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moments-on-film · 8 months

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I really enjoy watching and analyzing The Bear. On my rewatches, I have noticed and written about numerous themes, connections, lines, acting choices and plot points that weave and connect together in beautiful ways. Rewatching and analyzing often exposes other things as well. Some are a little odd to me, to the point where I made the list below:

Season 1

The Timeline. I’m not going to fully get into this, but the timeline on this show is confusing. I think it’s because they shot the pilot episode in the summer and the rest of S1 and all of S2 in the winter/early spring. I’ll just leave it at that, but for example, how we get from a few months after Michael’s death (February) to his birthday, (in November) over the span of the first 3 episodes doesn’t gel with the dialogue. The prop of the card that shows Michael’s birthday and day he passed is what I am basing the dates on. Was this a props error? The pilot is so clearly summer in Chicago and in the rest of the episodes in S1 it is clearly freezing.

Cigarettes. Throughout S1 snd S2, the cigarettes Carmy smokes vacillate between light cigarettes with white filters, and regular ones with dark beige filters. No one just switches between lights and regulars who seriously smokes, as Carmy does, making it feel like a props mistake.

Chain. Carmen is wearing a complexly different chain necklace in the pilot episode vs the rest of S1 and S2.

Hand washing/double spoon use. The scene where Carmy “washes” his hands at the end of 1x2 is bizarre. He puts soap on them and then dries them off immediately with paper towels without using water again or looking down. It’s the only time we ever see him wash his hands so it really sticks out as abnormal and totally out of character. He’s a smoker and coming from fine dining and there has been/still is a pandemic. He would have washed his hands throughly here to show how much attention to detail his character puts into his work. Michael, by contrast, is seen washing his hands fully in 1x6. Was this an editing error? It might have been. It really took me out of the scene the first time I saw it. After he does this, he uses a spoon to taste something, puts it into his mouth, and then uses that same spoon to move chicken in a pan. I think this was an editing mistake, like maybe they cut out the part where he uses a new spoon, but as is, it makes it look like Carmy doesn’t care about cleanliness, which, after watching him obsessively scrub the kitchen on his hands and knees earlier in the episode, makes no sense.

Possible contamination. Carmy touches his face while making hotdogs in 1x4. Uncle Jimmy is telling a story and he’s laughing and it’s clearly very cold outside, but he wipes at his nose and face and then shakes his hands off over the food he’s prepping. This was one of the very, very few moments to me that felt out of character. Carmy would have reflexes to not contaminate food from his years of service, especially the years under microscope scrutiny from the chef in New York.

Camera is visible. You can see the camera person in 1x8 in the reflection of the glass door when Carmy goes to open the door and get the order from the delivery guy.

Carmy’s fingernails. Throughout S1, and in S2, Carmy’s fingernails are trimmed, buffed, neat and clean. I looked for this in every scene, as it helps us understand his character and how seriously he takes his himself and his craft. It also provides a sharp contrast to Richie (in S1), whose nails are visibly dirty, causing us to distrust him and not take him seriously as someone who should be handling food. However, in arguably the most important moment of S1, when Carmy texts Sydney, and then opens the envelope from Mikey, his thumbnail on his left hand is too long and looks unclean. Actor’s nails fall under the jurisdiction of the makeup department so I’m confused why they didn’t realize there was going to be a major closeup on his hands in this scene and fix them if they were not camera ready. It’s the only time in S1 or S2 his nail looks off and it’s an extreme closeup. I noticed it the first time I watched this scene and it really took me out of the moment. I cringe every time I see that nail. In the next scene when he’s making the spaghetti, this nail is neat and clean again, so to me, the prior scene was a mistake.

Season 2

Lockers. Carmy has switched his locker to the other side of the wall. In S1, his is on the left. In S2, it’s on the right. Usually your locker is YOUR locker. This was odd, but it set up the Sydney/Carmy scene well and maybe Carmy moved to be closer to Mikey’s locker.

Tattoos. You can see the actor Jeremy Allen White’s personal E.Z. tattoo on his arm when he’s in his apartment before he sits in the chair in 2x1. There’s no makeup on it at all. It’s completely visible. This tattoo is not Carmy’s, it’s the actor’s, and I think he has said before that it’s his mother’s initials. This tattoo has always been covered with makeup. I don’t understand how this oversight from the makeup department made the final cut.

Different vs differently. In 1x5, Sydney tells Carmy about her catering company, Sheridan Road. “Not a night goes by that I don’t think about what I could have done different.” In 2x3, Natalie tells Carmy, “I don’t want to be treated any different.” In both instances the word differently should have been used. It’s not proper English otherwise. The characters don’t need to speak perfect English, that’s not the point, but these episodes were written by the same person, so that might be why both characters use the same word.

Area codes. I am so baffled by this, I’m still thinking about it. In the beginning of 2x6, there’s a sign on the wall in Donna’s house with everyone’s name and phone number written on it. On this prop, the name Michael is actually spelled wrong, as “Micheal”. Carmen and Michael’s area codes are both listed as (913). Carmen’s area code is well established as 773, which he literally has tattooed on his arm, and it’s in the script, as he verbally says his phone number to the fridge guy and then Claire in 2x2. Michael’s area code was (847), per the script, via Richie to Uncle Jimmy in 1x4. The (913) area code is for Kansas. I don’t understand why the area codes would be for Kansas and not the ones that we already established were theirs, for Chicago, and the suburbs of Chicago, 5 years before present day in the timeline of The Bear.

Eleven Madison PARK. Richie insults Carmy in 1x1, calling him “Eleven Madison Park dic@&ead.” In the coda to this line in 2x8, Carmy calls Richie “Eleven Madison dic@&ead.” Park should have been part of that line for it to fully connect, as it’s the name of the NYC restaurant where Carmy worked, and he’s saying the line, so it should have been the same here for consistency.

The card from Michael to Carmen “I love you dude. Let it rip” is written differently in S1 and S2. The handwriting doesn’t match. It looks like a different prop.

Left handed staff/actors. In 2x9, Carmy freaks out about the pan station. “These should be on the right side because we are all right handed.” This line of dialogue is not true of the actors on this show. If you watch closely in season 1 and 2, BOTH actors portraying Tina and Ebrahim are actually left handed. The actor playing Manny is left handed, and the actor playing Richie favors his left hand as well. This line should have been cross checked with the various Actor’s actual physicality because it doesn’t really make sense.

Food runners. Why are the food runners not running food in 2x10? They stand in the background most of the time and don’t move, even when Carmy and Sydney are yelling for hands. No one moves when Carmy says he needs hands please for PX table 31, Claire’s table, but three food runners are standing directly behind him and completely ignore him. It’s their first night on the job and Carmy is the Executive Chef and owner. They should have helped run food or not been in the shot because it’s confusing.

I really enjoy analyzing this show, and see and greatly appreciate all of the creativity, energy, effort, talent and passion that has clearly been poured into it by the entire creative team. This post is not meant to do anything other than point out the few moments I noticed that made me pause and say, wait, what?

Are there any others that you noticed?

#the bear #the bear fx #the bear hulu #carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto #my thoughts

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gracestone · 3 years

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1/3 Ever since I had a recent rewatch of the show, theres been something on my mind that I cant stop thinking about. When it comes to my ships I pay attention to every little detail, like lighting in a scene in this case. Theres been 3 major core 4 confession scenes in s1 and s2. Rini in 1x10, Rina in 2x06, and Portwell in 2x12. Since the lighting was overall much brighter in s1, I can understand why Rinis scene was bright with colorful/yellow tones.

2/3 The contrast b/t Rina and PW conf scenes is night and day. Rina flashback has white stark lighting, signifying a cold and distant feel. PW has yellow lighting thruout, symbolizing warmth and hope. Rina FB takes place in the exact same room as the Rini scene so it could have been edited w/ more yellow tone lighting if they wanted to show some hope romantically for them. But they dont. Definitely think that was on purpose. I mean, PW conf takes place at night in a parking lot but they still...

3/3 ...have yellow tone thruout and its a really happy moment for them b/. One could argue that the Rina scene was a FB to excuse the choice in lighting, but they've done FBs before w/ much better color saturation. Just s/t that I had to point out. And this is coming from someone who used to be a former Rina stan who now wants that Portwell series endgame. LOL. I know Im thinking too much, but I was just interested on your thoughts on this if you have any. You have the best theories/metas btw!

First of all, thank you for the compliment! It means a lot that you enjoy reading my thoughts ❤️🥺

You're not overthinking this, anon! In fact, you made an excellent point! Cinematography, lighting and colour grading choices matter in storytelling and can tell us a lot about the intention of a scene. To back up all the points you made, I took some screenshots of all the confession scenes.

Ricky and Nini in 1x10:

Ricky and Gina in 2x06:

EJ & Gina in 2x12:

It's understandable that they changed the colour grading of the 2x06 flashback to match the darker grading of season 2. The scene would stand out too much if it were still as bright and saturated as it would've been in 1x10. Just to make the difference between the two scenes clearer, take a look at the same shot in both 1x10 and 2x06:

Look at how different the two scenes are. Not only is the S2 version less bright and saturated, it also has a more green tone and a bit of a vignette (the darker edges). I think the vignette was added for the sake of it being a flashback, but I think the red tone being replaced with a more green tone supports your argument that the scene was meant to have a more distant and cold feeling. Especially when contrasted with the yellow and red tones in the Portwell scene. They didn't have to town down the red tones in the 2x06 scene, but they did. That's a deliberate colour grading choice and makes the scene look colder. And as you said, the Portwell confession took place outside and at night. It could've resembled the dark and cold grading 2x04 (The Storm). But it didn't, because that's not the feeling we're supposed to get when watching the scene. We're supposed to feel Gina and EJ's happiness.

So I totally agree with you, anon. The 2x06 confession wasn't a happy moment for Gina, but a sad and hopeless one, and ultimately served as a (unspoken) rejection, whereas the 2x12 confession was a happy and hopeful moment and the climax of both Gina and EJ's arcs in S2. The stark difference in lighting and grading in both scenes shows us how the 2x06 scene was a low point for Gina, while 2x12 showed her at her happiest.

#hsmtmts #ej caswell #gina porter #portwell #otp: risotto #portwell meta #i even went and tried to match the grading on the 2x06 scene to the 1x10 scene in my editing software #came pretty close but didn't get there all the way #but it helped me confirm that they did tone down on the red and upped the green #love it when you guys pay attention to these filmmaking choices!#i live for this stuff so it makes me really happy when you bring up excellent points like this one #ask

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callunavulgari · 3 years

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Scrapbook 2021 | Part II

For anyone that’s new to this, this is how I keep track of all of the things I enjoy and/or create throughout the year. I have literally been doing this since I had a livejournal. I think the first one was 2011? Maybe? In which case, woohoo, ten years of scrapbooking!

It’s a nice little snippet of my life and helps to organize my brain.

A reminder:

Normal font - Indifferent/Neutral Italicized font - Enjoyed bold font - Loved with an asterisk* - All time favorite (bracketed titles) - Re-watches/Re-reads strikethough - Disliked

Goals are: read 80 books (as of today, i am at 31 books, which sounds not great but goodreads assures me that it’s only 1 book behind schedule), finish five video games (at two at the moment... mostly because I keep dragging my feet on actually finishing P5R), write more than 20 fics (at... 6) or something larger than 20k (negative), and write either an original short story or start a novel (i have started plotting for the novel? does that count?)

Past Years

MOVIES

May

Mortal Kombat

(SW: The Phantom Menace)

(SW: Attack of the Clones)

(SW: Revenge of the Sith)

(SW: Rogue One)

(SW: A New Hope)

SW: Clone Wars

Enola

Wonder Woman 1984

Dark Phoenix

(Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring)

June

(Princess Mononoke)

Sailor Moon: Eternal

In The Heights

Wish Dragon

July

Luca

(Thor: Ragnarok)

(Doctor Strange)

(Guardians of the Galaxy)

Black Widow

Space Jam 2 Electric Boogaloo

August

The Green Knight

Godzilla vs Kong

(Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

BOOKS

May

These Violent Delights | Chloe Gong [Fin]

The Midnight Library | Matt Haig [Fin]

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within | Becky Chambers [Fin]

Unconquerable Sun | Kate Elliott

People We Meet On Vacation | Emily Henry [Fin]

The Soulmate Equation | Christina Lauren [Fin]

June

Unconquerable Sun | Kate Elliott [Fin]

September Love | Lang Leav [Fin]

One Last Stop | Casey McQuiston [Fin]

The Chosen and the Beautiful | Nghi Vo [Fin]

Lumberjanes, volume 2 | Noelle Stevenson [Fin]

For the Wolf | Hannah Whitten [Fin]

The Sandman | Neil Gaiman [Fin]

Mister Impossible | Maggie Stiefvater

July

Mister Impossible | Maggie Stiefvater [Fin]

TAZ: The Crystal Kingdom | The Mcelroys [Fin]

She Who Became the Sun | Shelley Parker-Chan

A Psalm for the Wild-Built | Becky Chambers

The Universe of Us | Lang Leav

August

She Who Became the Sun | Shelley Parker-Chan [Fin]

A Psalm for the Wild-Built | Becky Chambers

The Universe of Us | Lang Leav [Fin]

Lumberjanes, volume 3 | Noelle Stevenson [Fin]

Lumberjanes, volume 4 | Noelle Stevenson [Fin]

PODCASTS

May

The Penumbra Podcast, s3-END

June

The Magnus Archive - Fear Winners 1 & 2

July

Gods of Appalachia, Eps 1-6

(Wolf 359)

Janus Descending

August

(Wolf 359)

Mabel

(Zero Hours, ep 7)

Time:Bombs

TV SHOWS BY SEASON

May

Watcher Entertainment, Are You Scared?

Castlevania, s3, s4 [Fin]

Word of Honor [Fin]

Buzzfeed: Kelsey in Control?

Demon Slayer, s1

June

Demon Slayer, s1 [Fin]

Kim’s Convenience, s4

Leverage, s5 [Fin]

Watcher: Too Many Spirits, s3

Loki, s1

Lucifer, s2, s3, s4

Trese, s1

(Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime, s3, s6?)

(Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural, s1)

Sweet Tooth, s1

Love, Death & Robots

July

Loki, s1 [Fin]

Watcher: Too Many Spirits, s3 [Fin]

Watcher: Dish Granted, s3

Shark Week

Lucifer, s5

Masters of the Universe: Revelation

August

The Owl House, s2

Watcher: Dish Granted, s3

Watcher Weekly+

Buzzfeed: Ruining History

Star Trek Discovery, s1, s2, s3

What If..., s1

VIDEO GAMES

May

Monster Hunter Rise, 12 hours

Mass Effect 1: Legendary Edition, 25 hours

Pokemon Go

June

Mass Effect 1: Legendary Edition, ? hours

Pokemon Go

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, ??? Hours

Persona 5 Royal, ??? hours

July

Persona 5 Royal, 167 hours

Pokemon Go

August

Persona 5 Royal, 167 hours

Pokemon Go

Ori and the Blind Forest [Fin]

DELIGHTFUL FIC

May

The word is help. by spqr | Star Wars | Din/Luke | 9k | In a flash, Fett has his blaster out and pointed at Luke’s head. “You’re right,” he says. “Turnabout’s fair play. So maybe I oughta shoot you.”

Don’t be afraid. by spqr | Star Wars | Obi-Wan/Anakin | 12k | “Padawan Kenobi,” Yoda says, after a moment. “Complete your training, Master Skywalker will.”

who carried the hill by spqr | Star Wars | Din/Luke | 22k | Din’s about to head up the ramp onto the newly-repaired Razor Crest when a string pulls taut around his heart and yanks him into the sky.

Tapestry by spqr | Star Wars | Obi-Wan/Anakin | 8k | In March, Obi-Wan drags Anakin to another faculty party, where Anakin gets all sorts of wrong ideas about Quinlan Vos and decides to fellate Obi-Wan in a coat closet about it.

wonderterror by peradi | Star Wars | Leia/Han/Luke | 6k | Anakin Skywalker is the son of the Force.He’s half human and half something monumental.What does that make his children?

Xen Gardens by denimwrapped | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan & Shane | 1k | Shane Madej saves the day.A strange man comes to congratulate him.

A Series of Better Decisions by SassySnowperson | Star Wars | Padme/Obi-Wan/Anakin | 9k | "Kill him. Kill him now!" Chancellor Palpatine hissed, as Anakin held the two blades against Dooku's neck. "No," Anakin said. "It's not the Jedi way."

Futurus (-a -um) by cadesama | Star Wars | Padme/Anakin/Obi-Wan | 60k | Cracked hyperdrive? No problem. Just hold it together with the Force. Time travel? Well. That could be a bigger problem.

Comfort in Wartime by Rosbridge | Star Wars | Padme/Obi-Wan/Anakin | 4k | Obi-Wan is exhausted, drunk, and just about out of fucks to give.

spark me up, i'm a firework (i'll burst into light) by coffeeinallcaps | FATWS | Bucky/Sam | 7k | "You know how the super-soldier serum makes everything, well, super? I guess you could say that's what happened to my sex drive."

Thaw by spqr | Star Wars | Din/Luke | 6k | That’s what hope does to you, Luke remembers now. It lingers at the back of your mind, whispering maybe, maybe, so that knowing a plan is stupid isn’t enough to keep you from trying it.

Christ in Repose by spqr | Din/Luke | 8k | More on this story as it develops. Subscribe to HNN’s JEDI WATCH newsletter for instant updates on Jedi sightings throughout the galaxy.

Insufferable by perkynurples | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu | 3k | Wen Kexing asks a question. Zhou Zishu only hesitates to answer for a little while.

parasitic, parasocial by brawlite | The Untamed | Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang | 45k | Xue Yang stumbles upon the channel of Fuxue, a popular videogame streamer, and immediately becomes completely and utterly obsessed with him. Unfortunately, Fuxue has a boyfriend -- but that's fine: Xue Yang loves a challenge.

Aaron Burr has Hamilton's RSI and he isn't pleased about it. by DragonBandit | Hamilton | Hamilton/Aaron Burr | 3k | Aaron knows 2 things about his soulmate: The first is that they're angry about everything. The second is that they need to fucking sleep.

dinluke lawyer au by spqr | Star Wars | Din/Luke | 31k | At 1:18 a.m., just when Luke is starting to think he might’ve gotten away with something, Biggs Darklighter shows up on the other side of his desk and says, “I can’t believe you called in sick to get shotgun married to a Mando.”

like, comment, subscribe by DeHeerKonijn, Roselightfairy | Lord of the Rings | Gimli/Legolas | 90k+ | Legolas meets Gimli for lunch - unfortunately, he meets someone else, too.

a jackal; a thief by brawlite | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Ye Baiyi | 11k | This is not the first time Wen Kexing’s body has been poisoned like this.

you're the trouble that i always find by sundiscus | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu | 27k | “Do you know him?” Jin Wang asks.The ringing in Zhou Zishu's ears gets louder. “No, Wangye,” he says.At Zhou Zishu’s voice, the prisoner freezes.

vampire!wwx threadfic by sundiscus | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji | ??? words | in which vampires exist in a modern cultivation au, lwj is investigating a string of strange deaths, and wwx is a vampire he can’t seem to kill.

Velle by DeHeerKonijn, Roselightfairy | LotR | Gimli/Legolas | 29k | Velle (Latin): to want.

June

May All My Wounds Be Mortal by hansbekhart | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu | 10k | Peeled out of his many robes, Wen Kexing’s body reveals itself to be mostly leg. He strips eagerly, grinning up at Zhou Zishu as if this is another joke between them. See? Wen Kexing’s body seems to say, I have no secrets from you.

drop by brawlite | The Untamed | Song Lan/Xue Yang | 4k | Xue Yang has had this dream before.

Splenda by Tierfal | FMA | Ed/Roy | 19k | WIP | A sugar daddy AU that barely even qualifies as a sugar daddy AU, because these two can't do anything right.

From the Ashes by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Shane/Ryan | 3k | “This doesn’t need to leave this room,” Ryan had said that first time. “Casual is my middle name.”

Whale Songs by denimwrapped | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 2k | It could be humming, he thinks. Some distant angelic humming. What it’s humming about, he’d have to find out the hard way. All he can hear in his mind’s ear is come closer. There’s so much more in the depths than you’ve ever known.

A Good Bargain by Neery | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu | 11k | The Window of Heaven captures the Ghost Valley's master. Zhou Zishu is put in charge of interrogating him.

So Why Not Crack Your Skull When the Mind Swells by greenteafiend | The Untamed | Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian | 13k | Or, Wei Wuxian is cursed to feel terrible pain when he and Lan Wangji aren’t touching.

the agony and the irony by arostine | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 44k | WIP | Ryan has a lot on his plate right now. He’s one of three members of his species employed at BuzzFeed, and the only male omega, and his boss keeps asking him to do videos about being an iterant ‘to educate the humans,’ when what he really wants to do is videos about ghosts.

the rest of your life by bestliars | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | 30k | MYSTERY DISAPPEARANCE IN THE MIDWEST! The year is 2034. Successful video producer Ryan Bergara uproots his whole life to take care of his friend’s children.

sit in my circle and hold my hand by soda_coded | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 14k | Ryan and Shane work for the metaphysical department of the LAPD, fool around and get cursed.

Idle Hands (Do the Devil's Work) by ma_malice | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 4k | In which the only upside to being a demon stuck in a seasonal Chicago snowstorm is the ability to abandon your body and possess your boyfriend in LA.

Shell Game by Giddygeek | The Magicians | Quentin/Eliot | 20k | Or, Quentin can’t believe he never thought to ask if there was a magical time in Fillory when people swapped bodies with the last person they slept with.

Contention by hollybennett123 | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu/Ye Baiyi | 3k | The Zhou Zishu of ten minutes ago, who first agreed to the whole thing — the evening’s conversation and general bickering over drinks taking an unexpectedly filthy turn — had been thinking only about the imminent pounding on offer and not, well, everything else that might come with it.

Necrocafé by etothey | Locked Tomb Trilogy | Gideon/Harrow | 2k | Harrowhark Nonagesimus isn't sure which confounds her more: the new boxes of bones she is to animate, or the hot redheaded courier who brings the boxes.

simple man by spqr | Loki | Loki/Mobius, Loki/Loki | 6k | “Tell you what,” says Mobius, shortly after the Timekeepers have sentenced Loki to death, “why don’t I take care of this?”

(Un)disclosed desires by Springandastorm | Loki | Loki/Mobius | "That's not how I see you at all, Loki." Mobius said, unexpectedly earnest. "We all play roles sometimes."

sources of light by brawlite | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu | 3k | Zhou Zishu makes a difficult choice in order to save Wen Kexing's life. The morning after is not an easy one.

warm company, cold nights by janonny | Word of Honor | Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu | 23k | He gave Zhou Zishu a lingering look from beneath his lashes. “Your virtuous wife will accompany you of course.”

July

the potential of broken things by icarusinflight | Harry Potter | Drarry | 11k | "Can you feel that? Some things want to be what they once were. The original spell is still there, and it wants to work again. All it takes is a little push and then"—Draco clicks his fingers of his free hand—"snap, everything will go back into place."

little beast by brawlite | The Untamed | Song Lan/Xue Yang | 7k | Payback's a bitch.

you, undeniable you by returnsandreturns | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Jake/Amy | 1k | “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Jake asks, for the fourth time. “Because we can just ditch that thing, toss it out a window, do it missionary like the founding fathers intended.”

Car Talk by drunkbedelia | Loki | Mobius/Loki | 1k | ‘When I pruned myself, I thought I might be able to find Loki,' Sylvie said.

one too many by sarcasticfishes | Watcher | Ryan/Shane | 1k | “Stay here,” Ryan says, just casual enough, “I’ll drive you home tomorrow.”

Tencent and Chill by quoth_the_ravenclaw | The Untamed | Nie Huaisang/Nie Mingjue | 2k | “Da-ge,” Huaisang whines, all for show, as much a performance as the actors on screen. He wiggles his toes. “My feet are so sore, you worked me too hard.”

The House at the End of the World by Hopetohell | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 1k | What will they do, now that they can do anything?

moderate the middle by ElisAttack | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 9k | People only smiled with their eyes when it was real. Unless they were a Loki. No matter the differences between the variants, their tricky grins were a constant as much as they were indiscernible.

Lost and Sound by snack_size | Loki | Loki/Thor/Sylvie | 5k | “Sylvie, did you help my brother defeat the Time Police?”

push the button (and let me know) by dinosuns | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 5k | “How about this?” hands folded on the table, he watches Loki intently. “If you tell me why, I’ll answer.”

We're (not) all villains here by sir_not_appearing_in_this_archive | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 19k | WIP | Alone and friendless (once again), Loki has to find a way to set things right, or at least right enough he can comfortably sneak off into the sunset, which starts with one thing: saving Mobius's lost memories.

what remains by dinosuns | Loki | Loki/Mobius | “You’re no analyst.” Mobius sounds stunned. They are not aligned, they are not in tandem. But there are wistful glimmers of what is now agonisingly out of reach.

worth a shot by thereyoflight | Loki | Loki/Sylvie | 2k | When Loki and Sylvie are moments away from being cornered on the train in Lamentis, they resort to desperate measures.

Bug Problems by xorabbit | Marvel | Grandmaster/Loki | 7k | Loki ends up on Sakaar, of course, with just that many more schemes to scheme. However, the Grandmaster is not altogether too terrible--a bit of fine luck, for once--and perhaps it's all right to have a better-natured fling while one works out what's next.

our way, no takebacks by dinosuns | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 20k | "Nice speech," Sylvie drawls, but the sarcasm doesn't land.

August

Vennen min by spqr | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 12k | The day they let Mobius out of the infirmary, Loki gets assigned to a new handler. This, Mobius is pretty sure, is where the trouble starts.

new terms by dinosuns | Loki | President Loki/Mobius | 21k | For the first time in his life, Loki triumphs. How fitting then, for the end to swiftly barge in unannounced.

Icarus by Waako | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 5k | When Mobius got pruned, he expected two different outcomes. Either eternal peace or eternal emptiness. He certainly didn’t expect a grey sky, ruins of old buildings looming over him, and a Loki variant watching him like he was a piece of fresh meat.

Stress Relief by spqr | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 3.5k | “Let me read you something,” Loki says. He rifles through the pages, clears his throat, and Mobius puts a hand over his eyes because he knows what’s coming before Loki even reads the first word—“Pēdīcābō ego vōs et irrumābō—“

just like the weather by sarcasticfishes | BFU | Shane/Ryan/Sara | 6k | “Y’know,” Ryan shrugs. “Friends have kids together sometimes. Like if a same-sex couple has a friend surrogate for them. Or sometimes people just co-parent.”

Woodash and iron and leather by iffervescent | The Witcher | 9k | Jaskier is the only person Geralt's ever been around who doesn't smell of fear

Food of Love by tanktrilby | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier | 22k | I brought a dead princess back to life through the power of song is the kind of thing that would have got an eyebrow raise even from the stone-faced Geralt of Rivia, so it's a good thing he and Geralt will probably never see each other again.

If The Morning Light Sets In by nagia | Castlevania | Sypha/Trevor/Alucard | 45k | Save the Belmonts, save the world.

halfway by ivelostmyspectacles | Castlevania | Sypha/Alucard/Trevor | 12k | Vampire attacks are happening again. Unprovoked, strange, humans and vampires dying alike. A disease. Alucard assures them that he isn't susceptible.

lonely lonely heart by spqr | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 7k | Mobius looks down at the paperwork, gets a sort of flustered farmboy look on his face, looks back up at Loki and says, “You offered to give a cop fellatio in the middle of Central Park.”

Bedrest by Lise | The Untamed | Xiao Xingchen& Xue Yang | 3k | Xiao Xingchen's newest patient is causing him problems. He just won't stay put.

DELIGHTFUL FANVIDS

May

Jesper Fahey | 99 Problems

Jesper Fahey | OLD TOWN ROAD

Kaz & Inej | I Can't Pretend

human | kaz brekker

bucky barnes || humble

The Mandalorian || Warriors

The Mandalorian | I'll See You Again

Hope is the light.

►Zhou Zishu & Wen Kexing | Beautiful mess

Kaz & Inej | I Can't Pretend

versailles at night | alina & the darkling

look what you made me do | the darkling

Bucky Barnes | Rasputin

Obi-Wan || dirty work

Blood in the water [the Witcher]

MARVEL || Astronaut in the Ocean

Enola Holmes || Unstoppable

Shadow & Bone || Fire Meets Fate

Mo Dao Zu Shi Season 3 AMV/Trailer - Teeth

Kylo Ren | STAR WARS

June

MARVEL || Rasputin

MARVEL || Astronaut in the Ocean

i dont enjoy hurting people | Loki [1x01]

loki laufeyson • unsteady [⚠ 1x01]

MARVEL || Levitating

Shadow & Bone | Paint It Black

Glitter & Gold | Jesper Fahey

Shadow and Bone | Levitating

wen kexing ✘ zhou zishu | put your lips on mine

Erik Lensherr - Magneto

The Crows || Circus

The Crows | Thrift Shop (Shadow & Bone)

Zemo & Bucky — RASPUTIN [tfatws]

Cruella | Feeling good

Percy Jackson || Watch Me

THE KILLING KIND || The Magnus Archives Animatic

LOKI || Glorious Purpose

The Darkling | Black Heretic

Sam x Bucky || Handclap [HUMOR]

Loki || Lovely

Doctor Strange || Dystopia

Loki & Sylvie || I’m not your friend

Loki || Hate Me

MARVEL || River

Loki & Bucky || Paint It Black

Wanda Maximoff || The Scarlet Witch (WandaVision)

Play With Fire || MARVEL || Loki Doctor Strange Scarlet Witch

MARVEL || Warriors

Loki || God of Mischief || You Do You

(Marvel) Loki | You Will Never Be A God

Marvel's Horror Cinematic Universe

community gardens || the magnus archives PMV

July

Thor || Rise

Loki & Sylvie - Demons in my head [ep.3]

//HUMANS// THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

Loki | Lost

A Quiet Place

Loki & Sylvie || Strange Birds

Loki & Sylvie "I won't let you down" | (+1x05)

♚ Loki & Sylvie | If You Love Me (1x04)

Loki & Sylvie | If our love is wrong [Loki +1x04]

Loki and Mobius | Hold On [Loki +1x05]

loki laufeyson • in the end [+ 1x04]

Loki and Sylvie || Feeling Good

Marvel || Black Widow - Counting Stars || Natasha Romanoff

Cruella || Little Wicked

MARVEL || This is My Time || Shang-Chi Trailer Music

Sylvie | Unstoppable (Loki +1x03)

Loki and Sylvie (Lady Loki) || Play With Fire

Wanda and Vision || Dancing With Your Ghost

Wanda Maximoff and Loki || You Should See Me In A Crown

Loki and his Variants ⚔ King of Space [ep.5]

Loki & Sylvie ❤ This world is slowing down [ep.5]

Sylvie || Confident (+1x04)

•Loki x Sylvie ⱠΞⴼ King and Queens•

Loki - In The End | Marvel

Loki & Sylvie ❤ Out of Control [ep.4]

Loki & Mobius | Dynasty [LOKI/+1x04]

Loki & Sylvie ❤ Love War [ep.6]

(Marvel) Loki | Glorious Purpose

(MARVEL) Loki | Chaos

Loki | In The End [+1X06]

Loki x Sylvie | Another Love

Loki & Sylvie | Arcade [ Loki +1x06]

MARVEL || The Assembled Universe (c/w ASTrix UI)

August

Natasha & Yelena || Do It Like A Dude

Black Widow || Smells Like Teen Spirit

MARVEL || Uptown Funk

MARVEL || 1 in a Million

MARVEL/DC || Dies Irae

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness TRAILER #1

MARVEL || Loki

DELIGHTFUL MUSIC

May

The Wild One - Suzi Quatro

What’s So Funny ‘Bout - Sharon Van Etten

Levitating - Dua Lipa

The Underground - Meg Myers

You Won’t Find Me - Narrow Skies

Elixir of Life - Leah

Salt and the Sea - The Lumineers

ERROR - Niki, Kradness

Runaway - AURORA

Butterfly Water - Pastelle

Close to the Sun - Porcelain Pill

Selkie-boy - The Lost Words

Good Riddance - Annapantsu

Die Anywhere Else - Julia Henderson

Heat Waves - Glass Animals

Down - St Vincent

Word of Honor OST

Welcome to the Pleasuredome - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Shy Away - Twenty One Pilots

Follow You - Imagine Dragons

I’m Not That Girl - Kerry Ellis

Meant to be Yours - Ryan McCartan

Ex Wives - Six

Euphoria - BTS

Walls - Cher

96,000 - In the Heights

Sun Goes Down - Lil Nas X

Enough For You - Olivia Rodrigo

Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo

Ziti E Buoni - Maneskin

Shum - Go_A

Loco Loco - Hurricane

Space Ghost Coast to Coast - Glass Animals

The Horror and the Wild (whole album - The Amazing Devil

Chant - Hadestown

Titans - Major Lazer, Sia

Bones - Galantis

Golden Dandelions - Barns Courtney

Le Nozze di Figaro - Hybrid

Save Your Tears - The Weeknd

Psycho - Post Malone

Gold Lion - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Close to Me - Ellie Goulding

And So It Went - The Pretty Reckless

help herself - bbno$

Fire For You - Cannons

Twist the Knife - Chromatics

He Said She Said - Chvrches

Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Campus - Vampire Weekend

Your Power - Billie Eilish

Reach - Eternal Eclipse

1 Last Cigarette - The Band Camino

Insertion - Hans Zimmer

from the edge - fictionjunction

The Devil Is a Gentleman - Merci Raines

Meet Me In The Woods - Amarante

Fire - Saint Mesa

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Saint Mesa

Appetite - Casey Edwards

All Things Devour - aeseaes

Throne - Saint Mesa

Witchcraft - Vian Izak

June

The Shrine / An Argument - Fleet Foxes

It’s Tricky - Run

Darjeeling - Barrie

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings - Father John Misty

Picture Me Better - Weyes Blood

Loch Lomond - Mackenzi Tolk

Punta - Matzzy

Touch It Clean - DJ Raulito

Oh No - Kreepa

Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land - Marina

Sofia - Askjell

The Boy - Shannon & the Clams

First Steps - Lena Raine

The Power of Balance Rearranged - Rush Garcia

And So My Heart Became a Void - Ursine Vulpine

Paper Mache - Iris Lune

Catch Me If You Can - Desert Belle

Darkroom Double - Moon & Pollution

Serotonin - girl in red

In the Air Tonight - Natalie Taylor

When Your Heart Is a Stranger - Friends In Paris

Moon Effect - Sailor Moon Eternal OST

In A Black Out - Hamilton Leithauser

Forever - CHVRCHES

Way Less Sad - AJR

Helter Skelter - Detention

The Devil You Know - X Ambassadors

TVA - Natalie Holt

Honeybee-The Head and the Heart

Home All Summer - Anthony Ramos

In the Shadows - Amy Stroup

My Way - Lucifer Cast

In the Air Tonight - Jon Howard

The Beast - Old Caltone

The Beast - Delta Rae

Freak Like Me - Adina Howard

Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel

Winds of Change - Scorpions

good 4 u - Olivia Rodrigo

If I Could See The World - Patsy Cline

Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron

The Killing Kind - Marianas Trench

Bones - Wens

Kiss Me More - Doja Cat

How Not to Drown - CHVRCHES

July

Dark Moon - Bonnie Guitar

Free Smiles - Tia Ray

Sundown Blues - Joanna Levine

Citta Vuoto - Mina

If You Love Me - Brenda Lee

Very Full - Tom Hiddleston

Loki Green Theme - Natalie Holt

Wrecked - Imagine Dragons

The Wolves - Cyrus Reynolds

Cure For Me - Aurora

Theory of Light - Eternal Eclipse

Fate of the Clockmaker - Eternal Eclipse

Potential Breakup Son - Aly and AJ

transparent soul - travis barker

My Love Will Never DSie - AG, Claire Wyndham

Happy Together - King Princess

Atomise - Temple

Darkside - Oshins

Someone to Watch Over Me - Lucifer Cast

This is Ours - Peter Sivo

Love and War - Fleurie

Take Me To Church - MILCK

Devil I Know - Allie X

East of Eden - Zella Day

Shadow Preachers - Zella Day

Losing My Religion - BELLSAINT

Hard to Kill - Beth Crowley

Dark Side - Blind Channel

Tanz Mit Mir - Faun

My Jolly Sailor Bold - Ashley Serena

Stuttering - Fefe Dobson

August

Monsters and Fairies - Savannah

Chosen - SVRCINA

IAN HA 3BYK - GO A

Freya - Verdandi

Sick on Seventh Strett - Sarah and the Safe Word

Tarah - Sae Sae Norris

Suspicion - Sherwood Roberts

Fjorgyn - Osi and the Jupiter

Fight to Make It Up - Takenobu

The Edge of Dawn - Rozen

Innocence - Cannon Diviision

A Stray Child - .Hack//Sign

The Kiss - Luigi Rubino

Any Kind of Dead Person - Ghost Quartet

The Great Unknown - Dominique Gilbert

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Saint Mesa

over the rainbow - misterwives

Fireflies - Cullen Vance

My mother Told Me - Nati Dreddd

Athetosis - Crywolf

Major Tom - Shiny Toy Guns

Novacaine - 10 Years

Right Here Right Now - Jesus Jones

NDA - Billie Eilish

Trouble’s Coming - Royal Blood

Completing the Circle - Gareth Coker

There’ll Always Be Another Monster - Brian D’Oliveira

POSTED FIC

May

take my hand and i'll drown you with me | Star Wars | Rey & Ben Solo | 2,157 words | “You brought this upon yourself,” the creature told her, its voice serene.

June

keeping me restless and whole | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 1,584 words | Mobius was very young when he encountered his first Loki.

July

feed me lies until i'm dead | Loki | Thor/Loki | 3,476 words | “Don’t you think we should talk about it?” Thor asks.

the ghost of us can linger here | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 4,432 words | “So, how do you crazy kids want to do this?” Mobius asks them in a stage whisper, mouth twitching. At her back, Loki laughs, burying the sound against the curve of her neck.

there's a whisper in my bones | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 2,794 words | “All right,” she says. “Fine. Let’s make things more interesting. Take off your clothes.”

east of eden | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 2,202 words | “How long have you been fucking him?” Mobius asks, stroking his fingers against the place where leather meets skin.

Triptych in C Minor | Loki | Loki/Mobius/Sylvie | 1,647 words | Pt 1 | There is a house at the end of time, past the last storm, pushed up against the very edge of the unknown. It is a castle, a manor, a fortress - all depending on who inhabits it. But one thing that it never is, is a home.

August

N/A

WIPS | UNPUBLISHED | ORIGINAL

May

2k of Reylo mermay fic

June

N/A

July

1k+ of Xue Yang being a slut for Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen

300 words of vampire Song Lan

7k of Green Knight AU

August

10k of Green Knight AU

1.5k of hair dye shenanigans

FANMIXES/GRAPHICS

May

yearning: a playlist for the heart

June

the chosen and the beautiful: a mix for jordan baker

July

kings & queens of the ruckus: a mix for loki and sylvie

August

N/A

#heather says what #heather writes #scrapbook #2021

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why-this-kolaveri-machi · 5 years

Text

Grand Titans Rewatch: 1.02

it’s been literal months since i started this project and neither this nor the fic series that’s supposed to go alongside it has garnered much attention, if any, but damn it, i made a commitment and this time, i’m going to follow through.

for reference, episode 1’s recap here, and its corresponding fic tag is here.

SPOILERS ahead for pretty much the entire series.

1. the recap portion of the episode leans very heavily on the type of horror genre that rachel’s character brings to the show, and honestly, i love it. the superhero genre can feel very… sterile at times, with bright, clean colours and costumes and standard team-ups ending in a climactic punch-fest. the insidious horror of rachel discovering something huge and dangerous inside of her and trying—and largely failing—to control it bleeds into the rest of the show; each of the team has an inner demon to battle, but the lesson isn’t triumph over the beast as much as it is acceptance. it’s unfortunate that the dc live action universe in general has developed a reputation for being gratuitously grimdark; i love the thematic consistency that the tone brings to the show, and it is honestly the freshest take on these characters that i’ve seen so far.

1.5. there’s something to be said, too, about this muddy-window perspective we get into these established superheroes’ lives—the intriguing, sometimes downright opaque scenes of them trying to re-build from wreckage. i love that this is how they choose to distinguish themselves in a very, very crowded arena: the origin story here is not for the superheroes or even the team themselves, but the bonds they form and the family that they become.

2. i kinda love the clash between the goofy costume and the grimdark torture scene. it’s never immediately obvious, but this show is remarkably committed to its comic book roots—so much so that it’s kind of jarring. usually in the journey from the comic to the screen there is an ironing-out of genre and tone, but this show will show you its spandex clad hero with the plastic-feather cape being threatened with torture and castration because that’s how it goes in the comics, goddammit!

2.25. it’s pretty impressive that they’re able to afford such a big place in washington dc

2.5. hank and dawn’s easy intimacy is lovely to watch. i remember not being fond of this long detour to introduce these two relatively obscure characters right after all that juicy set-up in the first episode the first time i watched this, but now i can enjoy the languid way their story unravels, the little glimpses we get into the life they’ve led and the marks that it has left behind.

2.8. a delightfully cheesy moment with the giant bird cage immediately followed by a quietly devastating depiction of sexual impotence and a possible addiction to multiple painkillers! see what i mean?

oh! and before i forget:

MIRRORS, MIRRORS, EVERYWHERE: 9

3. flashback time! can’t say that i’m terribly impressed with the fight choreography; there appears to be hardly any contact between the heroes’ kicks and lunges and the thugs they’re supposed to be fighting, and a lot of slow-motion and editing trickery needs to be employed to make this look kinetic. i don’t really blame them much, though—those capes look awfully cumbersome to be just walking around in, leave alone fight. and i’m glad that the show is making a point of showing that robin’s style of fighting in flippier and more acrobatic than the others’.

3.65. aaaand we get our first hint of History between dick and dawn. to be honest, given what i remember of the rest of s1 and what we know of s2, it does seem like they’re making it so that the original titans did exist, swapping out roy and wally for hank and dawn. i’m not super-enthusiastic about this decision, but we’ll see how it plays out.

4. dick and rachel!

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS INTERACTION:

a) rachel desperately trying to hide how scared and vulnerable she feels behind brittle defiance

b) dick bemused and concerned and casting around for ways to connect with her but giving up too easily

c) “for the lady” – oh, dick. i love you.

d) rachel warily checking her reflection

e) dick making false promises of safety to rachel in order to get her to come with him to washington—a manipulative little ploy that i’m sure was par-for-the-course during his time with batman

f) “but sometimes there’s no time to be scared” is that what kid!dick told himself when he was starting out as robin oh my heart hurts

g) dick just dropping out of his job for an indefinite time without notice because why in the world would bruce wayne’s ward ever have to worry about keeping down a steady job? he’s utterly unconscious of this, which makes it hilarious

MIRRORS, MIRRORS EVERYWHERE: 10

5. i’m already really fond of rohrbach and charlie the m.e. i know s2’s slate is already really crowded, but i wouldn’t mind seeing a resurrected rohrbach make an appearance, and for bit more of a spotlight on dick’s day job.

6. OH MAN i honestly didn’t remember that dick phoned alfred this episode! and that he considered—for a second—calling bruce! poor guy’s genuinely scared. for all his ‘fuck batman’s, dick’s anger and fear is more internally directed than he realises. this boy needs therapy.

6.5. dick going “… obviously” at rachel telling him not to get pineapple on their pizza makes me think he was definitely setting out to get pineapple on their pizza at that moment.

6.75. oh fuck. i knew it was coming, but that dead guy screaming at rachel through the photo was still terrifying. man i wish they’d stuck a little longer with the horror/mystery vibe they’ve got going here.

MIRRORS, MIRRORS EVERYWHERE: 11

6.8. dick immediately reaching out to hold rachel and comfort her as she sobs, terrified, in the bathtub shouldn’t feel particularly special or heartwarming—it’s a very natural, human instinct, after all—but for this particular version of dick grayson to automatically show this compassion when he’s half convinced himself that his lifetime as a vigilante has left him an amoral husk of his previous self… is significant.

7. it’s an interesting choice to go with the nuclear family as the first major villains featured on this show, but fits totally with the tone so far—the dark, despairing and dank things that hide underneath a cracking veneer of cheery suburban normality. pretty standard horror genre stuff—with an added twist that these people aren’t actually androids, but regular people horrifically tortured and brainwashed to act as murder machines.

7.5. aside from that, it’s a neat contrast to the found family that’s actually starting to evolve, with all of its rough edges and imperfect but raw displays of love.

8. i really like that, for all that rachel and dick have in common, their interaction is weird, start-stop in nature, each dancing around answering the others’ questions with any kind of honesty. rachel has clearly picked up on dick’s caginess around her and dick, for all that he’s been trained in subterfuge and basically been living a lie to most of his friends and co-workers, is unable to keep acting like he knows what he’s doing. he hasn’t had to really live a double life in a while—and he’s rusty when it comes to doing anything that’s not detective or vigilante work.

8.5. dick’s interactions in general through the series contrast with the easy and intimate ways the others talk with each other; he’s just so isolated and so friggin rusty at this.

9. you’d think rachel would’ve figured out by now not to shake random people’s hands.

9.25. i’m so happy about this show’s commitment to showing just how much of a hot mess dick is.

9.35. i’ve certainly warmed up to the icy, washed-out way this show looks, and the general sense of… space, both in terms of physical space as well as the way each scene is allowed to unfold and just breathe. you don’t get that a lot in superhero media these days.

9.45. an update to the dick grayson timeline! dawn says she hasn’t seen dick in four years and seems genuinely surprised to learn that he’s working with the police now. so how do you go from zero to detective in just four years? is that even possible? the timeframe becomes even shorter if you assume that he only decided to join law enforcement after leaving batman. maybe that’s just another thing that dick kept hidden from his friends, even when they were, you know, friends.

anyway, dick continues to be a hot mess, and i am glad that is consistent over every on-screen iteration.

9.5. i am genuinely unsure why this dick/dawn history exists other than to create some weird conflict between hank and dick. i’d much rather that conflict come from dick being an asshole generally and dropping all contact with his friends when it all became just Too Much To Deal With.

10. OH MAN so him contacting alfred was to arrange a big sum of money to pay off hank and dawn?? yep, dick is 100 percent bruce wayne’s protégé. i’m sure he also thinks of this as a way to help hank recover and for hank and dawn to rebuild their post-vigilantism life. this is a terrible way to deal with your guilt, my friend.

and i love that all of this—the mistakes he’s making with rachel despite his genuine concern for and desire to help her, the way he’s unable to really talk to her instead of at her, his false platitudes when he thinks he has nothing to say—is a plausible reflection of the ways bruce floundered with him when he first took dick in. dick has spent so, so long as bruce’s sole heir; though i’m sure they learned to communicate better, the core dysfunction of his relationship with bruce is embedded in his bones.

but the show is clearly setting up the dick-rachel relationship to evolve—and in doing so, have dick come to terms with his own relationship with bruce, instead of spinning increasingly bitter and dark memories of it in his head.

all said, tho: what a dick move. in every sense of the word.

11. aaand here’s why i never understand criticism of this show that says dick is too dark: it’s just so typical of him to hold himself to insane standards and just cut loose and run whenever he feels he’s failed those standards. it’s why he’s always among the first choices to lead a team but his leadership almost never sustains very long. it’s why he’s everybody’s friend but so desperately, desperately alone, especially when it’s his turn to spiral and need help. it’s why when he is spiralling, he adopts spectacularly self-destructive methods to do so. standing aside while zucco died is essentially his (infamous) blockbuster moment, when he so egregiously compromised his moral code that he was forced to re-evaluate the very core of what he’d identified as for decades. he hates himself, but he splits the blame, recognising the very real damage being robin did to him but pinning everything that’s wrong with him on it.

this tracks with every version of dick grayson that i can think of, bar the golden age/silver age comics, more contemporary nightwing runs—especially after his stint as batman with damian as robin—where he’s matured a bit and more level-headed, and, of course, fanon.

11.5. but while dick is wrestling with himself, actual people do get hurt and lost on the wayside. i’m glad that this show is not shying away from showing that.

12. maaan you really, really didn’t have to do this to anyone, leave alone someone as prominent in nightwing’s history as amy rohrbach. still holding out hope that she’ll return somehow next season.

13. rachel using dick’s own words to get him to help hank and dawn… oh fuck yes.

13.5. to be perfectly honest, i quite enjoyed robin as this menace in the shadows, taking thugs down brutally when they can’t even see him. you never see hyper-competent robin on-screen anymore.

13.75. also? hank and dawn’s genuine horror at his brutality is another giant indicator that this is not a dick grayson who’s functioning optimally, by any standard. he needs a place to start growing from, and this is it.

14. dick getting called out on his bullshit is pretty satisfying to watch, no lie.

14.5. i’d forgotten just how brutally the nuclear family defeat hank, dawn, and dick. yikes.

14.8. that last shot of dick desperately trying to save dawn’s life while having flashbacks to his own parents falling to their deaths is so fucking haunting, holy shit.

15. that was… honestly so good, you guys! i remember seeing this episode for the first time and feeling a little irritated with the languid pacing and the way it seemed sort of like filler. but there’s so much great stuff that stands out to me on re-watch—this show genuinely rewards multiple viewings, even when you know what’s coming next.

#titans #meta #dick grayson #rachel roth #hank hall #dawn granger #a byronic cupcake #a gothic cookie #grand titans rewatch 2k19 #i actually had this almost fully typed out a few months ago #lost the whole thing in a computer crash #felt so dispirited it took me ages to get this thing going again #but by GOD i am going to finish this fucking project

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toujoursmiraculous · 6 years

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Mayura Over-Analysis! (Heroes Day - Part 2)

We start off with Ladybug worrying that Hawk Moth’s clearly had time to come up with such an elaborate plan, yet they’re completely unprepared. And Chat Noir does what he does best and reassures her that they can do it. Both Marinette and Ladybug have doubts and fears that they express, and Adrien and Chat Noir are always there to remind her of how amazing she is and she can do whatever it is that’s troubling or worrying her. Hawk Moth seriously had Guitar Villain and Frightningale perform some pretty bad-ass music for the fight. What a mood. Carapace saving Chat Noir makes me so happy. Neither knew that the other’s their best friend. Please let these two become closer in S3! Rena Rouge calling Queen Bee “Chloe” and her remark of wanting to be called Queen Bee amuses me. Using Chloe’s identity as a weak spot to start dismantling Team Miraculous was smart. And it’s really nice to see the consequences of an identity being revealed. To those that think the reveal should happen just for the sake of a reveal, this is why it hasn’t come yet. Chat Noir launching Queen Bee, idk why, but I love it. Using Dark Cupid as fuel for akumas was so brilliant! To utilize him in such a way was something that I’m sure most, if not all of us, ever thought to do. Imagine all the possibilities with fics now. Team Miraculous working together is honestly the coolest thing ever. They work so well despite it being their first time as a group. RENA ROUGE TAKING AN ARROW FOR CARAPACE AND HIS REACTION ;-; Queen Bee jumping in to protect them is just beautiful. No hesitation. no words other than to say she wasn’t going to break... Carapace’s scream when Rena Rouge got akumatized. MY HEART CAN’T HANDLE THIS. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Just the fact that Nino gets akumatized because he’s upset over things that happen to people he cares about says all you really need to know about Nino Lahiffe. The fact Prime Queen thinks Ladybug and Chat Noir ultimately killed themselves to escape the akumas is hilarious. YES THEY TOTALLY DESTROYED THEMSELVES AND GAVE UP. /sarcasm Plagg sharing his cheese <3 Plagg loves that Camembert more than anything we’ve seen, but he actually loves Adrien more. x3 Now we see Adrien comforting Marinette (though no identity reveal!) again and reminding her of her words of hope. As they’re on opposite sides of a wall. The parallels in this show are truly one of my favorite things. “Well it’s the return of the working formula, a duo. You and I against the whole world!” TOTALLY NOT CRYING AT THIS Also remembered Tikki and Plagg know the identity of LB and CN. I wonder what they thought during this scene. ADRIEN AND MARINETTE JUMP OFF A SEVERAL DOZEN FEET/METER DROP. TOGETHER. WITH THEIR EYES SHUT. AND TRANSFORM MID-AIR. TOGETHER. WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST EPIC SCENE IN THE SHOW SO FAR. They said “detransformation” and I gasped. For that split second, even though I knew deep down they wouldn’t actually reveal themselves, I got scared. Even akumatized, Rena Rouge and Carapace stuck together. Awwwwww x3 VIVE LA FRANCE ! Citizens taking charge and being heroes for a day and helping Ladybug and Chat Noir! How beautiful is that? Leading the front line: Marc, Luka x3, Nora, Alya’s mother, Luka and Juleka’s mother, Marinette’s parents and grandmother. YES. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LINEUP. OMG Manon is there too. She’s fighting to save her mother! Gina helping Ladybug up is so aww. And Alya’s mom telling her they’re so glad to see them again, and will fight to slow them down to give Ladybug and Chat Noir time save the day. These citizens are proving you don’t have to have superpowers to be a hero is such a wonderful message. The pilots circling Gorizilla like that are seriously sacrificing themselves. How easy it must be to make a mistake and crash. “Are you sure you’re not making a huge mistake? That the wish I want to make won’t be a huge benefit?” Wait, hold up. I remember seeing a picture taken in a studio of Gabriel and Ladybug in the room that holds Emilie, before we ever saw the room in Gorizilla so it was certainly not edited. What if somehow there’s some kind of truth to what he’s saying here? What if things aren’t quite as black and white as they appear? Hmmm..... “Whatever may be your wish, it must be evil seeing the chaos you’re creating.” Chat Noir being the one to say it. Wow, if only you knew you precious boy. When you think that it’s Marinette and Adrien fighting Gabriel. These two look up to Gabriel so much, and Gabriel genuinely cares about both of them. Ahhh the drama that’ll arise from this someday. Lila being stuck on the Eiffel Tower again XD Hawk Moth saying he’s a man that has nothing left to lose doesn’t sit well with me. Especially as he BEATS UP HIS SON. “Unable to stay in your form after using your powers.” So Hawk Moth clearly can, but they can’t. Yet.

CARAPACE TO THE RESCUE! Their poses together. So cool. I wonder if after all of this, Alya and Nino will start to see Chloe even slightly differently. Whoa, Hawk Moth’s actually worried about Nathalie’s well-being to beg her not to do what she’s about to do? Still unsure about her powers. Clearly they were used to protect and distract but who knows what they’re capable of. Nathalie risking her life to save him, and being appreciative of it? We’ve now learned the Miraculous is damaged, and causes harm to the holder if they wield it. I’m now thinking that happened to Emilie, and that’s why she’s in the state she’s in. He seemed to know very well how dangerous it is. But this bodes the question: What were Gabriel and Emilie doing in Tibet to try to find the grimoire and Miraculous? Did they simply crave power, or did they have another motive? Did this motive have to do with Adrien, and is that really the reason why he’s always been so sheltered? I’m not sure I understand Lila’s anger here. She sees her class together, eating and enjoying each other’s company. She could’ve had that if she didn’t mess everything up for herself. I also feel bad for Sabrina that Chloe hurt her feelings, but you’d think by now she’d know Chloe won’t eat anything homemade and is especially picky. Chloe could’ve handled it a lot better, but also Chloe handled it better than she normally would have so I’m not sure what to think. Alya’s “Nope, can’t sit here, Adrien. Nope, not here either. But why don’t you sit over there next to Marinette?” scene was awesome, and Mylene warning Marinette that he was coming was such a small thing, but very appreciated! The fact Adrien remembers EVERYTHING MARINETTE’S DONE FOR PEOPLE, and then calls her their everyday Ladybug was the best compliment Adrien could have ever given her. The love and respect he has for Ladybug, to compare Marinette to her means so much. I know Adrien said “You get to be my Ladybug” to her in Evillustrator, and that was significant as well, calling someone else “his Ladybug” but this really shows where he stands when it comes to her. Then calling her “Super Marinette”. YES MARINETTE, YOU GO GET HIM, GIRL! And of course, gotta be your clumsy self but the fact that the entire class was like in shock that Marinette was actually going to do something AND THEN SHE DID. Finally kissed Adrien! On the cheek. But it was amazing! The boy’s in shock, but he’s happy about it so this is a lovely start! The entire class is still just sitting there in shock like “Did she really just do that?” *cheers erupt* Max is still like “What?” and Kim’s the most ecstatic, it would seem, about Marinette kissing Adrien. Maybe he’s secretly a hopeless romantic. Or he really cares about Marinette’s happiness. Or both. Either way, that was sweet. And Chloe doesn’t even seem upset or anything, so that’s a bonus. Then she realizes she stepped in the pie, and pretends like she hadn’t as she watches Adrien leave and the class continues to cheer, while fireworks begin going off and the season comes to an end. This episode was way more than I ever expected it to be. I loved being shocked and surprised, seeing the different kinds of relationships and bonds, and watching the team finally work together. This episode made me genuinely happy, looking forward to more, but not leaving off on a cliffhanger that has me frustrated to know what happens next like S1 did. Instead of a direct continuation from the same day from the end of S1 to the beginning of S2, there could be a small amount of time in between S2 and S3, making them distinct, and I like that. Also, I know we live in a time where people are encouraged to be independent, not to need to rely on anyone, and not to need anyone for any reason. Ladybug and Chat Noir show that separately they can do great things, but together, they’re a force. They are at their most powerful when together, and they provide each other with what the other lacks. Mayura really showcased that, and it’s certainly going to lead into S3.

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haleyfury · 4 years

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January 2020 has been one of the busiest months of my life. I spent so much time with my friends this month, went abroad (for the first time ever) to Ireland, and jumped into my final undergraduate semester. Between friends, school, and abroad, I didn’t have too much time to dedicate to reading in January- and I’m content with that. I really enjoyed the books that I did pick up, as well as the TV and films I was able to also watch this month.

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper (ARC) | 3/5 Stars

The Gravity of Us delivered on its NASA and space-premise, but I just wasn’t a fan of the chemistry between the main characters and character development.

The Risk (Briar U #2) by Elle Kennedy | 5/5

The Risk is my favorite book in the Briar U series! I loved everything about this book, and I can’t wait to read the last book in the trilogy- even though I am putting it off for a bit longer because I don’t want to be done with the Off Campus world yet!

You’re Not You by Michelle Wildgen | 4/5

You’re Not You was a really enjoyable adult contemporary and I’m interested in watching its film adaptation.

Together We Caught Fire by Eva V. Gibson (ARC) | 3/5

Together We Caught Fire is definitely a unique YA contemporary romance and provides an in-depth look at a lot of issues. However, I was not the biggest fan of the character and plot development and relationships.

I’m not counting these towards by reading challenge since they are for school, but I read Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Maus II and Primo Levi’s If This Is a Man for my independent study.

Grace and Frankie S6 (Netflix) – One of my most anticipated TV releases of 2020, I tried not to rush through the latest season of Grace and Frankie. I managed to watch all thirteen episodes in less than a week- to be honest, I could have really ignored homework and watched all 13 in a day, but I wanted to stretch it out. Anyways, Grace and Frankie S6 was such a strong season. The last episode made me laugh out loud the most.

Spinning Out S1 (Netflix) – I’ve been loving so many of Netflix’s drama series lately, the most recent being Spinning Out. I watched 7 episodes on my flights to and from Ireland because this fictional show following young adult figure skaters is that addicting! I wouldn’t say it’s the world’s best acting, but I still enjoyed the plot and story.

Schitt’s Creek S6 (Pop TV) – I was home for one weekend in January, which meant that I had to get up-to-date with as many Schitt’s Creek episodes as possible. I’ve only watched the first two episodes so far, but it’s been a really strong start. Live love David and Patrick as always.

Sex Education S2 (Netflix) – One of my best friends and I made it our mission this month to watch the second season of Sex Education together. We watched all eight episodes over three nights, and we were finally screaming over the relationships and what could happen next at the end of each episode.

Say Yes to the Dress America (TLC) – One of my favorite guilty pleasure TV shows came back in 2020 with a new twist. Say Yes to the Dress America follows various brides involved in Say Yes to the Dress’ epic wedding in which brides from all over the U.S. get married on the same day at Central Park.

Big Hero 6 (Disney+) – I finally checked off another movie on my Disney+ must-watch list by watching Big Hero Six for the first time! My friends and I had a movie night this week and I’m so glad we went with this pick. Big Hero Six was so much more emotional than I could have expected, and I fell in love with Baymax even more than expected as well!

Star Wars Episodes 1 & 2: The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones (Disney+) – My mom and I continued our mission to watch/rewatch all the Star Wars movies by watching Episodes I and II. I really liked Episode I, but I was not a fan of Episode II. Attack of the Clones made me understand why a lot of fans find this trilogy very cheesy.

Started watching: Cheer (Netflix) & The Ranch (Netflix)

Reviews

MAX WATSON LOVE: The Map from Here to There Review ft. The Start of Me & You Reread Thoughts

A Heart So Fierce & Broken and A Curse So Dark & Lonely Double Review

HEART-FILLED YA CONTEMPORARY: How to Build a Heart Review

CALLING ALL SPORTS FICTION FANS: Throw Like a Girl Review

YA DEBUT & MORE CONTEMPORARY READS: January Mini Reviews

Bookish & Fangirl Fun

Book & Fangirl Christmas Haul 2019

MEET THE BOOKS: 2020 Reading Goals

My Most Disappointing Reads & DNFs 2019

Recent Additions to My TBR: 2020 Releases and Backlist Edition

Most Anticipated 2020 TV & Movies

2020 5 Star Predictions: 2020 Releases Edition

I Should Have Read that Book Tag

ADVENTURES ABROAD: My Trip to Ireland

Study abroad & back to school– The biggest life happening for me this month was going on a study abroad trip to Ireland. I have a post dedicated to my trip, but I loved this experience so much and I definitely even have more wanderlust now! As soon as I got back from the trip, I started my final semester of my senior year of college. This semester is definitely going to bittersweet, but I’m going to do my best to spend as much time with my friends and make memories while balancing some really exciting school projects.

Miss Americana documentary- There always has to be some sort of fangirl-related content in my life happenings, right? I feel like so many moments in my life can connect back to Taylor Swift. While I was in Ireland, Taylor Swift’s Miss Americana documentary with Netflix was announced. There have been some mixed early reviews, but I’m still excited to check this one out to learn more about the gap between Reputation and Lover– and see her wok on “Me!” with Brendon Urie.

What did you read and watch in January? What are you looking forward to in February? Any recommendations for me? Share in the comments!

NEW YEAR, SAME FANGIRL: January 2020 Wrap Up January 2020 has been one of the busiest months of my life. I spent so much time with my friends this month, went abroad (for the first time ever) to Ireland, and jumped into my final undergraduate semester.

#January 2020 #January Wrap Up #Wrap Up

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haleyfury · 5 years

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Just as I wanted it to be, June was filled with ALL the books and TV-watching. The summer weather has finally started, with the exception of a solid week filled with rain where I live which sent me inside with coffee and a blanket. I was able to consistently start reading in the pool- no worries, my books are safe on my reading raft and I’ve had a few beach days! This month, I also dove into some ARCs from Book Expo and lots of Netflix as per usual.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 4/5 Stars

Forever, Interrupted was an enjoyable binge-read that I mostly read on my last day of Book Expo train rides. As someone who has read most of TJR’s books now, you can tell that this was her debut, but she still packed an emotional punch.

There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon | 5/5

There’s a review coming very soon for There’s Something About Sweetie, but just know for now that this is one of my favorite 2019 reads.

As Kismet Would Have It by Sandhya Menon | 5/5

There’s Something About Sweetie left me craving more of Sandhya Menon’s writing, which led me to the semi-sequel/novella to When Dimple Met Rishi. It was such a cute and funny read that once again makes me want more of these characters and more Sandhya Menon books.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer | 4/5

It took me about two hundred pages to really get into A Curse So Dark and Lonely, but I ultimately found that the hype was worth the read.

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers #2) by Brigid Kemmerer (ARC) | 5/5

While I enjoyed A Curse So Dark and Lonely, I freaking loved the sequel, A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

Again, but Better by Christine Riccio | 2/5

Despite some negative reviews, I had high expectations for Again, but Better because its synopsis sounded so perfect for me. However, this book was unfortunately my most disappointing and lowest-rated read of 2019.

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart (reread) | 5/5

I reread Grace and Fury to get myself reacquainted with the story and plot so I could read and review Queen of Ruin this month.

Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum | 4/5

This was my first book written by Julie Buxbaum. It was a very educational read, but it was less summer camp and much more about 9/11 than I had realized before going in.

Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart (Grace and Fury #2) (ARC) | 4.5/5

Queen of Ruin nicely wrapped up the events of Grace and Fury. This duology is definitely among my favorite YA dystopians!

Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg (ARC) | 4/5

Past Perfect Life was a really enjoyable read that reminded me of my early YA reading days.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (ARC) | 4.25/5

The Grace Year is one of the most important and chilling reads you’ll read in 2019.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (ARC) | 4.5/5

This is my first Christina Lauren book and I enjoyed it so much! Between this book and everyone’s rave reviews, I put The Unhoneymooners on hold from the library immediately after finishing!

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen | 5/5

Once again, Sarah Dessen reaffirmed herself as the queen of summer contemporaries.

Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills | 4.5/5

Much like Emma Mills’ books, Famous in a Small Town sucked me in for its focus on friendship and relationships.

The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames (ARC) | 5/5

A 2019 favorite read about four college best friends that has left me craving more books with such addicting storytelling.

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo | 4.5/5

Somewhere Only We Know was such a cute and fast-paced read. I loved the Roman Holiday twist and this book is one of the rare instances where the insta-love worked for me!

Always Be My Maybe (Netflix)- Ali Wong is one of my favorite comedians, so I couldn’t wait to watch her Netflix rom-com. Her jokes in the film were so funny and reminded me so much of her specials. This is easily one of my favorite Netflix movies.

Chasing Happiness (Amazon Prime)- Before both the documentary and album Chasing Happiness, it didn’t feel like I needed to go see the Jonas Brothers in concert. Now, I am more than willing to maybe some money on books and get tickets to one of their shows ASAP.

Grace and Frankie (Netflix)- I’ve been craving shorter TV shows (20-30 minutes) lately, which led me to Grace and Frankie. I’m sort’ve mad at myself for not watching this show for so long for whatever reason, but binge-watching its five seasons has been the perfect way to relax.

Outdaughtered (TLC)- Outdaughtered is my favorite feel-good reality show, following a family with all-female quintuplets. It’s almost guaranteed that my best friends and I will be texting about this show every Tuesday night.

Girls Incarcerated S2 (Netflix)- I was hooked on Girls Incarcerated S1 back in May, so I was looking forward to a new season following a girls’ detention center in Indiana and have been enjoying it so far.

The Bold Type S3 (Freeform) – You might know from my last two monthly wrap-ups that I had mixed feelings about Season 3 of The Bold Type. In true Bold Type fashion, the last five minutes of the final episode will have me screaming until the new season in 2020.

Reviews

SUMMER IN SF: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart Review

TAKE ME TO ALASKA: The Simple Wild Review

NECESSARY NEW ADULT READS: Off-Campus Series Review

CONTEMPORARY HEARTS: May Mini Reviews

Bookish Fun

Top Five Wednesday: Recent Additions to My Book Wishlist

MEET THE BLOGGER: Where & How I Write

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag: 2019 Edition

My Favorite Bookshelf Decorations

Book Expo Recaps

OH MY BOOKISH HEART: Book Expo 2019 Haul

FIRST DAY OF THE BEST WEEK: My Wednesday at Book Expo 2019

STRESSING OUT OVER BOOKS WITH FRIENDS: My Thursday at Book Expo 2019

BEST BOOKISH WEEK: My Friday at Book Expo 2019

Other than reading and blogging of course, I didn’t really do anything bookish IRL this month. However, so much amazing bookish news came out this month and while I’ve been fangirling on Twitter, it’s time to do some here:

Rainbow Rowell’s sequel to Carry On, Wayward Son, will have two special editions, one from Barnes and Noble and one from Indigo Sun.

The cover was revealed for Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s next book, Time of Our Lives. And no worries, the cover to this 2020 release is just as gorgeous as this author duo’s other books. Its current release date is April 21, 2020.

The cover and title was revealed for Jenn Bennett’s next YA contemporary book. Chasing Lucky is currently slated for April 7, 2020. I think this is the most I’ve ever anticipated a Jenn Bennett book!

Brigid Kemmerer announced that there will be a third book in the Cursebreakers series in winter 2021. Don’t mind me crying until then over A Curse So Dark and Lonely and A Heart So Fierce and Broken. She also announced another new fantasy series, with the first book, Defy the Night, out in spring 2021.

There’s going to be a prequel to The Hunger Games. I’ll be honest, I’m really not sure how necessary this story really is to the trilogy… UNLESS IT’S ABOUT MAGS THEN I AM TOTALLY ON BOARD TO PANEM.

Sandhya Menon is coming out with another book that takes place in the word of Dimple & Rishi and Ashish and Sweeite. 10 Things I Hate about Pinky will be out in summer 2020.

Some non-bookish fangirl things that also stole my heart in June:

The Jonas Brothers’ new album, Happiness Begins, is so much better than I could have imagined and I am determined to now get ridiculously overpriced concert tickets.

Taylor Swift’s seventh album, Lover, will be released on August 23. Out of the two songs released so far, “Me!” is my favorite. I’ve been recently relistening to Red this month and I would love some songs that feel like they could have been from that TSwift era.

What did you read and watch in June? What bookish news are you really excited about? Share in the comments!

SUMMER LOVING, READING & FANGIRLING: June 2019 Wrap Up Just as I wanted it to be, June was filled with ALL the books and TV-watching. The summer weather has finally started, with the exception of a solid week filled with rain where I live which sent me inside with coffee and a blanket.

#June 2019 #June Wrap Up #Wrap Up

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