#DILUTED EPS

[crockettmarcel]

i want to write a sockett christmas fic but before i do i Need the writers to give me an in-depth explanation of crockett's relationship with zoroastrianism. would he be willing to celebrate christmas if the person he was in a relationship with did? we know he'll do the whole christmas sweater/christmas party thing, so he obviously isn't opposed to doing some christmassy things. but like. i consider myself more culturally christian than anything else (celebrate christmas + easter bc my family do, and it's what I've always done, but don't believe in the religion) and is that how crockett feels about zoroastrianism? i need to know these things

#also i rlly hope this doesn't come across as me trying to force christmas on a non-christian character. if anything it's the opposite #i'd like him to celebrate christmas with sarah but ONLY if that's something he would feel comfortable doing #more as a way to be like 'yeah let's do this fun festive thing together' than anything else #i like to think sarah would do the same for him #but from what i've read zoroastrianism is a much more closed religion (intermarriage + conversion are discouraged bc they're seen as ways #of diluting zoroastrian identity) #so that might not be something she's able to do? #which also makes me think about crockett's ex wife who. I'm guessing. probably is not zoroastrian #so maybe that speaks to how religious he is? idk #anyway. obviously he wouldn't believe in the whole christmas story (and sarah doesn't strike me as particularly religious either) #but putting up a tree? some lights? wearing ugly matching sweaters? buying gifts? #i want to know how many of those things he'd be willing to do #if it's none (although i'm guessing the sweaters would be fine bc of the s7 christmas ep) then i want to Know #i can't find anything online about zoroastrian attitudes to participating in other faiths' practices/festivals #anyway. this is why the writers need to give us full character profiles

[angstics]

so now we know why vincent price is right

#that was scheduled i was asleep #i feel like it could perform better as a web weave with all the quotes cut up #and i may just do that if i gain new info #but i always want proof to be thorough and attacked from multiple angles #i like having it alll laid out #even tho that has some repeat sources cut out #one life one chance 6 minute; not the life it seems storm #i had a side tangent trying to figure out whether the ep was their first publication #diluted to july - sept? still not sure #july 19 was their record release party and they had 100 hastily bullets made cds (per alex eyeball selling them) #tho in the sept reddit post they say they handed out the ep whenthey ran out of their 50-100 bullets cds #so???? why was bullets so limited #amd if the ep was released for promo then why did they still have more to the point op got no. 100 #multiple accounts in the comments of them buying the ep at the sept show. someone in ebay listings is even mentioned in the accounts #for a point i thought the ep wasnt real. but it mentions spacey (underground legend). and the reddit user had it signed. #andd alex eyeball mentions it. weird i cant find the band or promoters talking about it #also apparently honey was distributed illegally to uk publishers so those cds aren’t official .. lmfao #brother why did i learn all of this instead of sleeping #mcr

[telomeke]

OUR SKYY 2 X MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT GETS POLITICAL

OK, in case you didn't know it Thailand's Move Forward Party has upset the incumbents and erstwhile favorites and won the most number of seats in the recent (May 2023) Thai General Election.

As the party has declared it will form a coalition with the Pheu Thai Party (that won the next highest number of seats), they are assured of a majority in the Lower House (or House of Representatives, made up of 500 members chosen in the General Election).

HOWEVER, the Upper House (or Senate) is the one that decides who the PM will be, and also has the power to block/delay other moves by the Lower House.

It is important to note that the previous government (backed by the military, which itself took over the government in a 2014 coup) enacted a drastic change, in which the Upper House will comprise not just the 500 members of the Lower House, but also 250 members DIRECTLY APPOINTED by the military (which many in Thailand strongly feel is highly undemocratic, unfair and allows the military undue influence no matter the outcome of the elections, i.e., it bypasses the will of the people).

This is also worrisome for those rooting for the MFP to keep its campaign promise and legalize same-sex marriage, if the MFP's decisions can be stifled or stymied by the Upper House.

At OS2xMSP Ep.1 [1I4] 5.21, new Principal Ratchanee's announcement that the school president would not be elected, but instead would be APPOINTED by 250 teachers and parents (without the students having any say in the matter) is a DIRECT COMMENT on the Thai military's 250 appointees to the Upper House. 😂

PLUS she announces the new school president will be HER OWN SON, which underscores the fact that the process is open to all sorts of bias.

Trust Director Au and Producer Aof to weave in some barbed socio-political comment! There's a twist of the knife too when Principal Ratchanee says "approvals" and then corrects herself to say "people" instead. The word เสียง (siiang) that the subtitles translate to mean "approval" can also mean vote, and what she is saying here is that 250 individuals, instead of votes, have chosen the school president. This of course parallels the real-life political situation in Thailand, where 250 appointees have diluted the power of the citizen's vote.

Some excellent and super-spicy sauce being poured on here! 😂

#my school president #our skyy 2 #our skyy 2 x my school president #thai politics #thai general election

[rinas4ki]

My seasonal music highlights: spring 2024 🦋

Welcome back to my silly little songs of the season reviews, you can check out this winter’s installment here ⭐️ one fave song per artist, no particular order, there will be a mini review section and trust I loved these songs as well, just couldn’t yap as much about them, you know the drill. GIF source: Supernova by aespa.

*: Full album review guaranteed to be presented in my year-end favorite project list

☾ Adulter8 - Sega Bodega*

Father… you have raised the bar yet again. Sega Bodega’s new album Dennis was by far my most anticipated project of the year, which unquestionably delivered the excellence I was expecting and more. I was so captivated by Adulter8’s intricacies that I couldn’t help but play it at least 92 times within first week of the album’s release. What starts off with an 8-bit-like sequence escalates into one majestic pre-chorus and afterwards the best beat drop I’ve ever heard in my life. The lyrics are a result of a thesaurus browse, simply the distorted “dilute, adulterate, diminish, reduce me to nothing, seduce”, effortlessly accompanying the elaborate Arabic-influenced instrumentals. Those beat drops though… especially the first one… that build-up… calling that “top-notch” would be insulting. I felt like my soul left my body for a split second when I was first listening to it at 12AM. I cannot even attempt to comment on the greatness of that singular drop. The song is overall just incredible and addictive, and will most likely end up as my favorite song of the entire year. I don’t even feel the need to comment on more for now because come on, this is Sega Bodega, this is off of Dennis, this is Adulter8. If you get it, you get it.

☾ Mine - aespa

The looooooong anticipated release day of Armageddon the album was a national holiday for Synkcity. We’re seeing such bright times after all these hate trains, mismanagement from SM, the sabotage from rival companies coming to light and what-the-hell-not, honestly. After nearly three whole years and three EPs, aespa finally present their full-length debut. Needless to say, singles Supernova and Armageddon are top-notch, continuing aespa’s all-smash title track streak. However, there was an album delight that blew my damn mind, and it was Mine. Hearing the first chorus in the highlight medley was enough to keep in mind that the track would be one of the best b-sides of the album, but I regretfully have to admit I didn’t think it would be one of aespa’s biggest guns as a whole. My jaw fell harder with every. second. of this. song. Karina and Ningning’s breathy, sassy, forceful, majestic raps kickstart the track along with tambourines that feel like digital diamonds jingling up in front of you. Winter comes through with the earth-shattering second half of the prechorus, and Giselle kills it by spitting one of her most plate-shifting rap verses. A major reason why Mine is my personal favorite off of the album is because how much everyone shines in their own right. Winter and Ningning are back at being one of 4th gen’s iconic vocal duos (as well as their pleasing rap lines), Giselle retrieves her well-deserved main rapper position (SM you can still catch it), and Karina effortlessly wraps both the vocal and rap roles around her fingers as she always does. That bridge? That bridge is disgusting even for four of the bridge architects of K-pop. The girls absolutely outdid themselves on this. The instrumental track may be less maximalist than the title tracks’ or, say, Set The Tone’s, but oh boy are they vehement and so hypnotic. The drums, the synths, especially the ones in the last chorus… it all forms together to make the song nastier and nastier as it progresses. Everyone involved in this walked into the studio with a mission to change the trajectory of music. I’m afraid I’m in this MY lifestyle for long. aespa truly are unsteppable.

☾ Fácil - Empress Of*

For Your Consideration promoted Empress Of into my new favorite indie popstar, and Fácil is my chosen earworm off of it. Every song on the album is so sultry and charismatic, and Fácil has this distinguishing sharpness in its sound, courtesy of umru, to top it off. Empress Of’s ear for memorable melodies and catchy lyrics especially come in clutch here, with casual melodic beatboxing in the background and the looping “tócame aquí, tócame ya, ya, ya, ya”. The self-made hisses and snares go hand in hand with umru’s signature punchy splices. Multiple layers of vocals linger in the entire track, from panting and breathing to sensually delivered lines in the higher range. The bit I’m gonna point out next is more self-indulgent (and I’ve pointed it out on my page previously lol) but nevertheless, I felt like the casual bravado and the combined danceability and grit of the track was akin to candy bOmb by OnlyOneOf, and the more good music with similar vibes, the merrier. Can’t get enough of either.

☾ Hypertonic - TAN (+ my Soda origin story 😙)

TAN have proven themselves to be masters of old gen K-pop revivalism since they came out the gate with their 2022 debut Du Du Du. The group first came to my attention with Walking On The Moon and later in 2023 with the hit Fix You, which went multi-platinum on my personal devices. For some strange reason, I still didn’t fully open my eyes and get into them despite their almost unmatched title tracks. That is until they released the first-day diamond-certified Hypertonic. Hypertonic, as a song, is pretty much everything I could ask for from a new gen pop boyband: in-your-face electronic production, intriguing composition, high-powered vocals and raps, and a full song structure, despite the track duration falling slightly below 3 minutes. The gritty synth heavy instrumentals are robotic and over the top in the best way possible, giving you the feeling that they’re straight out of 2000-10s Japanese EDM archives. The verses, chorus, rap and bridge hit all the right spots, going with the instrumentals instead of being overshadowed by them or vice versa. The high notes in the bridge and outro couldn’t have topped off the track’s overflowing energy any better. Now, I wanna bring up how was particularly taken over by the first half of the second verse. I mean it when I say “taken over” because I was so obsessed with that particular member’s flawless line delivery that I was scrambling to learn their names. The particular member turned out to be their main vocalist Jooan, and it all made sense because he was behind the perfect vibratos (earned by his musical theater education), a good amount of high notes and runs (along with brilliant lead vocalist Hyunyeop) and bits that blew me away in previous songs I’ve heard from the group. Honestly, I was starstruck by all of TAN at first Kprofiles browsing sesh. I mean, what’s there not to love about a band of superb singers (+ superb main rapper Jiseong who’s obviously included in the “singers”), dancers, songwriters, producers (the self-production makes the music even more impressive), choreographers and overall artists who are intensely passionate and excellent at everything they do? This type of multi-skill and well-roundedness is exactly what I seek and keep up with in both K-pop and outside of it. Jooan though… you will pay for being the cause of some of my most humiliating K-pop fangirl posts. Love me a mind-blowing vocalist (duh), dancer, rapper, songwriter, producer, sound engineer, overall a true all-rounder with an irresistible face card. Please give these dudes’ music a stream or two because they really have no business not getting their flowers from K-pop fans and tasteful people.

☾ Malena - Domiziana

Somebody took “after your biggest flop comes your biggest slay” a bit too literally, and I am more than satisfied with that. After the colossal washout that was Domiziana’s previous single Katholisch Erzogen, which was merely another one of the examples of cheap blasphemy for shock factor accompanied by a fake-creepy beat straight out of the Tiktok “musician” archives, Malena turned everything around. Not only was it a massive bounce back from whatever she had going on with that disaster, but also an upgrade in her whole career in every single way. The production is arguably her most minimal but most defined and well-executed to date, with the amapiano influences and siren-like background vocals doing wonders. The vocals and lyrics are her best by a landslide as well. The whispery, high head voice stays, but this time with more emotion and variety in delivery. We listen to a story about cheating, betrayal and a lack of commitment, enriched with references to the cult classic movie Malena, the namesake of the track. The music video is set in Domiziana’s mother’s hometown, Catania, with different sets, cameras and editing. Malena ends up being an incredible audiovisual experience and the current highlight of Domiziana’s work. Maybe it’s just her highs and lows, maybe it’s her taking her career more seriously than ever, hopefully the latter. May she beat the one-hit wonder allegations (mind you, Ohne Benzin doesn’t hold a candle to this masterpiece) and continue to serve like this.

☾ Lipgloss - Terror Jr

A portion of pop music fans constantly ask for the good old 00-10s to be brought back, meanwhile some others wish to move on and focus on more future-oriented, complex sounds instead. Lipgloss masterfully combines both, delivering nostalgia yet nonetheless sounding shiny and brand new. The simple repeated chorus, casual lyrics and the vibe of the production overall feel 2016, and fans have likened the song to Terror Jr’s Bop City era’s sound. Still, the natural execution of this song makes it solid and refreshing on its own rather than a pathetic attempt at reviving what pop used to do. It took me a bit too long to find out that the experimental pop duo’s producer David Singer-Vine was ½ of The Cataracs, a producer duo behind numerous 2010s pop hits such as Like a G6 by Far East Movement and In The Dark by DEV (along with the entire The Night The Sun Came Out album). As a solo artist he produced songs such as Gold by Kiiara and Stuck With Me by Tinashe. This made the Terror Jr experience make a lot more sense: listening to their music feels like taking a trip to the present in a fancy time machine, with hosts who have a nice grasp on the past and the future. Special shoutout to that music box all over the instrumentals by the way, that scratched my brain just right.

☾ Perfect - Cosha

I didn’t call the MurMurs EP the “free therapy album” when it first dropped for no reason, you know. Alternative R&B hidden treasure Cosha returns to heal us all after her 2021 re-debut album Mt. Pleasant, with more of her sublime melodies and vocals. In the EP, Cosha keeps switching from soulful, serene and down-tempo (Fire Me Up, MurMurs Interlude) to drum-heavy, danceable and inviting (Relish, Glow). Meanwhile, Perfect pinpoints that sweet middle ground. Firstly, the beat is absolutely hooking. The drums, bass and recurring plucks pull me in the most, and Cosha’s higher-range head voice is pure magic, especially in the chorus. The second verse has this slight beat switch that brings forward the bass that I’m obsessed with, and then we’re back to that divine chorus with even more adlibs, high notes and harmonies. It’s laced. I feel like the whole project, but especially this specific song, would suit many people’s tastes, so this is especially a deep cut recommendation of mine to everybody.

Mini reviews

❥ Nasty - Tinashe: I feel so bad that this is going into the mini reviews section because the song has been on rotation since it dropped, I don’t believe I need to elaborate on its earworm factor. Obviously, Tinashe has an ear for hits, and the production is relatively simple yet so effective. So glad that it’s going viral and Tinashe is getting the hype she deserves.

❥ You know what (Hey listen) - 4s4ki: I’m afraid as long as 4s4ki keeps making music, she will keep appearing on all my favorites lists. She just can’t miss no matter what genre or sound she tries out. This one’s for the people that get their head in their hands and slide down a wall at 1AM. Give us vocals, give us guitar breakdowns, give us a REAL love song, give us everything, queen.

❥ Hard dreams - Gesaffelstein feat. Yan Wagner: Real techno’s been so back since Gamma dropped. The visuals for this album still hold their title of being the best of the year, by the way.

❥ Botoxxx - Isabella Lovestory: She SLID on that bridge. Love to see the budget in the MV. We need the sophomore album.

❥ Caught Up - FLO: The guitars? The vocals? That key switch in the bridge? FLO’s discography is still flawless. We need the debut album.

Thank you for reading, feel free to give feedback on the song recommendations or review formatting ☻

#keyboard.com #what’s up tasteful people #a bit of an early bird bc I’m afraid I won’t have the time later and the list is pretty solid anyway #I’m still undecided on how the mini reviews section should be executed bc I previously added more of these and made it a bullet list #should I do that or leave it as this? #sega bodega #aespa #empress of #tan #domiziana #terror jr #cosha #tinashe #4s4ki #gesaffelstein #isabella lovestory #flo #me when 2024 #music reviews #new music

[earthspark-shockwaves-reduction]

things that happened in cyberverse that I get dealt psychic damage upon remembering because this show was fuckin wild

starscream did his usual "IM THE LEADER NOW >:D" thing bc megatron was presumed dead but this time when megatron came back he went down the halls of almost the whole fucking ship beating the shit out of starscream while he was trying to run until he fucking shot him and left him for dead

at some point humans found about cybertronians (as in "the general populace found out cybertronians live among them" not "1-5 humans made friends") but instead of having anything like G.H.O.S.T or Big Conflict between the humans they just. made viral videos of cybertronians sometimes? Idk

speaking of which: megatron livestreaming starscream's funeral (after practically killing him) and there was a Facebook live style stream of emojis and one of them was the pensive one (😔) but on the decepticon insignia

he didn't stay dead though the autobots found him on the moon or whatever and stuck him in a lil cell

he got therapy once (the closest any tf show has gotten to having rung) and immediately used it to escape

...actually the closest they got to having rung was probably maccadam who looked like someone mixed rung with thanos (and I think was a prime???)

cheetor beast wars was there and he was fucking adorable and essentially did a round of marriage counseling for megatron and optimus and they went with it bc I think it was the only way he'd let them see the allspark or whatever

and then he died saving the allspark in very princess yue "I'm giving it my life force to save everyone" fashion

I stayed watching for maybe 5 more eps after that (bc honestly this would've made for the best albeit bittersweet ending instead of throwing in the quintessentions but I digress) so I know there's a fuckton missing from this list

perceptor was there and he got blinded after less than five minutes onscreen

but the real problem: no brainstorm

no mention of him to be had

no simpatico only simp

whirl was there but instead of having any of his insanity or Genuine Unhingedness he was just. kinda silly. and not even that silly. he kept getting hit and going "...I'm fine!"

tarn.

yeah that tarn.

but similar to whirl he was Very Diluted from his normal idw tarn-ness (bc. Y'know. It's a TV-Y7 Saturday morning cartoon) and I think he had clones

windblade had a "I sword fight my ex gf in a Dennys parking lot" thing going on for A While with one of the seekers until she literally got stabbed and died

they had drift but did his whole deadlock -> drift thing backwards. in reverse even

Roddy's Emo Paint Job from Lost Light (but it's because of the Acid he got dragged into bc that's how that works)

this show started with amnesiac mute bee doing dumb shit and windblade having to wrangle him and they went on silly adventures what happened-

#mine #transformers #tf #maccadam #cyberverse

[phantom-of-the-501st]

Thoughts on the cyanide in the coffee theory!

TW: Mentions of abuse

⚠️ Spoilers for Good Omens S2 Eps 3+6 ⚠️

°•°•°•°

Right now, there seems to be a split between people who think that there is something off with Aziraphale in the finale and people who think he's acting totally in character. So I was trying to work out why this might be and I have an idea.

Two theories I see going around atm are:

1. Aziraphale's reaction would make sense for someone who has gone through trauma, particularly in an abusive parent/abused child situation.

2. Something is up with Aziraphale, so someone (i.e. The Metatron) has done something to him (possibly with the coffee).

Now there are few things that suggest there's something going on with the coffee and Zira's behaviour: the miracle noise when he's handed the cup, the "little dash" of almond syrup to "hefty jigger", Aziraphale's reaction to not having the bookshop just being "nothing lasts forever", the fact that he doesn't seem to have any intention of telling people like Maggie (his tenant) that he's going anywhere.

But then there are a couple of moments, like some of his hesitations, that make sense for Zira. And those make me question if he is fully under some sort of spell. I mean, he's in-character enough that Crowley, while maybe shocked, doesn't suspect that there is actually something up.

So I don't think Zira is under any strong spell, or even completely intoxicated with poison, but I do think the cyanide in the coffee theory could make sense.

We see in Ep 3 that while poison doesn't kill angels or demons, it does get make them act strangely. Crowley ingested pretty much an entire glass of poison and the symptoms he experienced were those of high levels of drunkeness. The poison makes them act drunk! So here's what I think.

If a fairly decent quantity of poison can make Crowley completely shitfaced, then a smaller quantity may not be as noticeable, but could cause some inebriation.

And I think this is where we get a mix of both theories. Aziraphale did not drink poison straight up like Crowley did; if there is cyanide, it will have been diluted in the coffee. Strong enough that you can taste the almonds, but not so strong it doesn't taste like coffee. And if poison causes drunken behaviour, then I think that The Metatron may have given him just a high enough dose that he doesn't seem wildly out of character, but does have his inhibitions lowered enough that he can be easily manipulated.

Theory summary: The Metatron put a small dose of cyanide into Aziraphale's coffee so that his inhibitions are just lowered enough that his feelings can be manipulated and he can be talked into going back to Heaven, but not so high that there is something obviously wrong with him.

#just some thoughts #good omens 2 #good omens spoilers #good omens #go2 spoilers #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #the metatron

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

I thought you might want to check out a video by Nerdrotic on YouTube, Loki Humiliated Yet Again. It's just 8 minutes long, and they go over the pie eating scene in season 2 Ep. 2, and how Loki used to be badass and a formidable presence, and how pitiful and diluted he has become. They also make a good point by pointing out that this is still supposed to be Avengers Loki who just carried out the NY invasion a few days ago? And how he is so nonchalant and blase about it, there's no weight or gravitas to what he's saying. They also bring up another good point that this is proof yet again that the writers and the MCU no longer care about the previous movies or these characters, or the fans of them. They're using these shows to completely trash what came before.

I know you're not watching season 2 (I'm not either), but it's little comforting to know that there are people out there beyond tumblr and fandom that understand how we feel. Thank you!

You're welcome, dear! Video for the lazy:

What can I say, I agree with them. That scene of the shadows kind of reminded me of President Loki in S1. I had been so disappointed during the season, looking at TVA Loki and wondering "who the hell is this guy?", and I vividly remember seeing President for the first time and thinking "OMG That's Loki, there he is!". Like, I genuinely thought the variant we had been seeing was a different Loki and the President was IW Loki, I even expected them to confirm him as such... but they never did, of course.

I don't mind him sitting down and (not) eating pie, it's his way of speech and what he's saying. I have no interest in seeing anything right now that openly laughs and mocks what came before. If we're watching the MCU now is only because we liked what came before and it attracted us enough to come for more. The last thing we want is for these new writers to mock the previous phases, this lack of sincerity is exhausting.

For us, seeing Loki throw Stark off the window is funny? Hell yeah, it is. And Stark's comments were hilarious too. But in-universe is NOT the same. Loki would not and should not be talking about it that way. Where's the guilt if he's truly remorseful? Where's the shame that he failed the invasion? And, this is crucial, he saw in the Time Theatre that that failure meant his death at the hands of Thanos. Why, if in S1E1 he openly laughed at his "glorious purpose" after seeing the scene of his death, is he now talking about the NYC invasion like "yeah well, whatever, I threw Stark off the window, what a time that was". WTF?!

Can you imagine TDW Loki talking about the invasion like that? The scene he has with Odin at the beginning of that movie (that I swear is my favourite Loki moment in the MCU, I like it even more than the relic scene in Thor1) and Loki looking at Odin and speaking this way "Yeah dude, I totally threw him off the window".

I get the feeling there's a misplaced belief in current Marvel (except for James Gunn, bless his soul) that something humorous has to be superficial, edgy and/or as sassy as possible. And I'm blaming the hell out of Ragnarok for that.

That scene (that I hadn't seen until now, holy shit, who is that guy? I don't see Loki there at all) has the feel of a teenager at high school talking to a friend about a TikTok video. He had been mindfucked by Thanos, that alone would mean talking about it would mess with him greatly, especially when Loki always had an issue with the loss of control of his own body (taken by Odin, had his physiology changed against his will, Thanos messing with his head, later imprisoned).

Ugh, I hate it. I miss TDW Loki. And I miss TDW Thor. I just miss the TDW so much.

#take me back to the timeline where the Thor trilogy was never retconned and Ragnarok was done well

[leejeann]

I finally started watching Bungo Stray Dogs (after attempting to start like 4 times by watching the first ep then not going back lol) and 7 episodes I still can NOT get a read on the vibe of this show lmao

Off the top of my head: *inhale* Orphan kid was kicked out of the orphanage and told to die in a ditch. He's also running from a tiger? No wait, he IS the tiger?? and also shares a VA with Ryuji from Persona 5 (idk the voice just fits so well I had to mention it lol). This other dude wants to kill himself. He's silly as hell about it. They all have super powers! No wait one of them only thinks he has powers and everyone just rolls with it. This other dude's power makes a digital landscape around him which is kind of neat. He also has a sister and I will not elaborate. They're all really skilled and clever. A very capable detective agency! They're also all so dumb (affectionate). A bomb is going to explode and kill people if they can't find it. The outro music starts playing over that reveal and hilariously dilutes the tension. They save a woman from drowning in a warehouse but a bunch of guys die in a gas chamber. Some of the detectives tease one of the others for having a crush on the woman. She commits suicide by cop. There's a mafia that wants to kidnap and sell one of the main characters on the black market. One of the detectives used to work for the mafia. He is relentlessly shipped with one of the other mafia members (I assume), who I've seen SO much fan content of I could recognize him instantly despite not even getting to his introduction yet. I swear I've seen people talk about how heavy or complex some of the characters are. The second popular tag when I typed "bungo-" in the tags on this post was "bungo gay dogs."

I'm just here for the ride at this point. I've seen clips from later seasons and yet somehow feel like I still no nothing of where the plot goes. So far this show seems so silly and so dark all at once lol

#anyway hello bungo fandom #idk if I'll post much at all as I watch this like I did with brotherhood #but I just HAD to make this post at least lol #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #idk which spelling is more common so I'm tagging with both lol #lee speaks

[eatabledogy]

One thing that I will not get over with the new ep is that it felt like old South Park. Just completely insane and chaotic and dumb. Not to mention it fucking went for the offensive vibe again and I feel like that has been diluted recently until this episode. South Park has been so unique in how daring it is and this episode brought that unique feeling back in its entirety. And I LIVE FOR THAT!!

#dogy dialogue #south park #s26 #south park season 26 #this is just my opinion of course but i genuinely feel like matt and trey are getting back to their roots with this one #and i am so excited to see what else they cook up this season

[thesinglesjukebox]

ILLIT - "MAGNETIC"

A K-pop debut that we're quite drawn to...

[7.15]

Iain Mew: It's 2024, of course the single picked from their EP picked is the song with the most candied music-box elements. The song isn't as fully committed to replicating that sound as the tentative spoken word intro suggests, which means its sweetness is diluted, but the other elements in the mixture work with it. The bass stomping forward and the 2010s stuttered "you you you"s are a great alternative, and the 16-bit swoops and pops tie it all together with a fizz. [8]

TA Inskeep: This smart K-pop groove has the feel of '80s first-wave electro without actually sounding like it. I don't love the sound effect-sounding stuff, but "Magnetic"'s airiness (especially ILLIT's vocals) counterbalances its rubbery bassline nicely. [7]

Alfred Soto: Its twitchy pulse and winking vocals are a tonic after the relationship psychobabble of their American contemporaries. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: Super eclectic. I'm very proud of Martin KOR. For a first credit, he made his mark; he should have more than one credit. [8]

Isabel Cole: A pleasantly summery little bit of froth; I like the video game twinkles that pop up every now and then. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: Nobody wants an entire genre, even the most vertically integrated of genres, to be flattened into an arms race pursuit of weaponized competence. But there's a bit of a collective action problem, in that it's very hard to object to any single display of that weaponized competence. The besotted bits of spoken word that bookend "Magnetic" are like the blurb on the back of a bag of potato chips, touting its recipe's lovingly handmade origins and capped off with the inkjet signature of the company's long-dead, possibly apocryphal founder. The chips taste good. [7]

Katherine St. Asaph: Synth and squelch and pneumatic charm, engineered to precise specs. [8]

Ian Mathers: None of the alerts from my phone or computer (personal or work) sound much at all like that notification-ass effect they use here, and yet I have found myself reflexively checking to see whether someone's trying to get a hold of me at least 3-4 times each time I've played "Magnetic." I can't decide if it's genius or maddening or both. [6]

Michael Hong: ILLIT make low-key proclamations: "you're! my! crush!" exclaimed, but only on paper; "we're magnetized, I admit it," confessed, but not meant to be heard. "Magnetic" is all glittery synths and the word "you" transformed into a dial-tone sound effect, toeing the line between fantasy and reality in regards to a crush, but perhaps that's what makes it so addictive. [7]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Pretty easy to pin down everything here: a spoken intro reminscent of vintage Apink, a vocal melody that points to K-pop’s undying love for “My Boo,” the sort of half-time breakdown that TWICE has been doing since “Likey,” a diaphanous atmosphere that screams NewJeans, bed squeaks that are decidedly unsexy, and pretty synth flourishes and vocal manipulations that are classic “K-pop does J-pop” a la Red Velvet’s “Russian Roulette.” It’s a summation of girlish K-pop throughout the past 15 years made palatable for the genre’s 5th gen. [7]

Leah Isobel: The TWICE-ification of NewJeans -- more garishly obvious, with a thicker candy shell that messes with the textural balance. Still tasty, but less subtle. [6]

Kayla Beardslee: Everything is NewJeans -- except it’s also not, Min Hee Jin, stop making your delusions everyone else’s problem. Trend shifts happen when a force builds up in the background without people noticing, until someone influential who’s great at reading the room happens to give it a push that bursts the damn, and suddenly everyone is swimming together in the changed current. In the last few months, the dam has burst on the 5th generation of K-pop, and "Magnetic" may well have been the song that caused it.

I don’t think even ILLIT’s company expected their level of breakout success: it seems like K-pop listeners were waiting for a release like "Magnetic" without even knowing it, and when it finally came along, it was so perfectly primed for the current moment that we had no choice but to be pulled in. What set the stage for ILLIT wasn’t one group so genius and unique that their tactics simultaneously influence everything yet cannot be replicated, but a combination of releases from multiple big names over several years that gradually pushed K-pop in a new direction. First, in late 2021, IVE debuted to instant massive success with a concept that was essentially "What if we just made good pop music without any gimmicks?" Then NewJeans picked up that same idea and debuted in summer 2022 to even more unprecedented success, causing an instant aesthetic reset in K-pop from the boldness and busy-ness of most leading 4th gen groups back to mellowness, warmth, and simplicity. Between mid-2023 and early 2024, Zerobaseone, RIIZE, and TWS debuted, which was the first time in several years that multiple high-profile boy groups debuted in quick succession. All three hit it off with breezy debut singles about letting boys have fun and be earnest instead of acting cool. (Think about the dorky confessions and bright synths of TWS’s "Plot Twist" next to to the shouted chorus and crunchy hip-hop textures of NCT 127’s "Kick It.") Then, in the span of three days at the end of this March, five different K-pop related girl groups debuted with singles that ranged from mellow candy-colored pop to tight electropop to chill pop-R&B to, finally, the ILLIT track we’re actually reviewing.

Most 4th gen K-pop singles are distinguished by a density of ideas and hugeness of sound that match the expanding size of the global K-pop audience in the late 2010s to early 2020s -- the glut of Blackpink-inspired girl crush comebacks, the boy groups doing a million loud hip-hop and electronic songs, tons of rapping regardless of how good they are at it, deliberately disjointed song sections -- but the flood of girl group debuts in the last week of March focused first and foremost on constructing a solid pop beat, then layering relaxed, approachable vocals over it with a topline that does just enough to keep the listener interested. (If you’re asking, "Is this too slight, or is it actually good?" then it’s probably on trend.) Compare these to the energy and density of "Dalla Dalla," "Savage," "Tomboy," or "Panorama," and you’re in two completely different worlds.

This is how we ended up with "Magnetic," which is nowhere near the most musically ambitious or complex track of the year, and certainly not the most vocally interesting, but is a gently glowing sign that we’ve transitioned into a new generation of K-pop that values entirely different aesthetics. It’s also so supernaturally catchy that it sounds like it was created in a lab: not in a "Haha K-pop is a product" kind of way, but like I think they actually had test tubes with different samples of the hooks sitting around in the HYBE building, and they probably tested them on animals to find the most insidiously catchy ones. (Like, does Lauren Aquilina have a dog who listens as she writes?) "Magnetic" is the biggest K-pop bop of the year so far, and yet it feels so small and accessible due to the incredible economy of its tight, groovy production and its multitude of hooks, which are embedded not just in the lyrics but also the rhythm of the instrumental against the vocals and the careful negative space placed throughout. (Oh! beat My! beat Gosh!) ILLIT are balanced on the crest of the wave as K-pop moves into a new generation, from the larger-than-life ambitions of the 4th gen to the idol-next-door simplicity of the 5th. They didn’t set the wave in motion, but they caught it just early enough to have a pivotal role in its shaping. "Magnetic" is perfectly constructed and historically significant, but it’s also cute and so much fun: I can’t imagine hating a song as endearing as this. Wait... why do I hear boss battle music? [9]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: pretty! [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#illit #music #k-pop #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

[elliot-olivia]

i keep seeing two points come up re all the “liv is back baby!!” posting that are like (1) ‘am i the only one who liked olivia these last few seasons?’ and (2) ‘it’s not a good look to shit on behaviour that manifested due to olivia’s trauma.’ to which i have to say: no, she definitely had her moments — i don’t think it’s that people have hated her character, just that she’s felt off or watered down from the olivia most people fell in love with. and, okay. it is no secret that i’m not the biggest fan of warren’s writing (if we’re being real, i’d love to not have to think about the lewis arc or the burton bullshit ever again) and while i, personally, think it’s generous to say he put enough focus on the aftermath of olivia’s trauma to be able to attribute certain behaviours specifically to trauma or PTSD or her healing journey, the character choices people have been pissed about don’t actually have anything to do with that. it’s the erasure of long-standing key characteristics that have been rubbing people the wrong way. no one wants liv to be a carbon copy of her s1 self—that’s not good storytelling—but to erase her cheeky/sassy/bitchy side completely? also shit storytelling. the liv of the last few seasons has felt like some kind of hashtag #justice bot whose main purpose was to act as a mouthpiece for whatever cold take the writers wanted to feed us that week. her personality was diluted down to pretty much nothing; some eps all i remember her doing is literally just staring and nodding and whispering or delivering some dead eyed monologue meant to address whatever rl events had been in the news that month. even her passion for helping victims suffered for it, which, from what i’ve seen, is what upset people the most. the liv we got last ep was fiery and funny and passionate and dedicated and all those other things that people associate more strongly with 1.0 liv. she feels like her again, not just a writing tool, and that’s why so many people are celebrating.

#txt #excuse the sleep deprived rambling but. lmao. #i feel so stupid for caring this strongly about it but fr i was watching 24x02 like yeah baby!! IN CHARACTER copaganda!!! this slaps!

[1960z]

(drunk thoughts about snw “charades” imported from the notes app)

I think the message of this ep is ultimately better than faces as the idea that every part of spock is important and cherished is not diluted by bullshit the way it was in faces.

however it still engages in this weird ass bioessentialism which i was talking about in that thread I made a few weeks back. I hate that and it brings down the whole episode a shit ton for me.

I liked spock revealing that he was completely human to t’pring’s mum, that was the one moment where I was like “yes!! they’re showing that biology has nothing to do w how successfully one can participate in vulcan culture.” although I didn’t enjoy spock praising amanda the way he did only bc it feels like it emotionally resolves what he was going through in the naked time before it’s even happened

it is wild to me they clearly wanted to make chapel a more well rounded and interesting character and the way they decided to go about doing that was have it revolve entirely around whether or not spock likes her

t’pring’s dad is a fucking legend and I stan

#shut up abe #spock #snw #star trek

[lemonhemlock]

There is no point in making Aegon the main bad of the green side so he could be a mirror to Daemon because basically Aegon is not Daemon's foil nor he has any parallels with him . It's actually Aemond who is Daemon's foil while Aegon is Rhaenyra's foil and he even has some parallels with her. Both of them the eldest son and eldest daughter of the king, Aegon's right to the iron throne has been taken away from him because of Viserys choosing rhaenyra over him, while rhaenyra's right to the throne has been taken away from her due to Andal law. Both of them have been neglected by Viserys at some point , rhaenyra was neglected when Viserys was so obsessed with having a male child, Aegon get neglected as well. Both (in book version at least) are vain , proud, prone to anger and slow to forgive, both said to be beautiful/handsome but lost their attractiveness due to age, pregnancy (Rhae), and severe injuries (Egg)

both were haunted by the loss of their children and dragons and were driven mad/paranoid by it . Heck, even their dragons got similar colors (yellow/gold). I could go on about their similarities but i don't want this ask to be long.

I think the other anon who spoke about why everyone in this show has been whitewashed expect aegon has brought really important observation. Because it's seems that the showrunners don't care about nuanced adaption but more motivated by their personal feelings about certain characters. It's clearly they dislike Aegon / daemon / larys/ Viserys , Don't care about helaena/daeron / Rhaenys / laena /rhaena /baela this why these characters have been either made much worse than their book counterparts or are non existing/ underdeveloped as hell . While they clearly like Aemond, Alicent and rhaenyra that's why they have been made much better than their book counterparts. And if i remember correctly daeron was supposed to be cut out From the show and this is the reason why no body mentioned him at all not even his mother and his dutiful and honourable personality was given to Aemond , who was objectively the most similar character to ramsay/joffery. Now i am not saying that they shouldn't sympathize with Alicent. What i mean by all of this is given Aegon/larys/daemon (and the rest of the characters I've mentioned) nuanced interpretations can coexist with their interpretation of Aemond and Alicent. They can focus on Rhae/Ali relationship then they could focus on Rhae relationship with her siblings especially Aeg and all of this could coexist but they're the ones who limited themselves with only 10 eps full of time jumps . And they don't have a good understanding of what "grey characters" even mean , the fact that they made everything misunderstanding/ accidents , stopping the characters from having any real agency over there choice and goals . It's IMO , a very cheap writing choice. They're basically saying by this that they are incompetent writers,because they're unable to create a REAL and an ACTUAL conflict between the characters.

Anonymous asked: the book consists entirely of quite crazy things and HOTD could deliver everything and more if they just dared to do it. melodramatic, over the top, theatrical even. but it's just boring and diluted even from the book. they're trying so hard to be woke they erased everything that made the story engrossing. there isn't obsessive consuming love, so there isn't insane hate. there are no loving family relationships so there are not betrayals. just opposing political party's. i mean, poorly written failed childhood female friendship as sole emotional connection in the whole show? if the greens are "villains" then at least let them be crazy, blacks can have the "good" whatever. aegon can go commodus-like! all greens can be messy like de valois in la reine Margot - four siblings in love/hate/jealousy, son and mother in love, brother bleeding out on his sister's dress. it's supposed to be Targs glory days why it's so bland!

I'm going to answer these two asks together, because, honestly, to me all of these inconsistencies read, as I've previously said, basically like conflicts in the writers' room and too many chefs in the kitchen.

But it's very hard to say who was responsible for which decisions, if this was Miguel Sapochnik's fault as showrunner for not reigning everybody in, if some of these decisions came from HBO, what exactly did GRRM push for and what did he compromise on, what exactly was Ryan Condal's contribution or Sara Hess'. Are some of these duds their own fault or are they just saving face now in interviews because they don't want to start drama?

It's fair to say that they probably started out with the idea of humanizing both sides of the conflict, but other than this basic uniting thread, all the different authors of this show started to diverge in their interpretations at some point. As highlighted by anon, someone must like Alicent a lot in the writers' room, but who? Because per Olivia, Miguel & Ryan told her to play Alicent like a "woman for Trump" ?? Judging by this interview, she kind of tries to convey diplomatically that she disagrees with that interpretation?

“I just didn’t want to give them any more mental real estate than they already had,” Cooke told Entertainment Weekly about calling back to the Trump family. “So I tried to find a different route into her, but I could see what they were saying with this complete indoctrination and denial of her own autonomy and rights. I just couldn’t be asked to go down that road.”

So who is the Alicent shooter and defender in the writers' room? It would have been so easy to give her the ambitious scheming queen characterization, but they... don't? Why do they waste time on her if she's a tool of the patriarchy?

Similarly, how do Miguel and Ryan have a problem with Alicent, but are softies for Aemond? He got the best rehabilitation story out of anyone. "Driftmark", the eye gouging episode, was written by Kevin Lau and directed by Miguel Sapochnik and it's a stand-out episode for both Aemond and Alicent. But doesn't Miguel have an awful opinion on not-feminist Alicent? Similarly, Ryan Condal makes Aemond killing Luke an accident in "The Black Queen", so he likes Aemond who burns the Riverlands but thinks Alicent would be a Trump voter? Who told Olivia that Aemond is a psychopath, when he seems so universally beloved by the writers? It's very weird, because, on the one hand, someone backstage seems (or seemed, if they were part of the people that left production) very keen on painting Alicent as upholding the patriarchy and making "terrible decisions" to benefit her deranged sons (both of them), yet Aemond is a dutiful darling and Eileen Shim makes Alicent handle Dyanna's rape very sympathetically.

The problem with Daemon is many-folded. He is GRRM's favourite and the narrative bias towards him in FB is horrendous, but, at the same time, GRRM "kind of forgot" to give Daemon some redeeming qualities to make up for the "lightness" part of his character - which is why the Daemon that lives in his head is quite different than the Daemon we ended up with. Ryan Condal thinks Daemon wants to fuck Viserys, so at least he spent some time trying to make Daemon an interesting character, since it's the freshest take anyone's ever had on him. Sara Hess clearly does not like Daemon, but she must have lost some battles there, because even Daemon is whitewashed from the books. Even he gets some humanizing and tender moments. Even with them deleting some of his softer scenes, you still have Matt Smith out there fighting tooth and nail to make his character something more than a one-note villain, what with him improvising so many moments and the show-runners keeping them in. If anything, Matt is always going to have GRRM in his corner, if necessary.

And then you have Aegon, the one character in the entire cast no one seems to fight for other than TGC. Eileen Shim makes him a rapist, Sara Hess makes him jerk off in the Tommen window and gives him the ridiculous child-fighting pits hobby. But then Sara Hess gives a public interview in which she states that him raping women is no big deal, because it's very interesting to think of how a person like that can be redeemed. So do they intend??? on rehabilitating him?? If not, why not just say outright that he's reprehensible? Did she honestly believe the viewers would be cheering for a rapist vs white-stag perfect Rhaenyra? Or did someone make her put the child-fighting rinks in her episode and now she has to suck it up? She thinks Daemon is good-for-nothing, but Aegon redeemable? TGC also explicitly expressed concern to them about making him a rapist from the get-go and spends his entire time on screen making big wet eyes at the viewer, begging them not to dismiss him outright.

Moreover, they must have fought over Daeron somewhat, because while he is not mentioned once in the show, he DOES appear in the opening credits, as there are four rivulets of blood streaming out of Alicent, signifying her four children. That looks like a compromise to me.

Rhaenys and Corlys are also all over the place - it seems like each writer who came on had a different take on their characters and their motivations seem to flip-flop from one episode to the next. This whole thing gives me a headache thinking about it.

#ask #anon #hotd critical [storytelling] #i really need to rewatch la reine margot btw it's been years #hotd critical [aegon]

[bklynmusicnerd]

GH Catch Up Part One:

- Unlike pretty much everyone else, I'm an enjoyer of how much of a hater Portia can be when it comes to Spencer so that aspect of this ep was hilarious to me. Portia being so petty that she accuses Spencer's presence of making the Christmas lights go out, like he's the antichrist? Phenomenal. Portia being so annoyed at Spencer's presence that she loses control and immediately questions what he knows about love? Fantastic.

This is the level of petty we should have had when it comes to Portia's disapproval instead of her actively plotting against her daughter with the psycho who is obsessed with her. More of a return to what the core of the Portia element was supposed to be which was a controlling mother terrified of losing her daughter to adulthood (which Spencer's love is the most glaring symbol of).

- Anyways, the twisted part of me loves Portia in hater mode because it almost always means we're getting vulnerable Spencer. Portia will always be Spencer's most dangerous opp when it comes to Trina because for better or worse, she's one of if not the most important people in Trina's life. Trina craves her approval without even knowing she craves her approval, and Spencer recognizes that and has to move accordingly. So we basically just get very emotionally vulnerable Spencer making the case for how much he loves Trina which is always fun.

- Love that line from Spencer about hoping they get to know each other better in the new year. He survived almost getting dumped and is back to reminding Trina's people that he is going nowhere.

- Spencer's response to Portia was so good that it was almost ironic. Cause Spencer is the mature presence prioritizing his love of Trina over whatever frustrations he may have, while Portia could not control herself when it came to prioritizing her beef with Spencer. Again, Portia's issue with Spencer is not that she thinks he doesn't love her daughter. It's that she knows he does love her daughter and that her daughter loves him, and she's terrified about what that means.

- Curtis will always be the worst because he went from being the one who regularly puts the battery in Portia's back when it comes to being a hater to admonishing her for not giving Spencer a chance as if he's always been so reasonable. Can't stand that man and all that he gets away with.

- Not nearly enough Trina for me but I did love her comforting Spencer after he dealt with Portia's wrath and her line that she loved him for trying. A nice callback to a core piece of Trina and Spencer's love story which is that she recognizes his efforts to do/be better in a way that most don't and she loves him for that. In contrast to Portia, it's not about already being perfect for Trina. It's about the effort to try to be better.

- Spencer is definitely developing a pattern with these diamond-themed gifts for Trina.

- I'm conflicted on Portia's olive branch moment. It was nice, but I wish it was more inspired by wanting her daughter to be happy and less inspired by Curtis wagging his finger. Again, I'm looking for the mother and daughter moments in all of this because that's the core relationship dynamic at play here.

Curtis' approval is not nearly as relevant as Portia's because he did not raise Trina and trying to equate them just makes me roll my eyes. This is a Portia and Trina story that they're trying to make an "Ashfords" story, and I'm just not really here for the diluting.

- Love every update of Cam living his best life with Yuki. Rebound where?

- The Jake and Charlotte relationship updates are still so confusing to me. Liz is sure that Charlotte is Jake's girlfriend but has Charlotte ever referred to Jake as her boyfriend? I'm just trying to figure out if the Cassadine Queen in training is aware that she's apparently in a relationship.

- Trina continuously inviting Spencer to family events with zero heads up will never not be funny. It's her way of training them to accept her and Spencer as a package deal, and it's worked on pretty much everyone but Portia. Bonus points for Marshall graduating from calling Spencer "that Cassadine boy" to "Young Mr. Cassadine." That's his number one non-Trina fan in that household atp.

- Charlotte rocking Helena's necklace and talking about "my first battle wound." I love that they're doubling down on the Mini Helena thing because Charlotte is going to devour. Personally, I think the people around Charlotte are overestimating how much Victor needed to "manipulate" her, I think she's gonna be a "it's fun to do bad things" Cassadine instead of a tortured one and I'm looking forward to that.

- Charlotte Gibson did her thing with the Aiden coming out dialogue. I appreciated how much of a non-moment it was if that makes sense. The mood was a lowkey and warm space of trust that highlighted what a great mom Liz ended up becoming. I love how subtle it was with Aiden using the gender neutral "they're" and Liz picking up on it and just following his lead until he was ready to open up about having a crush on a guy. Really nice sweet Webber family moment, and I demand that we get Aidan/Tobias in 2024.

- Laura going on about the darkness/evilness of the Cassadine bloodline is extra funny while she coddles a psycho hybrid of Ryan and Heather.

- The Maxie and Spinnelli stuff is very convoluted and I still don't understand why the writers won't just do the simple solution of reuniting them already.

- Valentin and Anna breakup #4 was well-written and felt final (for now). They gave Valentin strong dialogue that actually felt like he was really processing how badly he fumbled Anna. But at the same time, this man played in Anna's face so many times that I'm just ready for her to move on. Valentin's karma for not trusting her will come as soon as he realizes that Charlotte is committed to this Mini Helena lifestyle.

- Oh and I have no thoughts on Stella and Marshall or whatever that was. The ghost of Curtis' mom that Marshall abandoned inspires him to put the moves on her sister? Sure, whatever, I guess.

#general hospital #that was a solid return ep from CG #i will never share her curtis love but the dialogue was really good

[daphnedumaurigay]

finally catching up with criminal minds: evolution and wow, swing at me with a mallet and crack my skull open like a watermelon. the writers really just said, what are we gonna do with this network change? first off, we're gonna be coming in hot with the expletives. rossi has been through the wringer and it's imperative that he gets to say "fuckhead" at least once. also we're gonna be throwing in a "tara is gay" curveball that plays out from u-hauling to a break up in the span of 2 eps. sure we know fans have been foaming at the mouth for emily to be gay for the last decade, that’s irrelevant. yeah we'll do a heavy-handed papering over of certain casting cracks and completely brush over others. side note, we hope you like will because we're gonna over dilute every episode with him from here on out. oh and garcia is going to become embroiled in an enemies to lovers arc with a material witness and fuck his brains out. no we aren't taking questions.

#criminal minds #criminal minds evolution #emily prentiss #tara lewis #penelope garcia #david rossi #jennifer jareau #m

[bravecows]

extraordinary attorney woo ep 12

I LOVED THIS EPISODE

The closest this show has got to making me cry was the scene where the plaintiffs chase after their ex-coworker witness and express sympathy about her husband's surgery and hug her. This series has a profound faith in female solidarity AND I AM HERE FOR IT. (Admittedly the purity of the scene was somewhat diluted when you find out it was partly a tactic to obtain evidence, but you know what, loving your opponents into coming over to your side is a litigation strategy I can respect.)

Also here for every senior female attorney who meets Woo Young-woo offering her a job YES you love to see it. The plaintiff lawyer who cultivates a farm on her roof and recites poetry with her clients is so badass. I loved her almost as much as WYW and Choi Su-yeon clearly love her. There will be poetry and bibimbap in my revolution!!!

I felt such sympathy for Jung Myeong-seok despite how abhorrent this claim was. Like of course he was going off on WYW for questioning the moral logic of his entire career, which is basically his life given he has no work/life balance whatsoever. He's obviously one of those awful partners who are super nice but expect you to be in at all hours because they have no life outside work themselves. Babe you need a holiday, how are you going to keep that nice skin if you're living on burgers?

Speaking of the show's profound faith in female solidarity, Choi Su-yeon begging not to hear about the Yangtze River dolphin but listening anyway! Telling Young-woo not to tidy up the post-it notes but then getting down to help her! I love her so much. Also they are so pretty in their civilian clothes. I am not quite at the stage of shipping them but, you know, I am not opposed.

I really like that the series has gone from "you're rooting for the protagonist so you want her to win her cases and do well at her job" to "let's now question this whole enterprise". I wasn't overly surprised that the judge ruled against the plaintiffs; that all worked, narratively speaking. (I did find it implausible that the court room reeled in shock when WYW was making Hanbada's disgusting arguments about the plaintiff's fertility treatments. Pretty sexist, but not implausibly sexist; I expect plenty of people, men and women, would make that argument even in countries that have fewer/milder issues with misogyny than SK. But maybe you're meant to read the stir in the court as shock at the revelations about the plaintiff, rather than shock that Hanbada has stooped so low?)

What did surprise me was the insurance company Head of HR then getting his little moment of being human, so that the overall message is a bit more, aren't we all victims of the beast capitalism which perceives people of all genders as disposable cogs even as it works hand in hand with patriarchy? It reminds me of ep 10 a little -- I know this was a controversial episode and I am not totally sure what I think of it still (I really liked it, but can see why people hated it). But that twist and twist about of: OK, you see this person's POV, now this person's POV, and that other person's POV. It's a great benefit of the "case of the week" format, that you can go through all these arguments for different positions and perspectives. IDK, maybe I just find it refreshing because I have watched basically no legal dramas with any attention -- maybe it's something legal dramas do all the time.

The frustration of Kwon Min-woo's scheme was very funny. Though I wonder ... my view is that all he'd need to do to exit Young-woo from the firm is report her disclosure of privileged client information to a third party in ep 11 -- absolutely gross misconduct -- but I guess he doesn't know about that. It seems like the series is not really setting him up as a serious threat -- if Young-woo goes to work for the activist plaintiff lawyer, that is a win for both her and Min-woo. But maybe the fact his first ploy was to frame Young-woo for disclosing privileged advice to the opposition is meant to foreshadow that her ep 11 shenanigans will be her downfall??? Now I've said it, though, I don't think so; I don't know what the penalties are for breaking privilege in SK but they'd be pretty serious and I don't think the show wants to go there. It's quite tender of Young-woo.

I liked the romance stuff too, endless hilarity, A++ would LOL at Jun-ho's dismay again. (Also loved the complete trust with which he chased after the taxi on Young-woo's say-so.) But what will really stick with me from this episode is that dreamy sun-drenched image of the women on the roof, surrounded by green growing things, reciting poetry in a lull during the good fight. Surely Heaven looks something like that.

#extraordinary attorney woo