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talas-first-lady · 17 days

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Post the ranking of the male legends. Let the world burn. Let chaos reign. It's on brand for the show (please read this in a funny tone)

The official, correct ranking of male Legends from best to worst along with foolproof evidence which you can trust because I am a lesbian and I am not swayed by men of dubious attractiveness.

1: Gwyn Davies

Pros: Invented time travel so he could save the poet he spent his entire adult life pining for. Has some of the absolute best throwaway lines of S7 (with flawless delivery). Has literally never done anything wrong ever.

Cons: Not around for long enough, which was in no way his fault.

2: Ray Palmer

Pros: Delightful. Hilarious. Has great chemistry with every other character. Loves showtunes and Star Wars.

Cons: Spending billions of dollars to create a suit so you can be a superhero in a city that frankly has too many superheroes already is not a good look. Also he's way too intense in relationships.

3: Nate Heywood

Pros: He somehow manages to be the perfect combination of himbo and really smart. It shouldn't be possible. Also, I too am an overeducated nerd who is really into Tala and Maisie, so I relate to him.

Cons: He really sucks whenever he's in a relationship.

4: Jefferson Jackson

Pros: He's such a good guy through and through. He has been put through some deeply unfair things but still manages to always be a positive force. Deserves all the hugs.

Cons: His accent is ridiculous and I can't take him seriously because of that.

5: Mick Rory

Pros: Has any character on the show evolved as much as him? Probably not. He's a sweetheart. He writes romance novels. His relationships with other characters are always amazing.

Cons: We all had to watch him birth alien eggs through his nose and that can never been unseen. Way too attached to his shitty ex boyfriend.

6: Wally West

Wally is right in the middle because he is true neutral. Does he make the show better? Not really. Does he make the show worse? Not really.

Pros: Good karaoke choices.

Cons: It's really dumb that Death Totem Sara appeared to him as his ex (who he really wasn't with that long and who was very much still alive) instead of his mom (who was his only family for his entire childhood and fairly recently died).

7: Gary Green

Pros: Sweet, funny, endlessly relatable. He adds so much character to every scene he's in.

Cons: Does not understand boundaries at all. He's also very inconsistently written because obviously they didn't plan for him to be an alien from the beginning.

8: Behrad Tarazi

Pros: I enjoy the way his relationship with Zari has developed. And he's a great singer.

Cons: Weed is not a personality. They didn't bother to give him an actual personality until season 7, at which point I was already over him. I also don't like his fixation with Astra which was entirely about finding her pretty on Highcastle Abbey and has nothing to do with who she actually is.

9: Carter Hall

Pros: Had the good sense to die quickly before he could really annoy me.

Cons: Manipulative towards Kendra. Actively detracted from the 100th episode.

10: Martin Stein

Pros: Victor Garber. A+ singing.

Cons: Drugged and kidnapped Jax in the pilot. Racist, sexist, deeply selfish. He started to improve slightly but it wasn't enough.

11: Rip Hunter

Pros: Saw the potential in Sara Lance.

Cons: Told Gideon he loved her and then TURNED HER INTO A TRAINING SIMULATOR FOR THREE YEARS. He also flew her into the sun and into an atomic bomb. Lied to all the original Legends. Lied to Ava.

12: Leonard Snart

Pros: Had the good sense to die quickly. Also, I do enjoy him on The Flash.

Cons: Cruel and abusive to Mick almost constantly. Talk about kicking someone while they're down. He's an asshole to everyone, but the way he speaks to Mick is unforgivable.

13: John Constantine

Pros: He's a useful foil for some of the more optimistic Legends. Decent bisexual representation. Never met a weird unidentified substance he didn't want to put in his mouth.

Cons: He forced Charlie to face thousands of years worth of trauma, got Behrad and Charlie's friends killed in the process, and put the entire world at risk. Why? To save Astra, who he immediately forgot about and left to struggle on her own (again). He sent Desmond to hell. He abandoned Nora when she was a kid. He altered Spooner's memories despite knowing that having her mind messed with is a major source of trauma for her. Put the entire world at risk again by teaming up with Bishop. Lied to and manipulated Zari and had the gall to call it love. Also, if both Ava and Mick don't like you, you are clearly highly suspicious.

#legends of tomorrow #that was exhausting #and now we wait for the fans of 12 and 13 to eat me alive

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iheartgod175 · 1 month

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Correction Course: What to Expect in SRBA Reloaded!

It took me a long time to get this post about since life kicked me in the pants, but as promised, I am going to make a full post addressing the criticisms leveled at SRBA and what will be changed in the remastered edition, Super Readers’ Biggest Adventure Reloaded.

Since I’m not someone who can’t learn from her mistakes, I’ll start off with the valid criticisms to my story, Super Readers’ Biggest Adventure, which I have addressed with others who’ve read the story in some private messages (those who read this, you know who you are ^^)

1. The religious themes. I’m no less religious than I was when I first started, but going back I admit that the Christian themes were way, WAY overused here. I still laugh/cringe over the Jesus part myself, haha. I thought I was doing something cool there, but man. I really DID go overboard, and in all honesty, it wasn’t necessary. For those who pointed it out, I take full responsibility for it, and apologize for that. Later installments in the Gaiden series do not have this, though, with Darkness Rewrite being the only exception due to Prince Charming’s throwaway line. Reloaded does have a few metaphors/archetypes for several characters in the Bible (ie. Jeremiah is a blend of both David and Paul, while Chaos’ original character is supposed to mirror Saul before his fall from grace) and some parallels to Scripture, but I definitely won’t go crazy with that like I did in the original.

2. The worldbuilding/lore. For context, I wrote SRBA when I was in high school. So the quality of the writing is…much to be desired. I admit, I had trouble keeping track of the world building and lore for a while, and often when I was adding things into the Gaiden series, it was due to multiple, MULTIPLE rereads to make sure that I wasn’t retroactively retconning everything I wrote back then. As it was my first time working on detailing a large world, and since I made up a lot of things on the fly, a lot of things didn’t make sense back then. I’ve long since learned a lot about how to world build properly and am putting that into effect with the remaster, retconning and adding a few things—I wouldn’t call myself a master, but I’m not a beginner like I was before. While I don’t hate the lore that I created for it, there are things that could’ve been explained better. There are some things that could’ve been shown earlier in the story rather than in the throes of action. There are a few things that could be removed (not sure where I was going with the Summoning Pin element, honestly). There are some things that could’ve been added (shouldn’t the Fairytale World been taken over ages ago?). This is one of the main reasons I tapped this story to get a complete overhaul in the form of Reloaded, where I plan to change everything that was wrong with the original story. As for all the magical swords/Device ripoffs, they were supposed to be based off of Lyrical Nanoha’s Devices, but that wasn’t made clear. I also put in references to Pretty Cure/Sailor Moon in regard to both Muse and Princess Presto, since they’re like the magical girls of the team. I do apologize for that ^^;

Also, being a Black woman myself, there’s gonna be more representation for BIPOC/women. It was a weak point in the original story (as the only other OC whose family gets prominence, Muse, is of Irish/Scottish descent), but I’m gonna rectify that. I’ve decided to include Power Paige in Reloaded, as well as a few other characters, too. I didn’t have a lot of confidence in describing appearances back then, much less scenes, and I realized recently that in trying to create a good descriptor for one of my OCs, I ended up unintentionally offending someone. And at the time of writing the original story, I had no idea that Red was Jewish (for context, I wrote the story when the original Woofster episodes aired, and didn’t follow the series for a while until 2016, when the last few episodes were airing). So, yeah, going forward, we’re not having any stereotypes for BIPOC, period! I’m planning on revising the first chapter of Darkness Rewrite to get rid of that descriptor for Ethan, because, like you said, it was a weird longer way to say someone had darker skin. As someone who interacts with people of various cultures, and makes sure to include that in my own stories, I admit, I dropped the ball here. But I’m gonna fix that! Names were also a big thing that I struggled with. I’ll correct the names for the families of the Super Readers’ families (AKA. The ones who weren’t properly named in the series) soon.

3. Character Development, Part 1: The Super Readers. As much as I like the Super Readers, I didn’t really give them proper character development, with Wonder Red and Super Why being the most egregious. I’d say the character that I (mostly) nailed in the original was Alpha Pig, while the character who got the worst end of the stick was Wonder Red, who was kinda reduced to a hotheaded Tsundere (and I did kinda keep up that energy in the recent entry, which I’m gonna correct in the following chapters!). Whyatt wasn’t terrible, but he was pretty blasé in comparison to the others—he was just there to be the leader and that’s it. Rewatching the series has given me a better idea on where to go with accurately portraying the characters, and of course, that’s gonna be accurately represented in the remaster.

Oh, and while I’m on the topic, the other villagers will get better character portrayals too. Little Boy Blue was demonized pretty early on, to where even I felt bad for him rereading the story.

4. Character Development, Part 2: The OCs. I hyped Muse up a lot during the introductory chapters, but nowadays I really dislike her character. Her character was very much underutilized and underdeveloped. I had more fun writing about the Super Readers and the history about her country rather than her, since they were way more interesting. Her personality is gonna get a complete overhaul in the remastered version, and she and the Evil Reader/Jackson will definitely get better character development and arcs that flesh out their characters.

On the topic of the Evil Reader/Jackson and Lexicon, their “redemption arcs” were rushed and admittedly terrible. Well, Lexicon’s was slightly better than Jackson’s, but I agree that justice wasn’t served to the Super Readers or the victims they hurt in the story proper. They can basically be summed up as “my past sucked and it’s the defining characteristic of who I am, but I’m discarding as of today, please forget the people I’ve killed!” Which I agree is a pretty toxic way of achieving redemption, and I recognize and apologize for that. I did do this on purpose to have them go through a “trial by fire” where they learn that forgiveness for their actions isn’t immediately earned—quite a few characters in the Gaiden series (and even in Chaos’ Revenge) do not forgive or let Jackson or Lexicon off the hook, but that’s not implied in the first story. That’ll definitely be fixed moving forward, as seen below.

I’m also very unsatisfied with Jackson/The Evil Reader’s character. I intended for him to be straight evil and then defeated, until I decided that I’d do a redemption arc for him, and did one that was ripped straight off of an anime. Or, more specifically, a movie. I was originally going for an Anakin Skywalker kind of thing, and I realized that I pulled it off badly. I remember being quite proud of his backstory when I wrote it. Now, though? Ugh. I’m going to be redoing his entire story, plus his history with his two best friends as well, in the remastered version.

Jeremiah, naturally, isn’t gonna be a Gary Stu like he was in the original fic. He does have his own flaws, which are shown later on down the road, but honestly should’ve been shown before the Gaiden series. He also should’ve stepped in way earlier, especially when the Evil Reader’s true nature as Chaos was starting to be revealed (which ties into how the darker themes are gonna be handled). All of this are gonna be handled appropriately in the remastered version.

5. Way less shock value. Some scenes (such as the Pig’s brother slapping him “to his senses” scene) were added for shock value. I know now that this is NOT good writing, especially when it goes against the characters’ canon natures. Plus, having a shocking scene after a shocking scene can really, REALLY get annoying after a while.

6. The Whyatt/Red romance. While it was one of the “selling points” of the original story, it was cheesy. It’s one of the things that I didn’t like about the original because it felt rushed (I also wrote a romance fic alongside this way back when, so I don’t really have an excuse!). I’ve already made like seven pages of notes for their romance in the remastered version, where their friendship is showcased as well, and how it’s not just one-sided on Red’s end.

7. Last but not least, the mature themes. The original SRBA got pretty gritty at times—from more physical violence, to the villains possessing/enslaving the villagers, to the horrors of war, to characters outright dying/getting killed, to the implications of genocide. And then, there’s the reveal in the Gaiden verse that Chaos is a predator. A lot of the Super Readers’ reactions/trauma to the events that happened in the original were pretty understated, I can concur with that. There are two chapters and a few moments that do address their worry, terror and fear about losing everything they hold dear…and that’s it. If I’m being totally honest, those aren’t enough. To say nothing of the crap they learned about the Evil Reader in chapter 17. That’ll get rectified in the remaster as well.

Now, I’ll finish this by explaining that I do write darker subjects in my writings. Those things do include, among other things, rape, SA, objectification/sexualization, suicide, violence (of several forms) and—if my Western series Blazin’ Trails is to go by—animal abuse, racism and slavery. I’ll make this abundantly clear: I don’t have a sick fascination with these things, and I do not advocate for any of these horrible things in real life. Sometimes, when I read these stories, when I see things that are just so awful, it literally runs through my head for hours, I write. I write it out to vent about it, to get my feelings out on paper, to break down why it’s wrong/cruel and most importantly, what can be done to end it and the suffering in people’s lives.

It’s why, when I write these themes or villains who eagerly commit these crimes and laugh, I do it with the mindset that they are the lowest of the low. When I write villains like this, I write with the mindset that these are horrible beings who a.) need no backstory to justify their horrible actions and b.) need to be eradicated in the most fitting way possible.

And in all of the stories that feature one or any of these things, it’s made 1000% crystal clear that none of these things, nor the people doing them, are morally right, excusable or justified/vindicated by history. I also stand by the fact that rape/sexual assault is never the victim’s fault, it’s 100% on the perpetrator, regardless of the circumstances. I have one rule when writing about characters who commit such acts, or who supports such acts: if there’s a character who believes that such things are right, they are swiftly dealt with, often violently. In fact, a lot of times, there’s a visceral reaction to those things and the characters are trying to eradicate those things (as well as the people doing it) from the world they live in. I certainly don’t let my villains (the ones who commit the aforementioned terrorism/sexualizing/etc.) get away with such actions.

I did address that yes, Lexicon and Jackson got away with the aforementioned genocide due to BS writing back when I was in school. In Reloaded, though? The difference is night and day—Jack and Mr. Beanstalk straight up kick their faces in for what they did to them and the kids, Jeremiah is much harsher in his beatdown of both of them and does reduce both of them to husks of their former selves when he steps in. And the Super Readers don’t speak to them for much of the story, even after it’s revealed that Chaos is the true villain, ’cause their earlier actions are still fresh in their minds and as such they don’t trust them at all (and rightfully so).

As for Chaos, he gets dealt with in the appropriate manner befitting a predator by Jeremiah when they first fought (which is gonna be explained in Darkness Rewrite when I get to it). But just know that the mature themes of this story will be handled in the appropriate way/explained better than they were in the original.

I think that’s everything that’s gonna be changed. If I find anything else that needs to be changed, I’ll be updating this accordingly! ^^

Thanks to everyone who let me know what was up, as it really helped me to get all of this out.

~iheartgod175

#pbs kids #super why #fanfic: Super Readers’ Biggest Adventure #remastered fics #fanfics #self criticism

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sannoh-rengokai · 1 year

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The Worst X Reaction:

Boyfriends, boyfriends everywhere.

Maybe spoilers ahead, if you haven’t seen it yet.

Things I liked:

THEY FINALLY GAVE TSUKASA A REAL ROLE AND STORYLINE 🙌 If you’ve read my reaction to The Worst, you know the lack of depth for Tsukasa and his friendship with Fujio was one of my biggest gripes. I didn’t like the series telling us they were best friends and partners but they never actually showed us their bond. There was no substance to their friendship and I hated it so much BUT THEY HEARD MY COMPLAINTS FIXED IT. Not just on the Tsukasa/Fujio friendship but also on the complete under utilization of Tsukasa as a character. Like the guy was literally the main character in Episode.0 then he was just... there... for The Worst? There was almost no point to him as a character especially after they brought in Fujio’s childhood friends (and yes, I’m still mad about that lmfao) but this time around they actually gave him some depth. Fujio might be the leader but Tsukasa is the core and heart of Oya High and I won’t hear anything different. (I still haven’t seen 6 from The Worst so if this changed before X whoops lol)

If Murayama could see Todoroki now, he would lose his goddamn mind lmfao. TODOROKI SAYING HE HAS FRIENDS TO PROTECT NOW??? I have been waiting SIX YEARS to hear those words coming from his mouth AND IT FINALLY HAPPENED AND HE CALLED FUJIO “HIS” LEADER ON TOP OF THAT? I’m crying my baby boy is all grown up 😭💕 This is the most character development he’s gotten since season 2, where is Murayama to see this?!?!?

“Fishing buddies” Todoroki and Odajima. Listen, LISTEN. I expected like one jokey throwaway line about them being fishing buddies but then I got a full fledged genuine friendship between them?! I’ve been fed, this will fuel me for an eternity. I ship it so much.

Odajima being That Guy for Housen while Sachio is away. He got so much screen time I was shocked lol.

I really liked the way the Raoh storyline went. I figured they were going down this route when they kept stressing the ~legend~ of Raoh then I knew the moment Fujio saw the orphanage he was going to crumble like a wet paper bag for him lol.

I said this on a personal post but the innocence of this movie compared to The Worst or the main series was really cute. Like, sure they’re being violent little shits but it was purely about teppen and they kept it between themselves. There was no secret drug rings or yakuza, just a bunch of dumb kids being dumb kids. I’m just saying it was nice to not fear for their lives for once lol

Things I didn’t like:

They could have gone a bit farther with the Fujio/Tsukasa friendship still but I’ll let it pass this time around.

Amagai doesn’t deserve Suzaki and no one got to call him out on it. He should have actually stabbed Ryo and showed real remorse if they wanted me to believe he cared about him. I don’t believe it. This is poor writing. This is my issue with Fujio and Tsukasa all over again lol

The repeated scenes from The Worst were a bit meh. Did we really need everyone’s healthy partner to get hurt this time around?

I think that’s it? Idk I don’t take these movies too seriously on the plot side, just the character side and that was chef’s kiss this time so I loved it!!!

Also people who don’t like ~the power of friendship~ cheesiness need to find something else to watch. It’s been this way since season one??? What have you been watching? It’s saved Noboru, Murayama, Hyuga, Chiharu, Kohaku and literally (almost) everyone since then. Hello????? How do you make it this far into the series hating the power of friendship? lmao

#high&low #high&low the worst x #I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I WANTED #this movie was made for me specifically :)#but i'm still waiting for my daruma movie lol

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procrastinatorproject · 1 year

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On the Changing Nature of the Borg

I was thinking about Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard yesterday, and I was once again struck by one of the things that disappointed me about the show: The complete retcon they gave the nature of the Borg.

I'm far from the first person to make this observation, and when I complained to friends about it last night, I was a little worried I might be doing the S2 writers a disservice. Maybe I was misremembering the details from the show and putting too much of my own interpretation on top of it. Or I might have latched on to somebody else's criticism and not checked to see if it was supported by the text.

But then I rewatched episode 2x09, "Hide and Seek" today, expecting to have to look very closely for the details that support my reading - only to find that I didn't over-interpret some throwaway line, this is a key piece of dialogue.

So, here it is: my thoughts and feelings about what happened to the Borg in season 2!

Spoilers for season 2 of Star Trek: Picard ahead, obviously. Also quite a bit of saltiness. (I have tagged this post accordingly, so please take this as your sign to blacklist that tag and/or stop reading if you're not in the mood for saltiness ;) )

Let us begin with a quick walk through the history of the Borg. [Edit: That was a lie, I am incapable of "quick." Prepare yourself for a verbose trek through the history of the Borg.]

In TNG, they were introduced as practically a force of nature. They didn't hold grudges, they weren't ambitious or greedy or megalomaniacal. They didn't spread across the Galaxy because they wanted to be conquerors or rulers. They simply spread. Like a virus, or an invasive plant.

They added new technologies and biology into their collective to improve themselves and their chances of survival. Assimilation was akin to evolution for them. (I know this is not how biological evolution works. I'm using it as shorthand. )

These Borg didn't care that people might not want to be assimilated because for one, their objections would be overwritten once they were Borg, and for another, they had no chance of escaping their fate, anyway.

This first, original form of the Borg, in my opinion, was the most truly alien they have ever been.

This characterization started to collapse a bit once First Contact decided to introduce the Borg Queen as a weird psycho-sexual horror component, making the Borg less of a force of nature and more of a nominally collective hive-mind that operated like a person would.

Voyager definitely added to this interpretation of the Borg, making them more beholden to the moods and wishes of the Queen. They were no longer simply a dispassionate alien organism, moving through the galaxy in a quest for self-improvement because that was their nature. Instead, their characterization became more human, pursuing specific goals, strategies and motivations.

On some level, I completely understand this choice. Making your main series villain a force of nature rather than a character with personal motivation is difficult to pull off, especially when that isn't the main story you're trying to tell. But it did end up taking the Borg one step farther away from their original alien-ness.

One thing Voyager added to the mythos, though, that I find deeply fascinating is that instead of having the Borg Queen lust for power and control, or having her act out of fear and self-preservation, they instead focused on the concept of Perfection. In "The Omega Directive", Seven of Nine explains that to the Borg, the pursuit of Perfection is almost spiritual.

According to this interpretation, the Borg don't simply search out and assimilate new species because of an "evolutionary" drive for self-improvement. Instead, they are on a quest to reach a state of absolute perfection. They add new technologies and biological diversity in the hopes of coming closer to this goal and one day finding this most ideal state of existence.

These Borg don't care about your objections to assimilation, because they are convinced that their vision of perfection is universal. Every species must obviously strive for perfection and they can offer that, so why would you ever want to resist? They have no concept of the fact that others might not define perfection in the way they do, might not strive for it at all, or that "perfection" at the cost of giving up all individuality and sovereignty might not be an acceptable trade-off for people.

(And no, Voyager is not internally consistent about this. Barely any long-running tv show is entirely internally consistent. But the point still stands.)

On some level, this drive also brings the Borg closer to humanity: less dispassionate virus and more colonizers who come to extract value from “lesser cultures” and impose a more enlightened way of life on them because They Know What's Best. Still, I think the relentless, uncompromizing pursuit of a nigh-spiritual ideal of Perfection and utter disinterest in personhood and self-determination of other people make the Borg into a formidable and, at the end of the day, alien villain.

Which brings us to season 2 of Star Trek: Picard.

The thing that rubbed me the wrong way about the way the Borg were characterized here is summed up in an exchange between Jurati and the Borg Queen:

Jurati: "Millions of species, planets, and still you always needed more." Borg Queen: "Perfection takes time, dear." Jurati: "This was never about perfection or evolution or any of that bullshit. It was never enough, because you're just like me. Lonely."

And that's it. In all of five sentences, we have retconned the entire history, motivation and fundamental nature of one of the main alien species of the Trek universe.

Everything we have been told about the Borg, everything they have said about their reasons and their character, none of it was true. They have been lying to all of us and to themselves this entire time. They aren't a force of nature or a people/collective organism in pursuit of a higher ideal. Instead, it was all a single woman's misguided quest to not feel alone anymore.

Now, I understand that for some people, this revelation adds a new layer of complexity to a villain that had grown somewhat stale. And I have seen others argue that they like the idea that the Borg collective is actually all about connection. If that's you, I'm not saying you're wrong or trying to ruin your enjoyment of these characters.

But personally, I find this development rather disappointing. This plot twist retroactively changes not only the philosophy, psychology, and raison d'être of a fascinating alien culture but also the narrative significance of the Borg in the Trek cosmos.

Before, they were in conflict with the Federation because they refused (or were unable) to look outwards and see that there was more than one "correct" mode of existence, and that the life of people different than them had worth. Now, the conflict arises because they refuse to look inward and acknowledge that what they are really looking for cannot be achieved through conquest.

Where before they assimilated civilizations in a quest for utmost perfection no matter the cost, now they are assimilating masses of people in the hopes of creating a chorus that will drown out the loneliness.

Don't get me wrong, that sort of twist can make for an intriguing villain arc, but firstly, it needs to be executed with a lot more care than season 2 made room for, and secondly, it works a lot better for individuals or groups of individuals than for a species that is ostensibly a telepathic hive-mind.

(Seriously, the in-universe implications -- for the Prime-timeline Borg, the Federation, the xBs -- are staggering and are glossed over completely on the show. Then again, this is the same season that doesn't bother to show (or tell) whether Agnes Jurati chooses to remain with the Borg Queen out of a genuine desire to create a new collective or as a desperate bargain to save her friends. You know. The culminating moment of her character arc in season 2. But that is another rant.)

At the end of the day, I don't feel like this newly-revealed secret motivation adds a fresh layer of complexity to a well-known villain. Instead, I think it takes away many of the aspects that made the Borg intriguing, both narratively and as an alien species, and turns them into something much more human and, frankly, much more banal.

#take 2 #the first time round tumblr somehow published the previous draft from before i deleted all the outtakes at the end 🙃#star trek picard #star trek picard season 2 #the borg #borg queen #agnes jurati #star trek meta #star trek picard meta #meta musings #picard saltiness #long post #i worked very hard to avoid the phrase 'the power of friendship' in this rant and i want you all to know that #i'm trying to show a modicum of respect over here!#seriously though. i was a little shocked when i rewatched the ep and heard that bit of dialogue #it feels a bit like such a cheap shot at all the writers who created and shaped the borg #'WE are going to tell you what's ACTUALLY going on with these characters.#and it's not this evolution or perfection bullshit'#i know agnes is trying to provoke the queen #and other shows (not to mention season 1) have also turned established canon on its head #but again: it's a question of intention and care. and i don't feel like the writers gave that development enough room and respect #to make such a line seem like anything but a 'your ideas about these caracters were *dumb*' type callout to previous creatives #also doesn't help that it's not the only time in s2 where it feels like the writers are being mean spirited about previous characterization #anyway #/salt

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dalesramblingsblog · 10 months

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Chris Cwej, Roz Forrester, the New Adventures and Policing

I'm not going to include this in the final Room With No Doors review - I don't really like going off on tangents about the Chibnall Era unless I can really help it, since I recognise that plenty of people enjoy it more than me and I wouldn't want to take that away from people - but I do think there's something to be said for the way in which Kate Orman handles these themes of the Doctor's role not being that of a cosmic policeman, as distinct from the way it's handled in the Chibnall years.

I see people saying that Yaz quit, and that people who "missed" that are just clueless. But like... I dunno. I guess, to my own personal taste, they never really dealt with the particulars of Yaz's quitting in enough of a substantial fashion, and that speaks to a general aesthetic of the Chibnall Era that I could never get down with.

Would I go so far as to say it is actively "copaganda?" No. But I don't think that's what anybody is really arguing anyway when they say Chibnall is "pro-establishment." And yes, that includes folks like Darren Mooney or El Sandifer, both of whom have written on this topic way better than I ever could tbh.

(And look, having read Darren's stuff for a long time, while I know some folks find him to be sneering or mean-spirited in his treatment of Chibnall, I've never really gotten that veneer. Trust me, I've read his reviews of some truly dire Star Trek episodes and he's way harsher in those than he ever has been on Chibnall imo.)

Chibnall's Who is not "pro-establishment" in the sense of a 50-something, lifelong Republican with an All Lives Matter flag in the back window of their ute. If it's "pro-establishment" at all, it's "pro-establishment" in the sense of your average milquetoast liberal. It may not be *as* conservative, but it's still a preference, on some level, for the status quo. It's comparatively, rather than absolutely, conservative.

Enlightened centrism, if you will. At least in my opinion.

The New Adventures, at least, were generally aware of the weird optics of having the TARDIS inhabited by two regular cast members who were explicitly police officers.

The Room With No Doors, for instance, actively ridicules the view of the Doctor as a non-interventionist, "cosmic policeman," and interrogates Chris' desire to be a hero with specific reference to his policing career, with the character voicing a desire to go back to the kind of small-scale traffic policing that marked his early days on the job.

This is obviously supposed to play against the grandiose notions of "Time's Champion and his steward" that run throughout the NAs, but it's telling that the Chibnall Era never really does anything comparable to this.

We don't really get an in-depth exploration of what Yaz sees in policing, or her eventual disillusionment. We get the general outline, sure, with the backstory of Can You Hear Me? and the eventual revelation - pretty much buried in a throwaway line - that she eventually quit. But that isn't really enough for me, personally. As ever, I should stress that it's totally fine if the character and her arc resonates more with you, mind.

I could also go into Roz's character arc and how she's incredibly multi-faceted and well-rounded as a character, including her relationship to her work as an Adjudicator, but for now I'll basically just leave it at this: That final speech in The Also People as to why she feels justified in turning feLixi in is a better articulation, for me, of a regular character's relationship with their policing work than anything in the Chibnall Era, made all the stronger because while Aaronovitch enables you to understand Roz's perspective, he's shrewd enough to leave the truth of her statements a little ambiguous.

Anyway. Sorry to be so negative, like I said I'm not a fan of doing this too regularly, but The Room With No Doors threw up a lot of comparisons in my head and I wanted to voice them without derailing the flow of the eventual review proper.

I aimed to voice these thoughts in as respectful a manner as possible, as I do also find the cottage industry of anti-Chibnall critiques where people are just using it to shit on the fans of the era and minorities to be... bad, funnily enough. Nobody should ever be doing that, even if I do think there are valid grounds for critiquing the era.

#anti chibnall #but not like #too angry #i hope at least idk #mildly anti chibnall at best #if you like chibnall more power to you #i mean that #not being sarcastic #chris cwej #roz forrester

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ramblingdisaster73 · 1 year

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hi! i saw a few of ur posts and asks lately and i hope u don't mind me popping in to kind of rant a little. i haardd agree w what you've said re: ep03 and 4x04

403 really did hurt. and i get it. i get that it comes hand in hand with the angst, and i think. i hope (?) that they'll be ok in the end bc at this point, it's getting a little bit frustrating to me. i hated the line of carlos being like 'can't let go of a bad relationship' :/ ik its probably a really poor take coming from the writers but like. with the setup, framing, and tk looking at him after he said that line. what did they want us to think. i think there's a fine line between being petty and hurtful and being a jerk. and imo if i want to put more weight into that line (i probably won't, bc i believe its meant to be more like a throwaway line that we'll collectively ignore and won't resurface again), he's leaning towards the latter. i can't imagine the patience tk has rn

i did not like that, time and time again so far, tk is just being his non-confrontational self. and i get it, with the whole 'you lash out at you loved ones in the moment of extreme anxiety and loss of control, whilst knowing that he will be there for u through it all. through all ur messiness and ur shit, it's like a lifeline that he can hold on to.' hell, i did that too. and i love this sentiment, and i think ep1 - ep3 is them trying to show us this. except before we get their reconciliation in 4x04 (hopefully), these are what we have to work with.

i also read somewhere (i'm so sorry i'd forgotten who said it) that we might get more of carlos + iris reunion rather than a carlos/tk one bc it will carry more weight for carlos' character arc, and at this stage, i hate that i can see that happening, and i don't like it. i'm just asking for any sort of carlos/tk reunion to be cathartic af, after all of what we've they've been through so far. i don't think i'm asking for much atp 🥲🥲

(prev.) if this really happens, i hope it's in the context of like, iris reassuring carlos that she's not his legal responsibility anymore, that she's more than capable of taking care of herself, and that he needs to let go of the unfounded guilt that he's carrying towards this whole mess (ik this is controversial, but i would argue that iris carries equal responsibility as well and i blame carlos as much as i do iris, she could've reached out too, but i won't be getting into that), so that he can truly move on with tk. a clean slate, if u will. i won't be able to accept anything else.

i just. my god. i love tk. i want to give him a little hug. it's genuinely really painful to watch him in these 3 eps. i have no hope that it will ever be addressed. can u tell i just really need more tk/carlos scenes atp bc i do i miss them being a team and i don't like it when there's tension that we can never get closure too. i don't want to expect anything for 404 except that it'll probably be disappointing, just so i won't be let down again.

also as like a little sidenote, i saw the 100 in your bio and omg i was there (!!!!!) doesn't this (e.g. tim's post, ro and rafa's interviews) all feel like jrat + the 100 cast mess all over again. bc i see it. i'm not sure if you're aware of it back then, but it was like a whole mess between the cast and jrat and they had to keep defending his writing and lmaoooooooo history repeating itself over at ls here i see i see

i'm so sorry its so long. it got away from me. thank u for reading through all that tho if u did 😭 have a nice day/night!

This storyline has definitely ruffled feathers, a lot of them for a lot of people. The way they are only revealing bits at a time through this 4 episode arc is slowly driving us all insane – especially those of us that were not blessed with any sort of patience (that’s me, I have none) and want to know everything right now.

Just like 3x13 had some painful to watch scenes, so did 4x03 – but watching Ronen & Rafa this season has been a real gift – we care so much about these characters in large part because we know how much Ronen & Rafa love their characters, how much they respect the relationship that they are portraying, combined with their natural chemistry, makes Carlos & TK such a compelling people – as both individuals & as a couple.

-The first couple of seasons, we got glimpses of Carlos’ flaws, but they weren’t as obvious or as loud as TK’s, so many people just over looked them, some to the point where they don’t believe that he can do any wrong or that pretty people should always be forgiven because they are pretty.

*For this particular storyline – They had to pretty much exaggerate his negative traits: Control freak, self-blame, avoidance to the point of lies by omission, and his compartmentalization in order to have him learn more about himself (I think) If they had just kept him as he was in 3x13 with the petty chicken dinner, then we wouldn’t really be able to see him learn anything – it would just have been a continuation of his avoidance, without long term consequences.

– his traits/flaws had to be so in our faces, so that when he loses all of that – all control, all ability to compartmentalize, can’t lie to even himself anymore – we are feeling it with him, feeling him learn that this isn’t a healthy way for him to live.

*I have no clue what their intention for the bad relationship line was – but I do think it missed whatever the goal was since none of us can decide on the meaning. I am currently going with it is part of how they are exaggerating his traits (his pettiness in this case) to show how much out of the ordinary this whole situation is for him. I do think he is filled with so much guilt over Iris, that it almost froze him where she was concerned, especially since TK came into his life – and he realized that he could have something real. -thinking about it this way does make it more tolerable, at least it does for me.

*There is a fine line between petty and jerk, Carlos has been walking it like a tight rope since the minute that venue called, probably since the morning after he realized that he hadn’t dreamed up TK proposing. I think that the show is finally letting us see his other sides, we are seeing him start to unravel a little – he doesn’t know how to deal with it – THERAPY WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION, SIR! – so much damn therapy.

I am loving TK (& Ronen) this season – that man can say a lot with his eyes – especially when the script doesn’t give him words. I do think that part of his lack of an emotional response, isn’t that he doesn’t have feelings about what is going on (Carlos being married), but he sees how fucked up Carlos is over the whole thing – he knows that if he freaks out too, then everything will get worse – this time, even though shit is hard, the last thing he wants to do is run away or blow things up – and honestly, I love it. And I have written quite a few fics so far that have really helped me deal with the emotions that this storyline brought up.

*I do not think that there will be a whole lot of bottled up TK in 4x04 – I think he will be a fiery tornado with one goal in mind – as Ronen has said, we are going to see a different side to TK this season. I think part of that might be the way he processes his emotions/thoughts (plus he has a whole fandom to be mad on his behalf) – I don’t think TK will ever just roll over and let anyone (Carlos included) walk all over him - he has just learned to pick his battles, support his fiancé over himself when needed.

*I can’t wait for feral TK

I did say something along the lines of Carlos more important reunion would be with Iris over TK – to be honest though, I doubt we see a real reunion between Iris & Carlos at this point – BUT, my reasons for thinking that were what you said – that she might be the one that gets through to him that people are stronger and more capable than he gives them credit for – Both her and TK – as well as Carlos.

*We will get some type of emotional reunion between TK & Carlos on screen – I think that Tim loves to pull things apart – but he does it because he loves putting them back together. Someone pointed out that each episode has shown us another aspect of the Tarlos relationship – The understanding from TK in 4x01, the unit that they are in 4x02, what friction and stress can cause in 4x03. I think 4x04 will be another aspect to see.

-I am leaning that the bulk of the ep will be them separated – Carlos being held captive, torture & TK will be realizing he is missing/searching for him. I am also thinking that the amount of time on screen that they will be together will be similar to Push 3x04 – An emotional reunion (like at the hospital when TK woke up), then a domestic like scene (like the initial Tarloft scene), ending with some type of group scene (like the reopening of the 126) – obviously, I could be wrong – but that is how I am leaning as of now.

TARLOS IS ENDGAME & ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE WEDDING – is my mantra and I repeat it as necessary in times of need.

I also love TK, he is also probably the one I can relate to the most, so that helps (or not, depending on how you look at it). That mean needs all the hugs, he takes everything on himself (kinda like his fiancé), and wants everyone to be happy. I can’t get over how blessed we are with the cast that plays these amazing characters – they don’t feel like one dimensional characters – they feel real – this is why we care so much.

I think the difference between Tim & J Roth is that Tim is supporting his work & his cast/characters while J Roth killed off characters if his cast member needed time off for a medical/mental health issue or has a disagreement. I got lucky with the 100, my ship made it to the end, even if they were the ship with one of the smallest fanbases (sorry, I am a total Mackson fan – they are what brought me to tumblr & Ao3 in the first place), so I didn’t hate J Roth for the shit writing in Season 7 (also, don’t hate season 7 – see my ship for why 7x14 was a total gift for me)

*I really can’t see Tim treating any of this cast like J Roth did Ricky & Bob

*Tim will fuck with us though – and since he gives us such beautiful scenes (even the hard ones), I will forgive him. While he loves to tear our hearts out, he is sure to let us know that he will let these characters put them back in place. He knows that we love them, but he does deserve to be protective of his work (even when we don’t agree with him).

I enjoy reading people’s thoughts, adding my own, and welcome people sending me asks/their thoughts!

#anon #911 lone star season 4 #911 lone star spoilers #911 lone star speculation #The 100 #Tarlos #Carlos Reyes #TK Strand #Tim Minear #J Roth

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flightfoot · 2 years

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My little cousin (8) is a big ML fan and I watch it with her a lot. I wouldn’t say she doesn’t care about the romance, because she does, but it’s not a massive deal to her. It’s just part of the plot alongside the heroes and villains. She likes the fights, the new heroes, and the akumas a lot, and finds the villains more memorable than their civilian counterparts.

That’s one big difference between the show’s target audience and the adults on tumblr; the adults hone in on shipping, and I feel like a lot of people only care about the romance. The love square is literally the only thing happening in this show and everything else is filler. Of course, that’s not the whole fandom, but for the kids the romance, lore, fights, and subplots/side character stories are much more equal.

On the other hand, adults are much more in tune with narrative structures and can pick up on foreshadowing and subtle plot crumbs. I don’t think my little cousin would ever come up with a sentimonster theory, and she doesn’t think too hard about Gabriel’s backstory.

Adults can pick up on everything that happens, especially fans who analyze every line and frame of each new episode. This show tends to pack a lot of interesting things into throwaway lines. A lot of great side character moments are just them doing stuff in the background of the main characters talking. The show writers try to find clever ways around censorship. Little kids with short attention spans only absorb the main parts of the episodes. My cousin asked me if Alya and Nino were dating when we were watching s4. So I don’t think she knows Juleka and Rose and Marc and Nath are dating. Heck, I don’t think she knows Marc and Nath’s names. Ivan is “Mylene’s boyfriend” to her.

The show’s comedy is largely geared towards kids. When Simpleman came out, tumblr was mad. Why have such a stupid, pointless episode in the middle of all the good stuff? Well my cousin loved it. She thought it was hilarious! The kids prefer silly goofy time over “the good stuff”. She doesn’t like Chat Blanc because that episode was too stressful for her.

Lastly, kids take everything in stride. Whenever the show makes, like, any decision, there will always be grown adults salting on it. There’s valid critique, of course, but I’m talking about people who hate every new design because they aren’t used to it and hate every development because things happened differently in their personal fanfiction universe, and the writers didn’t read their minds, so clearly the show is wrong. Kids just accept what happens in canon. New heroes/villains? Yay! Filler episodes? Ok! People do stupid stuff? Sure! We learn unexpected new information? Alright! She sees Chloe as the typical cartoon school bully. Are there more complex sides to her? Does she have nicer moments? Yeah, but the kids don’t expect her to do a full 180 and then be forgiven. She’s a big Luka fan and prefers Lukanette, but it was obvious to her that Adrienette is endgame. She doesn’t get mad when change happens.

So yeah, the difference between kid and adult fans is pretty interesting, and I’d say generally, they both have their positives and negatives when it comes to absorbing and enjoying the show.

Thanks for the breakdown! This makes sense to me, it's how I absorbed cartoons when I was a kid. Whatever happened, happened, you were just there to go with the flow.

But yeah young kids don't always have the best grasp on all the subtleties of what's going on. It takes awhile for most of them to figure that stuff out.

#ask #miraculous ladybug

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thebreakfastgenie · 2 years

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I watched the AfterMASH pilot

These are my thoughts.

The frustrating thing about this show isn't that it's bad. It's that it has so much potential. I've said I think AfterMASH was bad idea, because putting characters back together after Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen undermines the ending. I know the choice of characters simply came down to which actors were interested, but if you're going to do a MASH sequel with multiple characters, I can suspend disbelief that those three would end up together again. In particular, Potter helping Klinger get a job makes sense. For the most part, I like the set up of the actual VA hospital. I like the hospital administrator taking on the role of the brass in the original show. I mostly like how the patients are being handled so far. The WAC with VD (as it was called then) was a good storyline that pushed the envelope a little in a very MASH way. This storyline also reminded me that Dr. Walter Dishell, the medical advisor for MASH, came back for AfterMASH. If his interview is accurate, he often advocated for slightly progressive or controversial storylines on medical shows he worked on.

I think Potter's arc is handled quite well. It makes sense that he'd get antsy being semi-retired, and that possibility is even set up in GFA when he's reading Mildred's list of chores. It all happens a bit fast in the pilot, but that's to be expected. I think setting the show in September 1953 is an interesting choice, and the whole thing would work better if it was set even a few months later. I guess they went with September so it would match the television season (a lot of shows do this) but in that case I'd say the better thing to do is set it in September 1954 and show parts of the first fourteen months home in flashbacks, or else set the pilot later in 1953 or early in 1954 and get the show to September 1954 by the second episode.

So far, the way Klinger's arc has been handled doesn't thrill me, but it's okay. Klinger running into trouble readjusting to stateside life, especially when he's established as being a tough street kid before he was drafted, makes a lot of sense. Of course the treatment of veterans was a widespread issue, and this is a classic MASH storyline in that it's pretty clearly commentary about Vietnam vets too, and I imagine it was even harder for Klinger coming hope a couple of months after most of the other returning vets. I would also have liked to see some exploration of how Klinger being Lebanese-American and having a Korea refugee wife and the systemic racism they face play into his experiences with the justice system. I do love that courtroom scene, because that speech feels like the Big Hawkeye Speech, but it's Klinger, and he does it beautifully. Klinger absolutely should inherit the Hawkeye roll. It's strange that we haven't heard anything about his family, but I think that might come up later, so I'm withholding judgment on that.

Klinger and Soon Lee being back in the States within two months feels unrealistic and in my opinion really undermines their ending in GFA. I know they had to be back for the show to work, but this is another problem that would be solved by just setting the show a little bit later. I'm disappointed that Soon Lee's family is relegated to a throwaway line. Soon Lee wanting to come back to the States with Max makes sense (and she even implies in GFA she wants to, just not until she finds her family) and I can definitely believe her family might not want to come, so Max and Soon Lee getting them set up and sending them money is an acceptable direction to go, though I think it's a missed opportunity for supporting characters. Even if only Soon Lee's brother came with them, you could have the potential of him working at the hospital too, or other storylines. Bringing Soon Lee's family over later (possibly just her brother, for education) could also have a lot of potential. Basically, I'd just like more of how they got where they are and how they feel about it. Jamie Farr and Rosalind Chao have fantastic chemistry and could absolutely carry this show. Let the characters of color be leads, come on.

I am beyond pissed about Mulcahy's arc, in multiple ways. I'm giving this show the benefit of the doubt that his drinking problem will actually become a recurring theme over the next two seasons, but the way it's handled in the pilot is atrocious. That scene where he's just in bed drunk and helpless and his sister calls Colonel Potter?? His depression over his situation is understandable, but he literally ended GFA saying that while he would miss parish work, he wanted to work with the Deaf. I can totally see many ways that might not work out, but it's not even addressed at all. I don't exactly mind him regaining some hearing; he was never properly evaluated or treated in GFA. But it seems as if his deafness has been essentially cured and that's the coward's way out! Let him have an operation that restores partial hearing, leave him hard of hearing. Maybe that's why working with the Deaf doesn't work out, because he doesn't quite fit in there, but he doesn't quite fit in the hearing world either. The way I would handle his storyline is I'd have him have the operation at the VA, and while recovering bond with other disabled veterans as a fellow patient, making him want to stay. Maybe even have him meet another Catholic patient who's unable to attend services offsite, but hasn't bee able to attend them at the hospital either because there isn't a priest.

I can definitely see Larry Gelbart's fingerprints; some of the dialogue is very good. I have money on Alma and the hospital administrator sleeping together, like early seasons Frank and Margaret. I'm hoping for more Mildred and Soon Lee. Unexpectedly, I like the resident. I like his relationship with Klinger. Still, I want the MASH characters to get more focus and I suspect this guy is going to take more of it than than I'd like. The other secretary seems okay, I just hope they don't do anything too weird with her having a crush on Klinger.

References to other MASH characters: Hawkeye 1

#mashposting #aftermashposting

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jon-astronaut · 11 months

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the three biggest sins of ted lasso season 3 has been:

1) forgetting that football should be at the core of the show

this is a football show. it’s also sort of like a workplace sitcom (or dramedy or whatever) in that sense. the thing that tied these characters together was the football team. so why did we not know where afc richmond stood half of the season in terms of the premier league? what happened to the getting relegated in season 1, going back up to the premier league in season 2, and winning the whole fucking thing in season 3 plan? the season was filled with various a-b-c storylines that felt disconnected the whole season. separate storylines did not come together like they did in episodes like rainbow, like man city, like think of episode 10 and rebbecca’s monologue about football. that’s where the show always should have been. football was its selling point and also the reason these characters are this way. the reason why roy was so angry, the reason why colin wasn’t coming out. football should have been the focus, instead of us learning about their position in the league with throwaway lines.

2) not being able to write full arcs

the show knows how to write stuff until the reveal (with a few exceptions). in season 2, when you do a rewatch, it is so clear the way nate starts to feel that he has been replaced. and seeing him working with west ham at the end was a nice pay off. but then what happened this season? where was the tension between nate and every other character (except that whole afc Richmond players getting into fights on the pitch thing)? yes him falling in love was a nice story but that shouldn’t have been the way things switched for nate. not after everything. there are other examples to this too.

3) the show forgot the team is adult footballers

yes, ted lasso has always been cute and nice and cheesy and the characters were always lovable. but they weren’t fandomified himbos. almost every scene with the team felt like it was out of a fanfic. don’t get me wrong I do enjoy reading fluff and stuff but that’s not what I want to see on tv. like you are telling me these adult footballers chose to do a pillow fight in AMSTERDAM of all cities instead of going to a party. they weren’t like this in season 1. still nice and cute but not like this. ALSO, these are professional footballers. the whole seeing nate rip the believe poster and go on fights in the pitch never sat right with me. believe me I'm familiar with football and how much fighting and cursing there is on the pitch. but PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS wouldn’t go ballistic like that. at least not all of them. it wasn’t in character for most.

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers

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tuiyla · 2 years

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How do you headcanon brittana in 5x20 had santana actually been in the episode lol like scenes etc., do you see Brittany's scenes going any differently etc.?

Anon! Sweet Anon. When I got this I thought this ask was very interesting but, unfortunately, it was the day I had a 10 hour-flight and went on hiatus so, oops, my bad on replying three weeks later. Hope you're reading this, let's go.

I think there are two main versions of this, one where we actually explain the confusion around Brittana in s5B and what was with Santana returning without Britt, and one (more likely would have happened) where we don't mind that and Brittany returns without acknowledging all that.

To do the latter first, I suppose this is what we could have gotten realistically. I'm not sure about the rumours surrounding 5x20 but IIRC there was a possibility of both Santana and Britt being in the ep, it wasn't an either/or. In which case, I don't see Brittany's scenes changing too much. She shows up the same way only instead of the Yeast-i-Stat line about Santana we have a throwaway meta joke about their Lesbos vacation and Troubletones scenes with Mercedes. I wish all people who robbed me of that a very step in shit, btw. And Santana is involved in at least some of the TV script scenes instead of Britt such as the ones that were obviously meant to be Kurtcheltana ones. Other than that, I can maybe see one or one and a half, if we're generous, actual Brittana scenes happening.

I headcanon that they would have reaffirmed moving to New York together after the tour, saving us the same dialogue from 6x03. Maybe a scene just before Pompeii where Santana's packing up to go on tour with Mercedes and Britt is helping her, Santana reminisces about New York and Britt having sent her there only for them to be in the city together this time around. Dare I say, even a throwback to the 4x04 laundry scene and a full circle moment now that they're together again? Just something soft and sweet with Mercedes coming in later and the three embarking on their adventure together. AS WE DESERVED. God, fucking Glee can pry my TT girls out of my dead cold hands. Anyway.

Now, the second version is more complicated and less likely for Glee to have done. In this version, there's some tension when Brittany shows up in Bushwick though we have some of the same jokes. But something happened, minor fallout during their holiday, maybe Santana acknowledges that Brittany came back later than expected. You know, anything to make sense of the s5 timeline and what went down with them after they got back together. It still makes zero sense to me that Santana missed a few episodes, came back later without explanation as to where Britt is and then Brittany showed up in 5x20 not knowing where Santana would be. What? No way. So here we explain it through a minor conflict moment and maybe it makes it into the first version of the pilot script. The exaggerated version of their fight (which was barely a fight, anyway) makes Santana realize that it didn't matter that much. What matters is that Brittany is there, much the same as in the other version. This scenario gets us more Brittana content and like a tiny bit of conflict but only to explain the confusion of s5B. Same TT content more or less, same conclusion, sets up their s6 arc where Santana decides on the proposal.

I'm sure that even if Santana was in the episode the Brittana content would have been minimal, but I think there was a way of smoothing over their story even in just one or two scenes. Either way, I headcanon an alternate version of 5x20 being like a missing puzzle piece. It connects where we left them in 5x13 to where they come back in 6x02 and especially 6x03. Even if we joke away Britt's extended vacation, we still could have had a moment of reflection between the two that leads smoothly into the Mercedes tour. God, I would fight someone, anyone, so hard for tour content.

All in all, 5x20 pisses me off so much but I like the one with Santana in it in my head. She deserved one last NY episode and we deserved a taste of NYC Brittana. Mostly though Naya as a person and professional deserved better but I digress.

#sry anon thank you anon love ya anon #glee asks #brittana asks #i swear i was thinking about this on the plane #gleewrite #glee headcanons #brittana headcanons #5x20 my beloathed flopson my archnemesis #ugh #anon

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inked-out-trees · 1 year

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69, 44, and 25 for the writers ask

I need to get back to writing too, but in good news I'm getting a feel of character for one of them. Now if I only had a plot

we're doing it! getting back into writing together! thank you for the reverse directional asks i will do them exactly how you have asked

69. how do you write emotional scenes? do you ever feel what the characters feel?

if i'm coming into it Knowing that i want to write an emotional scene, usually there's music involved! i have a collection of sad and otherwise melancholy playlists (plus one that's just songs i think would fit well in those angsty last 3 minutes of a tv show episode before the cliffhanger) and they tend to serve me well; if all else fails i'll find the most recent mood-fitting song i've been repeating lately and loop it forever. (most recently has been doctor eleven by dan romer. was the only thing i listened to for my crw class submission and personally i think it turned out swell.)

as for feeling the characters, i don't think so? a lot of the time what i feel when i'm writing is just joy from writing, vague evil sentiment, or if it's Really A Lot To Handle, there'll be like, an ache. occasionally i do make myself cry but that's mostly for personal or original things, and less for fanfic. unless it's the annie chapter of bean's beans. but typically i am somewhat detached, which is actually kind of impressive considering my propensity for imprinting on literally everything. huh! i learn something new about myself every day.

44. any writing advice you want to share?

man i never know if there's any sort of sagely things i do that could be passed off as wisdom but. the best piece of advice i've read (on tumblr too i think) was that if you're stuck, it's possible that the problem is actually a couple lines back. usually i look between three paragraphs and half a page up to see what different choices i could make, and that tends to solve my problem more often than not. kind of magic, that.

in other sort of throwaway bits, i always start a fic creation process by opening a doc and just rambling onto it. no proper prose, just as though i'm having a conversation with the empty page. it's helpful both to get my ideas in order and to have a place to come back to if need be - it's easier to toss the ball around if the net's already there, yknow? also, if for some reason microsoft word isn't doing it for me, i find fighter's block to be good for dumping out words, and zenpen has carried me through several terms of creative writing assignments and also poetry so take that as you will.

25. what's your revision or rewriting process like?

would you laugh at me if i said i don't edit my fics. this is not necessarily true in that i don't consider what i post to be rough in any way, but when it comes to fic especially i'm a big first-one-done kind of guy. that being said: i reread my work a lot. a lot a lot. and often times i will pick up little things that need fixing, line edits or weird repetitive things, so i do find it helpful. also the read-aloud function on word has been great to me. and i make frequent use of the comment function in word, which has been exceedingly useful when it comes to the fact that i haven't yet figured out the whole timeline of fixed point so some of the dates are just "FIGURE THIS OUT LATER" and "IS THIS TRUE?".

and of course sharing with other people :) coming from creative writing seminars i've realised (? finally understood? i don't actually know how much of an enlightenment it was but it was something) how useful it is to get someone and just say, hey, tell me how you interpret this, are there any questions you still have, god forbid did i leave any gaping plot holes. this comes in especially handy because in MY brain i know all the answers, and sometimes they forget to worm out onto the page. this again has just happened in my current seminar, so rest in peace to the quest plot i tentatively thought i could maybe go without describing (for wordcount's sake) but apparently not. it is cool and fine.

anyway happy tuesday and also thank you!

#as of the moment of posting it is still monday but it's tuesday in my heart #fic ask game #love ya! thanks for being a cool writing buddy #i wrote one of my favourite emotional scenes for the ttau a while ago #and i'm finally getting close to the part where it's actually meant to slot in #obsessed with grief tinged violence. raw edges and hope.#belooooved

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cupidcreates · 2 years

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hiii cupid! question for you: if you had to give the chaos plus chat crew popular au jobs, who would go where? like character A in a coffee shop, B in a tattoo parlour, etc. their dynamic is one of my faves that you’ve created, hope your muse hits to write for them again one day 💜

Great Question! I haven't thought much about them recently but I might do something small for this group in future. They are very cute <3

For the jobs though:

Reader - Generic Office Job

I think I would like to keep the reader’s job pretty generic for the most part. Even if you’ve not worked an office job there’s a fuckton of shows that depict office jobs in various degrees of realism so you would at least of some reference to what they’re like.

Plus the office is a great place for shenanigans I think so if nothing else it’s a good place for some kind of plot point or funny happenstance.

Izuku - Barista

Deku’s got such a nice smile and a friendly demeanor he’d be perfect for a barista job. I could see him being knowledgeable about coffee but not a snob so he’ll draw in all sorts of customers.

I also think he’d be good a de-escalation, a necessary skill for a job that attracts so many confrontational personalities. Plus he’d be adorable in the little barista apron I think.

Todoroki - Library/Bookstore

Feel like Todoroki would prefer the quiet environment of a bookstore or library. It’s a job he can do with minimal issue most days and I think he’d covet something like that. He’s got such a hectic life it’d be nice for him to go somewhere to just chill for a few hours, so if he can do that AND make money it’s a win-win.

Not only this but I think Todoroki would enjoy people-watching. This is a reasonably safe environment so if he was caught staring at any point he could just play it off as wanting to help the customer. Todoroki gives me very “I love reading” vibes as well. Discount books!

Bakugou - Bartender

Like a Barista but cooler. I could definitely see Bakugou being a no-nonsense bartender who does his job and does it fucking well. No one would really mind his attitude because they know he’ll fix them up something that’ll get them wasted before they’re even halfway through it.

This also blends pretty well with the popular trope of making Bakugou a chef or cook of some sort. We got one episode of him cutting food and some throwaway lines about proper vegetable preparation and we all latched onto the idea that he’d be great in the kitchen lol. I like the image of a heavily tattooed, heavily scarred Bartender Bakugou.

Shinsou - Record Shop

One of them real old and dusty ones. The ones that you’re sure are one bad week away from going under but never seem to disappear. Nestled in a brick building between two large chains it’s a real blink and you’ll miss it situation.

Shinsou would love working there because of the low foot traffic and early closing hours lol. But I could also see him having a passion for old and outdated video/music mediums. A sort of fascination with tech that’s been left behind and a love for musical history.

Kirishima - Flower Shop

Nothing like a big ass himbo working at a cutesy flower shop. I think Kiri would look great surrounded by pastel decorations and bright flora. Could liken his smile to the sun that gives the plants life because we all know he’s the goodest of good boys.

Kirishima would love working at a flowershop too I think, it’s manly to be responsible for the life of another being! He also doesn’t mind the discounts he gets on flowers. They help his apartment smell nice and floral instead of stinking like sweat and workout equipment.

#answered

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discluded · 1 year

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This is a random ask but you seem so level headed and sure of your opinions that I just wanted some advice? How can I not care about other people's opinions? Like, and I am aware this is dumb and a non issue in the grand scheme of things, but for example, there's this show I've been waiting for a long time that just came out, and when I watched it I had my opinions, but then I read things online and i am so easily influenced? Maybe not in the sense of completely changing my opinion but it's like I say to myself, 'maybe they are right and i am just in denial' you know?

And some opinions affect me SO much that I just wonder if I really think like that but again I am in denial and it affects me so much because I know deep down that they are right and I think the same? Like today I saw someone said the main couple of this show didn't have as much chemistry this season and my first instinct is disagree, because I do disagree, but then I think about it and it's like, I didn't really FEEL IT as much as last season but then again, I was SO anxious watching this new season that I really didn't concentrate on it (like seriously i didn't sleep the night prior to the premiere, i have issues), I was just watching in fear of what was going to come next, and didn't really enjoy it as much (and the couple didn't really have much romantic scenes, like 2 lmao) so maybe that's why? but see, it justs feels like I am convincing myself of something lmao ANYWAY that's irrelevant, it's just an example of my mental gymnastics when I let a different opinion cloud mine. And I just don't know WHAT to do, I've seen people saying this comes with age but I am not a teenager anymore and I am still like this lol

Botton line is, do you have any advice in how to handle this? I am so sorry for this random ass rant, you can 100% ignore this! Thank you either way!

Hello friend, thanks for trusting me with this message. 🥰 Hopefully I can do your question justice, or at least give you some insight even if it's not entirely what you're looking for.

First off, I'm going to assume we are excluding things like actively harmful/toxic opinions that hurt or endanger others, or false claims passed off as opinions because the person making the claim has no basis in fact (e.g. "imo the 2020 US election was stolen" or recently I saw someone claim that their opinion was Mile was closer to Build than Apo which is patently insane because you can't have an opinion on the state of another person's relationships). For those kinds of "opinions", unfortunately the way the internet works is it's usually better to block and move on with your life. Giving people air is fuel to their fire.

I'm going to specifically interpret it as you trusting in your own opinion about being able to enjoy certain things that matter to *you*.

It's natural to seek out other opinions! For all the comments about blocking people and don't read Youtube/Twitter/etc comments, it's human nature to want to know what other people think too. I think it's a good thing to be open to opinions (within reason, of not being influenced by cultist or harmful radicalized thinking) because it means you're open to expanding your world view.

For me, when I read others' opinions or comments, it's often to gain a perspective I don't have, which often increases appreciation for something I missed. That's why fandom is fun for me!

However, most opinions are insubstansive. And it has nothing to do with the length of the opinion! A few months ago there was a criticism of KPTS that a cowardly troll wrote on a throwaway blog that was like 2,000 words comparing the first episode of the series to a show they finished that basically amounted to "can't relate to KPTS because I am personally awkward and ugly" (not my comment LOL, the quote author prefers to be anonymous).

But of the substantive opinions, they usually fall into two categories:

If I agree with the opinion, what in the author's comments made me gain a further appreciation around the context of what's happening.

If I disagree with the opinion, does it impact my ability to enjoy a piece of media by revealing a fundamental flaw or make a meaningful argument for why I should change my mind?

I think many people in fandoms would be much happier if they came to peace with the fact that you can enjoy things that aren't "good", and it's okay for others to not like or enjoy your Thing™, even if that thing is "objectively" good. (And obviously, it's also okay to snark about people's Bad Opinions to your friends too, if you're not publicly stirring up drama for the sake of it.)

Like, who cares if some old white man at Rolling Stone didn't like the new album your favorite musician put out? He doesn't have the emotional connection you have with that musician or their music. Yeah, it sucks because when we enjoy a piece of media, we see a part of ourselves in it and when someone scoffs at it, it feels like that's directed personally even when it's not. But on the other hand, what does that matter opinion more than a random person saying they don't like your haircut or your outfit? Even if it's a "substantive" comment like, oh that doesn't suit you you, you should try xyz instead, it doesn't have to affect the way you carry yourself or like what you like. At best, it's an annoyance. You can treat it like any other leaf blowing in the way.

It sounds like you have an emotional connection with this ship, and maybe the latest season wasn't The Best for their relationship development, but that doesn't undermine the past seasons or why you found their story meaningful in the first place. It's OK to accept some validity to the comment the first poster made while at the same time appreciating it's an expansion of their story and that just because there wasn't as much relationship development doesn't mean you can't love them as much as you did before.

Now you have two more romantic scenes for the couple than you did before! And when you do a rewatch, you can look for little hints in their interactions that aren't exactly specifically romantic scenes but speak to the connection that you appreciated in the first place. It's an additive process, not a reset button.

But in general, how I filter out noise when it comes to people's opinions is:

(1) is it important in the context of the world (most of the time, no);

(2) does the opinion offer meaningful insight or just noise (most of the time, just noise); and

(3) if it's a substantive opinion that I disagree with, should it change how I think, what I like, or how I behave?

It takes a little bit of practice, but with points 1 and 2, most of the time you'll filter out the majority of the nonsense and #3 is where you start to grow your world view.

Hope that helps 🥰

#opinion anon

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dynamoe · 2 years

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a review of Tomorrow's Just Another Day CHAPTER 6, reprinted with permission

@quizboy-stardust says:

→ This chapter is more like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. The only thing I remember about What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is when Gilbert forgets to take his developmentally-disabled brother (Leonardo DiCaprio) out of the bathtub and he doesn't know to get out on his own and he gets sick. I didn't even remember Johnny Depp was in this; I thought it was River Phoenix.

→ Also, now I really wanna see Forbidden Zone. You should. It's awful.

I spent weeks thinking through what would be the most uncomfortable movie to sit through while mostly naked with someone you liked but also something a cult film nerd would realistically have a copy in the mid-'90s.

→ Alison acts kinda mean but these were the '90s so… valid, I guess? I don't think she's mean, but I'm mean. I don't mind if she comes off as mean, as long as she doesn't come off as ANNOYING. If it helps, imagine her as really hot. (People like a mean girl if she's attractive.)

↓ keep reading ↓

→ The romance was awkward but nice. I love how you write it more human-like because in most movies sex and erotica seems so unreal. Boy Genius is an attempt to write what could have been an episode of the show (or many episodes of the show... it's fucking long) but this story is really a reaction to "erotic fan fiction" in general.

I prefer funny and uncomfortable and sad to "sexy," but that's just me.

→ Billy has body hair and that’s also kinda unique.

It's the quickest way to visually tell he's not an actual child, really, but also it's canon.

Also gross... therefore funny?

JP/DH often bitched on the VB commentaries they didn't have the budget to get skilled enough animators to do body hair on their 90% male, often undressed cast of characters (because gross= funny) but when Billy's in his Quizboy outfit with the purple hot pants, there's always little pen marks of hair on his thighs. (gross)

There's a throwaway line in The Forecast Manufacturer :

Dr. Venture: Do you shave your chest? Billy Quizboy: No, that's stupid. I wax.

→ White, we don’t see him too much in a chapter but it’s a red flag when an unmotivated person gets fixated on a thing. Great that he ate some food, I’m worried about his anorexia. Overall, it’s not my favorite chapter because I like 5th one the most I think. But it’s a solid 9/10.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⚫

Thanks. I try.

→ Read Tomorrow's Just Another Day Chapter 6 on AO3 →

P.S. - OH. OH. OH! You should see Danny Elfman anti drug PSA!

youtube

#comments #tomorrow's just another day #fic #Youtube

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