#me vs trying to remember any episodes in like seasons 9 12 and 13 that I really like

[seasononesam]

(some) favorite supernatural episodes + letterboxd 

template

#supernatural #spn #Sam Winchester #dean winchester #cas #castiel #mary winchester #spnedit #supernaturaledit #* #me vs trying to remember any episodes in like seasons 9 12 and 13 that I really like

[emachinescat]

Psych Season 1: Ranked!

I've been rewatching Psych again, and I thought it would be fun to rank the episodes from "worst" (though there are rarely any "bad" episodes IMO) to best for each season as I watch through. I'd love to know your order as well!

A couple of disclaimers: I'm on season 5 now in my rewatch, so it's been over a month since I watched season 1. Also, this is just my opinion. In no way is this meant to be a definitive list.

#15 - Game, Set ... Muurder? (S01E13)

Honestly, though this is last on my list, it's not because it's bad. For me, it's just pretty unmemorable. I watched it about a month ago and I barely remember any details. It's a pretty run-of-the-mill episode, and a decent mystery, but in my mind, it is what it is. Not bad. Not great. It just exists, and I enjoy it when I do watch it, and then its details slip my mind. Can't put my finger on exactly why, though.

#14 - Pilot (S01E01)

Hear me out. I do love the pilot, and everything it introduced us to. I especially love what an amazing marksman Shawn is shown to be -- that whole scene with Lucinda is one of the best in the season, if not the series, in my opinion. And Don S. Davis (General Hammond from SG1) guest stars! But -- and this is honestly the case of most pilot episodes for any show -- it's not Psych. Not yet. The characters are still cooking; they're not quite themselves yet, and though that's true through here and there most of the first season, it's most obvious in this episode. I think the main reason it's next to last on my list is because when I decide I'm going to watch an episode of Psych, the first one rarely, if ever, comes to mind, unless I'm doing a full rewatch. Ooh, I wrote a whumpier AU of this one, (you can read it on AO3)!

#13 - Woman Seeking Dead Husband: Smokers Okay, No Pets (S01E04)

This really is a fun episode with some great twists. I always enjoy watching it. Some of my favorite parts are Juliet and Lassiter trying to get a feel for one another as partners. Honestly, the only reason it's this low on my list is because I just like the other episodes better.

#12 - Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Piece (S01E03)

I do enjoy this episode a lot, honestly, and I also wrote a whumpier AU of it (you can read it on AO3). There are a lot of great bits in it, and I love seeing what a people person Shawn is, how easily he's able to worm his way into the lives of the wedding party. It's fun seeing him "divine" and use people's own likes and dislikes against them as well, like with the Anglophile and the germaphobe. Again, good episode, but the others are better.

#11 - Who Ya Gonna Call? (S0107)

This is an interesting episode for me, with a pretty crazy twist. It does deal with some pretty serious topics that often weren't taken super seriously or represented well in the media at that time (trans folks and borderline personality disorder), and I'm not qualified to say how well the show handled either of these. Sometimes, I've noticed, you have to take things in shows from this era with a grain of salt. Not many forms of media were very "woke" at this time, and the fact that the transition was treated with a relative amount of respect is pretty impressive (again, though, I'm not qualified to make judgments on this). Either way, it's a pretty fun mystery, and the twist is unexpected for sure!

#10 - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, He Loves Me, Oops, He's Dead (S01E11)

This episode has some good Shules scenes, and I lose it every time the gang is forced to go speed dating to solve the mystery. I do really like this episode a lot, honestly. It's got some fun character interactions. The mystery's okay in this one for me -- the characters are where it's at.

#9 - Shawn vs. the Red Phantom (S01E08)

This is a great episode overall -- superheroes and comic cons are a great theme! Also, it gave us Magic Head. My favorite bits will always be those between Lassie and Vick. Their dynamic is amazing in this episode, and the scene in the hospital when Iris is born is both heartwarming and hilarious. The only reason this particular episode isn't higher on the list is because I feel like Shawn isn't quite himself here. The Shawn we know later in the show wouldn't be "too good" for super heroes and comics, I don't think. Much like in the pilot, he doesn't feel "done" yet.

#8 - Poker? I Barely Know Her (S01E14)

I love this episode for a number of reasons. I'm always a fan of Shawn using his skills in a super crazy and impressive way, and his poker playing is a perfect example of this. I also love the deeper level of maturity we see when Shawn has to deal with Brandon. I also love the confidence Henry has in his son at the end. I do NOT love the way Shawn gambles away their money at the end, especially since I know it's just a way for the writers to "reset" the story so they aren't suddenly loaded in the next episode.

#7 - Weekend Warriors (S01E06)

Somehow, this episode to me is both quintessential Psych and one I never really choose to watch unless I'm doing a full watch through. It's fun to see everyone in Civil War era garb, and it's one of the first times we see another interest of Lassiter's. It's a classic Psych episode in my mind, but despite this, it's just not my favorite. This episode does have one of my favorite scenes in all of the show, though, something that I still feel it's a shame they dropped in later seasons: Shawn's perfect recollection and recreation of the battlefield in minute detail is astounding, and I don't know why later seasons painted him so often as a lazy guy who doesn't know how to do real police work, because here, he absolutely shines. And I live for it.

#6 - Cloudy with a Chance of Murder (S01E12)

I honestly don't know why this was the episode they redid (and so poorly, I might add). I think this episode is super fun. Seeing Shawn in court is always a blast, and watching Adam Hornstock grow in confidence and competence because of Shawn is wonderful as well. But honestly, the main reasons this episode is so high on my list are the argument between Shawn and Henry about Shawn's motorcycle accident and the way everyone tries to get Shawn's bike back for him -- but Lassie beats them all to the punch.

#5 - Forget Me Not (S01E09)

This episode deals with a sensitive issue -- memory loss -- so well. It's funny, emotional, and so much fun to watch every time. It's just so well executed, and has some great interactions between Henry and Shawn. The scene where Captain Connors waltzes into the police station thinking he's back on the force gets me in the feels every single time.

#4 - 9 Lives (S01E05)

This episode is one of the most classic of the classics for me. The little boy cat who turns out to be a girl may be one of my biggest factors for loving this episode. Other than that, I don't know how solid of a reason I have for loving this episode other than that when I think of Psych episodes that I'd like to watch at any given time, this one is already high on my list.

#3 - From the Earth to the Starbucks (S01E10)

This episode is in my top three because of the way we see Shawn invest in Lassiter for the first time. It's one of the first times we see him act with completely selfless motives, and it shows us that Shawn truly does care about his frenemy. The mystery is fine, I suppose, but when I'm watching this episode, I'm here for the Shassiter friendship, full stop.

#2- Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast (S01E15)

I mean, what's not to love about this episode? (Other than Shawn and Gus being 28-year-old-men ogling college girls, but I truly believe that was a sign of the times when the show was made; doesn't make it right, but, remember: grain of salt.) It's creepy, and we get to see Jules go all in undercover for the first time. The scene where Shawn and Gus flee the house, Gus leaving Shawn behind, the way we find ourselves sympathizing with the villain, the "Oh, no -- Gus!" moment, and the ending, where Shawn and Gus are just hanging with Jules... Oh, and anything with Lassie and his new partner! Basically, this episode is top tier.

#1 - Spellingg Bee (S01E02)

This might be the most classic Psych episode in my mind. It has it all: whump, father/son angst, Juliet, the Super Sniffer, and possibly the single funniest scene in the entire show: "BaNAna." This episode is pure, unadulterated perfection. You can also read my whumpier AU on AO3!

So there's season 1 of Psych, ranked from least favorite to most favorite! Feel free to reblog with your own episode order. I'll post my season 2 ranked soon!

#psych #psych season 1 #ranked #best psych episodes #best episodes #my favorites #feel free to reblog with your own list #mini reviews #psych usa #psych peacock #shawn spencer #burton guster #juliet o'hara #carlton lassiter #henry spencer #karen vick

[ambiguousdisorderken]

in your expert opinion what are some of the most destiel-heavy episodes of spn? i stopped watching around season 7 and have no interest in engaging w the plot of the show at all but i’m in the mood for some gay yearning ykwim

Hi anon! Thank you for reaching out to me about this, I’m, no-joke, very flattered. I’d seen a couple posts on this same question, very thorough and detailed lists on Destiel-centric episodes, but at the moment I cannot find any of them, that would’ve answered your request much faster. So, in advance, sorry, my reply is probably coming in extremely late, but I did write this from scratch, so yeah.

Even though storylines in SPN can be very shitty and hollow, I do feel that to get the full Destiel experience -that long-drawn yearning- one would have to watch the entirety of the show, even if Cas isn’t in the episode or if there’s no explicit mention of their relationship/bond because it gives you a better understanding of them as characters and of how their relationship affects the narrative.

Now, you mentioned you stopped around S7, which is completely understandable and justified given the Dick plot game was very weak and, in my opinion, annoying (so little Cas!). I’m going to start listing from S7 in case you want to refresh your SPN before jumping straight into unseen episodes. Also, since you mentioned no interest in the plot and are specifically craving those sweet crumbs of gay yearning, I’ll skip most one-sided / too subtle episodes and cut to the chase.

Lastly, I hate spoiling things, but you’ve probably seen it all on Tumblr. I tried to keep the episodes’ descriptions short, as it might come in useful. Stuck to key words, quotes and/or little comments.

 Season 7

7x01 – Meet the New Boss: Godstiel, sincere apology. Cas: “I'm gonna find some way to redeem myself to you.”

7x02 – Hello, Cruel World: Mourning. Trench coat melancholy. The heart-wrenching eulogy: “Dumb son of a bitch.”

7x17 – The Born-Again Identity: Emmanuel!Cas, reunion, longing, hurt.

7x21 – Reading is Fundamental: Honey!Cas, hug, hurt, reunion, that painful SORRY (board game) scene.

7x23 – Survival of the Fittest: Honey!Cas, forgiveness, adorable, wified Cas. Dean hits us with: “Nobody cares that you're broken, Cas!" but also “I'd rather have you, cursed or not.”

Season 8 (this season is so good and Destiel is the driving motor of it, I swear. If you can, watch it complete.)

8x01 – We Need to Talk About Kevin: Dean in Purgatory looking for the angel.  Cas is referred to as “your [Dean’s] angel.”

8x02 – What’s Up, Tiger Mommy?: HUG!!!, Purgatory reunion, face touch, very romantic. Monster: “ You'll find your angel there.” //  Dean: “Let me bottom-line it for you. I'm not leaving here without you.”

8x05 – Blood Brother: Cas vs. Benny cat fight lol. Dean: “Cas... we're gonna shove your ass back through the eye of that needle if it kills all three of us.”

8x07 – A Little Slice of Kevin: Cas comes back from Purgatory, but before that Dean starts seeing him in places. Very tragic; hallucinating your dead significant other trope. Has That boner scene. Dean: “I did everything I could to get you out! EVERYTHING!” Cas helps Dean see what truly happened in Purgatory and not his self-altered memories. PACKED!

8x08 – Hunteri Heroici: Hilarious, romantic, intimate. Dean and Cas have an heart to heart. They actually communicate. Cas “I’ll watch over you.”

8x10 Torn and Frayed: They work a case together, and when I say heart eyes…

8x17 – Goodbye Stranger: THIS. EPISODE. Dean “I need you.”

8x19 – Taxi Driver: Separation. Naomi to Dean: "You're hoping Castiel will return to you. I admire your loyalty; I only wish he felt the same way."

8x22 – Clip Show: Lack of trust, hurt, tense interactions. Romantic too (basically, Cas gets Dean an apology basket).

8x23 – Sacrifice: Meaningful conversation and a gay couple hit by Cupid parallel. Dean “So this is it? E.T goes home?"

 Season 9

9x01 – I think I’m Gonna Like it Here: Dean prays to Cas IN.A.CHAPEL. Worry, longing, separation. Dean “Please, man, I need you here.”

9x03 – I’m No Angel: Human!Cas and jealous!Dean.

9x06 – Heaven Can’t Wait: Human!Cas TEXT-BOOK LONGING. GAY AS FUCK. Gazing, touching, they even TALK (for real).

9x09 – Holy Terror: Adorable Cas, flirty vibes, happyish, funny. Cas: “Cas is back in town!”

9x10 – Road Trip: Cas comforts Dean, Cas and Crowley bitching at each other, overall protective!Cas.

9x18 – Metafiction. Cas finds out about the Mark of Cain.

9x21 – King of the Damned: Hug, strong boyfriends vibes.

9x22 – Stairway to Heaven: Cas gives up an entire army, for Dean. Metatron about Cas “He's in love………………………. with humanity.”

9x23  – Do You Believe in Miracles?: At this point, it’s canon stated that Cas will do anything and lose everything if that means saving Dean. Metatron to Cas “You draped yourself in the flag of heaven, but ultimately, it was all about saving one human, right?”

 Season 10

10x01 – Black: Demon!Dean and sick/brokenhearted Cas in a slutty robe missing his man.

10x03 – Soul Survivor: ICONIC. Angel on Demon action! Cas turns down Hannah because he’s too gay and in love. Intimate Deancas talk.

10x05 – Fan Fiction: No Cas, but Destiel references. 

10x09 – The Things We Left Behind: That.Lunch.Date. Deancas introduction to co-parenting.

10x14 – The Executioner’s Song: We get Daddy Murder aka Cain. This is a Pivotal episode to understand Dean’s character development. Plus, it has Deancas interactions.

10x16 – Paint It Black: No Cas, but Dean opens up in confessionary; repressed BISEXUAL AS FUCK.

10x18 – Book of the Damned: Charlie meets Cas. Gay energies everywhere. Cute domestic little scene.

10x20 – Angel Heart: PARENTING! Essential to understand Cas from this point forward.

10x22 – The Prisoner: Just… just watch it. One of THEE Destiel episodes.

10x23 – Brother’s Keeper: No Deancas interactions but it’s the finale, and I recommend watching it because next season takes off literally right from here. No time jumps.

 Season 11

11x02 – Form and Void: Could skip to the very end which is when Cas comes back.

11x03 – The Bad Seed: Cursed!Cas. Dean takes care of him, even wraps him in a blanket. He also cradles his face. Extreme Hurt/Comfort. Jacting joices rejoice.

11x10 – The Devil in the Details: Could skip but has Casifer in it. Interesting to see his dynamic with Dean.

11x18 – Hell’s Angel: Casifer. Dean "It? It's not an it, Sam, it's Cas!"

11x23 – Alpha and Omega: Huggg! Cas willing to go on a guaranteed suicide mission with Dean. Very tender and sad.

 Season 12

12x02 – Keep Calm and Carry On: ANOTHER HUG! Dean presents his boyfriend to his mom<3 Soft and romantic.

12x09 – First Blood: Reunion hug<3, Cas pining… as in he counts his every minute without Dean.

12x10 – Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets: Direct parallel with canon couple. Crystal-clear mutual affection. One of the best. Angel Ishim to Cas about Dean “I'm gonna help you. I'm gonna cure you of your human weakness same way I cured my own… by cutting it out.”

12x12 – Stuck in the Middle with You: A dying Cas confesses his love. “I love you. I love all of you.”

12x19 – The Future: We find out Dean gave Cas a MIXTAPE!!! Very romantic and full of yearning, also worry and what could be seen as a betrayal (ish…).

12x23 – All Along the Watch Tower: Hands down, one of the most distressing Destiel episodes. Cas dies.

 Season 13

13x01 – Lost and Found: This is the worst because you have Dean trying to assimilate Cas’ death. Core of Dean’s widow’s arc. Jack introduction, that’s their new kid.

13x02 – The Rising Son: Widow’s arc (you could skip it, but why would you?).

13x03 – Patience: Widow’s arc (you could skip it, but why would you?). Dean to Sam “He manipulated him, he made him promises, said, ‘paradise on earth’ and Cas bought it and you know what that got him? It got him dead! Now you might be able to forget about that, but I can’t!”

13x04 – The Big Empty: Continuation of widow’s arc and Cas wakes up in the Empty. The Empty to Cas: "I know who you love. There's nothing for you back there." // Dean to Sam “I need you to keep the faith, for both of us. ‘Cause right now, I… Right now, I don’t believe in a damn thing.”

13x05 – Advanced Thanatology: Suicidal and hopeless Dean gets his win. Cas comes back. Gives me the chills.

13x06 – Tombstone: COWBOY BOYFRIENDS!

13x14 – Good Intentions: Happy and fun Destiel scene. So Very Married.

13x23 – Let The Good Times Roll: Season finale, Dean talks about retiring (plans include Cas of course) and just very nice to see them interact.

Season 14

14x03 – The Scar: Reunion.

14x08 – Byzantium: Deanand Cas dealing with their child’s death, then bringing him back by Cas making a deal with the Empty. IMPORTANT EPISODE.

14x09 – The Spear: Cas uses the royal We – married behavior.

14x10 – Nihilism: Dean is stuck in his own mind, and Cas and Sam try to bring him back. Cas “Please, you have to -- you have to try to remember, because the people in your life -- in your real life, out there -- we need you to come back.”

14x12 – Prophet and Loss: Dean gets his very own Dr. Sexy, aka Dr. Cas.

14x14 – Ouroboros: Basically another date (their kid tags along) and They TALK. Very intimate and established marriage vibes.

14x18 – Absence: Shits starts to go south. [ Dean: “Who cares what Jack said? We don't know what happened! But I swear, if he did something to her, if she is -- (points to Castiel) Then you're dead to me. (Castiel looks crushed after Dean says that).]

14x20 – Moriah: Tense and very upsetting. Relationship very damaged.

 Season 15 (I would advise watching the entire season because it relies heavily on Destiel. They’re the heart and the emotional motor leading the plot onwards.)

15x01 – Back and To The Future: Deancas’ in the aftermath of their kid’s death. Tension gets worse.

15x02 – Raising Hell: Tension rises, this is very intense. Cas “Dean. You asked, "What about all of this is real?" We are.”

15x03 – The Rupture: Breaking point ends in divorce.

15x06 – Golden Time: Painful phone call which speaks volumes about the current state of their relationship at the time. Also, good to see where they’re standing and how they’re coping.

15x08 – Our Father Who Aren’t in Heaven: Strained relationship so obvious they’re offered couples’ therapy.

15x09 – The Trap: MASTERPIECE. Back to Purgatory. Can (and is) taken as Dean’s love confession (because it is). 

15x12 – Galaxy Brain: So married. Little domestic date, you can see LOVE written in their faces.

15x13 – Destiny’s Child: AU!Dean and Sam. Not a yearning episode per se, but AU!Dean? SO GAY.

15x17 – Unity: God reveals that the only act of free will in any universe he ever created has been Cas choosing Dean.

15x18 – Despair: Cas confesses his love to Dean.

#Anonymous #thanks for coming to my ted talk #im posting this at 2:30 am so i'll most likely reblog it at a more reasonable hour ..in case anon is closer to my time zone #why am i even saying this..im sleepy #destiel #answered #destiel episode guide #there might be number/name mistakes because again sleepish.forgive me #long post

[dukeofonions]

So I thought I’d try something a little different (and slightly more fun than my usual saltiness) and do my own little personal ranking of Sanders Sides episodes! 

Now I actually haven’t watched anything from the series for awhile so these rankings are going to be based purely on my own memories of each episode and how much I remember enjoying them. I’ll also be splitting the rankings up so I’ll do season one today and season two later on.

Eventually I want to go back and actually rewatch everything but I’ll probably wait until the season two finale comes out (whenever the heck that will be) but until then I think this will cover it.

Also important to note is that I will not be counting Asides in this since 

1. I’m salty

 2. It’s not supposed to be Sanders Sides anyway so why include it?

and 3. I’m very salty.

Alright, let the ranking begin!

Dang, can you believe season one has seventeen episodes? Starting with My True Identity on October 19th, 2016 and ending with Accepting Anxiety on July 15th, 2017. 

These episodes were a lot shorter too. The longest one, Growing Up, is only about 15 minutes long (14:39 to be exact because I already have the playlist pulled up to get all these references so I might as well use the info I have) and the shortest episode was Way Too Adult that barely makes it to the four minute mark. (Okay it’s 4:18 but that’s still closer to four) 

It’s really interesting to see how much the series changed just throughout season one alone, especially once it shifts from just being a silly series of one shots to a series with more fleshed out characters and beginning to scratch the surface of dealing with heavier topics. 

How did it do for me personally? Well if you made it this far I assume you actually want to know my opinion so I’ll go ahead and tell you...

For real now, let the ranking begin!

*cue drum roll*

#17 I'm in a Disney Show

Yeah this one is pretty forgettable, and it really sticks out like a sore thumb among the other episodes in this series since it’s based on something that happened in real Thomas’s life and later on they try to establish that Sanders Sides isn’t about real Thomas. Not only that there wasn’t much in this episode that stuck out as funny to me. The only bit I actually remember laughing at was when the Sides were throwing around click bait titles. 

So yeah, boring episode, feels out of place, moving on.

#16 Becoming a Cartoon

Like with the last one this one is just very forgettable to me. It also features someone who turned out to be a pretty shitty person so I can’t even watch it without feeling uncomfortable.

The only thing I remember laughing at was Patton holding a potato. 

#15 My True Identity

Okay I know it’s harsh putting the first episode so low on the list, especially when most of my problems with it stem from it being made before there were any intentions to make it a series, but like the first two it’s also kinda boring. I mean on it’s own it does a good job of introducing people to the basic idea of the series and gives an idea of what the characters are like, but they all basically act like the same person (yes I’m aware of the irony) with just one or two minor things to set them apart. 

Can’t really hate this one like the other two since, again, this was made with no intention of plot or character development, so it’s only this low because it doesn’t really stick out to me. But hey, it did its job at getting people interested in the characters so in that aspect it did its job perfectly.

#14 Taking On Anxiety

Oh the second hand embarrassment in this episode is too much to bear. Honestly any episode that has Thomas interacting with someone from real life just feels so weird to me and takes me out of the episode. However, I do actually have a bit more positive things to say about this one. The advice they give is actually helpful, and my gosh I love pre-AA Virgil. 

The snark, the sass, it’s easy to see why he became a fan favorite so fast. And fortunately for me, there’s plenty of episodes for me to love him in before I start to hate him. 

#13 Way Too Adult

This is gonna sound repetitive but again, forgettable. Doesn’t give me second hand embarrassment or make me feel negative in any way so that’s why it’s higher than the others. And hey, 13 is one of my favorite numbers so that’s gotta count for something right?

The best part of this episode is Patton, I really miss the earlier version of him where he actually took on more of a fatherly figure and had more of a serious side. Not that I don’t like him now and I still think he’s one of the better written in the series (more on that in another post) but it’s kinda nice to see him being portrayed in a way that doesn’t feel like he’s being dumbed down for laughs or is just sad and confused.

#12 The Mind vs The Heart

Or as I like to call it “Selfishness vs Selflessness in Five Minutes.” This episode is way too relatable which is both fun but also I don’t need the reminder that I can’t say “no” to people, but that’s a me problem not the episode’s. I like the format of using cutaways to show examples of how Logan and Patton clash in Thomas’s day to day life and honestly I wish they’d use it more since I think they only do it in this episode and in Growing Up but I could be wrong and I’m too lazy to check.

All in all this a cute little episode (and not cute for the reason you might think) and I enjoy it. 

#11 Accepting Anxiety Part One

Honestly not much to say about this one? It’s funny watching Thomas’s antics while the Sides have to try and figure out what’s going on. Which is a nice change of pace from the usual “The Sides are being goofy and zany and Thomas has to try and get them on track” that I kinda notice throughout season one and that starts to change to become the norm in season two, but I’ll get to that later. 

Reason this one isn’t as high as others is just because besides that one gimmick of Thomas saying and doing silly stuff is that there isn’t much beyond that, and of course that’s just because this is the first part of a two part episode so I’ll give it grace for that. Still a great set up though and is funny on its own. 

#10 The Dark Side of Disney

Alright, we’ve made it to the top 10! Here’s where things start to get interesting.

Personally, I find this episode hilarious because I do this kind of stuff to “kid’s films” all the time. Never to actual kids but to adults, it’s fun to see just how dark I’ll go. 

Of course this isn’t really what the episode does, it talks more about the messages in these movies as opposed to talking about how “dark” they are. Which, now that I look back I clicked on this episode thinking that it was going to be a part of the latter and had no idea it was a Sanders Sides episode. Maybe that’s how I found the series? I always forget which episode was my first...

Back to the episode, it also establishes Virgil and Roman’s little dynamic of being rivals and I love it. They have some of the best exchanges in the series and it’s fun watching them go head to head here, and even bonding a little as well. All in all, fun episode that provides some good character moments and some laughs. 

#9 A New Year of Lying to Myself... In Song!

Just the song, man. It slaps. 

But am I the only one miffed that Virgil technically got a villain song (about lying no less) and Janus didn’t? Not even an evil reprise? Yeah that’s some bull spit right there.

#8 Growing Up

Aw, the first name reveal episode on this list! This episode is a lot of fun, mostly because of the scenarios they come up with and the little cutaways they add in. Seriously. Just use these more instead of going to these great lengths to show us something that can be accomplished in six seconds of footage. 

It also has one of my favorite moments with Logan quietly asking Patton what they’re doing wrong after Thomas tries to force himself into the “serious adult role.” I really got a soft spot for this episode and honestly talking about it makes me wanna watch it again, but I’ll hold off for now. 

And I think Patton has one of the best name reveals. Like Thomas really thought his name was Pattoncake, and Patton’s reaction is priceless. I still want to know what “Pattoncake” actually is and how it’s played, but part of me also accepts that it’s probably better if we never know. 

#7 Making Some Changes

Why are Thomas’s friends so good at acting as Thomas acting as his characters? Seriously half the time when I watch this episode my brain doesn’t acknowledge that the Sides are now being played by different people until halfway through. 

This episode is one of the funniest in my opinion, and one I remember coming back to a lot. Do I still want an episode where the Sides pretend to be each other? Yes. Do I know it’ll probably never happen and if it did they’d find some way to just make it full of angst? Yes, yes I do.

#6 Alone on Valentine's Day

The first episode to be officially cowritten by Joan, and it’s great. It’s hilarious, and just seeing all the varying ways each Side tries to portray their idea of romance is the cherry on top. What more can I say about this episode other than I’m curious as to what Janus and Remus would have contributed to a conversation like this, maybe they’ll do another episode like this in the future with their inclusion, but who knows what the heck they’re doing at this point.

#5 Sanders Sides Q&A

Top 5 here we go!!! This is when ranking started to get difficult because I love all of these episodes so much. Especially this one. I think I’ve watched this one more than any of them and why not? It’s just pure goofball shenanigans and seriously, Thomas, why haven’t you done another one yet? Especially with Janus and Remus?! I mean I get if you’re waiting for “all the characters” but come on man! I need more of the energy this episode gives off.

#4 My Negative Thinking

This episode made me realize just how underrated Logan and Virgil’s relationship is. It’s also the second entry in the “Logan Fights Everyone” saga. I do love how this episode has actually helped me with my own negative thinking and I just freaking love Virgil’s sass in this. 

Did I mention I also love Logan and Virgil’s friendship? Ah, good times when they all more or less liked each other. 

#3 Losing My Motivation

The set up of this episode is just brilliant. Having it be a “mystery” for Logan to solve with Patton as his sidekick provided a lot of laughs and one of my favorite Logan moments with his little bit he does after realizing he was the “culprit” in all of this. Ugh, I really wanna watch some of these episodes now but I’m gonna hold out. 

One thing is that I feel like Logan got the short end of the stick with his name reveal. Like Patton just casually calls him by his name like it’s no big deal, yet pretty much all of the other names are revealed after some kind of emotional moment and are treated as a big deal. If Patton was comfortable enough to just call Logan by his actual name and Logan himself was fine with it then why didn’t any of them introduce themselves before? There’s not really an explanation within the series itself as to why this is or why the Sides even have names in the first place, like it makes sense why Virgil or Janus would hide their names but Logan, Roman, and Patton have been there since day one so what gives?

My personal headcanon is that the three of them had a bet going on to see how long they could go without calling each other by their names in front of Thomas and Patton lost because he forgot. 

#2 Am I Original?

Look, Roman is my favorite so of course he’s up here! Not only that but this episode resonates with me a lot as a creative person, and I just love watching the Sides trying all the ideas Roman comes up with.

And his name reveal is also great, probably my favorite one, and of course it’s followed by the now infamous, “You’re my hero” line. But I’m just gonna ignore what became of that and focus on the fact that Roman was actually happy at the end of this episode.

#1 Accepting Anxiety Part Two

What can I say other than this was the perfect way to end this season? Virgil has been the outsider of the group since day one, and seeing him go from this snarky antagonist to gradually being tired with the role until he decides that it would be better if he just wasn’t around at all. This episode has some funny moments too, but what sticks out to me are the more emotional ones. 

Roman’s entire speech to Virgil is just *cheff’s kiss* perfection. Their relationship has finally come full circle and when Virgil smiles at him? Ah it’s so good!!! Like the music, the acting, all of it comes together so perfectly and it makes my heart happy. 

Virgil’s name reveal is also great, after being teased about it over and over again we finally get the real thing and it’s executed perfectly. Although my favorite thing about this episode is probably the end card, it’s so sweet and makes me all sentimental. Why? I dunno, I’m supposed to be heartless but I somehow find my heart melting when Patton gives Virgil the card anyway. Ah, I love Virgil’s relationships with the others by the end of this season, and honestly I would have been satisfied if this had been the end of it.

Just a neat little way to wrap up this neat little series. 

Of course we all know that wasn’t the case and oh boy things certainly took a turn, but that is for another post! 

And that was the first part of my ranking! Like I said this list might change once I go back and watch the series again, but I’m pretty sure things won’t change much then. 

I’m actually surprised at how many happy memories I have with the season, like I seriously want to just go back and watch my favorite episodes again because I’m all up in the nostalgia but again, I’ll hold off for now. 

I hope y’all enjoyed this and I’d be curious to see other people’s rankings of season one. I’m glad I was able to have fun with this and just gush about the series for awhile because oh boy I know things are gonna be very different once I get to season two...

#dukeofrankings #new tag for this because why not #long post

[logically-asexual]

okay i'm already procrastinating and i don't plan on sleeping any time soon so here we go.

☆ ✩ my personal ranking for every season 1 Sanders Sides episode. ✩ ☆

i think it's going to be pretty similar to @dukeofonions' but let's see if i find something new to contribute haha. i see you didn't include that one about Patton in the Big Game or whatever, so i'm not including it either xd. also i think i'm going to count Accepting Anxiety as one episode only.

edit: i finished and now i dare you to drink a shot of water every time i say the word spanish or a version of the word comfort and become very well hydrated.

#16 I'm in a Disney Show

(i agree with dukeofonions here) i always forget this episode exists. it was ok in terms of being happy for real life Thomas but as a Sanders Sides episode it didn't do anything. the sides were just giving their opinions but it wasn't very funny or interesting. also i'm bitter because it made me look up the episode he was in and i didn't like it at all. i don't know if i'm too old for those Disney shows now but Thomas was literally the only good part of it, everything else was really dull and boring imo. a waste of time.

however, Logan supporting clickbait is one of the funniest things ever, and i'll never forget it.

#15 Becoming A Cartoon

i didn't hate this episode but it was just .. meh.. you know? several factors contribute to this. one, i couldn't feel much nostalgia for Butch Hartman's shows because i watched them in Spanish, and everything feels really weird when they speak English, i don't like how my old cartoons sound in English. two, it was disappointing to me because we were all desperately waiting for Plot™ and instead they give us this short episode about nothing (oh how the tables have turned now it's the other way around haha). and three, i didn't like the style of the animation :/ their faces and expressions freaked me out, Roman's douchey face still haunts me.

#14 Way Too Adult

here i'm biased because i don't like Patton much, and i didn't back when i watched the series the first time either, so this video was a little disappointingwithout the rest. also it wasn't relatable to me because i am still too young and dependent on my parents haha. but Patton is funny and it's funny to laugh at Thomas' struggling.

#13 The Dark Side of Disney

i've never been a fan of Disney movies. i actually never watched Mulan or the Lion King or Aladdin as a kid, so meh. i liked the ending, though, it was cool to see Virgil have fun and be right for once. it does make me a bit uncomfortable because the way Thomas tries too hard with Virgil's mouth movements and his low voice reminds me of a guy that had made me v uncomfortable not long before watching that video. so an icky feel overall.

#12 A New Year of Lying to Myself

this video was actually kind of fogettable to me. i had a hard time connecting the voices in the song to the characters and idk. i don't love it nor hate it, just .. neutral.

#11 My True Identity

pretty much the same opinion as dukeofonions, again. it's a good introduction and it's good that it was the beginning of it all but on its own it's not very special. i think it's awesome on Thomas to have come up with such a clever idea, like choosing the dad, the teacher and the prince and putting them together and match them with thoughts?? that fit so perfectly?? it really is just very impressive when you think about it, that it was just a random idea he had for a short 5 minute video.

#10 Taking on Anxiety

i liked this video a lot because when i watched it i had recently been a lot on tumblr, and found out through relatable posts that i had anxiety. so watching this video was really fun and it made me happy to feel so seen, specially the intro when Thomas just talks about what it's like to have Anxiety and Virgil is so smug about it.

- ★ -

okay now that those are out of the way things are going to get hard... all the following i love with all my heart so i'm going to rank them based on the smallest things.

#9 Growing Up

once more, Patton isn't my favorite. so that's why i'm putting this here, plus the echo at the end askjhsahg, but i love love this video. i remember we were waiting and oh so ready for the angst of nobody taking Patton seriously. and we received!! i love that though Roman and Logan are antagonists here, they're both so happy about Thomas wanting to have a healthy life. and i just adore the way Logan admits his mistake at the end and asks Patton directly. my heart... also aw.. the nostalgia. i remember none of us knew how to spell Patton's name and were writing it in very funny ways until Thomas and Joan told us lol.

#8 The Mind vs The Heart

when i watched this video the first times i didn't like it much, because i only had eyes for Virgil, but later i came back to it and loved it. so taking that into account i'm putting it here. logicality was the first ship i ever shipped in the show because i saw a gifset on tumblr of Patton screaming "what do you know about love?!" and Logan "apparently more than YOU" and the caption said "MARRIED", and i thought hey yeah... anyway. i love them. they're both my dads since that day.

this video is so so so relatable and i love it. Logan and Patton are so much fun arguing and i love how they compromise at the end and work together. im reconsidering.. i might move it higher? no, fine i'll leave it here.

#7 Making Some Changes

this video was absolutely hilarious. i personally couldn't see it as the Sides still once they were acted by Thomas' friends, i enjoyed it more as that bunch being silly and trying to be the sides but failing in so many ways, while sometimes nailing stuff suddenly. i really don't take this one too seriously as an episode. except Joan!Logan and Valerie!Logan, my beloved... i love how Joan acted as Logan and their voice and that they kept their ace ring on.. there's a reason i had them as my icon for so long. and Valerie looks a bit (a lot) like me with the glasses and dressed in dark colors, plus she spoke Spanish and there's .. no words to describe the joy i felt when seeing/hearing that. wait i'm getting emotional...

#6 My Personality Q&A

when i watched this Virgil was my favorite side and i didn't care much about the rest lol. when i heard his answers i related to him SO much it was scary, and also his voice is so soft and it was all very comforting. it was also when i first starting looking at Logan with more attention, because when he brought up Big Hero 6 and Fall Out Boy and said he didn't sing and would recite it like a poem? it only took a couple seconds but my brain said "me" and never went back.

now this video is a little underwhelming to watch for me, most of the appeal for me was in finding out the answers, and also watching it when we didn't know a lot about the sides. now we know more and want to know more so it's not as fun to me as it was first.

i wish so bad they'd do another one, although i know it would be more difficult with a much bigger audience, i think they can manage and i just need it. the chaos.. the energy.. they all being so savage with each other, learning little random facts about them you didn't expect.. i need it.

- ★ -

oh boy top 5 here we go. the next three are practically a tie. i can't choose.

#5 Alone on Valentines Day

i love Valerie, and the idea of this video was perfect and so perfectly excecuted. every side just giving their crazy opinions on how to woo a random stranger, i laughed SO much. first with Logan speaking simlish out of nowhere? at that point i didn't know practically anything about the sims except that it was some video game and the whiplash of Logan going AYO and the rest killed me. then when Roman whipped out that dialogue in Spanish??? my life was completed. i've never felt more happy than i did in that moment gosh. just the hilarity of Roman's drama, the shock of them speaking Spanish suddenly like that, the absolute JOY of seeing a creator i like speak (may i say) perfect Spanish, the other characters' faces after that.. never been happier.

also the conclusion was so cute. Virgil solving the whole problem without wanting to. i loved it.

#4 Am I Original

i think this video speaks for itself. it was fun to watch them all do the ideas Roman had, plus Logan and Virgil nodding at each other, (i love them so much), plus the angst at the end of Roman's perfectionism, plus Roman's just perfect name. this video has it all.

i think Thomas posted it kind of late at night and i watched it at 7am in the classroom as i waited for my classmates to arrive and the class to start. (i usually was like 40 minutes early to school due to mom’s work). i had to contain my laughter and it wasn’t easy.

#3 Losing My Motivation

i started loving this video after a while, when Logan passed Virgil in the position for my favorite side. but once he did this episode was beautiful. it's so funny and i love Logan and Patton's dynamic so much. and the video also so damn relatable in general. i felt so seen with it because they named all the problems i have when procrastinating, down to Patton's vague explanation of his feelings, it's exactly how i feel every time i want to do stuff. and the plot twist! i can hear the dramatic sound effect and see how they all turn to Logan clearly in my head, and it always makes me smile. plus there's so much Logan angst that can be dug up and overanalized. i love to watch it over and over.

#2 Accepting Anxiety

this video was perfect. everything we wanted. we knew it was coming and it delivered perfectly, better than any fanfic done in the waiting time. the week between the parts was agonizing but in a fun way somehow. i remember precisely when i was watching part 2 in my living room. i screamed. and i cried, a lot. i was feeling terrible at that time in my life and Thomas was such a comforting presence and i can't begin to describe how this episode made me feel.

and later it is always fun to rewatch with all their different reactions to being in Virgil's room, the energy of that was on point. Thomas is such a great actor and the characters where just amazingly performed. plus it gave so much to talk adn think about, the idea of the rooms, lots lots of insight into the characters, foreshadowing, so much. it's just perfect i have nothing else to say.

#1 (for purely emotional reasons, ironically) My Negative Thinking

i think Accepting Anxiety is the best episode of the season objectively but my favorite is My Negative Thinking. because i love Virgil and Logan so much and seeing them argue together was and is great. the comfort.. i can't repeat that word enough throughout this post. it's such a soft video while not being overwhelming with Patton and Roman's outbursts. just quiet (mostly) and clear and with perfectly timed humour.

Logan my beloved.. learning spanish... helping me with my own anxiety.. and their debate was so good. and the fact that they were friends i- i can't. Virgil didn't think Logan liked him and Logan told him explicitly that he did and the casual softness of it i cant even. Logan is happy that he tried.. it's just marvelous. Virgil and Logan as best friends will always be my favorite pair, and their dynamic will always be what i strive for in any relationship i might form, with both sides silently comforting each other within their own limits and realistic perspectives. so nice.

- ★ -

so yeah. that's all. thank you if you read all the way up to here. ♡ ♡ ♡

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. XC

It was a love story from the very beginning.

Breaking Walls (Part I)

(12x20/12x21)

Hello my friends! I'm here with another meta from season 12! This time I'll try to resume these two episodes pointing important subtext and foreshadows I found in them.

We/Us vs Only Dean

Resonating with the previous episode, the mixtape one. We will meet Tasha Banes and her son's Alicia and Max. And with them will come the difference between WE/US and I/ME.

First of all, we were fed with Dean Winchester's worries for Castiel.

Gif set credit @starlightcastiel

The scene opens with a close up to Dean's hands. This focus on the hands will continue through the episode, related with my Quantum theory about Dabb's era, it talks about a foreshadow. And because is centered on the knuckles, is a foreshadow of Dean hitting on the door from the Burger Shop after praying to Chuck in 13x01. Linked to his worries for Castiel, opens the door for the incoming mourning for him.

Dean: That freaking baby isn't even born yet and it sock puppeted him. Think about it.

Is very meaningful Dean uses this word PUPPET here, to explain Castiel's odd behavior. But is also related to this episode: a witch killing people and constructing puppets she can command as she wishes. If this sounds particularly known by all of us, is because is a very smart Foreshadow for Chuck appearing in the ending of season 14 and the whole season 15. The puppet master.

This is what makes Dean feel so worried: CAS having faith in Lucifer jr. As Dean calls it. Is not good sign for him. And because he knows what CAS is willing to do when he is in soldier mode, when he has faith in something. He can give everything in exchange. He knows it. And he is worried because CAS is in danger now. And he can't understand how CAS is having faith in that nephilim he was trying to kill hours before. He needs to understand what's going on, Because Castiel's safety is in danger. And Cas' means everything to Dean.

SAM: I don't know. I mean, look, this doesn't make any sense to me either, Dean. But if we wanna have some shot at finding Cas, the we have to...I don’t know. Uh, try and think like him.

DEAN: How? Seriously...

He sounds desperate here. He knows exactly this is the first time he saw CAS like this. Again brainwashed? He is scared. Dean is afraid of losing CAS. He didn't recognize Castiel looking back at him. Because CAS had a new mission now. Cas had determination in his eyes. And the mission comes first.

Then, one phone rings, and is Max and Alicia. And the dialogue here will separate the therms WE from INDIVIDUAL again.

ALICIA: Yeah, sorry to um...Uh, Mary gave me a couple different numbers to reach her, and we thought –

Max loudly interrupts Alicia to make a point that this is not his idea.

MAX: No. No. Mnh-mnh.

Alicia looks exasperated.

ALICIA: I thought Mary would be down to help. Uh, be our backup on this, um...

The parallel with the Barnes brothers here is loud, not just the missing parent in a hunt, but the blatant difference between WE/US vs INDIVIDUAL (Alice and Dean).

Max doesn't want his sister use him as a shield for showing his worries. Just like Dean used Sam in the mixtape scene or when CAS arrived at the bunker.

After Sam accepts to help, Dean turns into worried boyfriend mode...

He is like: 'Come on Sam, didn't you heard all my worries? We have to find CAS! CAS CAS CAS!'

Then we have Dean calling Mary...

His face here is loud. He was thinking about Castiel being in danger since CAS left. I bet you he couldn't sleep neither. And he needs to talk with someone about this. But how he feels about this. Becay Sam ia confused but he keeps doing his job. Dean just can't go on if he can't rescue CAS from the 'evil child'.

The Foreshadows

Before jumping into the symbology of this episode, let's show another example of we/u vs me/I:

ALICIA: Well, then why didn't you call us? I mean we–

MAX: Ahem.

Sam and Dean look slightly uncomfortable.

ALICIA: I called and texted a lot.

TASHA: I'm sorry, baby. My phone hasn't been charging all day.

Is the difference between the amount of worrisome and the effort from the writers to point out that to us. To make it noticeable.

Now, let's go with Mary Winchester: there's this scene in which Mary discovers Mick's corpse and she uncovered his face. Is a sad foreshadow of Dean in episode 13x01 uncovering Castiel's face when he laid dead on the table.

Also the finding of the corpses ina dark place by Dean and Sam, was a foreshadow of dead and the Empty.

Then, Tasha attack Alicia and Max, as a foreshadow of Mary coming against her own boys.

But it caught my attention what Ketch says to Mary:

KETCH: But I can keep you safe. If you just play your part, if you play nice...

In an episode where we are talking about puppets Ketch asks Mary to play her part. And I just recalled the whole season 9 with Metatron and the repetitive quote: Everyone needs to play their role. As an attempt coming from the writer to control the story and the characters. This is very important because is anticipating Chuck's plot in season 15. Mary answers: 'I don't play nice' as a reflection of TFW.

When Alicia dies, the dialogue between Sam, Dean and Max is another example of loosing a brother/family and loosing the love of your life.

SAM: Hey, Max, um, this is, uh... Look, you – you're probably in shock right now, but it's gonna pass.

DEAN: And then it's gonna hurt.

They're talking from their places, they had lost many people in their lives, family. Wich is pointing too what we will be seeing at the beginning of season 13, the big difference with loosing the love of your life, incarnated I'm Dean mourning Castiel.

Eileen's death and Brainwashing

Just a few words about episode 12x21.

Is the episode in which Eileen dies, in a dark Forest. Saileen always had been a Destiel mirror and showed the path for our ship. So when Eileen dies, is talking about the lovers separation through death. Sam uncovering her face in the morgue, again, as a prelude of Dean doing the same with Castiel.

BMoL brainwashing Mary, and using her as a puppet against the boy, is slightly showing how Dean sees what's going on with CAS.

But is also a foreshadow of AUMichael!Dean.

Later in the episode, we have Crowley who was controlling Lucifer's vessel as a puppet too, but something goes wrong this time.

DREXEL: The ability to control is transferring from Crowley to you.

LUCIFER: So you're saying that Crowley's gonna be my puppet.

This could be showing two interesting Foreshadows: first, when AUMichael will take control over Dean's body and kidnap him in episode 13x23, and second, what will happen once Dean will lock Michael down in his head, taking full control of his own body.

Then, another parallel between CAS and Mick. Remember Samadriek saying he has too much heart and that was his problem? Okay...

TONI: Oh, Mick's dead.

SAM: He's dead?

TONI: Quite. It was determined he was too sentimental for the job.

So Mick also had too much heart...

To Conclude:

Dean is a mess of worries for CAS and it shows. He is afraid of loosing him this time for real.

There are foreshadows of Cas' death all over the episodes, preluding the finale.

There's also a lot of references to puppets, for the incoming plot of Chuck and Dean's possesion.

Hope you like this volume. See you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @meleansu @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @madronasky @anon-non2 @cea1996 @lisafu02 @asphodelesauvage @destiels-canonahhhhhhhhhh

If you want to be added or removed from this list, just let me know.

If you wanna read the previous metas from season 12, here you have the links:

Vol. LXXV, LXXVI, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII, LXXXIV, LXXXV, LXXXVI, LXXXVII, LXXXVIII, LXXXIX.

Buenos Aires, November 30th 2020 7:03 PM

#destiel #destiel chronicles #destiel meta #supernatural meta #season 12 meta #vol. XC #dean winchester #bmol #sam winchester #castiel #mary winchester #arthur ketch #crowley #lucifer

[daymansbingerecapsandrankings]

(Originally written on October 8, 2020)

🎵Bang, Bang Bangedy Bang

I said a Bang Bang Bangedy Bang🎵

My How I Met Your Mother Thoughts

I just spent the last nine seasons in New York with the gang that spends all their time in MacLaren’s Pub. SELF FIVE! I have to say, this binge of How I Met Your Mother brought me so much happiness. I started watching this show for the first time back in high school, and I ended up watching the last six seasons as they aired. I remember loving this group of characters, and now I am reminded why. There’s so much chemistry between the five, and it makes for one of my favorite Comedies/Sitcoms of all time. If you’ve read any of my previous Show Thoughts, then you know I’ve been watching several over the course of this lovely Pandemic That Will Just Keep Going. After this rewatch, I’ve decided HIMYM is my third favorite Comedy/Sitcom, right after Boy Meets World and Scrubs.

Now, I know that the Finale is infamous. It’s in the Mount Rushmore of Terrible Endings, and people end up getting a sour taste in their mouth when they bring up the show. Well, it’s been some years. There’s been time to reflect and look back. And, while I’m not in favor of the Finale, I also don’t hate it anymore with the passion of a thousand suns. I just loved watching and growing with the gang, seeing them experience their highs and their lows, their triumphs and their failures. It just hits harder as an adult, like most of these shows assuredly do, and I cherish so many of these episodes and moments.

And now, my rankings for the seasons!

Seasons Rankings

1. Season One

2. Season Four

3. Season Two

4. Season Six

5. Season Eight

6. Season Five

7. Season Three

8. Season Seven

9. Season Nine

My rankings for the girlfriends, purely on how much I like them as a character

The Girlfriends Rankings

1. Robin

2. Tracy

3. Victoria

4. Zoey

5. Stella

6. Jeannette

And now, a ranking of my favorite episodes. From 1-50, these are the ones that stand out above the rest. I consider every single one of these enjoyable.

Favorite Episodes

1. Slap Bet (S2E9)

2. Come On (S1E22)

3. The Limo (S1E11)

4. The Best Burger in New York (S4E2)

5. Ten Sessions (S3E13)

6. The Pineapple Incident (S1E10)

7. Bachelor Party (S2E19)

8. Game Night (S1E15)

9. Oh, Honey (S6E15)

10. Glitter (S6E9)

11. The Duel (S1E8)

12. The Pilot (S1E1)

13. Arriverdverci, Fierro (S2E17)

14. The Over-Correction (S8E10)

15. How Your Mother Met Me (S916)

16. Intervention (S4E4)

17. The Magician’s Code, Part II (S7E24)

18. The Autumn of Break-Ups (S8E5)

19. The Ducky Tie (S7E3)

20. The Best Man (S7E1)

21. The Leap (S4E24)

22. Blitzgiving (S6E10)

23. Three Days of Snow (S4E13)

24. The Scorpion & The Toad (S2E2)

25. Bass Player Wanted (S9E13)

26. The Final Page, Part 2 (S8E12)

27. Duel Citizenship (S5E5)

28. Happily Ever After (S4E6)

29. Farhampton (S8E1)

30. Bro Mitzvah (S8E22)

31. Robin 101 (S5E3)

32. The Magician’s Code, Part I (S7E23)

33. Last Words (S6E14)

34. The Playbook (S5E8)

35. The Time Travelers (S8E20)

36. Splitsville (S8E6)

37. Subway Wars (S6E4)

38. Showdown (S2E20)

39. Drumroll, Please (S1E13)

40. Front Porch (S4E17)

41. Twin Bed (S5E21)

42. Who Wants to be a Godparent? (S8E4)

43. Girls vs. Suits (S5E12)

44. Something Borrowed (S2E21)

45. As Fast As She Can (S4E23)

46. The Wedding Bride (S5E23)

47. The Bracket (S3E14)

48. The Sexless Innkeeper (S5E4)

49. Third Wheel (S3E3)

50. Spoiler Alert (S3E8)

And now, just some thoughts on the show and on the gang!

Ted - I know people don’t like Ted. I don’t actually like Ted all that much. And yet, I found myself rooting for Ted just like I did the first go around. He’s not the worst person in the world, and I would be scared to see half of the decisions we’ve made in the dating game stringed together into a TV show. I know people wouldn’t like me very much for those decisions. Then again, I also don’t get super crazy about details about buildings, I don’t pronounce encyclopedia that way, and he tends to stick his foot in his mouth with this White Man confidence that I just don’t have. With all that being said, I still find Ted being a great friend, a man who is just trying to find the love of his life, and someone who really drives this story with great tales and narration (Bob Saget is the Sixth Man of the Show for just always bringing it). I think Ted does stupid things and he pretty much admits it after the fact. He learns, sometimes, and also doesn’t much like most of us. When he finally found the Mother, when he finally found Tracy, I cared. I cared so much, and I still do. Even though they just shit on her character and don’t give us enough time with her, I almost wonder if that’s a metaphor for the fact that you won’t always have enough time with your loved ones.

Robin - Let’s go to the mall! Yeah! Robin Sparkles is a Canadian Treasure, and so is Robin Scherbatsky. She is one of the best things about this show, and I love her so. Played by Cobie Smulders who I need to see in more stuff, Robin is who we all wanted Ted to maybe be with first. Then we go through all the loops of the HIMYM roller coaster, and a lot of us still wanted them to be together. I was one of them. Yet, she was more than just a romantic plot line for Ted. She was a part of the group who we got to see join it and evolve into a member of their family organically. Robin is fun, loud, full of fun quirks that we get to learn over the course of the series. I was heartbroken when we found out she can’t have children. I was loving the back and forth between her and Barney (the first time), and kind of mad at Barney about being such a crazy ass prankster the second time. Robin shows us just how amazing some gun loving, hockey obsessed Canadian news anchor can be, and how much she cares for her friends.

Lily - Justice Aldrin ends up being one of my favorite characters, even if that gets some curious looks. Yeah, she left Marshall for a summer. Yeah, she had some hesitancy with the marriage and everything. That happens. Lily was also always there for her friends, even if she ends up going a little overboard. She wants Ted to find happiness, and does whatever she can to help. She is there to listen to Robin at all times, and her and Marshall are easily one of the best relationships in TV I’ve ever witnessed. Then we have Lily and Barney which is honestly super underrated. Barney trusts Lily, even though she can’t keep a secret, with all of his emotional problems. Lily is who thought Barney could change before anyone else, and I love seeing their friendship grow from eye rolls to eye tears.

Barney - Oh, Barney. He honestly brings so much annoyance and fun to the show. He’s the friend of the gang who everyone tolerates. He’s the one in the gang who everyone ends up loving just as much as everyone else. Barney shows such a terrible face to the world, sleeping with over 250 women and lying to most of them. He has all these rules that aren’t very ethical. He gives us most of the Misogynism in this show, which is definitely prevalent and makes the show not as strong as it was in the first watch. Still, we get to see Barney grow into someone who wants real love and a happy life. Sure, they show us that his marriage to Robin only lasts three years, but at least they tried. Barney just couldn’t make it work, and that’s honestly who Barney really is. A person who just enjoys sleeping with different people. I was very warmed to see the baby reveal and that Barney becoming a dad was what would change him more than anything. Barney is an underrated friend, and his importance to the gang is legendary.

Marshall - I. Love. Big Fudge. He’s just so fun, caring, goofy, loyal, and everything that I aspire to be in life. For some reason, when watching the show the first time, I related to Ted the most. I was definitely a bit more selfish then. But now, I see that I am a Marshall. He wants to do good in the world, and it drives him so much. He only loves Lily, and his loyalty to their relationship is just Goals. He is also the most fun to watch having a crisis. He gets the big eyes and covers his mouth and just gets obviously super uncomfortable. Some of my favorite moments of the show are also Marshall’s talks with Ted about his feelings for Robin. Any one-on-ones with Marshall and someone else are probably my favorite moments. And yes, I will always root for him over those damn machines!

Last Thoughts:

Sure, the writing wasn’t as sharp or as witty in the later seasons, but I loved the story lines and seeing the gang just live.

Tracy was an amazing character as The Mother, and I truly wonder what could have been if they had given us two full seasons of story with her instead of any episodes of Jeannette.

I really can’t believe Ted told his kids all those stories. A fun premise for a show, but really, not very realistic telling them all that jazz.

Ranjit and Carl are such fun recurring characters that I always enjoyed seeing every time they popped up.

Out of all the recurring jokes and gags, which there are many (y’all said Community has so many, but HIMYM really swings for it), I love the Major/General salute joke. Idk if I just didn’t care for it the first time around or forgot about it, but I just love how silly it is and how they kept it through to the very last episode.

Watching the gang sit at their table in MacLaren’s just hanging out will always make me smile.

#how i met your mother #himym #himym finale #ted mosby #marshall eriksen #lily aldrin #himym barney #himym robin #reviews #recaps #br&r

[casmybelovedass]

The Destiel Folder: Season 8

[Season 4; Season 5; Season 6; Season 7]

Oooohhh this is where things start getting JUICY

Episode 1:

Again, Dean copes with the idea of Cas not being there by lying to himself

Parallel from S6: Dean behaves exactly like he was while looking for Lisa and Ben, looking for Cas. "Where's the angel!" (16:57)

Dean clearly states he won't leave PurGAYtory without Cas (22:45)

Episode 2:

Since Dean has come back, he has been snappy with Sam and Crowley about Cas, but every time he remembers PurGAYtory, he is either looking for Cas or with him, and that's all he thinks of

Again with the paraparallels with Lisa and Ben (12:21), also "You'll find your angel there." (13:19) ICWAW, come on, do I have to point that out?

"There are some in Heaven who still believe, despite his mistakes, that Castiel's heart was always in the right place [...] I think... too much heart was always Castiel's problem." (22:25) Samandriel says all of this while looking directly at Dean

Look at that hug. Have we ever seen Dean hug Cas before? The gring on Dean's face. [This is so fucking funny too me, the "Nice peach fuzz" reaction to Cas' beard VS the Sam's "That's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!" reaction in season 14] (23:21)

"I prayed to you, Cas, every night!" (24:37) Cas once again chose to leave/hurt Dean in order to protect him, even tho he really doesn't want to leave him. "There've been things hunting me. [...] I've a price on my head and I've been trying to stay one step ahead of them to... to keep them away from you." (24:54) Those fucking eyes kill me

Dean is willing to risk it all to get Cas out with him. "Cas, buddy... I need you." [yeah, let's see how well that ages on episode 17], also the little "Dean... " after that... BABIES (25:33)

That smile, those eyes... LOOK AT HIM. This is such a "You and me against everything" moment that, ICWAW, would be considered HELLA ROMANTIC

"I'm not leaving here without you. Understand?" (25:51) for fucking finally, also 12 seconds of STARE + LICK of the LIPS action. Oooohhh ICWAW... just imagine

Let us remember that all of this ⬆️, Dean remembers after Samandriel told him "too much heart bla bla bla"

"... [Kevin] thinks people I don't need anymore, they end up dead." (40:36) 'you', Dean? Only you? That's so much guilt you are packing. And immediately after he thinks about trying to save Cas from PurGAYtory and failing... Alrighty then

Episode 5:

I get why some people ship Dean and Benny, but they really do struck me as a bromance. When they call each other "brother", I believe that. With Cas, Dean pulls the "brother card" whenever he's opening his heart to him, basically "no-homo"ing it at the end. Weird right? (12:03)

Benny bitches about Cas being a danger to them because of the attraction monsters have to him, and Cas himself tries convincing Dean he has to leave him behind for his own good, but Dean is having none of that shit and is ready to die trying to save him (12:56)

FUCK MY LIFE we are getting flashbacks from both Sam and Dean, Sam about the time he spent with Amelia, and Dean about looking for, finding and trying to save Cas. I MEAN??!!! ICWAW you BET this would be seen as a ROMANTIC PARALLEL

"He's a friend." "A friend? Dean, you don't have any- all your friends are dead." "That's not what I called to talk about!!" Ouch (25:27)

Episode 6:

"I was in Purgatory." "Like 'purgatory' Purgatory?" "No, the one in Miami." ... that's a gay bar, Dean, how would you know? (11:23)

Dean's lying to himself about Cas letting go (35:32)

Episode 7:

Parallel to S1 Sam seeing Jess while in the car (2:31). Kill me. Also Dean allucinates Cas just like Sam did with Jess (10:15) band tries coping with it by repeating to himself that he didn't leave Cas behind

Every scene in Purgatory where Cas tries to reassure Dean that, if he doesn't make it, it's just the way it is, and Dean insisting he won't leave without him. "I'm just saying... if it doesn't work.. Thank you. For everything." (12:50) I'm dying

Cas comes back and all Dean does for the first few moments is check him out (16:16-16:21) He says he kept trying to reach for the boys, but wasn't at full power, tho somehow Dean was the only one who could see him. And Dean's eyes looking back at Cas (17:58) End me now

FUCKING👏BONER👏SHIFT👏 (20:38)

LOOK AT HIM!! He's checking him out, making THAT face and SHIFTING IN HIS SEAT WHILE PRESSING A HAND TO HIS CROTCH. THAT'S A BONER SHIFT. Look at Sam and then at Dean (20:44) One is a friendly fond reaction, one ISN'T.

ICWAW, we wouldn't even be QUESTIONING it!

The amount of checking out in this episode is crazy. Look at Dean checking out Cas. Look at his face! THE EYES (24:08) ICWA- OH COME ON DO I HAVE TO POINT THAT OUT?!

"Did you not trust me?" "Dean..." "I did everything I could to get you out. Everything! ... I did not leave you." "... So you think this was your fault?" OH MY GOD SO FUCKING #MARRIED LOOK AT CAS' EYES (28:06) ICWA- I'm not even trying anymore

So many soft shoulder touches (34:42) also HOT SCENE I don't know why "I'm going in." "Cas, no. You're not strong enough." (35:15) precious babies

"You could've gotten yourself killed. Why didn't you wait for me?" "Well, I didn't get killed, and it worked." "And if it didn't?!" "It would have been my problem." "Well, it's not the way I see it!" (37:36) #MARRIED they're SO MARRIED

Dean keeps blaming himself for Cas not getting out "I don't need to feel like hell for failing you like I've failed every other godforsaken thing I care about." SEE??! (38:16) Dean preferred believing he had let Cas down, something he is used to, than he had sacrified himself for him (38:48). Dean can't believe Cas thought he deserved to stay in Purgatory. Also THE WAY THEY'RE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER (39:38) And Dean's deeply hurt by the fact that Cas would leave him to safety and remain in Purgatory as self punishment for what Dean had painted as all Cas' fault. And he is full of regret (41:30)

Episode 8:

[How fucking cute is it that Cas wants to become a hunter. I'M SQUEELING]

They are so #MARRIED my heart ACHES (5:02) and the way Dean looks at Cas is so fucking SOFT. And 6 seconds of just staring and... well, Cas in general (5:13)

"What? I was being bad cop." "No, you were being bad everything!" (9:12) #MARRIED (12:04) I'm dying, they're so cute

"I don't sleep." "Okay, well, I need my 4 hours, so-" "I'll watch over you *puppy eyes*" (12:52)

"Hey, can you lift this?" sure, Dean, every excuse is valid to have Cas be hot by effortlessly moving an anvil. And see how Cas looks at Dean, like "Really? You even had to ask? I'll fucking show you I can lift this shit". Look at how he looks back side-eyes at Dean here (14:16), like he's making sure Dean is watching him being hot. I'm dead

This is such a fucking sweet moment [I mean, kinda looked like the begging of a porn at first] (16:01). Dean can sense Cas is not okay, and gets him to open up about his feelings. And when Cas admits being suicidal, Dean is speechless, not even being able to imagine such an outcome. Anyway, it is so fucking sweet that they're always able to show themselves vulnerable to each other

Shut up. Look at this scene (18:51-18:53). Mute the video and just look. This is Sam marrying Cas and Dean. PERIODT.

"You're so pretty, Charles. [...] You were quite the bounder." DEAN'S FACE (20:27) He's so in love, and immediately after he LICKS HIS LIPS

While Sam talks about running away from your problems (referring to Amelia), and having to wake up in order not to destroy everything, the pan focuses on Cas (35:33) Subtext, gentlethem, subtext. CAS, FACE YOUR FEELINGS. SOON

Dean's face when Cas says he's not coming back with them (38:16-39:21)

Episode 10:

I now this scene is supposed to be funny, but the way Cas looks at Dean AAAWWW (6:53-7:01) Also do you really have to walk so close to Cas, Dean? Do you? While CHECKING HIM OUT nonetheless?! (7:54)

Remember when in 7x01 Dean was totally comfortable watching porn in front of his brother? Well, Dean goes on and on about Cas being a "brother", but his fucking reaction to Cas being in the same room as him with porn on his computer, is BY FAR the same he has with Sam, hell he even keeps watching with Sam! (8:05) Is it because the last time he, porn and Cas were in the same room, Cas popped a BONER?

Random guy @ Dean: "Are you serious?" Cas: "*leans in to look at Dean* That's his serious face, yes." And Dean's reaction (12:59) SO FUCKING #MARRIED

Dean, that's not the way you look at a friend, or a BROTHER (13:38)

LOOK!! I swear to GOD ICWAW that would be seen as nothing other than CHECKING OUT YOUR CRUSH

"Hey, how about we say, if this doesn't pan out, we had back to that beer and bacon happy hour a mile back, huh?" Translation: "Since I'm starting to realize I might feel something more for you, let me take you on what is totally not a date unless you want it to be" (16:58)

(24:02) #MARRIED

Dean, will you stop checking out Cas during missions? (25:06) Same goes for you, Cas, don't check if your husband's got a boner for you being the hero here (25:08)

Since the start of this season, we've been getting parallels between Sam & Amelia and Dean & Cas. The flashbacks, the guilt for leaving the other half behind, and now Dean tells Sam he's jealous he got a chance at being happy with Amelia (37:32)!!! I MEAN- and fuck my life when I tell you there are parallels with the whole Sam-Amelia-Don & Cas-Dean-Benny thing. I'M TELLING YOU

Episode 11:

"Trust me, this life... you can't afford attachments. You just gotta... let go." "... Are we still talking about Sam, or did you break up with someone too?" (21:17) CHARLIE KNOWS. TELL HIM CHARLIE

Episode 13:

Bitch... Dean's reaction to getting publicly hit on by a dude, so not the one a straight guy, confident in his sexuality and masculinity, "no-homo bro" would have (15:36). Just saying, we have seen Dean turn down what he thought were avances, and other implications regarding his sexuality, with either sarcasm/humor or anger... this is new. Progress?! [Wait till we get to 15x7]

Episode 16:

[Keep in mind how Dean's bedroom looks. Trust me]

Episode 17: OOOOHHH BOI

Cas has been tortured, mind-fucked, obligated to kill fake Deans over 1K times, in order to be ready to kill the real one. Let that sink in

Dean prayed to Cas, I'm sure almost every night, and can already sense something is not right with him ever since he came back from Purgatory (11:31), but when Sam questions his prayers to Cas, Dean doesn't know how to respond. Like, what, do I need a reason to try and contact my crush?

"There has to be another way. [...] This isn't right! [...] I won't hurt Dean!" (29:51-31:00) "Cas, fight this! This is not you! FIGHT IT!" and he does. Cas fights it. [and as soon as Cas starts fighting back, Heaven tints with BI COLOURS! LOOK AT THEM WINDOW THINGY (31:16) OF ALL COLOURS]

Dean is on the verge of tears, kneeling in front of Cas, telling him "This isn't you!", and to fight. He is pleading. And by the end, bloody, hopeless, "Cas... it's me! We're family. We need you... I need you." and Cas stops. (33:13)

Cas breaks the connection Naomi had installed in him. Once again, when presented with the choice, he chooses Dean over Heaven. All of this because Dean needed him. And let's not forget Dean was originally ment to say "I love you.", and that would've been the reason Cas snapped out of the control. I MEAN ICWAW THIS WOULD FUCKING BE CANON

Dean, thinking Cas is going to kill him, clutches onto the coat's sleeve for dear life, to the memory of his Cas (34:21) KILL ME

"What broke the connection?" The look in Cas' eyes... "I don't know." OH YES YOU DO (36:15) and Dean's face when Cas says he needs to protect the angel tablet. Dean knows he's gonna leave again (36:23). ICWAW, this whole scene would be the UMPTEENTH CONFESSION

Episode 18:

"I'm fine. Are you okay?" "Me?" "Yeah. Cass dinged you up pretty good." "... and?" "And I just wanted to make sure you're okay." "...What, like, my feelings?!" "If that's what you wanna talk about, sure." Dean gets pissy pretty easily when talking about Cas, who left once again, and his feelings. Also, Sam knows, and he ships it. He's president of the Destiel Company (4:02)

Episode 19:

The thing with the Deanny relationship is: Dean is naturally affectionate towards Sam, and he expresses the same towards Benny. His relationship with the both of them is very very similar, while see Dean showing affection towards Cas [same as he does with Sam] only during extreme emotional moments. Dean is known for repressing his feelings, and having a tendency to maintaining a "macho" exterior. He shows himself vulnerable in front of Cas, but not enough for him to think less of Dean. So, think about it

Episode 20:

Charlie, a lesbian, who has only ever heard of Castiel through Dean, describes him as seeming "dreamy" while talking to Dean... GAYDAR ANYONE??!!! (9:16)

Episode 21:

"In the words of a good friend... 'bite me'." Cas is quoting Dean, and if I remember correctly, Dean will quote Cas' "ass-butt" later on (16:"10)

Episode 22:

I hate when Dean treats Cas poorly, badly, because he can't deal with his feelings. In the heat of the moment, Dean is always forgiving, helpful and caring, but as soon As things cool down, he goes back to being cold, bitchy and snappy, like nothing ever happened. Repressed mother fucker

The small flash of hurt on Cas' face when Dean ignores his "Good morning" (3:33) fighting coupleTM. "Dean, I can go with you. *is ignored* Dean... I'm sorry. [LOOK AT THAT FACE]" "For what?" "For everything." "Everything? Like ignoring us?" #MARRIED

Cas is buying porn, beer and pie to make amends to Dean. "Where's the pie?" "I think we're out." "*grabs store clerk* You don't understand. I need pie!" (14:50) they are so fucking #MARRIED

Episode 23:

This is such a sweet moment. Cas is about to close the doors to his old home behind himself forever, while risking getting killed by his own kind, and Dean is worried about him. They are sharing drinks while longingly staring into each other's eyes. This is so sweet. Also, Dean warned Sam he might not be coming back. Why? Cuz he would probably die while trying to protect Cas from other angels. To them, they are probably spending their last moments together, while looking at each other like THAT (22:38) And 5 seconds of STARES (23:10)

In love. Fucking fools in love, that's what they are.

This is so stupid but they have just witnessed a cupid matching up two dudes, after all of the above⬆️ (23:53) AND IT'S JUST FUNNY!! Dean is stunned and all, while Cas is complitely fine and professional (24:04-24:17-24:21) DEAN'S FACE

"Talk first, stab later." (26:21) Cas is like "Bitch, you talking? That was our first date!" #MARRIED

[I'll just leave this here (37:00)]

Now shit's getting real

[Season 9>>]

#the destiel folder #icwaw #if castiel were a woman #supernatural #dean winchester #castiel #destiel #dean x castiel #spn #casdean #deancas #jensen ackles #misha collins #supernatural rewatch #spn rewatch #spn season 8 #destiel moments #supernatural family #spn family #time stamp #ship #fandom #destiel should be canon #rewatch #dean is bi #dean winchester is bi #destiel parallels #purgaytory #purgatory #cockles

[charlie-minion]

Still unresolved

DISCLAIMER: This is my blog and you’ll find my opinions here. If you don’t agree with me, I invite you to scroll past this post without trying to start an argument because I’m not here to prove who’s right or not. I just want to write meta without having to censor myself because I fear I might offend someone. I will delete any hateful anon messages I get, so you have been warned.

When I started writing meta 7 years ago, nobody knew who I was and my blog had probably 20 followers. I decided to share my own opinion (after reading hundreds of meta posts from other more talented people) because I loved Dean and Cas and there were things about their relationship that NOBODY was talking about at the time, at least not with the perspective I had.

I stopped writing Destiel meta sometime between seasons 12 and 13 because, to me, Destiel became canon around that time. When I say “to me”, I mean that I’m well aware the story hasn’t TEXTUALLY said that Dean and Cas have romantic feelings for each other, but it’s been WAY TOO OBVIOUS to deny it.

In season 8, the relationship between Dean and Cas was finally taken seriously (something that never happened before, at least not with endgame in mind). In season 9, Dean began to be set for a romantic interest while coming to terms with the fact that he could feel both familial and romantic love. In season 10, the codependency was proved to be a major obstacle in Dean’s (and Sam’s) relationships with other people, and we were told subtextually that Dean had feelings he wanted to experience differently (and that, according to him, were probably unrequited). We still didn’t know WHO he had those feelings for.

In season 11, we were subtextually told that a happy ending for Team Free Will was probably the endgame, moving away from Kripke’s original idea (which now we know was Chuck’s idea). We were shown it was possible to settle down with another hunter, someone who understood the life, maybe not marriage, but definitely romantic love, and even retirement.

In season 12, Dean was faced with his biggest fear: LOVE. Giving it without being afraid of losing the person who receives it, and being open to receive it back. He managed to express his love (and all the hate and hurt feelings he repressed) toward his mother, and he got an “I love you. I love all of you” from his best friend. If by this time, people had not been paying attention to how the relationship between Dean and Cas had been progressing, I recommend you read my meta masterpost in chronological order. I have 7 years’ worth of posts!

Let’s remember that Dean knew he had feelings for someone since at least 9x02 when he talked about love… and love. Or if you don’t want to take that moment, then since at least 10x16 when he confessed he had feelings he wanted to experience differently. Or if you’re not a fan of subtext, since at least 11x11 when he was told that he was pining for someone.

Truth is… he had feelings since PURGATORY. Since he realized he could NOT leave that fucking monster land without his angel… his best friend. Are you following? But, because Dean Winchester is not really with the whole love… and love, in 8x17 he confessed his feelings for Cas in the best way he could, with a “We need you. I need you”. And that’s why many of us, meta writers, have a tag for the need vs want conundrum, and for the singular vs plural conundrum.

Maybe Dean needed Cas because he was an angel in season 5 or in season 6, but when he lost Cas in season 7, that shit broke him. So, when they ended up in Purgatory, Dean realized that Cas was not just an ally. He was so much more than that! And don’t even get me started on the ‘WE need you’. I mean, we know Sam cares about Cas a lot, but every time they’ve lost Cas (when Castiel was possessed by Lucifer in season 11 or when Cas died at the end of season 12 and the first 5 episodes of season 13), the one who loses everything is Dean, not Sam.

When did Destiel become canon to me? After Dean’s mourning arc, after his 180 when Cas came back to life and “it’s never too late to start all over again” was playing, after Dean said “I do” to Cas with a cross behind them and they subtextually became married (with a kid).

After that, there was nothing I could say without repeating myself. We couldn’t expect any resolution between Dean and Cas until we reached the final season and I’ve been saying that since season 9 ended. I’ve even said that Dean and Cas will end up together and that if they’re textually made romantic it will be in the last episode(s) of the last season (even though some people had different expectations). If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you probably know I’m not lying about all these things. I’m just giving a summary of what I’ve been saying for 7 freaking years!

The fact that Dean hates it when Cas leaves, I’ve talked about it .https://charlie-minion.tumblr.com/post/102787887207/ill-stay-with-you-because-i-want-to-not-because

The fact that Cas needed Dean to ask him to stay, I’ve talked about it. https://charlie-minion.tumblr.com/post/171578528107/regarding-your-last-post-while-i-agree-that-dean

The fact that Destiel is endgame, I’ve talked about it, too! https://charlie-minion.tumblr.com/post/122136945257/how-would-you-make-destiel-canon-if-you-could-in

So, for the love of Billie (because I’m done with Chuck), enjoy the ride!

The resolution between Dean and Cas DID NOT HAPPEN IN 15X09. Why would you think that something that has been building for SO MANY YEARS would be resolved so easily and so soon, when we still have 11 episodes to go? That’s insane!

HOWEVER,

We got open communication. Dean’s prayer to Cas… beautiful! The tears, the hug, the desperation because he thought that he was going to lose Cas AGAIN!

That, my friends, is PAY OFF for so many years waiting.

And we’re not done yet. Dean was going to say something else and Cas stopped him. That’s storytelling 101.

What was Dean going to say? Can Dean finally overcome his problems with the “I” vs “we” and “need” vs “want” or even… “love”?

Of course he can! That’s still a possibility! The Dean that poured his heart out to Cas like that can do that and more. And that’s the resolution we’ve all been waiting for. But as I said 4 FUCKING YEARS AGO:

That’s for “the show’s final season and the final episodes of it”!

I can’t promise Destiel will be textually romantic by the end of the series, but I’m very happy with where the story is right now and the odds are favorable. What I’m sure of is that Dean and Cas will be together at the end, and if that happens, it’s better to make it canon than to leave it open for interpretation. Am I right? :’D

#supernatural #destiel #deancas #destiel meta #spn spoilers #15x09 #kinda #destiel is endgame #so canon only blind people can't see

[ranma-rewatch]

Episode 20: You Really Do Hate Cats!

(CONTENT WARNING: This blog post contains discussion of phobias, child abuse, and people doing the worst thing to intensify those problems. Those things are in the show, I didn’t just bring them up out of nowhere.)

Well, it’s that time again. Time to grab a balloon and tell my friends what I think of an episode of Ranma 1/2. We’re starting the first arc of season two with this episode, though oddly enough I feel like I mostly remember what stuff is going to happen in it. But maybe I don’t remember right? I’d love it if that is the case. Though...speaking of that...there is a certain character I have dreaded appearing in this series, and I’d hoped he wouldn’t appear for a while, but I checked and he appears this season. I...I thought I had more time. Oh well, let’s do this episode and I’ll worry about him when he gets here.

Okay, well, for the most part, this episode is actually a lot better than I remember it being. As it turns out, some of the details mutated in my head in the decade since I last saw it, and I actually thought things were worse than they were.

The episode starts in the Kuno manor, where our favorite swordsman is practicing to once again fight Ranma Saotome. But he’s not alone, because for the first time we meet Kuno’s henchman, Sasuke. He’s a ninja, and he’ll do whatever Kuno tells him to do, but he probably won’t do it very well.

From there, we see Ranma’s dad is training him in stupid ways again, and they get back to the house to find Shampoo has mailed Ranma something from China: a pink cat. That’s a problem, because Ranma has a severe cat phobia. It’s not random, either, Genma directly created it. See, when Ranma was 6, Genma thought he should teach his son Cat Fu, which he heard about from an ancient martial arts manuscript. The way to teach it is to cover the disciple in fish sausage and through them into a room with starving cats.

Obviously, that just ended up traumatizing Ranma, and the very next page of the book would have told Genma that training someone that way is very stupid. Kasumi, drawing on the common misunderstandings people have about exposure therapy, thinks that just inviting a ton of cats to be around will help, but of course it doesn’t, it makes Ranma even more distressed. Sasuke is hiding under the floorboards though, and he runs off to tell Kuno about Ranma’s weakness.

At first, Kuno says something about how he could never cowardly use an opponent’s weakness to unfairly win, but then he still makes Sasuke tell him about it, because he can still use it to win in an honorable way. The plan they go for is pretty ridiculous: they leave a note in Ranma’s locker that Akane’s been kidnapped, and he has to go to the gym to save her. But Akane is standing next to Ranma as he reads the note, so he knows that’s not true.

He goes anyway out of curiosity, only to find Sasuke there dressed up as Akane. With the wrong color wig. Even though the trap keeps failing, Ranma walks into it anyway because he has nothing better to do, until he realizes what is going on: cats. But Ranma manages to fight the fear and pretend he’s okay, hoping to just take Akane out of there, but then it becomes clear Sasuke took the extra step of also bringing an enormous tiger.

That’s when we cut back to Genma and Kasumi, and the old man explains that he tried curing Ranma of his phobia, but his way of doing so was to just keep throwing him at hungry cats, only changing the type of food attached to his body. All of it just made the problem worse, but it also actually led to Ranma developing Cat Fu. When Ranma gets scared enough, his mind just let’s go and he mentally becomes a cat.

That happens in the basement of the school, making it easy for him to beat the tiger and escape, just in time to kick Kuno’s butt without even trying. But he doesn’t stop there, and starts running around the school still acting like a cat. Akane follows him just as the dads show up. Genma says the only way to break Ranma out of it when he was a kid was with the help of a kindly old lady, but she’s dead. So, Genma tries dressing up and doing it himself. That fails, so they try catnip, forgetting that Ranma just thinks he’s a cat, so the stuff doesn’t really affect him.

The situation does kind of solve itself, as Ranma doesn’t attack Akane, as she’s afraid of, but instead curls up in her lap to purr. The whole school is watching, so that’s embarrassing for her, but then he kisses her and she freezes for a second before throwing Ranma into the school pool. Oh, and the pink cat is watching and didn’t like that. The curse activating returns his brain to normal, and Ranma has no clue why he was thrown in a pool. Akane walks home, cursing Ranma for doing that, but sounding conflicted.

So, the big thing I misremembered about this episode was I thought Genma did all the cat stuff with 0 thoughts about how it would affect Ranma and not giving a crap how it affected his son. That is actually not the case, he’s clearly really torn up about the phobia, though he still says some bad stuff about Ranma being ‘unmanly’ for having a phobia. He even tried to cure Ranma, a few times. It’s just that, well, his actions still traumatized Ranma. Sufficient ignorance is indistinguishable from malice, as they say. Genma is still, on the whole, abusive to Ranma in my opinion, but he’s not as bad as he could have been, I have to admit.

This was also just a funny episode. The comedy largely worked, even if some of the jokes didn’t quite land. Kuno and Sasuke were especially good, and I found Ranma fighting his fear both humorous and kind of inspiring. The man has a hell of a willpower. Not going to lie, the Cat-Ranma just immediately going for Akane’s lap and then kissing her was cute, I really liked that. Of course, I’m a sucker for anything with them, so I’m an easy mark there.

It’s also interesting how this works as the first part of a large arc, because if you didn’t know that was the case I can imagine thinking this was just a standalone episode. The pink cat was the impetus for the plot, but it’s what will drive the coming episodes forward.

One thing I found annoying was how different the dub and sub were this time around, in terms of script. The dub had a lot more bashing of Ranma for being scared of cats, including from Akane. That isn’t in the subtitled version at all, and I thought the episode worked a lot better there. I’m always a fan of taking liberties with a localization in order to make the story work better in the new country, but I don’t think we needed Akane insulting Ranma for his trauma.

Hey, a Character Spotlight again! Haven’t had one of these in a bit, and this one is for Sasuke Sarugakure. Let’s start with his voice actors. In the English dub, he’s voiced by Robert O. Smith. Does that name sound familiar? It should, I talked about him recently, since he’s the one who voiced Genma Saotome in the dub as well. His voice for Sasuke is extremely comedic, going for an over-the-top pathetic voice. He makes Sasuke just sound like comic relief, which he is. What’s interesting is what the other actor does with him.

In Japanese, he’s played by Shigeru Chiba, another voice actor from this show in Japan who is just known for a billion things. Standouts include Buggy the Clown in One Piece, Emperor Pilaf and Raditz in the Dragon Ball franchise, and dubbing over John de Lancie as Discord in the Japanese dub of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I was completely shocked to hear him play Sasuke with more gravitas, using a very serious voice that one would expect from a ninja, which clashed perfectly with the situations and his character design to make the comedy far better than in the dub. One of those rare times I’m actually preferring the Japanese version!

As a character, Sasuke is interesting because he’s not in the manga at all. For reasons none seem to know, the creative team for the anime decided to delay introducing minor character Hikaru Gosenkugi, and replaced him with Sasuke. We’ll get to Hikaru when he appears, but I don’t really mind Sasuke’s addition to the show. Giving Kuno a henchman just makes his dynamic even better, and there’s something I just really like to Sasuke’s almost naive way of trying to plot and scheme. I don’t actually have any deep analysis, at least not as of yet, just wanted to give him a moment in the Spotlight for being something interesting.

I didn’t expect to like this episode so much! It wasn’t great, there were parts I didn’t care for, but on the whole I’m happy to see my expectations overcome. I’m putting this episode in the middle of the pack, at the #10 slot. It was fun, but it has a lot of better episodes when it comes to making me smile. (Or cry.)

Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’  

Episode 12: A Woman's Love is War! The Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Episode 15: Enter Shampoo, the Gung-Ho Girl! I Put My Life in Your Hands

Episode 9: True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!

Episode 2: School is No Place for Horsing Around

Episode 19: Clash of the Delivery Girls! The Martial Arts Takeout Race

Episode 6: Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know

Episode 13: A Tear in a Girl-Delinquent's Eye? The End of the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!

Episode 17: I Love You, Ranma! Please Don’t Say Goodbye

Episode 20: You Really Do Hate Cats!

Episode 16: Shampoo's Revenge! The Shiatsu Technique That Steals Heart and Soul

Episode 8: School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga

Episode 11: Ranma Meets Love Head-On! Enter the Delinquent Juvenile Gymnast!

Episode 4: Ranma and...Ranma? If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another

Episode 5: Love Me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart

Episode 1: Here’s Ranma

Episode 3: A Sudden Storm of Love

Episode 10: P-P-P-Chan! He's Good For Nothin'

Episode 14: Pelvic Fortune-Telling? Ranma is the No. One Bride in Japan

Episode 18: I Am a Man! Ranma's Going Back to China!?

Next time we’ll continue this tale with "This Ol' Gal's the Leader of the Amazon Tribe!" which, as you might guess from the title, will introduce a new character. This one’s actually from the manga! See you then, y’all.

#episode 20 #You Really Do Hate Cats! #ranma 1/2 #ranma saotome #genma saotome #akane tendo #tatewaki kuno #sasuke sarugakure #anime rewatch #anime analysis #cw: phobia #cw: childhood trauma

[extraordinarilyextreme]

sleuth of ming dynasty spoilers! (im reposting this separately)

Okay but

1) the emperor genuinely caring for the safety of his subjects; this is the capital city of his empire and he was safe and sound while so many civilians just died and he immediately tried to guarantee their well-being

2) WangZhi seeing all those beggar orphan kids and probably thinking of himself

3) our ot3 met three years ago actually but they never asked for each other’s names

3.5) do I have to be the ot3 fanfic I want to see in the world

4) tangfan literally being suizhou’s cure... or not cure, but like... suizhou’s worst nightmare is tangfan getting hurt and he only returns to better functioning after tangfan moves back home

5) Dong’er being literally the best girl ever who refused to walk away even when suizhou had his Episodes and she was scared because she loves her Sui da’ge!!!!

6) found family not knowing how to best help suizhou with his ptsd but still trying their best

7) the portrayal of a neurodivergent character!!! That wasn’t for comedic purposes!!! Someone who genuinely loved and cared about his partner knowing that she would probably never understand him and everything he’s done for her because he didn’t communicate like a neurotypical

8) suizhou not being able to touch tangfan vs tangfan similarly trapped behind bars... every time, suizhou’s top priority is tangfan

9) THE EMPEROR GRABBING WANGZHI AND CHECKING HIM FOR INJURIES!!! BITCH HE IS YOUR SON I DONT CARE HOW YOU DENY IT FOR THE SAKE OF THE ROYAL IMAGE

10) everyone just agreeing that tangfan and suizhou should be together because they make each other better

11) duoerla deserved so much better; honestly a lot of the women in this show deserve better

12) the imperial consort being the emperor’s true bodyguard, leader of an all-woman army POETIC CINEMA

13) lizilong makes me think of the character that actor portrayed in yanxi palace and... honestly still pretty wretched and sad even though both characters were terrible people

14) WangZhi snapping awake and asking for tangfan

15) wangzhi’s admittance that “我舍不得” to just execute his loyal follower because he’s gotten used to having him by his side

16) literally WangZhi was so flirtatious during that last sequence, “我帮你，你帮我嚒~” how genuinely hurt he looked when tangfan first said it’s better they not meet again anytime soon

17) how WangZhi just SMILES when suizhou gently says that “you’ve changed. You’ve become soft.”

18) the cup!!! The damned cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really wish they explored WangZhi’s relationship with the crown prince more since they’re basically siblings at this point given how fondly the emperor treats them both... anyway imperial consort loves her son despite how harsh she can seem,,,, “remember to eat well. Youve looked skinnier recently.”

19) THE! WAY! SUIZHOU! PUTS! THE! CAPE! OVER! TANGFAN’s! SHOULDERS! And the look that tangfan shoots at him—that’s quite some explicit content right there oh my

20) FOUND FAMILY FOUND FAMILY DO YOU HEAR ME FOUND FAMILY

I was definitely worried about the forced hetero storylines but I will say that duoerla literally deserved so much better. Both women set up to be fanzhou’s het love interests deserved so much better than what happened to them.

There were a lot of badass women though!!! Instantly remind me how fucking gay I am

Anyway I don’t think there are any plans for a season 2 or anything but it would be so cool if they continued to explore WangZhi’s new post, or like the crown prince stepping up to Emperor, or dong’er and tangfan’s newphew growing up, and just more domestic bliss of Suizhou cooking for tangfan

21) suizhou looking SO DAMN PLEASED when tangfan praised the pig trotters dish

Definitely gives me some cql vibes with the stoic one Falling first, but I similarly believe that the two oblivious geniuses of the show catch on much quicker than their novel counterparts (although I have only heard some tidbits about tsomd novel and have never read it myself)

Ugh I want to see my ot3 solve cases together,,, they’re so badass when they coordinate because they have such good chemistry and know how to play off each other’s strengths

I know fanzhou is the endgame otp but the show definitely frames all of them as a great relationship

22) ALSO OK DOCTOR PEI AND TANGFAN’s SISTER OMG OK LIKE did they really have to do that in front of suizhou making dinner lmao good guy had the manners to say “congratulations” LOL

23) suizhou’s right hand man... I hope he’s great friends with wuyun... I hope they hang out together...

24) ugh the fucking real smile wangzhi struggles to hide as his enemies all topple down and how DAMN PROUD the emperor, HIS DAD, looks at him

Anyway. Good. I cried like a little baby because I feel so much for fanzhou. Suizhou who NEEDS to have somebody to care for, to bring him back to reality and ground him, who makes everything normal and safe and okay—Tangfan being safe and enjoying his cooking means that suizhou hasn’t fucked up and brought disaster everywhere he goes like he is constantly terrified of

And tangfan who has such great character and integrity, who kept a single pair of chopsticks and sold everything else his parents left him for his sister’s dowry, who always wants to protect people too—how he snapped to his senses three years ago to help find survivors, who despite his complaints actually does not care very much at all about his rank... he needs someone to take care of him for once too

(Tangfan respecting boundaries and tugging at the blanket rather than a sleeping suizhou because he knows that an unconscious and vulnerable suizhou should Not be Disturbed at Any Costs)

Anyway I really want to explore how they take care of each other and their terrible workaholic habits and how they raise dong’er,,, I want tangfan and suizhou to talk more about the Trauma and help each other through it,,,, I really want them to just come to terms with how much they have suffered and experienced for each other

Also WangZhi... his parting scene made me think of that dr who quote: do you think I care for you so little that betraying me makes a difference? I hope he and his righthandman learn to trust each other again,,, to talk about what led to the events of the betrayal since it was So Obvious how much the other man loved wangzhi,,, always protecting him when in danger, always rushing to ensure his safety... I hope wangzhi continues to be Soft around him even at the new post and they idk forgive each other and just make up... also you can’t convince me otherwise that he was a little jealous of tangfan due to how often WangZhi called for the detective

Well if you made it to this point, thanks for hearing me out!

#tsomd #the sleuth of ming dynasty #成化十四年 #reposting this again for why? idk #cdrama ramblings

[venti3dieci]

THE DIZI TAG GAME

Rules: Answer the questions and then tag people you want to participate! (Also tag it #The Dizi Tag Game so we can see everyone’s lists)

Tagged by: @missloislane and @aslibekroglu thank you SO SO SO much! I was planning on doing it anyway even if I was never tagged because this seemed so fun so thank you for not letting me jumping off of someone else’s post

1. your first dizi & how you discovered Turkish dramas :

So, this is a long story so TL;DR: Kiralik Ask and facebook groups. 

Now, for the long story. It might have been 10 years ago now? probably less? I don’t know, since the end of highschool I have lost consciousness of time and what a year is and when it ends. Anyway, Kiralik Ask was all the rage in Italy and in the facebook groups I was in, people were talking about this and Cherry Season a lot (I’m pretty sure this wasn’t 10 years ago but I’m dramatic) and I became obsessed with all the videos and things and everything (of KA, I didn’t care for Cherry Season) BUT I did not watch it then. Years later, like maybe three years ago? maybe 2? No idea. I discovered Vatanim Sensin thanks to @rescuemeifyoucan and her posts about it and became obsessed with that as well so, like a normal person, I searched for Hileon videos on YouTube and found every single scene they were in (only Hileon scenes) and watched a lot of those videos, probably 3/4 of the first season, stayed up all night (fun fact, I went to sleep at like 8 in the morning and when I woke up a couple hours later I got called and did my stage/started working at the place I’m at) and that was my initiation to Turkish shows but since I did not actually watch it, only precise scenes, that is not technically my first dizi. About 2 weeks of VS and only VS I decided that it was time to watch KA (because I found a playlist of YT of every episode from the beginning with Italian subtitles and others in English subtitles if the Italian ones were missing) so technically this is my first actual turkish dizi watched, since it is the first dizi that I have seen complete episodes of, from the first episode.

2. show(s) you’re currently watching:

Technically none but also technically thousands. So, technically (expect this word to be the most used in this post) I am currently watching Menajerimi  Ara (haven’t watched since more than two months ago probably), Alev Alev (last watched I think last month) 50m2 (again, last watched last month), Kiralik Ask (it’s been a few years actually BUT I haven’t given up on it yet and I will continue it... someday), Her Yerde Sen (last watched probably last year? Maybe start of the pandemic, maybe before that), Kuzey Yildiz (last watched I think the end of last year), Halka (I have no idea when I stopped with this honestly), Kara Para Ask (last year? maybe? Before Her Yerde Sen I think), Benim Tatli Yalanim (around the time of HYS), Kimse Bilmez (again, around HYS time). I haven’t seen any of these for some time but they are all shows that I plan to continue sooner or later. It’s all shows I loved but put aside because I found a new obsession but I do get back to them sometimes.

3. your favorite genre of dizi (romcom, mafia show, contemporary drama, historical/fantasy, etc.):

Romcom. I do like some dramas but I tend to hate almost all of the characters except a selected few and I can’t handle all that hate, my liver cannot survive it.

4. the show you rewatch (parts of) the most:

I think KA? or MA? or HYS? They are my favorite shows of the ones I have started. Also Ask 101 (the only Turkish show I have actually completed and only because it’s not 10 thousand episodes long and it’s easily available on Netflix so it’s easy to rewatch again)

5. favorite Turkish actor and actress (feel free to pick multiples):

I have this problem, it’s names, I rarely know the names of actors, if I know them I forget them, I sometimes mistake the character’s name with the actor’s name, sometimes the opposite so let’s try this and see what mess comes out: 

Aybuke Pusat, the guy who played Demir on HYS, the two friends of Selin from HYS and the receptionist. Elcin (?) and Baris (?) from KA, Burcu (?), Alina, Kubilay, and the other kids from Ask 101, Dicle and Baris and Julide from MA, Hilal and Leon from VS, Cicek di Alev Alev, Cagatay Ulusoy (I remember his name! my beloved CaCa), The female protagonist of KPA (she was also in the first episode of MA which is the reason why I started that show), Hande Ercel, Kerem Bursin, Elcin (?), Melisa, the one who played the third main friend, the red headed girl, all from SCK, Ismail (?) and the actress of Yildiz from Kuzey Yildiz, also the three girls from there. Most of the cast of Hercai, although I hate more than half of the characters. 

I feel so bad that I don’t remember their name. I swear I love them!

6. a show you quit before finishing:

A few. First and foremost Sefirin Kizi (couldn’t get past episode 1). Erkenci Kus (hated the direction it was going, which was in circles), Ask Laftan Anlamaz (hated hated hated the lie that guy protagonist said. Wanted to watch after but I can’t do that to myself). Sad to say but also Sen Cal Kapimi. I loved it SO MUCH and then first he does that stupid break up thing that I hate (because it similarly happened in ALS and that is the whole reason why I never finished that show so already not a good start), then it seems to be picking up and we got the amnesia thing so yeah, nope, not doing it. Afili Ask (I liked it but not enough to continue and I have to give up on a few shows). Also probably Hercai since I enjoy how it ended in season one and never felt the urge to continue.

Technically most of the answers from the 2 question apply here as well but I do intend on continuing those, these ones, however, I will not continue. 

7. favorite song(s) you’ve discovered in dizi’s:

Birakman Dogru Mu 2 by Zeynep Bastik and Anil Piyanci, heard on Menajerimi Ara and the song that started my love for pop songs made in Turkey

8. the show whose plot disappointed you the most:

Sen Cal Kapimi and Ask Laftan Anlamaz are the ones that first come to mind. And Erkenci Kus. God, Erkenci Kus disappointed me SO MUCH.

9. a show that was cancelled too soon / ran too long:

Ran too long: definitely EK. And SCK (sorry not sorry, it should have ended right before the amnesia).

Cancelled too soon: I don’t usually watch shows that get cancelled soon (in the sense that I usually wait a bit before watching a show because I wouldn’t want for it to be cancelled while I am passionate about it) and technically I do not yet know if they were cancelled too soon, but I would say HYS and Benim Tatli Yalanim because I was loving them and I have less than 10-15 episodes left to watch

10. favorite character(s):  

The children in every drama are my favorite so Gul (Hercai), the children in Alev Alev, the child in Sefirin Kizi (the only character to save themselves in that show except for Gediz), the girl from BTY, Bulut (?) from Dolunay. Also CeyCey (EK), Baris and Dicle from MA, basically the entire cast of SCK (I might hate the direction where this is going but I do love the characters), the main characters from ALA (except for the main male protagonist, he can choke), the main characters from Atesbocegi, Suna from BTY, Reyyan (Hercai), a lot of others, I just don’t remember the names.

11. your favorite romantic pairing(s):

ReyMir (Hercai), LeyEm (Erkenci Kuş), Edser (Sen Çal Kapımı), Defom (Kiralık Aşk), SelDem (HYS), Suna x Nejat (BTY), DicBar (MA), Bahar x Kaan (Halka), Ibo x Ayda (?) (HYS), YilKuz (Kuzey Yildiz), probably others. 

12. favorite side character(s):

Cey Cey (Erkenci Kuş), Julide (MA) (I know people hate her but to the moment I’m at, I still love her), Ayda (?) (HYS), Burcu (BTY), again, others but I don’t remember the names.

13. best kiss:

I love the fire side (?)  kiss between Selin and Demir from HYS as well as their kiss when she thinks that he stood her up when in fact he didn’t even know that he was supposed to go on a date with her and so she gets pissed off (rightfully so) and he chases after her and OMG I love them! Also the first and second kiss between Nejat and Suna. These last three I have made gifs of, and they were my first gifs, unedited, kinda ugly, but I love them (not saying that I make good gifs now because I do not, they are still ugly and unedited but not my firsts anymore).

14. an underrated show more people should watch: 

Her Yerde Sen. And Benim Tatli Yalanim. And Menajerimi Ara (although more people were getting into it). And Alev Alev.

15. a show everyone loves that you aren’t interested in:

The one with Demet Ozdemir (BOK I believe is the tag). Never was interested in it but based on gifs alone, I think they had the character who is either played by an actor whose name is Ismail or the character is called Ismail make a 180 from season 1 to season 2 and I hate it when they do this kind of things in books and series (I might be wrong though) so now I have even less interest in it. Also Son Yaz. The gifs, I love them, but I don’t want to actively watch the show. I’ll enjoy it from gifs and posts about it.

16. a show you want to recommend right now:  

Menajerimi Ara, Kara Para Ask, Her Yerde Sen, Alev Alev, Benim Tatly Yalanim. 

17. the next show on your list:  

none, to be honest. I mean, I already have a LOOOONG list of shows to finish so it’s better that way. 

tagging: @rescuemeifyoucan and, for people who heve not been tagged yet, take this as the sign that I am tagging you.

#the dizi tag game #tag #this is probably way longer than it should have been #also my inability to remember names is really bad! #also definitely not 10 years ago my first knowledge of dizis #since KA started airing in 2015 #my ability to understan the passage of time is as bad as my ability to remember names

[peterstanslizzie]

Reacting To: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Season 3 Episode 5)

Episode Title: Song ReMix

Spoiler Warning: Kindly proceed if you’ve already seen the episode or are able to handle spoilers

1. It’s time for a flashback! We trace back to the time when Dr. Emilia still had control over Song as the Mega Monkey. She tells Song to go after Kipo in the burrow and kill her, which we already know in Season 1 that Kipo managed to escape. The pheromones Emilia took from Scarlemagne are controlling Song but at least she is still somewhat aware of what she’s being forced to do.

Yasss....a second Troyson kiss! I didn’t expect that <3

2. Kipo, Lio, Dave, Benson, Wolf and now a regular kitty cat, Yumyan return to Timbercat Village. Troy, Asher, Dahlia and Song all happily greet them back but unfortunately, Kipo needs to break it to them and the rest of the mutes that Yumyan has been “cured”. 

Well, at least he’s not dead.....

3. Hence, a ceremony takes place for Yumyan for him to get inducted into the Great Hall of Axe Lords, whatever that is lol. The rest of the mutes are sad about what happened to Yumyan but they’re also freaking out about the same thing possibly happening to them. 

4. All hope isn’t lost though because Lio is confident that he will be able to make a vaccine to reverse the effects of the cure but he will need Song’s help and it so happens that he had stolen a cure dart from Emilia in the last episode.

ROFL! He didn’t know?

5. He administers the cure on Song and despite the initial shock, she finally reverts back to her human self! And cue the waterworks. As expected, she finds difficulty speaking since she’s been a mute for over 13 years but I’m pretty sure she will be speaking properly in no time. I’m pretty psyched to see the role Song is going to play for the rest of the season; It would be fitting if she or Scarlemagne were the ones to take Emilia down. 

Round 2 of the waterworks: Lio gets in on the hug too.

Family group hug!

6. Wow, it didn’t take her any time to start speaking normally again. Anyways, Song advises them that they should start working on the vaccine pronto. Meanwhile, we see Dr. Emilia setting Margot and her brother free from their restraints only to shoot them with the cure darts whilst they were running away. She’s such a bi**h lol but a great villain I will admit. 

7. Song is trying hard to remember the genetic composition of the cure she developed but it’s been ages ago. So, she’s forgetting a lot of the details. I wonder if they can get her research journal back for her. I don’t think the pages are completely obliterated, right? 

8. Song feels the pressure to develop the vaccine and it’s really unfair to put all of that on her so quickly. I’m glad Kipo recognizes this. All of a sudden, the Humming Bombers show up at the village warning them that Emilia is on her way with her army. They also announce that they’re joining HMUFA too; Their abilities and nectar bombs should definitely come in handy for the alliance. 

9. They need to come up with a plan quickly. Thanks to Dave, Kipo suggests to everyone to build a wall of protection that would scare away the humans. The mutes try to give their suggestions. One of the said that diversity would scare the humans away LOL. Now that’s funny. 

10. Benson suggests Death Ivy, which is pretty much explained by what it’s called. Amy adds that the Dubstep Bees would be able to help them build the wall since they’re immune to it. So the plan now is for Kipo and Wolf to try to get the bees to help them, giving Song enough time to work on the vaccine. But Song is still experiencing a mental block. So, Kipo also asks her and her dad, Lio to join her and Wolf as well. 

 I didn’t know that saying “Ming, ming, ming” would pull cats in towards you. 

11. On the other end, Dave and Benson need to find out where Yumyan is since they left him in a kitchen with a giant hole in it. Ugh, those two lol. 

Don’t mess with Kipo’s mom!

12. As they make their way to talk to the Dubstep Bees, they are stopped by the Scooter Skunks because won’t allow them to cross their territory unless they race them. Song accepts the challenge partly because she wants to look cool in front of Kipo but.....she flops. The skunks make fun of her, which angers Kipo and she goes full-on Mega Jaguar to chase them away. I’m not one for intimidation but I’m glad Kipo did it this time. 

Side note: I feel bad for Wolf because she’s never had cake!

13. We should now dub the scenes with Dave and Benson as their own comedy show because these two together are just so hilarious. It’s funny how they were low-key debating on the importance of human lives vs bug lives. But the jokes on me because Dave doesn’t seem to value bug lives himself. Exactly, Benson. What?!

It’s the queen dubstep-bee

14. Song says she knows how to talk to the bees in their language but Kipo accidentally interrupts her plan, which in turn insulted their queen bee who actually proceeds to sting Kipo and she starts dancing unintentionally, which is known as dance fever. What a pun. 

Cats just can’t resist boxes, huh? Even if they’re drawn. There’s too many cat puns in this episode and I’m all here for it! 

I never thought I would see a dancing Mega Jaguar Kipo.

15. Song continues talking to the bees and fortunately, what she said somehow manages to convince the queen to give them Kipo back IF they impress her with their dancing. I’m sorry but this is getting a little too corny for me lol. But I’m  definitely digging the background music:

And Wolf dancing is a vision

Yumyan has returned! He’s been in the kitchen the entire time. I have no words.

16. They’re all still dancing. The bees are starting to lose interest lol. I can see why. Song then tries to reason with the Queen by telling her that she has had it rough for the past 13 years and she really wants her to forgive Kipo because she’s her one and only daughter. Basically, she’s playing her sympathy card. And of course it works! These episodes are never going to be direct haha. Kipo has finally recovered from her dance fever and they manage to convince them to build the wall for them.

Aww Yumyan still remembers his pet flea, Pierre!

The dynamic between Wolf and Lio has been pure awesomeness throughout the entirety of this episode. 

17. Song expresses to Kipo that she feels like she needs to overcompensate in doing things for her daughter since she cannot protect her as the Mega Monkey anymore. But Kipo tells her that she has helped her plenty just by being her mom. Plus, she was the one who convinced the bees to build the Death Ivy wall. 

18. The episode ends with Emilia and her human army, making their way towards the village. Well, that’s the end of my review of episode 5. Stay tuned tomorrow for my review of episode 6. Thanks for reading everybody!

#kipo #kipo and the age of wonderbeasts #dreamworks #dreamworks animation #netflix animation #netflix cartoons #kipo netflix #kipo season 3 #troy and benson #troy x benson #troyson #lgbtq #lgbt characters #lgbt representation #lgbt cartoons #gay characters #gay cartoons #gay couple #gay love #episode recap #episode review #genetics #queen bee #dubstep

[kyrieanne]

In which I try to convince another person to watch Parks and Rec

In a recent hangout, @elizabethminkel, @imaginarycircus, and I were trying to convince @flourish​ to watch Parks and Recreation. I made the argument that if they like Star Trek: Voyager they will like Parks & Rec. So Flourish agreed that if I made a post laying out my Parks & Rec is Star Trek Voyager in sitcom form argument, they would move it up on their watch list.

So Flourish, here you go...

KA’S GENERAL ADVICE TO STARTING PARKS & REC

Start with Season 2. You can go back and watch Season 1 later. It’s only 6 episodes and they were still getting the tone for Amy Poehler’s character just right. Starting in Season 2, all of Leslie Knope’s co-workers know she is good at her job no matter how out there they (for good reason) think she is.

Pawnee is a character. Kind of like how the Simpsons have all these secondary and tertiary characters that rotate through — so does Pawnee and the town as a character becomes a damn delight in watching the show. Treat yo’ self to this article on the fabulous murals in Pawnee City Hall. (For the record, my favorite Pawnee citizen is this man: 

It’s more serialized than you expect a sitcom to be. You won’t be confused by the story no matter what episode you watch, but the real gold of Parks is watching it as serialized television with real arcs. Assume you’ll want to keep watching once you start.

MEET THE CREW

JANEWAY | Leslie Knope - Leslie Knope is the sitcom version of a young Janeway — kick ass, smart, hardworking, and ambitious. The Leslie you see in Season 7 is probably closer to the Janeway you see when Voyager begins.  Both of these stories center on a woman leading, one at the beginning of her career and the other at the pinnacle of it (cause obviously Voyager made Janeway a damn legend). What they have in common all along the way is a literal crew. Janeway is in the wild, Wild West, without the bureaucracy of Star Fleet, and Leslie Knope is navigating the endless bureaucracy of local government. Both are rule followers until the rules fail to make sense; then they are willing to do anything to care for the people under their charge.

CHAKOTAY | Chris Traeger - They’re both in charge of things. They both principled characters who know what they believe. Often, they are both foils for other characters and they always come through.

TUVOK | Donna Meagle - Both bosses. Both totally who they are and if you don’t like it then that’s a you problem.

TOM PARIS | Tom Haverford - Obsessed with pop culture. Flirts. Got something to prove. Their stories veer in different directions, but they start in a similar place.

B’ELANNA TORRES | April Ludgate - Each woman is unique, but they were both young and savvy. Torres struggles with the two halves of who she is (Klingon/Human) and April, over the course of the series, struggles with apathy vs. earnestness. Like how Janeway gives Torres a shot as Chief Engineer, Leslie Knope will never give up on April and the show rewards the viewer with a great female-female mentorship.

DOCTOR | Ron Swanson - Iconic grumps who find people extremely irritating. The Doctor is a bit more naive than Ron, but both evolve into more than they could have ever imagined. The Doctor, like Ron, gets all the best one liners.

SEVEN |  Ben Wyatt - He’s a ‘numbers robot’ and she’s Borg. Both begin their character arcs a little traumatized by their pasts and without real human relationships. Overtime, they become emotive, hopeful people who show they care by taking action often at a deep personal expense. (see what Ben Wyatt does in “The Trial of Leslie Knope”)

HARRY KIM | Ann Perkins - A really damn good friend and person, both of them. Both have terrible luck in romantic relationships for most of their respective series.

NEELIX | Andy Dwyer - Andy is funnier than Neelix and Neelix is smarter than Andy, but both have a tendency to drop a piece of wisdom when you least expect it.

JOE CAREY | Jerry Gergich - He’s there! He’s got a family! No one can quite remember his name.

KES | Mark Brendanawicz - Kes goes out as a alien beam of light; Mark will have a similar-ish fate. 

SESKA | Tammy 2 - You will love Tammy 2. She is a sex-positive Seska — over everyone’s shit and completely insane.

THE BORG QUEEN | Eagleton - Pawnee’s rival town full of suburban automatons.

KA’S VERY SPECIFIC PITCH TO FLOURISH

First off, there’s that meme - “Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do.” Janeway is the Leslie Knope of Star Fleet Captain. Trust me on this.

Second, I know you aren’t super into comedies, though you love Brooklyn Nine Nine and The Good Place. But hear me out…

Voyager is a sci-fi drama that is often the red-head step child of the Star Trek franchise because it isn’t dark and political like Deep Space Nine, philosophical like The Next Generation, etc. It had all the hallmarks of Star Trek — adventure, drama, an ethos of hope — etc, but it was also FUN.

Parks is a comedy — I won’t pretend it’s got the angst of a drama, but it is a comedy of IDEAS, a hallmark for any Mike Schur show. Where as The Good Place was about philosophy, Parks is about community. Voyager is about getting home; Parks and Rec is about making the place you call home better. Like Voyager, it takes people who owe nothing to each other and forms a community. Nothing will make you feel FEELINGS like the end of “End of the World” (Season 4, Episode 6) or the end of “The Trial of Leslie Knope” (Season 4, Episode 9), episodes where characters reach dramatic, but quiet life changing moments where they see the world differently than they did before. They change. I think that’s probably what I’m trying to say — Parks and Rec characters change and grow with as much narrative arch as any drama.

Watching that is a damn delight.

KA’S FAVORITE EPISODES BY SEASON

Season 1

“Rock Show” (Episode 6)

Season 2

“Hunting Trip” (Episode 10)

’94 Meetings” (Episode 21)

“Telethon” (Episode 22)

Season 3

“Flu Season” (Episode 2)

“Harvest Festival” (Episode 7)

“April & Andy’s Fancy Party” (Episode 9)

“Road Trip” (Episode 13)

“The Fight” (Episode 14)

Season 4

“The Treaty” (Episode 7)

“Smallest Park” (Episode 8)

“Win, Lose, or Draw” (Episode 22)

Season 5

“Halloween Surprise” (Episode 5)

“Leslie and Ben” (Episode 14)

Season 6

“The Cones of Dunshire” (Episode 9)

“Moving Up” (Episode 21 & 22)

Season 7

“Leslie and Ron” (Episode 4)

“One Last Ride” (Episode 12 & 13)

#parks #star trek voyager

[themattress]

Battle of the Seasons

Love Live Sunshine!: Season 1 vs. Season 2

Decided to start these posts off with something easy. Yes, I love Love Live Sunshine!, both seasons of it...but whenever I think of which season stands out the most in terms of quality, it’s actually a no-brainer. Season 1 is by far the superior season, for three major reasons.

1. Story: As I have noted before, the story of Love Live Sunshine! as a whole, but especially in its first season, is the story of a group of girls trying to chase down that exact same fantasy of triumphant underdog success that µ’s from Love Live! achieved, only to be hit hard with just what an aberration that fantasy achievement truly was, and that not even it could last forever, which leaves them faced with the coldness of reality and the challenge thus becomes how they can still find success, a way to “shine”, even from that. The difference between how this story is told between the two seasons, however, ultimately comes down to pacing.  

The first season flows smoothly and naturally. The first episode is the main set-up, then we get a Riko-focused episode in which Aqours is truly born at the end, then the episode where Aqours manages to prove themselves worthy of existing as the school’s idol club while kicking off the subplot between Mari, Dia and Kanan, then an episode where Ruby and Hanamaru join, then an episode where Yoshiko joins, then an episode where Aqours learn about the school’s predicament and truly get their hopes up of being able to follow in µ’s footsteps, then the two-parter where they go to Tokyo and are crushed by reality in the most agonizing way possible (0 votes!), then the episode where things between Mari, Dia and Kanan are resolved and they join Aqours, then the two-parter that’s been building since Riko’s debut and that finally gives the spotlight over to You, and then finally the two-parter where Aqour return to Tokyo in order to face their fears and redeem themselves from their previous performance. No time is wasted here, every episode pushes the story forward.    

But with Season 2, you could have told the story in half the episodes! Only episodes 1, 3, 7, 11, 12 and 13 as they exist are necessary, and while the events in episodes 8 and 9 are also important, they really could have been played out in just one episode rather than stretched across two. The other episodes are filler. It’s not that I don’t enjoy some of the stuff that happens in them, but the writers still could have written the season in a way that some kind of plot progression, even just a little, could have happened during them. The way Season 2 is written wouldn’t have been so bad if Season 1 wasn’t written the way it was, but given that Season 1 was written first, then the problem is all on Season 2 for not following its lead. 

2. Characters: Every character gets their due in Season 1 and develop across the course of it, in both large and small ways. I don’t know what happened, but Season 2 just couldn’t keep up their balance. It’s Chika and the third-year trio of Mari, Dia and Kanan who receive the lion’s share of attention across the second season. We get one episode - episode 5 - where Riko and Yoshiko get some focus, and two episodes - episodes 8 and 9 - where Ruby is given her due. But Hanamaru is just comic relief (”It’s the future, zura!” is basically the sum total of her character now) and dear lord, is You done dirty as a character! This was Chika’s first friend and the one who stuck with her when she tried and failed to recruit people for the school idol club at the show’s start, and yet she receives not a scrap of development here.

And beyond this lack of balance, there are also some minor issues in how the characters’ relationships are portrayed. Chika and Riko’s dynamic, which was an integral part of Season 1, is reduced so that Riko and You are now on an equal level as her pillars of support all while Riko gets more interaction with the likes of Yoshiko, which is fun at first but ultimately wears out its welcome because Riko just doesn’t have the same chemistry with Yoshiko that she has with Chika and even You. We also get some strong displays from Dia/Kanan and Mari/Kanan, but the ever-hilarious Dia/Mari interactions we had in Season 1 are in much shorter supply. The first-year trio of Ruby, Hanamaru and Yoshiko are the only ones who all stay true to their established group dynamic, but they don’t break any new ground either.  

3. Dramatic Weight: Last but definitely not least is the dramatic arcs of each season. And while the ultimate failure to save the school in Season 2′s 7th episode and the subsequent mission statement from Aqours to win Love Live and immortalize said school’s name in J-Pop idol history is a good one, it’s got nothing on what preceded it back in Season 1. The events of Season 1′s 8th episode, appropriately titled “Isn’t It Frustrating?”, and the subsequent mission statement from Aqours to “turn a 0 into a 1″...THAT, above possibly everything else in the whole anime, stuck with me long after I finished watching. Just think about that mission statement for a moment: “turn a 0 into a 1″. 1 is still a pitifully low number; people say it’s the loneliest number. But it’s better than 0, and that is all that matters to Aqours. It would take just the smallest victory, just the smallest improvement possible, to make them feel completely satisfied, to make it all feel worth it. Just something, anything, other than a fucking 0. 

That is such a damn powerful message. It’s not always the huge, ultimate victories (like winning Love Live in Season 2) that matter; often it’s as simple as doing better than you did earlier. If you have the right mindset, then all it takes is to lose with 1 point after previously having lost with 0 points to make you feel on top of the world, to feel like you accomplished something great, to feel like you were able to “shine”. Honestly, Aqour’s performance at Love Live where they triumph in Season 2 is kind of hazy in my memory, whereas I still vividly remember their performance at the end of Season 1, especially what preceded the actual song: where Aqours just throw themselves out their in all sincerity and vulnerability with a recap of everything that has happened to them thusfar. It’s just a beautiful, magical moment.

So there you have it, my justification as to why Season 1 >>> Season 2.

#Battle of the Seasons #Love Live Sunshine #Opinion #Analysis #Comparison

[sleepykittypaws]

Animated Special Advent Calendar

Updated: December 23, 2019

Every year since my oldest first became interested in TV watching, we’ve watched classic Christmas specials annually. What started as a happy accident with an enamored three-year-old wanting a nightly dose of cartoon Christmas goodness, became a family tradition, and we now try and watch a different special every night between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, with family members rotating picks, youngest to oldest. 

After mentioning this several times online, a few folks expressed interest in what we watch, so I’ll try to keep this page updated with daily entries, though I admit we’re not tyrants about doing this (it’s supposed to be fun!), so if we miss a night, we just try to watch two (or more) another time to catch up. The daily picks mean our line-up changes every season (variety is good!), though there are definitely a handful of annual must-watch specials on every family member’s mental lists, and we always finish on Christmas Eve with the 1966 classic, Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

We’ve got a huge collection of DVDs and digital specials we own, but I’ll try and note where our picks are available to watch, if possible. And, if you’re looking for ideas to fill up your own Christmas Special advent calendar, you can check out my Top 25 Animated Holiday Special list, or the results of our Holiday Special Showdown, where 64 animated classics went head-to-head for viewer’s votes in 2017.

Nov. 28: We kicked things off on Thanksgiving with Phineas and Ferb’s Christmas Vacation, a music-filled Disney Channel original now available on Disney+ (Season 2, episode 21). It’s an annual must-see for us.  

Nov. 29: Night two was British imports Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire and Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe. The first of these Aardman Animation originals is better than the sequel, but both still air annually on CBS. There’s also a third, UK-only entry, Close Encounters of the Herd Kind, that never made it to the US. Fun Fact: 100% of all 3 specials’ profits go to charity, as they were produced by Comic Relief.

Nov. 30: A Chipmunk Christmas. Though it had several DVD releases, they’re all of out print currently and this 1981 classic, a staple of my childhood, has become distressingly hard to find, even though we, personally, have multiple DVD copies.

Dec. 1: Our first special of December was The Happy Elf. This 2005 Harry Connick-voiced special got little love on its release, but is a family favorite. Rare to find on TV, it’s still widely available via digital or DVD, and worth checking out.

Dec. 2: With Frozen fever rampant, we revisited a lesser known entry in the franchise, 2016′s LEGO Frozen Northern Lights. This clever send-up isn’t specifically Christmas, but it’s snowy and so much fun. And it’s now available, though oddly broken into segments, on Disney+. (The Disney Channel is also showing it in one 30 min package all this month.)

Dec. 3: On this busy school night we needed something short, so I picked Pluto’s Christmas Tree, now on Disney+. Kids had never seen this 1952 animated short, and we all really enjoyed it.

Dec. 4: One of those days we wandered off the beaten path and tried the Opus-led A Wish for Wings that Work from 1991, based on the book and comic strip by Berkeley Breathed. A bit long for littles, but the ending landed, and it was a nice change of pace. Not streaming, but available very cheaply on DVD.

Dec. 5: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was my son’s pick. This pilot episode for the 30-year-old series works as the stand alone holiday special it was first conceived as, and can be found on Disney+.

Dec. 6: Ducktales: Last Christmas! This fun, 2018 special can be found on Disney+ (season 2, episode 6 of the rebooted series). We watched it several times last year, and it’s just good as I remember. Timey-wimey fun.

Dec. 7: This 2006 direct-to-DVD release isn’t the classic Looney Tunes of the 1930s-40s, but Looney Tunes: Bah, Humduck (available digitally or DVD) is still a fun Christmas Carol take with Daffy as Scrooge and a fairly faithful adaptation of Dickens’ tale.

Dec. 8: Time for a classic: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, playing this year on Freeform, as well as CBS, and also available in an infinite variety of DVD collections and via iTunes.

Dec. 9: Did you know that Hallmark Channel used to make original animated specials? They did, and they were good, too! 2011′s Hoops and Yoyo Ruin Christmas was our pick last night and it’s smart, and cute, and fun. I miss that Hallmark Channel. Released on DVD, it’s out of print, but copies can still be found, and Amazon offers it for digital purchase.

Dec. 10: As a kid the anticipation of this special’s debut was almost too much to bear for my then, 7-year-old self. 1982′s The Smurf’s Christmas Special was my pick last night, and I vividly recalled how it was a such huge event for me at the time that I danced around the basement during the commercials, too full of excitement to sit. It isn’t streaming, but can be found on the still-available 2011 DVD The Smurf’s Holiday Celebration.

Dec. 11 and 12: Busy evenings the past few, so missed the 11th, but still managed to watch Merry Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda Holiday last night—and I almost managed to stay awake, too. (Both are on Netflix.)

Dec. 13: Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special, this charming, under-rated 2016 Disney Channel original is, oddly, NOT available on Disney+, though it can be purchased digitally or watched this month via Disney Channel On Demand. A family favorite since its debut.

Dec. 14: Last night, instead of a traditional animated offering, we had our annual viewing of (mostly) animated British Christmas adverts, which are a very big deal in the UK and, frankly, often more awesome than any 30 minute special. I’ve tweeted a lot about my love for these often tear-jerking mini-movies, but here are what I think are my top 5…5) From Sainsbury’s, 2018′s The Big Night builds to an awesome ending. 4) Sainsbury’s The Greatest Gift (2016) has an original song that’s become a Christmas favorite in our house. 3) John Lewis is the master purveyor of this emotionally manipulative—in the best way—three-minute extravaganzas. Lots to choose from, but 2014′s Monty the Penguin is probably my fave. 2) In 2015, Sainsbury’s delivered the perfect mix of comedy and heart with Mog’s Christmas Calamity. 1) And my fave—a bit of cheat since it’s Canadian—is Cineplex’s Lily and the Snowman. Seen it probably 100 times now, and cried every one. There’s plenty more to explore, from the UK and beyond, and falling down a rabbit hole of these ads on YouTube is an utterly delightful way to spend an evening. To get you started, here’s a compilation of what one YouTube reviewer calls the top 10 Christmas ads of 2019.

Dec. 15: Returned to a classic with 1969′s Frosty the Snowman, which still airs annually on CBS. Happy Birthday! 

Dec. 16: Finally watched NBC’s new How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, available on Hulu.

Dec. 17: My pick, and I chose a Rankin-Bass we hadn’t seen in a while, 1970′s Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Unfortunately, forgot how long and slow this one was. My kids were kind of bored.

Dec. 18: Shrek the Halls, which really is laugh-out-loud family fun. For some reason, this is the only Dreamworks special not on Netflix, but does still air annually on ABC.

Dec. 19: I have no clue how Olive the Other Reindeer, this super-charming, Drew Barrymore-voiced special about a dog who mishears a radio bulletin and thinks Santa needs her, didn’t become a classic. It’s not streaming, but is available very inexpensively on DVD and well worth a watch.

Dec. 20: How Murray Saved Christmas, another overlooked gem, this 2014 rhyming special first appeared on NBC, and is airing this season as part of AMC’s Best Christmas Ever. (It’s also available on DVD and digital.)

Dec. 21: As we realize we’re quickly running out of days till Christmas, time to make sure we pack in some classics, like, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Dec. 22: Santa, Baby! This 2001special featuring Eartha Kitt is the last of the Rankin-Bass originals and it’s…fine. Lots of music and a magical partridge. Not something you see everyday. (Was available on DVD, now out of print, and can sometimes be found on YouTube.)

Dec. 23: Saving the best for (almost) last, the whole family got up this morning and watched Prep & Landing, and its sequel, Prep & Landing: Naughty vs Nice, in our jammies, to kick off Christmas vacation.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve is always the 1966 version of Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas to remind us all that Christmas doesn't come from a store. Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more.