#but i haven't really felt that way about many s3 episodes

[narujenreacts]

Will Murder Drones get a Season 2?

Alrighty. So, after GLITCH's post yesterday of Digital Circus that also mentioned "We're also working hard on Murder Drones & will be releasing final episodes soon!", which sent a lot of the fandom (including yours truly) into a panic that this meant these are the final episodes for the SERIES and not the 1st season. However, that felt off to me since GLITCH has been promoting MD as Season 1 and not a short series, which, if it had always intended to be only 8 episodes, it would've been. That's just how it goes in the industry for online series. And I believe GLITCH wouldn't make that kind of mistake in marketing. It'd be different too if it was only promoted as Season 1 for the teaser, but it's been that way up until that Digital Circus post. Hell, here are some of the things Kevin and Liam said during GlitchX:

"I remember when we were coming up with the, uh, this is like way before when, you know, Murder Drones was really, like we were really going for a smaller, smaller show-" - Kevin

"The whole oil thing that was getting set up in the pilot, that was gonna be like a MASSIVE sort of plot thread throughout the season." - Kevin

"Because in terms of importance to kind of where I want the story to go, it just ended up being less relevant." - Liam

"We, um, did the opposite of that. I think the series as it progressed, which I think is - it is intentional, I would say. We have gone from, I think, supremely silly to supremely kind of self-serious." - Liam

"There's so many dog easter eggs if you go and watch through the entire season." - Kevin

"We are announcing the finale of the season." - Kevin

With everything they said, none of it sounds like Murder Drones was intended to be a single season series. Now, this leaves two questions myself and I'm sure some of you have, "Why haven't they announced a S2 yet then and why are they barely posting MD?" I decided to enter analyzation mode and went digging through GLITCH's Twitter and YouTube. What I found was that this isn't GLITCH's first time handling their series like this.

Meta Runner Season 1 (Animated Movie Cut) was released on Aug 28, 2020 and in the description Season 2 was immediately announced since they already had it done.

Meta Runner Season 2 - EP 1: Hard Reset released Oct 16, 2020. The final episode for S2, "EP 10: Fatal Error" was released Dec 18, 2020 and there was no mention of the 3rd and final season.

Want to know when they announced it? Not until Nov 29, 2021. Over a YEAR later.

And before that they barely posted anything of MR. At first it was Sunset Paradise, and then once that series was about to conclude they started posting about MD. A lot. Way more than they have for DC. And when they announced S3 for MR they didn't even mention it was the series finale! That wasn't announced until May 6, 2022, 6 months after S3 was even announced.

However, once they did they made it VERY clear it was the final season. 99% of their posts of MR after that mentioned it was the final season.

So, to conclude my thoughts. I don't think we should be worried. I wouldn't suggest getting our hopes up TOO high, because despite GLITCH handling MD the same way they did MR, there's always the chance MD doesn't get a second season. That way we're not deeply disappointed if it doesn't, but after looking into it I personally feel a lot more confident MD will get a S2. Just be prepared that if GLITCH doesn't say anything, it could be up to a year before they do, but if MR fans could hold out for as long as they did, we can too. Don't forget either GLITCH isn't only working on the first season of DC. They're also working on the pilot for Gaslight District.

#murder drones #murder drones uzi #murder drones n #murder drones season 2 #glitch productions

[yukipri]

The Bad Batch Season 2 Wrap Up Thoughts

I never ended up sharing my thoughts on the Bad Batch S2 finale. Since we're hopefully getting news of S3 tomorrow, this seemed like a good time?

First, to be clear, I love so much about the show. This is not meant to be a complaint thread. But I'm also critical of certain aspects. You're warned.

This is also a compiled Twitter thread!

Spoilers through the end of Season 2!

First off, I can't understate how beautiful the show was, just as an experience. The cinematography, the visual designs, the music. The unique worlds and unique characters. There were so many shots that were breathtaking, haunting. When a scene hits, it HITS.

I love both TCW & Rebels dearly, but cumulative skills + experience as well as new technology clearly shows. TBB, TotJ (and of course TCW S7) are just so captivating to watch as works of art. These shows are, frankly, worth it for that alone. But of course that's not all.

One of TBB's strengths is the depth it gives the worlds the characters visit, as well as the side/guest characters. Perhaps due to the nature of many of the episodes being more of an exploration than straight up war like TCW, but we can see more of these places. TCW also had so many neat planets/aliens/cultures, but due to the constantly pressing war, we were only ever allowed a glimpse and I constantly wished there was more. TBB really scratched that itch. I'm thinking specifically of Kashyyyk, with its fauna and wookiee traditions.

The same with side/guest characters. They all had such great flavor, with fun designs and motives. Phee was a standout among the non-clones. I also loved how it gave us such a personal exploration of characters we knew and loved before, like Riyo.

The thing about TBB is that it's set in such a fascinating time period that we don't have too much media of, at least in new canon. The formation of the Empire is a time where we know all these other characters must be alive and working hard, but we haven't seen it before.

This leads me to the writing. Oh, the writing...

How do I say this. The writing in this show gave me whiplash. Some of the episodes were beyond brilliant, giving us deeply personal character moments, layered metaphors, and context in how it affects the greater SW universe.

Others...not so much.

I understand this is not the case for everyone, but for me personally to enjoy a story, when there are any stakes involved, I need the characters to show some awareness of them, and for these to affect their actions. There are a limited number of episodes and that time must be spent wisely. I don't mean this at all to say that I didn't enjoy the lighter fun adventure missions with the Batch, nor do I think these episodes can't be used productively.

But TBB S1 started off with Crosshair siding with the Empire.

I kept waiting for them to *show* that the others cared. It could be they were troubled, it could be they missed him, it could have been shown in so many ways. I kept expecting these brief moments in the Fun Times episodes, which would have given me some emotional continuity.

The writers are absolutely capable of it! After Plan 99, when Echo glances at the co-pilot seat—stuff like that, I was personally expecting it through all of S1 and S2. I get that the Batch feel they have to do other things and Crosshair made his own choice, but I thought the point was they care about their brother regardless.

Mind you, I'm not the biggest fan of Crosshair, but I do find him interesting. And I felt that in the two episodes most centered around him, he had such tangible growth that was depicted so well. He went from stating that the Batch are superior to regs in S1 finale, to having clear doubts after working with Cody, to shooting a natborn officer because he didn't help a "reg" he'd just met. We see Crosshair being included by the clones he disdains, we see how it compares to the Empire he thought he wanted to be a part of. The writing in Crosshair's episodes were tight, and he went far within them, few as they were.

In comparison, the rest of the Batch...with their far greater number of episodes...what were they doing??

I love character-centric eps, but even on a personal level, I wasn't sure what the charas gained. Tech is the sole exception; he was given many introspective moments, from Sorenno, to Phee, to the cave talk with Omega. Not sure how much he changed, but he expressed himself.

To also be clear, I'm also not including Echo in any of this. He has been the voice of trying to get the Batch to do things, to *change*, since S1. I felt his frustration keenly. Which is why I felt that when he left to go with Rex...I sort of left the Batch with him.

I mean this in the sense that Echo didn't *want* to leave the Batch, not necessarily. He wanted, and he *did* try to get Hunter to care about what their brothers are suffering, and he has been since S1. Echo can't stand to leave them chipped when he could do something.

He wanted the Batch to feel the same. *I* wanted the Batch to feel the same. But they didn't. I see Echo breaking with them less as him leaving, and more as they (or at least Hunter) firmly telling him that that's not their fight, and they're not going to do it.

This isn't the Batch going out of their way to help, or not knowing how. Echo and Rex have given them an open invitation. The Batch know how to help, who needs it, and why. They know their "reg" brothers don't have many if any others fighting for them. The Batch (Hunter) have these opportunities to help and know they are among the few positioned to offer it...and they still walk away.

The Batch (Hunter) sees the other clones fates as none of their business. On one hand, I get that they never fit in, were called names and weren't allowed to sit with the cool kids at lunch. On the other, "they were mean" and "therefore they should be mind-controlled slaves" is grossly disproportional. Likewise it's not as though this fight doesn't concern them. Even if they can't find it in themselves to care about "regs," it's Rex who told them to remove their chips and went out of his way to make sure they did based on info that Fives gathered, without which Wrecker would have killed Omega. Perhaps I wouldn't go as far as to say they *owe* other clones, but my opinion of them certainly continued to drop as they made explicitly clear that they're fine with this being the fate of other clones.

So okay, fine. TBB isn't a story about the Batch discovering they have more alike with other clones than they first thought (other than Crosshair, who actually does get that story). That's what I wanted, alright, I know I'm not getting that at this point.

But then, where does that leave them? What do they care about, what do they fight for?

Their brother...right?

Except...they don't really do that either??? (points at earlier in this rant) At least, until the very last episodes, where an opportunity presents itself, and most of the Batch jumps on it...except Hunter.

The way he's written just *baffles* me. I can't say anything about his personality other than "he cares about Omega," but even that, when at the expense of his other brothers, is tiring. Immediately after Tech gives his life on a mission he wanted to go on to try to save Crosshair, he suggests they all hide away on Pabu (even with the knowledge that Omega is wanted and they're being hunted). I get that he wanted to hide from the pain, but in that context?? Even then, he can't care about Cross??

And then when Omega is kidnapped, the difference in his reaction between that and what happened with Crosshair...it was, frankly, painful.

I feel like by the end of the series, Tech would have been more open to joining Echo/the clones' fight. Wrecker will just go along. Echo has already plunged headfirst into helping others, Crosshair got character growth and defected from the Empire. And Omega has always wanted to help even strangers, but only doesn't when Hunter tells her no.

I feel that Hunter's the one dragging his heels for the Batch to progress, and he's supposed to be the leader.

All of this to say, I've been trying so hard to like the Batch since S1, and they didn't really click for me (other than Echo, who I don't count since I loved him from long before, and still consistently have). But by the end of S2, I think I've concluded that I'd like the others perfectly fine if they were under different leadership that encouraged them to care, to act.

I don't want to say I *dislike* him, but man...I'm super disappointed in Hunter, and I'm not sure if/how that might change.

This leads me to my final thought, which is: I would strongly prefer if "the Clone Story" be told from a different lens than Hunter-centric TBB.

What I mean is, throughout the show, there have been multiple pivotal events that affect all clones, not just the Batch.

The fall of Kamino, the failure of the clones' rights bill are the big ones. But even without those, through the glimpses of the "regs" like Howzer, Gregor, Wilco, Cody, Slip, Cade, and Mayday, we see how the Empire is treating the rest of them as a group.

I'm deeply invested in these boys and their stories, and frankly, all of these boys instantly became my faves in their few moments of screen time. I want more of these, and it feels deeply unfair that they've done so much to tell compelling stories but have so little time.

They are an extension of the clones I love from TCW in a way that the Batch just aren't, and don't seem to be interested in becoming.

Not even that, but we know from Hunter's rejection of Echo that the Batch (Hunter) don't *care.*

Fine, they don't care. But I'm admittedly deeply concerned about how S3 will go, because even if the Batch doesn't care about the Clone Story, they (Hunter) don't seem to be doing a great job progressing their internal story either (Crosshair).

I understand Omega has some crucial background we're *finally* getting to. I want to know why she's special, why she's unaltered. I want to know what she has that Boba doesn't, or if she's just Nala Se's favorite. Maybe that's relevant to the Clone Story.

But frankly, personally, I would prefer if TBB S3 goes full in focussing on building Hunter and Wrecker up emotionally, and just going full in on what it means for them as a Batch to be there for each other. They need that, desperately, without distractions.

I would prefer if the Clone Story (frankly, the story I'm far more invested in) is told through Rex and other clones, who passionately care and are in the fight. If Echo jumps between the 2 groups and links them, great! I think the Batch would make excellent guest characters. But NOT protagonists of a story where they don't care while everyone else does.

I guess all of this to say, it's sad that I think I liked the Batch the most in TCW S7, and my impression of them as a group (which I recognize is largely due to Hunter) has only gone downhill since.

Again, to be clear, I did enjoy the show.

I LOVED eps 3, 7, 8, 12, 14, to the point I'd say they're possibly my favorite eps of any SW show. These eps are conspicuously non Batch-centric. I loved many *parts* of other episodes.

The *show* has given me so much to love. Unfortunately, none of those things are Hunter.

#YukiPri rambles #TBB #The Bad Batch #Spoilers #the Bad Batch Spoilers #TBB Spoilers #TBB S2 #The Bad Batch Season 2 #longpost #rant post

[b1rdbra1ned]

Oh no I hate Fan too. Fan was not a good character in season 2 and he didn't actually face any consequences for his actions. Paintbrush was like the closest we got to Fan being criticised and people considered PB to be the one overreacting. Paintbrush is done so dirty because the fandom put their own belief about the bright lights being family even though Paintbrush never actually got along with them. They talked to tt like once, bickered with lb until the last ep they were in and then there's. Fan..

Also I think I hate fantube a little more after the theyrebasicallycanon polls put enstars against ii. Glad rinniki won they deserve the win against fantube imo.

Sorry I was tired of being critical of ii so I don't like it anymore 😔

But hiiii we haven't talked much in a while ik :(( I'm on holiday rn but feel free to talk to me if you want!

ALLLL OF THIS

Paintbrush was in every way in the right to yell at fan, he constantly bothered and nagged at them and the stuff about marshmallow was definitely the final straw

i only ever liked the whole bright lights family thing because honestly it could’ve worked imo!!! but they just never took that chance they never really developed the brights lights AT ALL most season (beside from marshmallow) the bright light felt more like the comical team (not really but can’t think of a better way to describe them) compared to the grand slams who definitely got way more focus and development

it’s shitty because i think the brights lights could’ve had potential but they were just casted aside until the last few episodes where “oh hey look development!! :] oh wait nvm they’re eliminated now <3” like ????

paintbrush definitely got the short end of the stick here. literally having what was supposed to be their episode mainly centred around tt and lb and having their feelings about marsh being completely casted aside. i wish more was done w/ marshmallow and them vs them and lb

looking back a lot of their scenes w lb just felt kinda off??? i don’t think can articulate this probably rn but paintbrush deserved better

but at the same time i wish the team got more time w/ each other in general, they have so many great opportunities to do it like in the maze episodes but again they’re kinda just cast aside as just comedy

and w/ s3 oh boy i hate what they did with paintbrush and their “arc” in the last few episodes. they quite literally and figuratively took away their edges, i miss sassy, sarcastic confident paintbrush they feel so dulled down in iii and it’s like no one in the writing team understands them at all. it’s like they didn’t even write s2 (but hey back to the point i mentions last post that show writers really ought to stop listening to fans sometimes because this is how fanon seeps in </3)

i hate how the a lot of the fans view paintbrush especially if it’s only ever in the context of lightbrush or shipping (another thing that pisses me off btw is how they’re always treated as irrational and or just plain out abusive FUCK PEOPLE WHO PORTRAY PAINTBRUSH LIKE THIS)

they’re such a great character who gets absolutely fucked over by the writing and fandom (not all of the fandom of course, i love seeing ppls takes and discussions on them but it’s just some fans who just </3)

i don’t like discouraging ships, if ppl are mature and respectful and don’t put other ppl down then that’s all great and stuff but my problem is that i really wish paintbrush was just seen as more than their ships yknow

Fan is.. the more i think about canon him the more im like yeaaa… uh no thanks…. (mainly w/ him and paintbrush and cabby)

idk if im even allowed to say they changed tt this season because.. she didn’t honestly have a lot of screentime last season compared to a whole lot of other characters, but in iii she feels off?? honestly all of them do even the new contestants later on during the season

idk if i have the words to describe why s3’s characterisation is so off and at time frustrating, their arcs too, was going to point out some characters but honestly i could make a case for nearly ALL the contestants the ones who weren’t voted out early at least

that’s the end of my ramble tho, sorry ik i talked a lot about paintbrush, i want to talk about the others too but they’re the one i still even think about. hopefully this isn’t a bit hard to read, ik im not that organised w my rambles sometimes

#txt #niicookie #glad fantube lost that poll <33 #and YEA IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE’VE TALKED #hope your holiday’s going well!! recently got back from a 2 week trip (spent like a total of 24 hrs in the airport and on planes going home💀 #got this week and the next week off school so i’ll be online a bit more >:33 #might pop in your inbox now and again to say hello or ask questions about your new fixations >:DD #ii neg #pigeon post 💌

[capinejghafa]

1, 8, and 10 for tua for violent ask thing

the character everyone gets wrong

Diego. I love and stan Diego, so maybe I'm biased. But I do see a lot of comments that go I want s1 Diego back and I'm like do you? Or do you want the feelings you used to have? And there is a difference. S1!Diego was rooted in angry and pettiness. He could go from really sweet to really hostile. Diego was such an intense character... I loved Diego, but I'm not gonna lie and say I loved him from episode one. It took me 3 full episodes because he felt like Latino archetype for so much of s1. Like I've seen this character so many time. When we got to see more as he step out of this archetype, I was really interesting to see where he was going.

I think the problems I had with s3, are that they didn't take it a step further. I would have loved to have seen more compassionate Diego with his siblings and what that meant for his character post-s2 and we didn't get that.

common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

I would say that: s2 was a bad season lol this one is silly like it wasn't terrible, it lead to some of the best episodes (fight me 2.06 & 2.10 were the best), to some of the best developments between siblings (loved five and diego), and ultimately gave me something that s1 didn't... more time with the hargreeves together. i'm sorry if you don't like them together, but i do.

worst part of fanon

Not allowing our favorite sibling to make mistakes. I think we've all chosen one character and we've put into this bubble and have made them infallible. And that's not the point of this series. All of them have mess up in small and big ways and yet! And yet here we are. We can't say anything because someone will get defensive. And yes, I too have been at the end of that (not gonna pretend like i haven't). I love the siblings when they make mistakes, but sometimes it doesn't feel like they are allowed to.

#weirdwildwonderland #reply #violent ask thing

[cookinguptales]

this latest episode... felt really random to me? in general the last few episodes it feels like theyre throwing way too much new stuff into one, then cancelling it out by the end of the ep, and there are no real consequences to anything? like. i'm genuinely confused and saddened because this isnt the wwdits i know and love.

I feel like in general, they've tried to squeeze too many concepts into s4 and they haven't really adequately addressed any of them. I really started to get worried after watching 4.08. I actually loved the episode, I think it's the strongest they've been all season. But I realized at that point just how much they had to wrap up in two episodes and I was like. Oh, this isn't gonna work, is it?

(Spoilers: it is not working.)

I know they're kind of lampshading the way that things never really stick in this house (and, without going into spoilers, will keep doing that even more in the finale) but I don't care if the characters criticize your writing choices if you're still making them.

It's actually frustrating because one of the things I thought was interesting about s3 was how things kept coming back. Arcs were really being woven in throughout the season. Characters were growing and changing a lot more between the episodes. I think we had to sacrifice some laughs to get there, but it was an interesting direction to take the series after the departure of Jemaine Clement.

And then we had several episodes this season end... very abruptly, I guess? There were a lot of times when there should have been some emotional fallout that was just never dealt with. Guillermo being forced to fight in the familiar fights, for instance. This just ended with Guillermo faking his death and we never heard about how anyone felt about any of this. We never heard about the dick wish and whether it had been undone ever again. There have been a lot of times where they just drop bombs in the last five minutes of the episode and then just move on.

I'm reminded of The Siren, tbh... It wasn't my favorite episode of s3, but it did end with Colin having that odd, melancholy moment that showed that the events of the episodes profoundly affected him. The Casino was a very funny episode, but it also had long-lasting effects on Nandor's psyche, as did The Escape. Like you can do both. You can have zany, fun episodes that also have lingering implications for the characters.

It's odd, because it's like they poured all of their attention re: continuing plot lines into Baby Colin and then just had Guillermo and Nandor fuck around all season. And it was funny, sure, and I enjoyed it! But I did notice early on that they had less of a tendency to commit, y'know? I kept thinking they were building to something with those two, but then... I guess it was just this...

Sigh.

#replies #wwdits tag #wwdits s4 spoilers #wwdits leaks #JUST TO BE SAFE

[pynkhues]

you're caught up! Tell me all your thoughts on Hacks S2 so far!

I have! Mmm, mixed feelings? What I've loved, I've really loved (especially 2.06!), but what I haven't loved, I really, really haven't.

I think overall I've found the season to be unbalanced and lacking in the clear focus it had in season one, which has in turn lessened the stakes and the emotional impact of not just Deb and Ava's relationship and character arcs, but the ensemble moments that I think defined the first season. Deb and DJ's relationship, Ava's with her ex and with her parents, and Marcus' struggle with his identity and life outside of his career were pivotal to making the world of Hacks feel realised and full to me, and allowed for a really clear thematic exploration of partnership, career, parenthood, and independence vs isolation, and the relationships all of that had with each other.

Having the really clear external conflict of Deb's residency being at risk of cancellation was this perfect way to contain all of that as it allowed itself to be this catalyst in so many different ways - her residency was at risk and so she had to mix it up and so she hired Ava and so Marcus felt threatened and so and so and so. It was all clear cause and effect which had real and varied emotional ramifications within a specific context.

Season two has felt pretty sprawling, and not in a way that I think has elevated the stakes and conflicts, but rather detracted from it. Deb's on tour! Great! But what's at stake? A maybe-residency somewhere off the strip which we haven't seen and have no context for? Her reputation? Her brand deals? Who knows! She's doing drop ins, so it doesn't seem to really matter if she misses one, her shows doing badly don't seem to impact audience attendance at other shows, and while it's having an emotional impact on Deb, it's not an emotional impact that's really having any effect on the narrative overall.

God, we don't even know how DJ feels about having so much of her life and addiction and trauma being shared with half the country!

It's not just Deb either - there's a real aimlessness to Ava and Marcus' arcs this season too, which to me leaves the season feeling saggy, a particular contrast to how tight s1 was - and again, without clear stakes. Ava having no career options outside of Deb and having a father who was dying, and Marcus feeling pushed out in s1 gave them real emotional resonance, but their arcs this season have felt superficial to me. Ava feels guilty about the email and is being sued by Deb, but that's effectively a punchline and offers no source of narrative tension, and Marcus is lost without Deb, which, again, we knew that already, so I don't know what we're supposed to be learning.

That said! I did think the last two episodes were a lot better, in particular because the show finally started using the tour itself as a source of narrative conflict, in particular Deb running into Susan and that becoming a vehicle to look at the sacrifices these women have made between them - one for her career, and one of her career - and in Deb finally having a breakthrough that recaptures, I think, some of the joy of the show, but also establishing some new stakes and goals that have been so sorely needed in such an aimless season.

So yeah! I still like the show a lot, but I guess I'd describe this season as loose and lacking in authentic tension, which is a real bummer given how tight and ripe with genuine conflict s1 felt. I'm hoping it sticks the landing and can reground itself in an s3, but we'll see!

#that's not even touching on the lesbian cruise ep where i completely agree with you #it was wildly offensive tbh and i can't believe that was where they chose to go #hbo hacks #hacks spoilers #kind of? #welcome to my ama

[conchshell]

I’ve heard mixed reviews about TUA season 3 now that it’s actually out, so I’m a bit on the fence about watching it. Would love to hear your thoughts/review on it after you finish the season :)

So it's taken a while for me to answer this because I've been watching an episode a day, so I don't know if you've started the show or not. But I'll try and give my thoughts about S3 without spoiling anything major plot wise in case you haven't started watching it.

Things I disliked;

The CGI in some of the scenes is rough and very noticeable in places, however this seems to be an issue with the earlier episodes and there is an improvement in the later ones.

The pacing is a little off in places, I felt that the first half of the show was too slow and the second half was too fast - I would have loved to have seen some of the action spread across more episodes.

Some of the loose ends in the previous seasons weren't addressed or answered in this season, and some of the scenes felt like they were just there for the sake of trying to answer past questions without actually giving it much thought (such as Five and his Commission storyline).

Related the previous two points, I felt like the plot was a little weaker than in S1 and 2, I wish that they'd really made the "foundations" of the season more solid. The best way I can describe it is that it felt more like a first draft.

The Sparrows were criminally underused and felt one-dimensional at times, which is a shame because they were interesting characters with equally interesting powers, and I thought they would have more of a presence given the amount of promo content. And maybe this was just me, but I felt like Alphonso's character was merely there to make fat jokes about.

Again, maybe it's just me but it felt like some of the Umbrellas hardly used their powers. I think it's most noticeable with Five whom in the previous seasons would blink everywhere, whereas he hardly did that this season. I don't know if this was due to the constraints of the special effects budget?

The ending was interesting, I've very torn on it because on one hand I like how everything comes together yet leaves it open for another season, but on the other hand it felt slightly like a rushed afterthought

Things I liked;

The footloose scene, enough said 💃

Having said what I did about the CGI, there are some downright beautiful scenes with wonderful cinematography in the later episodes. I feel like they really tried to do some some atmospheric shots and backdrops and it paid off.

I really enjoyed the relationships between some of the characters in this season. Luther and Viktor have some really great heartfelt scenes, and Lila and Diego make a great duo. Five and Klaus have some nice scenes too which was great because I was hoping for some. But of all of them I really liked the progress of Lila and Five's relationship from S2 to 3, you can really see that they're starting to warm up to each other.

I've seen some criticism about the music choices but I actually really liked it. The songs were softer and more subdued than past seasons which were more upbeat, which I felt really worked with the tone of the season.

Luther's character really shines this season, he's given much more screen-time and I'm glad that they decided to do so, because all of his scenes are very enjoyable to watch. I know a lot of people who were unsure of Luther have changed their minds following S3.

Viktor's and Klaus' character arc was also really good, it's great to see them more confident with both themselves and their powers.

Overall, I got the feeling that S3 was aiming to recreate the vibe that S1 had, but didn't quite manage to get there, there were so many great opportunities for certain scenes to progress and then they fell short. But on the other hand, I do think there were some really enjoyable scenes between the siblings, and it's nice for the show to delve more into the characters and the bonds between them. I also felt like it did answer a lot of questions about Reginald and his motives for the academy, so it's worth watching it to get more understanding regarding that.

TLDR: There are some pacing issues and the plot is rather shaky in places, but it's enjoyable to watch merely for the bonding scenes between the siblings. I think the main thing is to go into S3 without any expectations - I think the fandom has come up with some great ideas so S3 in reality felt a little lacklustre. But despite its shortcomings and the odd scene here and there, I really did enjoy watching it and I will probably rewatch it again. 6.5/10

#Obviously these are just my thoughts and other people will have different ones #I'm so sorry this ended up so long lmao #but I hope this helps you come to a decision! #thanks for the ask #The Umbrella Academy #idk if I should tag this as a spoiler because I've tried not to spoil anything??? #tua #tua S3 #intergalactic-bean #asks

[expensivemistake]

top 5 tua storylines

Ooooh god this is actually a really tough one!!! Often, I view "storylines" as season arcs, but for the sake of this post I'll try and be more specific. In no particular order other than the first one.

Klaus' ongoing development between 1x04 and 1x10. Okay... so this is sort of... not a storyline as much as it's a story arc. I lied. But it's so hard to not tie it all together. I think 1x04 is so crucial to showing Klaus how he can use his powers, showing him that he's worth something. And then there's Dave, and the drive for sobriety. PTSD after the war. How compassionate Klaus can be in those back few episodes of s1, how he says so many reasonable, observant things, yet he's not suddenly a perfect person. It's just a wonderful arc. Cannot be topped.

Klaus wants to find his birth mother in this new timeline so he tricks retirement Five into coming on a road trip to Pennsylvania with him to find her. Five JUST wants to see the ball of twine. Klaus manages to get chased by the Amish. No explanation necessary.

Same episode: Diego going to buy ear medicine for his alleged son but fighting two of the sparrows in the middle of a store, just 'cos. Diego for most of the first half of s3 is just... great.

Aside from one GLARING issue, I think Allison's s3 story was very compelling. She's spent her whole life faking perfection and she's been so... silent about her feelings, bottled everything up, felt like she couldn't talk. Because of her powers she was raised to be self-involved and kind of a bad person, even though she's not. Even when she's tried to be better, to not rely on them, things haven't worked out for her. She's lost the people who mattered to her, the families she's made for herself with Claire and Ray, and she's sort of right that everyone's so quick to alleviate Viktor of responsibility when he slit her throat, and he's the reason this keeps happening. She's not right, and in s3 it's not directly Viktor's fault or anything, but I think Allison is so painfully understandable in how she feels about all of that. I think aside from the sexual assault (something I will NEVER support being used as it was in the show), she was written well and I understand why she feels the way she does and wants what she does.

Um I really enjoyed Allison's s2 story as well I think it's the best part of s2 and an incredibly powerful portrayal of civil rights activism during the American south in the 1960s. And I also LOVE Ray and their relationship and the fact that Allison really did think she was going to be in the 60s forever. People forget she was there second longest. I loved seeing the community she found, loved seeing her genuinely in a happier place with herself than she was in season 1, and I think it was a good idea for the show to take this route with her rather than anything comic accurate.

#ask box #tua asks #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #wow I had a lot of allison thoughts all of a sudden #not mad about it #I do like s3 klaus in general too I probably should've put that instead of the twine thing

[lesbianelsas]

So I tried Better Things 2 years ago, but the weird racism with the grandma and Lenny Kravitz’s character and the weirdness about poc in general was like. A lot. So I didn’t continue but your posts made me want to give it another try and I love Pamela Aldons voice sm lol. I’m on s3 and I’m really loving it. Shows about ‘nothing’ especially from women’s pov are so underrated. I’m a huge fan of just talking, just because and I love that so many episodes are just ‘ok we’re gonna talk in the car/bedroom/living room/beach now’ like hell yeah! Sam is my fave though like I get that her kids are Like That on purpose(also being a teenage girl is rough ik)and it’s all a bit extra for tv but they grate on my nerves; I am hoping for a little chills as they grow up. Anyway this show is so witty and clever and well acted(like actual acting not like over/under emoting CW shit yk) so thanks for pushing me to try it again :)

EDIT: I started writing this reply earlier and then I found myself growing more lyrical (just like the show!) every time I came back to it lol. I didn’t wanna bother with being concise because on tumblr We Are Free, so I’m sorry this got so long and that I made you wait that long too, lol! I was very happy to receive your message and I’m super pleased that you rediscovered the show and my 5 note gifsets! :)

EDIT 2: There might be slight “spoilers” in this, but then again it’s hardly a show that can be spoiled or relies on surprising twists. But I wanted to cover my bases regardless :p

But gosh you are right about the grandma racism etc - I have to admit I completely forgot about it before now, but your message vaguely makes me remember a plot like that indeed. That said, I still have absolutely zero recollection of Lenny Kravitz being ever on the show omg - my mind is a void! I suppose it has been 5 years, omg, time flies.

I looked up the description of the episodes to remember it further, and I assume you mean this specific episode?

Lol, I gotta say, it doesn't surprise me that that particular episode was one that was written by Louis CK, back when he was still involved. Of course that doesn't absolve the show or Pamela Adlon from any potential criticism about the way people of color are written or engaged with, especially further on, but, you know. He is a fucking weirdo. And I'm glad the series continued solely under her vision & supervision. Adlon has briefly talked about how massive the change has been, particularly from s2 to s3. I haven't quite watched the show with too much of a critical eye though, and of course my own whiteness hardly makes me the best judge. All that to say, I hope I haven't uncritically forgotten about any other weirdness!

But yeah I do love the show, and I love Adlon's voice. Better Things has such a kind approach when it comes to the ebb and flow of life and the infinite complexity of human beings. Maybe the good faith that inspires also influenced me to regard the show with that same good faith. Because when you watch it, you come away with this appreciation for life; life has good and bad, and life goes on, and life is funny. Part of that is due to how observational it is, I think. The pov is very grounded in Sam as a character, but her overall attitude is very laissez-faire, non-controlling. Going either "eh?" or "heh" as a coping mechanism for life's ups and downs. Sometimes wry, but in a caring way, never melodramatic, but also never cynical or dismissive. I've heard other people say that it contributes to making the show feel distinctly Jewish too, in tone - smarter people than me (more Jewish people than me :p) will be able to elaborate on that.

A while back, I described it as a cinematic gaze that is insistingly non-judgmental and patient. I think that also results in success when it comes to balancing the teenage kids' tantrums and their continuous growth. The kids get to be impossibly and painfully rude to their mom, like you said - but I felt that was more resonant than grating, precisely because the show portrays their lives in such a holistic way. What I mean is: there is a lot of love (or at least humanity) stored in seemingly random, but pointedly chosen uneventful moments, and that acts like a buffer for anything painful that happens, in a way. (Though, about the kids being rude - look forward to a show-stopping scene in season 5 that is gonna be incredibly satisfying.) There is a sort of love and connection that is formed just by being part of each other’s lives, right, even if a lot of what’s on the surface is conflict & miscommunication & strife. One might say that is a cynical view on family, but I also think it’s an inevitably loving one. So yeah, sometimes those kids behave like monsters and 3 minutes later they're hugging their mom and asking what's for dinner and there's just never any time to really have a resolution for any of it, because then the next day begins and people have to go to school or hang out with friends or go to work. “Life is what happens to you when you’re too busy to make any other plans". In that same regard, there is a bemused tranquility to the way agitation & frantic moments in the show just... fizzle out. Not because it’s unimportant, but because it is just part of the jazzy rhythm of daily life. Trading fondly between jarring imperfections and notes of harmony. And that approach genuinely neutralizes the pressure or shame that often feels like a constant companion when you're in the middle of life. There’s sometimes a lot of insight & connection buried under those attention-stealing emotions, and space for magical realism in the beyond. It all makes me look back on my own life, and think about my mom, and her mom, in a very soothed accepting way.

I feel like and "I want to elevate the mundane" are guiding lines for that directing & writing style. The scenes we see are almost always the hearty middles or in-betweens of a usual narrative, without introductions or feeling the need to explain what's going on, without wanting to put anything in a comprehensible arc. Life happens when you're in the middle of making chicken stock, too. But more on that later.

A lot of things happen, but the show resists the idea to assign /meaning/ to it, one way or another. Frankie can choose a dress at some point and a tux at another point and have sex with a boy at one point and flirt with a girl at another point and we won't be able to predict where that takes the character - it could mean anything or nothing but it matters all the same, it has value all the same - we'll just have to see what happens, and Sam lets it happen. Just like real life doesn’t have a "narrative" that retroactively makes a carefully curated series of experiences feel significant one way or the other. Some experiences will be evidence for a crucial revelation or decision later in life, and others were just dust in the wind - yet just as much part of life, and what makes a person whole, and a life rich. It’s not dead weight, it’s all alive, and that translates to how organic character “arcs” on the show feel. They make sense retroactively, but it rarely feels like it’s build up in a forward thinking way, which is unlike the way storytelling usually feels (for the record, that has its value and appeal too). It's just genius how this show has been able to capture that.

As for the acting & directing, it's incredible right? A friend of mine asked me a while back whether it was all improvised, because it felt so authentic and natural. And then I found this beautiful interview answer by Adlon:

DEADLINE: People saw so much of you in Sam Fox — and not just because you co-created the show, but from the parallels to your own career, your own family and more. But this was no reality show, it was tightly scripted …

ADLON: It is carefully scripted and down to the last detail, and everything is decided beforehand. But the thing that happens is, on the day, I will be in the restaurant or something shooting the scene, right, and I’ll look at the waiter. And I’ll be like, “Where are you from originally?” And he’ll be like, “Turkey.” And I’m like, “Did your mother ever sing you a lullaby when you were a little boy?” He says yes, and I say, “What was it?” and then he sings it for me. And then all of a sudden, I’ve upgraded this guy. My line producers are scratching their head, and we’ve just enhanced the scene. It’s a very fluid, organic, moving thing. It’s got a pulse. (via)

And yeah, while the variety of media is improving a lot, you still don't often see stories from the pov of menopause-age women (creatively & as the star) who also get to, you know, talk about menopause. Go /through/ it, “start” to “finish”, without it being an arc. Just, part of life. Casually, in between cooking, and driving around, and work, and children, and awkward moments, and connecting with friends, and life. Speaking of cooking, I liked this reflection on the importance of cooking in the show: 

“Whether she’s making borscht or chicken or a margarita, Sam’s attention to process and detail is sharp. She prepares sustenance and libations as an act of love, a form of comfort, a way to bring people together, an attention to self. And no matter what she’s making or who she’s making it for, the show lets us watch. What would seem unimportant on most shows becomes the focus. Her labor, her time, as a mom, as a person, is valued by her camera. It’s a cooking show where we’re all the winner because we get to witness something so simple and so human. [...] Sam’s relationship to food and to her children holds the same care, the same attention to detail, the same love of life, that she brings to all her interactions. It’s a sardonic tenderness. A feeling that this person is plenty aware of the fucked up-ness of the world and has decided to lead with pleasure and kindness anyway.” (via)

And like, you are right, that there's something about appreciating the "slice of life" of not just young people, or men. There is an intense humanizing power in the pov chosen for that, in the agency and interiority that comes with that. And while a lot of people would fairly argue that white women's pov is hardly underrepresented on tv these days, there is still a lot of taboo surrounding the concept of women... aging. And therefore imo there is a severe need to humanize that, but not in a pitying way, but in a way that exudes vitality, instead.

I'm reminded of this thread, a story told by actress Claudia Black, about how actor James McAvoy unexpectedly made her feel seen & appreciated, in her craft. She talked about how life can get awfully small for single moms - about feeling invisible, as a woman nearing 50. And it's interesting, because she said that while the "minutiae of life" can be adorable and parenthood fulfilling in its own way, the key point of her thread was that she also really struggled with... waning ambition & dreams & pride, as a consequence of aging, and perhaps the priorities demanded by motherhood - her life becoming "small". And that is often a distinctly female experience! Because we live in a society, lol, and work is still considered a male responsibility, while domesticity a female responsibility. I don't mean to romanticize work to contrast my point (because that can also be deafening and suffocating), but there is a specific... sacrificial smallness to domesticity that can make some women feel like their footprint in life /narrows/ gradually as life goes on, like their /value/ pales as they age. Or society treats them that way, even when they don’t think of it that way.

And it's interesting to think about how "Better Things" as a show... somehow... combined those two things. On the one hand, it is a show that embraces the ebb and flow of life, meandering mundanity, the beauty of the little things, from the pov of a near-50 woman. Smallness can feel very big when you highlight serendipitous moments of human connection. Not to mention, the show’s final season focuses a little bit on how empty-nest-syndrome might affect Sam, as her children grow into tiny adults - and that feels like it speaks specifically to the issue I mentioned above. That a lot of mothers’ lives inevitably become about their children and that a lot of these women are suddenly confronted with parenthood has impacted their existential footprint. The choice to end the show on Sam’s solo happiness, as her “village” sings in the background, is therefore really powerful, I think. On the other hand, the show is also a showcase of CRAFT, craft of storytelling, craft of directing, /by/ a woman of 50. Pamela Adlon created all this, turned her voice and life into art. So there is this dual layer of appreciation and admiration. It's like the summum of body of life and her body of work - for now. And the rest is a meteor shower.

TLDR;

"Meandering but structurally complex in deceptive ways; deeply tied to the singular point of view of its star and creator; willing to unflinchingly center aging women, invisibilities literal and figurative. Will there ever be another show so unburdened by plot and premise as Better Things?[...] Adlon’s writing and direction—she’s directed every episode since the second season of the show—are, as much as anything, an act of curation. Each character, each plot point, each set piece, each LA space are like beloved objects strewn about Sam’s home, and as the show accumulates them, they belong to us viewers as well. To shriek in delight when a bit character from seasons earlier walks through the frame, to audibly gasp when a statue at the top of Sam’s staircase breaks—to watch Better Things is to live with these people. The show has a hoarder’s sense of narrative value. Nothing is unimportant, everything matters." (via)

Lol, I think this answer must contain the word “life” like 500 times. If you made it this far, thank you, and thank you for giving me an excuse to ramble mwhahhahahaha. One of my fave shows of all timeeeeeee

#askbox #:) #i haven't reread this so if there's an unfinished sentence in there #welcome to my stream of consciousness

[paradigmsofbrittaperry]

I’m still watching New Girl, but I haven’t enjoyed season 3 as much as I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2. and not because it’s bad, just because I’m kind of bored? and it feels like something is missing, idk what though. all of this to say that I might watch the last four episodes of season 3 and then take a break from it to go finally catch up on Riverdale.

#like the loft's dynamic just isn't hitting like s1 and s2 did #i loved so many of those episodes that i would often finish them and come straight here to rb gif sets and such of the episode i'd watched #but i haven't really felt that way about many s3 episodes #aside from the little three episode arc w/ abby that was nice + linda cardinelli was a bonus #part of it too is that nick and jess are dating but don't have many storylines together so it's like. yeah cool they're gonna break up #that kind of feels realistic at this point since we don't see them spend much time together and they didn't like living together #whereas s1 and s2 make you fall in love w/ their friendship over time and then translate it over to a romantic relationship #in a way that feels realistic #sry for the tag ramble i'm just kind of bummed that this season hasn't really done it for me #oH i also liked the a plot of 03x15 but the b plot was boring so i forgot about the whole ep #and i liked nick saying 'i love you' first on accident but the whole ep just felt like an excuse to give prince an episode so like. #emotional weight was lifted for me in a way. #idk the vibe is just different and idk why but i want the old vibe back #though i will say that i like the reintroduction of coach!! his friendships w/ jess and cece are very sweet too #anyway all of this to say that i'll finish the show eventually but i think i need a break from it since i've been overall bored w/ s3 #bri speaks #new girl notes

[landonkirbyappreciation]

Hi I hope you're doing well. So I'm new to Tumblr because I want it to get on a site that doesn't have so many toxic antis on it. So far I haven't ran into any here which is a good sign and people have been really friendly which I love. But I have to say your blog and your Handon haven blog is like my new safe haven for all things Landon and Handon. I just love your gifs and thoughts.

Also I apologize if you have already answered something like this before. But ever since the start of s2 this has been on my mind. But why do people hate Landon so much? I really don't want to believe it's all because of a ship. And their reasons for hating him and saying that he's "a bad boyfriend" makes zero sense. All the reasons they have are him having basic human emotions. He gets upset when he has every right to be he's a horrible person and bad boyfriend. He goes to take a walk to avoid a fight or after a fight so that means "he's leaving her once again." I think the one I've seen the most is how back in s1 when Landon found out Hope has been lying to him about his mom. And people say "he didn't have to ask her about that right then. And he sure didn't have to walk away either." I think the only way I could agree with that is if Landon found out about hours ago and then waited until that moment to say something. But the fact is he found out only moments before hand. He was clearly hurt and upset and after finding out something like that I don't think him or anyone else could have waited at ask about that. And once he was showing basic human emotions. So it makes perfect sense that he would go take a moment for himself. But there's no doubt in my mind that if Hope actually cared about that pageant and wasn't just doing it for Lizzie, that he would have stayed even though he was upset and did the pageant with her. And the list only goes on like that, Landon shows emotions he has bad person and boyfriend. When in fact it's the exact opposite. I swear the way antis try to make Landon sound you would think there was an episode that came out that only antis got to see where Landon commits mass murder, cheats on Hope with dozen different women while drowning puppies for kicks of it.

In 3 seasons the worse thing he did was unknowingly stole a knife and then lied about it because he was scared. That's it that's the only bad thing he's done. Everything else was him doing everything he could to help while being there for Hope when no else was. Also people are so quick to say that Landon is a bad boyfriend but no one talks about the few times that Hope wasn't to best girlfriend(or they take those times and twist them to make Landon the bad guy). Like her lying to him about his mom, or her refusing to teach him how to fight because the monsters were back when that would be the perfect time for him to learn how to defend himself. Or her trying to send Landon to the prison world with Raph because the necromancer was back and planning something. Let me just say I'm not coming at Hope I love her to bits and I know her reasons for doing what she did was rooted in her fears and her not wanting Landon to get hurt. And I can understand that completely(but at the same time not really her best moments even if her heart was in the right place)and glad that at the beginning of s3 she was starting to let Landon to help and do more and not trying to put him in a cage so much(I hope I made sense with that one and that you understand what I'm trying to say with the Hope part. If not sorry). I just don't understand the Landon or Handon hate for that matter. Yes they have fights and disagreements like every other couple. But nothing that would warrant this much hate. These two love each other so much and would do anything for each other and they generally make each other better and happier. You can just see it when they're around each other and away from each other. And if im being honest they're one of the healthiest relationships in the TVDU. Okay there's so much more I could add and say. But I'm going to end this here before this ask gets way to long.

Once again sorry if you already answered something like this before. I know it could get annoying answering the same thing over again.

Hi! Thank you, I hope you’re doing well too! And that’s understandable, it’s way better here than other places, like Twitter. There can still be some hate and negativity at times, but for the most part, it’s pretty minimal. But wow, really? Aww, I’m so glad! Thank you so much!! That means a lot. ❤️

I don’t think I’ll ever understand why people hate Landon so much. I think all the hate started mostly because of ships, but has just grown from there. I also feel like people hate on him because that’s become the popular thing to do. But yeah, their reasons for hating him really don’t make any sense, there’s just no good reason to hate on him at all. Exactly, because he has feelings and has been affected by very serious things, he’s not a good person or boyfriend?? It’s so obvious that they just don’t think that Landon’s feelings matter. The times that he’s walked away were when he was really hurt, but I guess he’s not allowed to feel hurt or take care of himself? Landon isn’t one to fight, he goes to take time to calm down and to think. And it’s not like he does it all the time (despite what some people say), it’s happened a few times in extreme situations.

But yes, people have often brought up 1x14, and they don’t even try to see Landon’s side of things. People really think he should’ve waited to ask Hope? Yeah, exactly, he had just barely found out about it, how could he not have brought it up? Imagine having the kind of life that he had, where he had grown up abused and without a family or home, didn’t know who his parents were, but had that picture of Seylah and always wanted answers. He had wanted to meet her his whole life and know why she had given him up, because that affected his entire life. And then to find out that he had met her and gotten answers only to have it all wiped away? And that Hope had been lying to him about it after the issues him lying to her about the knife had caused? And how they had agreed to be honest with each other? If people can’t understand how that must have made him feel and why he was so emotional that he had to leave, and think that he should’ve just stayed at a pageant that neither him or Hope wanted to participate in, then idk what to say. And true, it’s possible if he thought Hope actually cared about the pageant that he might have forced himself to get through it. But I don’t think he should’ve been expected to either way, he was obviously very hurt and overwhelmed. He shouldn’t have had to stay when he was feeling all of that. Because it was still about his mother and his life and being lied to vs. a pageant. And Hope shouldn’t have had to stay either when she was feeling so upset and panicked too, it was Roman who convinced her to stay when she didn’t have to, which just made it worse.

And Landon’s reasons for walking away the other times were just as valid. Hope doesn’t tell him who she is for months, after he’d been struggling while she was gone, had been killing himself, and was still in love with her but didn’t know it. And then realized she’d let him be with Josie, which also might have made him question how Hope felt about him? That all must have been very shocking, but antis think he’s not allowed to be upset? Same with when he lost his brother/best friend and his powers all in one day, turning his life upside down and leaving him scared about his future with Hope. He takes time for himself in these situations and people are outraged. It’s so clear that they don’t care about his feelings at all. If he reacts to anything, even though his reactions are perfectly reasonable, they attack him. Seriously though, idk what show they’ve been watching, because they really do make him sound as if he’s done absolutely horrible things with the way they talk about him.

So true, and another reason he lied about the knife was because he felt influenced by it as well. Because he had said it was like “the knife wanted me to steal it and then it wanted me to lie.” So not even that was his fault. Exactly, he’s not done anything bad. And he’s not perfect, but he does always have good intentions and tries to do the right thing. And yep, he’s been there for Hope more than anyone too.

And I agree when it comes to Hope. I love her too, but she’s not perfect either, but no one says anything about it. They seriously do just twist everything to make Landon look bad while not acknowledging when Hope hasn’t necessarily made the best decisions. And yeah, I understand her reasons for all that she did too and that she just wanted to protect Landon. She had good intentions as well, and was also scared, so I totally get that. But some of what she’s done hasn’t always been the best for Landon, like with her lying about Seylah, or her not wanting to train Landon to fight, which would’ve been very beneficial to him (especially this last season when he was in the prison world). But yes, she has been able to handle that sort of stuff better and has let Landon do more over time, which is good. And you did make sense, I do understand what you’re saying. So I can see both Hope’s and Landon’s side of things. It just bugs me when people only ever choose to see Hope’s side while ignoring Landon’s.

Agreed, I’ll never understand the Landon or Handon hate either. And yeah, they have disagreements, but they also grow from those disagreements. Like every time they’ve had one, they talk things out and just get stronger. So it’s helped them to communicate and understand each other better and know how to move forward together. And exactly, they both make each other so happy and they bring out the best in each other. And ikr, they are one of the healthiest TVDU couples, that’s why it baffles me when people have such strong reactions when it comes to Handon, and will call them toxic, etc. Were they not around for TVD/TO? Have they not watched them? Because if they’re so bothered by such minor things with Handon, you’d think they’d explode if they saw what happened with some of the other couples from the other shows.

And it’s fine! I’ve posted about all kinds of stuff, so I may have talked about some of this before, but can’t remember tbh haha.

#answered #landon kirby #handon

[handonhaven]

I know so many people are worried that Hopes humanity will be back by 4x08(and I'm sorry but that's way too rushed even for legacies to have Hope with no humanity for 2 episodes and then by the third it's back on. Especially since it's a lead character storyline). And I can understand being worried when it comes to legacies, I really do. But it's the way so many people worry about every little thing that gets me. Their reason for believing that Hopes humanity is back on in 4x08(and I really think this is far fetched) is bc in the promo pic of just Hope she's wearing a necklace and they think it's her Mikaelson necklace. We can't even see the pendant on the necklace bc her hair is covering it. So it could really just be any necklace. I mean show has shown Hope wearing a different necklace before back in s3. I believe it was the episode after Golem Landon showed up(or maybe it was a different episode), Hope was wearing a red necklace. So I think just bc she's wearing a necklace means her humanity back on. Another reason I don't think her humanity back on is bc in another promo pic Cleo is holding a tree branch talking to MG. So there's a very high chance she's making a weapon, one she wouldn't need to make if Hope was back to being Hope. But my main reason for believing that Hopes humanity won't be back so fast is bc an interview Danielle did back in October where she said that some people won't like or be upset with some of things Hope does this season. And the only thing Hopes done so far is hurt Alaric and I haven't seen anyone upset about that. And Hope with her humanity on wouldnt do risky things or things people won't like unless she felt like she had no other choice.

And now people are worried that Landon won't be the one to turn Hopes humanity back on, okay this one I can 100% understand people being worried about. Just bc of how many opportunities legacies has wasted. But at the same time it makes the most sense for Landon to be the one who turns her humanity on, bc it's been shown that Landon is Hopes emotional trigger. In 3x14 just Josie talking about Landon was enough to snap Hope out of it. I don't think it'll be that easy this time around bc of how much Hope doesn't want to feel the pain of killing Landon(not unless the writers got really lazy and decided to make it that easy). But I also like to think and believe that even if it's not Landon himself who brings Hope humanity back its gonna be bc of him somehow. Bc like I said it's been shown so much that Landon is Hopes emotional trigger. It's the only thing that really makes sense to me.

Wow that got long lol sorry about that. Anyways I hope you have a good day and that the rest of your weekend is good as well.

It really would be way too soon and I’m hoping they’re not gonna end it that soon when it feels like it’s just started and not a whole lot has happened. And I saw that some people think Hope is wearing her necklaces and I tried to see it and I thought I sort of could and it didn’t look like any of her necklaces to me. It looked like it might be a longer pendant, but idk, it was hard to tell with her hair in the way. And true, Hope has worn different necklaces before as well. I’m not gonna worry about it too much till we know for sure. And yeah, there’s that still of Cleo and MG as well, I thought that could be the tree and them making a weapon too. That’s a good point about Danielle’s interview, I mean, I think some stuff in interviews can be exaggerated, but I do think Hope surely has to do more than what she’s done. Especially for the squad to resort to making weapons out of the tree? But then again, this is the stupid squad we’re talking about... Cleo already seems as if she’s decided to kill Hope, and Lizzie wants to as well. But with all the build up to this point and all the talk about how dangerous Hope is, she’s gotta go further than she’s gone for it all to make sense. But this is Legacies, they often have tons of build up for nothing, but I’m still gonna hope she has her humanity off past 4x08, and at least until Landon gets back.

Yeah, I’m both worried but also hopeful when it comes to Landon being the one to bring Hope back. At this point, I’ve been so disappointed with the show that I’m trying to ignore and forget about the stuff I don’t like since they’ve screwed so much up. Idk how else to cope. 😭 And if Landon isn’t the one to turn Hope’s humanity back on, we’ll all know it’s just another huge mistake that I’m gonna have to somehow cleanse from my mind. Because I have no doubt that Landon would be the one to bring Hope back. It really does make the most sense. And exactly, we’ve got examples of Landon bringing Hope back before, like in 3x14. Landon has always been the one to help Hope and get through to her and bring out the best of her, since the very beginning. And for sure, this should be the hardest thing to get Hope out of. She won’t want to feel the pain of killing Landon, plus she’s got the guilt over putting Alaric in a coma that she won’t want to feel either. But true, the writers might be lazy again, so I’m trying to be prepared as well. And yeah, even if they don’t have it being Landon with him actually there, it has to at least have something to do with him. I agree, that’s the only thing that would make sense. So I’m really, really hoping. 🤞😅

And no worries! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. And thank you so much! I hope you have a great rest of your day (or night) and weekend as well!

#answered #handon #no humanity hope #s4

[marciego]

For the ship/don’t ship ask

Lutteo

Leonetta

Marciego

Answer whichever you feel like!

let's go!! since you asked for all of them i'll gladly tell for all of them <3 thank you so much for that!! ripping the bandaid off first by starting with lutteo (since i will obviously lovemail leonetta and marciego zdefr)

lutteo

Don’t Ship It

Why don’t you ship it?

i think luna is a good person and matteo simply isn't, put clearly he's a dick and the show keeps kissing his ass when he clearly doesn't deserve it and it honestly gets on my nerves. also "misunderstood uwu boy changes when he finds the Right Girl" is absolutely never a good trope

What would have made you like it?

if matteo didn't act like That and he genuinely became friends with luna because she seemed like a nice person and he felt they could have been friends, AND if he didn't flirt with her while dating ambar, then yeah maybe i could have been ok with them

also i really believe they shouldn't have casted ruggero as matteo, simon's actor already looks quite older than karol but clearly not as much as ruggero so it's not as disturbing, and i haven't watched s2 but in s1 lutteo scenes are annoying because of the characters and also because seeing a very obviously grown man play a 15/16yo's love interest is. uncomfortable to say the least, especially because karol looks so young (and she WAS young)

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

their banter can be pretty fun at times, and i really appreciated matteo during the daniela arc because he made luna laugh and she needed it (he managed to ruin it right after but i'm gonna ignore that for now)

leonetta

Ship It

What made you ship it?

leon coming in s1 with his princely manners, his bitchy attitude, and his arrogance and fucking over literally every other man in this show by respecting vilu changed me as a person. i fell in love with them so fast, and for so many reasons. for how open they were to each other, for how honest they've always been, for how they NEVER had any problem clearly talking about tomas, for how much leon respected her, her opinions and her choices, and how you can see them falling more and more in love every episode, for how he was willing to let her go if it meant letting her be happy with someone else, but how vilu kept choosing him over and over again, no matter how conflicted she was, because she saw this man and went "he is my happy ending" and she was RIGHT. they're everything to me

What are your favorite things about the ship?

honestly i'm not even sure i could choose what i love the most about them, but the way they look at each other is very special to me, vilu's eyes shine so bright whenever she looks at him and she looks SO HAPPY, her eyes are always beautiful but the way she immediately lights up when leon is in the room.........it's everything to me. and every single time vilu is singing on stage and leon is watching her from the backstage, utterly in love with her is like, so fucking good. so yeah, maybe i'd say that even tho i love everything about them

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

leon wasn't as jealous as everyone makes him out to be and i will die on this hill

marciego

Ship It

What made you ship it?

the way diego would have been ok with hurting everyone around him, including his oldest friend, but drew the line at involving marco in his mess, and the way marco stood next to him through everything, even though sometimes he shouldn't have done it. the way marco saw him for who he was (awfully fucked up little man) but still believed he could become better (not so fucked up anymore), also the entirety of s3. they were so fucking gay. good for me

What are your favorite things about the ship?

the PINING holy shit. they are PEAK best friends to lovers, all diego does in s3 is pining after him while refusing to compromise what they already have and so he pushes him to be with fran even if it hurts him, that IS what happens here

also the idea of mr international fuckboy (got to be one in spain and in argentina!) who's always so painfully clear about what and who he wants, who's so fucking flirty he makes you cringe every time he opens his mouth, being actually scared of his feelings? keeping them to himself? diego being into someone and not hitting on them because for once he's scared of the consequences of his actions? it's so good. like it's SO good it makes me go insane, like the flavor of diego not flirting because he's in love with his best friend and doesn't want to scare him off is so. it's so good. also marco is super chill and always acts like nothing affects him but the dude is SMOOTH, and like? for once diego is the one being flirted with and he has a hard time keeping up because he's been so scared of wishing for more than what they already had that his brain has to catch up with his heart to get what's happening when marco hits on him? it's so GOOD ugh

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

let's be clear here are there even unpopular marciego opinions? like does that exist? we're starting to be quite a few people into them (<3) but that's mostly me running around frantically like an ice cream vendor with my cute little ice cream cart, ringing my bells and yelling "WHO WANTS MY BI BOYS!!!" and y'all are kind enough to join me, taste them and realize how good they are, so i don't think you could talk about unpopular opinions here

#i do realize 'tasting' marciego might sound wrong but after that misery x cpr meme heh #who cares #also #i firmly believe diecesca dieleon and marciego shippers unite in one thing: #loving diego with our whole heart but dunking on him at every possible occasion #also most of the times the shippers are the same people but you get my idea #anyway!! #thank you again for the ask <33

[h2ojustaddmako]

Controversial opinions up ahead

Rewatching season 2, my thoughts so far (haven't I done this post before?):

- rikki is such a loner. Like sure sure that's her character trait, but she's by herself so much, I've never noticed before! Sure she likes to be around emma and cleo, but she definitely spends a lot of her time running around leaving everyone looking for her.

- that being said, she's one heck of a liar a lot of the times. I think this time I've noticed how loose their friendship was; don't get me wrong, they are definitely all best friends. But they all did their own stuff sometimes, and rikki, being the loner i said she was, really had a hard time adjusting to the idea of being in a group. Many times she didn't trust the girls or tried to trick them (like when they looked for the sunken statue) instead of being forward about things. She had major trust issues and it was the reason things blew up between her and cleo in s3 when she asked Will to keep her secret about the tentacle.

- adding to that, I get this feeling emma and rikki aren't that good of friends. Sure they hang out sometimes, but that "emma wants to be a rebel" episode was all i needed. The common ground for them is cleo. If cleo's not around, emma kinda feels she has nothing to talk about with rikki? Idk. While rikki doesn't really care much whether she's hanging out with emma, cleo or lewis, since she's mostly self centred (in a good way!). She just doesn't let who's with her affect how much fun she's having. I feel like after that episode they learned to find some ways to bond (despite the epic ice and fire fight later on), and i think by the end of the season they're in a good place.

- zane is way hotter than i remembered. Honestly a catch, rikki girl hook me up

- i know there's this whole thing about charlotte being mostly innocent and the girls were treating her badly, but that's not really it to me anymore. I think charlotte tried to make a move on lewis too soon, and when he was still hooked up on cleo and the air was still weird between them, she just tried to make cleo jealous constantly, not getting the hint (always pulling lewis aside at cleo's house, giving cleo his jacket, giving her ton of homework to keep her out of the way...). She was very clearly jealous, which makes sense, but maybe if she didn't try to get under cleo's skin so much, and gave lewis his time, they would've been in a different place.

- saying that, i dont think lewis likes her so much. I think he enjoys being around her for her intellect, she's smart, knows science, and probably is a great conversationalist. She's also a regular girl, so they don't just talk about mermaids all the time. I do think he finds her pushy, nosey, and definitely notices her little games. He just considers it all innocent when he should've been stopping her at the beginning. So yeah, Charlotte is a nice girl, but she was definitely a bitch too from day one. She knew cleo was struggling post break up and was so jealous she enjoyed poking her for her amusement.

- final thought: lewis was a terrible friend in s2. He never trusted the girls to handle things on their own and i think brought the girls to a point where they felt like they can't trust him anymore. Sure things went up and down, but that little fight they had at emma's place on the episode rikki wanted to grab the sunken statue was rude and I'd be really offended if I was the emma and especially cleo.

[willthecleric]

i really wanna have hope that byler will happen, and i agree with all of the subtext you've pointed out, i just have a really bad feeling that they're not gonna pull through :( i haven't watched the movies on the s4 list, so maybe that's why i feel less certain, but i'm just generally unsure that it will actually happen, despite really wanting it to? how can you be so sure that it will? love ur blog by the way! :D

Aww, thank you so much! Well, I used to have doubts too, so I get what you mean. But remember a few different things:

1. Mike is clearly written as gay, seeing as he is very much comp het in S3 (bisexual boys can imagine themselves in love with females, it isn’t some foreign concept and ‘something old people do’). Many straight guys found Mike’s behaviour with El strange. For a reason: he was trying to be straight and took it too far. He was especially mimicking Lucas. Seeing Mike as gay also recontextualizes a lot of his behaviour in S1 and S2. I just don’t understand why they would make Mike gay and give him so much coding for it if they were planning to have him with a girl. Makes more sense to have him bisexual or straight then. I’m not exagerrating when I say that Mike’s main story arc is about him realizing he is gay and coming to terms with that and accepting his love for Will.

2. When originally writing the S1 script, El was supposed to die. They changed it, my guess, because she helped them with a few plot points (mainly as a beard for Mike). I’m not sure why they’d have wanted her dead initially if Mileven was planned as endgame. That on top of Mike being gay is another strike against Mileven.

3. El is way behind Mike intellectually. Mike is very smart, and El doesn’t even know what a State is. It just doesn’t work and Mike is way older than her intellectually. It is creepy and will just get worse and worse. Not sure why they would do that if Mileven was meant to be endgame.

4. The Duffers parallelled Mileven with ET and Elliott multiple times in S1, and told Finn that Mike saw El as an alien or a puppy. Not at all romantic. Mileven was paralleled to Dustin and Dart in S2. In S3 it was mentioned that Mike saw El as a pet. Mike doesn’t trust El. He couldn’t answer when she told him to trust her, and changed the subject when Max said he doesn’t trust her. Mike was also justifiably upset about El spying on him (which El never felt bad about). Mike lies to El and El stalks/spies on him. Most of S2 Mileven was El stalking and spying on Mike and they used ominous music (so clearly it is not meant to be romantic). Mike had no idea she was watching him, and we saw in S3 how he would have felt if he found out about her doing that. They danced to a song about a stalking ex. Multiple movies hint that El stalks Mike in S4 (which is supported by her in S2 and S3). Those S2 Mileven scenes weren’t meant to be romantic, they are meant to be creepy. Not that I blame El. She is confused and doesn’t understand. She doesn’t know any better. The Duffers hate Mileven. They have dissed it many times (which kaypeace has shown examples of).

5. Mike and El do not share interests or even seem to like each other. El thinks Mike’s interests are dumb and that he talks too much. They don’t trust each other, and trust is essential to love. Period. Neither even sees the other as a person. She has been a tool/weapon to him. And an alien/puppy. It’s a part of his using her as a beard. He doesn’t feel bad about it because he doesn’t see her as a person. He did feel some guilt over her death, but most of him wanting her back in S2 was wanting her to fix him. His attitude problem and issues with Max in S2 were about his growing feelings for Will, NOT about El. Mike was angry at Hopper at the end of S2 because he blamed Hopper for keeping his beard away from him. He thougnt if El was there, he would not have these feelings for Will. Mike blamed Hopper for everything. Why he was so angry with him in S3. And El doesn’t see Mike as a person either. To her, he is a sense of comfort and normalcy, like her teddy bears and Hopper’s shirt. She also projected a soap opera character she liked onto him. El only found Mike attractive when she thought he was a bad boy. She didn’t know if she liked kissing him after months of making out. She referred to him as her first boyfriend, implying she was thinking of dating others in the future. There is a reason why she came to Mike three months after the main events of the season. Comfort. She lost her dad and was moving away from her new home. She was seeking normalcy. Mike is that to her.

6. They made the ending with Mileven ambiguous as far as if they are dating or not. Which idk why they would do that if Mileven was the main ship. Why make it ambiguous? I think it was intentionally done that way. El was acting romantic while Mike was more platonic in nature. I think that is to hint towards them not being on the same page. As I mentioned, numerous movies and show canon hints to El stalking Mike and spying on him. Multiple movies have Mike frustrated and not interested. And we already saw how he felt about El spying on him. I think El believes they are dating and doesn’t get it when Mike and others tell her that they are not. She doesn’t understand.

7. They made numerous Mileven and Byler parallels in S3, of S2 Byler moments redone for Mileven, and things happening between both ships in the same season. Byler always won by a landslide. They completely destroyed Mileven instead of building it up, which makes no sense if it’s endgame. Mileven had poor development from the start, and if they wanted to pull it off, makes more sense to work hard to build them up instead. Also driving away the fandom so it’s not popular anymore... why do that? It makes no sense. Queer baits don’t do that. Seems more like a straight bait to me.

8. In S1, homophobic Troy was: shoved by Mike (who is gay), forced to piss his pants in front of the school who laughed at him, had his arm broken, and was made to look like a fool. This shows what they think about homophobes. They also have posted LGBT+ positivity on Twitter. They are not homophobic and do not support homophobia. They are not going to work to please a bunch of homophobic Milevens.

9. According to multiple movies and show hints, Byler is essential and key to fixing everything. The Never Ending Story was repeatedly in S3 for a reason. It’s a hint. Not just at Will being the chosen one instead of El, but also... ‘and there upon a rainbow is the answer to a never ending story’. It’s outright telling us that Byler is the answer. Not only because rainbows are a gay symbol in itself, but Mike is also connected to rainbows as a part of his coding.

10. Multiple movies hint that Stranger Things is a book written by Mike for Will, sharing his story and their love story. Mike is the character who wants to be a writer, and the episodes are called CHAPTERS. That supports Stranger Things being a book. And the book is always written by the Mike character for the Will character. They let it be known that Mike wants to be a writer. It was mentioned as his career goal in his yearbook page, and he writes most of the D&D campaigns (besides the one that Will wrote).

11. Byler is the biggest and main relationship of the show. It’s the relationship that gets the most development, the one that gets the most romantic scenes, the one that gets the most coding by far. And every single pairing (minus Jopper and Ted/Karen as far as I can tell) parallels Byler while it is healthy and happy. The moment that stops being the case, they start paralleling Mileven. Not a good sign for Mileven. And Mileven only parallels Byler a lot because Mike has been using El as a substitute for Will (something that is mentioned by the Mike character in a number of movies, using the El character of the movie as a substitute to the Will character).

Hopefully this helped you (and anyone else) feel better about things. 😃

[heroesandmasterminds]

Hmmmmm 3, 11, and 35 for the unusual asks <3

3. Rant. Just do it.

I'm going with my favourite ranting topic: Voltron! VLD and its characters deserved so much better because it genuinely started out as such a good show! The characters were lovable and multifaceted, the plot was interesting, the relationships between the characters had so much potential and honestly any two members of Team Voltron could have an amazing bond.

Even as late as S8 there are individual scenes/episodes that are enjoyable enough to watch in themselves, except when you take a step back and look at them in the context of the whole show the problems start emerging; Hunk and Keith on Clear Day was adorable, as was Pidge bargaining with her mother and Shiro's arm wrestling with the team supporting him, but look at it in the context of the whole show and it's soured by the fact that Allura is doing her own thing yet again, and there's no connection between her and the rest of the team. Hunk and Keith's fledgling friendship will never develop beyond that scene. Shiro has no meaningful interactions with the team beyond that scene for a considerable length of time. It's sad!

And there are some great character or friendship moments that are so lovely to watch except then you look at everything around it and actually it makes no sense? The Sunset Scene! I love it so much but actually they haven't had a meaningful conversation since S3 and there's clearly a lot of hurt and miscommunication to sort through - they can't just automatically be at this deep-bond stage of friendship again.

Coran had about three meaningful scenes but they felt like random appearances in the middle of being a background character. I wanted to see more of how the loss of the Castle affected him, he who loved it probably more than anyone. How losing Altea hurt him, when he was awake to witness Allura going into the pod and likely had to say his last words to Alfor and others knowing they would be the last words. Not just him being totally chill giving away the last piece of his home to a random Earth warship. Comforting Allura about her father and Altea without getting the level of comfort he deserved in return.

Lance's death or Keith's almost-sacrifice at Naxzela, such important things for their characters, except they are never talked about. In fact Lance, shortly afterwards, seems to be daydreaming about Allura when surely the fact that he died affects him somehow? Same for Shiro, we never really see that affecting him the way PTSD did in S1. Keith was away from the team for so long but how did that affect him?

I love Pidge's bits searching for her family, or Allura missing hers, but over time they only seemed to pop up when plot-relevant so it takes away from how believable it is and how invested we can be. I wanted to say something about Hunk except there isn't really enough to talk about. Maybe that Shay, after S2 when she asks after Hunk once, disappears completely until S7? If you aren't in fandom, keeping that ship going, you basically stop caring and I know this because I've been showing VLD to my dad and we watched the end of S7 yesterday. Most fans freaked out over Shay appearing but he had no reaction because he hadn't seen her at all since S2.

Or Lance's broadsword? I LOVE that scene so much (as I messaged you about a few hours ago, Lizzie!) but it means nothing in the wider context of the show except that Lance has grown as a character, which we could see from other scenes, and it parallels Alfor which they were doing as early as S3 anyway. They needed to do something with it.

I loved James and Keith's interactions in S7 but in context, them being civil came kind of out of nowhere, they are just suddenly okay with each other or if they did talk about it we didn't see it. Which is a huge problem with this show, so many things happen offscreen or we're supposed to imagine they happened when they're things we should really be shown (e.g. Keith telling the team he's Galra! That was the first time I thought hey, something's a little lacking in the writing here...)

The Journey Within is the episode I dislike most of VLD except S8 which is on another level, to be fair. It's ok in itself, even if it hurts to hear them treat each other like this, but then instead of sorting through some of the long-term emotional baggage they add to it. And it never gets resolved.

I guess VLD's biggest problem is that everything is disjointed. Things that work individually don't work in the wider scheme of things because long-term arcs keep getting lost along the way. It isn't smooth storytelling. And especially for relationships (of any kind) towards the end it felt like they just didn't have time for most of them. I think this show could have benefited from time - both screentime and time to produce the seasons.

So yeah, long rant, practically a meta, but there you have it!

11. What unusual talent do you have?

I'm not sure actually. What counts as unusual? I guess I'm very intuitive when it comes to helping people with anything emotion-related?

35. What does home mean to you?

It's cheesy, but people. Home is anywhere I feel safe and can do the things I want and be the truest version of myself and for me that's with certain people.

#thanks for asking! #angstyfangirl32 #vld #voltron