box (jar) being a gift from the gods intended to punish mankind after Prometheus gifted them fire, with humanity as Pandora, eternally curious and unable to resist peeking inside.

The show never had a Goa’uld character who took on the persona of Prometheus, Epimetheus, or even Pandora, which was kind of a missed opportunity.

Samuels the slimeball is “sorry it had to end like this” and Hammond rightly tells him to gtfo.

Nice crossfade, Mr Wood.

The Stargate shut down, the threat of an imminent attack - all in all, a good setup going into the season finale!

#stargate sg1 #stargate rewatch #1x20 politics #jlf posts #jlf rewatch

[nalyra-dreaming]

I think how tied DV with lestat's killing scene. They said that DV was to make it believable that Louis killed him (or at least slit his throat). But there's theory that Claudia killed him, right? NGL at first I thought it's truly Louis but lestat's last words written by Claudia "put me in coffin, Louis" in French while we don't hear it. It's suspicious. So I think while there's definitely DV there's no fall part and therefore no Louis trying to kill lestat? I can definitely see Claudia killing lestat even if he didn't drop Louis.

Well, I mean, it's clear that "Murder Night" did not go as Louis told it, and I've said it before, I highly doubt Claudia would have left them alone...

So yes, I do believe it went more like in the book, namely her doing the stabbing and Louis standing by, paralyzed. We'll see.

The DV, the anger, the temper was there from the beginning, it is in the books, it was cranked up until there was no way people could ignore it anymore. It is one of the reasons why this show excited me so much, because I saw it at the dinner table, at the funeral procession (and I even commented on it in the notes to "Love the rolling thunder", lol). I saw that they would dare.

Lestat is a very complicated character (just as they all are, actually). He may seem typical and one-dimensional, but that is because that is what Louis described him to be in the first book... for reasons. The show chose to follow that journey the books take there, and I applaud them for it, but it doesn't make it easier for the audience.

If they hadn't cranked up the DV until it really HURT (everyone) some people... would not have understood why Claudia tried to kill him.

But it is very clear in the books that Lestat understood her. He clearly says that he might have done the same, too, if he had been in her position. To be trapped into a too young body, for eternity, condemned to killing and eternal night... Lestat understood why Claudia tried.

So... whatever they choose to revisit with episode 5 will be met by backlash I think, but (and I have spoken about it at length), I also think that while the fight (which is based on a canon fight they have) itself happened, the "fall" itself may not have happened. Though some kind of fall could very well have happened. I theorized in my fic that Lestat might have thrown Louis out of the upper window after that short reprieve in the coffin room (where he must have held him to the coffin, as there are dents in it after matching two sets of locked arms) and that would then match the falling nightmare twitches Louis tells about.

Again, I've said it before, I don't think Louis is a "liar" per se, but he is not telling the (whole) truth either, he is telling a tale, and for an effect. And for reasons. And some parts of this tale... this story, is a story that has been told to Louis. By Armand. And that is a factor and likely what will change some? or a lot? of things in season 1.

So yes, the DV had its reasons outside the story and inside the story... but the truth will be a lot more complicated I'd wager. Which... doesn't negate it, just sayin'.

The Vampire Chronicles are not ... harmless I would put it. They go to places, everything and the kitchen sink is in there. And the show... chose to put its fingers into the wounds presented, while elevating it to a whole new level. It's complicated. And... it will stay that way.

#Anonymous #asks #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #iwtv 2022 #interview with the vampire #tw abuse #tw domestic violence #tw dv

[jonfucius]

Great Star Trek Rewatch - TNG Season 1

Originally posted on Twitter 17 March 2021 - 6 April 2021

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 is up next in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. As with ENT, DSC, STX, TOS, TAS, and TOS FF, mini-reviews will document my progress.

Encounter at Farpoint: TNG's pilot is the weakest of the various series premieres. Saving graces are John DeLancie's fully-formed Q, the McCoy cameo, the visual effects, Patrick Stewart's commanding performance, and the greatest tag line: Let's see what's out there, indeed. 5/10

The Naked Now: This episode would have worked better once we knew our heroes a little better (perhaps after "The Arsenal of Freedom"). Since we're still getting to know them, this rehash of a superior TOS episode is flat on arrival. Fully functional, it ain't. 4/10

Code of Honor: It's a racist piece of dogshit. Next. 0/10

The Last Outpost: Man, these Ferengi that allegedly eat their enemies must be as bad the Klingons or the Romulans! Uh, no. They're bad, but not in the way we've been expecting. The T'Kon Empire is worthy of follow-up. 5/10

Where No One Has Gone Before: TNG’s first great episode. Reality powered by thought is a classic Trek idea. Kosinski and the Traveler are excellent guest characters. I’m not the biggest Wesley fan but I cheer every time he calls out Riker. 8/10

Lonely Among Us: There’s just not enough story here to sustain an entire episode. Also, justice for Engineer Singh, reduced to a wig on a chair in one scene. The Antican and Selay makeup, however, are very well done. 5/10

Justice: 90% of this episode is hot garbage. The remaining 10% goes to Picard’s speech about absolute justice (something governments still struggle with), and Crusher’s grief over losing her son. If the Edo really were this primitive, would Picard have stopped there at all? 3/10

The Battle: Wesley’s smugness (and the weak writing for Crusher and Troi) drags the score down a bit, but this is a fairly good first season effort. Learning more about the otherwise enigmatic Picard through a Ferengi’s quest for revenge works. 8/10

Hide and Q: Q’s return so soon after the pilot tries to do something interesting, but it’s not an engaging story. 6/10

Haven: Lwaxana Troi is a love her or hate her character, and I adore her. Wyatt’s chemistry with Troi makes him a believable rival with Riker for Troi’s affections. The Tarellian ship is a striking design. 7/10

The Big Goodbye: While this episode is responsible (for better or worse) for holodeck malfunction stories, this one has a reasonable amount of tension. The reaction to Whalen’s shooting is an excellent in-universe touch. Redblock is effortlessly malevolent. 8/10

Datalore: I would imagine this was the first time people really took notice of just how damn good Brent Spiner is. Evil twin plots aren’t new to Trek, but this is a good one. Glad to see both villains again at later dates. 7/10

Angel One: It’s a sexist piece of shit. Next. 0/10

11001001: The visuals are striking, as are the Bynars. The holodeck scenes with Picard, Riker, and Minuet are worth the price of admission. A solid mid-season installment. 7/10

Too Short a Season: Fountain of Youth episodes are corny at best. A combination of makeup and casting dooms this one from the start. The Iran-Contra parallels come through loud and clear. 4/10

When the Bough Breaks: The Aldeans' plight is sympathetic. I just get the feeling that there's not enough plot to sustain an entire episode each time I watch this one. It's not objectionable but it's not oustanding, either. It just is. 5/10

Home Soil: Some very subtle commentary on the ravages of colonization gets lost in the "ugly bags of mostly water" scene at the very end. Malencon's death is somewhat gruesome for Trek (at least until the airing of the season finale). 6/10

Coming of Age: An excellent first season effort, with Wesley's exam and Remmick's investigation serving as the impetus for the title. Will we see Quinn and Remmick again? Time will tell. 8/10

Heart of Glory: A strong Klingon episode that sows the seeds for RDM’s sublime “Sins of the Father”. All killer no filler. 8/10

The Arsenal of Freedom: Confining this episode to a soundstage limits the scope and stakes of this one, but I do enjoy Crusher and Picard’s scenes. I especially love the Lower Deckers on the bridge. Some good commentary on the military-industrial complex here. 7/10

Symbiosis: Did Nancy Reagan write this stinker? A bummer that this was one of Merritt Butrick’s final roles before his too-early death from AIDS. It could’ve been a great one, but it’s just mediocre. 5/10

Skin of Evil: The first time a series regular dies…for good. The behind-the-scenes tales are legendary, but aside from the goofy oil slick monster, Yar’s senseless death (randomly, in the line of duty) and touching funeral elevates this episode. 7/10

We’ll Always Have Paris: I don’t know why, but this one works for me. I like the sense of isolation as our heroes track down Manheim; and the time distortions are fun, even if the science doesn’t make sense. 7/10

Conspiracy: This episode's shocking climax still hits hard over thirty years later. The unnerving feel of the episode kicks in from the jump and is sustained through to the chilling tag. A shame that this wasn't followed up in live-action. 8/10

The Neutral Zone: The return of the Romulans is dramatic, but the best scenes for me are in the 5th act and the tag. Picard's speech to the refugees is an inspiring summation of Star Trek, and even after an uneven season, it's hard not to be energized for what's to come. 8/10

And with that, TNG Season 1 comes to an end in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. Final score: 5.84/10. Highest score(s): “WNOHGB,” “The Battle,” “The Big Goodbye,” “Coming of Age,” “Heart of Glory,” “Conspiracy,” “The Neutral Zone.” Lowest score(s): “Code of Honor,” “Angel One.”

#star trek #star trek tng #great star trek rewatch