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sepublic · 3 years

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When Eda/Luz is Threatened...

Okay, I know @novelist-becca already went over this in the past, but screw it, I’m in the mood to gush about Eda and Luz, so;

It’s worth noting that there’s a pretty clear difference between how Eda reacts towards someone who threatens her, VS someone who threatens Luz. Tibbles and Lilith serve as pretty good control groups, given how they’ve interacted with Eda and Luz separately on a different basis, and Eda’s reaction to them in each scenario clearly differs…

In Tibbles’ case- There isn’t any retaliation to begin with, at first! Yeah Eda hates his guts, but as soon as she gets her elixir, she and King just ditch him to his fate. Eda doesn’t even know that the Mud & Sundry stand is about to collapse on Tibbles when she leaves, so from her perspective, HER issue with getting the elixir is well and done- And that’s it! No need for revenge, Eda has no pragmatic quarrel with Tibbles, and it’s very practical of her as a result.

…But when Tibbles threatens Luz, King, Willow, and Gus? When he tried to KILL them outright, whereas the last time, he just dressed King up in cute clothes? THEN Eda retaliates violently… Tibbles’ scheme is already ruined and she could easily steal his snails for herself, the kids and King are safe, Eda herself had no participation in Tibbles’ scheme… But the kids were threatened, and Eda goes out of her way to dump a bunch of crab-apples upon Tibbles, setting him up to be eaten alive by his own animals- She’s trying to kill him here, and honestly, I can’t blame her.

Eda’s lax attitude towards Tibbles is also prevalent early in Really Small Problems; He’s apparently been trying to send her death threats, and even if that wasn’t Tibbles… Eda seems more concerned about Tibbles’ potential plot towards her, than actually getting back at him for past incidents. Even when she easily sees past Tibbles’ attempt to poison her, Eda just… Goes on with her day, doesn’t bother with Tibbles. She leaves him be, repeatedly spares him of her own volition- And so Tibbles pushes his luck when he targets Luz. THEN he only has himself to blame when Eda sets him up to die; If we never see Tibbles again after this, it’d be a safe assumption to say he actually gets killed off-screen because of Eda.

All in all, Eda’s attitude towards Tibbles is incredibly lax- Yeah he’s a threat to her, yeah he’s annoying and despicable… But otherwise Eda only does what needs to be done, until Luz is threatened. This pairs well with her interactions with Lilith- Lilith is set to capture Eda… And obviously, Lilith doesn’t plan to actually kill Eda, Lilith thinks she’s helping Eda, and also they’re both sisters who –mostly- know one another… So yeah, that plays a role into Eda not feeling all too threatened nor preemptively defensive when Lilith is around. She lets Lilith into her space, doesn’t try to strike back in anticipation UNTIL Lilith messes up…

And even then, Eda never actually aims to hurt Lilith! She goes out of her way to save her, and their duel in Covention was clearly treated as more of a fun spat than an actual attempt to hurt each other! Eda seemed to treat it that way at least, and when her curse is brought up, Lilith makes it clear again that, yes, she doesn’t actually mean to hurt Eda (even if she still does anyway by accident).

But then Luz is captured, and… Well, Eda’s downright murderous attitude towards Lilith says more than enough. When she confronts her sister minutes before execution, Eda first mentions Lilith hurting LUZ above all-else, as if that’s more important to her than being cursed. And, I can see why- The curse happened years ago. Eda knows that Lilith has been trying to fix the curse, that much was made clear since Sense and Insensitivity at the latest. She obviously regrets what she did, and hey, it was only at EDA…

But Luz didn’t deserve to be threatened. Luz didn’t deserve to almost die, whereas Lilith’s curse never physically harmed Eda, at least not in a direct sense. And it’s King vouching for Lilith by pointing out that she helped LUZ, that Eda then stops her attack- That, and to also not hurt King. Eda seems to care more about Lilith hurting her found family, and conversely, that means Eda is less than impressed by attempts to appease her; But attempts to make up by appeasing the ones she loves and helping them, THAT changes her tune!

Which, one could perhaps get into speculation that maybe this relates to Eda perhaps not thinking very highly of herself… Or at the very least, she of course values her loved ones WAY more than she does herself, which doesn’t necessarily mean Eda has any low self-esteem! She definitely seems confident enough and it’s not exactly an illusion, but Eda’s own pride in herself could’ve partly stemmed as a survival tactic from the pain and ostracization of the curse by others, being persecuted by the Emperor’s Coven, etc. She does seem to genuinely believe what she says, Eda isn’t just saying it to fool herself- And while there are cracks in the façade here or there, they seem more standard insecurities, and not pointing to Eda making everything up.

Really, you could go out and say that this evokes the attitude of Eda not really blaming people for being mad at her, even! She knows she’s mischievous and a troublemaker, a rascal who revels into it- She’s a pickpocket and well aware of it… Eda has a tendency to intentionally aggravate others, so she figures it’s not too personal if people hate her, because YEAH- If Eda met herself, she’d hate Eda too! It’s like Eda’s lowkey accepting and admitting her own flaws, or that in some scenarios, such as Tibbles in Hooty’s Moving Hassle- It isn’t meant to be anything personal besides individual gain and greed. It’s just someone trying to get by, even if it IS at the expense of someone else, but that’s about it. And even when Tibbles DOES try to get personal with Eda, again- She lets him be.

Eda accepts that yeah, she IS a bit irritable and a mess, what about it? It is who she is, and HEY, she’s pretty empathetic, she can understand why people do things, she won’t hold a grudge… But when her own loved ones are threatened, that’s different, because they mean SO MUCH more to her! Not to mention Luz is a literal child and doesn’t deserve any attacks by whatever adult is targeting her… Eda’s willing to forgive and forget, but when it comes to Luz, hurting her apprentice/daughter is borderline unforgivable.

Then we have people like Wrath; Eda seems like she could’ve initially humored his request to be his girlfriend for like, a day or two before she’d make it backfire on him… But then she notices Luz, who’s being physically harassed by Wrath, and she makes up her mind- If Luz has to put up with this danger and discomfort for even another second, and ploy or ruse to get by Wrath isn’t worth it! Eda will take him head-on, and even then… She makes it clear that her main concern is always Luz, she makes sure LUZ gets away from the Conformatorium, even at the risk of Eda’s self- It’s Luz who matters for Eda, it’s what happens to Luz that forms the basis of her priorities!

We have Adegast, who Eda mostly knows as the creep who targeted Luz and held her hostage… And likewise, he had a LOT of those fake maps created, so who knows how many people he’d target, or already had? And how many of them are kids- These ‘Chosen One’ maps seem like they’d only work for the kind of young kid with that sort of imagination… So naturally, Eda doesn’t hesitate to kill Adegast by eating him alive, because hey, she can also get a snack out of it!

There IS a bit of an exception in the Slitherbeast… However, the Slitherbeast isn’t some malicious adult- It’s literally just a wild animal, they don’t and usually can’t operate on our usual standards of morality. Not only that, but the Slitherbeast didn’t go out of its way to hurt Luz, it ony retaliated when she wounded it with a pretty huge fireball- And even then, it didn’t actually hurt Luz, it only succeeded in kidnapping Eda, Emira, and Edric. The Slitherbeast DOES at one point corner Luz later on, but she manages to fend for herself, and with everything mentioned above- And yeah, Eda isn’t going to hold any grudges against the wild animal that HAD been trying to mind its own business, when Luz had accidentally hurt it- And it’s not like it could’ve known that was an accident.

So, Slitherbeast gets a pass. Then there’s Once Upon a Swap… Again, Lilith is a special case in that Eda knows she’s fundamentally a good person, they’re sisters and whatnot- And of course, Lilith doesn’t know she’s threatening Luz, she think she’s going after Eda, so Eda can’t blame her for intentionally trying to hurt Luz, that’s a pure accident that’s kind of Eda’s fault anyway. On the flipside, you have Boscha and her friends attacking King-in-Luz’s-body… And to be fair, it’s King- King can definitely get himself into deserved trouble. So they’re not REALLY retaliating against Luz for her own actions, it’s King for HIS own actions, even if they think it’s Luz… Plus, Boscha and her posse are literal kids.

Aside from mixing everyone’s bodies up to provide cover for herself and the others, Eda doesn’t try to harm or retaliate! She doesn’t even try to get back at Roselle and Dottie, who tried to hold her prisoner! Again, Eda really is a forgive-and-forget kind of person, but when it comes to others… She can’t speak on their behalf, and she doesn’t ever want a kid like Luz to feel obligated to forgive an adult who hurt her. That’s not Luz’s responsibility, she shouldn’t have been hurt no matter what in the first place.

Then we’ve got all those other episodes… Eda doesn’t know that Amity tried to get Luz dissected, and anyhow I doubt Amity actually intended for Luz to be hurt, just aiming for her to be pushed into a corner where she’s forced to out herself. Being a young kid like Luz, whom Eda knows is the child to Odalia and Alador, who likely stood out to her as a nasty bunch… And she can understand, even if it’s wrong- At least enough to not go out of her way to seek revenge on a literal child. This also applies to Covention, and Amity didn’t even try to hurt Luz, and as far as Eda knows, Luz agreed to that binding oath to not practice spells if she failed!

Eda doesn’t know about the Demon Hunters who threatened Luz or the others… She DID meet them in Escape of the Palisman, but she doesn’t seem to recognize them, and clearly Luz and the others tried their best to cover up the incident. If Eda had recognized the Demon Hunters, I imagine she wouldn’t have just let things be, but who knows? She doesn’t hold anything against them, and in THAT case, they didn’t know Eda was a witch, they thought she was a wild animal out of control and a threat to others… Which she WAS (Eda even threatens Luz and King in that state), so Eda can’t blame them.

Eda doesn’t know about what happened in Lost in Language… Mattholomule’s antics and that Detention Monster are already being resolved and anyhow aren’t life-threatening. Eda isn’t aware of what went on with the Bat Queen, but ultimately the Bat Queen turned around for Luz’s sake and only tried to chase off Luz for Owlbert’s sake, because Luz DID hurt Owlbert, so Eda can of course sympathize with that kind of protective nature- Plus Eda and the Bat Queen are on good terms and they love each others’ kids!

Piniet… WELL, that’s an interesting conflict- If Luz and King hadn’t escaped, I also feel like Eda would’ve been VERY brutal with him, if aforementioned precedents set any example. She’d of course track down Piniet by learning about Ruler’s Reach, and Piniet would be in for a reckoning… Then we have The First Day, the Greater Basilisk is already incapacitated/dead by the time Eda arrives. Eda doesn’t know what goes on with Inner Willow, who only targets Amity from being literally set on fire… And while we don’t see Eda tackle Grom herself, she was obviously poised to beat it to kingdom come. And then there’s Boscha in Wing it like Witches, which Eda doesn’t know about, and also Boscha is a literal child.

Repeating what is already well-established and obvious by this point- Eda seems to have an almost selfless double-standard… In that, she doesn’t really hold it against others who have a conflict with her, unless it’s a really personal betrayal like in Lilith’s case… But even then, Eda doesn’t go out of her way to kick an opponent when they’re down, or even hurt them, until Luz is threatened. And, I think that’s really sweet- Eda knows she’s flawed. Eda’s a full-grown adult, she’s definitely done things that would make people rightfully mad at her… But Luz?

Even if she DID mess up, it’s definitely not out of malice, because that kid is trying her best- Plus she’s a KID, she doesn’t deserve to be hurt for that! Eda can understand if another kid doesn’t quite understand that, because children don’t think things through… But when an adult with power and age levies that over Luz the child? Eda doesn’t necessarily think of Luz as lesser or ‘weak’ for being a kid… More on that later… But while she wants Luz to be able to stand up for herself and be her own person, let her do things by her own request; As someone who was alone for so long, abandoned because of the curse and for being a criminal…

Eda can’t bear to let Luz handle that burden on her own, even if she could- Because she’s a KID, she shouldn’t HAVE to do that in the first place! Eda’s not gonna fail Luz, not like how Gwendolyn seemed to fail her and Lilith… And, that plays into her kind of laughing off Luz’s attempt to take on Grom, when she first announces it! Eda doesn’t necessarily think of Luz as weak, and it’s clear that by the end of the day, she knows that as a kid, Luz shouldn’t be expected to handle that kind of terror… And this of course plays into how Eda has zero judgment when she reassures Luz and is ready to take on the responsibility of Grom, until Amity steps in. Coupled with giving the Witch’s Wool cloak to Luz (which Eda also had the concern that she herself wouldn’t need it soon enough), and Luz’s own accomplishments in the season finale… Managing to free Eda, fighting her way through the Conformatorium, instantly solo-ing Warden Wrath, and even damaging Belos?

Coupled with how Eda has no issues with learning glyphs from Luz, because she believes and trusts in Luz’s guidance, knowledge, and skill as a witch- And I think it’s likely that Eda greatly respects Luz’s strength as a witch, if she hadn’t already… She was clever enough to figure out the glyphs, after all- And I think that REALLY began to change Eda’s perception of Luz’s potential, even beyond Luz rallying Tiny Nose and the others against Wrath, and having the maturity to dispel Adegast’s illusions! Luz wasn’t just strong in the emotional, spiritual sense- She has a real pragmatic cleverness, wit, adaptability, creativity, and now magical skill, that is worth recognizing and honing! And not just because she has no other choice, I think Eda genuinely trusts and respects Luz, to be willing to learn from her…

…Even so- Eda’s totally going to freak out anyway if anyone keeps trying to threaten Luz, and dang it, she’ll do all she can to protect Luz, even if Luz is arguably more capable of defending herself now! Because she’s a kid, just because she can, doesn’t mean she should, Luz shouldn’t have to worry about that, screw anyone else who suggests otherwise!

#the owl house #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne #the owl house luz #luz noceda #the owl house lilith #lilith clawthorne #the owl house tibbles #the owl house adegast

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zishustits · 3 years

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oooooh ship bingo! i recently heard about these two concepts and would love to hear your take: ye baiyi and lan xichen, and xie'er and lan xichen <3

Oohhh okay, first I have to say I'm not actually into crossovers BUT let's forget about that for a little bit, these concepts are interesting.

First, Ye Baiyi and Lan Xichen. Let's see what they have in common.

They are both high skilled cultivators, very relevant figures in their respective societies.

They share common values such as righteousness, compassion, honor, service without waiting for anything in return, even kindness (more explicit in Lan Xichen).

They are not rigid in their principles though. Both acknowledge that most of the times you cannot judge a person as bad or good, nor a situation as black or white. They have struggled with it sometimes (i.e. Ye Baiyi considering whether he should kill Wen Kexing or not after knowing he's the chief of Ghost Valley, while also being aware of the difficult circumstances that led him to become that evil figure, which are indirectly related to YBY as Rong Xuan was his disciple. Also Lan Xichen caught between the evidence that Meng Yao has committed very wrong deeds and the kindness he has known from him)

Both have lost their loved ones forever.

Both have a tendency for retirement and solitude.

Apart from that, LXC has this noble and respectable aura that makes people feel calm and reassured when he's around, like if there's any problem it's okay, LXC probably knows how to solve it, he's diplomatic, also he will protect his people from danger, always keeping that composed calmness that's inherent to him (even if there's inner turmoil).

Now I consider, Ye Baiyi is very similar too, think of those scenes in the first episodes of WoH, when he gave Gao Chong the token of honor, then at the second Heroes Conference when everyone turned to him as a guide for what to do with the Ghost Valley issue, and also when WKX and ZZS fell from the bridge Cheng Ling felt reassured having YBY to help him. People feel relieved when he's around to lead them and solve problems.

So now, if LXC and YBY met I think they'd be a good match, like they would sense the similarities of their souls, especially the influence they have on others, now I can't find the words, but it's related to the righteousness and the high moral values and elevated cultivation they have achieved. Also they would perceive the isolation that comes with being far from the mortal realm for so long (for Ye Baiyi) and with being an important figure of the cultivation society that also has lost someone who was very important to him (in the case of LXC).

I believe they'd connect easily, like oh I recognize you, you are similar to me. And also they would enjoy learning from each other, YBY has reached the most elaborated martial arts skills and LXC is outstanding in musical cultivation (or whatever name it is). They see each other as equals and no one feels less than the other.

However, I think Ye Baiyi would break all of the Lan rules XD and be upset all the time, like why can't I just sit on the roofs at night to watch the stars while drinking alcohol? But as LXC is the Gusu leader (I think? Can't remember what he was at the end of The Untamed) and he is far from strict as LQR was, he would ignore it. In fact, I think he knows most of the rules are outdated and unnecessary, so they just keep following the rules that are actually related to master one's discipline, being righteous, respecting your elders and seniors and being kind to your sworn brothers and so on.

They might cultivate together. Keep each other company even as they are just sitting there in meditative contemplation or just enjoying the silence. Talk about ancient knowledge.

As for the type of relationship, I don't actually think it would be of romantic or sexual nature, like they were devoted to one partner in the past (probably more platonically than anything, at least on YBY part) and seem to me the kind of people that does not engage with anyone else after his companion has died, at least in the same way, like sometimes it's hard to reach the same level of deep connection with someone else. That doesn't mean they could not forge a close relationship, but to me it's not the same vibe as xiyao or rongye (or whatever the name of this ship is).

Following the bingo classification, I'd say Best friends, or Qplatonic at most. Also I'm intrigued to know what other kind of relationship people think they could develop. If you want to share with me, I'd love to know your ideas!!

Okay, probably for the next one I'll try to write less because I realized how long this is getting (it's just a bingo, please brain!!!), and I should finish some college stuff buut it's not less interesting to me I swear!!

So Xie'er and LXC. First, I think LXC would be aware of the good that's in Xie'er and his potential, mostly his inexhaustible willpower and determination, which have been until now directed towards, let's say, flawed goals? All that energy and intelligence wasted on another man's dream. It's unacceptable!!

The principal thing that comes to my mind and that struck me since Xie'er first appeared was the he seems to know who is everyone, like he saw ZZS and WKX together for the first time and he thought, why are the former leader of the Window of Heaven and the chief of Ghost Valley together wtf? While everyone else was like oh, two righteous wanderers, never heard of them before. Xie'er clearly knows how to obtain the right information, he has the mind of a researcher, and that could be put to good use.

Also Xie'er knows a lot about venoms and their antidotes, is that not another relevant and useful skill he has??? Again here, he is a researcher, as for instance he discovered the cure to the Meng Po soup was Drunk like a dream. Furthermore, he probably knows a lot about survival, hiding, disguising himself, being a shadow amongst shadows, fighting (especially dirty tricks), and leadership skills. He also has some knowledge on magic tricks (with the Drug men) that could be the simile to demonic cultivation.

All this knowledge and abilities could be put to good use, not to achieve other's goals, but to help people, for example, finding a cure to their poisoning or demonic possession (or whatever), instructing others on different facts that could be useful if they need to hide from a threat, survive in the wild for some time, coming alive from a fight with a nasty opponent an so on.

I mean, I haven't mentioned LXC until now but let's assume he is aware of everything about Xie'er's skills that I have described. Also, he realizes Xie'er has a good soul, it's something you can see right away if you spend a minimum of time with him. He has shown it with actions too, for instance, when he released Liu Qian Qiao and his lover, also that scene after the battle at mount Qingya (I'm still crying about Cao Wei Ning and Gu Xiang, my poor babies ;~;) when he left WKX and ZZS go (although he had a sword to his neck gssbsbsbsb), and of course everything he did for Zhao Jing, out of his love and affection for him.

Okay, he has done bad deeds, but he has kindness in him. A kindness that has not actually been nurtured but has developed there anyways. He has a tendency to serve others, that we see mostly with his yifu. Those are important values that might be developed and focused to actions that make an improvement on people's lives, and probably on Xie'er's own.

And LXC is determined to do that. Like he sees Xie'er's efforts to serve others because it's something that comes naturally out of him, but realizes it needs to be properly acknowledged as no one has done that before (we only got to see him do things for his yifu, who rarely showed any gratefulness for it, and only this time with Qian Qiao she almost got to say something nice to him, but Xie'er turned away swiftly, like he is not used to receive positive feedback on his good actions at all, so probably it's not something that he feels comfortable with).

I believe LXC would nurture this good side of Xie'er, praising those little (and bigger) services he does for others, which would act as a positive reinforcement. Also he would show interest in Xie'er's skills, and what he does in his free time (like no one has shown some interest in this before?), as well as his emotional state and stuff. Showing that he genuinely cares about him. That he appreciates Xie'er for who he is.

Also he would encourage him to persevere on those abilities he has and teach others, maybe the Lan disciples. So Xie'er would see that his skills can be used for some other things that are not killing or trying to become the king of the world.

As for Xie'er, he would grow to like LXC, finally finding someone who really cares about him, knowing for the first time in his life what it is to be seen and appreciated by someone who does not expect nothing from him in return. Learning that he deserves to be loved that way (and I don't necessarily mean romantically).

And that he does not need to kill for others anymore. He can become the person he wants to be, not what others want to get from him. LXC would show him he can do good deeds and they will be appreciated, even if he's doing it for others is something he inherently has done before, it nurtures his soul. He needs to experience more of that. And LXC would encourage it. He is patient, he is kind, he rarely lashes out, he has predictable reactions unlike his yifu (I mean, when Xie'er did something to please him but sometimes he would react nicely and many others he wouldn't, let's ignore if his actions were morally correct or not, the fact is Zhao Jing would respond differently to similar things).

Also Xie'er is able to discern what's good and what's harmful, and I believe that given he could choose freely, without thinking is this what my Yifu would do, he would be inclined to do the good thing. LXC encourages that.

Okay, I will not elaborate more, probably I've even been redundant several times. This relationship would definitely be great for Xie'er, for him to learn what is a healthy bond and to grow as a person.

But I don't think it would develop into a romantic or sexual kind of relationship. It just don't give me those vibes. LXC and Xie'er have different backgrounds, LXC is a sect leader and devoted to cultivation, Xie'er is the leader of a shady assassin organization and has developed other kinds of abilities.

Dunno, I don't feel them like equals, as it feels with YBY and LXC, for them the cultivation/martial arts skills are one of the main pillars of their lives and it's something they can share together, LXC and Xie'er are way too different. There might be some power imbalance too, and LXC would be somewhat taking care of Xie'er and not quite the opposite? (save from those little services Xie'er would do for him). Well, this is not probably a good reason because I like some ships with power imbalances too.

But I mean, they just don't click to me as a couple at least. More like a teacher/student relationship perhaps, or a friendship at most. Perhaps I just can't ship it any other way because of my strugglr with crossovers, but with YBY and LXC it was clearer to me that, well, it could be possible.

I'd love to know your takes on these two concepts too, whether you talk to me directly or in a post!!

@goldensprite

#word of honor #the untamed #ye baiyi #xie wang #lan xichen #ask meme #SORRY DON'T KILL ME I ALWAYS WRITE TOO MUCH EVEN IF I SAY I WON'T

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catflowerqueen · 4 years

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So I just watched “The Wonderland (Also known as Birthday Wonderland)” last night, and while I think it’s a pretty good movie over all, I do have some thoughts.

Spoilers below

I feel kind of let down by the summary on the back of the DVD case. It implied that the protagonist, Akane, would have a more direct, active role in fixing the problem. Like... specifically, the line “as the destined Goddess of the Green Wind, it is Akane’s responsibility to bring back the rain and save this world from the terror known as Zan-Gu.” That implies that she’ll actually be the one to bring back the rain, right? And possibly gain some cool wind powers? Except... that doesn’t really happen.

Like, the way she fixes things is still pretty emotional... I guess... but I feel like there was no reason to gift her such a grand title when she didn’t really do anything special or magical? Like, there was only one thing she did that could maybe be construed as “magical,” but even that didn’t seem to be something that was inherent or specific to her--anyone with empathy probably could have done the same thing.

And on the note of the water crisis issue they all seem to be facing... while it was definitely apparent in some of the scenery, I’m a little annoyed with how the people in the snowy section handled things. The innkeeper made a whole big scene about how they barely had enough water to drink, but... they were literally surrounded by snow. Sure, maybe no more was falling and what was there was kind of dirty, but... it isn’t that hard to jury rig a water filter. They totally could have melted a bunch of snow and used it as a stop-gap measure until the ceremony--which everyone knew about! Those things were scheduled! They should have known how to ration things before it got that bad! Yet they didn’t do anything. And it can’t have been that the snow itself was poisonous (aside from the dirt issues I mentioned earlier) since we see that when the rain does come back, it falls as snowflakes in that particular area.

Finally, I don’t get why everyone likes that wizard so much. He is completely irresponsible! I don’t necessarily blame him for the whole “basically falling into hibernation” thing, since we don’t get enough information to know how common this is, but... everything else he did was really, really dangerous as far as the world goes.

(Major spoilers below)

Like. It would have been one thing if the reason he turned the prince into a doll was because he was legitimately ill and he didn’t think they could find a cure/he would be able to stay awake long enough to perform the cure, and they were using it as a form of stasis. They still could have gone with the whole “shapeshifting gone wrong made the character go a little crazy” thing that ended up happening. But doing it just because the guy is a bratty teen who is now also in mourning and is expected to risk his life in less than a year? No, that’s really stupid and of course that is going to backfire since you left the kid completely alone like that and didn’t even provide him with, like, daily therapy sessions or something. I don’t blame him for snapping.

And then what he did, disrupting the ceremony like that and making it seem like it failed? That is extremely dangerous and shortsighted! Yes, the prince did end up “passing your test” at the end by proving willing to sacrifice himself to complete the ceremony... but if he’d been smart he would have refused and it would have been a way better thing in the long run! He is literally the last of his line, and if his family really is the only one that can complete the ceremony to bring back the rain, then it would be extremely short sighted for him to give up his life at this juncture, when there is still water around and an entire snowy region which can act as a stopgap. Because, yes, his sacrifice would bring the rain back for a year/a generation... What happens the next time there’s a drought? There will be literally no one able to perform the ceremony--not to mention the turmoil that will happen in the meantime when there is no ruling body taking care of things!

And I’m honestly not too happy with the Alchemist either, with that whole “Momentum Maker” thing. It literally forces Akane to move/to stand still in multiple situations. It literally takes away her will and puts her in danger. And he even admits at one point in the movie that he should have foreseen some of the problems it caused her!

Yes, ultimately she did end with a lot of character growth, and, yes, he does protect her and tolerates the tag along they gained at the start of the adventure... but that doesn’t excuse the kidnapping thing! He may be the lesser of two evils as far the powerful magical users go, but... it still rubs me the wrong way.

Anyways... I know that was a long rant, and it might seem like I don’t like the movie because of it, but I do genuinely think it was a good film! And it’s entirely possible that a lot of my complaints here are just things lost in translation, either from the original Japanese language or from the culture in general. That’s entirely possible.

...I guess I’m just taking things so badly because this isn’t the first time a summary has let me down as far as what the actual contents are, not to mention I have a habit of overanalyzing things sometimes.

#the wonderland #birthday wonderland #spoilers

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calliecat93 · 4 years

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Top 5 Things I Disliked About Red vs Blue: Season 2

When I decided to do this series, I knew it was gonna be hard to do lists for Blood Gulch. Not because I can’t think of anything I like or dislike specifically, but as I said before, BGC is mainly comedic driven. The worst I can say is ‘this isn’t funny’ and critique the earlier production standards. Which that’s kinda mean since they were working with what they had and trying to learn to do the show. As such, I have to reach on Dislikes for these and S2 was a tough one in that regard. I managed to come up with five, but GOD I had to stretch haaaard on it.

But still, I did it. Just remember, take this with a grain of salt. So here we go, Top 5 Things I Disliked About RvB S2.

#5. Doc

If you asked me which of the BGC to write out and never bring back�� I’d probably have to pick Doc. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate him, but I’ve also never loved him. He comes off more whiny than funny, and most of the time he’s only funny due to the back and forth with O’Malley. Otherwise, usually… he’s just there. Even here in S2, while having a pacifist medic in a cast where several are trigger happy could lead to some funny stuff, Doc was just an annoyance. The situations he got into were funny, like getting knocked into the Warthog when the Blues unknowingly made it go rogue, but he was literally just there for the ride. Something IDT later season really improved aside form 16 and 17, which tbh I think is stretching it.

IDK, I just find Doc whiny and kinda boring. Even if he’s meant to be the annoying, disrespected nice guy, doesn't Donut kinda fit that slot already? Heck, they both even have the recurring ‘disappear for seasons and then suddenly comes back’ joke. The only times that I feel invested in Doc is when he has O’Malley, which is how he re-entered the plot here. I’m gonna save more about that in the S3 posts, but on his own? Doc just… doesn’t really work and I didn’t really miss him in between the Reds dumping him and him reappearing when O’Malley infected him. It’s also a flaw IDT recent seasons have really fixed, though they are trying. Plus I don’t hate Doc and some jokes with him do work (the gag of his naming made me giggle), I'm just… indifferent. But that’s why he’s at the top of the list since the most I can say is I find him whiny and not as funny,

#4. The Cyborg Subplot

So due to losing Lopez and because he’s Sarge, Sarge decides to turn one of the Reds into a cyborg to do all the stuff that Lopez did. He settles on Simmons. Now in and of itself, the subplot is fine. It leads to a good few jokes, like Grif trying to ruin Simmons’ parts after the surgery or a few gags like Simmons shooting his own foot and of course, faxass. While IDT the season would have been hurt without it, it has plenty of funny bits. Sow hat’s the problem. Well… like I said, cutting it wouldn’t have hurt anything. It kinda is just there to give the Reds something to do during the O’Malley and Tex stuff since otherwise, they’d just be standing around and taking… well, more than normal. Otherwise, it’s only significance plot-wise is Tucker tuning into their frequency, which is important in the finale when he picks up Vic and Sarge’s conversation.

So yeah, the subplot isn’t all that important. But it is still funny, so I don't mind it being there. But nowadays… how much so we see this come up? I mean Grif got mutilated by a tank and got another guy’s body/organs haphazardly stitched on. Simmons, while he possibly gave up those parts to Grif willingly, was otherwise forcibly converted into a cyborg. This… hasn’t really come up again. I mean the only time I think Simmons mentioned it in-show was as a brief joke in S11. Nine seasons later. I don’t think Grif’s side of it has come up at all ever again. Though… considering you can only get so many jokes out of this setup since everyone is always in armor, I do understand why. Though I feel with Simmons’ side at least, they could play with it some more, both comedically and maybe even storywise. But that may be my need for Simmons content talking…

So yeah, the subplot was okay. It’s at Number Four since I don’t hate it and it was funny. I just feel like nothing would be lost without it, especially since it pretty much never comes up again. Maybe one day though, who knows? At least the fanfic writers keep it alive XD

#3. The Caboose Forgetting Church Thing

Okay this is brief, but it does annoy me. During the whole trip into Caboose’s mind, Caboose’s memory of Church gets shot. As such, Caboose forgets who Church is. Makes sense, O’Malley killed the personification of Church in Caboose’s mind, so his mind would forget it. It also explains why Caboose got, well… for lack of a better way to put it, intellectually challenged later on due to having three AI’s in his brain and all the chaos that broke out. But Caboose forgetting Church lasts like… one episode? Maybe two? Anyways, Burnie explained on the commentary that it was just too hard to write out so they did one joke with it, and then just dropped it. Probably for the best... but then we have to figure out how this works in-continuity... damn it.

Really this is only on here because it forces me to try to figure out how this is possible in a show sense. Which yeah I probably don’t need to, but I am a continuity loser who tries to piece together these things. If I had to guess, maybe the memory of Church fixed itself somehow or Caboose was able to recall after being around Church for a little while. But I honestly really don’t know, and trying to think it through hurts my brain. It also did little to nothing either story-wise or comedy-wise, at least we got a few jokes out of the cyborg subplot. IDK, I feel like they gave up on it too soon. But then again this is the saga where they’ll break/ignore continuity for the sake of a joke and that’s just how these seasons worked. Hence why I put it smack-dab in the middle.

#2. Some Holdover S1 Issues

You can tell that there was a mass improvement in terms of production for Season Two. Pacing felt stronger, more was going on, characterizations began to settle in, and they even began to form more of a plot. They clearly had a much better idea of what they were doing now that they got through Season One and I think things like Matt becoming more involved in writing and production as well as Gus moving back to work on the show really helped as well. That being said, not everything got resolved. Most did, but there are still a few holdouts.

Audio mixing is a LOT better, especially when it comes to effects. The filter is still a little distracting, though better compared to S1. Not all the characterizations really set in. Grif and Donut are about 75% there and Simmons and Tucker are probably the least set in stone. The traits are there, like Simmons clinginess to Sarge and Tucker actually showing some competence when forced to, but nothing set in stone. Donut’s also on the right path with his hobbies and tendency to babble into TMI territory, but the voice is still off and his personality isn’t quite there yet. There’s some other, but I’ll touch on it in the Likes list. Some jokes could also still drag, like the whole switch joke where some of Church and Tucker’s back and forth went on a little too long.

We’re clearly making progress, but the mark hasn’t quite been hit. It’s still an improvement over S1 though, the pacing especially. This is nitpicky, but still it’s there. But hey it’s progress, and that is never a bad thing. So yeah, RvB is still evolving here, but the progress bar is loading steadily and trust me, by S3 I think we’ll be settled in… well, for the most part.

#1. Some Outdated Humor

The BGC was made from 2003 to 2007. Obviously, there’s gonna be some stuff that is outdated. Take the graphics themselves for example. Halo has evolved, so the game can look a little outdated, especially when you compare the original footage to the remastered footage. Let's put it this way, VIC is uncanny in the remaster… and is utterly horrifying in the original version. Thank God that the DVD is the remaster and I was spared of looking at that monstrosity. Visuals aren’t the only thing though, some pop culture references can also come off as outdated, like Creed joke in the RL vs Internet PSA. So can some of the humor that shows how stupid we were back only two decades ago.

There are… some jokes that are uncomfortable to listen to. For example, there’s the Grif shaming himself joked by saying he’s a girl and likes ribbons in his hair. It’s not the worst joke and clearly, it isn’t made to offend… but nowadays I think it could look offensive to certain individuals. It didn’t necessarily offend me, but it did kinda make me feel uncomfortable when I first watched it, but it could be me thinking it over too hard. There’s also the casual usage of the R word. Last season it came up a bit, but I noticed it came up more frequently here. Not excessively, but there were quite a few instances where it was treated as a casual curse word. Obviously back in 2004 we didn’t realize this was an offensive term, and I think they’ve even said that they regret the casual usage of it during the early years. You certainly would probably not hear that word used unless maybe to emphasize how terrible a character is, but even then I think they’d be more careful.

Now obviously RvB uses a lot of adult and offensive humor, especially in this era. I guess you can kinda call it the web version of South Park, only RvB has never really resorted to shock humor. It puts it above many, /many/ animated adult comedies in that regard. Still, when you run for this long, you’re gonna have some outdated elements. It’s not necessarily their fault, it just shows that times has changed. Still, it does make some stuff hard to look back on without cringing, and I imagine that the Founders would agree. So yeah… there’s just some stuff that wasn't fun to look back over and S2 isn’t the only offender, but this was where it stood out to me and took me out of the moment. As such, it is Number One.

(Top 5 Likes)

#rvb #rvb reviews #top likes/dislikes

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milquetoast-on-acid · 7 years

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Major Crimes: Season 5 Round Up, A Reactionary Post

I had planned on doing a post at the end of 5a but then time got away from me. So I thought I'd do a reaction post on 5a then 5b and how they tie together. This is my final Reactionary Post for season 5 and it feels really great to review a whole entire season of a show! Stay tuned for more reactionary posts, next week we go back in time to cover Reloaded.

What this reactionary post covers: // Season 5a & theme // Characters & Storylines

// Season 5b & theme // Characters & Storylines

// Thoughts on Season 5 (as a whole) & other themes the season covered // Speculation & Season 6 // Favorite scenes // What I liked and What I didn't

*This is a long one so sit back and grab your favorite drink. ;)

Season 5a

Theme: Balance

Season 5a's theme was Balance and I've got mixed feelings on whether or not the show achieved it. I love that the showed tried different things in 5a. At this point the show has been on for five years, or really 12 years so I think it's really good for them to mix some stuff up. Some of the cases have been darker than we've previously seen. We got more focus on character development and storylines. Plus the death of a character that's been with the show since the very beginning has been such a huge change for the show. This is a show that has until now never killed a main character. By that we can count the entire run of The Closer.

I think perhaps the season's theme should have been Family instead of Balance. There was so much focus on families in the cases as well as every single character arc had to do with family. Also so much focus on Father's and sons, particularly the later half of the season.

Character Storylines/Arcs

Buzz

When I first heard about Buzz's storyline for the season I was very excited about it. However I don't like how it was handled. I was disappointed that the majority of the storyline was in Rusty's vlogs. For one thing there is a HUGE part of Major Crimes audience that's older, that's just not going to go online and watch the vlogs.

On the other hand I understand that you can do only so much (and boy do they ever do a ton of stuff in 42 minutes) in the time they are given. So if you want to have as many plot lines as they did this season then your going to have to get creative. And that's where Rusty's vlog came in. I think that worked so much better last season. As I felt that it wasn't as crucial for you to watch them. You could watch them if you wanted and get more involved in the stoyrline but they had enough of the plotline in the show where you wouldn't miss out on anything. Where's this time around you miss major information about a character and his storyline if you don't watch them.

At the same time I don't think that the plot line was balanced very well. They mostly had one small scene in each episode to introduce what they were going to cover in the vlog. Why not just have the actual scene instead of prefacing it? I think the best stuff with Buzz's case was definitely the focus that we had of him during the White Lies arc. Most in particular the scene in which he catches up with his father's killer and realizes that he's taking another son and daughter away from their father.

Rusty I had some issues with Rusty in 5a. One of the things that I love and also frustrates me about his character is his stubborn determination. I love that he goes after the truth and asks questions but sometimes he really can take it too far. Case in point Buzz. Rusty needs some empathy for Buzz and it didn't show through much if at all. Buzz was so determined to do things by the book because of how much the case meant to him but Rusty was just too impatient for all of that.

Rusty and Gus I'd have to say that my favorite Rusty plotline this season was the focus on him and Gus. This is Rusty's first real relationship and he's got a really great guy. I really love that Gus calls Rusty out on all of his shit.

Rusty's vlog and Buzz One of the things that worked really well with Jane Doe #38/Alice/Marianna's case was Rusty's personal connection to her which brought out some giant empathy. It brought out passion and determination in him and that is all completely gone by the time Rusty helps Buzz with his case. Rusty feels way to entitled to everything that Buzz finds.

Sharon's Pregnancy My least favorite plotline of 5a is definitely Rusty's mom having a baby. I just don't understand what the point in bringing her back in this capacity served. In my opinion, Sharon Beck's storyline ended in season 3 when she went off to jail. And then they kept bringing her back first in Hindsight and then again here. It's a rather frustrating thing to have them use time for her character, that could have been used to served other plots that were highly underdeveloped.

Amy Amy was the character that got the least amount of focus in 5a. There aren't many women on the show and it would be nice to have more focus on them. Amy is such an unexplored character, we don't really know much about her, except for her personality.

I've got mixed feelings about her storyline. First of all I love that Amy does not want kids. It's good to see some exploration of that in a female character. We got a really great scene with her and Cynthia in the break room. However, I don't feel like anything got resolved between her and Cooper. More like it was something they disagreed on and then got sweeped under the rug. And unfortunately this was something that was not mentioned in 5b.

Mike So last season I was at, I love this Badge of Justice stuff and a bit of Andy's jealousy. So let's have more of that. We got a TON of that this season, in fact we were on overdose to the point where it's kind of soured me on that plot line. I loved that Mike won an award but I felt like the storyline was more about Andy's jealousy then it was about Mike. I also thought that it was interesting that Mike was picked to go undercover with the hooker. He's not the squad's typical choice for an assignment like that - so it was really great seeing his uncomfortable amusement at being undressed on camera by a hooker.

Julio Julio has to be the show's tragic character. The guy has suffered the murder of his brother, the accidental death of his wife and unborn child. Falls for a murderer and now has his foster child taken away from him. Julio is the guy with so much damned love in him to give. Unlike Amy who doesn't need children to make her life complete. Julio does. I really think that Julio's road to adoption plot turned out to be my favorite. I really feel that it was perhaps the only continuing storyline that was properly balanced. That it was given enough time, attention and focus to it for it to develop properly.

Out of all of the emotional hard moments in White Lies, Taylor's death and sudden shooting in the court house got chills down my back. But Julio being separated from Mark made me cry.

Andy Andy, Alcoholism and it's effects on his life. I think my favorite stuff with Andy this season was his plotline in "Off the Wagon" and the developing family of Sharon, Andy and Rusty. We haven't dealt much with Andy's alcoholism for quite a while in the show and it was nice to revisit it. To see what his perspective is and how much his life has changed. I loved seeing him reach out to Jared. He really wanted to help him. I'd really love to see Andy actually sponsoring someone.

One of the things that I have come to really love about this character is how much he's changed through the years. When we first meet Andy he's angry. He's angry at himself and at the world. Very slowly we've seen him pick himself up and come to really appreciate the people and relationships that he has in his life. He realizes just how much he screwed up as a father in and in his marriage. And he's not about to make that same mistake again.

The Raydor/Flynn/Beck Family Since Andy has moved in with Sharon and Rusty there's been more focus on them as a family unit. It's really interesting to see Sharon and Andy's different styles of parenting Rusty. And how they function as in a cohesive parenting unit, while not necessarily agreeing all of the time.

Provenza There wasn't much stuff for Provenza this season. What we did get from him this season was bits and pieces of how his life had changed since he had gotten married. It seems whenever he's seriously involved with a woman that there seems to be a wardrobe change for him. We got a much more fashionable Provenza this season in some quality threads. I did actually miss his grandpa style, though. So it was nice when later on in the season there seemed to be more of a mix of his style and his new clothes.

I think I would have liked to have had more of Patrice on there this season. I really love their relationship. She takes such good care of him, packing him healthy lunches bringing him his medication. All the while not letting him be an idiot and get away with stupid stuff. She's been a nice breath of fresh air for him.

Sharon I think that there's been a major lack of focus on her character for along time now. I think that her character had gotten to the point where the writers have had a hard time figuring out what to do with her. For a main character we really don't know all that much about her. Not as much as we should IMO. So that it was finally great to see focus on her in the White Lies arc. She's such a reserved character that we often don't get bursts of emotion from her.

Moving in with Andy I was really very excited to hear about the plotline of her and Andy moving in together. But I was hugely disappointed in it when there was barely any focus on it. We got a hint of Sharon's internal struggle with wanting to live with Andy and also being scared by it. That could have been explored more than it was. I felt like there was so much potential to really delve into Sharon's mind on that and the writers really didn't take it.

As disappointed as I was with this storyline, I think I've come to realize that this storyline was really more about Sharon, Andy and Rusty coming together as a family. Which only makes me feel slightly better at having realized that.

Season 5b

Theme: Connections

I feel that the theme of 'connections' is such a loose enough concept that it's been so much easier for them to connect this theme in each of the episodes.

I'm not sure why they changed the theme for 5b. Perhaps there was negative response about it in the surveys. I think this theme is much easier to tie stories together and is something they have do in every episode anyway. The show is so interesting when you sit down and really think about it.

The show is not a straight procedural but it does follow an a + b = c format for every episode. Each episode has a case and a personal storyline involving at least one of our main characters. The case is a way for us to understand and examine the character. So there is always parallels. So out of all of the themes this show has had, this one was probably the easiest and fits the show best.

Character Storylines/Arcs

When they sent out the press release for 5b I was a bit worried that they wouldn't have enough time to properly develop every storyline. While I do believe there is always room for improvement I think they did much better in 5b verses 5a. One of my big issues with 5a was that there were too many storylines and with such a strict structure there wasn't enough time to give to each storyline.

Wes While Wes' storyline was no where on the press release. We had snippets of getting inside of this new character's head. Wes has spent 5 years undercover with Nazi's, who's first reaction to situations is violence. Even if you don't think like that - after being in all of that hateful mentality it will get to you and it's really wonderful seeing him trying to readjusting to a chain of command. As well as realizing that he can always solve situations with violence. As a cop it is the last defense not the first offence.

Also I think Wes + Pot is my OTP for him. I really hope we will see more of Wes in the upcoming season. And as many of the fandom have pointed out he's just like Andy and reacts just like Andy used to pre-Sharon.

Buzz Buzz is such a supporting player that I think for him, it was really good to have a very subtle thread going for him. Verses the big story we got in 5a. I was really excited for them to really delve into his character in 5a but I don't think that it was handled very well. So this much smaller storyline worked much better.

It's really not hard for us to see that after Buzz had got so invested in this case that he ended up super emotionally involved with the Jones family. Often times we end up following in our parents footsteps whether we mean to or not. In this case I feel that Buzz is becoming is own stepfather. I just hope that things turn out good for Buzz and he doesn't end up heartbroken. Buzz is the only character on this show to have never had a girlfriend/partner.

Amy I have always wished more for her character. There are only three women with any regularity on this show and all of them could have more developed storylines. Would have been nice to have a season long arc for her character but I really liked what we did get from her. Amy's passive-aggressive, manipulative and emotionally abusive relationship with Mark Hickman is such an interesting dynamic that I'm really glad to see it yet again. Amy is a half glass full kind of woman and she wants so hard to believe in Mark that she eventually looks over terrible shit that he does to her. I hope that one day, Amy sees the forest through the trees with him but until then I am enjoying their interaction.

It was also wonderful getting some info on Amy's life as an MP. I only wish we could have gotten a seen with Amy interacting with her former commanding officer. Enough that we could get those wonderful parallels that MC loves so much.

Mike Mike was the only character that had no storyline whatsoever in the back 8. He had some slight focus in one of the cases but not even anything I'd point out for his character. It makes me sad because I love his character and think that there is so much they could do with him but just aren't.

With season 5's overly heavy focus on family, why not use the opportunity to include is wife or kids in one of the cases? Or do some development on Mike/Julio's friendship. This is another bromance here that hasn't had any play in ages and I miss it. Or how about Mike/Sharon friendship? I have always felt that Mike and Sharon have so many things in common that they could make some really great friends but usually we see Sharon/Andy/Provenza/Rusty interaction at parties, and Mike/Julio/Amy interaction at parties.

Rusty I think Rusty's storyline as a journalist and his vlog worked really well in season 4a. It was a fresh idea and something that allowed Rusty to get passionate about and can be tied to the squad's job as police officers. Once Rusty wasn't passionate about what he was working on Rusty's storyline as a journalist got stale. I feel like Rusty as a lawyer storyline is a much better way to get him into the murder room. Although Rusty's storyline this season wasn't even really about that but his relationship with Gus. Which to me took a completely unexpected turn.

Rusty and Gus Season 5b starts off with Rusty and Gus temporarily breaking up and ends with them permanently broken up. As a couple Rusty and Gus had always been out of sync. Examining their relationship as a whole I don't think they ever got to the point where they were ever in sync. I had thought that the problems they were having (in 5a) would have been sorted out by Rusty eventually realizing that time is precious and he needs to focus on Gus during their time together. But once Rusty got his head out of his ass it seemed like there were even more problems between the two.

I really liked Rusty/Gus for such a long time but then the problems between them got too big for their relationship and now I am hopeful that both of them will focus on their careers and maturing themselves before jumping into another relationship.

Rusty's character One of the things about Rusty that I felt frustrated over in 5a was his shitty attitude. Rusty was selfish, unemphatic and entitled when it came to Buzz's case. And selfish when it came to his relationship with Gus. I'm so glad that the writers have retooled his character, while keeping Rusty's personality in tact. He's matured leaps and bounds since 5a, yet still has a long way to go. I was so much happier with him in 5b, than in 5a. Rusty was to put it in a way a shit head in 5a and now I feel like he's much more of a mature young man in 5b.

Julio Duck and Little Duck I am so glad that Julio finally found his happiness!! Out of everyone this guy needed it the most. It was great seeing Mark again, he's still his annoying, yet precocious self and him and Julio have such a fantastic dynamic. I've said it before and I'll say it again MC does a really great job at casting family members for it's main characters. There is such a chemistry for all of them that feels so very realistic.

Provenza I'm starting to think that as much as I love Provenza he really isn't a character that you can easily build a season long arc around. GW is a fanastic actor, there is no doubt about that. Provenza's storyline and GW's acting in "Intersection" blew me away. I just think that from what we see in 5b. His character's focus and emotional moments mean more to the character in short bursts rather than a season long storyline. I do think that it couldn't hurt to see more of Patrice. Not a ton more but more than an episode a season (or half season).

Andy The Heart Attack felt around the fandom We all hoped that MC would pick up right after Andy's heart attack but it didn't. And we all wondered what MC was doing with yet another 'Andy serious health issue' storyline. It seemed kind of like the show was running out of ideas but after seeing the season as a whole I really enjoyed where they went with this and what it did for his character.

Andy being out of the field meant keeping him the office. Which means that Andy works almost exclusively with Sharon and it seems to have had an interesting effect on him. He seems to have absorbed bits of her personality up like a sponge. This has been something that has been a slow thread for him over the years. With each season Andy, loosing less and less of his anger and bitterness. Becoming happier in his life and with himself and much less explosive than he ever was. But being so much part of a unit with Sharon in such an intimate and professional way is really evident here more so than at any other time.

Andy feels like a leader to me and that's not something that I would have ever thought regarding his character. Don't get me wrong, Andy is still Andy but he is not the Andy from The Closer or Andy from even a few years ago.

The proposal On a Shandy front, Andy's health issues have pushed him to move their relationship forward. It makes it even more apparent to him that life is precious and what he really wants from life out is family life. An official and legal family. I'm so glad that there was more focus here on Shandy's road to matrimony, verses their storyline in 5a (which was very disappointing in their lack of development).

I can always want for more regarding their relationship, as I think like so many others that we hardly ever get a really good look into their personal relationship. But I feel like out of everything we have gotten from them as a couple (outside of work) 5b is the biggest look we've gotten at them. Hopefully this will continue and one can hope that we will get a meaning full conversation between the two of them in season 6.

Sharon So glad to see more focus on Sharon's character in 5b. It had felt for such a long time that she'd gotten lost in the shuffle and it's such a shame because Sharon is a very fascinating character when you sit back and examine her. It was really good seeing Sharon out with the team during the action, especially the bombs. And the beginning of the 5b when Sharon pushed the suspect to snap and snap he did!

Promotion to Assistant Chief I think if Sharon had not expressed her disinterest in being promoted to the position, then I would have wanted it for her. However, she made it more than clear several times through the season that it would have been a step back for her and not forward. While it would have been a higher position, it would have meant stepping back into the political arena and away from detective work. Which is definitely where she did not want to go. So I am very happy that in the end she didn't end up getting the promotion.

As for the stuff with Davis, Mason and Fritz. I kind of felt like it wasn't as prominent an arc as I would have liked. Davis only shows up roughly three times and then we don't even get a really great resolution to her character. While I could see her popping up from time to time, it just won't be the same because she didn't end up as chief.

Promotion to Commander This right here is something I am so very glad that Mason saw to correct. It was high time that this happened and I am so glad that it was one of the very first things that Mason does as asst. chief! Makes me hopeful of him in that position. Makes me think he sees Sharon as an ally instead of an enemy. He's smart and knows that it would be so much better for him to work with her than against her.

Ready for Marriage For the entirety of Sharon and Andy's relationship, Andy has always been two steps ahead of Sharon. Sharon eventually gets there but her brain has to take a while to catch up to Andy's heart. When Andy proposes to Sharon she says yes right away. Sharon is finally on the same page with Andy regarding their relationship and it really shows throughout 5b. Especially after the proposal when he start to notice how in sync they are. And while the two of them have always been in sync (in certain ways), it's no more apparent then this season.

Season 5 (as a whole)

There has been an interesting themes that have played throughout the entirety of season 5. They are..

Family

Family was present in every story arc in 5a. From Sharon/Andy/Rusty moving in together, to Julio wanting kids, to Amy not wanting kids, Provenza's life changes now that he's married and how that's reflected in his workplace and Buzz solving his own father's murder to becoming intimately involved with the murderer's family.

The Past (and how it can still effect you) The very first episode of season 5 plays so heavily on the past and that becomes an over arching theme dealt heavily throughout the season. So much so that there were arcs that called back to people and situations from the past. The return of Stroh, Winnie Davis vs Sharon rivalry which harks back to Sharon vs Brenda rivalry and The promotion of a new chief are all the big ones.

Other Thoughts: Rusty's Vlog So I've talked at length about it and I want to address it again. I've got oh so many mixed feelings on it. When I first started watching MC and found out that the vlogs were real I thought that was an interesting and creative way to give us more information and time with MC.

I thought that it worked really well for season 4 because it was additional information but the information in the videos was not something we had to know. We could still get a full story without watching the vlogs. But the problem with them in season 4, is that they are terribly boring. The majority of the videos solely feature Rusty giving us information, with no one to bounce off of. So when season 5 hits, the vlogs are refreshed and Buzz is featured in them as well. Rusty now has someone to bounce off of in the vlogs and we get loads of information on Buzz's background. But the problem with the vlog's in season 5 is that we don't get a full picture of Buzz's case without watching the vlogs.

There is information in there that we need to know or otherwise Buzz' story arc in season 5a feels terribly incomplete. And my problem with that is (as I mentioned earlier) that there are so many viewers out there that aren't going to go online to watch an additional youtube video. The other problem is that they are using time on the show to set up what they are going to talk about on the vlog instead of using that time to actually talk about 'what ever it is they are going to talk about'.

Another problem that Rusty's vlogs had goes way back in season 4, was viewership reaction. A lot of people seem to have reacted to Rusty's vlog's in a negative way. To the point where it was actually brought up in a season 4b episode. Rusty goes to Judge Grove and talks to him a bit about his Identity vlog. He tells Grove that he's got x amount of viewers (for his vlog) and that none of them seem to like him.

Now I'm not saying that the audience is correct but what I am saying is that if a huge part of your audience is reacting negatively to something maybe you should listen a little bit. For season 4 I watched the vlogs on youtube and I found it interesting that the comments were disabled. And then I watched the vlogs on FB for season 5 and found massive amounts of negative comments, drama and fighting. Which made me think that the comments on youtube were allowed at one point but the same thing happened so they were disabled.

I'm glad that the show finally decided to quit the vlogs. As they were interesting at first but quickly started causing needless drama. Rusty is already a character that brings out strong feelings in the audience and most people either love or hate him. And a vlog solely focused on his character was inevitable to incite some drama.

Speculation: There's no doubt that Stoh will be returning in season 6 and play a major role. I had rather hoped that he would have been gone and never dealt with but if he's going to come back the I would like for him to be dealt with properly. None of this 'Stroh + Rusty' = destiny crap that Stroh spouted in season 3. If we are going to have Stroh back I want him to effect more than just 'Rusty is in danger'. I want him to effect the whole squad.

What I'd like to see in season 6: // Continuing growth in Julio/Mark's fathership // Continuing growth in Sharon/Andy/Rusty familyship (I want to see more of Sharon & Andy parenting Rusty in a united front as well as the two of them disagreeing on what to do with Rusty in a given situation). // Allow Sharon to do some internal and external struggling, and allow it to exist in multiple episodes. Instead of just one episode. // More than 1, honest to god knee deep in emotion and conversation scene between Sharon and Andy without Rusty. I love Sharon/Andy/Rusty familyship and want to see more of that in season 6 but I love Sharon/Andy and they need time alone away from Rusty and us viewers need to see that as well. // Still want to actually see Amy's commanding officer, instead of just being told about her. I want to see Amy interacting with people she worked with in the past. // Mike to be given an actual storyline. // More Patrice! // More than 3 minutes at Sharon and Andy's wedding

Was there improvement from 5a to 5b? During the end of 5a, I wrote a novel in the survey's to TNT. It seems that what I spoke about was what many others also thought could have been changed or improved upon in the show. The creators listened and I am very happy about that. While there is always room for improvement I am very glad that they seem to be listening.

Better balance of storylines. Many of them were underdeveloped in 5a. 5b's storylines felt much more balanced.

Rusty attitude was terrible in 5a and I'm so glad to see that he's gained some maturity between the season hiatus and 5b. One of the things that bothered me about his character in 5a is the large focus on his character. If you look up there during my breakdown of the character in 5a, you'll notice that he's got more storylines than any other character.

I get that Rusty is probably a very easy character to delve into but at the same time it feels like Rusty's character focus tends to be at the expensive of the other character's development and storylines. Case in point Sharon Beck's Pregnancy storyline. So I am very glad that they focused less on him in 5b.

For such a long time we’ve gotten so little of Sharon’s character that in 5b we got some of the focus back on her character and it was really wonderful!

Overall I would say that 5b was such an improvement on 5a and I hope that the show continues it’s forward strides!

Favorite Scenes: 5. Julio loses Mark at the end of White Lies. It was heartbreaking and very easily one of the most moving scenes of MC that I've ever seen. As terrible as it was I am so glad that Mark ends up with Julio in 5b.

4. Provenza laments to Rusty in Intersection. This is easily my favorite Provenza scene and brings out so much of Provenza's character that we hardly ever see. Some amazing acting from GW Bailey!

3. Andy reassures the boys in Bad Blood. Not only do we get some much needed backstory on Andy but we also see how much his previous marriage and Sharon's previous marriage were startling similar. We also see just how much Sharon and Andy's children both love them and want so badly to see them happy. We also get Andy to convince us 100% that he's not the same man he was and he is well aware of that. Plus that amazing grin of his.

2. Sharon's promotion. Something completely unexpected for Sharon and us as the audience. I loved it because it was the promotion she should have gotten 5 years ago. The one promised to her but she never got. Also seeing Sharon being so blown over by it! fabulous!

1. The Proposal. Despite not hearing the words it was still a very beautiful scene and my favorite from season 5. Seeing Sharon at a complete loss for words and also for her to completely forget her son - surely takes alot and this did it. It was also shot so beautifully. The image of Andy turning from Sharon to face us. Show a bit of his vulnerability as he takes a breathe, shuts the door and turns to Sharon to kneel before her was breathtaking.

What I didn't like about the season: The startling lack of anything surrounding Mike's character. Mike barely ever gets attention and has had only 1 episode devoted to his character for the entire 5th season.

Disappointment in how the Sharon/Andy moving in together storyline was handled in 5a. We got one big episode on it and then the storyline peeters out to nothing for the rest of 5a. Sharon's hesitation on moving in with Andy could have been something that we could have seen dealt with on the show more than once. This is something that we could have used to create a real meaningful conversation between the two of them. It was an opportunity lost.

What I liked about the season: Everything in Julio's storyline with adopting a child and Mark. Seeing the return of Mark Hickman steering up trouble for Amy. As much as I don't like the two of them together, Amy thinks much too much of Mark and redemption. They have such a fascinating dynamic.

Focusing more on Sharon and Andy in 5b. Their storyline was very underdeveloped in 5a so it was great to see more movement on that in 5b. The stuff with Ricky and the proposal was great. However the one disappointment from that storyline was not hearing Andy propose to Sharon and not hearing her answer. Another great opportunity for a real deep conversation about their relationship missed.

Rusty gaining more maturity and helping along his mother in her relationship with Andy.

*In addition I’d like to thank everyone that’s enjoyed my reactionary posts. They take quite a bit of time to put together and several rewatches for me to gather all of my thoughts. I really enjoy digging deep into this show. Doing these posts have made me love and appreciate the show more than I ever did. They have also made me realize just how much are put into the storylines. Even when realizing that there are things that could be done differently or improved upon. There’s so much detail work that goes into wardrobe, blocking, plotlines and dialog, etc.

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joneswilliam72 · 5 years

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Meet Sub Pop's new signing Orville Peck, the masked cowboy making Outlaw Country with a cinematic scope

When Sub Pop announced the signing of outlaw country crooner Orville Peck along with the unveiling of his arcane first single ‘Big Sky’ in early December, I was immediately hooked. It is easy to gravitate to the obvious—a cowboy image and identity veiled by an obscure, fringed eye mask. But there is far more behind Peck’s mystifying essence. In fact, before signing with an immensely influential label like Sub Pop, Peck had never released an album nor an EP, and of course—there’s the seductive allure of the music itself—both of which are substantial enough reasons to keep an eye on this rising talent.

When listening to the mysterious nomad’s recently announced debut album Pony (out March 22nd), it is clear the dusty roots of country music flows heavily through Peck’s bloodstream. Adopting and expanding upon an outlaw demeanor best illustrated by the likes of Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings decades ago and more recently, Sturgill Simpson, Peck renders the timeless genre with otherness.

Though the masked singer-songwriter pays homage to the greats, Peck distinguishes himself by imbuing the deeply-rooted sound with emotional dissonance, shadowy flares of shoegaze-y guitars, cinematic crescendos and vocals that combine the love-sickness of Roy Orbison with the menacing gravel of Johnny Cash. Although desolate badlands are a mere mirage of yesteryear and continue to give way to concrete jungles, the wild west throbs within the shrouded nomad’s heart, and his art—music, outfit, live performances and all—is an earnest reflection of this sentiment.

In an attempt to get beneath the mask and inside his fascinating headspace, I spoke to the 10-gallon hat-wearing cowboy to discuss his debut album, where he places his identity and what it means to be a cowboy in the 21st century.

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In other interviews you revealed yourself to be like the sort of like mysterious nomad. You stated that you hail from many places, including five different countries and that you really don't like to settle anywhere for too long. So what is it about settling in one place that unnerves you?

I moved around a lot when I was young and I've been traveling a lot since, and then throughout my young adult years, I played in bands and was always constantly on tour. So I think overall, I live with a pretty healthy amount of anxiety and sitting in one place makes me feel nervous. I think it's a compulsion at this point—sometimes I battle with myself—wondering if I am just trying avoid settling down. But for the most part, I think of this as a positive thing because I've been to so many places, lived in so many places and met so many different people. It has really enriched my life as an artist and as a person.

Has moving around your entire life made you readily adaptable to any setting you immerse yourself into?

I think the older I've become, something I've noticed about myself that's a pretty strong quality is being able to kind of navigate different kinds of people, and that just comes from the numerous places I've been and lived. Exposure is an interesting tool that helps you open up, learn a lot about other people and in turn, allows you to learn a lot about yourself.

Aside from the music that you have consumed in your lifetime, are there any pieces of literature, movies, fashion designers or anything of that nature that have influenced the way that you express yourself through your own art?

A lot of what has built Orville is definitely drawn from more than just the music in my life. I grew up in a household where we learned about various art forms—cinema and all different types of music. I'm a huge fan of film. I really like David Lynch, [Alejandro] Jodorowsky and Gus Van Sant. At the same time, I also love old movie musicals from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. I don't read as much now as I would like to, but I come from a family that read a lot, so I've read many, many books when I was young. I'm a fan of fashion as in style, I just don't really care about the fashion world per se. I was in it for a moment when I was younger, but I think especially in this day and age, a lot of it's complete bullshit.

I'm glad you mentioned David Lynch as an influence because not only does the album portend a noir-like atmosphere, but the two music videos you've released thus far for ‘Big Sky’ and ‘Dead of Night’ are pretty surreal. I can't really place my finger on what either video means, but the Lynchian influence is evident.

The kind of aesthetic I like for cinema, and I suppose art overall, tends to lean more surreal. But as much as I love something like Lynch or anything considered "Art House Cinema," I also really enjoy garbage Hollywood shit [Laughs]. While there are obvious reference points that people can pick up on in my music videos that are Lynchian and so forth, there are a lot of pedestrian references scattered throughout my record too. They just aren't as current and people might not catch them. I'm also a huge fan of John Waters. What I love about him is that he's a perfect example of someone who's inspired by the funny, the mundane and the things in life that aren't necessarily weird, but become weird and obscure in the end.

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If there was a film that reflected your music or vice versa, a western would not do your music justice, however, some weird John Waters or Lynch film certainly would. What is so appealing to you about country music and what albums or artists initially drew you to the genre?

I've been listening to all kinds of music since I was very little. I know people like to say that, but I come from a very eclectic music background. Country music has always really stuck to my heart. I do like contemporary country from the '90s, but not so much these days. The kind of country I've always been really drawn to is "outlaw country," like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and then of course the female equivalent— Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.

Country music has this very theatrical element it and I love how it can be very robust with storytelling. It is essentially just folk music if we consider "folk" in its truest sense, which is all about telling a story. Even though some of the tracks on the album stray a bit from the country sound and have other influences, I wanted each track to capture real situations from my past and from my current life by emphasizing the traditional country music way of telling a story. I think that's why country music really resonates with people, because even if the story is slightly different, I think it'll eventually connect with a lot of people.

I like how you used the word theatrical to describe some country music. I feel like your song ‘Hope To Die’ really captures that as it gradually crescendos into this very cinematic explosion.

When I'm in the studio, I feel like I'm a very visual person. So when I'm trying to get a mood across, I want that song to be exactly like you said— "cinematic." [The track] ‘Hope To Die’ is a perfect example of this, where I envisioned this scene where everything is in slow motion. I find it more helpful to look at music through this visual lens first and foremost, because I can assess the mood and what emotions a song is going to evoke in other people. I'm glad you picked up on that because I definitely try approach music with that mindset.

Let's dive into the album's content a bit more, what is the significance behind the record's title, Pony?

Well for me, Pony has a lot of different connotations regarding country music. To me, it has a gay connotation. It has a sad, lonely connotation. It has a has a connection to something that like a 16-year-old girl wants for her birthday, but it also has a connection to something a cowboy has a take out back and put down [Laughs]. It has a lot of different layers and just made sense for the album.

Can you take us behind the decision of releasing a ‘Big Sky’ as the "Introduction" of Orville Peck to the world?

I got asked a question awhile back; if there was biography being made about me, what would I want it to be called? I said ‘Big Sky’ because I think that song and maybe ‘Dead of Night’ probably sum up who Orville is and the big themes within Pony. I think ‘Big Sky’ speaks a lot about regret and the inability to sit still, not really understanding why we react to things the way we do. It even speaks to the absence of feeling something we think we should be feeling.

Yeah, it seems as if ‘Big Sky’ serves as some sort of a launching pad into who you are without completely revealing who you are.

’Big Sky’ is a very, very personal song to me because it discusses tumultuous, failed relationships of mine, and then me moving on from those relationships. It doesn't seem like a typical first single because it's obviously very much a ballad and is very stripped down. But I think that track is kind of a good 101 to what Orville Peck is about.

Now, I’d like talk a little more about Outlaw Country. You don't really hear it anymore and It's no secret that its rebellious nature of has been kind of compromised for pop leaning radio hits, especially within the last decade. That being said, what would you say is missing in today's popular realm of country music?

Definitely. However, as much of a fan of Merle Haggard, I can also get behind listening to [Carrie Underwood's] ‘Before He Cheats’ [Laughs]. I do enjoy a lot of pop country, like I'm a big fan of Kacey Musgraves who's obviously very popular right now, winning CMA's and stuff. But it is very interesting with someone like her, because she is bringing this new rebellion to mainstream, huge label country radio. This whole idea of her singing about smoking weed or like getting her nose pierced is pretty rebellious for mainstream country [Laughs].

Artists like Musgraves are starting to kind of open up something new, even though she seems to be this all-American white girl. But I think for me, what I find missing in country music today, is that it just doesn't feel very country anymore. It just feels like people singing pop music with a Texan accent [Laughs]. Don't get me wrong, I do love pop music and I have a lot of respect for pop music. I just think a lot of today's popular country music doesn't feel very—country.

People frequently ask me the whole "why do I make this kind of country music?" question, and I just don't know why someone wouldn't want to. I love the sound of banjos, slide guitar and I think those sounds complete the fantasy of what country music is, without them the story is incomplete. Because those elements are often missing, I'm left to make up for it.

You mention elements like banjo and slide guitar, which were elements made synonymous with outlaw country. Would you say that your music is reviving or reliving that country outlaw attitude from long ago?

Probably both. I'm not the only person doing it. People like telling me that it's something very new and has never been done before. But I’ve simply taken elements of different genres and specific musicians that have inspired me and put them into one big cattle [Laughs].

Again, there's something about old country music that's really ultra-personal. Whether that be of my past, things I've done and things I've experienced, I would hope my music is just as exposing. I think that vulnerability and rawness is also missing from a lot of country music these days. If you look at older singers like Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, those women were singing about pretty crazy shit, especially for the time—referencing things like mental illness and alcoholism. I think the content used to be a lot more significant, which is why I really tried to make this album personal—so that it resonates with other people. I think the more personal a story is, the more it will resonate.

You mention how very personal and revealing country music should be, yet there's seems to be a darker flare to Pony that even surpasses the essence like outlaw country. That being said, would you, to an extent say there's a bit of goth-country to this collection of songs?

That’s a fair assessment. I'm a big fan of like ‘80s, goth-y synth bands. I grew up playing in a lot of punk bands, which brings in a tongue-in-cheek element to the album, but underneath it all, my music comes from somewhere pretty damaged. I really love artists like Nick Cave and Patti Smith, who both probably influenced Pony and pushed it over the edge of just g-rated country.

I would like to dive into the story and significance—if any—behind your leather-and-fringe eye-mask without revealing too much of your true identity.

There's not a huge amount of significance and symbolism. Hmm, maybe that's not quite true, because it's not that I don't want people to know, I just think the fringed references are obvious enough for people to kind of piece it together themselves and understand, which may be more rewarding than just reading it. So I think I'll probably pass on revealing too much [Laughs], because I just don't want to take that away from someone who wants to know.

I think I may have any idea behind the imagery of the mask, but I think I enjoy not really knowing for sure, myself.

I will say, the look of it is based off two or three obvious references that I think people could figure it out.

I know you don't want to necessarily discuss into the significance of the look of the mask itself, but I did notice that each of the two videos that have been released for ‘Big Sky’ and ‘Dead of Night’, you're wearing two variations of the same mask—one of black and one white. Was it intentional to include both variations?

I just like to include different ones. There are about 14 different masks now. In fact, I just made one with all chains. When I perform live I usually try to rotate them in and out to keep it interesting. There are a few I haven't worn yet because I can't really play the guitar with while wearing them [Laughs]. There's even one that's hangs almost down to my feet.

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Will you ever reveal your true identity or is it essential to like the mystique of your sound?

It's funny, because the mask seems to be this weird, mysterious phenomenon and people think I'm like dead set on holding something back. I see the mask as part of me... people always ask me what I'm trying to hide, but I'm not necessarily trying to construct any type of mystery or allure—it just goes with the story of who Orville Peck is.

It's interesting, because after my live shows, people bring up the mask and I'm like "Oh yeah, the mask!" I really do forget that I'm wearing [the mask] sometimes. I guess it's not a real point of interest to me. I think when people first see me performing with it, they tend to think it's maybe some shtick or costume piece. Of course, in some ways it is, but as the show goes on, people eventually forget about the mask and that I'm wearing these quote, unquote "crazy outfits."

I'm a firm believer that masks don't actually hide anything at all. Masks actually expose a lot—and in this case—allows people to connect way more with me than If I wasn't wearing the mask. Wearing it lets me stay honest and not hold anything back, if that makes sense. If anything my masks are actually way more exposing than anything.

I guess I never really considered the concept of masks in that way. So, when you're covering yourself like that, you can be who you are, who you want to be without any fear of judgment almost.

Exactly!

When you aren't wearing the mask, does anyone ever recognize you as Orville Peck?

Nope.

Are there any plans of maybe selling variations of your mask as merchandise so people can wear them to your shows?

Hmm, nope [Laughs].

Has there ever been any worry that maybe your image will overshadow or distract listeners from the music itself?

I don't necessarily think that everything has to be theatrical or always has to be over the top and that people have to be wearing these crazy costumes. But there have been many times where I'll go out to see a band and I'm let down because I just don't see a fully realized effort or show a lot of times. Sometimes I'll go see a show and I'll be like, "oh, you know, the music is right and I see your references," but then I just want people to go a step further from whatever it is they are doing.

I guess if your aesthetic is like wearing jeans and a tee shirt and you play in like Oasis or whatever, then that's great, that's fine. I don't think everyone has to be wearing an Orville Peck mask, but if you look at a band like Oasis—who I'm actually a big fan of—they created an entire cult-like following solely based on their shitty personalities [Laughs]. However, it does go without saying that I'm glad my music holds up on its own, regardless of the outfit.

I think if someone listened to an Orville Peck song before they even saw the mask, the cowboy hat or any of that stuff—I feel that my music could stand alone. To me, the outfit and the show is an added bonus. If I'm [performing] a song and then look out to the crowd, there should be some vibe where you can really sink your teeth into.

Even with a lot of great bands, their performances can be underwhelming. The music could sound great, but then it just stops there—the experience often leaves out that "show" element.

I'm seriously considering adding a scent to my performance [Laughs]. I think shows need to be a full experience, however that may look. I'm someone who appreciates going out to a show and being left to pick my jaw up off the floor because of something that was fully performed. I'm not interested in... doing something halfway—it's 100 percent or nothing. No matter the genre of music or whatever it is you do, it's clear when something hasn't been given 100 percent.

When you come do a show in L.A., I'm expecting some incense burned during your performance.

[Laughs] We're going to get some horses in there too.

Considering that country's music identity has been traditionally and culturally monolithic with its stereotypical pieces of Americana, like the pickup truck, the high school sweetheart, the bottle and the gun, etc; what does it mean to create country music as an LGBTQ artist?

I still think my music has everything to do with the things you mentioned and maybe even more. My aesthetic in general involves the pickup truck, the high school sweetheart and those type of things, but the exciting part is taking all those elements and not necessarily reinventing them or trying to turn them on their head. Actually respecting and admiring those things allows us then to just do it our way.

Sometimes people expect that when they're going to talk to me about country music that I'm not going to be into like mainstream country or I'm not going to be into this or that. I have such a huge love for country music and so I don't see myself as someone from the outside coming in and stirring it up. I feel in my heart, I am already a part of that and I'm just doing it my way. I love everything stereotypical about Americana, country, all that stuff. So to me—however I identify—country music is just a part of who I am—they aren't separate to me.

What does it mean to be a cowboy in the 21st century?

[Sigh] Well, It's a lot of anxiety [laughs]. I think I've been one all my life, so being a cowboy doesn't necessarily mean having a hat or horse. I'd say a lot of us are cowboys, especially in this moment. Being a cowboy in the 21st century has a lot to do with remembering yourself and also forgiving yourself.

As someone who has always felt a bit like an outsider to everything, I feel like cowboys are kind of like the reluctant hero to a story, which is something I definitely relate to because I have a very dichotomous personality. On one end, I love freedom, the adventure that comes with being able to travel a lot and not needing to conform to sitting at a desk. At the exact same time, I struggle with finding normalcy and never really feeling security—it's a constant battle in my head and is actually what the song ‘Turn To Hate’ is about.

With being a cowboy or having the spirit of a cowboy, it's becoming harder and harder in this day and age to find things to believe in and anchor ourselves to. At least for me, I find myself easily getting jaded, which is why I sing in the song "Don't let my sorrow turn to hate." As I navigate other people and navigate my own emotions, I have to make sure that resentment doesn't build within me. So in that sense, I know a lot of cowboys. I think in all of us, there is a spirit of solitude and just packing up and running off into the sunset, which seems like an easier option than having to deal with the shit that's going on around us right now.

Who would you say is the model cowboy?

Hmm, I have a couple in mind. It sounds so cliché, but I feel like James Dean was very much a cowboy-spirit figure. Aside from the characters he played in film, I think in real life he exemplified the dilemma of having this drifter spirit and trying to kind of make that fit in the world around him, especially in the industry that Hollywood was and is.

With a lot of people I really respect in popular culture, a lot of them are not typical cowboys with a hat and horse. Someone like Nina Simone was pretty incredible. She was like a really crazy cowboy who even had a gun, so she fits the mold perfectly [Laughs]. But she was also somebody who by nature, was forced to live as an outsider. Given the day and age she lived, she was such an incredibly poignant woman who wasn't afraid to sing and speak her mind. I think she definitely lived her life as a cowboy.

Even with the little background information regarding who Orville Peck is, what do you hope listeners are able to take away from your music?

My focus with this album was telling stories about me. So, I just really hope people will listen and relate to some of them.

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Orville Peck’s debut album Pony comes out via Sub Pop on March 22nd.

from The 405 http://bit.ly/2UcEeK7

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