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#netflix geeked week begins today #neon has thoughts #sequel shenanigans

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[Transcript] Season 2, Episode 9. Masters of the Universe: Revelation Season 1 Review

Masters of the Universe: Revelation brings He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, and more back to our screens. The Netflix animated reboot has already got the discourse flowing. The Stereo Geeks team had a ball watching this show and reviewing it. We used to watch He-Man as children; now here we are, watching it as adults. And we have thoughts!

What's the first season about? How are the visuals? What's the voice acting like? What could be better? We answer all these questions and more in our first season review. And the spoilers don't begin till 12:49 minutes into the episode! Listen to the episode on Anchor.

Ron: Welcome to a new Stereo Geeks special episode. Today we’ll be discussing Masters of the Universe: Revelation. I'm Ron.

Mon: And I'm Mon. Ron: I can’t believe that we have a new show about the Masters of the Universe. We used to watch this as kids. Mon: Yeah, I know. I'm surprised too. And it’s on Netflix too.

Ron: Easily accessible to so many people. It's like our life is coming full circle.

Mon: As adults we can now enjoy He-Man. Ron: But the show is little different. It's not just He-Man fighting the villain of the week. In fact, it's a little bit dark. We start off in Eternia and the planet is losing her magic, and she's affecting the entire galaxy. It's up to the Masters of the Universe, to bring magic back to Eternia and save the people.

Mon: We can't reveal anymore, because the whole thing is a spoiler.

Ron: From episode one onwards everything that happens is a spoiler. So we're going to divide this episode up into two parts. First, we have the non spoiler discussion and then we move into the spoiler section. We will signpost it.

So let's talk about how much we used to love He-Man as children. We had the action figures; we had the toys. We had Cringer; we had He-Man; Skeletor. We had a lot of fun with those.

Mon: Yeah. And we were recently talking about how we had this Castle Grayskull backdrop, and how we used to love going to this one toy store which had this little section which had this big Castle Grayskull and these mini action figures. And you and I would just go there to the store and be mesmerized by this entire facade. And of course, you know, it was a really expensive toy, and we weren't going to buy it, but we used to look at it longingly. So our mom and grandmom, they sort of conspired to get us something a little bit smaller and a little bit more playful. So we had this façade. I can't actually remember it or what it looked like but we were just talking to mom about it and she was telling us about how they bought it for us and what it looked like. I think she remembers it even more clearly than we do.

Ron: I have very clear memories of all our He-Man action figures.

Mon: I remember He-Man, Skeletor; we had to Orkos. And we had Skeletor’s panther, I think that's what he was.

Ron: Yeah.

Mon: We didn't have Man-At-Arms, or Teela or even Evil-Lyn.

Ron: I remember we used to see ads for Teela and Evil-Lyn, but we never got them.

Mon: Oh, interesting.

Ron: For some reason the toy shops that were near us never seemed to have those. And I remember really wanting a Teela, and I wanted a Sorceress.

Mon: But we used to love the show. We used to just watch it all the time, and it's a good thing that our mum and our grandmum, they're both geeks; they’re like nerds and they played up our nerd fever.

Ron: Yeah, we used to have so much fun watching it with them. We had so much access to it, and they never had a problem with us wanting the action figures or us spending time playing with them. So yeah, it was fun. I’m kinda excited that a whole new generation is going to be able to play with He-Man and Masters of the Universe.

But I like the fact that this show has a different spin on things.

Mon: I remember when we were sort of revisiting some of the cartoons and animated shows that shaped us but we were watching it as adults. I tried to watch the original He-Man show that we grew up watching, and I couldn't get through one episode…

Ron: Oh wow…

Mon: It was hard. It was hard. It was cringy, the Prince Adam character had this very thick American accent, it just didn't work. I don't know, there was this kind of weird flavor to it that didn’t sit right in a world which is supposed to be fantastical. It seemed too American. It seemed too grounded in Earth when it's supposed to be in Eternia. Ron: Wow, okay. I feel like this show doesn't do that. I'm not gonna say that all the voices work for me.

Mon: No.

Ron: The accents, I will say, are generally quite neutral, so you don't feel that Earthy connection. But some of the voices, they didn't fit the characters. I think that was my issue.

Mon: I think the biggest problem with the voice acting here is that they lacked gravitas. They chose a bunch of really high-profile names, especially within the DC Comics sphere. Honestly, this entire production feels like it's an offshoot of DC. Everybody has some connection with DC Daily or DC Comics or DC movies, something or the other, there seems to be some kind of connection. And I feel like because of that, these people have been chosen, but they don't fit the characters. And they didn't fit the characters’ evolution, their arcs. And I really feel like that brought it down at points. Because the story is good. It’s interesting. The characterizations are interesting. It's just that we have that dichotomy between what you're hearing and what you're seeing, and it doesn't mesh.

Ron: But I'm feeling like that's happening a lot with animation during the pandemic. We've just started watching Batman: The Long Halloween, the two-parter from DC, and some of the voices there also don't fit the characters. Maybe it's a different feeling when you're in a studio, and the director is there and giving you some direction, as opposed to being at home and having to do everything on your own without having a sounding board. Who knows. Maybe by the time another season of the show - if it happens, we don't know yet - when that comes out, then maybe things will be a little bit more comfortable for the actors as well.

But the animation, the style was stunning.

Mon: Yes, it's completely different from the original.

Ron: Thank goodness.

Mon: It's got a contemporary feel. It also has that Netflix-y animation style, you know, which we're used to, from like Kipo. Which is good because it's very vibrant. Even when it's a bit dark and dreary and there's a shadowy gloom over it, there's still this vibrancy to it. And dimension.

Ron: Yes.

Mon: I really love that. And each character is distinct. The costumes are distinct and I really enjoyed that.

Ron: Yeah, I thought it was really really beautiful. From the first episode onward, there are some shots that I'm just like ‘how much time did it take them to actually paint this, because the detail is exquisite?’ And there's one episode, almost near the end of the season - and it's only a five-episode season, good grief, so much happened to in it - but there's one episode near the end that has the most stunning, stunning visuals. I was like, ‘I need this on my wall. The painting is just so good.’

So I really really enjoyed it. Like, just visually it was such a good experience. Mon: I agree with you. Ron: So what do you think about the plot?

Mon: So, the first episode is very deceptive. When we started watching it, remember how many times I kept asking you whether I accidentally pressed the last episode. It's confusing. And honestly, it's a very intriguing way to start off the show.

Ron: Yes.

Mon: But the plot really takes off from Episode 2, because the revelation of the title happens in Episode 1. I like that they made it very compact - five episodes, not even 30 minutes each, it moves along, the pace is good, it never lags, which is great. I still feel like there was an attempt to make it episodic, but with an overarching plotline. And that worked. It did, however, get a little bit bogged down in the lore, and the world-building and the character introductions. It felt very much like, as you kept saying when we were watching it, you kept pointing out different characters and saying ‘oh that's a toy, that's a toy,’ it's like they were trying to build up the merch. And I'm like, you know what we didn't need that many characters introduced here. There are instances of flashbacks, which is cool. I like that, because the flashback at the beginning to the episode ties in with something at the end. So that was really nicely done because that's good storytelling. But I did feel like they kept trying to introduce more characters and build in the lore and really develop that nostalgia feeling by bringing in all these characters from, you know, everybody's shelves, everybody's cartoon memories, And that sometimes brought down the plot or it confused the plot. I’m like, ‘what's going on? Like who are these people? What are their powers?’

Ron: There did seem to be times when there was a lot of exposition. But, I feel like somebody who's coming in for the first time who just sees, ‘oh this is a cool new animation, let's take a look,’ they're gonna need all that information. Like, even for us, it’'s been a really long time since we had anything to do with He-Man. So we needed some of that information. But I think they could have let it build on its own or organically at least. We didn't need that much conversation, that much explanation. I wouldn't say it completely takes away from the experience, but there were times when I was like, ‘you know, this could have had a little bit more action instead of us having to talk about it.’ Mon: Exposition, for the sake of informing is okay. Exposition for the sake of informing about a new character who has been brought in just so that we know that this guy exists in the universe, that’s needless.

Ron: Yeah okay that's a good point. I mean there were definitely moments when I was like, ‘tThis person is only in the season so that they can probably make a toy and sell it.’ And there were different versions of certain characters as well, which I was also like, ‘okay, so toy variations, more selling.’ And the thing is Masters of the Universe started off as toys, so I can understand why they were doing that. It just felt like it bogged down story from time to time and it didn't need to.

Mon: And also it’s over bloated, right? When you have so many characters coming in, and you know that they have history with the main character, and that's fine, we’re good with that. But every episode, in every few scenes, it’s like somebody else is coming in and I'm like, ‘oh wait, I really just want to follow these main people, see what they're doing, get that magic back. And then we can introduce these characters, slowly, over the course of hopefully several more seasons.

Ron: Yeah. Having said that, the first episode and the last episode are so unexpected, and so gripping, that you forget about all the exposition. Because the episodes in between, they're getting you to the next point, and you do need them. But the way this season is bookended. I'm really impressed. I absolutely loved it. I did not expect the events of the first episode to go the way they did. But the finale, oh my gosh.

Mon: I'm pretty sure I actually gasped out loud.

Ron: Pretty much, pretty much. We both did. I was at the edge of my seat, I was like ‘this is not happening.’ And I thought that was great. It’s a cartoon that we’ve been watching since we were kids, and it's a part of so many people's lives. To bring it into the 21st century like this, I'm really impressed. And I'm very excited.

Mon: Yeah, absolutely. I was not expecting much from this show. I thought this was going to be a Sunday afternoon watch, I'm going to forget about it the next day. But here we are recording an entire episode about Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Because it was a revelation for us.

Ron: It totally was.

And I understand that there are certain people who are right now review-bombing this show, because it did not go the way they were expecting. This show titled in a very very particular way, and you need to go into it understanding why they've done that. When I first heard about this one, I was like, ‘He-Man, really? In the 21st century, do we need a He-Man show? I'm so glad that the way they did it, it's so much more than that. This kind of show is reaching out to a lot of different kinds of people. That's what we need. And the people who are upset about that, man that's just telling us so much about you, not the show.

So all in all, you and I went in there not knowing what to expect from Masters of the Universe: Revelation, but we had a great time.

Mon: We highly recommend this show. Whether you watched He-Man in the past, whether you've played the toys, irrespective, watch this show. It does not go as expected, and that's a good thing.

Ron: So, let's get into those spoilers.

Mon: Absolutely.

Ron: Okay, the big one - He-Man dies!

Mon: Like in the first episode!

Ron: That was not what I expected. I saw that his name was not in the title, but I thought that this was going to be like an ensemble cast. It's going to be a collaboration, it's not just going to be He-Man saving the day, it’s going to be He-Man and the Masters of the Universe saving the day. But oh no. He-Man kind of saves the day, but then everything goes bad and it's up to the rest of the Masters of the Universe to save Eternia and magic. Not what I expected and I loved it.

Mon: But honestly in a storytelling sense, this is so good. I get that there's a lot of discourse, and you will come across this about ‘bait and switch’. Basically, it's called Masters of the Universe, everybody just assumed that He-Man would be in it. Also, let ‘s be honest, a lot of the promotional material was about He-Man and Skeletor. But, as you said earlier, the title of this series is Masters of the Universe, because He-Man isn't the one and only Master of the Universe. He isn't the only Savior, he's dead in the first episode. And that is one of the biggest reasons why I spent most of the first episode thinking, I clicked the wrong episode. I mean, Skeletor start off by saying, ‘this is our final battle.’ There's a sense of finality to it, which is exactly what it plays into because for He-Man, this is his last stand.

Ron: And Skeletor’s as well. I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of people who are disappointed with this show and I'm not getting it.

Yes, we went in there wanting to see He-Man because that's what we had when we were kids, but having Teela be the lead, that was so cool. This would have been great for us when we were kids, and you know what, there are the young people getting to see Teela in the lead. And it’s not just Teela, she has her friend Andra, maybe something more, I don't know, but it's just so much fun.

And Teela is so layered. She's cynical, she's angry. She was hurt and she has not let that go, and she’s also really funny. Of course, it helps that she has someone like Andra, who is quite lost and thinks that everything is ridiculous, but this is so much fun!

Mon: And don't forget, they tie up with Evil-Lyn.

Ron: The best! Listen, Evil-Lyn was underdone in the series that we watched as children. I mean, even as a child I knew that there was so much more to Evil-Lyn, and now we get that. I know I just said that Teela was cool but so is Evil-Lyn. In fact, I need a show just about Evil-Lyn.

Mon: She also has this dry sense of humor and this sarcasm and this snark that just doesn't go away. But I like that she doesn't seem to be going out of her way to undermine Teela’s authority or their mission. Because the mission is central to all of them, and I really like that about her. Also, the evolution of Evil-Lyn in this show, it kind of plays into the new way of reframing female villains, or female villain sidekicks, in today's day and age. We kind of saw that in the live action Mulan movie where the villainess was really a misunderstood woman, also a woman whose potential was undermined at every turn because she was a woman. And with Evil-Lyn, it's also very similar where she forgot to follow her dreams because she got sucked into the whole Skeletor-spell and she just did whatever was required to make him the Master of the Universe. Whereas she knows that she could have been so much better. But she goes back to square one by the end.

Ron: Yeah, I thought that was disappointing but also not unexpected. It's about comfort zones, and maybe the audience that this show's intended for may not get that but Skeletor and everything that he does is something that Evil-Lyn is familiar with. Not having that, having to forge your own path, that's not easy. So yeah, when Skeletor comes back, she just takes that opportunity and joins him again. And you know what, maybe that’s a wise decision because he's the ruler of the universe now.

Mon: Exactly.

Ron: Let's talk about the body count. Did you expect so many dead people in a cartoon? Mon: No, that too, a bunch of characters who we've really grown up watching and loving and I think that was the biggest problem for me, not problem in a bad sense, but like we were watching He-Man, literally one of our childhood heroes, and he's dead, not once, but twice, which we'll get to in a minute. And I think, you know, you can really see your child-self, you know, little me, being crushed by this horrifying act, not once but twice. I can really associate myself with that. But story-wise, it's fantastic. You’re talking about really high stakes here. These are really bad villains—there’s that tech army that’s even scarier. There’s Skeletor, there’s the end of magic on Eternia. Sacrifices are legitimately going to happen. And it's supposed to be expected. Still, you're not expecting that the good guys, who've literally just been introduced, or they've just won the day and then, poof, they’re gone.

Ron: In a way, the body count, losing He-Man and Skeletor in the first episode, it actually kind of makes the cartoon have a broader appeal. Like, for us, as grown adults who have seen a lot of things, even these moments were surprises and that was fun. That is so unexpected, and it's nice to know that we don't feel jaded. But from the point of view of a younger audience, look at the world they’re growing up in? There’s literally a pandemic which half the galaxy seems to think is a hoax. They need to see that there are high stakes, that your heroes, no matter how good they are and how much they fight, they can lose. The season ends on a very negative note, so I'm hoping that a second season will come soon, because there needs to be some amount of hope for young people. But I think it's just a generational thing. Younger people now, they're much more accepting of very dark stories. For us, it would have been traumatic.

Mon: Yeah, I guess there was that concept of being a little bit sheltered when we were growing up and watching these things. And the world is much more cynical now.

Ron: Yes.

Mon: What I felt was that in the first episode, He-Mans death meant the arrival of a new hero. It meant that Teela walks away but she has her own mission and she's been doing good things. My struggle with the last episode is that there is no hope. There's that gigantic image of Skeletor above Castle Grayskull and you're like, whoa, this is bad. Ron: This is Thanos-winning-the-Infinity-War-bad. But then that's the kind of environment that young people are growing up in so, I guess, they just know that things will get better? Assuming we get a next season.

Mon: I feel like there’s potential, though. Ron:  Oh totally, I mean, Skeletor can’t win.

Mon: Especially after he stabbed Prince Adam and killed him. So, we lost He-Man in the first episode and Prince Adam, who turns into He-Man, in the last episode. Crushing. I gasped. It was so shocking. I have to say, that story beat was fantastic.

Ron: I loved it. Especially because, by that point, we have been told a few times that Prince Adam has been living in, well, Preternia, which is the heaven version in Eternia, and his choice to come back to the land of the living means that the next time he dies, he's gone, there's no coming back to heaven or hell or anything. He's just gone. And he does that because he thinks his world needs He-Man. Magic needs He-Man to return. It kind of does because then Skeletor kills him and then brings magic back, but through Skeletor. Ooooh.

Mon: Yeah. I think this realization that this young man has made this huge sacrifice, and his hopes, his dreams, have kind of been stolen by his nemesis, I think that was what was more shocking than anything. It’s like, yeah, okay, they killed the main character, well “main character”, but it was just that feeling of sorrow for this character that, you know, we've all grown up with, we're very attached to, and they made it a point of reiterating just how much he would lose by leaving paradise and going back to Eternia. Yeah, it was shocking. It was really good, but very shocking.

Ron: I really loved it, honestly. I am a sucker for dark endings, so this was great. I loved it! Okay, well, let's talk about something that didn't quite work for me. The scene where Teela is fighting Skeletor in Subternia. I thought I knew what was happening, and then I wasn't quite sure. Was it saying that Teela was special because of something else, or that she's special because she has power over her emotions like fear and anger? I couldn't quite understand that. It felt like she was magical though, up until that point, she hasn't been. Of course, if you know some of the lore from the earlier cartoon, this could be leaning into that.

Mon: Yeah, I found that the most disappointing part of the five episodes because it was very strong. The whole point of using emotions and fear, etc, as a tool to understand character, you're quite used to seeing that in fantasy stories, and I thought that they were using it quite well. And it was really an opportunity to show us who Teela is as a person, but then it went into she's glowing and she's got these three things on her forehead, which seem to suggest that she's definitely got some magical abilities. Now some of the previous lore in the cartoons and other media, definitely show us that Teela is the secret daughter of the Sorceress. And for a while, she doesn't know that. And sometimes, she has access to those powers that she's got from her mom. At other times, she doesn't. So, this could be leaning into the fact that she is actually the Sorceress’ secret daughter.

Ron: Because there does seem to be some kind of connection between the two of them.

Mon: Yes, that's definitely alluded to.

Ron: Even Man-At-Arms, who is basically Teela’s foster father, he also seems somewhat more connected to the Sorceress. So, the three of them seem to have this dynamic, and we don't have enough time during these five episodes to actually explore that. But it seems like there's something more there.

Mon: But I don't want that.

Ron: Me neither.

Mon: Because far too often, and it really almost always happens to the female characters.

Ron: Yeah.

Mon: She is special because of some supernatural, preternatural, fantastical ability. She is secretly a magician; she's secretly a robot; an Android; she's secretly a hologram. She's always secretly something else. And that is very disappointing because if you keep seeing that in popular culture, what it's saying is that any female person, or anybody who connects with that character, they're not special unless some special ability is given to them, or they inherit it. It's never something that you can develop on your own. It's extremely frustrating. And this episode, in particular, really fell flat because not only was it confusing as to what was happening, but also, that we didn't understand where Teela’s special abilities come from. Up until then, it really was the fact that she is the captain of the Royal Guards; she is really good at her job. She's really good at what she does. And now it's suddenly not any of that, or at least, to win the day and to actually get anything done in Eternia, she needs to have something that nobody else has.

Ron: Well, I would like to think that even if Teela does have magical abilities because she is related to the Sorceress, that that doesn't actually stand her apart from anybody else. Maybe, in the future, she and Evil-Lyn can find some kind of common ground because Evil-Lyn is also magical, though she needs her wand-staff to actually control her abilities. The only way if they do go with this particular storyline for Teela, the best way to balance it out, is to have more magical people, and more people who aren't magical but are still doing awesome things.

Mon: I agree. I think with Teela, they really have potential to make an incredible character, But, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is voicing her, really needs to up the ante with the gravitas, because she does not fit this character at all. I'm not sure what the voice casting directors were thinking. I would say that she is definitely one of the Achilles heels in the show.

Ron: I would also say that Liam Cunningham as Man-At-Arms does not work for me. We've seen Liam Cunningham in loads of things he has a very distinctive voice, but for some reason it just does not fit the visual of Man-At-Arms.

Mon: I felt like Liam Cunningham was doing his best Liam Neeson impression here. It was like, I'm watching Aslan, but this is a man of action, and it just doesn't work. Because, let's be honest, when Liam Neeson is voicing Aslan, it's as someone who's very calm. Man-At-Arms is a man who has literally only known war.

Ron: Liam Cunningham does not have war in his voice.

Mon: There's no urgency.

Ron: Yeah. I thought Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn was great.

Mon: Surprisingly.

Ron: Because she gets that sarcasm across very well, and her tone is very even throughout, which is exactly what I apparently expected Evil-Lyn to sound like. Because you don't need the up and down of a normal human tone. Evil-Lyn is just so sick and tired of everything, so you don't need somebody who has different pitches to their voice.

I have to say, Mark Hamill as Skeletor. I don't know, he just sounded like the Joker.

Mon: Same!

Ron: I've heard Mark Hamill do voices in different things. I mean it wasn't bad, he did a good Skeletor, But there was too much Joker in it.

Mon: I agree with you, I really expected him to do something a little bit different. He's very menacing, and he gets that, but again, it just felt like that Joker-vibe was too strong. It’s a bit disappointing. I thought Susan Eisenberg as the Sorceress was underwhelming. She doesn't have very many scenes, but again, there’s just no urgency. Yes, the Sorceress is very calm, but even then, if she's panicked, or worried about the state of the world, you would expect her to change the tempo of her speech at least. But she does not. So, I was a bit disappointed. The person I liked was Griffin Newman as Orko.

Ron: Oh, wow, really? Mon: Yeah, he sounded exactly like the way I remember Orko sounding. I don't know if he actually did sound like that but I felt like this is pretty much what Orko would be like.

Ron: I think for the most past, he did fine as Orko, but there were just a few points where I I felt like his voice was going a bit too high, especially when Orko was feeling emotional, and I can understand why that is happening but they kind of hurt my ears.

Mon: Okay, yeah, I agree.

Ron: So, what did you think of Chris Wood as He-Man.

Mon: He had so little to say, which is disappointing. I thought his Prince Adam was on point. Very good. His He-Man was good. But I don't understand why they changed how he says “I have the power”?

Ron: I know!

Mon: They changed the flow of it. It flows so nice in the original series, and here, I do know if they were trying to show that he is feeling the power, so there's a little bit of pain and maybe some friction, which is why he's saying it a little bit slowly, and then finally I have the power, it comes out a little bit more fluently, but it just doesn't flow the same way, or maybe it's because we have the original motto in our minds and we can hear it. Listening to it in this series, I was like no, it's not right.

But I thought he was good, I kinda actually liked what he did.

Ron: I feel like he didn't have to do anything too much. He just kept it neutral, and I think that worked. It was fine.

And finally, we have Tiffany Smith as Andra. Her voice fit perfectly. Andra is definitely like the everyman over here. She's kinda quirky, kind of funny, a bit lost. She’ll state the obvious when the situation is truly dire. I think she did a pretty good job.

This was just a really fun experience. We really had no idea that we would enjoy it this much.

Mon: We couldn’t stop watching it. And I have to say, I was so excited to talk about it that I insisted that we do this episode. And I'm glad we’re doing it, mostly because this is the kind of show which, unfortunately, attracts a lot of discourse, mostly the wrong kind of discourse. And if anything, people should go into it wanting to have a conversation, wanting to provoke thought. Wanting to enjoy themselves, because this is a beloved property which has now entered the 21st century. It's fine that things are evolving, things are changing, and it's good that it’s happening for the better. If they made this show, and it was towing the same line, who would want to watch it? And with Teela being, basically, the new Master of the Universe, detour with Skeletor now having the power - it will be gone soon. But despite that, we need more people to enjoy the different kinds of characters that these worlds build.

And also, let's be honest, nobody ever understood why He-Man never revealed his true identity to Teela. Everybody else knew but Teela didn’t, and they were always hanging out.

Ron: Yeah, yeah, I'm glad they got that over and done with in the very first episode. You know, she gets to be angry about it, and to have a conversation about it with Prince Adam in Preternia. You know what, that's all done and dusted. Now he dead. Time to move on; bigger problems to solve, quite literally.

Mon: So we gotta admit, I love this show. You love this show. We think you'll love this show too. Go and watch Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and tell us what you thought about it.

Ron: You can find us on Twitter @Stereo_Geeks. Or send us an email [email protected]. We hope you enjoyed this episode. And see you next week!

Mon: The Stereo Geeks logo was created using Canva. The music for our podcast comes courtesy Audionautix.

[Continuum by Audionautix plays]

Transcription by Otter.ai, Ron, and Mon.

#stereo geeks #podcast #he-man #masters of the universe #masters of the universe: revelation #teela #andra #netflix #skeletor #evil-lyn #man-at-arms #sorceress #prince adam #grayskull

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Mark Wahlberg Movie Infinite Signals That Paramount Plus Will Evolve Beyond Star Trek

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Paramount+, once known as CBS All Access, has mainly defined itself with an overwhelming wave of Star Trek television content. However, surrounded by high-end competition from Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, the rebranded streamer is looking to live long and prosper beyond the space-faring franchise, having announced grandiose plans to expand its movie content. Most notably, sci-fi film Infinite, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Mark Wahlberg, will be the service’s first theater-skipping feature offering; a surefire sign of things to come.

Obviously, the boat of box-office-bypassing movies already left its proverbial dock some time ago; a notion recently exemplified by streaming’s dominance of the 2021 Academy Awards via Best Picture winner Nomadland (which debuted on Hulu in the U.S.), along with The Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime Video), Judas and the Black Messiah (HBO Max), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix), Mank (Netflix) and Soul (Disney+)—embarrassingly-shrunken television audience for the ceremony itself notwithstanding. Indeed, while Paramount’s plans were likely long-gestating, there had to be a feeling that its insurgent steaming service missed said boat after fellow streamers cleaned up at the Oscars. This is especially the case as the theater-free phenomenon’s pandemic-related circumstances rapidly evolve in the post-vaccine era. Yet, today’s earnings call with ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish shows a company embracing the old adage, “Better late than never.”

Paramount announced a rather auspicious acquisition in director Antoine Fuqua’s Infinite, which stars a reliable headliner in Mark Wahlberg, joined by an ensemble consisting of Dylan O’Brien, Toby Jones, Rupert Friend, Jason Mantzoukas, Kingsman: The Secret Service standout Sophie Cookson and, notably, 12 Years a Slave Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villain. The film, which originally had Marvel’s Captain America, Chris Evans, tapped as its star, was shot back in 2019, and, interestingly enough, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2021. Those plans, of course, have since dramatically changed, with Infinite now set for a U.S. streaming premiere on Paramount+ in late-June, with international plans to be revealed at a later time.

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The Paramount+ arrival of Infinite will unveil famed director Fuqua’s first feature since 2018’s The Equalizer 2. The ambitious sci-fi actioner—officially teased as “a classic story of good vs. evil with an epic twist”—was scripted by John Lee Hancock and Ian Shorr, who adapted D. Eric Maikranz’s 2009 novel, The Reincarnationist Papers. Bearing a plot that somewhat resembles the Assassin’s Creed video game series (and its 2016 movie adaptation), the film focuses on a secret society, called the Cognomina, whose members have the helpful ability to recall details from their past lives. However, things unravel as the haunting memories of Wahlberg’s formerly-Chris-Evans-cast character—a schizophrenic newcomer to the organization named Evan Michaels—uncover dangerous secrets. Thus, a film that could have been lucrative box office fodder for the popcorn crowd will instead become a bellwether offering for the streamer similar to HBO Max’s recent premium-free premieres of action-packed crowd-pleasers like Wonder Woman 1984, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat and the upcoming Dune.

Indeed, Bakish promises a release strategy that will see the consistent arrivals of even more pandemic-era pictures purloined from their planned theatrical releases, stating, “All of this is a preview to a substantial ramping up of original movies next year, when we expect to begin averaging an original movie a week in 2022.” The move complements news revealed to investors back in February that Paramount-hailing major releases such as A Quiet Place II and the untitled Mission: Impossible 7 will premiere on Paramount+ within a small 45-day window from their designated theatrical releases; news that’s more immediate, since the former is set to hit theaters by the end of the month, May 28, to be followed next year, on May 27, 2022, by the latter.

Interestingly, the effect of Paramount Plus’s acquisition of Infinite will be felt as immediately as early-June, during which 1,000 movies will be added to the platform’s existing film library, bringing its total to 2,500. It’s a dramatic transformation for the streamer, which, in its former life as CBS All Access, failed to make much of an industry impact outside of Star Trek—even with Jordan Peele’s heralded reboot of The Twilight Zone. Of course, that is not to say that the platform is moving away from Star Trek, since it’s still home to exorbitantly-produced returning live-action series Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, which will be joined by a spinoff show of the former, the U.S.S. Enterprise-set Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and, prospectively, an untitled series focused on elusive intelligence agency Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou—not to mention current animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Nevertheless, the ViacomCBS CEO is effectively hyping the Paramount platform’s imminent influx of films as a “Mountain of Movies,” setting up a course correction to the platform’s hitherto tardiness on the original movie front. While no serious prognosticator expects Infinite to make any kind of dent at the 2022 Oscars akin to its aforementioned dramatic streaming peers, its move does carry implications. The continued adherence to a socially-distanced distribution scheme is a consequential shift to Paramount+ itself, and also reinforces the idea that the pandemic’s effects on the industry could become permanent.  

The post Mark Wahlberg Movie Infinite Signals That Paramount Plus Will Evolve Beyond Star Trek appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[gamingmyhero428]

How to activate hot keys on msi gaming keyboard

Of Wolf's Gaming Blog

It is time to recognize the ideal gaming blogs of the year. EDIT:I applied to watch the Feedback video over at G4 every week, but it is gone down hill the final handful of occasions I watched it and now that Adam Sessler isn't on it and they have that girl from IGN that every person hates in each episode I just cannot be bothered to watch it any much more. Nevertheless worth going back and watching some of the older ones although. Klepic employed to be on that show and back then in the early days was when it was the most effective. Back when they really talked about gaming news with some semblance of intellect instead of just gushing about what ever game they are told is cool this week.

Green Man Gaming , a international e-commerce technologies enterprise in the video games sector, right now announced that gaming sector veteran, Paul Eibeler, has joined the organization as Board Advisor. Paul brings a wealth of understanding to Green Man Gaming through his expertise of working at major game publishers, distributors and platforms in the interactive games business.

The gaming business saw a quantity of exciting developments in 2016 touching on various aspects of the sector. Gaming technology is establishing in incredibly thrilling strategies. The lengthy promised revolution of virtual and augmented reality moved closer to realization. The mania around Pokémon GO with its mass marketplace appeal and utilization of mobile phones introduced untold millions to the possible of augmented reality. With its launch in India and South Asia it has turn out to be the poster kid for the possible of mobile games given its sophisticated technology and the huge international smartphone penetration.

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The stereotypical image of the geeky gamer, sitting alone in his area, playing video games all night lengthy, is long gone. Gamers have grow to be the genuine stars of social media. No other niche has grown so immensely with the age of social media than the field of gaming. Supported by social media like YouTube and the reside-streaming platform Twitch, the numbers of gaming channels boomed. No wonder that brands recognized the possible that these gaming influencers bring with them. We have put with each other a list of some of the largest gaming influencers you require to know.

Why we like it: It is not possible to produce a list of greatest game podcasts and not contain this one. Definitely the finest retro games podcast around, which is a really enjoyable and thoughtful exploration of gaming history with some incredible stories. Miracast is recommended for watching videos, surfing the web, and making use of apps. The gaming experience is nonetheless getting optimized for latency and smoothness.

If you're a video gamer, you'll want to verify out the major gaming blogs and game review web pages weekly—if not daily. Nonetheless, not numerous individuals have time to verify each single gaming weblog and gaming overview internet site, so it normally just comes down to checking a few pick ones. So which ones must get the lion's share of your day-to-day browsing time? These are the top ones according to gamers.

We're going to the International Festival for Business enterprise this month and will be hosting a one of a kind event Inspiring Entrepreneurs '˜Going Global' where major company people today will tell us the secrets of their accomplishment. 1 of these entrepreneurs is Paul Sulyok, CEO and Founder of Green Man Gaming Green Man Gaming is a pioneering, worldwide eCommerce technologies company that has gone from strength to strength because its launch in 2010. We asked him how he did it.

Yet another of our major gaming influencers for 2018 is The Rad Brad We had to consist of this channel because The Rad Brad is a especially effectively identified YouTube gamer. He produces an unbelievable quantity of very-high quality, enjoyable content material. It is no wonder he's recognized for generating the very best video game walkthroughs on social media. The Rad Brad has helped to make a number of influencer marketing and advertising campaigns a real accomplishment.

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The future of gaming is a globe where you are empowered to play the games you want, with the folks you want, anytime you want, wherever you are, and on any device of your deciding upon. Our vision for the evolution of gaming is similar to music and motion pictures — entertainment really should be obtainable on demand and accessible from any screen. Today, I am excited to share with you 1 of our essential projects that will take us on an accelerated journey to that future planet: Project xCloud.

[mylovelymarvel]

Paint My Sins Away (Part 5)

Pairing: au!Bucky Barnes x Reader 

Chapter Summary: Y/n finally opens about her soulmate (soulmate au where what you write on your skin appears on your soulmate’s skin)

Warnings: angstt, crying, swearing, lowk a panic attack? read at your own risk

Word Count: 1.9k

a/n: thank you again to the amazingly kind @zephyrenn for her wonderful words. You literally bring me to tears everytime you beta/review one of my chapters. You always give me in depth comments and analyses and it really means the world to me. Thank you to the kind and sweet @peter-parkerman and @acastleintheair for betaing :)

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Current Chapter

    Hours pass before they stumble into Y/n’s apartment both shaking with laughter.  It’s just past nine, the sun has long set below the horizon. Asher carries the bags to the door as Y/n fumbles with the key, and suddenly they’re spilling through the door.

    Laden with food, she heads to kitchen. “I’m gonna get the snacks ready. Will you set up the movie?” With a plunk, she sets the bags on the counter and begins rifling through them, haphazardly unpacking the items.

    “Yeah, yeah, of course, just lemme change into my pajamas real quick,” she tosses over her shoulder, already on her way to the bathroom.

    She returns to the room, plopping herself down in front of the TV, pulling out a bin of DVD cases. “Which one are we starting off with today? Or would you rather watch Netflix?”

    There’s a short beep from the kitchen as the popcorn starts to cook.

    “Nah, I’m fine with DVD’s today.”

    “Okie doke.” She sets to search for a few select movies. “Let’s see… Do you wanna watch Juno, Pan’s Labyrinth, or V for Vendetta? Oooh, or we could watch Tangled! Or, oh, we could go with a romance and watching something like P.S. I Love You, or Stardust, or 10 Things I Hate About You, Oh, oh! Or-”

    Ash cuts her off with a laugh. “Slow down there, cowboy, we’ll get to them eventually. Why don’t we start with a classic, like 10 Things I Hate About You? How does that sound?”

    “Sorry, sorry, you know I’m a movie geek,” she giggles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “That sounds great, I’ll put it on.”

    The  microwave hums quietly as Ash starts to pour various packs of candy into a large glass bowl. There’s a sharp rip as she tears open a bag of chips and promptly pours them into another bowl.

    “Hey, Y/n, what do you want to drink?” She asks, pouring her own glass of soda; it sizzles and froths, lapping up and reaching for the rim.

    “Just the usual, please.”

    With a small hum in reply, she tosses the plastic trash into the recycling. A loud beeping echoes against the tile and the smell of butter permeates the air. The DVD player comes to life with a whir as Y/n sets up for the movie.

    “Hey, I’m gonna grab some blankets. They’re still in your closet, right?”

    “Yup, yup. 2nd shelf to the top,” she answers

    There’s a small smile on Ash’s lips as she disappears through the bedroom door. “I’m stealing some of your comfy clothes, FYI.”

    She laughs, shaking her head as stands up, grabbing both bowls and placing them on the coffee table in front of the sofa. A fluffy blanket settles across her shoulders as she plants herself on the cushions and all of sudden, Asher is jumping over the back of the catch, falling nearly on top of her.

    “Oof, you big lug,” she chokes out, shoving the other girl. “Get offfff.”

    Giggles fill the apartment as Ash rolls over, tugging at the downy fabric draped along Y/n. She obliges, tossing half of the blanket over her before leaning forward and snagging the popcorn bowl. Her sleeves fall over her hands, into the bowl, and she tugs them up and above her elbow. Ash quiets.

    “Y/n, uh, what’s,” she starts, her voice hollow, “what’s that on your arm?”

    The opening credits begin and she hums distractedly. “Hm?”

    “There’s something on your arm.”

    “What?” A sliver of worry worms itself into her words and her eyes dart away from the screen. Her jaw goes slack at the black ink appearing on her skin. She fumbles to yank down the sleeve of her overshirt. “It’s nothing, it’s absolutely nothing.”

    Hair falls into her eyes as Ash grabs her forearm and pulls it towards her. “This isn’t nothing, Y/n.” She jerks up the sleeve, ignoring her protests. “I watched this appear.”

    “I said it’s nothing. Just leave it alone.” She rips her arm from Asher’s grip. The movie plays in the background and the snacks lay forgotten as she pulls the blanket closer to herself.

    “No, I’m not going to leave this alone, are you insane? This isn’t nothing, Y/n, that’s-that’s… That’s soulmate writing. I just watched that appear, on your skin, in front of me, that’s not something you can just blow off, okay?” She blows out a tired breath before she lays her hands down in front of her. “Look, I’m just- I’m just confused, alright? I-I. I thought you didn’t have a soulmate, Y/n, I just, what happened? Where did they come from, who are they? I just don’t understand, okay? Why are they saying ‘I’m sorry’?”

    Tears blur her vision and there’s a gasp caught in her throat, but she ignores her questions, opting instead to wet her thumb and scrub at the offending message ingrained on her skin. Small shivers rack her spine and a sharp pain carves a groove in her chest, slipping delicately between her ribs and into her heart.

    The ink isn’t quite gone, but she stops, curling into herself and it’s almost as if Asher can see her fading away. She pulls her to her chest, enveloping the crying woman into her arms. A sob scrapes its way from her lungs, pouring past her lips in a heaving gasp.

    “I don’t know, Ash, I don’t know. I don’t know his fucking name and I don’t know where he came from and-and. And, fuck, Ash, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s happening and- and I-I’m sorry I kept it from you but I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what to say, and I just- I don’t know what’s going on.” The pain drags its way across every word as she sobs into the brunette’s shoulder. “I-I-I don’t know what this means and I do- I don’t know where he came from and I’m so fucking lost Ash.”

    “Hey, hey, Y/n. It’s okay, alright?” She whispers, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I’m sorry for pushing.”

    Dry heaves rack her body before she sniffles and pulls away. A small hiccup pushes past her lips as she wipes her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ash. I didn’t- I didn’t mean to freak out. I’ve just, I don’t know. I’ve been dealing with this for months now, and I just. I don’t know.”

    “Why didn’t you say anything?” She can’t help the tears that mist her eyes, too.

    “Because… It was new and scary and I thought- before I thought my soulmate was dead or gone or something, and everyone- everyone knew I didn’t have one and I just, it caught me off guard. I didn’t know if it was real or if I somehow imagined it or what. I couldn’t be sure it would even last, and what if- what if I had told you and he disappeared and then you, all of you would give me that look, that fucking pitying look that everyone gives me when they find out I’m alone. Or, fuck, even, what if you thought I was so desperate for a soulmate that I made it all up or I was going crazy or some fucking shit. And I just,” there’s a scowl on her lips as she shakes her head, “I couldn’t deal with that. I wouldn’t.”

    With a grimace of a smile, Asher places her hand on hers, and Y/n can tell the words “I’m sorry” are on her lips.

    She cuts off any potential words Ash has to offer. “Look at where that got me. Crying like a fucking baby over a soulmate that doesn’t even want me. Fucking stupid.”

    “Y/n,” she admonishes, her eyebrows pulling down before she pauses. “I’m.. I’m sor-” She cuts herself off, clenching her teeth together. “You’re not stupid for crying over this, okay? I promise.”

    Y/n glances up, leaning back against the couch as she pulls the blanket up to her chin.

    In a low whisper, Ash continues, “Y/n, what do you mean that your soulmate doesn’t want you?”

    “He didn’t explain,” she breathes, focusing her eyes on the ceiling. “The other week, he just- just told me to stop writing and that he didn't want me. And now I have this stupid fucking message from him saying ‘I’m sorry’ on my arm-” She stops and her gaze falls down. “I- I have this- this fucking message on my arm and he’s saying… I’m sorry? Fuck. Fuck! He rejects me and I get this goddamned pity message and he’s sorry that he doesn’t want me. Fuck, he probably has a family or wife or something.”

    There’s an ugly feeling in her stomach, something that twists and churns and she feels as if she’s about to vomit. She rests her arm over her eyes. Her lungs are tight.

    “Y/n, I’m… I really am sorry. I knew something was going on. You’ve been really distant and cut off the last couple of weeks and I, I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I never expected this. And I’m just, I’m really sorry that I never reached out more or asked what was wrong. I should’ve, I don’t know, I could’ve done something, anything really, to help.”

    She turns to hug Ash, wrapping her arms tightly around her and the blanket tangles around them, soft and downy.

    “Hey, it’s okay, I promise. You’re here for me now and that’s what matter, Ash. Besides, it’s my own fault for not saying anything. I couldn’t have expected you to know. You’re not a mindreader.”

    “The only thing I could think of,” Ash mumbles, her voice muffled against Y/n’s shoulder, “was this dumb trip to the Avenger’s Tower.”

    A smile pulls at her lips as she rests her head against Ash’s shoulder before pulling away. She leans against her, grabbing the snacks and remote.

    “When you told me about that, I actually got really excited.” She wipes at the tear streaks on her face and places a piece of candy in her mouth. “You know, I’ve always wanted to go and I think it’ll be really fun and exciting, though I make no promises of not fangirling in front the Avengers.”

    Ash curls into her, reaching a hand into the popcorn bowl as Y/n rewinds the movie.

***

    Steve looks up from his newspaper when Bucky throws a pen at him.

    “I did it.”

    There’s a skeptical look in the Cap’s eyes as he takes a sip from his coffee. “Did what?”

    “I apologized, said I was sorry to her,” he mutters, standing rather awkwardly in front of Steve.

    “Okay,” Cap drawls, a tinge of suspicion in his voice. “Is that all you said this time?”

    He nods, his lips pulled into a thin line.

    “Okay. Well. I’m guessing from whatever this is-” he gestures to Buck with his paper “-that she didn’t respond, or, at the very least, she didn’t respond nicely.”

    He shrugs. “She wiped it off.”

    “Ah,” he nods, raising his eyebrows. “It’s not very nice being on the receiving end, is it?”

    It’s quiet for a few moments before Bucky replies. “No, it’s not.”

    “There’s not much you can do now, Buck. You just kind of have to wait and see what happens next at this point. You hurt her and it’s up to her what happens now.”    .

    “I know.”

    He hovers for a moment before he gives a slight nod to Steve and turns to head to his room.

    “I’m sorry, man,” Cap calls softly from behind and Buck can hear the sincerity in his voice. It doesn’t stop the grimace that makes its way to his face.

    “I’m fine,” he answers, pausing before he continues walking. “Goodnight, Steve.”

    “Goodnight, Buck.”

Thank you to the lovely @peter-parkerman for this wonderful moodboard

Taglist:

@itsholyholland @hootyhoobuckaroo @lunafandomhitwoman @chloe-skywalker @mydragulesebastian @lordemjay @tannyator @nerdydragonwarrior @i-honestly-dont-care-anymore @rebelmosh @peter-parkerman @paranoiadestroyah @papi-chulo-seb @zestygingergirl @seasidespecter @vgurl18 @impalatobakerstreet @elsasshole @buckyhalf @cutiepiemimi13 @iamwarrenspeace @fuckthatfeeling @crimsongrad @babygirlizz @heatherrose121 @scarletraine @beingmadinwonderland @chinupdarling @m2003 @so-not-hotmess @to-be-a-sunshine @whatthe-forck @lovemarvelousfics @theunicornotaku @freyjawalker @boyzines @genlovesdcb @making-chocolate-pudding  @bexboo616 @britt-janssens @jurassicjosie @lostinspace33 @missinstantgratification @strangedarkling @itsbuckysworld @steggy4ever @its-tchalla @quite-unorthodox

URLs that are striked through could not be tagged! If you couldn't be tagged, I'll send you a message letting you know this part is up :)

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #paint my sins away #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes au #au bucky barnes #bucky barnes soulmate au #soulmate au #james bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #james barnes x reader #marvel #mcu rp #fox writes marvel

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New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, Tech, and Geek Culture

New Post has been published on https://otakudome.com/castlevania-final-season-review/

Castlevania Final Season Review

The final season of the Castlevania anime as we know it arrives on Netflix. A mere six weeks have passed since the events of season three. Trevor, Sypha, and Allucard grow tired of their current routine, but when vampires threaten to revive Dracula the trio band together one more time to put their old enemy to rest for good.

Castlevania is a 2017 video game anime adaptation of the franchise of the same name. It is produced by Frederator Studios and distributed by Netflix. It releases on Netflix globally on May 13, 2021.

Editor’s Note: An advanced screener for Castlevania’s final season was provided by Netflix in support of this review. Minor spoilers may be present in this review with general spoilers for the Castlevania franchise. 

Trevor Belmont and his allies are back for one last battle in Castlevania season four.

As Netflix prepares for the next chapter into their Castlevania adaptation, the current book closes. Trevor & Sypha have been cleaning up the mess left behind from Dracula’s demise. While Allucard is struggling with loneliness and his desire to be more human. Meanwhile, Carmilla is going mad with an endless hunger for power, Isaac has reached an epiphany, Hector wishes for atonement, and big players are attempting to revive Dracula behind the shadows. 

Bear witness to the superb finale of Castlevania’s first anime run.

THE GOOD: Season four begins six weeks after the events of the previous season. Trevor and Sypha have been traveling the country cleaning up what’s left of Dracula’s loyalist. They’re grown tired and wary of the endless fighting barely getting any sleep. Allucard has become a shell of himself following the twins’ betrayal. At the same time he wants to maintain his humanity without feeding into his vampiric urges. Saint Germain has become obsessed with reuniting with his former love, so much so that he’s willingly turning his back on all that he believes in.

Carmilla is spreading her forces across Europa in an attempt to gain total control, but her sisters have begun searching for an escape. Isaac has abandoning his quest for revenge in favor of being free. And Hector still shackled by his betrayal wants to atone believing Isaac is coming for him. There’s plenty of threads from the last four seasons that are finally coming to a close in this season and it does so beautifully. As if you hadn’t noticed already I’m being light with major spoilers for this one. It deserves your uninterrupted or slighted attention. 

Castlevania has character development up the yin-yang.

So where exactly do I even begin? If you’ve been following the series from the beginning then you’ll know what to expect. However, season four does so much to surpass it’s previous installments that I think people will be stunned by the quality. It’s a genuinely superb divide from seasons 1-3 and I don’t say that lightly. The animation and action are some of the best I’ve ever seen in American animation. The storytelling is as alluring as ever, but my favorite part of season four is the character development.

Holy shit, not even kidding when I say that season four had so much development for nearly a dozen plus characters. It’s almost a miracle they were able to pull off what they were within ten episodes. Literally everyone matters in some regard. From Trevor, Sypha, and Allucard to Carmilla, Germain, Hector, and Isaac. Everyone has their own goals and individual desires. For every how there’s a why and every rhyme there’s a reason. It really showcases the amount of love, passion, and respect that the producers and showrunners have for the IP. And it’s a damn shame that there are so many others who get a hold of these video game IP that they’d rather say “let’s do this but 100% different!” so much so to the point where it completely bastardizes the work in question. 

Castlevania doesn’t do that at all. It’s not afraid to be original to itself, but it also never forgets where it came from. I may be getting a tad emotional, but this is a rather important IP to me personally. And I’m sick to death of some people in Hollywood not giving video game adaptations and their fans proper respect. So forgive me for finding Castlevania as a breath of fresh air in that space. I’ve been involved with gaming since I was about six years old and I feel I can realistically say that this series will probably be the hardest video game adaptation to surpass in overall quality ever. 

Netflix prepares for the future of Castlevania with an upcoming spinoff.

THE BAD: If I had to say anything bad about Castlevania it’s that this version of the series is saying goodbye. As most of us know a spinoff is on the way with new characters likely adapting different storylines and titles. So bidding Trevor, Sypha, and Allucard farewell is gonna be a bit of a tough one the promo material for that rolls out. 

The sun sets on Castlevania for now.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The final season of Castlevania is perhaps the most complete video game adaptation out today. Packed with action, gore, and character development that would make it’s source material scream with glee. The finale never misses a beat, but the worst part is it leaves you wanting more for the current incarnation. Otaku Dome gives Castlevania season four a 100 out of 100. 

[theyearoftheking]

Book Seventy-One: Mr. Mercedes

“Life is a crap carnival with shit prizes.”

Well hello, Constant Readers! My copy of Mr. Mercedes has been sitting on my desk for almost a week, waiting for me to review it. This post would have been out sooner, but I discovered Bridgerton on Netflix. 

Sorry, not sorry. It was exactly the fluffy, bodice-ripping escapism I needed. For those that don’t know, when I need a palate cleanser from Steve, I escape with a romance novel. Yes, I know these are polar opposite genres, but don’t yuck my yum. 

Mr. Mercedes is in a word: brilliant. It’s such a taut, suspenseful story with a diverse cast of memorable characters. It’s another book to recommend for readers that claim not to like Steve. There’s no real horror (other than Brady Hartfield), just good old-fashioned suspense. 

The story opens at a job fair where hundreds of people are waiting for their chance at gainful employment. Steve introduces us to several down-on-their-luck characters and we begin to empathize with them. But then, Steve feels the need to be Steve, and a Mercedes comes driving through the crowd of job-seekers, killing eight people; including a mother and her baby. The driver is never caught.

We’re then introduced to retired Detective Bill Hodges; who needs to cut back on the carbs and beer, walk a few miles a day, and stop fantasizing about suicide. Bro, stop putting that gun in your mouth! So. Many. Germs. But one day, Bill gets a letter from The Mercedes Killer, the person claiming responsibility for the City Center job fair murders. The Mercedes Killer tells Bill to meet him online for a chat. For the first time in a while, Bill is interested by something other than his father’s gun. 

Bill begins by talking to the family of the woman who owned the Mercedes that had been stolen, and responsible for the crash. Olivia Trelawney was adamant she had locked the doors to her car. But the guilt from the crash eventually led to her suicide. Bill meets up with Olivia’s sister, Janey. Janey tells him more about Olivia’s mental state leading up to her suicide, and how she claimed she was hearing the screams of the murdered people. Bill also teams up with neighborhood kid Jerome, who helps Bill get online and leave messages for the killer.

Meanwhile, Brady Hartfield is working two jobs as a Cyber Patrol (think Geek Squad) rep for Discount Electronix, and ice cream man; and wondering what Bill thinks of the letter he sent him. Brady is smug in the knowledge he committed the perfect crime, and wonders if he can do it again. In addition to patrolling Bill’s neighborhood in his ice cream truck, he’s trying to take care of his alcoholic mother. And by taking care of, I mean that in a sexual way. It’s gross. Trigger warning. We also learn Brady had a younger brother who had a tragic accident that led to serious developmental damage, and when he fell down a flight of stairs, Brady didn’t really do much to help him out. So, he and his mom have this sick, co-dependent relationship based on family secrets. 

Brady thinks he’s something of a computer and technology genius (he invented the Roomba first, don’t-cha-know); and has turned his entire basement into his workshop. He and Bill have left each other messages back and forth online, and after one carefully plotted message from Bill, Brady loses his mind. He decides he’s going to poison Jerome’s dog, and Bill will obviously get the message that Brady did it to get back at him. But it’s almost a comedy of errors, and Brady’s mom ends up ingesting the poisoned hamburger meant for the dog, and dies. Now Brady’s really pissed. He’s out for blood.

Despite Bill’s best intentions, his relationship with Janey turns romantic, and Bill has yet another reason to stop putting that gun in his mouth. When Janey and Olivia’s mom dies, Bill meets their cousin Holly Gibney, who goes onto become the star of the whole damn trilogy (and then some). But Brady gets his revenge at the funeral, and blows up Bill’s car, which Janey happens to be driving. Brady’s pissed he killed Janey, and not Bill. But he can’t focus on that too long, he has much bigger plans. 

Brady decides he’s going to take himself to the ‘Round Here concert and blow himself up wearing a vest full of ball bearings. So, he disguises himself as a wheelchair bound kid (think Norman from Rose Madder) and makes his way into the show. 

Meanwhile, Bill, Jerome and Holly are able to determine The Mercedes Killer’s true identity (thanks in part to the crazy old lady across the street, telling Bill the ice cream truck had been driving around too much); and they’re able to get to the concert just in time to prevent Brady from killing an entire arena full of people. Bill has a heart attack in the process, but he’s fine. Like I said: better diet and more exercise. 

The book ends with Brady at a brain injury clinic... not dead... 

DUN-DUN-DUN!!!!

Seriously, it’s such a well written, suspenseful ride. If you haven’t read this trilogy, you need to. I promise you won’t regret it. 

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 42

Total Dark Tower References: 66

Book Grade: A+

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

Doctor Sleep: A+

The Talisman: A+

Wizard and Glass: A+

11/22/63: A+

Mr. Mercedes: A+

Under the Dome: A+

Needful Things: A+

On Writing: A+

The Green Mile: A+

Hearts in Atlantis: A+

Full Dark, No Stars: A+

Just After Sunset: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

Stephen King Goes to the Movies: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

Bag of Bones: A-

Duma Key: A-

Black House: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

The Dark Tower: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Blaze: B+

Hard Listening: B+

Revival: B+

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Joyland: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

Wolves of the Calla: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Song of Susannah: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

From a Buick 8: B

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: B

The Colorado Kid: B-

Storm of the Century: B-

Everything’s Eventual: B-

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

The Wind Through the Keyhole: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Cell: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Desperation: C-

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Faithful: D

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Lisey’s Story: D

Christine: D

Dreamcatcher: D

The Regulators: D

The Tommyknockers D

Next up is The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, which is a collection of short stories I’m reading for the second time. We all know my thoughts on short stories, but this collection is pretty solid. 

I had a real bittersweet moment today: I received a delivery with the last three Stephen King books I need to read to complete this challenge. The end is in sight, Constant Readers!

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights, Rebecca

#mr. mercedes #stephen king #constant readers #bill hodges #holly gibney #rose madder

[wyntersriddle]

Characters: Barry Allen, Leonard Snart, Iris West, Cisco Ramon, Eobard Thawne | Harrison Wells, Lisa Snart, Wally West, Mick Rory, Hartley Rathaway, Mark Mardon, Shawna Baez, Ray Palmer, Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen, Joe West, (more characters to be added as more chapters are added)

Additional Tags: Inspired by Miraculous LadybugAlternate Universe - College/UniversityAlternate Universe - Different PowersBarry Allen is a cinnamon rollBarry Allen & Leonard Snart are the Same AgeThief Leonard SnartCisco Ramon is so DoneLeonard Snart is chat noirBarry allen is ladybugNew Ladybug Miraculous HolderI Will Go Down With This ShipFluff and SmutEventual SmutEventual Happy EndingPre-RelationshipOther Additional Tags to Be Added

Language: English

Summary:

When Barry Allen finds a small black box he ends up getting superpowers of creation from a little red bug called a kwami. Similarly, Leonard Snart steals another box and gets his own superpowers of destruction. Together, they must fight through evil monsters, awkward lunch dates, and save Central City while still trying to graduate college.

Inspired by the show Miraculous Ladybug

Barry huffed out a breath when he finally collapsed in his seat for first period a few minutes past 10am.

He was already late as it was and lugging around his thick textbooks and laptop did nothing but hurt his lower back. The class was a good size, not too cramped or empty, the lecture was interesting enough, and all Barry could do was squirm in his chair the whole hour and a half. College life was sure could be exhausting.

Central City Academy housed the greatest legends to date and Barry wanted to meet them all. Teachers like Martin Stein, head of the criminology department, David Singh, head of the detective agency, and Sara Lance, the Dean for almost 15 years, were all on his list to attend their seminars. The creme of the crop though was Doctor Harrison Wells, the lead field expert in all technology and science. If Barry could somehow meet him, he would be on the top of the world and could die happily. Even if nothing else came from today, at least he could say he walked on the same sidewalk Dr. Wells drove past every morning.

Barry’s first class was taught by Martin Stein, an older gentleman with white hair he could see a mile away. He took notes diligently, asked questions, and before walking out introduced himself. Professor Stein was elated to find out Barry’s major was in Forensic Science, the “modern prosperity of the future” as the professor put it, and even went so far as to invite Barry back for coffee in the next coming weeks to discuss participating in some experiments of his own.

Barry basically skipped out of his class, not bothering to look forward until it was too late and he collided head first into someone wearing huge glasses hiding half their face. Something hot spilled all over Barry’s jacket and he shrieked, dropping his textbooks and messenger bag in a heap on the floor.

“Ow! Omg I’m so sorry—“

The person reached forward to prevent the hot drink from spilling any further, instead knocking the sunglasses off her face. She dove into her bag and brought out a napkin.

“Here, let me help you with that. I’m such an idiot for forgetting the lids.”

“That’s alright,” Barry said, already peeling his hoodie away from his body before his t-shirt could get wet. The smell of coffee hit him head on. “I didn’t like this jacket anyways.”

Truth be told it was his favorite jacket, the only memento Barry had of his dad in prison and his mom before she had passed away from cancer in the beginning of the year. By that time, Barry had already graduated high school, done his first two years of college, and moved to Central City to start his Bachelors that fall, wanting to put his past behind him and start from scratch somewhere new.

“Hey, wait.” The lady put her hand on Barry’s sleeve when he bent to get his stuff. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

The young woman could have come out of a fashion magazine with her dark skin, long black hair, and dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Now that Barry looked at her, like actually looked at her, she was familiar too, even if he couldn’t place her from where.

“I don’t think so?” Barry said instead, reaching for his bag and wincing where he heard something shift. “I’m sorry but I really gotta get to class.”

“Right.”

She helped stack up the remaining books into his arms, watching out of the corner of her eye so Barry didn’t topple and fall from the added weight.

“Wait a second.”

Barry was pushed forward and then he almost did land on his ass. The books held up in their pile and he shot the woman a look of exasperation.

“Barry Allen? Like as in the Barry Allen? It’s me, Iris.”

“Iris?”

Barry was finally able to cram the textbooks next to his laptop in his bag and watch as Iris grinned back at him.

Oh...that’s why he had thought she was a model.

“Hey, it’s you, Iris.” Barry rubbed his neck, fighting a blush. “Long time no see.”

“It’s been forever,” Iris chatted. Barry could now smell the sweetness of her perfume. “How are you? Last time I saw you you were pushing the swing behind me and making those really weird experiments in middle school. Damn it’s been forever.”

“Yeah...It really has.”

Iris West, Barry’s childhood crush was staring at him and only remembered those lame volcano projects he had done. How convenient she didn’t remember all the valentine letters or the chocolate bars for Secret Santa he would leave at her desk, not to mention all the time he had spent staring at her yearbook photo before he had given up his freshmen year when she had transferred schools.

“You look good,” Barry continued, his heart in his throat. “You go here?”

Iris did that cute hair flip she had perfected at the end of 8th grade where her hair had only gone up to her shoulders. Long hair really worked for her.

“Yeah, I’m majoring in journalism so I can finally run my own news stand in the future. Still haven’t given up just yet.”

Ah yes, Iris had always been obsessed with journalism and creative writing, even making her own club in middle school. Barry had wanted to join but never had the guts to ask.

He really had to go before he fell further into the rabbit hole that was Iris’s big brown eyes.

“I...Uh,” Barry stuttered, motioning with his hands. “I gotta—Class.”

Iris must have gotten the message because she moved back to give him space. “Right.”

Barry nodded.

They said their goodbyes and Barry retreated out of there faster than a cheetah on steroids. Iris had promised coffee one of these—something he would have to psyche himself up for later—and he had said yes, like an idiot.

Although it had been good to see her...

Barry snapped his brain back to the real world. Iris was unattainable. She was attractive, bold, smart, the total package. Never, in a million years, would she want to go out with someone like him, neighborhood geek whose ideal date was staying home marathoning Stranger Things on Netflix and taking a nap.

A breeze swept leaves up into the late September air, carrying the scent of fall. The tree colors were changing from their typical green to golden brown and burgundy, Barry’s favorite time of year. It was automatically calming, even without the thin protection of his jacket the autumn sunshine turned his hair light brown.

The next class was short, a lecture on the introductions to the psychology of the human brain. It wasn’t as interesting as Barry would have thought with a lot more PowerPoint explications then talking, but he would make do. He also made sure his laptop wasn’t cracked or broken before placing it carefully back in his bag and jogging to the food court to find something to eat.

Barry had the all in one meal plan since he lived on campus. Having the ability to eat anything he wanted without gaining too much weight always had its perks, especially when he ordered the juiciest burger he could find and munched on it in one hand while holding a large vanilla shake in the other.

It was around 2pm and the food court was a bustle of activity. People gathered to sign up for clubs or talk to their peers about their assignments. Jazz music filtered from a sit down Italian restaurant, while across from it a huge crowd waited their turn for homemade pizza slices. There were vending machines, snack stands, and even an ice cream parlor tucked in the corner. At the center of it all the library stood proudly, the only place where food wasn’t allowed past a certain point. There was even a system to rent entire rooms for the day for people to sleep, study, or scream because of finals.

Barry moved onward, trading the shouts and loud noises for the quiet outdoors where again another breeze caught his attention. A blue bird twittered down at him from its nest, a squirrel chittered, and lizards liked the lips from across the treetops.

Barry had to seriously watch where he was going because for the second time that day he collided head on with another person, this time a young dude heading the same direction.

“Whoa, I’m so sorry. Wasn’t payin’ attention.”

“That’s okay, man. It’s cool.”

The stranger regarded Barry with a smile. He had long, wavy hair all the way to his shoulders, and a pair goofy 3D glasses balanced on the tip of his nose. The vintage Revenge of Sith t-shit and paint splattered jeans made Barry feel at ease.

“Is that real?” Barry asked when his gaze fell to a NASA pin on the corner of the stranger’s collar.

“Limited edition, baby,” the guy said. “Got it at San Diego Comic Con last year. 25th Anniversary Apollo 11 pin in the flesh. Had to trade my complete Star Trek playing card set just to even be considered bidding for it.”

“They make Star Trek playing cards? For real?”

“They make playing cards out of everything.” The stranger held out his hand and Barry shook it. “I’m Cisco by the way. You catch my vibe?”

Barry grinned. “Bartholomew Henry Allen. My friends call me Barry since it’s shorter and a lot faster.”

“Like Barry Sonnenfeld,” Cisco exclaimed, and then persisted to sing and snap the Addams Family theme. Barry snapped with him in the last chorus. “Far out, man. That’s wicked cool.”

Cisco’s good mood was infectious, Barry couldn’t help grinning and walking in step with him.

“Where you headed?” Cisco asked. “I got one class left and wouldn’t mind talking to someone with good tastes.”

Barry laughed. “Same here, then I get to unpack. I’m in G66, at the Northside.”

“Awesome-sauce, I’m there too! Is this a match made in heaven or what?”

They continued to walk and talk under the trees, Cisco describing his schedule in details even Barry could barely wrap his head around, but they still laughed and talked about stupid stuff like they hadn’t just accidentally head butted each other.

Barry’s phone chimed, signaling he had only 10 minutes to get to his next class before he would be considered late, and he blanched.

“I’m gonna be so late,” he groaned into the sky.

“No you’re not.” Cisco’s cheeky grin lit up his face. “I know a shortcut. This way.”

They cut through the grass to the other side of campus toward the statue garden Barry had been meaning to check out. Crossing two things at the same time always had its perks.

The statues of past teachers and deans stood proudly among the foliage. Their perfect white skin was like marble and so lifelike Barry had to breathe out a sound of wonder. He recognized Professor Stein among them, a younger version of himself, and Dean Lance with her stern expression. At the center stood Doctor Harrison Wells in all his glory, a perfect replica. It was hard not to stare.

“He’s a legend, ain’t he.” It was Cisco standing next to Barry.

“Beyond a legend.”

They grinned, going in through the back of the building where the auditorium was already packed with people. There were only two seats left in the front row facing the doors and Barry made a beeline straight towards him, Cisco on his heels. They sat down just as the clock stuck 2:45 and the lecture started.

The place felt like a can of sardines, and Barry had to fight to put his laptop on the table in front of him. The auditorium easily housed over 200 people and everyone held their breath at the same time waiting for Professor Rip Hunter to walk through the doors.

Barry looked around for a few seconds, catching the faces of others doing the same. The place even had a dark corner where the more reserved students sat. Barry could feel one of their eyes on him now, hidden enough so when he turned his head he slightly could only make out a navy blue jacket.

People exclaimed when the doors opened and instead of the walking Professor Rip Hunter, Professor Harrison Wells rode in on his wheelchair. People gasped and some clapped. A girl even fainted, falling out of her chair with a heavy THUMP on the floor.

Doctor Wells was here, in the flesh, in front of Barry!

Barry almost squealed from his seat, only stealing his breathing when Wells clapped his hands to have everyone’s attention.

“Good morning, students.”

There was more cheering and snippets of disbelief.

Professor Wells chuckled. “I’m sure you all know who I am. I will be subbing in for Professor Hunter for today. Rest assured this is a treat for all of you as well as me, in fact I’m a little rusty with my teaching so forgive me.”

Wells cleaned his glasses on his sleeve. Even the gesture made Barry’s eyes go wide. He could practically see the individual stitches from where he was sitting, the slight wear and tear of the professor’s shoes, and even the individual hairs on Well’s perfect head.

“I will be here if you all have any questions, but for now let us begin.”

XXXXX

College life sucked ass.

College classes sucked even more.

College professors, now they were the real dicks.

Leonard Snart rolled his eyes for the fifth time that hour. If he rolled them any further back he could probably find not only his brain, but the professor’s too.

The class was beyond drab, History of the Assembly Line, and the poor bloke who had to teach it was even older than the source material. Rest assured, Len would be skipping this class and probably the next one, and if he had a third he would skip that one too.

Math and science had been his forte since diapers, that was why he’d ended up in this stupid college in the first place. ‘The home where lawyers and DND geeks could party like the days of yore.’ Leonard had to laugh. Whoever thought college was fun clearly hadn’t seen the bill at the end of the semester.

At least the campus wasn’t all that bad. With its slick rooftops, starch white walls, and peaceful serenity that seemed to envelope whole environment, Leonard could see himself staying there until the late hours of the day, ducking into the library or one of the swinging tables littered across the greenery. There was also a garden in the middle of campus where all the famous crack heads and hippies could mingle and smoke until they passed out for the week. It was a paradise for some, a prison of books for others.

The nerds were lively this year. Leonard had passed at least 7 clubs all asking for his vote to sign this or end that. He had given his favorite finger to most of the people that passed him, saving his breath for whoever tried to chase him down when he speed walked away. A piece of paper wasn’t going to abolish world hunger anytime soon, even with Len’s signature mixed in the middle.

His next class was halfway across campus so he took the long way, making sure to breathe in the chilling air and watching the leaves dance as they fell from the trees. People didn’t appreciate nature as much as they should’ve, but this campus showed the importance of clean air. The grass was green from the constant sprinklers, the smell of dirt intoxicating in its own way.

Leonard arrived at class too early for his liking, deciding to stick around for a little while longer as a few people passed him by. He had missed lunch, wasn’t hungry, but a girl holding a sandwich made him stomach churn so he looked away and headed inside to hide his appetite.

There was still 32 minutes and 15 seconds left for class to start so he surveyed the area, stopping to tie his shoe to look under the tables too. No one paid him no mind as he made his way to the back, swiping pens and pencils and the occasional phone he would misplace later so the person could find it. Leonard never kept what wasn’t valuable, even now in a college setting when most of these students could afford the best of the best.

A shiny black jewelry box caught his eye from another student sitting next to him, next to an expensive looking leather wallet. The blond boy smiled, all hearts and roses, but when he bent to take out his laptop for the lecture, Len swiped the box and wallet off the table and pocketed it without anyone noticing. Jewelry was always worth a pretty penny and the extra cash would certainly help pay for dinner.

The professor walked in through the double doors, or rather rolled in. He practically screamed pretentious asshole in Len’s direction with beady eyes behind his designer glasses, his Prada suit pressed without a wrinkle, his wheelchair spotless. The lecture started like all the other classes, boring and dull while Leonard tried not to drool in his sleep.

For being such a random topic like quantum physics, the class was beyond packed with some students standing on the sidelines and others pausing by the door while they mixed up their schedules. Whoever this professor was, he was clearly a big shot. In fact, if Len squinted he could see all the nerds in the front row hanging onto his every word, writing things down so fast their hands would fall off.

Leonard tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. He got what he paid for, all for a degree in engineering that would be obsolete in a few years when tablets or smartphones would take over mankind or their jobs would be taken over by machines.

Time ticked at a snails pace and he caught himself glancing at his watch more than once every minute. It really sucked that he could barely afford lunch, much less a laptop. Maybe if he played his cards right he could get a loan or steal some other sucker’s when they weren’t looking. Writing on his hands would have to do for now.

The professor asked question after question only the people in the front row understood. The whiteboard was wiped clean by another student and soon Leonard’s head rolled to the side.

Class ended and he woke up with a jolt. People were already heading out and half the auditorium was empty when he decided to get up and stretch. A few stragglers had stayed behind to fan over the professor, each more wide eyed and excited than the last. Len didn’t need to stick around for that snooze fest, he quietly saw himself out, dumping the wallet in the trash when he saw how many credit cards were in there. There was over $200 in cash.

It was past 6 when he kicked off his motorcycle and rode home, past the slums and the trailer homes to his little modest house on the outskirts of Central City. It was a good 40 minute drive but Len didn’t mind, not when he had the open dirt road all to himself and the wind drowned anything from reaching his ears.

His house wasn’t anything special, just a roof over their heads until Len could move out and take his sister Lisa with him. He had left once in his lifetime and the look of betrayal on her face told him she would never get over it, and he would never let himself forget it.

Lisa had two moods: absolute flirtation or extreme anger. With the first one she could charm even the moodiest king cobra, seduce them into marrying her, and then promptly have them cut off their own head off with the bat of her eyes. The second mood was so bad the devil himself could come down and Lisa would smite him with her glare.

There was one final secret mood only Len knew about and once he entered the house he immediately tried to beeline to the door, knowing the onslaught of questions would want to make him donate his ears to charity.

“Lenny,” Lisa called in a sing-song voice. “I know you’re here, big brother. How was your day?”

Rather than answer, Leonard stuffed his collar in his mouth and bolted up the stairs. He didn’t get far however, because Lisa smacked the door to his room wide open before he could lock it.

“Come on now, don’t be like that.”

“My day was fine. Classes are fine. Everything is peachy.”

Lisa hid her grimace with a tight smile. “Make any new friends? Got a hot date and that’s why you won’t tell me? Come on, Lenny, I’ve been cooped up all day slaving away to rich pricks and exchanging fake numbers I’ll have to burn in my memory. How was your first day?”

Lisa worked at the Saints and Sinners Dinner, an appropriate name considering it was in the sleaziest part of town where their father did most of his gambling. The customers were asshats, but at least the tips were good, letting Lisa finish her last year of her GED so she could hopefully follow away from Len’s footsteps and make a name for herself one day.

Her super short skirt covered little to the imagination and her makeup was always as pristine and flawless as her hair. Today she wore a modest coverup over her work uniform, the last birthday present Len had gifted her when she had turned 18.

“Where’s the old man?” Leonard asked instead of answering. “If you behave I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.”

It was a rhetorical question, they both knew where he was. Leonard also knew his father, Lewis Snart, wouldn’t be back until the early hours of the morning, long after Lisa had gone to work and he would make himself scarce.

“What’s for dinner?” His sister asked, smoothing down Len’s leather jacket with her fingertips.

“Pizza. My treat.”

“Pizza?” Lisa wrinkled her nose. “I can’t pay tonight. All of my tips went to the electric bill this month.”

Of course they did.

“My treat,” Leonard repeated. “I said I’d pay last time. Now, do you want to go get it or have it delivered?”

Lisa didn’t hide the way she stared hopefully at the door. That told Len everything he needed to know.

He took the jacket from her fingers. “Come on then.”

Even through all of Lisa’s pestering, she was silent most of the ride to The Tower of Pizza diner, a locally owned business that knew both siblings by name. They could also get a discount on the best garlic bread in Central City.

The diner was practically empty when they arrived, only a few customers milling around the checkered red and white booths. They said their order to the cashier and piled into a single booth, Lisa going first and Len facing her.

“So,” Lisa started. “Now are you going to tell me how your day went?”

“If you want, fine.”

Leonard told it like it was, he didn’t sugarcoat anything anymore for Lisa. She was a big girl, wiser than most people in their 30s, and she knew the law of the land better than anyone. Len described the open campus and the even more open people with their clubs and their acronyms and their frat parties. Her eyes went wide with every description, picturing it all in her mind’s eye. Before long there pizza arrived, half Hawaiian half veggie lovers, and Lisa stuffed her face while Len continued.

“The library is bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, a whole 9 stories of books and computers. You can find anything you want in there.”

“Are there any sororities? What were they like?”

Len shrugged. “How should I know? You want me to join one and tell you about their slumber parties?”

Lisa sighed into her pizza even though she did chuckle at the joke. “I wish I could join a sorority. Do you think it would be fun, Lenny?”

“Matching clothes and banging the school mascot. What’s more fun than that?”

Lisa shoved her crust into his mouth before he could say anymore. The pizza almost choked him but Leonard swallowed it whole, coughing it down.

“You’re a jerk you know,” Lisa snapped. “You didn’t even want to go to college and yet here you are, taking it for granted.”

“Jesus, Lize.” Leonard drowned his watery soda. “If you’re so hurt about it why don’t you go in my place? The classes are fine, I just...”

His voice trailed off and Lisa said nothing. The garlic bread was starting to taste bitter.

“Are you going to leave me too, Lenny? Is that it?”

Leonard almost choked again. “What are you talking about?”

“You can’t stand your little sister anymore because I hold you back. Come on, we both know you didn’t want to stay in Central. You only stayed because of me!”

“That’s not—“

Lisa waved the last slice of her Hawaiian in his face. “Don’t you lie to me, Leonard Snart. I’ve been getting lies all my life.”

Len said nothing, couldn’t say anything to that statement. Lisa was right in a lot of things, but he didn’t want to believe her.

“Let’s just go home.”

He left a hefty tip because he could and they were off, this time the ride less comfortable. Lisa only held on when she had to and Len purposely turned harder in order to feel the contact. They got to the house and before he could even put his helmet away he heard the sharp closing of the door to Lisa’s bedroom.

Leonard didn’t bother, letting his sister cool down was the best option, even if it took a week for her to talk to him.

He threw his jacket against the wall, punched the dresser, and watched as an angry gash formed on his knuckles. He punched the wood again and again until the pain was so bad it was no longer grounding.

Leonard fell to the floor, head in his hands. He would have to clean up the blood from his clothes before his dad made it home, but for now he just sat there, wallowing in his self pity. It wouldn’t help anything and yet he still did it.

Something nudged his foot and Len opened his eyes slowly to spy the little black box he had swiped in his last class. It was barely the size of his fist now that he looked at it, hardly special.

Yet something was calling him to open it. He needed to open it. BADLY.

He took it in his hands and the wood was polished against his fingers. The blood had stopped flowing from his cracked knuckles, but Len still managed not to get a spec on the black box.

Opening it was...normal. Actually it made him feel worse. A single sterling silver ring blinked up at him and he almost, almost threw it aside to continue to sulk.

Except a small voice that was not in his head spoke next to his ear and almost half scared him to death.

“If you get blood on the ring I’ll kill you.”

XXXXX

Barry was high as a kite when he left Well’s class. Cisco had excused himself to go to the bathroom, claiming he almost peed himself when the professor had rode in like a knight in shining wheelchair parts, and if Barry was honest with himself he had probably peed himself from excitement too.

The walk to his dorm room was shorter than he could have imagined, but then again he had skipped the whole way.

Barry’s dorm room was a modern, quaint apartment complex that had a basketball court on one side and a pool on the other. It was the kind of place frat parties would be thrown on one night, and then the other would be the annual board meeting where all the professors would gather over coffee on the bottom floor. There was complimentary breakfast, rose shaped soap, and even towels that looked like swans when Barry wheeled his luggage in and dropped it at the foot of the bed.

The room was a good size, single bedroom like he had requested with another person across the hall where he would share a kitchenette and bathroom. The window overlooked the campus, all the trees changing colors right before his eyes. There were clean sheets in the closet, simple and white, and the walls were burnt orange to contrast the dark furniture.

Barry threw his hands up and whooped loudly. Today had been amazing, even if his jacket was stained with coffee and his classes gave him more homework than he could imagine, he had met with his idol, his world.

Barry unpacked his photographs and camera equipment first, taking the time to organize them on the shelf overlooking his bed. Then he hung the few science posters on the wall he had managed to stuff into his bag and left his high school soccer trophy on his desk next to his laptop and books.

There wasn’t much else to put away besides clothing and enmities so Barry let them be, instead fishing for his phone in his messenger bag. He came up empty so he turned the whole thing upside down on his bed and watched as a bunch of pens, papers, and a notepad flew out. Still no phone? What was wrong with this bag!

Barry dug his hand until he felt a hidden pocket where his phone had been lodged in between two zippers. He also felt something else in there, foreign to his fingers, but it felt small enough that he pulled both objects out at the same time.

The thing turned out to be a small black box that when it caught the light had swirling designs on the sides. Barry started at it and opened it without a second thought. A set of simple black earrings stared up at him, two little dots against the cushioning.

Where had these come from? Barry had never worn earrings in his life besides the one time he had dressed as a pirate in grade school.

He was about to toss them aside to take them to lost and found, but a bright light exploded from inside the box and Barry helped, taking cover under a pillow.

“Hello there, master of creation. My name is Tikki and—“

Barry screamed and fell face first onto his bed, slamming his head on the wood. It hurt like hell but it didn’t matter, he lay still.

He must have passed out because a knock on his door almost caused a Barry to knock his head a second time on the floor.

“Yo, dude!” There was more knocking and Barry half stumbled half crawled to the door to open it. “Everything okay?”

It was a boy younger than him, dark skinned with curly hair, wearing only a towel around his waste. Water was still trailing down his face.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Barry averted his gaze politely.

“I heard screaming.”

“I...slipped.” It was such a lame excuse. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

The boy looked him up and down, clearly not buying it, but didn’t press.

“Alright sure. If you need anything I’m Wally by the way.”

Barry nodded. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”

Barry shut the door without another word, then he groaned. He hadn’t given his name!

Barry opened the door quickly just as Wally was closing the door to the bathroom, probably going to change.

“I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m Barry.”

Wally cracked a small smile and they went their separate ways.

The door being shut made Barry’s skin crawl. He looked around the room and everything seemed normal enough. His books and laptop were still on his desk so there hadn’t been a break in. His clothes were still unpacked, the bed was messy where he had fallen.

He could have sworn he had heard a voice. Barry checked under the bed, in the dresser, but found nothing.

“That was quite a scare,” a frilly voice said. “You should be more careful.”

Barry yelped, grabbing the nearest object to defend himself. It happened to be the desk lamp and he yanked it out of its socket, plunging half the room into darkness.

Just great.

“Whoa whoa. Please don’t hurt yourself.”

Barry could barely see but from what he could make out there was a tiny bug-like creature floating close to his face. An alien. Oh he was so screwed.

“I’m Tikki,” the floating thing said—hadn’t it already said that? “And you’re the new master of the miraculous.”

Barry could faint, or wait maybe he did faint again. The Tikki bug thing was talking to him. It was a real alien!

“You’re...YOU’RE—“

“Tikki. And you are?”

“Barry Allen?”

“Barry Allen.” Tikki nodded their head—her head? Its head?

“What are you exactly?”

“I’m a guardian of the miraculous of creation, a kwami,” Tikki supplied, zipping over to and on the desk. “You were chosen to wield my powers and become a superhero.”

“Superhero?”

Tikki nodded. From the looks of the little antenna poking out of her reddish, almost pink head, and her trill voice Barry could guess she was a girl. She almost resembled a little ladybug.

“Are you ready to transform and see what I’m talking about?”

Transform...?

HOLD THE PHONE.

Barry stumbled to Tikki, dropping himself in his rolling chair.

“Wait wait, start from the beginning. You’re a miraculous. What even is that?”

“Miraculous are beings of pure energy sent to guard the hope and virtue of humanity. We have existed for centuries in secret with only a few people in the history of time that have ever documented us. Those are called guardians, and there is one right here in Central City. I was sent to find you so you could help him save the world.”

“Save the world.”

Apparently Barry was a dumb idiot because all he could do was repeat whatever Tikki was saying. He was probably getting pranked, yeah that was it! Pranked by Wally across the hall to usher him into his new year at the university.

“Thanks,” Barry said slowly. “But I’m good. I’m no hero. Cue the cameras, this prank is over.”

Tikki’s gaze darkened, her blue eyes turning bluer. “This is no joke, Barry. I really am a miraculous. And you’re my new master. We should start your training immediately.”

“No. What you are is a figment of my imagination!” Barry threw his hands in the air and whirled around. Maybe if he closed his eyes he’s wake up from this dream.

He ended up finding Tikki poking his nose when he opened them.

“Come on, come on,” she rushed. “Your partner must be waiting for you.”

“Partner?”

Tikki nodded like it was obvious. “You wield creation, your partner wields destruction. Together you are ying and yang.”

“Right...”

Barry chewed his bottom lip. On the one hand he could turn in this little bug creature over to the authorities and be done with it, maybe put it to good use. The lab always needed to resources to find cures for cancer or the common cold, maybe this was it. On the other hand, he could see where this was going, stick it out for as long as he wanted. Hell, he could be a superhero according to this thing.

“Okay.” Barry nodded slowly, then more firmly, deciding his mind. “Okay, I’ll do it. What do I have to do exactly?”

“I have to pierce your ears. Please hold still. I’ll explain everything once you have the earrings on.”

If Wally heard a Barry scream again he didn’t knock on the door a second time.

If you want more let me know!

#coldflash #legends of tomorrow #wip #dc comics #dctv #leonard snart #barry allen #coldflashforever #the flash #alternate universe #fanfic

[clarkgreggreporter]

The Reddit MarvelStudios AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Clark Gregg, May 16, 2017 (click here to read all the questions)

A: (out of sequence, so no question): Well, this week I'm really missing Bill Paxton and Powers Boothe because we lost them and they were both such excellent guys.

A: Missed a few questions there. I'll try to answer some. I love the MCU and love watching the movies and I miss my friends in those casts. That said, I am really proud of where we've gone with Agents of SHIELD and I love this bunch of actors and writers (and crew) as much as any I've ever worked with.

Q What upcoming MCU property are you looking forward to the most? Tahiti is a magical place! A: Anything with Adam Warlock and that may have just been teased in GOTG2

Q Do you have any stories and/or favourite memories of working with the late Bill Paxton? Thanks! A: So many. Just the big grin he'd show up with every day and say, "Bud-dy..." Just a great guy and a wonderful actor/filmmaker with more stories than anyone I've ever met.

Q: What is your favourite MCU movie? A: Pretty damn psyched for Captain Marvel especially with the amazing Brie Larson

Q: Hi! Thank you so much for being SO awesome. In Avengers, when Coulson has been stabbed by Loki and gets to shoot him with the massive gun, he says "oh, that's what that does". What do you wish that gun had done? A: Gone off on its own a minute earlier.

Q: Hi! Thanks for doing this. What's your favorite hand? And if you could have any new hand for your character, what could it do? Thank you! A: The SHIELD attachment does not suck

Q: Hi Clark! Thanks for doing this AMA and everything you've done for the MCU. Love your portrayal of A.C. (Daisy needs to bring that back imo). Have you had any input or influence on the development of Coulson? A: I have some input but most of the great stuff on our show is straight from the writers.   Dream storyline involves saving the Defenders and the Avengers and the Guardians and the Royal Family and everyone in Legion when they get themselves in trouble with Thanos. In a musical episode by Lin Manuel Miranda. (Hamilton)

Q: u/70astralaxe wanted to ask you those question but he coudn't so I'll Phil in [sorry for the pun...]    Favourite Star Wars movie.    Favourite MCU movie.    Whether he had any "holy shit" moments during script-read/when filming a scene.    What he wants for the future of MCU/SHIELD.    If he is planning on doing non-MCU stuff anytime in the near future.    Favourite Ice-Cream Flavour.    Favourite Holiday Destination. A: I'll pick 2. Empire and that coconut something from Ben and jerry's

Q: Clark, it was great seeing you at Denver Comic Con last year. I was the one who told you I loved Choke as well as the intro you wrote for Avengers: Endless Wartime. My question though, do you have any projects coming up that you are writing/directing? Choke was 2008, and Trust me was 2013, so I was hoping we were due for something else soon. Thanks, love your work. A: Writing a film and a sci-fi pilot. Hope to make something next hiatus.

Q: When Joss called you up about Much Ado About Nothing, what was your reaction? Did you get any say in your role? Have you done any other Shakespeare? Thanks for doing this AMA today! A: I was terrified when Joss called, but excited because I had just had a dream I was doing some Shakespeare and it felt ordained. And I love Joss.

Q: Have you watched GOTG Vol. 2 yet? A: Yes. Laughed my ass off.

Q: Hello, What's your favourite MCU movie? Also, what does RDJ smell like? A: I'm a big fan of the Avengers and anything with Cap. Or Stark. Or Thor or the Guardians. Or Strange. Let's face it, I'm a Marvel slut. Robert smells like warm beaches and babies laughing and a freshly washed thong.

Q: What kind of changes in perspective on your character did you work on to bring the 3 different versions of Coulson to life this season? We've had Agent Coulson, Robo Coulson, and Mr. Coulson. What was the most fun about doing that? Also, minor question, do you happen to know what brand / model of glasses you were rocking in the Framework? (I tweeted @amandalynnriley, but alas no response). A: It was fun to have new takes on Phil. Amazing work by the writers. Especially geeking out teacher Phil with his soap. The glasses are called Barton Pereira (sp)

Q: What would like to do for a living if you weren't an actor, besides dominating in lip sync battles? A: Music something. probably not very well. But I loved being in a band. A lot.

Q: Hi Clark! Awesome for you to do this before the big season finale. How do you think your character has changed between now and the beginning of Iron Man 1? In other words, do you think your acting of Phil Coulson has changed that much in 9 years? A: Ah, jeez, I don't know. The character has been through a lot and gotten older, so maybe he's less innocent and a little darker, but I probably am too. I don't know about the acting. I try to forget that's what it is.

Q: Do you read your fanmail? If so, what's something cool a fan has sent you? A: I do. I get amazing stuff and try to answer it all. I've been sent crocheted blankets and lola pillows and maybe some underwear.

Q: Thank you for putting your all into Coulson. He's my favourite character in the entire Marvel universe. As for my question, how much of Clark has gone into the role? Specificially the frequent Star Wars references... is that your input or does it come purely from the writers? A: The writers and I love Star Wars and couldn't imagine Coulson wouldn't as well. There's a bunch of me and then some stiff that's verrrrry different from me.

Q: More serious question: One of the things I love about AoS is how men and women fight each other as equals. But I've wondered if that took the male actors a little getting used to, going all out punching and kicking female actors. Did you find that awkward at first? A: Definitely. Really did not like punching May or Daisy even though neither was a real punch.

Q: Hey Clark! Huge fan of your work in the MCU. My question. Did you know that when you died in the Avengers that you would be brought back for SHIELD? Thanks! A: I did not. Neither did they. #CoulsonLives gave them the idea. So thanks.

Q: What's the weirdest thing a fan ever asked you to do? A: Sign a boob. But it was a big boob so I wrote my full name and then Agent Coulson.

Q: With the amount of time Coulson has been spending in the field in AOS, it has become more and more unlikely that the Avengers wouldn't know that Phil is still alive. Do you personally think any of them know? A: I really wish I had a good answer for that, but I don't. Some day.

Q: Yo Clark! I'm sure you're gonna get a bunch of marvel questions and that's awesome. But I know you're a basketball fan so this is my first question. Who ya got winning the finals? And secondly: Any advice for someone who's dream is to work within marvel either on the tv side or movie side? A: Warriors look soooo good. To work for Marvel it helps to love comics and marvel and then just try to be really good at what you want to do there.

Q: Hey Clark! Read any good books lately? A: Yes. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Mirukami

Q: What was it like meeting Melissa Benoist for the dubsmash battle? And have you met any of the other CW heroes? A: I think she's amazing. Loved her in Whiplash. And the fact that she took part in that for charity made me love her even more.

Q: I've been marvel fan since my early childhood, having been born without half of my right hand, my parents and superheroes have always been the biggest source of inspiration. Even in my wildest dreams, i couldnt have predicted these last 10 years, what MCU has achieved and how popular these stories would become all around the world, in that way im living my childhood dream- to see it all done well on the silver screen. What is even crazier- I wouldnt have predicted that the Son of Coul, a shield agent from phase one movies, would start his own show- his own team. Over the years, Aos became , in my humble opinion, the best that superhero tv shows can offer right now, and most recently, even a better source of fun than some of the MCU movies. Past week, i have been buzzing, that we re getting another season. Mostly, i want to say THANK YOU, to everyone who helps to make this show what it is, a source of inspiration and fun to look forward to almost every week. Thank you Mr. Gregg, for breathing life into this awesome character, and also for motivating me in my own studies, and career. I just wanted to express my gratitude, and ask, recently, the Ghost Rider, LMD and Framework arcs have cemented the greatness of this show. When you got first approached to make a shield show, did you think it would end up as such a compelling characters, stories, effects and going for 5 seasons on a small screen? Did you have any doubts? Was there ever a moment when you got a script/shot a scene, where u said to yourself : "Wow, this is amazing" ? Thank you, wish you and the whole cast/crew all the best in making another successful season. A big fan, all they way from Slovakia A: This made my day. Thank you.

Q: What did you think of Iron Fist on Netflix? Do you think it deserves the criticism? What would you have done different if you were the showrunner? A: I love Iron Fist. Both seasons. (then...another reply) Oops. I meant Daredevil. Didn't sleep too well.

Q: Do you remember your time on The Shield well? Great performance. Any fun stories from the set? A: My friend David Mamet directed and the character was so uhinged I felt wrong afterwards. Also, Billy Gierhart who has directed the most eps of AoS was the cameraman on that ep.

Q: As a big fan of What Lies Beneath and Choke, can we expect to see you work behind the camera on Agents of SHIELD any time soon? A: I may direct an episode in season 5. if I don't pass out from exhaustion just thinking about it.

Q: Jed Whedon recently made his directing debut in SHIELD's episode Self Control, which is probably my favorite episode of the show now. What was it like having him direct? Do you think we can look forward to more episodes helmed by him? Great job this season by the way! Coulson's speech a few episodes ago rocked, Captain America would be proud A: jed was amazing and that may be my favorite too. He better direct some more or we'll drag him down to set and make him.

Q: Hey Clark! Thanks for coming by! In about a year we'll be coming up on Iron Man's 10th Anniversary, which means you'll have been playing Coulson for 10 years. How does that feel? And, if you could have Coulson appear in any Marvel-related property, what would it be? A: Wow. Ten years. I feel very lucky. I could have been stuck that long playing a character I didn't love in a world I didn't care about. #Grateful

Q: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has been renewed for a fifth season, but does not appear on ABC's Fall schedule. Obviously, it will start later, but we've been getting mixed signals. Do you know if Season 5 will be a full, 22 episode season or has it been shortened? A: Yes. Full season after the 8 eps of The Inhumans. Then we do our whole run. Could be cool that way.

Q: Can you tell us anything about today's AoS finale? A: Coulson will change.

Q: This is also a question from my girlfriend, who is at work and can't ask herself: Do you think Phil and May will have a happy ending? A: I won't touch that one.

Q: How would coulson react to meeting the defenders? A: He would geek out. But who knows, maybe they would too.

Q: Two questions: first, I'm currently binge watching the West Wing and I have to ask what it was like working with dialog written by Aaron Sorkin?  Second, are we ever going to see your wife, Jennifer Grey, on AoS? A: Aaron's dialogue is like no one else's. I did Sports Night, TWW and A Few Good Men on Broadway. So I'm lucky. He did a lot to put me on the map.

Q; Hi Clark! Thank you for doing this! I can’t wait for tonight’s finale. Can you take us through what it was like auditioning and successfully getting the role of Coulson? Did you ever imagine that the role would develop and expand like it has over time? A: Never auditioned. Got an offer to play a part that was two scenes in IM. Then they added more and more scenes. Cut to Phil nine years later about to walk into the season 4 finale where he will finally (REDACTED)

Q: Clark, you all have been doing such a great job over the last few years. Why do you think Agents of SHIELD has resonated with so many fans around the world? A: Because thanks to the cast, crew, the writers and Marvel the show keeps getting better all the time. That's very rare.

Last Words From Clark: Thanks so much of the great questions. Sorry I couldn't answer more of them. Acting in an independent film today so I have to run. Join me on the twitter for the S.4 finale tonight. Love you all.

[aion-rsa]

Netflix Wants Its Own Korean Variety Show Hit

https://ift.tt/3lv8cIi

It’s no secret that Netflix is going to continue to invest heavily in the Korean entertainment industry, with the hope of not only expanding its presence in the East Asian country, but also growing its reach in other countries where K-culture is a hot commodity (which, yes, includes the United States). One look no further than the teaser Netflix just dropped for its upcoming “Global Fan Event” TUDUM (a phonetic spelling of its distinctive intro sound that accompanies its logo), which mostly features stars from around the world awkwardly trying to figure out not only how to say “TUDUM.”

In addition to the teaser, Netflix also released some promotional images via Twitter, including one that features K-pop stars Kai (aka Kim Jongin, from the group EXO) and Heechul (aka Kim Hee-chul, from the group Super Junior and Netflix’s Men on a Mission), a sign that Netflix is looking to invest some of its substantial promotional power behind its K-content—more specifically, in this case, its forays into the Korean variety show format…

ok fine, I'll give you one more sneak peek at #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/cwZyhAOxzs

— Netflix (@netflix) September 15, 2021

The Korean Variety Show Format

Korean variety shows aren’t quite like anything we have on American TV. While variety shows were popular on U.S. television through the 1970s, they were mostly phased out, with the main surviving example being Saturday Night Live, which falls into the comedy sketch variety show subgenre. Today, the Korean variety show format has some equivalency to the American talk show in the sense that both are ostensibly about promoting their various celebrity guests, but the Korean variety show format tends to reframes or completely cut out the boring talking bits in favor of prioritizing games, gimmicks, and high-concept comedy.

Korean variety shows are so popular in Korea that it can be hard to define them, as the format includes so many subgenres, but the broad genre often includes elements of contemporary reality programming—especially travel and competition—and feels incredibly modern in both its pace and willingness to genre-mash. (For an example of a Korean variety show, you can check out BTS’ long-running variety show Run BTS, or a more general example like Running Man.) Korean variety shows are fun, they’re often intentionally chaotic, and (when done right) they allow their guests to not take themselves too seriously, which tends to make viewers like them—and the show—even more.

Read more

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Korean Variety Shows on Netflix

Netflix has begun to understand just how popular K-dramas are globally, and are now seemingly looking to tap into another existing Korean entertainment format for international distribution—or at least be more vocal about it. After all, Men on a Mission (also known as Ask Us Anything and Knowing Bros)—a Korean variety show that features a main cast acting as students and various Korean celebrities (BTS appear in Episode 24) coming into the concept as transfer students—has been available to stream on Netflix since 2017. The aforementioned Heechul, featured in that TUDUM promo image, is part of the Men on a Mission fixed cast, and the show has new episodes currently being added to Netflix every week.

The versions of the Men on a Mission episodes that appear on the streamer are different from their original broadcast, with notable music changes being made due to copyright laws. This has led to many fans choosing to watch the show elsewhere, and also could be a minor factor in Netflix’s decision to become production partners on upcoming Korean variety shows from the get-go rather than solely a global distributor. This dilemma also serves as a reminder of how layered the Korean variety show format can be—remove some of the original musical choices, and you stand to lose much of the meaning of a particular moment.

While Netflix seems to be interested in increasing the visibility of its Korean variety show programming, it has been somewhat quietly investing in the format since 2018. That was the year it invested in the now-concluded Busted, a variety show that saw its seven cast members acting as detectives who have been unknowingly implanted with a chip containing the DNA of famous sleuths throughout history. Led by the mysterious “K,” they are recruited to solve a murder case, while also uncovering the truth of their own involvement in Project D. (I told you Korean variety shows are next level.) When Busted premiered in 2018, it was Netflix’s first original program to feature an all-Korean cast, including Kai’s EXO co-member Oh Se-hun.

Kai’s Netflix Variety Show: From the New World

Busted may be over, but Netflix has not given up on the Korean variety show game. Kai, the other Korean celebrity in that TUDUM promotional image we started with, is set to star on an upcoming 2021 Netflix variety show with the working title From the New World. According to Korean broadcaster JTBC’s official announcement, the show will be set on the picturesque island of Oedo, and will observe its five cast members as they arrive, unaware as to where they are going. In addition to Kai, the show stars idols and actors Lee Seung-gi, Eun Ji-won, Park Na-rae, and Jo Bo-ah. The show is expected to premiere before the end of the year, which seems like an especially safe bet given Kai’s participation in TUDUM, which is happening on September 25th.

Read more

TV

The Best Streaming Service You Don’t Have

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BTS TV and Web Series: Where to Begin Watching

By Kayti Burt

Last month, I wrote about the edge a niche streamer like Viki has against a behemoth like Netflix. Currently, Viki—which specializes in East Asian entertainment for global (and especially U.S.) audiences—has a much better Korean variety show catalogue than Netflix. Given Viki’s head start, specialty in the region, and much more social-friendly platform, I don’t see that changing anytime soon—but with Netflix investing $500 million in Korea in 2021 alone, it could change eventually.

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Have you ever watched a Korean variety show? What is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Netflix Wants Its Own Korean Variety Show Hit appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3tRrCuU

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

[harrisjv]

ChatterPal Review Should I Buy It

ChatterPal Evaluation - Are you searching for more knowledge about ChatterPal? Please check out my straightforward testimonial concerning it prior to choosing, to examine the weaknesses and strengths of it. Can it deserve your time and effort and money?

7 Ways To Utilize Real-time Chat For Improved Conversions

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" All lines are hectic. I question if I would certainly even hear back from them today. Dream there was an online chat alternative somewhere." Jim said.

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You can not picture the amount of on the internet shops lose customers like Jim every day. The main reason is their failing to supply real-time assistance, which is coming to be the trick to engagement as consumers look for effective as well as simple means to get the answers they require.

Live conversation is an excellent modern technology to get a boost in terms of customer engagement, stay affordable in your niche, and transform those who have an interest in your product/service into customers.

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You're losing out on all these great advantages by not carrying out live conversation on your web site, specifically the last one

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They reported that the initial 72 hrs with the software application was an actual opener and likewise extremely recommended other on the internet vendors to utilize this option to get customer self-confidence. Being available all the time all the times in a week allows the ChatterPal brand to offer clients originating from various time zones in addition to those who work on the weekend breaks.

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[bissswhwifi]

From neighbors to something more (mini drabble)

Olicity // AO3 // 4013 // more fics //

Summary: Felicity moves into a new apartment and doesn’t really have the most natural relationship with her neighbor, the one, and only Oliver Queen.

A.N: I wrote this some time ago and I thought why not post it now and get it off my chest.

It had only been a week since she had moved into her new apartment in the middle od Starling. Most of her moving box's had already been unpacked but there was still a lot to do around her apartment. Next, to her full-time job in QC's IT department, she had never had the time to make her last apartment a homey living space. If she wasn't at work, working extra hours she was either asleep or working from home. This apartment had been a treat to herself for working overtime and she had made a promise to herself to finally die down on the workaholics' act and start living like any normal adult.

She had only just met the neighbors that lived across the hall from her, a lovely newly married couple with a baby but not yet the who lived in the apartment next to her. Whatever kind of lady's man or playboy that was living next to her had already managed to get on her nerves after only being neighbors for a week or so.

In the first seven day's of living in her new apartment, she had heard him having sex at least five time's, having his friends over for a poker night and a night of watching whatever sport they had been watching that night. There hadn't been that much noise the first night in her apartment she had found out about the sex thing. His and her bedroom apparently shared a wall. And the wall wasn't really soundproof.

She hoped that it would die down and not have to be the neighbor that complained about all the time. But it didn't, so today it was the weekly poker night and it was only eight o'clock and they were already yelling about who had won the first round of the night. Finally, after a month of putting up with the noise and the very active sex live off her unknown neighbor. So tonight was the night she would knock on the door and tell them to keep it down tonight because after the stressful day at work, the only thing that she wanted tonight was a quiet night in, in only her pj's, binging Netflix and eat the tub of ice cream that was the only thing that she had in her freezer.

"Come on, opened the damn door." Felicity had said to herself after it took awhile for someone to open the door and she was on the verge of turning back.

"Hey? How can I help." A tall dark haired man said after opening the door and was now leaning against the door post after she realized she still hadn’t said a single word.

"Tommy, who's at the door?" She heard someone from inside yelling to 'Tommy' who was standing in front of her looking down at her waiting for an answer.

"Well, hey. I live next door and I had a hard, stressful day at work and I just wanted to ask if you could take it down a bit on the drunken yelling, this time. Be happy that I did come earlier because ever since I moved in over a month ago I haven't had a night of sleep without hearing you yelling about either sports or poker and an other thing I get to enjoy are the sounds of someone's many, many one nights stands. So please, can you keep it down, even if it's just for one time only. I had a really bad day and all I need is just a quiet night."

"So, I'm glad that I'm not the only one that gets to enjoy my sex life."

When she heard a different voice speak after she had been done with her rant, she looked up to only realize who was standing in front of her. The one and only Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlin where the one's that were standing n front of her. ‘Everything about you just became so unbelievably clear.’ She hoped that she didn’t say that out loud but that was already too late.

"Well, I hoped to meet my new neighbor under very, very different circumstances but this works too. And thanks for the compliment by the way." Came from Oliver Queen himself.

"Well, don't flatter yourself too much, because it wasn't meant as a compliment. Really, Daddy kink. That was something I hadn't expected from you." Felicity snapped back as soon as she got the chains too and rest of the guy's that had been inside had now also joined them in front of the door and were laughing at the comment she had made about Oliver.

"I have to say, that one wasn’t on me. That would have been all her." He said while holding up his hands in defense.

"And you probably don't even remember what her name was, do you?. Does Melanie, Anna, Bella, Rosana or maybe even Mia ring a bell to you. And that where just the names of the girls from this week alone. So for the love of god can you keep it in your pants and shut up for at least one night."

"Well, now I have to say you're asking an awful lot of me."

"Then you’d have to know that I'm not one of those girls you can get drunk and talk them into sleeping with you."

"Well, we'll see about that."

"If I can jump between the two of you and your heated little argument that’s going right here? How about a game of blackjack. If you win we’ll keep it quiet and If Oliver here wins we don’t and your night gets’s even worst." Tommy said getting in between the two of them.

"Well if Queen here is willing to do that. I'm all for it."

"I am willing too." He said before stepping aside so she could make her way inside the way bigger apartment

"I have to warn you. I'm from Vegas and was basically raised in a casino and before you say anything. It's too late to back out now."

Oliver hadn't backed out but he wished he had. After losing close to more than two thousand dollars to the IT girl from Vegas that lived next door. Felicity hadn't just won one or two games but five in a row. She had been counting cards ever since winning the first round and after Oliver had promised to keep it in his pants for a week is she would win the second round too. It only became a longer period of time, it ended up to become two months after he lost for the fifth time in a row.

After getting the countless love confessions from Max Fuller for beating Oliver multiple times in a row, something that no one had ever done before. She then turned him down when he asked her out on a date what had cost him to get punched by Oliver and Tommy after he didn't drop the fact that she had said no. She had to say that she had a fun night playing with the guys and she had been invited by Tommy to join in whenever she wanted.

So the next two months she could sleep without hearing banging from the other side of the wall. It was quite for the most of the two months, whenever there would be a poker night or they would come to Olivers apartment Tommy would always swing by first to tell her or ask her to join them. Most of the time she would decline because she didn't want to be around a bunch of drunk guys, with one not wanting to stop asking her out what always lead to Max getting punched in the face by either Oliver himself or Tommy.

Oliver had not fully kept his promise and try to keep it in his pants, Tommy told her that he really had tried to for the first week at least but as soon as Tommy had seen Oliver leave the club they went to for the night, to go home with some random girl. Tommy had texted Felicity as soon as he had seen him leave. She had seen his walk of shame the next morning when she was making her way out to get to work.

It was getting fun after the first month. Tommy had found out that she worked in the IT department at QC. It had been a wild guess from Tommy and his guess had been confirmed when Oliver had to visit his father and Tommy had been roaming around the QC office. His excuse had been that he needed the porn virus removed from his phone. Felicity had later found out that Tommy had seen her wearing her QC badge when he had come over to asked her to join the poker night the night before. It had been the beginning of a new friendship between Tommy and Felicity that had lead to a weekly dinner at Big Belly Burger to talk about Oliver trying to hide his one night stands from both of them.

"FELICITY, OPEN THE DOOR!!!! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. IT"S URGENT."

"FELICITY!!"

"OLIVER. What could be possibly so urgent for you to come knocking on my door at seven on a Friday night? Do you really think that I don't have anything to do or a ...." Felicity was yelling back at Oliver before stop she stopped with talking altogether when she saw Oliver standing in front of her front door in nothing but a towel loosely hanging around his waist.

"Well, this was something I never thought that was going to happen to me." Felicity had said after a short moment of silence and having blinked her eyes for a couple of times thinking that it had been a hallucination as one of the side-effects from the nerve calming pills that she had taken just a few moments before. Her comment had gotten a smirk from Oliver, who was really standing in front of her in nothing but a towel.

"Can I use your shower, mine broke? And just out of curiosity, can I ask, what are you wearing?"

"Of course you can use my shower and for your other question. It's a dress, never seen one before? And before you're going to ask why I have a date and following that, you do know that I have a life outside of work. I'm not some forever alone IT geek." She had said after she had closed the door behind Oliver and was pointing him to the bathroom. She had been wearing the golden dress with sense that her mother had bought for her a long, long time ago and it had been the only dress that she had owned that was anything close to something to wear on a date because all the clothes that she owned were either for work or sweatpants and oversized sweaters.

"Is there anything wrong with the dress?" She had asked after Oliver had stopped in front of the bathroom door and looked at her a little too long at her in her mind.

"no, it has nothing to do with the dress. it's just the fact that I have never seen you have your hair down and wear something like that."

Oliver had to say that she had made him look for just a little bit longer and the only thing that came up to him was that she did look beautiful, something that he actually wasn't supposed to say when he was going on a date with someone himself in less than an hour.

"Thank you, I'm taking that as a compliment. The one on the right is the on and off and the one on the left controls the heat. If you need anything else from me, I'm in my bedroom. That sounded way different in my head, I'm going to leave you alone now so you can shower." Felicity said as fast as she could and made her way back to her bedroom to finish up the last of her make-up.

"Thank you for letting me use your shower."

"Of course, why not. That's what neighbors are for right?" She said after she had put down her curling iron. She had bee lucky that it wasn't still plugged in when Oliver had walked in on her or else she would of have burned herself. Oliver Queen had a real thing for sneaking up on people.

"This is just me asking but how did you meet your date?"

"Tommy set me up with someone."

"Oh did he?" Oliver had been shocked to know that it had been his best friend how had set her up on a date with someone she didn't know. And if it had been Tommy Merlin behind it there was certainly always a double meaning behind it. He just didn't know what just yet.

"Yeah, it's like a blind date or something. I haven't met him but we have texted and if Tommy is willing to let me go out with him, he has to be way and way better then Max Fuller right? What about you? Who is the lucky lady this time?"

"How did you guess?"

"Do I really have to explain that to you or are you just going to tell me who it is?"

"Loreal Lance, we went to high school, dated for a while. She moved back to Starling a few weeks ago for a job, so we're going to catch up, that's all."

"Okay but now I would have to ask you very nicely to get out of my apartment because I really don't want to be late for my date." She had said while she was holding her purse in hand and almost pushing him out of the door only to close it and lock it as soon as they were out the door and she had her jacket with her.

"Then I'll see you later, have fun!" Oliver had said just before he closed the door to his own apartment.

"So, I'm going to make a wild guess and say that your date didn't go so well?" Felicity asked when she saw Oliver, who was holding a bag of ice against his face and his once white dress shirt now having a wine stain on it, waiting for the elevator after she had walked into the lobby of their building.

"No, it did not. The only real reason she even agreed to go out with me in the first place probably was to throw her drink at me, slap me in the face and yell at me in public."

"What did you do this time?" She asked with a smile when they walked into the elevator while Oliver pushed the button for their floor.

"Well, that a story for another time maybe. I'm guessing your's also didn't go so well?" He said looking over to the wine stain she had on her dress.

"Not my worst first date yet but it could have gone better. He was late, we had a lot in common but for some reason, it got real awkward real fast and that's how his wine is now on my dress. We both decided to forget what happened and just be friends, so I can at least thank Tommy for something. And he actually lives in Central city, I alway had a thing against long distant relationships, they almost never work out in the first place."

"Want to come over to my place and have a drink, I think that the both of us are in need of one?"

"Sure, why not. One drink can't to any harm right?"

No one drink couldn't but five or six could. Oliver told Felicity about him and Loreal over drinks, Felicity told him over her worst first date and the next thing they knew they were both naked and making out on Oliver's bed. The next morning the agreed to never tell anyone about what had happened and never let it happen again.

The first thing worked out well but the second thing not so much. The second time they had sex they were both just a bit less drunk than the first time but the both of them had had a hard day, Oliver having another heated discussion with his father over him start working for QC and Felicity angry at her boss for yelling at her for no good reason at all and hoping after what she had done in anger not going to lose her job. The following three times where for no particular reason at all.

Two months into having casuals sex with each other Tommy had to say that there was something going on between them. Oliver didn't sneak off with girls as often as he did and if he just wanted to go to dinner with his best friend he got the answer that he already had plans. In Felicity's case, also she had bailed on going out to dinner with him multiple times and she hadn't talked as much as she had usually done during their poker night. But the most surprising thing was the touching and he hadn't been the only one who had caught up on that one.

Max had been the first one to ask him about it, by asking him if Felicity and Oliver were dating, with the clear answer coming from Tommy was no. In his mind, if they were, in fact, dating his plan of making Oliver jealous of having Felicity going on a date and his broken shower being just a coincident. Now he wasn't so sure about that anymore, there was something his friends were hiding from him and he was going to find out what.

"So guy's, I want to do something new! Let's play beer pong but with a catch, If you miss someone can ask you a question and you to answer truthfully. Who's in?" Had come from Tommy after the second game of poker for the night. Someone had finally noticed Felicity counting cards after the first game so the guy's decided that she couldn't play anymore. So after Tommy's proposal, she had been the first one to say yes.

"If can can't play any more than I'm all behind Tommy idea. Watching you all play is getting so depressing." Felicity said while laying spread out on the couch that stood in the middle of Oliver's living room.

"Well I have to say playing against Felicity is much more fun."

"Oh, shut the fuck up Max. We already lost count on how many time's Felicity turned you down, so sucking up to her won't work."

"I have to say that Max has a point."

"Well thank you, Oliver. I take that as a compliment, you finish your boring game while Tommy and I set up the stuff for beer pong." She said while jumping up from the couch.

The first few rounds were just normal beer pong because manly everyone could play and they all weren't drunk enuff to miss. The first one to miss had been Tommy himself who had to answer Max's question about him and Loreal Lance which let finding ou that the two were in fact dating. To almost everyone's surprise, Felicity was really good at beer pong but the amount of alcohol had finally caught up to her hand-eye coordination and now Oliver was the only one that yet hadn't missed a single shot.

"So, I have a question for the one and only Felicity Smoak!!" Came from Tommy who had somehow managed to climb up on the cooking island in the kitchen.

"Tommy you do know that you terribly drunk right now and I don't want to see you fall on the floor face first." Came from Felicity who was now so drunk that only thinking of Tommy falling down could make her burst out in tears cry out in laughter.

"Don't worry I won't get hurt, at least not before I ask the question after that is a whole different story. Felicity, ‘you still won't tell me your middle name' Smoak. My question for you is:  How is Oliver in the bedroom?” Tommy asked her slurring his word while winking at her.

"Tommy be serious!" Oliver said after Felicity's face turned white and didn't say a single word.

"Oh, Oliver I am. And this is just confirmation of my suspicion. I knew you two were hiding something from me and this was the only logical thing that I could think of." After Tommy had said that everyone else saw Oliver giving Tommy a look that was definitely a big middle finger to his best friend that was followed by looking worried at a way to quiet Felicity.

"Okay, yeah. Oliver and I had sex, multiple times. What's the big deal about that, just to people having casual sex with each other and not telling anyone about it? I don't want you all knowing about my sex life so what. I'm leaving." Felicity had spit out, out of desperation before she closed the front door behind her she gave Oliver one last look and closed the door and stormed into her apartment and went right to her freezer to get ice-cream and went to bed.

She could hear Oliver yelling at Tommy for asking the question and Max yelling at Oliver blaming him for not being able to get Felicity to go on a date with him. That was followed with Max probably getting once again punched in the face by Oliver from what she could hear and that followed by the rest of the guy's dragging Max out of the apartment. The yelling between Tommy and Oliver went on for at least another half hour or so, five minutes into the argument Felicity had decided that she didn't want to hear anything that was going on so she had grabbed her laptop and headphones and started rewatching Doctor Who.

She woke up the next morning with a way to big of a headache, she was lucky that it was a Sunday. When she looked at her phone she saw a dozen texts from Tommy as well from Oliver, that she didn't want to read right now but the handwritten note from Oliver that she found lying on the floor in the hall of her apartment was way too intriguing for her to not to read it.

About last night, I'm not mad at you at all. I hope that we can talk about it sometime?

-O.Q.

She had no reason to be mad at Oliver for what happened the night before, she was relieved that he didn't blame her and in her defense, she was drunk and under a lot of pressure. They had talked about it once who Tommy would react if he found out about the two of them sleeping together but this was nothing close to how they thought that it would go. If it had to be someone's fault, then it had to be Tommy but she couldn't be mad at him for very long, two of his friends were keeping a secret from him and he was drunk when he had asked the question.

Around noon that day she had texted Oliver that she had seen the note and wanted to talk about what happened. Not long after that, he had asked her if she wanted to go out to dinner that night so that they could talk, on which she agreed to without any hesitation. She also replied to Tommy's many 'I'm so sorry', 'please forgive me' and many 'that was stupid of me to do' texts. He had been relieved that Felicity had at least seen his many texts and was delighted when she had said that she wasn't as mad anymore at him for what he had done the night before but as soon as he had gotten a text from Oliver telling him they were going to dinner that night and straight after that Tommy went back into full douche bag mode.

-- tagging my cabin mates @wherethereissmoak @tdgal1 @green-arrows-of-karamel

#olicity fanfic #olicity fic #Olicity #oliver queen #oliver x felicity #one shot #Felicity Smoak

[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/understanding-net-neutrality-affects/

Understanding how net neutrality affects you

Most people would assume that the Federal Communications Commission would be fighting for their rights, but when it comes to net neutrality, the FCC is fighting for big telecom instead. A court decision on Monday went against their wishes though. The US Court of Appeals covering the District of Columbia Circuit denied the broadband industry's petition to have the net neutrality case reheard. A panel consisting of three judges ruled 2-1 in favor of the FCC. It seems like that FCC would be happy to have their decision upheld, but the Trump administration is turning back the clock on many regulations. New FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, opposed this ruling when it was implemented by former chairman Tom Wheeler. Pai announced last week of his desire to dismantle net neutrality rules along with ISP's being classified as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act. The ISPs and broadband industry lobby groups that sued the FCC wrote to the DC Circuit court on Friday to alert judges of the new FCC proposal. Judges noted in today's order that "the en banc court could find itself examining, and pronouncing on, the validity of a rule that the agency had already slated for replacement." Pai quickly stated that he was not surprised by the court's decision. “In light of the fact that the Commission on May 18 will begin the process of repealing the FCC’s Title II regulations, it is not surprising, as Judges [Sri] Srinivasan and [David] Tatel pointed out, that the DC Circuit would decide not to grant the petitions for rehearing en banc," Pai said today. "Their opinion is important going forward, however, because it makes clear that the FCC has the authority to classify broadband Internet access service as an information service, as I have proposed to do. I also agree with many of the points made by Judges [Janice] Brown and [Brett] Kavanaugh in their compelling opinions explaining why the Commission’s Title II Order was unlawful.” Consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge offered a different take. "The DC Circuit has once again confirmed that the FCC's Open Internet rules are lawful and supported by the evidence," Public Knowledge Senior Counsel John Bergmayer said. "Now, the primary threat to these important consumer protections is FCC Chairman Pai's determination to roll them back and to hand more power to monopolistic Internet access providers.” Incompas, a trade group that represents pro-net neutrality companies, said that "the current law has shown itself to be both legally sustainable and market effective.” Judge Sri Srinivasan, who helped write the original opinion in favor of net neutrality, said reconsidering the case would be "particularly unwarranted at this point in light of the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the FCC's order." He noted that the agency would soon consider replacing the policy with a different one. But Srinivasan said the earlier ruling should stand even apart from the move to repeal net neutrality. He said the rules assure that broadband providers "live up to their promise to consumers of affording them neutral access to internet content of their own choosing." In separate dissents, Judges Janice Rogers Brown and Brett Kavanaugh said the FCC took action that should have been left to Congress. Kavanaugh also said the rules violate the First Amendment. To pass the rules, the FCC said it had the power to regulate broadband internet service as a utility, much like telephone service. The commission made the decision after President Barack Obama publicly urged it to protect consumers by doing so. But the FCC under President Donald Trump could change the rules or simply decline to enforce them. Congress may also write a new law that lays out net neutrality rules and what authority the FCC has to police broadband service. "Net neutrality" regulations, designed to prevent internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and Charter from favoring some sites and apps over others, are on the chopping block. The head of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, on Wednesday proposed undoing the Obama-era rules that have been in place since 2015. Here's a look at what the developments mean for consumers and companies. WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY? Net neutrality is the principle that internet providers treat all web traffic equally, and it's pretty much how the internet has worked since its creation. But regulators, consumer advocates and internet companies were concerned about what broadband companies could do with their power as the pathway to the internet - blocking or slowing down apps that rival their own services, for example. WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT DO ABOUT IT? The FCC in 2015 approved rules, on a party-line vote, that made sure cable and phone companies don't manipulate traffic. With them in place, Comcast can't charge Netflix for a faster path to its customers, or block it or slow it down. Several internet providers said they didn't plan to do those things and Comcast said Wednesday that it supported undoing the net neutrality rules but did not "block, throttle or discriminate" against internet content. The net neutrality rules gave the FCC power to go after companies for business practices that weren't explicitly banned as well. For example, the Obama FCC said that "zero rating" practices by AT&T violated net neutrality. The telecom giant exempted its own video app from cellphone data caps, which would save some consumers money, and said video rivals could pay for the same treatment. Pai's FCC spiked the effort to go after AT&T, even before it began rolling out a plan to undo the net neutrality rules entirely. A federal appeals court upheld the rules in 2016 after broadband providers sued. WHY IS THE INDUSTRY OPPOSED? Companies say they don't want the stricter regulation that comes with the net neutrality rules. They say the regulations can undermine investment in broadband and introduced uncertainty about what were acceptable business practices. There were concerns about potential price regulation, even though the FCC had said it won't set prices for consumer internet service. WHAT'S CHANGING FOR CONSUMERS? Nothing, for now. The FCC is a slow-moving agency, so Pai's announcement merely kicks off a months-long procedure to undo the rules. Democratic lawmakers, activists and companies that support net neutrality have pledged to defend them. Republican lawmakers who opposed the 2015 rules on Wednesday invited Democrats in Congress to work on net neutrality legislation that would take precedence over FCC regulations. In the long run, net-neutrality advocates say undoing these rules makes it harder for the government to crack down on internet providers who act against consumer interests and will harm innovation. Those who criticize the rules say undoing them is good for investment in broadband networks.

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